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QUICK TAKE
FINALISTS ANNOUNCED FOR THE PREMIERE OF
"WHO WANTS TO BE A MILLIONAIRE," SUNDAY, AUGUST 9
Pop-Rock Chartbuster Katy Perry Guest Stars;
Former Millionaire Winners Robert Essig, Joe Trela and Ed Toutant Will Also Appear;
ABC News' Sam Donaldson Is the "Ask the Expert" Lifeline
Finalists for the premiere of ABC's "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire," airing SUNDAY,
AUGUST 9 (8:00-9:00 p.m., ET), have been selected. Regis Philbin hosts this special two-week, 10th anniversary edition of the ABC Television Network's celebration of the original primetime smash hit, in which these contestants are vying for the $1 million top prize. The "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire" special event will air for 11 nights, Sunday-Thursday at 8:00 p.m., with the finale on SUNDAY, AUGUST 23 (8:00-9:00 p.m., ET).
Following is the list of finalists, who will compete in the "Fastest Finger" rounds to see who will make it to the "Hot Seat":
SUNDAY, AUGUST 9
1. Gary Cousins, Flint, MI
2. Teresa Reitmeyer, Danville, PA
3. Jessica Gerber, Fairfield, CT
4. Linda Sweeney, Acworth, GA
5. Neil Schwartz, West Bloomfield, MI
6. Stephanie Millien, Baldwin, NY
7. Brad Abbey, Tampa, FL
8. Ralph Cambeis, Staten Island, NY
9. Rob Placek, Alliance, NE
10. Kristen Williams, Cedar Hills, UT
As a special feature, chart-topper Katy Perry ("I Kissed a Girl") will conclude the episode by taking the Hot Seat, hoping to correctly answer a single question worth $50,000 for her favorite charity, St. Judes Children's Research Hospital.
ABC News' Sam Donaldson will be the expert for the "Ask the Expert" lifeline.
The following million-dollar winners visited (but did not compete) in the premiere night audience: Robert Essig from Ashtabula, Ohio, who was nicknamed Bob-O by his mother-in-law and won $1 million; Joe Trela from Gilroy, California, the third contestant to win $1 million; and Ed Toutant from Austin, Texas, who won a $1.86 million escalating jackpot.
"Who Wants To Be A Millionaire" is produced by Valleycrest Productions Ltd. Michael Davies is executive producer. The program is broadcast with Spanish subtitles via secondary closed captioning. It carries a TV-G parental guideline.
For more information on "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire," visit www.abc.com.
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