Buy a Casio Calculator - in 1981 for step-daughter - play with it for five minutes, multiply 1x2, 2x2, 4x2 and so on.., realize that got past one million quick - with just twenty multiplications, recheck, what a great idea for a board game, I'll call it 'Millionaire'. Start with a £ or a $ and become a Millionaire.
There will be Q&A., Chance it Cards, Bank it Cards, Risk it Cards and Lifelines at £1,000, £32,000 and £64,000 - in each corner of the board.
Why not create a format of the concept for TV. Add a few more additions like, Phone-in - to get on the show, FFF., in this case, Fastest Foot First, because there is a floor. Questions and Answers, a Hot Seat - one to one, etc. It's so simple everyone will love it, I'll send it to a couple of TV companies to see if they are interested, how about, Celador and ITV? No, no luck there. Oh! It looks like they did like it in the end, but my name is not on it, why is that? Oh! I see, someone else created it, in fact, three others known as the the 'Dream Team' created it, at the same time as me. What a Bummer! What a coincidence as well? They must have some real un-doctored documents to prove they created it BEFORE me surely, don't they? Lets' ask them. No. Well that is strange don't you think? Not even one credible document? No, you were told no, but, they did create it. Well, I suppose, three against one, and of course, Celador and ITV say it was them. Not a lot one can do because they now have all the money earned from it and some even have had awards bestowed upon them.
It wasn't such a bad idea in the end was it? Thank you John, lots of people did enjoy it... and thank you Casio.
Incidentally, the Celador and ITV TV Pilot started with One Pound exactly the same as my format. It was painfully slow and needed to change.
The great phrase, 'Phone a Friend', did not come from me. I wish it had.
The person who coined that phrase was Mr Tim Boone. It was taken from his TV format called 'Help' which was presented to ITV at the same time as my concept, 'Millionaire', ITV used it, without his say-so, I believe.
Thought I should try to put the record straight - as no one else will.
And life goes on...
