June 29, 2015

Millionaire Re-Introduces Ladder Format for 2015 Season

New changes are being made to Millionaire’s upcoming season.


Who Wants to be a Millionaire is tweaking their format for the upcoming 2015 season, re-introducing some of the most popular elements to the show to inject more drama, excitement, and hopefully cash into next season.

We’ve been able to confirm officially with the show that the upcoming season will bring back the Ladder format, with the drama and difficulty building as each contestants makes their way closer to one million dollars. This time around, the money tree has only 14 questions, with bigger payouts for earlier questions. As the contestant progresses, the questions get tougher and tougher. Here’s the money tree, with the bolded amounts being the Safe Havens:

Question 14 $1,000,000
Question 13 $500,000
Question 12 $250,000
Question 11 $100,000
Question 10 $50,000
Question 9 $30,000
Question 8 $20,000
Question 7 $10,000
Question 6 $7,000
Question 5 $5,000
Question 4 $3,000
Question 3 $2,000
Question 2 $1,000
Question 1 $500

And with this new question format comes a new configuration of lifelines. Ask the Audience returns this season, as well as the well-received Plus One lifeline. Being reintroduced this season: 50-50 replaces Jump the Question. Fans of Original Recipe Millionaire will be in for a treat. (And future contestants, take note: any BuzzerBlogger would be happy to be your Plus One.)

As we’ve reported before, Chris Harrison takes over the reins as host for this new season. We’ve also been able to confirm that dynamic, in-the-round set that puts the contestant and the host together against the questions remains.

Production starts this week, and if you want to go and see the changes for yourself up in Connecticut, you can head to MillionaireTV.com for tickets. And, while you’re there, you’ll have a chance to audition to be a contestant. Can’t make it to Stanford? That’s OK: Millionaire will have one more New York City audition, on July 27 from 5 to 7 PM. You’ll need to pre-register for that audition, and you can do so at MillionaireTV.com. Later this summer, we’ll report back from the set with more information!