On the night of July 19, 2001, Jeff Bathurst, a writer for The Philadelphia Inquirer, got on one of the biggest quiz shows since The $64,000 Question. He whipped through his 1st 10 questions, winning him $32,000. But oh, if he had only known which magazine debuted in 1922, he may have become the show's 9th Million Dollar Victor. He re-live's his experience on Who Wants To Be A Millionaire with WWTBAM2001.tripod.com.

WS: Jeff, Congratulations on your appearance, and thanks for your time with us. In our recent interview with Chris Walton, he said he was "in awe" of the contestants who qualify through the phone game. You were one of those contestants - what are your opinions on the phone game?

JB: First of all, I think it provides a more representative group of 10 for each show. I don't know exactly how they pick the audition contestants, but I think the fact the producers can't see the phone contestants until they get to NY brings a more "regular" crowd of WWTBAM fans. I think the new 5-question phone game is just great in terms of separating the wheat from the chaff. It takes a lot to not only use your wits to figure out the increasingly difficult questions, but also to maintain your focus. It should guarantee they get some tough players for the game.

WS: You sailed through your first 10 questions, winning you $32,000. Then came the $64,000 question asking "In 1922, Dewitt and Lila Acheson Wallace founded what monthly magazine?" You used a 50:50, and missed it. What was the tension like with the lighting, music, and Regis?

JB: The tension was unbelievable. The music JUST KEEPS PLAYING, pounding in your head. As for Regis, it's funny, one of my friends contends they set me up by taking time out after the commercial to interview me, after I had gotten into such a rhythm. I don't know if that's exactly it, but hearing Regis say, "He's five questions from a million!" certainly froze me. I tend to move too quickly in games like this, and I probably could have been more patient. But that's hindsight for you. I know, I know, I left lifelines on the table.

WS: What were your opinions on Regis?

JB: Regis seemed like a nice guy. That's been the number one question I've gotten from people, by the way. He comes out to warm up the audience a bit, reminding them "Who saved the ABC network?" which I gather is a line he's been using for quite a while. He went around and asked the pronunciations of our names before the show, and then made some small talk with me while I was in the hot seat during a commercial break. He was all right with me -- didn't pull any diva tactics while I was there, at least.

WS: Have you been a gameshow fan all your life?

JB: Sort of. I was a real junkie when I was a kid -- when there were many more daytime shows. Price is Right, Press Your Luck, Family Feud stick out. Then Jeopardy, of course. What led me to WWTBAM was more a sense of competition. As a newspaper copy editor who works nights, I rarely get a chance to see the show, but everyone kept telling me I'd be great for it. So I guess I wanted to prove something.

WS: What are your plans for that $32,000?

JB: Oh, real mundane stuff. It's such a blessing, and my wife says it's the perfect amount -- you can do a lot with it, and yet people won't be coming out of the woodwork to find us. It's funny, one of the things on Regis' card was that question, but I never got that high on the money tree! My wife, Lori, and I are going to do some things for our house, pay off a car -- a picket fence and a station wagon, how's that for you! -- give some to the church and then set aside a good chunk for something frivolous.

WS: What are your opinions on the "reality" TV Shows, such as "Survivor," "Big Brother," "Fear Factor," "The Mole," and the many others out there?

JB: I'm not a huge fan, although I did get sucked in at the end of both Survivors. As I said, I don't get to watch too much TV. I don't begrudge them their success, because the marketplace rules. If people didn't care for them, they wouldn't be on. That said, my stint on WWTBAM was "reality" enough for my blood.

WS: Do you have any tips to offer for potential WWTBAM contestants?

JB: Do something embarrassing or have a lucky charm -- so you have something to talk about with Regis. No, seriously, keep trying (one guy on my show qualified 80 times on the phone) and read a lot. That's the thing that I believe has helped me the most. I've read the newspaper daily since I was in preschool just about, and in keeping current in the world you can soak up so many facts. Some of them might seem useless -- until you get that call from New York!

WS: Finally Jeff, Thank You for your time, and good luck to you.

JB: Hey, thank you. This was fun. It's been quite an experience, and I'm glad to share it. Good luck to everyone out there who's still trying.