<P> Millionaire has also existed in many other countries, including a Chinese version aired in 2007 and 2008 with Lǐ Fán as its host; a French version on TF1, which debuted on 3 July 2000 and is hosted by Jean - Pierre Foucault; a German version launched by RTL Television on 3 September 1999, hosted by Günther Jauch; a Hong Kong version called Baak Maan Fu Yung, which was broadcast by Asia Television from 2001 to 2005, with actor Kenneth Chan as its host; and a Sri Lankan version called Obada Lakshapathi Mamada Lakshapathi, which premiered in 2010 on Sirasa TV of Maharaja Network . In total, over 100 different international variations of Millionaire have been produced since the original UK version made its 1998 debut . </P> <P> In March 2006, original producer Celador announced that it was seeking to sell the worldwide rights to Millionaire, together with the rest of its British programme library, as the first phase of a sell - off of the company's format and production divisions . Millionaire and all of Celador's other programmes were ultimately acquired by Dutch company 2waytraffic . Two years later, Sony Pictures Entertainment purchased 2waytraffic for £ 137.5 million . The format of the show is currently owned and licensed by Sony Pictures Television; however, the U.S. version is distributed not by Sony but by the Walt Disney Company's in - home sales and content distribution firm, Disney--ABC Domestic Television . </P> <P> The idea to transform the UK programme into a global franchise was conceived by British television producer Paul Smith . He laid out a series of rules that the international variants in the franchise were to follow: for example, all hosts were required to appear on - screen wearing Armani suits, as Tarrant did in the UK; producers were forbidden from hiring local composers to create original music, instead using the same music cues used by the British version; and the lighting system and set design were required to adhere faithfully to the way they were presented on the British version . However, some of Smith's rules have been slightly relaxed over the years as the franchise's history has progressed . </P> <P> The format of the show was created by David Briggs, Mike Whitehill and Steven Knight, who had earlier created a number of the promotional games for Tarrant's morning show on Capital FM radio, such as the bong game . Tentatively known as Cash Mountain, the show takes its finalised title from a song written by Cole Porter for the 1956 film High Society, in which it was sung by Frank Sinatra and Celeste Holm . </P>

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