Another compared it to Wonderful World of Disney for overall family entertainment. I think one of the things is, it's new. Obviously game shows are not new, but there's an incredible amount of drama created. The lights and the music create this whole viewing experience. Contestants can ask for help in the form of phoning a friend, eliminating two of the four possible answers and polling the studio audience.
Parents say that is one of the reasons children are drawn into the show.
Overall, the questions don't necessarily get more difficult, as much as they represent a range, said executive producer Michael Davies. Davies expressed doubts that someone as specialized as an English professor could win due to the pop culture ''everyday common material'' used in many questions. Ga. A veteran of show business for over two decades who's just recently been thrust into a superstar limelight, Philbin doesn't take it as seriously as he could. That trademark question is what Gary Harmon, professor of literature and English at the University of North Florida, sees as Who Wants to be a Millionaire's mythic qualities. The format, complete with the glare of lights in an arena and tension-building music are like a ritualistic journey in which the hero ascends with each step.