WWTBAM

April 7, 2003 9:48 AM

How BADLY do you want to be a millionaire? Badly enough to cheat on a TV game show? An ex-Army Major, his wife and another man have been convicted of 'procuring the execution of a valuable security by deception' - in other words, getting someone to sign a cheque for a million pounds which was won by cheating.

The scam involved a series of coughs at strategic points in the "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?" game show, guiding the Major to the right answers.

The show was never aired after suspicions were raised but I would be interested to see if it'll now be released so I can make up my own mind about the suspicious, ahem, coughs.
posted by essexjan (21 comments total)

How badly do you want to make a Front Page Post? Badly enough to make a double post?

Please do a search before posting...
posted by jpburns at 9:53 AM on April 7, 2003

It appears that excerpts of the show will be aired later this month.
posted by scottymac at 10:01 AM on April 7, 2003

No double post - the verdict in the trial was reached today.


Try typing "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire" into the search facility here and see what comes up.


Hmm, yes I thought so.
posted by essexjan at 10:02 AM on April 7, 2003

Try typing "cheat." Hmm, yes I thought so.

This is an update, not worthy of a FPP.
(In my opinion, of course...)
posted by jpburns at 10:07 AM on April 7, 2003

searching for millionaire though would have gotten you the post, or cough, for that matter. It's no huge deal if you think there's new information, but we do all need to learn to use the search box effectively.
posted by jessamyn at 10:07 AM on April 7, 2003

I don't think MeTa is sufficient to deal with this problem any more, maybe matthowie can create MetaBitch for FPP complaints.

Sheesh.
posted by xmutex at 10:13 AM on April 7, 2003

'He must of thought it was double-post day. It aint double-post day is it?'

A topic can be discussed twice, or more often, whatever. I don't think it depends on a new development happening necessarily, but it does depend on people posting new comments. If a topic has been drained completely then there is nothing more to say.
Is that possible in an infinite universe?
posted by asok at 10:17 AM on April 7, 2003

asok, what movie is that (paraphrased) quote from? It's driving me crazy! And what's the real quote?
posted by iconomy at 10:23 AM on April 7, 2003

iconomy: True Romance. Gary Oldman says: "He must have thought it was white boy day! It ain't white boy day, is it?"
posted by Ljubljana at 10:30 AM on April 7, 2003

Do I win?
posted by Ljubljana at 10:33 AM on April 7, 2003

no < *cough*> ... er ... yes
posted by ElvisJesus at 10:46 AM on April 7, 2003

Do they really need caughs to hint towards the right answer? I used to watch - and guess the correct answer - on dutch telly, and I speak very very very poor dutch.
The UK versions has much more difficult questions it seems.
posted by dabitch at 10:55 AM on April 7, 2003

That's because we're so much more intelligent, dabitch! ;-)
posted by salmacis at 11:36 AM on April 7, 2003

Thanks, Ljubljana
posted by iconomy at 11:54 AM on April 7, 2003

I used to watch - and guess the correct answer - on dutch telly, and I speak very very very poor dutch.

Ahh, Lotto Weekend Miljonairs. I used to love that show. :)
posted by y at 1:39 PM on April 7, 2003

if not for double posts, where would the double post police find their self-esteem?
posted by quonsar at 2:07 PM on April 7, 2003

I, for one, get it from a full and satisfying life.
Oh... and for calling folks on double posts.

You?
posted by jpburns at 3:06 PM on April 7, 2003

I have often wondered about how the questions are chosen on these shows. I find it hard to believe that there is some huge conspiracy going on to keep contestants that provide good TV on the screen, but it certainly seems that those who put on less of a show suddenly get a hard question relatively early in the sequence, while those who are more entertaining seem to breeze through the early questions. With the questions being read from a computer screen rather than the cards of the old days, it would be very simple for someone in the background to tailor the questions to keep the show going in the right direction.

Or is it that (shock, horror), the more photogenic and witty people are, the smarter they are?

I am not seriously suggesting there is any conspiracy, btw
posted by dg at 3:51 PM on April 7, 2003

I heard that the contestant spent several thousand pounds ringing the premium line in order to get through. With that level of commitment, I would have thought that they would have spent more effort devising a less detectable communications method. Unless of course they frisk contestants.
posted by doozer_ex_machina at 5:34 AM on April 8, 2003

I, for one, get it from a full and satisfying life.
Oh... and for calling folks on double posts.

You?

bah! i don' need no steenkin' self esteem!
posted by quonsar at 7:53 AM on April 8, 2003

That is fortunate, quonsar, isn't it?
posted by dg at 3:29 PM on April 8, 2003