Okay it’s Monday night and I’ve just sat down in front of the idiot box to watch the first episode in the $5 million "mega series" of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?

I like Eddie McGuire – he can build the suspense even when the correct answer is worth only $8000.

You find yourself sitting in the privacy of your own lounge room, screaming the answer at the TV set as if the poor dill in the hot seat can actually hear you.

So there I was in front of last night's live show, yelling “B B B B B B B” as the answer to a geographical question.

Eddie is saying: “I need your answer.”

The contestant is still deciding.

I’m still screaming: “B B B B B.”

Then Eddie, out of nowhere, says: “$8000 is a gamble and, speaking of gamble, Channel 9 is airing a new show on this network after Millionaire called Viva Laughlin – and here is a preview of it …”

What the? Aren’t we in the middle of a quiz show here?

Eddie, what are you doing? You aren’t the CEO of Channel 9 any more. You can’t just throw to a preview of a new TV show!

I want to know if the answer is B? I want to know if I’ve won the imaginary $8000 …

Instead, I’m watching Hugh Jackman and Melanie Griffith (at least, I think it was her – it’s hard to tell after all that plastic surgery) in some Vegas-style show that I have no interest in watching because 8.30 is my time with the cute Supernatural boys on Channel 10.

After more commercials, Eddie finally returns. The contestant has no idea of the answer to the tricky question and takes the money … but guess what? It was B!

But this isn’t the end of the strange goings-on on Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?

Eddie introduces the next contestant with video footage showing how she survived a brain aneurism and is still working as a school teacher.

Yes, yes, all very touching – but I didn’t think I was watching Today Tonight.

I don’t know what is going on with Channel 9 but, boy, talk about the strangest TV quiz show I’ve ever watched.

Maybe they should change the title to Who Wants to Tell Their Tragic Life Story on TV for a Million Dollars?

— STAR DELANEY

FOOTNOTE: The much-panned Viva Laughlin – described by the New York Times as “possibly the worst show in the history of television” – has been axed by Channel 9 after just one episode, with only 833,000 viewers tuning in. It was dumped in America after just two episodes. Millionaire also returned a disappointing audience of just over one million viewers.

What did you think of last night’s Who Wants to be a Millionaire?

Did you see Viva Laughlin? Do you agree with US critics who said it was corny, awkward and absurd or did it leave you wanting to see more?