Is This Gameshow The Beginning Of The Apocalypse ?!! (Deal or No Deal)

Member Name: eyedo6789

Product:	Deal or No Deal
Date:	09/03/09 (56 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: It's Kind Of Addictive To Watch

Disadvantages: But In A Bad Way

Deal Or No Deal is a television game show with the potential to win big cash prizes that was created by the Television Production giants Endemol.

It now has versions running in more than 65 different countries all over the world.

The United Kingdom version, which is the one featured in the picture above, is hosted by legendary British radio DJ, Television Broadcaster, Presenter and Producer Noel Edmonds who previously has presented (and often produced) programmes such as Noel's House Party, Saturday Swapshop and Telly Addicts.

At the start of the game there are a number of numbered red boxes each containing a label inside with cash amounts ranging from 1 pence up to a whopping £250,000. Each box has a custodial contestant standing next to it.

Then one of the contestants is randomly selected to bring their box to the contestant's table which is next to where Noel stands and fully facing opposite the remaining contestants and boxes.

The contestant then eliminates boxes one at a time by calling out the number on the front of the box and asking it to be opened by the custodian that is standing behind it. Once the box has been opened it is eliminated from the game and the amount of money on the label inside of it is eliminated from the prize board that is on display in the studio.

This calling out of and elimination of the boxes and the prize amounts inside them is repeated a further two times at which point "The Banker", who is a real or quite possibly imaginary figure, phones into the Red Telephone that is on the contestant's desk and makes a cash offer (via conduit Noel who takes the call) for the contestant to if they wish accept and then walk away from the game at that point. If the contestant accepts the offer the game is over, if they decline then they carry on calling out the numbers of boxes and eliminating more potential cash prizes.

Then after 3 more box eliminations the "The Banker" calls again and makes a fresh offer. This process is repeated over and over until either the contestant accepts a cash offer or ultimately ends up opening their own box to determine how much they have won or opens the last remaining custodian's box instead of their own which the banker sometimes allows them the opportunity to do. It's known as "A Swap" but is only ever offered if and when the game has got down to the last two boxes, the final custodian box that is left and the contestant's box. I should add that the contestant can not pick their own box for elimination at any stage other than what I have just described when if effect by opting for "The Swap" they have chosen to eliminate their own box by default.

After each of the Banker's offers Noel says the now immortal words "£12000 (or whatever the banker's offer is at that moment in the game) Deal or No Deal"

The contestant then answers "Deal" or they answer "No Deal"

This is great game show. However, the novelty gradually wears off and after maybe watching a couple of hundred of them I am now not bothered whether I see it or not and if I do see am probably hoping that the contestant makes a poor decision and lets a huge cash win slip through their fingers. I didn't used to think like this but one day I realised it was irrational for me to want people who I didn't even know existed until seeing them on the programme to win loads of money.

I also find contestants who have silly box number picking methods (usually based on relative's birthdays) very annoying because they stupidly believe that the game is in some way not random......... when clearly it is 100% random.

Annoying too is that the audience and box custodians clap all box opening outcomes good or bad and claim to have made life long friendships (referring to each other as "My second Mum" and the such like) having only spent barely a few days in a cheap hotel with them whilst waiting to be selected as a contestant for the opportunity to get their grubby greedy hands on some totally unearned, unwarranted cash.

I'm not sure which is worse, becoming a Satanist or being a contestant on this programme.

P.S. I Like Noel Edmonds, he is great.

Summary: It Panders To The Worst Aspects Of Human Greed But Is Very Watchable!