Chi vuol essere milionario?

Chi vuol essere milionario? (English translation: Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?) is an Italian-language Italian game show based on the original British format of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?. The show is hosted by Gerry Scotti. The objective of the game is to win €1 million by answering 15 multiple-choice questions correctly. There are four lifelines - fifty fifty (cinquante cinquanta), phone a friend (telefonata a casa), ask the audience (aiuto al pubblico) and switch the question (switch, the lifeline is unlocked when player won €3,000). Chi vuol essere milionario? is broadcast from 2002 to today. It is shown on the Italian television station Canale 5. When a contestant gets the fifth question correct, he will leave with at least €3,000. When a contestant gets the tenth question correct, he will leave with at least €20,000.

Chi vuol essere milionario? Edizione Straordinaria (Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? - Extraordinary edition) was the special editions aired from December 15, 2008 to March 29, 2009.

The game's prizes
In second version of Chi vuol essere milionario? (today series), there are fifteen questions and there are these prizes for questions: In first version of Chi vuol essere milionario?, there were fifteen questions and there were these prizes for questions:

Chi vuol essere miliardario?
From 2000 to 2001, a previous version of Chi vuol essere milionario? was broadcast at Canale 5. It was called Chi vuol essere miliardario? (English translation: Who Wants to Be a Billionaire?). As in today's version, Gerry Scotti was the host. The biggest prize was ₤1,000,000,000 (€516,456), as the currency in Italy, until 2001, was the lira. There was one winner of 1 billion lire, Francesca Cinelli.

Top Prize Winners

 * Francesca Cinelli - ₤1,000,000,000 (March 18, 2001)
 * Davide Pavesi - €1,000,000 (October 17, 2004)
 * Michela De Paoli - €1,000,000 (January 27, 2011)

Biggest Winners

 * Cosimo Rillo - €300,000 (March 23, 2006)
 * Giovanni Balasso - €300,000 (February 11, 2007)
 * Simone Colzani - €300,000 (March 29, 2007)
 * Riccardo Tori - €300,000 (March 25, 2008)
 * Roberto Riva Cambrino - €300,000 (October 15, 2010)

Other Winners

 * Antonio Goglia - ₤64,000,000 (January 7, 2001)
 * Paolo Comunian - € 35,000 (May 1, 2003)
 * Francesco Marcheselli - €500 (May 1, 2003)
 * Marco Sacconaghi - €16,000 (January 22, 2007)
 * Lorella Villa - €35,000 (February 26, 2007)
 * Carla Cogo - €500, €35,000 (January 2, 2006) (March 28, 2007)
 * Michela Gregorio - €150,000 (December 7, 2007)
 * Paola Scarica- €35,000 (April 12, 2008)
 * Daniele Ianello - €15,000 (May ?, 2010)

Contestant who leave empty handed

 * Francesco Gaiardelli - €0 (Janary 13, 2002)
 * Annarita Santucci - €0 (September 6, 2010)

Trivia

 * The names of the contestants of each game are written by the host on a special card. Once the players are all introduced, the card is thrown away as a running joke.
 * The film pavilion where the filming takes place, as well as the studio, belong personally to the show's host - Gerry Scotti.
 * Several times, when the contestants did not have time to finish the game before the "final klaxon" on the last episode of the playing season, they switched to the next season.
 * In the history of the show, the money tree was changed three times.
 * Since March 30, 2009 the Fastest Finger First round was scrapped, and the "Switch the Question" lifeline was removed.
 * Since September 6, 2010, the old milestone system was scrapped, instead of which contestants would choose one milestone (except for the top prize).
 * Michela De Paoli (January 27, 2011) is the only contestant who saved all three lifelines to the final question.
 * Gerry Scotti can be considered to be the creator of Millionaire Hot Seat, as he demanded to be allowed to make bigger changes to the format, resulting in Edizione Straordinaria, the first show to use the Hot Seat format.