Who Wants to Be a Millionaire Revival: Jimmy Kimmel to Host Celeb Edition

Ryan Schwartz

Get your lifelines ready: Who Wants to Be a Millionaire is returning to ABC for a series of primetime specials, hosted by Jimmy Kimmel. The limited run of episodes will put celebrity contestants in the hot seat, who will play for charity.

The first episode of the game show revival is set to air on Wednesday, April 8 — the same night that Modern Family airs its series finale.

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Unlike previous iterations of Millionaire, celebrity contestants can invite a guest — such as a family member, a beloved teacher or a famed trivia expert — to help them answer questions. What’s more, viewers at home will be able to play along with a new interactive mobile game that will allow them to compete to win the same amount of money that celebrities are playing for on the show.

Kimmel will serve as an executive producer on the new Millionaire, along with original EP Michael Davies and The Price Is Right vet Mike Richards.

“Regis [Philbin] came to me in a dream, asked me to do this and promised my own line of neckties if I did,” Kimmel said in a statement. “I had little choice but to say yes.”

Added Davies, “My professional career has been inextricably linked with Jimmy’s since the days of Win Ben Stein’s Money, and he was one of the first-ever celebrity contestants on Millionaire in its original run. I can’t wait to work with him on this dynamic new version of the show that changed my life and the fortunes of so many who benefitted from and simply loved the game.”

Word of Millionaire‘s primetime revival comes less than one year after the syndicated version ended its 17-year run. In addition to Philbin, previous franchise hosts included Meredith Vieira, Cedric the Entertainer, Terry Crews and The Bachelor‘s Chris Harrison.

Will you be tuning in for Millionaire‘s return to primetime?

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