Television
July 13, 2003
The Largest Cash Prize In The History Of The World Is Up For Grabs On The WB During A Two-Hour Live Broadcast Of “Play For A Billion” On Sunday, September 14
(July 13, 2003 – Hollywood, CA) – One lucky person will have the chance to “PLAY FOR A BILLION” in the richest game show in the history of the world during a two-hour live broadcast on The WB Network on Sunday, September 14, 2003 (8:00-10:00 p.m. ET). Drew Carey will host the historic telecast, joined by co-hosts Jamie Kennedy and Holly Robinson Peete, both stars of comedy series on The WB.
“This big-event special should generate significant buzz among a broad-based viewing audience,” said Jordan Levin, President, Entertainment of The WB. “The excitement of watching someone potentially become an instant billionaire, in a program overseen by a masterful producer and world-class entertainers, will recreate the thrill of legendary live broadcasts.”
One contestant out of 1,000 hopefuls will be guaranteed a $1 million grand prize and the opportunity to see if he or she can parlay that into $1 billion at odds of only 1,000-to-1. By comparison, lotteries, which award a fraction of $1 billion, have exponentially tougher odds.
“After ‘Who Wants To Be a Millionaire?’ I never thought there would be a game show big enough to lure me back to primetime,” said Michael Davies, executive producer of “PLAY FOR A BILLION.” “When I heard they were giving away $1 billion, there was no way I could turn it down.”
Contestants are chosen randomly by finding specially marked Pepsi bottle caps. So far, more than 3 million people have signed up repeatedly as potential contestants for a total of 17 million entries (each cap entitles a person to enter as many as 300 times).
The two-hour telecast will originate from Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida, and will include musical performances and other games of skill, leading up to the “PLAY FOR A BILLION.”
All 1,000 contestants will be flown in by United Airlines and put up in a Marriott Hotel in Orlando.
Mr. Davies and Matti Leshem serve as executive producers for the special produced through Diplomatic Productions and Pepsi-Cola North America. # # #