Milionerzy

Milionerzy
Country	Poland
Created by	Endemol (1999 - 2003) Intergalactic (2008 - 2010) Jake Vision (2017 - present)
Presented by	Hubert Urbański
Broadcast
Original Channel	TVN
Running Time	30, 45, or 60 minutes (with commercials)
Aired	3 September 1999 - 26 January 2003 19 January 2008 - 19 December 2010 9 February 2017 - present
Notable Facts
Top Prize	1 000 000 zł
# of Top Prize Winners	1
# of Final Questions Walkers	12
# of Final Questions answered Wrong	1
Contestants who left Empty-handed	minimum 11
External links
Official Website	http://milionerzy.tvn.pl/

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. When a contestant gets the second question correct, he will leave with at least 1000 zł. When a contestant gets the seventh question correct, he will leave with at least 40 000 zł.

Players are given three lifelines which include fifty fifty (pół na pół), Ask the Audience (pytanie do publiczności) and Phone-A-Friend (telefon do przyjaciela, in 2017 rules called pytanie do przyjaciela meaning Ask-A-Friend, but host still says it's Phone-A-Friend). From September 2009 to December 2010 Phone-A-Friend was replaced with Ask the Expert (pytanie do eksperta). From March to December 2010, contestants could choose to play in Risk mode, which would give them a fourth lifeline, Switch the Question (zmiana pytania), but 40 000 zł will not be a guaranteed sum.

The first edition (series 1-4) of Milionerzy was produced by Endemol and was broadcasted from 3 September 1999 to 26 January 2003. This edition used old-standard 15-question format, with 1000 zł guaranteed after 5th correct answer, and 32 000 zł guaranteed after 10th correct answer. The second edition (series 5-10) was produced by Intergalactic and was broadcast from 19 January 2008 to 19 December 2010. A third edition (series 11 onward) premiered in 9th February 2017 with Jake Vision as a executive producer.

From 2008 to 2010, it was shown every Saturday and Sunday at 6 PM (UTC+1) on the Polish commercial television station TVN and from 2017 it's shown from Monday to Thursday at 8:55 PM (UTC+1).

Game series

Series	No. of episodes	Time of broadcast	Length of episode	Format
1	1 - 175 (175)	3rd September 1999 - 28th June 2000	~20-45 minutes	Standard format
2	176 - 379 (204)	28th August 2000 - 1st July 2001	~35-45 minutes
3	380 - 499 (120)	1st September 2001 - 30th June 2002
4	500 - 537 (38)	1st September 2002 - 26th January 2003	~30-40 minutes
5	538 - 585 (48)	19th January 2008 - 22nd June 2008	~42 minutes	12-question format
6	586 - 615 (30)	6th September 2008 - 14th December 2008
7	616 - 641 (26)	7th March 2009 - 31st May 2009
8	642 - 658 (17)	6th September 2009 - 26th December 2009
9	659 - 673 (15)	7th March 2010 - 27th June 2010		12-question risk format with fourth lifeline
10	674 - 688 (15)	12th September 2010 - 19th December 2010
11	689 - 747 (59)	9th February 2017 - ~18th May 2017	~26 minutes	12-question format
12		September 2017

Game's prizes

From series 5 of Milionerzy, there are twelve questions which go like this:

Question No.	Correct Answer Value	Walk Away Value	Miss Answer Value	Amount Lost for a Wrong Answer
1	500 zł	0 zł	0 zł	0 zł
2	1000 zł	500 zł	0 zł	500 zł
3	2000 zł	1000 zł	1000 zł	0 zł
4	5000 zł	2000 zł	1000 zł	1000 zł
5	10 000 zł	5000 zł	1000 zł	4000 zł
6	20 000 zł	10 000 zł	1000 zł	9000 zł
7	40 000 zł	20 000 zł	1000 zł	19 000 zł
8	75 000 zł	40 000 zł	40 000 zł	0 zł
9	125 000 zł	75 000 zł	40 000 zł	35 000 zł
10	250 000 zł	125 000 zł	40 000 zł	85 000 zł
11	500 000 zł	250 000 zł	40 000 zł	210 000 zł
12	1 000 000 zł	500 000 zł	40 000 zł	460 000 zł

In series 1-4 of Milionerzy, there were fifteen questions which went like this:

Question No.	Correct Answer Value	Walk Away Value	Miss Answer Value	Amount Lost for a Wrong Answer
1	100 zł	0 zł	0 zł	0 zł
2	200 zł	100 zł	0 zł	100 zł
3	300 zł	200 zł	0 zł	200 zł
4	500 zł	300 zł	0 zł	300 zł
5	1000 zł	500 zł	0 zł	500 zł
6	2000 zł	1000 zł	1000 zł	0 zł
7	4000 zł	2000 zł	1000 zł	1000 zł
8	8000 zł	4000 zł	1000 zł	3000 zł
9	16 000 zł	8000 zł	1000 zł	7000 zł
10	32 000 zł	16 000 zł	1000 zł	15 000 zł
11	64 000 zł	32 000 zł	32 000 zł	0 zł
12	125 000 zł	64 000 zł	32 000 zł	32 000 zł
13	250 000 zł	125 000 zł	32 000 zł	93 000 zł
14	500 000 zł	250 000 zł	32 000 zł	218 000 zł
15	1 000 000 zł	500 000 zł	32 000 zł	468 000 zł

Appearance and changes of appearance

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 . 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 .

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.

The second edition of Milionerzy was 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, thirteen questions for one million zlotys appeared. Eleven 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 and win the top prize. 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...: 'Ask the Audience' lifeline used
⬥ A: one-two!	⬥ B: bang, bang!
⬥ C: from two pipes	⬥ D: shoot into bottom
Ask the Audience Results: A: 35% ⬥ B: 44% ⬥ C: 18% ⬥ D: 3%

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: '50:50' lifeline used
⬥ 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? 'Ask the Audience' and '50:50' lifelines used
⬥ A: Zorro	⬥ B: Legolas
⬥ C: Don Quixote	⬥ D: Longinus Podbipięta
Ask the Audience Results: A: 22% ⬥ B: 46% ⬥ C: 12% ⬥ D: 20%

Correct answer: B

• Dagna Sieńko - 18 May 2008

1 000 000 zł (12 of 12) - Not Timed
Who of these actors was born in the same year in which the Lumiere brothers patented the cinematograph?
⬥ A: Rudolph Valentino	⬥ B: Humphrey Bogart
⬥ C: Charlie Chapiln	⬥ D: Fred Astaire

Correct answer: A

• Rafał Tomański - 22 November 2008

1 000 000 zł (12 of 12) - Not Timed
Pro Archia Poeta turned into history as one of the brightest orations by: '50:50' and 'Ask the Audience' lifelines used
⬥ A: Isocrates	⬥ B: Cicero
⬥ C: Demosthenes	⬥ D: Quintilian
Ask the Audience Results: A: 35% ⬥ B: 65% ⬥

Correct answer: B

• Renata Dancewicz and Piotr Adamczyk - 7 December 2008 (Celebrity Edition)

1 000 000 zł (12 of 12) - Not Timed
Who was the painter in the court of King Philip IV of Spain? '50:50' lifeline used
⬥ A: Marcello Bacciarelli	⬥ B: Jan van Eyck
⬥ C: Diego Velasquez	⬥ D: Jacques-Louis David

Correct answer: C

• Marzena Rogowska - 25 April 2009

1 000 000 zł (12 of 12) - Not Timed
Maraschino liqueur is made of Marasca, which is a type of what?
⬥ A: Cherry	⬥ B: Apple
⬥ C: Fig	⬥ D: Pear

Correct answer: A

• Krzysztof Wójcik - 28 March 2010

1 000 000 zł (12 of 12) - Not Timed
Czesław Mozil is famous for playing on what instrument?
⬥ A: Cornet	⬥ B: Accordion
⬥ C: Djembe	⬥ D: Xylophone

• Katarzyna Zaręba - 24 October 2010 (risk mode)

1 000 000 zł (12 of 12) - Not Timed
Which of these Juliusz Słowacki's poems is written in prose?
⬥ A: Godzina myśli	⬥ B: W Szwajcarii
⬥ C: Anhelli	⬥ D: Arab

Correct answer: C

• Michał Piróg and Karolina Korwin-Piotrowska - 19 December 2010 (Celebrity Edition)

1 000 000 zł (12 of 12) - Not Timed
Which of the following does not have a dorsal fin?
⬥ A: Basking shark	⬥ B: Common thresher
⬥ C: Killer whale	⬥ D: Bowhead whale

Correct answer: D

• Sonia Ciuk - 15 March 2017

1 000 000 zł (12 of 12) - Not Timed
"Wątróbka z cebulką (...) jest zakąską doskonałą. Aby ją przyrządzić, należy kupić samochód i pędzić nim póty, aż się kogoś przejedzie". This is Lem and...
⬥ A: "Solaris"	⬥ B: "Tales of Pirx the Pilot"
⬥ C: "Dyktanda czyli…"	⬥ D: "Hospital of the Transfiguration"

Correct answer: C

• Kinga Rusin and Piotr Kraśko - 15 April 2017 (Celebrity Edition)

1 000 000 zł (12 of 12) - Not Timed
Polish Lynx, Rostov Swan, Saxon Stork and Smolensk Tipper are: 'Phone-A-Friend' lifeline used
⬥ A: pigeon breed	⬥ B: chicken breed
⬥ C: beetles	⬥ D: skateboard tricks

Correct answer: A On 10th April official website of Milionerzy uploaded a fragment of this question. Kinga and Piotr called Bartosz Węglarczyk. Kinga has read the question and answer twice, leaving Bartosz with only 7 seconds. Bartosz said it is easy question, but time has run out. Decision and correct answer has been revealed on 15th April - Kinga and Piotr decided to walk away with 500 000 zł. Also this is first time, when contestant(s) got Phone A Friend lifeline in a million złotys question.

Top prize and biggest winners in Milionerzy

The list is sorted chronologically and only 250 000 zł prizes and bigger are shown:

Date of showing	Series	Prize	Player's name
5th March 2000	1	250 000 zł	Krzysztof Karwowski
5th May 2000		250 000 zł	Jarosław Olejnicki
8th October 2000	2	250 000 zł	Marek Janowski
21st October 2000		500 000 zł	Władysław Kostrzewski
17th February 2001		250 000 zł	Stanisław Pietrasiewicz
28th February 2001		250 000 zł	Katarzyna Dobras
12th March 2001		250 000 zł	Jerzy Zadrożny
21st May 2001		500 000 zł	Zbigniew Chrzanowski
24th September 2001	3	250 000 zł	Tomasz Micorek
14th October 2001		500 000 zł	Jerzy Mirski
16th December 2001		250 000 zł	Artur Wiśniewski
25th December 2001		250 000 zł	Edyta Olszówka and Olaf Lubaszenko (Celebrity Edition)
9th February 2002		250 000 zł	Szczepan Gardecki
23th September 2002	4	250 000 zł	Gogoł family (Family Edition)
25th December 2002		250 000 zł	Aleksandra Woźniak and Rafał Królikowski (Celebrity Edition)
29th March 2008	5	250 000 zł	Elżbieta Orłowska
5th April 2008		500 000 zł	Paulina Kowalczyk
27th April 2008		250 000 zł	Dorota Kwiecińska
18th May 2008		500 000 zł	Dagna Sieńko
7th September 2008	6	250 000 zł	Marek Kraśnicki
22nd November 2008		500 000 zł	Rafał Tomański
7th December 2008		500 000 zł	Renata Dancewicz and Piotr Adamczyk (Celebrity Edition)
19th April 2009	7	250 000 zł	Marcin Bobrowski
25th April 2008		500 000 zł	Marzena Rogowska
1st November 2009	8	250 000 zł	Tomasz Radko
26th December 2009		250 000 zł	Szymon Hołownia and Marcin Prokop (Celebrity Edition)
28th March 2010	9	1 000 000 zł	Krzysztof Wójcik
2nd May 2010		250 000 zł	Jakub Tomys
20th June 2010		250 000 zł	Jędrzej Wiczkowski
10th October 2010	10	250 000 zł	Magdalena Lula
24th October 2010		500 000 zł	Katarzyna Zaręba
19th December 2010		500 000 zł	Karolina Korwin-Piotrowska and Michał Piróg (Celebrity Edition)
8th March 2017	11	250 000 zł	Jakub Rudnicki
15th March 2017		500 000 zł	Sonia Ciuk
29th March 2017		250 000 zł	Katarzyna Kołaczkowska
12th April 2017		250 000 zł	Ilona Rasińska
15th April 2017		500 000 zł	Kinga Rusin and Piotr Kraśko (Celebrity Edition)

Records and faux pas

• 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, the record for going the farthest without using a lifeline
  • In first run (1999-2003) in normal episode it was 250 000 zł. The contestant, Waldemar Myszkiewicz won 32 000 zł.
  • In first run in special, children episode it was 500 000 zł. The contestant, Filip Łapiński won 32 000 zł, after an incorrect answer to a million zlotys question.^{See the Questions for million zlotys articles' parts for more informations}
  • In second run (2008-2010) it was 125 000 zł. The contestant, Paulina Kowalczyk won 500 000 zł.^{See the Questions for million zlotys articles' parts for more informations}
  • In third run (since 2017) it was 75 000 zł. The contestant, Sonia Ciuk won 500 000 zł.
• In Milionerzy there were three occasions in which a player lost because of a bad question and were bought back to play again.
  • The first player, Janusz Kornecki was asked for 32 000 zł, "Who invented the steam engine exploiting circular motion?". He went for James Watt, but correct answer was Charles Algernon Parsons. After complaining to program's producers, his answer was recognized as correct. The player won a guaranteed 32 000 zł. However, he was asked for 64 000 zł, "Who was the founder of The Police?". He answered Sting, but the correct answer was Stewart Copeland. Again Kornecki complaining to program's producers. This time he thought, that both answers were correct.
  • The second player, Waldemar Jabłoński was asked, "How many cuts are on kaiser rolls?" for 500 zł. He answered "4," but the correct answer was "5," so he won nothing. After it was recognizing that his answer was correct, he answered the next question incorrectly 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 series 11 Ola Bojarska also lost because of a bad question but up to date (10th April 2017) she wasn't bought back to play again.
• In Milionerzy, some players answered their first questions incorrectly.
  • In the first version of Milionerzy, one player got the question, "How people in Poland state a person who is calm and shaky?" and he answered "anielska woda" (angelic water) instead of the correct answer, "cicha woda" (still water).
  • In the second version, one player was asked, "A penitent is a person acceding to…" and answered "judicial process", but the correct answer was "confession".
  • Another player got a question about the breed of Ludwik Dorn's dog. After using all lifelines, he answered French Bulldog, which was incorrect. The correct answer was Giant Schnauzer.
  • In 2017 Kuba Gołębiowski was asked to complete the lyrics of polish song call "Góralu czy Ci nie żal...". He was confident about answer "porzucać lasów i hal", but get it wrong. Correct answer was "odchodzić od stron ojczystych".
• There were occasions in which the audience gets a question wrong. Three players decided to trust the audience and ended up answering incorrectly. Two of them each won a guaranteed 1000 zł while one left the studio with nothing. One more player decided to walk away with 8000 zł.