Who Wants to Be a Millionaire is the only first-run strip to show year-to-year growth in prime access, based on information released by Buena Vista Television.

Millionaire improved upon the shows it replaced in the early evening slots by 24 percent.

The series is already renewed for 2003-04 and BVT is negotiating longer-term deals in selected markets.

In key demographics of 18-49 and 25-54 age viewers, Millionaire is up six to nine percent over year-ago audiences.

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The masses have been heard. Game Show Network will observe the 30th anniversary of the CBS version of Match Game.

The 1973-79 network and 1979-82 syndicated version was television's number one daytime show in the Nielsens for most of its first three years. At one point in 1975, its 12.6 rating was three full points ahead of its nearest competitor.

GSN will not announce specifics of the observance until the July 7 Television Critics Association (TCA) fest with the network.

The anniversary has been the subject of considerable numbers of e-mails to TVgameshows.net in recent weeks.

The series, which remains GSN's top-rated classic game, replaced Hollywood's Talking on the CBS lineup in July 1973 at 3:30 p.m. (EDT) after a four-year absence from network television. Last December, the original NBC version marked its 40th birthday.

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Hey all of you out there in Chicago. I got some good news and bad news. The good news is that the syndicated version of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire is coming to WGN Chicago this fall. The bad news is that it won't be on it's national cable station. It'll only air to the local viewers. Time slot info will be availble ASAP.



News above courtesy of TVGameshows.net