| Who Wants To Be A Millionaire - Contestant Archive | ||
| August, 2001 | ||
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Here are all of the Featured Contestants for August, 2001.
July 29-August 4: Top of the Charts Contestants
The Celebrity Editions of WWTBAM are always very fun to watch. (At Least when they are new, not repeats.) WWTBAM's recent Top of the Charts Edition was no exception. Top of the Charts Musical Stars from the past 3 decades competed for a chance at One Million Dollars (which no one won.) Everyone from TLC's Lisa Lopes (AKA "Left Eye") to Huey Lewis, from "Huey Lewis and the News," were competing for charity. Although they are allowed to seek help from their friends up to $32,000, they were all smart and showed knowledge across an incredible range. They were all very entertaining people, and it was enjoyable to watch them. Joey McIntyre, formerly from "New Kids on the Block," made a gutsy move: he was going for $125,000 with 3 lifelines, and, as Regis always says is something good to do, he went with his first instinct, but sadly missed it. He won $32,000. I'm not sure if any of you heard about it, but there was a rumor going around that Lisa Lopes would win a Million Dollars, the first Celebrity to do so. However, it was a rumor, and unfortunately didn't happen. I am sure, no matter how much each celebrity won, their charities will be happy with the money that they donated. They were all great players.
August 5-11: Norm MacDonald
Norm MacDonald won $500,000 on Celebrity Millionaire II. He must have been the smartest celebrity in the history of the Celebrity Editions of WWTBAM. And if it weren't for Regis talking him out of going for $1 Million, then we would have our first Celebrity Million Dollar Victor. Let's Start at the Beginning. Norm MacDonald was the last celebrity to sit in the hotseat against Regis. His Fastest Finger Question: Put the Following Letters in Order to Spell a Popular Man's Name: N-O-R-M. Norm Got it in 5 seconds. He sailed through his first 10 Questions, winning him $32,000. He Asked the Audience at $64,000, with a strong 85% saying "Eric Clapton" who auctioned off his guitars for charity. He called his friend, Sam Simom on the $125,000 Question. Drew Carey also called Sam on his First and Second Celebrity Millionaire. Sam knew the correct answer, and Norm said with 5 seconds left, "A Lot of good these lifelines are doing me." At $250,000, Norm said he thought the answer was "Madrid" or "Lisbon." He took a 50:50, and guess which were left - Madrid and Lisbon! Norm said Madrid, and won $250,000. (See Above Pic) For $500,000: What broadway musical features material written by Samuel Beckett and John Lennon? Norm pondered it for a while, making the comment "I'm not gay, so I don't know much about Broadway Musicals." He finally said "Oh! Calcutta!" for his Final Answer, and won $500,000. His One Million Dollar Question: During the Cold War, the U.S. government built a bunker to house Congress under what golf resort? He was about to make B the Greenbrier his final answer, but Regis stopped him! He would have been right too! Norm was a great player - he took all the teasing from Regis really well, and wound up becoming one of the best Celebrities the show has ever had.
August 12-18: David Hamilton
There wasn't much to select from last week's shows, but I decided on David Hamilton, not just because he was tied for the top winner at $32,000, but because of his vast range of knowledge and wise use of lifelines. Kurt Sahr, the other $32,000 winner, was a good candidate also - he used all 3 of his lifelines on his $32,000 question, and finally got it, but he missed his $64,000 question. I think that David had better strategy though. He asked the audience at $32,000, and thankfully, the audience came through for him. At $64,000, David called Million Dollar Winner David Goodman, who is pictured in his confetti-laced celebration to the right. However, David didn't know the answer, and the phone a friend lifeline was gone without any help. So, David asks for a 50:50. The computer takes away 2 answers. The answer that David Goodman was thinking about on the phone was gone. Regis Said: "Well, so much for David!" David than chooses "A." For His Final Answer. It was a free guess anyway, and through the use of 2 lifelines, Dave finds himself no higher than he was. He missed it, and leaves with $32,000. I think that David had some good strategy with lifeline usage: at $32,000, he didn't doubt the audience, he went with the majority and got it right. At $64,000 (which he missed), he didn't use a 50:50 first, he called a friend. (My Point: Don't use a 50:50 before a phone a friend - if they know it, it's a waste of a lifeline, and if they don't know it, than they don't know it, whether you used a 50:50 or not.) Then, after David Goodman couldn't come up with the answer, he used a 50:50. He then had a 50% shot of making it. He didn't make it, but I still compliment him on his lifeline usage. We haven't had many big winners lately, but David did his best and showed good strategy and knowledge.
August 19-25: Zalman Nakhimovsky and Monica Lenhard
What a week we have had - filled with drama, excitement, and finally, some big winners that we haven't had since June. It was a very, very hard descision for the Contestant Spotlights this week: Monica Lenhard or Zalman Nakhimovsky. For Monica, her great spirit and likable personality was why she was the one I wanted, and for Zalman, his also great personality, knowledge, and strategy of playing the game. I decided on them both, as they are both great candidates. Zalman, as I just stated, had incredible knowledge which I think he displayed beautifully throughout the game. He used his lifelines wisely, and I also thought that his smile and nice personality was a nice attribute to him. Although this may not be right to lament on, there were 2 questions of his I were screaming at him to either go for or not use a lifeline: His $32,000 Question and $250,000 Question. I felt his $32,000 Question was just a process of elimination. The Question was "Which of the Following Countries is closest to the Equator?" He used the Audience Lifeline, who correctly said Mexico, but I felt with his wide range of knowledge he could have used a process of elimination and saved a lifeline. I felt his $250,000 Question was rather easy for a question of that level, asking what the name of Bambi's girlfriend was in the "Bambi" movies. The Correct Answer was Faline. Two were fairly easy to eliminate, Clarice and Flower. Flower is the skunk in the Bambi movies and Clarice is Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer's Girlfriend in that Classic Movie. But it goes to show you that it is only easy if you know that answer, and I compliment Zalman on a job well done during his show. Anyone who wasn't pulling for Monica Lenhard to win big last Sunday, that person has no heart. Bound to be one of the most loved and admired contestants, Monica had a great attitude the whole way through. Her constant smile and positive, winning attitude had the nation held captive. However, she fell just 3 questions short of the million. At $125,000, Monica used a 50:50 lifeline to help her distinguish which automobile manufacturer helped design the 1960's VW Beetle. She commented she should know this because she works at a automobile museum. She said Ferdinand Porsche, and got it right! After the break, Regis told her that she would lose $93,000 if she got it wrong, and she took a short gasp. (With a smile on her face, of course.) For $250,000: Gertrude Stein wrote "There is no There There" in reference to what California city? Monica used her last lifeline, and called a friend. She called her friend who was an English major. She thought that is was Los Angeles - she was more than 50% sure, but less than 100%. Monica went with it saying, "If I'm wrong, we got 3 days in New York, got to go to The Public Library, and got to meet you (in reference to Regis), and the wonderful people here." She said "A" Los Angeles, for her final answer. Regis says: "Please be there! Oh, can you believe it, it's Oakland!" Monica lost $93,000, and she went home with $32,000. I found Monica to be one of the best natured contestants in the show's 2 year history. What a great player, and if she ever reads this, congratulations, and good luck to you.
August 26 - September 1: Roger Friedman
Roger Friedman ... he had the knowledge, he had the guts, and now he's got $125,000 to show for it. On August 19, Roger Friedman, a professor, was sitting right across from Regis Philbin, and by the looks of it, he was having a great time there, too. Roger got into the hotseat 3 nights before (August 16), and won $64,000 by the end of that show. Then, the buzzer went. 3 Nights later, the man was on fire, he was utterly fearless, and he won his jackpot of $125,000 by remembering, on a gamble, that cork was the result of a particular science experiment. Going for a quarter million dollars, Roger thought that he knew the answer, but he couldn't pull the trigger on losing $93,000. Roger walked out with $125,000, and had he taken a guess, he'd have won $250,000! Roger was happy, and so was his wife, and he gave a punch of happiness as he walked off the set.
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