Philbin Wonders Aloud About Future

As Regis Philbin welcomes the next crop of celebrity contestants on “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire” this week, Philbin himself has been wondering aloud whether ABC’s about to toss out him and his show like that moldy bread on your kitchen counter.

Having finished fourth in the November ratings sweeps that ended last week, ABC, which currently airs “Millionaire” two nights a week after running it as many as four times a week in the past, is openly wondering whether to renew the game show. Even if “Millionaire” is not picked up for another season, a syndicated Monday-through-Friday version produced through ABC-Disney’s Buena Vista Television will premiere next year.

But Philbin, presumably, could not do both. For his part, “Millionaire” executive producer Michael Davies said he expects the show to be back on ABC next season in some form. On his “Live with Regis and Kelly” show last Friday, Philbin complained about the way ABC scheduled the game show and suggested “Millionaire” would resurface in prime time, with “... a red-hot comedian, which is really what they want. They want it to become a comedy show.”

Tonight, see Shannon Elizabeth (“American Pie”) answer questions and contemplate using her 50-50.

What, that’s not enough comedy for you?

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Compiled by Times staff writers