Monopoly Millionaires' Club (U.S. game show)
| Monopoly Millionaires' Club | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Game show |
| Created by | Steve Saferin |
| Based on |
Monopoly Millionaires' Club by the Multi-State Lottery Association (under license by Hasbro) |
| Presented by |
Billy Gardell Todd Newton |
| Starring |
Paige Collings Korrina Rico |
| Narrated by | Joe Cipriano |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language(s) | English |
| No. of seasons | 2 |
| No. of episodes | 25 |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) |
Scott St. John Kevin Belinkoff Todd P. Levitt Billy Gardell Steve Saferin |
| Location(s) |
Rio All Suite Hotel and Casino, Las Vegas (season 1) Bally's Las Vegas, Las Vegas (season 2) |
| Camera setup | Multi-camera |
| Running time |
60 minutes (season 1) 30 minutes (season 2) |
| Production company(s) |
Entertain the Brutes Hasbro Studios Scientific Games |
| Release | |
| Original network | Syndication |
| Picture format |
480i (SDTV) 1080i (HDTV) |
| Original release | March 28, 2015 – April 30, 2016 |
| Website | |
Monopoly Millionaires' Club (MMC) is an American game show that debuted in syndication on March 28, 2015. Hosted by stand-up comedian/actor Billy Gardell, best known for his role as Chicago police officer Mike Biggs on the sitcom Mike & Molly, MMC was initially based on an unsuccessful drawing game of the same name that was coordinated by the Multi-State Lottery Association (MUSL), using the Monopoly board game brand under license from Hasbro. The lottery game returned, in scratch-off form, in the spring of 2015. Each episode culminates with "Go for a Million", a bonus game with a top prize of $1,000,000.
The show originated as an hour-long program in its first season, which aired from March 28 to June 13, 2015, consisting of six games. For the second season, which began airing on September 12, 2015, the show was reduced to a 30-minute format incorporating only four games. The program's cancellation was announced February 9, 2016, with the final episode airing April 30.[1]
Format
Each episode features winners of a second chance drawing (through an online website), who are flown to Las Vegas to participate in the Monopoly Millionaires' Club game show. Selected contestants, one from each section (represented by a Monopoly token) play a series of games based on the popular board game. One at a time, a contestant plays a different Monopoly-style game for a prize of up to $100,000. All money won is split (half for the contestant with the other half split by the contestant's section). Season 1, taped at the Rio All Suite Hotel and Casino, had the studio audience split into five sections (each named after a piece included in classic U.S version Monopoly board games): battleship, boot, cat, dog, and wheelbarrow; in season 2 (reduced to a 30-minute format and is taped from Bally's Events Center in Bally's Las Vegas), all five sections remain (the boot and cat sections initially were eliminated when season 2 began, but have returned), but only three contestants (each from a different section) are selected.
While residency restrictions do not apply to purchasing a ticket, residents of Alabama and Utah (two of the six states which do not sell lottery tickets) are ineligible to participate on the game show.
Games
- Electric Company: The contestant faces a game board of 25 light bulbs and a display of 10 switches. Each of the switches lights up a different number of bulbs ranging from 1–10 on the board. The contestant flips their chosen switch and their bank increases with each bulb lit. If the contestant lights up every bulb except the final red bulb, they will win $100,000 to split with their section. Once the contestant has lit up at least 15 bulbs, they can choose to stop and take the money in the bank. The 25th light bulb is a red bulb and should a contestant's switch selection light up said bulb, a "blackout" occurs, the game is over and the contestant loses everything.
- Ride the Rails: Ten different railroad names are listed, including the four (Short Line, B&O, Reading, and Pennsylvania) found on the classic Monopoly board. Each train has a different number of railroad cars ranging from 1–10, plus a caboose. Each time the contestant picks a railroad, the train arrives with the number of cars attached. The cars are revealed one at a time, and the contestant is given a brake button which they may press at any time to stop the train and bank the money depending on how many cars have come into view. Any remaining cars are not banked. If the caboose appears before the brake button is pressed, all the money from that train is lost. The game is played in four rounds: cars in the first round are worth $1,000; $2,000 per car for the second round; $3,000 for the third round; and $5,000 for the fourth and final round. If the contestant banks at least $50,000 within four rounds, the winnings are augmented to $100,000. If the contestant does not bank at least $50,000 after the fourth round, the contestant and their section still split whatever money they accumulated in the bank.
- Block Party: The contestant faces a board of 12 cards: eight representing the color groups on a regulation Monopoly board (Brown: $1,000/Light Blue: $2,000/Pink: $3,000/Orange: $4,000/Red: $5,000/Yellow: $6,000/Green: $10,000/Dark Blue: $20,000), three strike cards and one "block party" card, which will light up both groups on any one side of the board of the contestant's choosing. (However, if all four sides of the board have a color group lit up at the time the Block Party card is chosen, the contestant can light up only one color group.) After the contestant has found the first strike card, they have the option to end the game and take the banked money. If the contestant chooses the second strike card, the banked money is cut in half. If all three strikes are found, the game ends and the contestant loses everything. Finding all eight color-coded property cards (or six property cards representing three sides of the board, plus the "Block Party" card) wins $100,000.
- No Vacancy: A three-story hotel divided into 21 rooms (seven per row) is presented. The contestant is shown five limousines at a time, each carrying one to five passengers. The contestant must place all of that limo's passengers on one of the floors (level 1: $1,000 per person, level 2: $2,000 per person and level 3: $3,000 per person). Each time a room is lit (indicating a guest has the room), the money attached to the chosen floor is added to the bank. When each floor has at least three guests, the contestant may stop the game and take the money. If a contestant cannot place all of the passengers in a limo on any one floor, the game ends and any banked money will be lost. Lighting up all 21 spaces wins the contestant $100,000.
- Advance to Boardwalk: A path is displayed on the floor monitor. The first 13 spaces have money amounts on them starting at $1,000 with each following space increasing in value by $1,000 up to $13,000. The final space (#14) is Boardwalk. The contestant rolls an oversized die which has its sides lit up in blue LEDs. Whatever number comes up determines how many spaces the model moves. The money amount of the space the model lands on is added to the contestant's bank. The other model takes the die and turns that number red, indicating that number that cannot be rolled again for the remainder of the game. The object of the game is to reach Boardwalk without rolling a number twice. Completing the task wins the contestant $100,000. All money won is added to the contestant's bank. However, once the model steps onto Boardwalk, the bank is automatically augmented to $100,000. The contestant is given a roll again token at the start of the game, with which they can roll a repeat number once and continue playing. Once the contestant has used his or her roll again token, he or she may stop at any time. A second bad roll ends the game and the contestant loses everything. Rolling a number higher than what is needed to win is considered a wasted roll. If it becomes impossible to reach Boardwalk exactly (due needed numbers having already been rolled), the contestant is allowed to continue if there are numbers available that would not overshoot Boardwalk. When the contestant has no such numbers available, the game automatically ends and the contestant takes the banked money, splitting it with their section.
- Park It: There are 10 colored cars on either side of the game board with five levels of parking spaces. Each car is worth a dollar amount ranging from $1,000–$10,000 in $1,000 increments. The contestant picks a car and the dollar amount attached to the car is revealed. The contestant must decide which level to park the chosen car on. To win the $100,000, one car has to be parked on each of the five levels and the cars must be arranged so that they are in ascending order of value, with the lowest-valued car on the bottom level and the highest-valued car on top. The contestant may stop at any time and take the money. If the contestant selects a car that cannot be placed on the board due to it not being able to conform to the placement rule, the game ends and the contestant loses everything.
- Community Chest
- March–October 2015: Ten community chests are presented, each filled with dollar amounts ranging from $500–$5,000 in $500 increments. The contestant picks a chest and—after the amount inside the chest is revealed—they can either keep it or give it back and pick another chest. With each pick, the remaining dollar amounts in the chests double (and redouble, etc.), up to $100,000. The contestant may stop with the current amount at any time and walk away. However, if the contestant selects a chest that contains an amount less than the amount given back, the game is over.
- October 2015–present: In the seventh episode of season 2, the rules for Community Chest changed. Contestants now select three (or four) chests, initially ranging from $0–$6,000. The amounts in each chest (excluding the $0 chest) double (and re-double, etc.) after each selection. There is no risk to the contestant while selecting the first three chests. The contestant can then choose a fourth chest. If the total banked for all four chests equals or exceeds $50,000, the winnings are increased to $100,000, which the contestant splits with their section; otherwise, the contestant loses everything. If the contestant stops, the total banked in the three chests chosen is split with their section.
- Bank Buster: A simulated bank vault door has six locks with an assigned dollar amount ($6,000, $7,000, $8,000, $9,000, $10,000 or $20,000). On display are 12 keys, two for each lock. The contestant picks a key to unlock one of the locks. With each lock unlocked, the contestant wins the amount of the money on that lock. If the contestant picks a duplicate key, the lock re-locks itself and that amount of money is deducted from the bank. If the contestant picks a key that locks a second opened lock, the game is over and the contestant loses everything. If the contestant manages to unlock five locks, they win $100,000 to split with their section.
Go for a Million
At the end of each show, one contestant plays "Go for a Million", where the contestant walks around a large-scale Monopoly game board for a chance to win the $1 million top prize. If they do not win the $1,000,000, money and non-cash prizes can still be won.
In season 1, each contestant has the option to surrender their (and their section's) cash winnings to play the final game. If the word "go" appears, the contestant elected to play Go for a Million; if the word "no" appears, the contestant has opted to keep their winnings (splitting half with their section). In season 2, the host asks the contestant with the most money. If necessary, the second-place contestant is asked. If more than one contestant chose to play (season 1), the contestant with the largest winnings played. If more than one contestant chooses to play and they have the same amount, a computer randomizer chooses who plays. The other contestants keep their winnings, with half of their cash shared among their respective sections.
The objective is go around the board one time, landing on Go. The contestant is given five rolls of the dice with doubles earning an extra roll. The dice are rolled in an oversized dice shaker known as the "Monopoly Rock-and-Roller" placed in the center of the board. The contestant stops the machine by pressing a button on a handheld device. The contestant and host then move the appropriate number of spaces. Each property (unless otherwise noted) has a cash amount behind it, which is added to the contestant's bank, while other spaces on the board award a cash prize or trigger a mini-game:
- Electric Company results in the contestant's electric bills being paid by the show for one year, while the Just Visiting space hides a trip.
- Water Works gives the contestant a choice of four faucets, each representing a prize.
- Free Parking gives the contestant a choice of four parking meters, three of which hide prizes, including a new car and free gasoline for a year. (In season 1, the fourth meter said "expired", with no prize. In season 2, the fourth meter says "lose a roll", reducing the number of remaining rolls by one.)
- In season 1, the railroads each hid trips. For season 2, the contestant selects one of three tunnels, with each tunnel hiding either a trip or a "lose a roll".
- In season 1, landing on Luxury Tax resulted in the contestant choosing one of two cards: one halved the cash bank, while the other bankrupted the contestant (but not other prizes), although the game did not automatically end there. Landing on Luxury Tax in season 2, however, ends the game with the contestant (and audience section) losing half the money.
- Chance and Community Chest give the contestant a choice of four cards which are played similar to that of the board game.
Should the contestant roll three consecutive doubles, land on Go to Jail or select a Go to Jail card after landing on Chance or Community Chest, the game ends and the contestant loses everything. The contestant can stop at any time and split their endgame cash winnings with their section. If the contestant can make it around the board, the contestant's cash winnings are augmented. Getting past Go earns the contestant $200,000 to be split by the contestant and their section, while landing exactly on Go (whether by rolling the dice or selecting "Advance to Go" from Chance or Community Chest) wins the top prize of $1,000,000, which is paid solely to the contestant. The contestant's section shares an audience jackpot prize. (In all but two episodes, in which it was $300,000, the audience jackpot is usually $200,000.) Upon winning the $1,000,000 top prize, the contestant is given by the models a shiny diamond-encrusted "Rich Uncle Pennybags/Mr. Monopoly" top hat. If the contestant runs out of rolls, but does not go to jail, the contestant still keeps any non-cash prizes won, splitting any money won with their section.
External links
References
- ↑ Albiniak, Paige. "Exclusive: 'Monopoly Millionaires' Club' Won't Pass Go to Season 3". Retrieved 10 February 2016.
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