The world’s current lockdown obsession

Who Wants To Be A Millionaire had all the winning ingredients:

• A high-stakes game that got more dramatic the longer the contestant in the hotseat stayed;
• A host that was charismatic and unreadable at the same time (Chris Tarrant);
• Multiple choice questions with no time limit;
• An ominous, gripping soundtrack.

The format of the show made it a highly entertaining interactive sport among family members huddled together. The show’s appeal was so good that many started exploiting its weaknesses and planned elaborate heists in order to win money.

Small-scale quiz events were often staged in the 1940s by women at various pubs, as a deterrent for their husbands. Many pubs drew on this pastime and organized quizzes to draw consumers in the '80s.

The appeal for a public question and answer session is so widespread that in 2019, more than half of the 40,000 odd pubs in the UK ran quiz leagues on local and national levels.

• Quiz shows have a long-lasting, timeless draw among people looking for a way to prove themselves while being entertained.
• The motivation to get stuff right and the thrill of beating others is irresistible, especially in the current state of lockdown boredom.
• The many twists and turns add an element of surprise and uncertainty, amplifying the appeal.