[Neil Jones]

This 1st series of Millionaire is billed as "New" on the EPG, yet it was last shown on Challenge on the 19th January 2015 as I have it recorded. Despite this, it's refreshing to see the original series being reshown, where the jeopardy and tension are palpable.

Things of note that differ to latter series:-
- The perspex box of cash on display
- The use of a cordless phone for Phone a Friend, at least for the 1st episode
- Longer music beds for walking on with the contestant
- The lighting - use of red and purple quite evident on the audience and darker lighting elsewhere
- Closer tighter shots on the contestants
- Fastest Finger consisted of one correct answer rather than four in the correct order
- No music bed during the first five questions, at least in episode 2.

There may be more differences. The credits were recreated to avoid having sponsor messages and the phone number to ring, with the newer version of the theme music, but with the original Celador endcap and Carlton endcap.

"New" is usually code for something that hasn't been seen on Challenge since Sky bought it. However that was back in 2010 so maybe "new" means something they've bought new to the channel (rights expired and bought them back?)

But yes, that's all "early instalment weirdness" as they say, especially the cordless phone (dare say it was a prop and didn't do anything) and the music was definitely added later. It probably only looks tighter because that would have been 4:3 when produced, which always looks a bit close compared to 16:9.

The credits are hardly surprising considering it was a three way split screen at the time with credits, phone number, the studio and IIRC a Teletext page and website. It was totally unusable outside of its initial broadcast, though it would be interesting to know how Celador themselves would have handled that if they'd flogged it abroad or something.