Deal or No Deal

Finally, a game show like Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, only without that annoying Regis Philbin, and without any questions that make me feel inferior (stupid, retarded, brain dead, etc.). I discovered this game (thanks to Ken) last night, and my wife and I were both instantly hooked – which is kind of shocking because she likes every reality show ever made, and I’m a fan of sports and pro wrestling.

The show is simplistic in nature, but is very over-the top with regards to the stage, the lights, and the hot babes (will discuss shortly). The gist of this contest is for the contestant to pick one number out of 26. This number is his/hers to keep. This number can equal a money amount ranging from 1 penny to 1 million dollars. The contestant is not shown this number until the end. He/she has the opportunity to “sell” his number to a banker after each round of picking other numbers (in the first round, he picks 6 other numbers to see what the money amounts are behind each one – this will be directly associated with how munch money the banker offers to buy the contestants number).

However, to make this game more “sexy,” the numbers are actually on briefcases … these briefcases are being held by unbelievably sexy women … 26 of them on the stage at once!!! (Smart move, NBC!!).

Additionally, the host is none other than Howie Mandel – a hysterically funny comedian from the 1980’s who got less funny when he released that “Bobby’s World” cartoon. Howie does a great job as the host of Deal or No Deal, BUT he does not get to improvise and do any of his comedy schtick (which is unfortunate for the Mandel fans like myself). He is totally serious the entire show – hardly even smiling. And after each round, he uses the increasingly more annoying phrase, “Deal or no deal.” This is comparable to Regis and the phrase that made me want to punch him in the throat – “Is that your final answer?”

The stage and lighting are corny, but apparently not corny enough for the NBC executives, as they decided to add a “banker” who calls Howie Mandel after each round from a “simulated” office upstairs (you only see his shadow – how retarded!). He calls down to offer the contestant money for the briefcase (I believe it is based on a percentage chance of what the contestant could have in his/her briefcase, depending on what money amounts are left). I could do without this gimmick, but it does add some much-needed stress and suspense to the contest.

If you like game-shows, and are able to get past some of the corny nuances (if you are a fan of game-shows, you have obviously gotten past this before), then I think you will like this game. Much like Wheel of Fortune, there isn’t much along the lines of grey-matter usage needed for this game. So, if you like games like Jeopardy, you’ll hate it.