¿Quién quiere ser millonario? (English: Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?) is a Salvadoran television game show that adapts the format of the British quiz programme Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?. The series was produced by the Salvadoran Television Corporation (TCS) and aired on its Channel 4.
Production and broadcast
- Creator(s): David Briggs, Mike Whitehill, Steven Knight (original format)
- Presenter: Willie Maldonado
- Country of origin: El Salvador
- Original network: TCS (Telecorporación Salvadoreña)
- Initial run: 3 March 2010 – 24 November 2010 (first series)
- Subsequent series: A second series ran from 2 March 2011 to 23 November 2011, and a third series premiered on 2 May 2012, concluding in 2014.
Format
Contestants answer a sequence of up to fifteen multiple‑choice questions of increasing difficulty, with each correct answer moving the player up a “money tree.” The Salvadoran version offered a top prize of US $200,000, which was the highest prize among Central American adaptations of the franchise. The payout structure was as follows (in US dollars):
| Question | Prize |
|---|---|
| 1 | $20 |
| 2 | $40 |
| 3 | $60 |
| 4 | $100 |
| 5 | $200 |
| 6 | $400 |
| 7 | $800 |
| 8 | $1,600 |
| 9 | $3,200 |
| 10 | $6,400 |
| 11 | $12,800 |
| 12 | $25,000 |
| 13 | $50,000 |
| 14 | $100,000 |
| 15 | $200,000 |
Audience and reception
During its first series, 106 participants sat in the “Hot Seat,” with total prize payouts amounting to US $107,528.60 across 793 questions. The second series awarded US $104,867 in prizes to over 100 contestants. Detailed viewership figures and critical reception have not been widely documented.
Legacy
The show contributed to the regional popularity of the Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? franchise and is noted for its comparatively large top prize within Central America. The program ended its run in 2014, after three series.
References
Information compiled from the Wikipedia entry for ¿Quién quiere ser millonario? (Salvadoran game show) and associated broadcast records.