Joel Reid

Joel Reid, a computer programmer from Birmingham, Alabama, appeared as a contestant on Season 1 of the U.S. version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? on December 14-17, 2000. He won $250,000.

WWTBAM Run[]

Fastest Finger Question[]

Fastest Finger Question
Put these fictional characters in the order they were first introduced, starting with the most recent.
⬥ A: Lady Macbeth	⬥ B: Anna Karenina
⬥ C: Hester Prynne	⬥ D: Scout Finch

Three of the nine remaining contestants answered D-B-C-A correctly, but Joel's time of 7.08 seconds got him into the hot seat.

Joel's Run to the Million[]

$100 (1 of 15) - Not Timed
Someone who spends much of his time daydreaming is said to be "building" what "in the air"?
⬥ A: Castles	⬥ B: Railroads
⬥ C: Swimming pools	⬥ D: Split-level condos

$200 (2 of 15) - Not Timed
When a plane is about to take off, it taxis down the what?
⬥ A: Walkway	⬥ B: Runway
⬥ C: Catwalk	⬥ D: Yellow brick road

$300 (3 of 15) - Not Timed
According to Ian Fleming's books, the character James Bond takes martinis "shaken, not" what?
⬥ A: Wet	⬥ B: Stirred
⬥ C: Blended	⬥ D: Intravenously

$500 (4 of 15) - Not Timed
Which of the following sports is not played on a rectangular playing area?
⬥ A: Tennis	⬥ B: Football
⬥ C: Basketball	⬥ D: Baseball

$1,000 (5 of 15) - Not Timed
In the 2000 film, "How the Grinch Stole Christmas," who plays the Grinch?
⬥ A: Jim Carrey	⬥ B: Bill Murray
⬥ C: Eddie Murphy	⬥ D: Adam Sandler

$2,000 (6 of 15) - Not Timed
"Looking glass" is an old-fashioned term for what?
⬥ A: Eyeglasses	⬥ B: Binoculars
⬥ C: Mirror	⬥ D: Telescope

$4,000 (7 of 15) - Not Timed
Gold Medal is a popular brand of which of these food products?
⬥ A: Flour	⬥ B: Cheese
⬥ C: Salt	⬥ D: Sugar

$8,000 (8 of 15) - Not Timed
If you lived in 6th century Europe, what historical time period would you be in?
⬥ A: Renaissance	⬥ B: Dark Ages
⬥ C: Industrial Age	⬥ D: Stone Age

$16,000 (9 of 15) - Not Timed
Which of these island groups are not located in the Pacific Ocean? '50:50' lifeline used
⬥ A: Galapagos	⬥ B: Fiji
⬥ C: Juan Fernandez	⬥ D: Azores

$32,000 (10 of 15) - Not Timed
The 1981 Broadway musical "Dreamgirls" is most often compared to the story of what real-life singing group? 'Ask the Audience' lifeline used
⬥ A: The Chiffons	⬥ B: The Marvelettes
⬥ C: The Supremes	⬥ D: The Vandellas
Ask the Audience Results: A: 8% ⬥ B: 4% ⬥ C: 77% ⬥ D: 11%

The klaxon called time, and Joel would return with one lifeline left.

$64,000 (11 of 15) - Not Timed
In 1996, Whitewater alternate juror Barbara Adams gained media attention after wearing what to court?
⬥ A: Bathing suit	⬥ B: Catcher's mask
⬥ C: Indian headdress	⬥ D: Star Trek uniform

$125,000 (12 of 15) - Not Timed
Gymnophobia means a fear of what? 'Phone-a-Friend' lifeline used
⬥ A: Nakedness	⬥ B: Athletics
⬥ C: Women	⬥ D: Sweat

He has heard the term before, but nothing is jumping out at him this time. So, he is going to phone-a-friend. His sister Amy will get the call. She, like Joel, is a computer programmer. He spells out the word twice.

"Oh, God" - Amy. "Well, she was a lot of help, wasn't she?" - Joel.

He kind of rules out C: Women. He then says that he is torn between A & D. He wants to determine the risk a final answer.

A: Nakedness. Final answer.

"By God! He got it right!" - Regis

$250,000 (13 of 15) - Not Timed
What natural phenomenon produces a feature called "aa"?
⬥ A: Tsunami	⬥ B: Meteor shower
⬥ C: Volcanic eruption	⬥ D: Avalanche

"Want me to surprise you? C: Volcanic eruption." - Joel.

He recalled that answer from crossword puzzles.

$500,000 (14 of 15) - Not Timed
The Fort McHenry flag that inspired "The Star-Spangled Banner" had how many stars?
⬥ A: 14	⬥ B: 15
⬥ C: 17	⬥ D: 20

He gave a quick answer, and that answer was that he was going to walk away with the $250,000. The correct answer is B: 15.

Total Prize Money: $250,000

Sources[]

Preceded by Kim Nixon	U.S. Contestant (Season 1) Joel Reid	Succeeded by Mike Harvey