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Deal or No Deal (U.S. syndicated game show)
Encyclopedia
Deal or No Deal is an American game show, a daytime version of the American series of the same name that is syndicated by NBCUniversal Television Distribution. It premiered on September 8, 2008 and is hosted by Howie Mandel
. The format is similar to the UK version of the show
(and other versions in Spain, Italy, France, and India). In the show's second season taping moved to Connecticut.
Deal or No Deal was also picked up by MyNetworkTV
. On February 8, 2010, it was announced that Deal or No Deal will be canceled following its second season due to declining ratings. Its final episode aired on May 28, 2010, with reruns that continued to air on local stations until September 10, 2010. Repeat episodes aired on MyNetworkTV back to back at 9:00 PM on Tuesdays until September 28, 2010.
Reruns now air on GSN.
The game begins by spinning the "Deal Wheel," a wheel with the 22 numbers that correspond to the numbers on the cases. A golden ball is placed in the wheel and as it spins, the ball bounces around inside the wheel to various numbers. When the wheel stops, whichever number the ball lands is the case number selected. The contestant's case is then placed on a podium. The player has the opportunity to either keep the case that they have or swap with one of the 21 remaining cases. The only exception to this rule was when Evian
has been a sponsor on the show and the models would spin a bottle of Evian water to determine the contestants for that particular week. During special themed weeks, the logo sponsoring is shown on the wheel as well.
Through a series of rounds, the contestant is asked to select a number of the other cases still in play; each case is opened and the value revealed before it is taken out of play, and a large electronic board is used to track which dollar amounts still remain in the game. After completing the selection of cases for that round, the Banker, a silhouette figure lit only dimly from behind in a box overlooking the stage, will call down to the host using a phone on the podium. The host will then tell the player of the Banker's "offer": a cash value that depends on of the values of the cases remaining in play, in exchange for leaving the game. The host opens a Plexiglas case on the podium containing a button; if the player accepts the deal, he or she presses the button to end the game, otherwise, he or she closes the case and declares "No Deal," requiring the player to continue into the next round.
Each round progressively removes fewer cases from the game; the first round begins with five cases to be removed, the second round with five more, then four, two, two, and subsequently down to removing one case at a time. (During the six pilot episodes taped, including the Arsenio Hall pilot, three cases were opened in Round 4 instead of two, resulting in only 6 total rounds of play instead of 7.) The Banker's offers typically depend on the interaction between the player and himself. Sometimes, they represent a small percentage of the average value of all the remaining cases. From round to round, that percentage generally increases, sometimes exceeding 100% toward the end of the game. Should the player make it to the final round, with the selected case and one other case left in play, they may take the final offer or win whatever is in the case they kept (there is no swap at the end of the game). If the player takes a deal prior to the final round, the host usually encourages the player to play through to the end to see what would have happened. Only one player plays for the entire show.
In season two, this was changed to Deal Mania!!!, giving away a $1,000 prize rather than $10,000 cash. The contest works almost exactly like Deal's $10K Giveaway, except that viewers can enter 5 times a day by calling the toll-free number or an unlimited number of times at mydealmania.com. Deal Mania!!! is also played every weekday and holds weekend sweepstakes as well.
was first considered to be the host, and even taped a pilot for the syndicated version, but was later passed over. According to rumors, Mark Curry
and Frank Nicotero
were also among the candidates. NBC also had concerns that the syndicated show would harm the prime time show, as Who Wants To Be A Millionaire
had suffered from overexposure. However, the syndicated version debuted September 8, 2008, with Mandel as host.
Initially, NBC planned to package this program with the Program Partners
-produced Merv Griffin's Crosswords
for its first season, as its owned and operated stations were already airing Crosswords and were picking up Deal or No Deal as well. However, this was later scrapped after Crosswords abruptly stopped production after its first season and most, if not all, of the NBC O&Os aired Deal or No Deal in a double-run format.
As Deal or No Deal became an exclusively syndicated show for the 2009–10 season, major changes were made to the show:
have all sponsored a week. The contestant that opens the case will win items from that company, unless the contestant that was playing the game has that case and takes a deal, in which case nobody wins the bonus prize that day.
The exception is with Splenda; when the Splenda case is opened, the next offer after that would be "sweetened" by $10,000, thus automatically giving the contestant that money plus the offer if all cases $25,000 or higher have been removed from play. If the playing contestant went home with the Splenda case, they would win $20,000; the only way that the contestant would receive neither situation is if the Splenda was the last case in the gallery.
Also Evian
sponsored one week, where the contestant holding the company's case received $1,000 and a year's supply of Evian water; an actual bottle was placed in the case in this instance.
During Visine-A
week, the $7,500 spot was covered and whose ever case held the logo won an outdoor package (e.g. season baseball tickets to favorite team) and $7,500.
During Halloween
week in 2008 and 2009, the Mars
candy company sponsored the show. The contestant's cases were covered with the logo of a Mars candy brand, and the show's two models, Patricia
and Tameka handed candy to audience members.
Also, in the $7,500 case was replaced by a "Lucky" Listerine logo. Whoever's case held the logo would win a trip.
When the hp
logo appeared in the $10,000 spot, the contestant with that case would receive HP equipment valued at $10,000.
Similarly, when the Sears logo appeared in the $10,000 spot during Winter Wonderland week, the contestant with that case would receive a $10,000 Sears gift card.
phone (Blackjack 2, Glide, etc.) and the contestant can call anybody for assistance.
Contestant Lisa Einstein made a very bad deal on May 23, 2010, when she took a $23,000 deal before learning her case contained $500,000. Two contestants have each won $0.01. Therese Matthews was the first to win it on October 19, 2009, and Erica Kilcoyne won the same amount on January 14, 2010.
picked up the rights to air reruns of the syndicated version of Deal or No Deal. The show was pulled from the schedule for a short time, but then returned to a weekend run. It currently airs at 2:00pm and 6:00pm on the weekends
Howie Mandel
Howard Michael "Howie" Mandel is a Canadian stand-up comedian, television host, and actor. He is well known as host of the NBC game show Deal or No Deal, as well as the show's daytime and Canadian-English counterparts. Before his career as a game show host, Mandel was best known for his role on...
. The format is similar to the UK version of the show
Deal or No Deal (UK game show)
Deal or No Deal is the United Kingdom version of the Endemol game show format Deal or No Deal, hosted by Noel Edmonds. 1,758 shows have been aired...
(and other versions in Spain, Italy, France, and India). In the show's second season taping moved to Connecticut.
Deal or No Deal was also picked up by MyNetworkTV
MyNetworkTV
MyNetworkTV is a television broadcast syndication service in the United States, owned by the Fox Entertainment Group, a division of News Corporation...
. On February 8, 2010, it was announced that Deal or No Deal will be canceled following its second season due to declining ratings. Its final episode aired on May 28, 2010, with reruns that continued to air on local stations until September 10, 2010. Repeat episodes aired on MyNetworkTV back to back at 9:00 PM on Tuesdays until September 28, 2010.
Reruns now air on GSN.
Gameplay
Deal or No Deal is played by one contestant at a time, five contestants per week with 22 contestants per week trying to play. Prior to each game, 22 dollar amounts ranging from $.01 to $500,000 are distributed by a third-party among 22 briefcases, the values are unknown by the host or the Banker. The cases are then randomly presented to 22 contestants.The game begins by spinning the "Deal Wheel," a wheel with the 22 numbers that correspond to the numbers on the cases. A golden ball is placed in the wheel and as it spins, the ball bounces around inside the wheel to various numbers. When the wheel stops, whichever number the ball lands is the case number selected. The contestant's case is then placed on a podium. The player has the opportunity to either keep the case that they have or swap with one of the 21 remaining cases. The only exception to this rule was when Evian
Evian
Evian is a French brand of mineral water coming from several sources near Évian-les-Bains, on the south shore of Lake Geneva.Today, Evian is owned by Danone Group, a French multinational company...
has been a sponsor on the show and the models would spin a bottle of Evian water to determine the contestants for that particular week. During special themed weeks, the logo sponsoring is shown on the wheel as well.
Through a series of rounds, the contestant is asked to select a number of the other cases still in play; each case is opened and the value revealed before it is taken out of play, and a large electronic board is used to track which dollar amounts still remain in the game. After completing the selection of cases for that round, the Banker, a silhouette figure lit only dimly from behind in a box overlooking the stage, will call down to the host using a phone on the podium. The host will then tell the player of the Banker's "offer": a cash value that depends on of the values of the cases remaining in play, in exchange for leaving the game. The host opens a Plexiglas case on the podium containing a button; if the player accepts the deal, he or she presses the button to end the game, otherwise, he or she closes the case and declares "No Deal," requiring the player to continue into the next round.
Each round progressively removes fewer cases from the game; the first round begins with five cases to be removed, the second round with five more, then four, two, two, and subsequently down to removing one case at a time. (During the six pilot episodes taped, including the Arsenio Hall pilot, three cases were opened in Round 4 instead of two, resulting in only 6 total rounds of play instead of 7.) The Banker's offers typically depend on the interaction between the player and himself. Sometimes, they represent a small percentage of the average value of all the remaining cases. From round to round, that percentage generally increases, sometimes exceeding 100% toward the end of the game. Should the player make it to the final round, with the selected case and one other case left in play, they may take the final offer or win whatever is in the case they kept (there is no swap at the end of the game). If the player takes a deal prior to the final round, the host usually encourages the player to play through to the end to see what would have happened. Only one player plays for the entire show.
Case Values
| Left Side | Right Side |
|---|---|
| $0.01 | $1,000 |
| $1 | $2,500 |
| $5 | $5,000 |
| $10 | $7,500 |
| $25 | $10,000 |
| $50 | $25,000 |
| $100 | $50,000 |
| $200 | $75,000 |
| $300 | $100,000 |
| $400 | $250,000 |
| $500 | $500,000 |
Deal's $10K Giveaway
The syndicated version also has a "Lucky Case Game" called Deal's $10K Giveaway, playing for $10,000 cash. Unlike the prime-time version, the contest lasts all week (with one winner per week), and viewers participate by calling a toll-free number. There are also 5 regular cases rather than 6 gold cases. The contest is designed as an advertisement for the Deal or No Deal Club, a club where shoppers could get special discounts for a monthly fee at dealornodealclub.com.In season two, this was changed to Deal Mania!!!, giving away a $1,000 prize rather than $10,000 cash. The contest works almost exactly like Deal's $10K Giveaway, except that viewers can enter 5 times a day by calling the toll-free number or an unlimited number of times at mydealmania.com. Deal Mania!!! is also played every weekday and holds weekend sweepstakes as well.
History
Originally, Mandel planned not to host the syndicated version, as his asking price to host it, in addition to the prime time NBC version, was considered to be outside of the production budget. Arsenio HallArsenio Hall
Arsenio Hall is an American actor, comedian, and former talk show host. He is best known for his talk show The Arsenio Hall Show, which ran between 1989 and 1994, and his roles in the films Coming to America and Harlem Nights.Hall is also known for his appearance as Alan Thicke's sidekick on the...
was first considered to be the host, and even taped a pilot for the syndicated version, but was later passed over. According to rumors, Mark Curry
Mark Curry (actor)
Mark G. Curry is an American actor and comedian. He is best known as the star of the ABC sitcom Hangin' with Mr. Cooper, and as one of the various hosts of the syndicated series It's Showtime at the Apollo.-Early life and education:...
and Frank Nicotero
Frank Nicotero
Frank Joseph Nicotero is an American comedian widely known as the host of the syndicated comedy game show Street Smarts.-Career:...
were also among the candidates. NBC also had concerns that the syndicated show would harm the prime time show, as Who Wants To Be A Millionaire
Who Wants to Be a Millionaire (US game show)
Who Wants to Be a Millionaire is an American television quiz show which offers a maximum prize of $1,000,000 for correctly answering 14 consecutive multiple-choice questions of random difficulty. Until 2010, the format required contestants to correctly answer 15 consecutive questions of increasing...
had suffered from overexposure. However, the syndicated version debuted September 8, 2008, with Mandel as host.
Initially, NBC planned to package this program with the Program Partners
Sony Pictures Television
Sony Pictures Television, Inc. is an American and global television production/distribution subsidiary of Sony Pictures Entertainment. In turn, the latter is part of the Japanese conglomerate Sony.-Background:...
-produced Merv Griffin's Crosswords
Merv Griffin's Crosswords
Merv Griffin's Crosswords is an American game show based on crossword puzzles. The show was created by its namesake, Merv Griffin, who died shortly after beginning production on the series...
for its first season, as its owned and operated stations were already airing Crosswords and were picking up Deal or No Deal as well. However, this was later scrapped after Crosswords abruptly stopped production after its first season and most, if not all, of the NBC O&Os aired Deal or No Deal in a double-run format.
As Deal or No Deal became an exclusively syndicated show for the 2009–10 season, major changes were made to the show:
- The show moved from the Culver StudiosCulver StudiosThe Culver Studios is a historic Colonial-styled movie studio located at 9336 W. Washington Blvd., in Culver City, California. It was the site of filming for Gone with the Wind, Citizen Kane and other classics from Hollywood’s Golden Age...
in Culver City, CaliforniaCulver City, CaliforniaCulver City is a city in western Los Angeles County, California. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 38,883, up from 38,816 at the 2000 census. It is mostly surrounded by the city of Los Angeles, but also shares a border with unincorporated areas of Los Angeles County. Culver...
to the Sonalysts Studios in Waterford, ConnecticutWaterford, ConnecticutWaterford is a town in New London County, Connecticut, United States. It is named after Waterford, Ireland. The population was 19,152 at the 2000 census. The town center is listed as a census-designated place .-Geography:...
, as part of a corporate decision in which four NBC Universal Television Distribution shows moved to ConnecticutConnecticutConnecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
. The entire set was shipped east, but scaled down to fit the studio.
- The show was also to be taped in high-definition, the fourth current game show to be taped in the format, joining Wheel of FortuneWheel of Fortune (U.S. game show)Wheel of Fortune is an American television game show created by Merv Griffin, which premiered in 1975. Contestants compete to solve word puzzles, similar to those used in Hangman, to win cash and prizes determined by spinning a large wheel. The title refers to the show's giant carnival wheel that...
, Jeopardy!Jeopardy!Griffin's first conception of the game used a board comprising ten categories with ten clues each, but after finding that this board could not be shown on camera easily, he reduced it to two rounds of thirty clues each, with five clues in each of six categories...
, and The Price Is RightThe Price Is Right (U.S. game show)The Price Is Right is an American game show which was created by Mark Goodson and Bill Todman. Contestants compete to identify the pricing of merchandise to win cash and prizes. The show is well-known for its signature line of "Come on down!" when the announcer directs newly selected contestants to...
. However, for whatever reason, this did not occur.
Themed Week Sponsoring
There have been a few times where the week would be sponsored by a company, and the $1,000, $7,500 or $10,000 would be themed like the company that sponsors it. hp, Lucky Listerine, Sears, and SplendaSplenda
Splenda is the commercial name and registered trade mark of a sucralose-based artificial sweetener derived from sugar, owned by the British company Tate & Lyle. Sucralose was discovered by Tate & Lyle and researchers at Queen Elizabeth College, University of London, in 1976...
have all sponsored a week. The contestant that opens the case will win items from that company, unless the contestant that was playing the game has that case and takes a deal, in which case nobody wins the bonus prize that day.
The exception is with Splenda; when the Splenda case is opened, the next offer after that would be "sweetened" by $10,000, thus automatically giving the contestant that money plus the offer if all cases $25,000 or higher have been removed from play. If the playing contestant went home with the Splenda case, they would win $20,000; the only way that the contestant would receive neither situation is if the Splenda was the last case in the gallery.
Also Evian
Evian
Evian is a French brand of mineral water coming from several sources near Évian-les-Bains, on the south shore of Lake Geneva.Today, Evian is owned by Danone Group, a French multinational company...
sponsored one week, where the contestant holding the company's case received $1,000 and a year's supply of Evian water; an actual bottle was placed in the case in this instance.
During Visine-A
Visine
Visine is a brand of eye drops produced by Johnson & Johnson. Johnson & Johnson acquired Visine, along with Pfizer's entire consumer healthcare portfolio, in December 2006.-Visine Original:...
week, the $7,500 spot was covered and whose ever case held the logo won an outdoor package (e.g. season baseball tickets to favorite team) and $7,500.
During Halloween
Halloween
Hallowe'en , also known as Halloween or All Hallows' Eve, is a yearly holiday observed around the world on October 31, the night before All Saints' Day...
week in 2008 and 2009, the Mars
Mars, Incorporated
Mars, Incorporated is a worldwide manufacturer of confectionery, pet food, and other food products with US$30 billion in annual sales in 2010, and is ranked as the 5th largest privately held company in the United States by Forbes. Headquartered in McLean, unincorporated Fairfax County, Virginia,...
candy company sponsored the show. The contestant's cases were covered with the logo of a Mars candy brand, and the show's two models, Patricia
Patricia Kara
Patricia Kara is a model, actress, and TV personality.She began her career in Chicago, before moving to Miami, New York City, and finally, her current home in Los Angeles, California...
and Tameka handed candy to audience members.
Also, in the $7,500 case was replaced by a "Lucky" Listerine logo. Whoever's case held the logo would win a trip.
When the hp
Hewlett-Packard
Hewlett-Packard Company or HP is an American multinational information technology corporation headquartered in Palo Alto, California, USA that provides products, technologies, softwares, solutions and services to consumers, small- and medium-sized businesses and large enterprises, including...
logo appeared in the $10,000 spot, the contestant with that case would receive HP equipment valued at $10,000.
Similarly, when the Sears logo appeared in the $10,000 spot during Winter Wonderland week, the contestant with that case would receive a $10,000 Sears gift card.
Tums Relief Moment of the Week
Every last day of that week, Deal or No Deal had a Tums relief moment of the week, where they show a contestant who played that week who had a few troublesome points ("short heartburn moments of relief"), and they show how much they won saying ("Congratulations _____, what a relief!").Samsung Help
Sometimes when a player receives an offer and is having a tough time making a decision, Mandel extracts a SamsungSamsung
The Samsung Group is a South Korean multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Samsung Town, Seoul, South Korea...
phone (Blackjack 2, Glide, etc.) and the contestant can call anybody for assistance.
List of Sponsors
| Company | Board Spot Replacing | Spot Color |
|---|---|---|
| hp | $10,000 | Blue |
| Lucky Listerine | $7,500 | Green |
| Sears | $10,000 | Blue |
| Splenda Splenda Splenda is the commercial name and registered trade mark of a sucralose-based artificial sweetener derived from sugar, owned by the British company Tate & Lyle. Sucralose was discovered by Tate & Lyle and researchers at Queen Elizabeth College, University of London, in 1976... |
$10,000 | Yellow |
| Evian Evian Evian is a French brand of mineral water coming from several sources near Évian-les-Bains, on the south shore of Lake Geneva.Today, Evian is owned by Danone Group, a French multinational company... |
$1,000 | Pink |
| Mars Mars, Incorporated Mars, Incorporated is a worldwide manufacturer of confectionery, pet food, and other food products with US$30 billion in annual sales in 2010, and is ranked as the 5th largest privately held company in the United States by Forbes. Headquartered in McLean, unincorporated Fairfax County, Virginia,... |
||
| Tums Tums TUMS is an antacid made of sucrose and calcium carbonate manufactured by GlaxoSmithKline in St.Louis, Missouri, USA. It is a non-prescription drug and available at many retail stores, including drug stores, grocery stores and mass merchandisers. It provides relief from acid indigestion, heartburn,... |
||
| Samsung Samsung Group The Samsung Group is a South Korean multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Samsung Town, Seoul, South Korea... |
||
| Visine-A Visine Visine is a brand of eye drops produced by Johnson & Johnson. Johnson & Johnson acquired Visine, along with Pfizer's entire consumer healthcare portfolio, in December 2006.-Visine Original:... |
$7,500 | Blue |
Top Prize Winners
No contestant ever won the $500,000 grand prize. However, 21 contestants sold their case which later turned out to contain the grand prize. The highest winner, Chelsea Drake, sold her case for $275,000 with $100,000 and $500,000 still in play.Contestant Lisa Einstein made a very bad deal on May 23, 2010, when she took a $23,000 deal before learning her case contained $500,000. Two contestants have each won $0.01. Therese Matthews was the first to win it on October 19, 2009, and Erica Kilcoyne won the same amount on January 14, 2010.
Reruns
In October 2010, GSNGame Show Network
The Game Show Network is an American cable television and direct broadcast satellite channel dedicated to game shows and casino game shows. The channel was launched on December 1, 1994. Its current slogan is "The World Needs More Winners"...
picked up the rights to air reruns of the syndicated version of Deal or No Deal. The show was pulled from the schedule for a short time, but then returned to a weekend run. It currently airs at 2:00pm and 6:00pm on the weekends