Q:  Who Wants to Be a Millionaire is now on at 2 in the morning in my town. Why does that happen? Is there not another station that can put it on at a time we can see it?

A:  I hate to say this is where TiVo and the traditional VCR or a DVD recorder have to suffice. We have the same problem in Memphis. Millionaire is now on at 3:05 a.m. and is all but forgotten in the mid-South. Where we are, most people don't even know the show is still being produced. You have one of two problems (or possibly both) in your market. Sometimes, the distributor (Buena Vista Television) is willing to place the show on a top-grade network affiliate even in a post-midnight slot, rather than on a weak UHF CW or independent station in a morning or afternoon time period. The problem with that is the show receives almost no promotion from the station on which it airs. The other possibility is a poorer one: that the station carrying WWTBAM in your market is the only one which was willing to take the show and the only slot available was at 2 in the morning. If it is a Top 50 market, BVT (or a distributor for any other show) is willing to take what it can get for national advertisers, just to keep the program in a significant city. I know it's frustrating. It is for us, too, because with a couple of 8 a.m. classes to teach each week, we're not sitting up until 3 a.m.

Q:  With the popularity of Deal or No Deal and the other networks bringing on quiz shows, what are the chances ABC will finally do another Super Millionaire?

A: Not to be flippant but the chances of that appear to be slim and none and slim just left the room. ABC has signed for a couple of new Endemol games. The first one you'll see is Show Me the Money with William Shatner as host, which begins taping this weekend. Endemol is the hot game show company at the moment and the networks are anxious for the next Deal to light up their ratings. Unfortunately, for all of the many Millionaire enthusiasts who are still out there, the show as a prime time option appears to be yesterday's news. You always have a chance of a return but don't hold your breath on it.

Q:  I have an odd question but this has always confused me. It came to me again last week when I saw Number Please and you said it was an ABC show. But Bud Collyer was doing To Tell the Truth on CBS at the same time. How did emcees do shows on two different networks? I thought networks wouldn't allow you to do shows for other networks.

A:  That would be much more difficult today than yesterday. In that era, up until the mid-1960s, advertising agencies largely controlled the time slots on the networks. They bought the time outright and then developed shows to promote their products. So, if an ad agency and a producer wanted Bud Collyer, they usually got him, even if he was doing a show on another network. Here's what would not happen: a host would not have done two separate daytime shows, period, but particularly two different daytime shows on opposing networks. The restriction would have been one daytime show and one nighttime.

 When Dotto, a CBS daytime show, went nighttime, Colgate-Palmolive opted to place it on NBC because it received a better time slot than the one CBS was offering. But since the ad agency controlled the show, it wanted Jack Narz for both versions, so Jack appeared on opposite networks. At the end of the show, announcer Ralph Paul would say, "Be sure to tune in tomorrow for daytime Dotto on another network."

 You may remember a past FAQ when we answered that Bud almost did not host the daytime To Tell the Truth because at the time CBS began considering an afternoon version, Bud was still doing Number Please on ABC. In fact, Gene Rayburn, Merv Griffin, and even Tom Poston from the nighttime panel were mulled as possibilities. CBS even seriously considered Arthur Godfrey, who was still under contract to the network and had just left Candid Camera after a falling out with Allen Funt. However, ABC canceled Number Please after a year's run and Bud was freed to do daytime Truth when it premiered in the spring of 1962.

Q:  When GSN ran daytime To Tell the Truth, I saved most of the episodes. I noticed that on some of the early ones, Tom Poston, Peggy Cass, Orson Bean and Kitty Carlisle were not on it. Why not?

A:  The theory initially was for the daytime show to have a different look and feel from the nighttime show by introducing fresh personalities on the panel. Phyllis Newman, whose primary fame came from Broadway, was the only recurring panelist. However, among those who appeared several times were: Joan Fontaine, Sally Ann Howes (who often frequently populated the nighttime show), June Lockhart, Sam Levenson, Barry Nelson (who almost became a daytime regular), Dick Shawn, Joan Benny (Jack's daughter, who never could shed the "Jack Benny's daughter Joan" in TV Guide details), Pat Carroll, Chester Morris, Ann Sheridan, Lee Meriwether, Jack Carter and singer Joanie Sommers.

 When Fred Silverman took over as daytime programming chief in the mid-1960s at CBS, he felt the identity of the nighttime panel was too synonymous with the show and proceeded to sign them to do both versions. However, a brief transition period was required because Newman still had an extended contract for the daytime show. So, for about a month, Phyllis continued in the Peggy Cass seat. Finally, she was paid off for the remainder of her contract and Peggy joined the daytime panel.

Q:  Why did Bob Stewart leave Goodson-Todman after creating such great shows? Does he still get royalties for his shows?

A:  An old story which Mr. Stewart says is true is that when he sat down with Mark Goodson to tell him he was considering leaving to start his own game show company, Goodson said: "Bob, why do you want to leave? We've made you a prince." Mr. Stewart replied: "That's true, but I want to be a king."

 For readers who do not remember or know: Bob Stewart created The Price Is Right, Password and To Tell the Truth for Goodson-Todman, arguably three of the company's five biggest hits prior to the Family Feud and CBS Match Game era. Yet, in the Goodson-Todman company, the title of "producer" was not easily dispensed. In its early years, a number of the key people who actually produced shows were only listed as "associate producer." You never saw the title "created by" in the credits.

 For Mr. Stewart to jump to an income level of permanent security, he had to take the risk of forming his own company and putting together his own team of creative people. His first sale was Eye Guess, which had a three-year run on NBC. Over the years, he created nearly 20 formats, but his one megahit was Pyramid----which, ironically, was dropped by CBS after a year and without that perceptive pickup in 1974 by ABC for a late afternoon slot almost immediately, we may never have known of that show as a classic.

 In 1996, Mr. Stewart sold his entire library and formats to Sony Pictures Television with the rerun rights going to GSN. Separate prices were negotiated for both the reruns and for the rights to the formats.

Q:  Back in the '70s and early '80s when game shows aired once a week in syndication, why did Wheel of Fortune never have a weekly nighttime edition?

A:  That is actually one of the most FAQs we receive from people over 40 who remember the original prime time access era. Usually, we're asked how in the world Wheel could have slipped through the cracks, considering the legend it is with 21 straight seasons as the number one syndicated show.

 Actually two attempts were made to distribute a weekly Wheel at night with Chuck Woolery. Len Firestone, who syndicated To Tell the Truth and the 1972-73 I've Got a Secret, attempted a nighttime version in 1977. Sales covered only 48 percent of the U.S. (you needed at least 70 percent for a firm "go"), so the project died. In 1980, Rhodes Productions---which also distributed nighttime Hollywood Squares---pitched a nighttime Wheel. It, too, failed to sell---in no small part because the market was dying for weekly evening shows in favor of five-a-week strips (Family Feud expanded from weekly to nightly that season).

 As to why stations did not jump at Wheel, some of it has to lie in the fact that the show was never a major hit on NBC in daytime, even though it had a long, long run. When Lin Bolen first scheduled it, Wheel did win its time slot and skewed younger than Gambit, CBS's 10:30 a.m. show. So, in August 1975, CBS promptly moved The Price Is Right opposite and that was like a smack in the teeth to Wheel. An attempt to compete head-to-head with Price when it expanded to an hour was a disaster and only lasted a few weeks. With, at best, a mediocre daytime performance, station managers did not see Wheel as a significant nighttime threat.

 We can tell you when Wheel was finally sold in 1983 as a nightly strip to local stations, some NBC stations were not even carrying the daytime version, opting for syndicated talk shows instead. Many program managers took it in a state of desperation because nothing they threw up against Family Feud in the evening had worked. Wheel was even considered to be a suicide move in some cities. By February 1984, Wheel began its slow rise and by May, the trade publications were calling it a Feud-killer.

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If Bob Barker's retirement announcement was the shot heard round the world, the tornado which followed was the whirlwind of every aspiring emcee in America digging out a resume and audition tape to rush to CBS.

If this were Lee Corso surveying the landscape on College Gameday, he'd shout, "Not so fast!" The genuine possibility is the network and FremantleMedia already have Barker's replacement selected but will tactfully wait on an announcement until early next year after the furor over Bob's decision wanes.

After doing six interviews on the subject Tuesday (with all but one of the interrogators asking me to handicap the field aspiring to be the next host of The Price Is Right), here is our anything-but-secure forecast:

RICH FIELDS (2-1): Not since the days of Art James and Bob Clayton has a show's announcer moved up to the emcee role. As we see it, Rich is in prime position to end the drought. On his side is youth, matinee idol looks the ladies love and more than two years of experience as Barker's sidekick. The audience knows him now. Having worked with Rich at the past two Game Show Congress Legends Luncheons, I can tell you he has the presence, confidence and connection with people to make the quantum leap. Barker likes him. The transition could be smoother than what adjustment viewers would have with an outsider. Just a hunch and nothing more: I would not be surprised if Fremantle has already made this decision. Rich may well turn out to be in the right place at the right time. Just as Barker was 50 years ago when Ralph Edwards was listening to a small L.A. radio station and heard Bob's local program, the former weathercaster may be on the verge of his biggest career move.

TODD NEWTON (3-1): I've championed Todd as the ideal successor and I still believe he is. He's done all the right things. He's been seasoned on several cable shows. He's worked The Miss Universe Pageant and he had a prominent role with last summer's Game Show Marathon on CBS (and should have been the host). He presided over a summer talent contest on Fox. He's actually gone to Price tapings as an audience member just to study the master at work. He's emceed more of the onstage casino versions of The Price Is Right than any other personality. The time is right for him. If Todd does not get this, he has to be asking himself what else he has to do to be tapped for the big one.

DONNY OSMOND (5-1): This may be a huge surprise but do not discount this possibility. CBS has already signed him to do Name That Tune in prime time. Donny's approaching 50 but still looks 15 years younger, has a winning personality and could likely bridge the gap between Price's older demographics and younger viewers CBS covets. The big question: would Donny want to commit the immense time required to tape a daily hour-long show 37 weeks out of the year? Unlikely, but if Fields is not already the choice, you have to know his name is in the hopper.

MARK L. WALBERG (7-1): Mark may have to come off the junket with Antiques Roadshow but the money would undoubtedly be better. Walberg keeps receiving offers to do HGTV and other cable shows because he is a solid professional, works well with people and has a solid presence on the air. Biggest drawback: as talented and personable as he is, Walberg has never had a sustained television success.

MARC SUMMERS (10-1): Marc really, really, really would like to succeed Barker and he may well be the best choice. He's certaintly talented. The Food Network crowd loves him. However, I was told by someone well-wired in the industry last summer that emcees whose work has predominantly been for cable are often unfairly branded as AAA vs. major league by broadcast network executives. If that is so, that could be an across-the-board problem for Marc, Newton and Walberg.

JEFF PROBST (10-1): I don't really think Jeff would be a serious candidate because The Price Is Right is all wrong for his personality. He's too distant and, at times, coarse, if his Survivor persona is any indicator. The only reason we even dropped his name in: he's a CBS guy and in 2002, his agents dropped his name to the media as being interested in hosting the syndicated Who Wants to Be a Millionaire. Unless CBS were to cut back from two to one Survivor competitions a year (not necessarily a bad idea, in our view, with slipping ratings), Probst would have a difficult time managing the taping schedules of both shows.

GREG GUMBEL (10-1): This is not an offbeat choice. Gumbel has extensive NFL responsibilities for CBS but could probably handle the job. He was CBS's choice to host the aborted The $1,064,000 Question remake of its old classic in the early Millionaire era. If the job is a wide-open choice, he could be a surprise darkhorse.

PAIGE DAVIS (15-1): Not to be sexist but I do not think a woman will be seriously considered. If one is, Paige should be it. CBS should have reversed two roles on Game Show Marathon. Davis would have been a much stronger emcee and Ricki Lake a better contestant. Paige has four years of experience on what was once cable's most popular entertainment show. She was brilliant on the live Trading Spaces finale when the show staged an elimination competition ending with the paying off of the mortgage of the winner. Market research indicates she is popular with both women and men. Paige would be an interesting choice but I don't see CBS slotting a woman as host.

TOM BERGERON (20-1): Tom would be a prime candidate but the reason we rate him down the list: he is carrying three prime time slots a week for ABC, which is lucrative and does not require the volume of work Price does. At a time when he has the second most-popular weekly hour for ABC, he's probably not seriously in the running and may be contractually blocked from consideration.

JULIE CHEN MOONVES (20-1): No, no, no, no. Les, you wouldn't do this to us.........would you?

TIM BRANDO (50-1): A few years back, inaccurate internet gossip had Brando on the short list of potential Barker replacements. At the time, I called Brando myself on his radio show and that was the first he'd heard of it. Timmy B., who likes game shows, would be an outstanding choice and he almost became Pat Sajak's successor on daytime Wheel of Fortune in the late '80s. That job ultimately went to Rolf Benirschke. Brando is a CBS guy, congenial and has a great sense of humor which would mesh with contestants. However, one senses he is too valuable as CBS's College Football Today anchor. With the number of other sports assignments he has for CBS, cable and syndication as well as his daily Sporting News Radio show, I don't see how he could do it even if he was in the running.

BRAD GARRETT (100-1): His name is here primarily because in an interview I did with Summers four years ago, Marc said he wouldn't be surprised if Garrett became Barker's replacement. Marc felt that largely because at the time network and cable executives appeared to be leaning toward comedians as emcees. Certainly, of late, Howie Mandel and Bob Saget qualify in that category. Garrett's Fox sitcom is probably not going to make the grade and he was a huge CBS favorite on Everybody Loves Raymond. The Price Is Right? Nah, we don't see it.

DAN RATHER (1,000-1): Mark Goodson once told TV Guide: "I could take Dan Rather and make a great game show host out of him." Mark's no longer with us but The Price Is Right would undoubtedly pay Rather more than his new HD Net gig for Mark Cuban. Somehow, I don't think he's interested. But wouldn't it be a hoot?