Milionerzy (pronounced mē-lē-ō-ne-zhi)(English translation: Millionaires) is a Polish game show based on the original British format of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?. The show is hosted by Hubert Urbański. The main goal of the game is to win 1 million polish zloty by answering 12 multiple-choice questions correctly. There are four lifelines which include fifty fifty (pół na pół), Ask the Audience (pytanie do publiczności), Ask the Expert (pytanie do eksperta) and Switch the Question (zmiana pytania). Earlier, they used to have Phone-A-Friend (telefon do przyjaciela) before it was replaced with Ask the Expert. Since March 2010, contestants could choose to play in Risk mode, which will give them a fourth lifeline, Switch the Question (zmiana pytania), but 40,000 PLN will not be a guaranteed sum.
The first series of Milionerzy was broadcast from 3 September 1999 to 26 January 2003, and the second version has been broadcast from 19 January 2008 to 19 December 2010. It was shown every Saturday and Sunday at 6 PM (UTC+1) on the Polish commercial television station TVN. Executive producer of first series was Endemol. Now executive producer of program is Intergalactic. When a contestant gets the second question correct, he will leave with at least 1,000 PLN. When a contestant gets the seventh question correct, he will leave with at least 40,000 PLN.
From 1999 through 2003 we could see three changes of the studio stage design, some differ in stylistics. From 2008, after resumption we see the fourth different stage design.
The first logo of Milionerzy from 1999 was very different to standard the model used in other editions of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?. It was a violet rhombus on one of vertexes and rings stooding on themselves on background of "Milionerzy" caption[13]. The second one, modelled on the traditional style, is round with green question marks. It was introduced with the changes of credits and scenography in 2000. It is used also now, but in another colour scheme with gold question marks.
The first and second version of the opening credits were similar with people looking and aiming on the Milionerzy logo. It was patterned on British credits of this time. From 2008, the opening credits of the programme feature an animation showing in sequence all prizes to one million zlotys - it is patterned on the newest British version[14].
Except for the opening credits, no big changes were made on graphics and sounds. The new edition has refreshed graphics: the fields with questions and answers are navy-blue and blue (earlier black) and smaller than in first edition of Milionerzy, and the field with won prize is blue (earlier brown and navy-blue). Also some sound effects and music we can hear in the background when player answers a question, changed.
Now Milionerzy is recorded in the TVP studio in Kraków, 44, Nowohucka St. The first edition was recorded in the Warsaw-based WFDiF studio, 21, Chełmcka St. from 1999 until 2001 in the TVP studio on 17, Woronicza St until 2003.
Questions for million zlotys
In Milionerzy, twelve questions for one million zlotys appeared. Ten times the player walked away, and one time (in special edition with participation of children), the player answered the question incorrectly. Only one contestant was able to answer their question correctly. Here are all of the questions:
Władysław Kostrzewski - 21 October 2000
1,000,000 zł (15 of 15) - Not timed
What country did Conan the Barbarian come from?
⬥ A: from Rivia
⬥ B: from Land of Oz
⬥ C: from Mordor
⬥ D: from Cimmeria
Correct answer: D
Zbigniew Chrzanowski - 21 May 2001
1,000,000 zł (15 of 15) - Not timed
As in song by Kabaret Starszych Panów, repellent goon will get a double-barreled shotgun, will go out and...:
⬥ A: one-two!
⬥ B: bang, bang!
⬥ C: from two pipes
⬥ D: shoot into bottom
Correct answer: B
Jerzy Mirski - 14 October 2001
1,000,000 zł (15 of 15) - Not timed
Comics "child" of drawer Bob Kane is:
⬥ A: Superman
⬥ B: Batman
⬥ C: Spiderman
⬥ D: Captain America
Correct answer: B
Filip Łapiński - 1 June 2002 (special edition with participation of children)
1,000,000 zł (15 of 15) - Not timed
Which of these animals is not a fish:
⬥ A: Nase
⬥ B: Blue Bream
⬥ C: Rudd
⬥ D: European Roller
Paulina Kowalczyk - 5 April 2008
1,000,000 zł (12 of 12) - Not timed
Who is the master of the same arms that Artemis specialises?
In Milionerzy, the record was, when, first time in second series, all contestants answered correctly in fastest fingers round at question "Put the following Australian cities in alphabetical order."
In "Milionerzy" there were three times when player lost because of a bad question and were bought back to play again.
The first made a mistake in question for 32,000 PLN: "Who invented the steam engine?". He went for James Watt, but correct answer was Charles Algernon Parsons. After a complaint to programme's producers, his answer was recognized as correct. Player won guaranteed 32,000 PLN, but he answered incorrectly in the next question for 64,000 PLN.
The second player made a mistake on his 500 PLN question: "How many cuts are on kaiser rolls?" He answered "4," but the correct answer was "5," so he won nothing. After it was recognizing that his answer was correct, he answered incorrectly the next question for 1000 PLN and left with nothing again.
The third player was asked a question about author of the picture: "The Luncheon on the Grass" and answered Claude Monet, but correct answer was Édouard Manet. However, Monet also painted a lesser known picture with the same title, so the player was allowed to continue playing.
In Milionerzy, three players answered incorrectly in first question.
In the first version of Milionerzy, one player got this question: "How people in Poland state a person who is calm and shaky?" and he answered "anielska woda" (angelic water) instead of "cicha woda" (still water).
In the second version, one player got this question: "A penitent is a person acceding to..." and answered "judicial process", but the correct answer was "confession"[15].
Another player got question about breed of Ludwik Dorn's dog. After using all lifelines, he answered French Bulldog - incorrectly. The correct answer was Giant Schnauzer.
In Milionerzy, audience let players in mistakes three times. All players let in mistakes trusted the audience and answered incorrectly. Two of them won guaranteed 1000 PLN, and one left the studio with nothing.
References
↑Winning question: One of the official languages of the United Nations is: A: German; B: Arabic; C: Latin; D: Polish. Correct answer: "B". Question for 250,000 PLN was: Zbigniew Zamachowski plays on a comb melody of the song "To ostatnia niedziela" (This last Sunday) in the film: A: "Zmruż oczy" (Squint your eyes); B: "Pułkownik Kwiatkowski" (Colonel Kwiatkowski); C: "Trzy kolory. Biały" (Three colours. White; D: "Cześć Tereska" (Hi Theresa) and the correct answer was answer "C".
↑A player who had 75,000 PLN decided to answer the next question and chose answer "B" for this 125,000 PLN question: Which of these famous connoisseurs had to say: "Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar"? A: Mark Twain; B: Winston Churchill, C: Sigmund Freud, D: Alfred Hitchcock. Correct answer was "C".
↑Question for 125,000 PLN was: In which voivodeship known from Polish jokes is the town Wąchock? A: in Lower Silesian; B: in Podlachian; C: in Świętokrzyskie; D: in Pomeranian. The correct answer was "C". The player refused to play for 250,000 PLN, which question was: How many cats are on Édouard Manet's painting "Olimpia"? A: zero; B: one; C: two; D: three. Correct answer was "B".
↑A player answered 9 question for 125,000 PLN, having one lifeline fifty fifty (pół na pół) left. After using it on the 250,000 PLN question, she risked and said gave a wrong answer to a question about place of red gape on Palm Cockatoo. After using the lifeline, two answers remained: C: on mirror near the wing and D: on the bottom of the beak.
↑
Question for 75,000 PLN:
Veduta is a painting showing:
A) still life
B) view of town
C) family portrait
D) war scene.
Player chose D: answer, but correct answer was B:
↑Player resigned playing in the question for 125,000 PLN, what was:: Who of these persons from cosmetics field was born in Łódź? A: Estee Lauder; B: Helena Rubinstein; C: Max Factor; D: Irena Eris. He intuitally bet on "B" answer, but "C" was correct answer.
↑5 players played in this episode. Three of them won 1000 PLN, one player left the studio with nothing, and one won fastest fingers round, but the programme ended before he heard the first question.
↑Player had 75,000 PLN and he decided to answer question for 125,000 PLN: What violet color on vestment of ecclesiastic in Roman Catholic Church symbolize? A: atonement; B: happiness; C: royal dignity; D: innocence.
After using lifeline 50:50 "A" and "B" answers stayed. Player chosen "B" answer, which was incorrect. Correct answer was "A".
↑Player who had 250,000 PLN said that she want to play for 500,000 PLN. Question for 500,000 PLN: Which of these words isn't anagram of word "skrzynka"? A: zarys; B: krzak; C: kryzys; D: kryza, after using lifelines ask the audience and phone a friend, she resigned from answering. She bet on "A" answer, but "C" was correct answer. Winning question for 250,000 PLN was: If young couple stay under chuppah, what religion do they profess?? A: buddhism; B: judaism; C: islam; D: hinduism. Correct answer was "B".
↑Player while having 500 000 PLN had a question for million zlotys: Who is the master of the same arms that Artemis specialises? A: Zorro B: Legolas C: Don Quixote D: Longinus Podbipięta, and after using ask the audience (46% of votes for correct answer) and fifty fifty ("A" and "B" answers stayed) lifelines, she resigned from answering the question. She intuitively bet on "B", which was correct answer. If she would use fifty fifty, and then ask the audience (where probably would be about 65% of votes for correct answer), she would probably answer correct answer, "B". Many people say, that this player was corrupted player. Winning question for 500 000 PLN: Which of these words are also in singular form? A: name-day (imieniny) B: doors (drzwi) C: thicket (chaszcze) D: shaft (drzewce)
Correct answer was "D".
↑Player while having 250 000 zł decided to play for 500 000 PLN and he chose answer "C" at question for 500 000 PLN: In which of these countries English language isn't a official language? A: in Canada B: in USA C: in RSA D: in Ireland. Correct answer was "B".
