Why do I even bother? (Long)

[EnergizedLib]

https://variety.com/2026/tv/news/abc-summer-schedule-family-feud-millionaire-press-your-luck-1236741525/

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“Celebrity Family Feud” hosted by Steve Harvey, “Press Your Luck” with Elizabeth Banks, and “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire” hosted by Jimmy Kimmel will all be back this summer starting in July. They join previously announced renewals for shows like “The Bachelor,” “Bachelor in Paradise” and “Dancing with the Stars.” Premiere dates for those series will be announced at a later date."

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Also,

http://www.thefutoncritic.com/news/2026/05/08/abc-announces-summer-2026-premiere-dates-and-unscripted-renewals-524213/20260508abc01/

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WHO WANTS TO BE A MILLIONAIRE

Hosted by Emmy Award-winning Jimmy Kimmel, "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire" features pairs of celebrity contestants playing together in the hopes of winning $1 million for the charity of their choice.

"Who Wants To Be A Millionaire" is executive produced by Michael Davies and Jimmy Kimmel. The series is produced by Sony Pictures Television's Embassy Row and Kimmelot.

Follow "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire" (#WhoWantsToBeAMillionaire) on Instagram, X and Facebook.

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My favorite quiz show of all time. I was in elementary school when the original version with Regis came on, the August 2009 run? I was 17, just months away from turning 18. I refused to go on the 2010s shuffle version of Millionaire because that is not Millionaire to me.

It comes back with Jimmy in 2020, celebrity-only special, but they start taking on essential workers/those affected by COVID, and I apply, guess a sportswriter at a community paper affected by things doesn't count as essential.

Since then, it's been celebrities, celebrities, celebrities. I've had this dream for 15 years that one day, I would sit in that hot seat - all of the episodes I've watched of Millionaire (US, UK, Aussie), Jeopardy, The Chase (Game Show Network, ABC, ITV and Australia), Mastermind on the BBC (a show I absolutely love - whether hosted by Magnus Magnussoon, John Humphrys or Clive Myrie), 100%, Master Minds and other shows on GSN. I got back into learning facts every day again back in February, writing stuff down on a notebook, playing games on Arkadium on Millionaire and The Chase.

All these years, having read 1984, Animal Farm, A Clockwork Orange, Slaughterhouse Five, Cat's Cradle. The lockdown brings back memories of reading David Cooperfield and The Red Badge of Courage. In 2023, having read The Grapes of Wrath and tried reading Dr. Zhivago, but only got about 100 pages in before the job got too busy. The COVID restrictions still in early 2021 and reading and learning about different subjects from library books such as Greek Myth and Van Gogh.

The memories of watching movies through the years - Gandhi, Guess Who's Coming to Dinner, watching a lot of movies during lockdown - the original Indiana Jones trilogy, Jaws, Wall Street, all movies I rented when Family Video was still open in 2020, watching Citizen Kane, How Green Was My Valley, Sergeant York on YouTube, later Django Unchained and Click on YouTube, having watched the original Top Gun and Forrest Gump on Pluto in 2023, plus also The Magnificent Seven, A Fistful of Dollars, Hang 'Em High, a bunch of Rocky movies, then watching all of the Disney Renaissance movies earlier this year, while also watching Terms of Endearment and Ordinary People on Pluto this year, watching Pop Culture Jeopardy, trying to accumulate knowledge in hopes of one day being a contestant on my favorite quiz show of all time.

I'd rather go on Millionaire and win the million than go on Jeopardy and break Ken Jennings' win streak (I think I'd get nowhere close, but if I could press a button giving me those two options).

I realistically think I could win $64,000-$125,000 on Millionaire, and anything beyond that would depend on how lucky I'd get with the questions. I do know I'd be reduced to absolute tears if I won the million - happier than I was when the Cubs won the World Series, think I might rather win the million on Millionaire than see the Bears win the Super Bowl. I'm not looking to go on a bunch of TV shows or get on TV. I could certainly use the money, but money is not my main motivator.

The UK lets regular people play Millionaire on ITV. It just crowned its seventh millionaire a couple of weeks. Why can't the US let civilians play?