After more than 25 years, quiz game show Millionaire Hot Seat has been put “on hiatus” by Channel 9, announced by host Eddie McGuire this morning.
On 3AW radio this morning, Eddie said:
“It’s with great pride and joy, but also sadness, that I announce this morning that Millionaire Hot Seat will go into hiatus at the end of January next year and we will finish off the year, and there will be a replacement show at 5pm on the Nine Network”.
The long running quiz show, which recently celebrated its 2500th episode, originally launched as the popular Who Wants to be a Millionaire? in 1999 hosted by Eddie McGuire.
It was then was subsequently spun off into the Millionaire Hot Seat weeknight format in 2009, and in 2017 the network extended the format to 1 hour to compete with Channel 7 rival The Chase.
In a statement this morning, Director of Television at Nine, Michael Healy said:
“Long-term fan favourite Millionaire Hot Seat, and its predecessor, Who Wants To Be A Millionaire, have been fundamental pillars in our Channel 9 schedule for 24 years and will continue to be through 2023. For 2024 there will be a change, but for this year we look forward to bringing more triumphant stories to those who love the show and who play along with Eddie.”
“For the past two and a half decades Eddie McGuire has made the show come to life, uncovered the great stories of our contestants, and has had the pleasure of handing over total prize money of more than $90 million. We thank him for his commitment to the show over those years and for the shows still to come, and look forward to continuing our successful partnership with Eddie into the future.”
*This post updates
Wheel of fortune is coming back in the uk… wouldnt be surprised if it gets brought back sometime soon given its been 15 years or so – or tipping point
Will Bennett word of an Aussie tipping point has been heard.
I want to see Supermarket Sweep make a comeback!
Bring back Blankety Blanks and The Price Is Right.
Andrew Maloney Hamish I think could do Blankety Blanks justice. But Ch10 needs this kind of TV (maybe in a dark archive somewhere they own the local rights!!) and I can’t see who a host on there would be… they’d have to be imported from somewhere…
Craig Wright The show was revived twice on the 9 Network in the 80’s and 90’s with Daryl Somers, then Shane Bourne as hosts, but there will never be anyone better than Graham Kennedy.