Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? was like nothing that came before. It became a cultural phenomenon in part because its host, Chris Tarrant, was a master of suspense and blokey repartee. But mostly because of the sheer amount of money on offer.
Rewatch an old episode of Family Fortunes from the same era. The winning troupe might come away with a couple of thousand pounds and even if they didn’t win the Ford Escort, the Fishwicks from Coventry had a lovely day out. But Millionaire was not about fun. There was life-changing cash to be won.
