| Genre: | Game show franchise |
| Runtime: | 52 minutes |
| Creator: | David Briggs Mike Whitehill Steven Knight |
| Presenter: | Jean-Pierre Foucault (2000–2016, 2019) Camille Combal (2019–2020) Arthur (2024) |
| Theme Music Composer: | Keith Strachan Matthew Strachan (remixed in 2010 by Ramon Covalo and Nick Magnus) |
| Country: | France |
| Company: | Starling (2004–2020) 2waytraffic (2008–2016) Satisfaction Group (2024) |
| Network: | TF1 |
Qui veut gagner des millions ? (Who Wants to Win Millions?) is the French version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?, which originated in Great Britain on the ITV network.[1] The aim of the game is to win the top prize of €1,000,000 (3 for some shows then 4 million FF before France adopted the euro) by answering 15 (12 from 2009 to 2016) multiple-choice questions correctly. It is broadcast on the TF1 network, and was hosted by Jean-Pierre Foucault from 2000 until 2019, then by Camille Combal and in 2024 by Arthur.
For more about the show and rules see Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?; the money tree differs in amounts, but the format is virtually identical. For several years a "Switch the Question" lifeline was available once a contestant answered the fifth question correctly. As of April 2009, the first three possible questions were taken out of the game, reducing the number of possible questions to 12, similar to the UK format in play from September 2007 to February 2014. For list of international variants of the show, see International versions of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?.
The show served as a plot device in the French film My Best Friend.
In December 2010, TF1 announced the end of the first daily multi-year run, due to a fall in viewing of that series as of June.[2]
A prime-time version with celebrities (for charity) was maintained between 2010 and final broadcast of that main series on January 1, 2016.
In December 2018 in a charity version, Jean-Pierre Foucault announced he would leave the show in favour of Camille Combal for a return to the air on TF1 in January 2019 – each figured respectively as a contestant on those shows also.[3]
In February 2019, TF1 announced the return of the daily version. The first tapings were scheduled for April 2019, for a broadcast from May 13, 2019,[4] at 6:15 pm.
On May 23, 2024, Arthur announced on his Instagram account for the return of the show with himself as the presenter to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the program.[5]
The goal of the game is to answer, without a single fault, a progression of questions of general knowledge/culture, ideally to try to win the maximum prize, set since September 2001 at €1,000,000. Such maximal wins have mirrored its increase in value and were in July 2000 (broadcast that September), July 2001 and August 2004.
| Question number | Question value | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| early 2000 | late 2000–01 | 2001–09 | 2009–16 | 2019 2024 | French: À la maison (2020) | |
| 1 | 1,000F (€152.44) | €200 | €800 | €100 | ||
| 2 | 2,000F (€304.89) | €300 | €1,500 | €200 | ||
| 3 | 3,000F (€457.34) | €500 | €3,000 | €300 | ||
| 4 | 5,000F (€762.24) | €800 | €6,000 | €500 | ||
| 5 | 10,000F (€1,524.49) | €1,500 | €12,000 | €1,000 | ||
| 6 | 20,000F (€3,048.98) | €3,000 | €24,000 | €2,000 | ||
| 7 | 40,000F (€6,097.96) | €6,000 | €48,000 | €4,000 | ||
| 8 | 80,000F (€12,195.92) | €12,000 | €72,000 | €8,000 | €6,000 | |
| 9 | 150,000F (€22,867.35) | €24,000 | €100,000 | €12,000 | €8,000 | |
| 10 | 300,000F (€45,734.70) | €48,000 | €150,000 | €24,000 | €12,000 | |
| 11 | 500,000F (€76,224.50) | €72,000 | €300,000 | €36,000 | €18,000 | |
| 12 | 700,000F (€106,714.31) | €100,000 | €72,000 | €30,000 | ||
| 13 | 1,000,000F (€152,449.01) | €150,000 | N/A | €150,000 | €50,000 | |
| 14 | 1,500,000F (€228,673.52) | 2,000,000F (€304,898.03) | €300,000 | €300,000 | €100,000 | |
| 15 | (€457,347.05) | (€609,796.06) | ||||
The music commonly associated with the franchise was composed by Keith and Matthew Strachan, father and son. It dramatizes the atmosphere and brings tension, and unlike old games, the music was created to be played throughout most of the show. The credits acknowledge inspiration from public domain Mars in Gustav Holst's Planets Suite; each musical theme used for the questions (from €3,000 to €48,000, then from €72,000 to €300,000 until 2016, from €2,000 to €24,000, and from €36,000 to €300,000 since 2019). The music goes up a semitone per question, as candidates progress through the risk and reward scale.
In 2010, the credits are remixed and new music (used in the original British version between 2007 and 2014) by Ramon Covalo.
Special shows, where anonymous candidates played, were aired in prime time (Couples, Stepmom and Stepson, Twins, Bachelors and Newlyweds) between June 7, 2001 and November 29, 2005.
Prime Time, where celebrities aimed to win for their chosen charity, was broadcast between September 29, 2001 and January 1, 2016 and now January 19, 2019.
Only the prime-time version with celebrities aired between 2010 and the first day of 2016, the daily version having stopped.[6]
On July 1, 2003, a special program entitled "L'émission interdite" was broadcast in the second half of the evening. It was entirely devoted to the case Charles Ingram, contestant of the British version of the game who had pocketed £ 1 million by cheating with the help of two accomplices present in the public and on the set. This report was the only time Jean-Pierre Foucault presented without the public.
On September 5, 2015, TF1 broadcast a special anniversary edition (for the 15 years of the show). This saw TV game hosts from TF1 with their biggest winner (including Laurence Boccolini for Money Drop and Jean-Luc Reichmann for Les 12 coups de midi), as well as Christophe Beaugrand and Olivier Minne, as respective hosts of QI: la France passe le test and Joker; Foucault also played alongside a former grand prize winner.
On January 1, 2016, TF1 broadcast a Pièces Jaunes special edition.
On January 19, 2019, the return of the game after three years of absence, saw Jean-Pierre Foucault present the game for his last time hosting five pairs of celebrities playing for charities, emulating the latest series. At the end of the show, Camille Combal was a candidate (with Anne-Élisabeth Lemoine); Combal took over the reins of the show permanently (and next charity broadcast) on January 26; Foucault co-contested.
On April 18, 2019, after the fire at Notre-Dame de Paris, TF1 announced that the Section de recherches series had been replaced by a special edition for that cathedral. This saw three pairs of presenters and a duo from Dance avec les stars : Anne-Claire Coudray and Harry Roselmack, Laurence Boccolini and Arthur, Alexandra Sublet and Grégoire Margotton and Fauve Hautot and Chris Marques.
The return of the daily version on May 13, 2019 brought a novelty: during some programs, two contestants participate in the duet game and two celebrities participate in the duet game for an association, which was previously the case only in the programs in the first part of the evening.
On April 20, 2020, a format called "à la maison" (at home) started broadcasting during the COVID-19 pandemic in France for celebrity contestants to answer questions from their homes using video conference. All prizes generated in this special program are given to charity.[7]