Off Topic : the cheating Major



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A

Alex Noel-Tod

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Apologies for this off-topic request, but I need to cast my net wide (If 17m people watched it,
someone must have recorded it ...)

Does anyone have a video of the ITV 90 minute 'documentary' about the 'cheating' episode of "Who
Wants to be a Millionaire" (broadcast Monday 21 April), and from which I could request a copy ? I
need a copy for our collection (honest !).

Alex (usually more interested in cycling than coughing)
 
Alex Noel-Tod wrote:
> Apologies for this off-topic request, but I need to cast my net wide (If 17m people watched it,
> someone must have recorded it ...)
>
> Does anyone have a video of the ITV 90 minute 'documentary' about the 'cheating' episode of "Who
> Wants to be a Millionaire" (broadcast Monday 21 April), and from which I could request a copy ? I
> need a copy for our collection (honest !).

It's on tonight at 8pm on ITV2 if that helps at all (Millionaire: A Major fraud)

--
StainlessSteelRat "Money can't buy you happiness but it does bring you a more pleasant form of
misery." -- Spike Milligan
 
On Thu, 24 Apr 2003 14:57:54 +0100, Alex Noel-Tod
<[email protected]> wrote:

>I need a copy for our collection (honest !).

<Cough>

Guy
===
** WARNING ** This posting may contain traces of irony. http://www.chapmancentral.com (BT ADSL and
dynamic DNS permitting)
NOTE: BT Openworld have now blocked port 25 (without notice), so old mail addresses may no longer
work. Apologies.
 
StainlessSteelRat wrote:

>It's on tonight at 8pm on ITV2 if that helps at all (Millionaire: A Major fraud)

I saw it for the first time tonight.

I agree with the Iraqi Information Minister - The Major is innocent.
--
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Gonzalez <[email protected]> wrote:
> StainlessSteelRat wrote:
>
>> It's on tonight at 8pm on ITV2 if that helps at all (Millionaire: A Major fraud)
>
> I saw it for the first time tonight.
>
> I agree with the Iraqi Information Minister - The Major is innocent.

I reckon its all a scam <cough> by Celador to make extra millions <cough> out of programmes like
this and the proposed film. Certainly revived the public awareness and interest in a starting to
flag programme <cough, cough> . Tony

--
http://www.raven-family.com

"All truth goes through three steps: First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is violently opposed.
Finally, it is accepted as self-evident." Arthur Schopenhauer
 
Not to start a conspiracy theory, but...

How did Tecwen manage to get on exactly the right episode to be able to give the right answers; he'd
been discussing it with them for months beforehand.

How did Tecwen manage to get all the questions right without prior knowledge of the answers, when he
proved (when he got into the chair the next night) that he had, at best, a basic level of general
knowledge; one night he can get a million, the next night (without help) he gets a thousand. By his
own admission in court, he's not very good at quiz shows.

I think there was someone on the inside arranging the seating plans and providing the list of
questions and answers.

Just my 2p's worth!

Pete.

---------------------------
Peter Connolly Derby UK

"Tony Raven" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Gonzalez <[email protected]> wrote:
> > StainlessSteelRat wrote:
> >
> >> It's on tonight at 8pm on ITV2 if that helps at all (Millionaire: A
Major
> >> fraud)
> >
> > I saw it for the first time tonight.
> >
> > I agree with the Iraqi Information Minister - The Major is innocent.
>
> I reckon its all a scam <cough> by Celador to make extra millions <cough> out of programmes like
> this and the proposed film. Certainly revived the public awareness and interest in a starting to
> flag programme <cough,
cough>
> . Tony
>
> --
> http://www.raven-family.com
>
> "All truth goes through three steps: First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is violently opposed.
> Finally, it is accepted as self-evident." Arthur Schopenhauer
 
In article <[email protected]>, [email protected] says...
> Not to start a conspiracy theory, but...
>
> How did Tecwen manage to get on exactly the right episode to be able to give the right answers;
> he'd been discussing it with them for months beforehand.
>
> How did Tecwen manage to get all the questions right without prior knowledge of the answers,

He didn't. He asked the guy next to him for two of the answers and the major's wife coughed up one
answer when Tecwen didn't contribute.

Colin
 
Colin Blackburn wrote:

>In article <[email protected]>, [email protected] says...
>> Not to start a conspiracy theory, but...
>>
>> How did Tecwen manage to get on exactly the right episode to be able to give the right answers;
>> he'd been discussing it with them for months beforehand.
>>
>> How did Tecwen manage to get all the questions right without prior knowledge of the answers,
>
>He didn't. He asked the guy next to him for two of the answers and the major's wife coughed up one
>answer when Tecwen didn't contribute.

Plus there was at least one answer that the Major himself knew.

And I thought everyone in the World knew what a googol is, but perhaps its just because I'm a
maths teacher!

Now, who knows what a googolplex is?
--
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In article <[email protected]>, [email protected] says...
>
> Plus there was at least one answer that the Major himself knew.
>
> And I thought everyone in the World knew what a googol is, but perhaps its just because I'm a
> maths teacher!

Well, it would have been a dream question me, not needing any multiple choice, but, not everyone
knows I expect. Now, google!

What I found telling here was that he switched to googol saying that he'd never heard of it but by a
process of elimination... At no point did he, unlike many other contestants, say why he had
eliminated other answers.

> Now, who knows what a googolplex is?

Is that a googol to the power of a googol?

As for a conspiracy, probably not. As for Celador (Jasper Carrott is an owner apparently) milking it
for everything, definitely. The major getting to the million was the best news they ever had.

Colin
 
Colin Blackburn wrote:

>> And I thought everyone in the World knew what a googol is, but perhaps its just because I'm a
>> maths teacher!
>
>Well, it would have been a dream question me, not needing any multiple choice, but, not everyone
>knows I expect. Now, google!

Google? Is that an alternate spelling?

Or do you mean the factorial of googol?

>> Now, who knows what a googolplex is?
>
>Is that a googol to the power of a googol?

No. Ten to the power googol, or a one with a googol of zeros.
--
remove remove to reply
 
In article <[email protected]>, [email protected] says...
> Colin Blackburn wrote:
>
> >> And I thought everyone in the World knew what a googol is, but perhaps its just because I'm a
> >> maths teacher!
> >
> >Well, it would have been a dream question me, not needing any multiple choice, but, not everyone
> >knows I expect. Now, google!
>
> Google? Is that an alternate spelling?
>
> Or do you mean the factorial of googol?

:)

No I mean that many people probably know what Google is, or at least sort of what it does. Probably
more than know what a googol is.

> >> Now, who knows what a googolplex is?
> No. Ten to the power googol, or a one with a googol of zeros.

Still pretty big then.

Colin
 
Colin Blackburn wrote:

>> >> Now, who knows what a googolplex is?
>> No. Ten to the power googol, or a one with a googol of zeros.
>
>Still pretty big then.

Not as big as either Graham's Number or, indeed, Skewes' Number.

And there exists a number with 369,693,100 digits that can be represented with just 3 digits and no
additional symbols in standard decimal notation.

Can you work out what that number is?
--
remove remove to reply
 
Peter Connolly <[email protected]> wrote:
> Not to start a conspiracy theory, but...
>
> How did Tecwen manage to get all the questions right without prior knowledge of the answers, when
> he proved (when he got into the chair the next night) that he had, at best, a basic level of
> general knowledge; one night he can get a million, the next night (without help) he gets a
> thousand. By his own admission in court, he's not very good at quiz shows.
>

More than that, he had to ask the guy next to him about a couple of answers including the last one.
Would you have gambled on the £1m question on the basis of what the guy next to you thought the
answer was? I would have thought that was the point to signal I'm not sure, bail out at this one.

Tony

--
http://www.raven-family.com

"All truth goes through three steps: First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is violently opposed.
Finally, it is accepted as self-evident." Arthur Schopenhauer
 
Tony Raven wrote:

>Peter Connolly <[email protected]> wrote:
>> Not to start a conspiracy theory, but...
>>
>> How did Tecwen manage to get all the questions right without prior knowledge of the answers, when
>> he proved (when he got into the chair the next night) that he had, at best, a basic level of
>> general knowledge; one night he can get a million, the next night (without help) he gets a
>> thousand. By his own admission in court, he's not very good at quiz shows.
>>
>
>More than that, he had to ask the guy next to him about a couple of answers including the last one.
>Would you have gambled on the £1m question on the basis of what the guy next to you thought the
>answer was? I would have thought that was the point to signal I'm not sure, bail out at this one.

He should have bailed out at £125,000. Then he might have got away with it, been able to pay off all
his debts, buy his daughters ponies and had enough left over for a hefty deposit on a house.

Greed is a dangerous thing. I am glad that I am content with what I have and a teacher's salary
(which isn't anywhere nearly as bad as many of my colleagues make out).
--
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Gonzalez wrote:
> Now, who knows what a googolplex is?

A fear of large numbers?

--
StainlessSteelRat "There is something wrong with my friend, I think he smoked some nutmeg or
something." -- Mick, Idle Hands
 
"Peter Connolly" <[email protected]> wrote in news:b8b89p
[email protected]:

> There was a radio programme this week that suggested they were the first people to attempt a fraud
> using a Morecambe and Wise sketch!

"The Now Show"

There seem to be a lot of closet Radio 4 listeners on URC.

Have fun!

Graeme
 
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