What is Who Wants to Be a Millionaire??
{{italictitle}} {{unsourced|date=January 2012}} '''''Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?''''' is a [[United Kingdom|British]] [[game show|quiz show]], produced by [[Celador]]. In May 2008, the Dutch company [[2waytraffic]] bought the license for the international format. ==History== ''Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?'' aired for the first time on 4 September 1998 in the United Kingdom. The UK show is hosted by [[Chris Tarrant]]. It had its biggest ratings in March 1999 when more than 19 million were watching the show. The first millionaire on the show was Judith Keppel who appeared on 20 November 2000. ==National variants== More than 100 countries around the world have bought the license and air local versions of the show, including [[Australia]], [[Bulgaria]], [[Germany]], [[Poland]], [[Russia]], [[United States]]. The United States version became a big hit when [[Regis Philbin]] started hosting it in 1999. John Carpenter, a man who worked for the [[IRS]], became the first person to win the grand prize of $1,000,000 in 1999. Philbin hosted the show until 2002. A [[syndicated]] version of the show has aired since 2002. It is hosted by [[Meredith Vieira]]. Each country airs the show under the same rules. They all have the same studio design. In Australia, a spin-off called ''[[Millionaire Hot Seat]]'' has aired since 2009. [[Category:1998 British television series debuts]] [[Category:1990s television series]] [[Category:2000s television series]] [[Category:2010s television series]] [[Category:British television game shows]]