Quiz Show Eats Crow After Getting the Answer Wrong

A graduate student got the $64,000 question right, but a game show called it wrong.

Now ABC’s new quiz show is making up for its prime-time goof by giving David Honea another shot at becoming a millionaire.

Honea, a 31-year-old doctoral student in computer engineering from Raleigh, had won $32,000 on the new show “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire.” But his bid for $1 million, taped Wednesday and broadcast Thursday night, ended with a question asking which of the five Great Lakes is the second largest in area after Lake Superior.

A correct answer would have given him $64,000 and put him only four questions away from the big prize. Honea said Lake Huron. The show said Lake Michigan.

Honea accepted the results from show host Regis Philbin, but decided later to voice his doubts.

After several hours of fact-checking, the show’s executive producer, Michael Davies, returned with the news: Honea was correct and the show was wrong.

“He said, ‘You don’t have to worry. I can tell you right now you’ve won $64,000 and you are going to get a chance to win from here,’ ” Honea said.

Davies said the confusion stemmed from the fact that Lake Michigan is second largest in volume but Lake Huron is second largest in surface area.

Honea is scheduled to appear in the final show on Aug. 29.