Deal or No Deal (UK game show)
Encyclopedia
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. First broadcast on Channel 4
on 31 October 2005, it is aired 6 days a week excluding Saturdays for the entire year, excluding a summer break of a month during July and August.
Filmed in the round
, the game is a simple game of chance and nerve, it features a single contestant trying to beat the Banker
, as they open twenty-two identical sealed red boxes assigned to potential contestants in an order of their choosing. The boxes contain randomly assigned sums of money inside ranging from 1p to £250,000. The day's contestant is selected at the beginning, bringing their box to the chair. As the boxes are opened over a number of rounds, the Banker makes offers of real money to gain possession of their box. The gameplay is coordinated by Edmonds, who communicates with the unseen banker by telephone. Contestants can either 'deal' to take the money, or play to the end, settling on the amount in their box.
The objective is for the contestant to leave with more money than the Banker is prepared to deal for the box, while the element of risk is that by not dealing, or holding out for better deals, their luck can change and their take home amount can be relatively low, or even nothing.
There is a basic theme to the show, although now and again there are special episodes
with a particular theme, usually based around the national holidays, introducing special features and prizes, and occasionally an opportunity to win £500,000.
At the start of each game, one of the 22 contestants, each standing behind one of the red boxes, is selected to be that episode's player. The selection appears to be random, though this is never stated and in fact selection is done by the production team. The contestants themselves do not know who is to take the seat until it is revealed at the beginning of the show. Usually players will appear on around 15-25 shows before they are selected to play. The player then takes their box and walks to the centre of the set, taking their place at the "pound table", in what Edmonds often refers to as the "crazy chair". Once sitting down the player introduces themselves, and after confirming that they selected their box at random, the game begins.
The player's box contains their (potential) prize. One at a time, the player chooses one of the 21 boxes remaining (other than their own) to be opened, eliminating the value inside it from the list of possible amounts in the player's box (displayed on a large screen opposite them). Clearly it is in the player's interest to uncover smaller amounts of money, hoping that their prize is a larger amount. Boxes are opened by the remaining 21 contestants; these contestants are also regularly spoken to by Edmonds and the player, and offer support and advice to the player. These contestants, however, return for the following episodes, along with a new contestant replacing the previous episode's player, so that all contestants eventually play the game, and continuity is built between shows.
There are six rounds: in the opening round the player opens five boxes, then three in each subsequent round. After the required number of boxes have been opened in a round, The Banker (an unseen character who acts as the player's antagonist and whose money is at stake in the game) offers to buy the player's box. The specific offer is made dependent on the remaining box values: if several larger amounts are gone, the offer is likely to be low, as the probability is higher that the player's box contains a small amount of money. Occasionally, the first offer (or on very rare occasions a later offer) has been replaced by an offer to the contestant to swap their box for one of the remaining unopened boxes. The Banker is never seen, relaying his offers to Edmonds via telephone. Edmonds tells the player the offer and asks the eponymous question. The player responds either "deal" or "no deal".
Responding with "deal" means the contestant agrees to sell the box for the amount of money offered, relinquishing the prize in her box. The game is now over, though play continues to show the hypothetical outcome had the player not dealt. Saying "no deal" means the player keeps their box, and proceeds to the next round, again hoping to reveal small amounts in the remaining boxes.
After six rounds, only two boxes remain. If the player rejects the final offer, they take the prize contained in their box, although The Banker usually - but not always - offers the opportunity for the player to swap his box with the other remaining unopened box and take the prize contained in it instead. The player is always offered a swap if the 1p and/or the £250,000 is still in play.
Occasionally, after the player has said 'deal' earlier in the game, after all six rounds, the banker will offer the 'Banker's Gamble', in which if the player says deal, they give back the amount they dealt at, and open their box - winning whatever their box contains, rather than what they dealt at. The banker's gamble is offered occasionally if the 2-box offer would have been similar to the one the player dealt at. The second £250,000 winner, Alice Mundy, who had dealt two rounds earlier at £17,500, was offered the Banker's Gamble. She was left with the 1p and the £250,000. She accepted the banker's gamble and won the £250,000. It is also customary that if someone wins the £250,000 prize, they get to keep the £250,000 box.
More recently, the banker has been throwing in extra twists to the game, including making offers between rounds, and offering other gambles such as "double or nothing", where after the player has dealt, they have to open extra boxes and risk winning nothing or doubling their winnings. Such twists normally happen rarely, but happen more regularly during the themed weeks.
On 10 October 2011, it was a live show for the first time ever. Louise from Littleton was picked to play, she dealt at £16,500 and had £500 in her box.
These have been the prizes offered in all but a few episodes of the show; occasionally the 1p is replaced by a joke prize at Christmas (such as a "Turkey Sandwich"). The highest five valued boxes are referred to as the "Power Five", and the five boxes of lowest value are occasionally referred to as the "Banker's Power Five". Generally, removal of blues or low reds are applauded by the audience. The total of all the 22 sums of money is £565,666.61. On rare occasions such as the 500th and 1000th shows, the top prize has been increased, up to £500,000 or two £250,000's by getting rid of the £1,000.
, the unseen character of The Banker
, the main contestant playing that day's game, the other contestants (referred to by Edmonds as the 'East Wing' and the 'West Wing' referring to their position on set relative to the game board), and finally a studio audience arranged facing the gameboard (referred to as 'the pilgrims' by Edmonds).
The Observer
interviewed Edmonds in relation to the show on 29 January 2006, quoting Edmonds as saying that his scenes with the Banker bring out his "inner actor". He revealed his passion for the show and his admiration for the individual community spirit within it, as well as his (now fulfilled) ambition that it would eventually hold a Saturday evening prime time
slot.
The show has increasingly included its audience of around 120 people in the fabric of the game. Because of the "underground" feel of the set, audiences seem to get dragged into the drama of the game as it unfolds. A lot of audience members have been directly included in various games, through Edmonds asking opinions or even on some occasions asking them to come down from the audience.
The contestants who appear on Deal or No Deal come from all backgrounds and age groups. At any one time, the 22 contestants have a mixture of old, young, male (with a brief exception during the 2007 "Battle of the Sexes"), female, loud, and quiet contestants. The oldest ever contestant is Joe, who joined the show on 23 March 2009. Noel Edmonds stated that Joe is the "most mature contestant ever at the age of 98". The youngest contestants to appear on the show have been 18 - this is the minimum age allowed for a contestant on the show.
There have been many different types of contestants over the years. Some of the more notable contestants include Pat Miller, who had much banter with Noel during her 32-show run; Lance whose show reduced Noel to fits of laughter; Walter, who provided much hilarity; and Daniel Judge, dubbed the "show's best stats man". One contestant named Mary accidentally said "no deal" to the 5-box offer of £20,000 when she immediately revealed meant to say "deal". The banker gave her the chance to correct her mistake, but she decided to no deal anyway, and won £75,000 as a result. Laura Pearce, Alice Mundy (both coincidentally from the same area in South Wales), Suzanne Mulholland and Tegen Roberts
are the show's only quarter-millionaires. Alice's game was somewhat controversial due to the fact she had already dealt for £17,500 at 8-box, and went on to win the £250,000 by accepting a banker's gamble with 1p and £250,000 left at 2-box. Olly Murs
, the runner-up on The X Factor
in 2009, had previously been a contestant on the show, winning just £10.
In 2009, contestant David from Essex
, was dubbed the show's "#1 fan" due to helping run the Deal or No Deal Unofficial Forum. His forum username is derived from his pet pygmy goat Henry, who featured in his show, and his username was also his first offer. The banker allowed him to take his box home as he's such a fan of the show. Only a small number of people have been allowed to do this; apart from David, the other 7 were the 4 quarter-millionaires, Adam (whose box was damaged in a flood), Marianne (who was a "Christmas Star" playing for charity) and Ant (due to winning £75,000 from his box).
More recent notable contestants include wheelchair-bound Dale, who won £100,000 with an ambition to climb Mount Everest; Beryl, who won 1p after a very bad game; and Maurice, who had survived tongue cancer to be on the show.
On 8 July 2011, professional singer/songwriter Alphonso Stewart appeared on the show.
such as Christmas and Easter.
Episodes have been broadcast as follows:
, a commercial subsidiary of the BBC. The studio set for the show was converted from an old paintworks factory and its associated warehouses in Bristol
.
Channel 4 initially commissioned a run of 66 episodes, with filming beginning in October 2005, and the first episode broadcast at the end of the month. Channel 4 then commissioned a 2nd filming period at the end of 2005.
By May 2006, episodes were being filmed Monday to Friday at a rate of 15 episodes a week. Three episodes are filmed in a day in two sessions, an afternoon one for one episode using one audience, and then two episodes filmed in the evening using a second audience. The studio operates from 9am to 10pm.
Having initially begun filming episodes just a few weeks in advance, each new period of filming now begins several months in advance, and at a rate of 15 episodes a week being filmed, the delay between filming and broadcast varies; it can end up being months between the filming date and broadcast date for a particular episode.
The filming periods and the timing of their subsequent broadcast output period has been as follows:
Starting on the 10th October 2011, one daily (with the exception of on Saturdays) live episode was broadcasted for a period of 2 weeks, in place of the routine pre-recorded episodes.
Deal or No Deal was described as "like putting heroin in your TV remote". Guardian
television reviewer Charlie Brooker
criticised the in-show implication that there are strategies that can be employed and pointed out that the game premise revolves around plain guessing while calling it "a gameshow based on the Copenhagen interpretation
of quantum mechanics
".
Awards on 14 March 2006, and "Best Daytime Programme" in the TV Quick Awards on 5 September 2006. The UK version also won the Rose d'Or
award for "Best Game Show" at the 2006 Lucerne
Television Festival. Noel Edmonds was also nominated in the "Best Entertainment Performance" category at the 2006 BAFTA Television Awards
.
The show was voted "Best Daytime Programme" at the 2006 National Television Awards. As Edmonds was on holiday at the time, the award was collected by two former contestants, Russell Cook and Sajela Sarfraz . Edmonds was also nominated for "Best Entertainment Presenter" at the same awards.
----------------------------------------------------------
Other positions but dealt at 2-box:
Previously the game has been sponsored by Müller
, King.com and BT.
Previously, the competition was only open for the duration of the show, with the box containing the prize being opened at the end of the show, and the winner's name announced thereafter. This was changed from the third Season in August 2007, following the premium-rate services operator ICSTIS imposing a £30,000 fine on iTouch, the company responsible for running the competition. It ruled that the competition was misleading since the impression was given that entrants stood a chance of winning any of the three amounts contained in the blue viewers' boxes, whereas in fact since the programme is pre-recorded, by the time of broadcast only one prize amount is possible. The altered format of the competition only opened the competition after the prize amount had been chosen.
Channel 4 had announced that, following a spate of revelations of improper conduct regarding premium-rate phone services across British television programmes (notably on the Richard & Judy
), it was scrapping all premium-rate phone competitions, with the single exception of Deal or No Deal, with profits from the viewer's competition going to charity. As of 1 October 2007, the viewer's competition was cancelled. Noel Edmonds informed the viewers that they will be giving the viewer's competition a rest for a while like all other viewer competitions on Channel 4. He thanked the viewers for entering the competition, and it has not yet returned.
The Official Behind the Scenes Guide (ISBN 0-09-192006-X) was published on 26 October 2006, written by Noel and Charlotte Edmonds, Jane Phillimore, Richard Hague and Glenn Hugill. It features interviews with Edmonds, the Banker, and contestants, and has statistics for all players' games from Season 1.
was released on 13 November 2006. Filmed in the Deal or No Deal studio, it features Noel Edmonds, and 21 contestants from Season 1 playing themselves, who open the boxes and give the player advice. The game's three modes are Single Player (played like the show), Player Vs Player (two players play rounds in turn), and Player Vs Banker (one player is the contestant, the other is the Banker, and gives offers to the player).
A card game has also been released. The 22 sums of money are shuffled, and placed on top of the 22 box numbers. The gameplay is similar to the Player Vs Banker mode on the DVD with one player being the player and another the Banker. Players then swap roles, and the one who takes more money is declared the winner. The card game is often sold in a special box-set alongside the DVD game. Deal or No Deal video games for the PC and Nintendo DS
have also been released, as has a second DVD game on 19 November 2007, subtitled "Family Challenge", and featuring series 2 contestants.
Additionally, a Wii
game and a second DS game, both titled, "Deal or No Deal: The Banker is back!" were released on 28 November 2008; a Deal or No Deal chocolate game is also available; an online version of the game is available on the website WeDigTV.com; and there is also a Facebook application called Deal Or No Deal LIVE!, in which you play with other people competing to get the highest amount out the box. The player can build up through levels. There is also a chat function while playing.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
version of the Endemol
Endemol
Endemol is an international television production and distribution company based in the Netherlands, with subsidiaries and joint ventures in 23 countries, including the United Kingdom, the United States, France, Mexico, Spain, Italy, Germany, Brazil, Chile, Argentina, Dominican Republic, Poland,...
game show
Game show
A game show is a type of radio or television program in which members of the public, television personalities or celebrities, sometimes as part of a team, play a game which involves answering questions or solving puzzles usually for money and/or prizes...
format Deal or No Deal
Deal or No Deal
Deal or No Deal is the name of several closely related television game shows, the first of which was the Dutch Miljoenenjacht produced by Dutch producer Endemol. It is played with up to 26 cases with certain sums of money...
, hosted by Noel Edmonds
Noel Edmonds
Noel Ernest Edmonds, is an English broadcaster and executive, who made his name as a DJ on BBC Radio 1 in the UK. He has presented many light entertainment television programmes, including Multi-Coloured Swap Shop, Top of the Pops, The Late, Late Breakfast Show, Telly Addicts, Noel's Saturday...
. 1,758 shows have been aired. First broadcast on Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
on 31 October 2005, it is aired 6 days a week excluding Saturdays for the entire year, excluding a summer break of a month during July and August.
Filmed in the round
In the Round
In the Round is an album by Pentangle. It was issued in 1986 on Spindrift SPIN 120 in 1986 and on Varrick CDVR026 VR026 and CVR026 in 1990. There is a typo on the sleeve, as it credits the licence to "Jackie" McShee, not Jacqui McShee. There is also a widespread use of the name "Vanick", a...
, the game is a simple game of chance and nerve, it features a single contestant trying to beat the Banker
The Banker (Deal or No Deal UK)
The Banker is the name given to the quasi-fictional antagonist on the game show Deal or No Deal.Notionally, the money on the gameboard in Deal or No Deal is The Banker's own...
, as they open twenty-two identical sealed red boxes assigned to potential contestants in an order of their choosing. The boxes contain randomly assigned sums of money inside ranging from 1p to £250,000. The day's contestant is selected at the beginning, bringing their box to the chair. As the boxes are opened over a number of rounds, the Banker makes offers of real money to gain possession of their box. The gameplay is coordinated by Edmonds, who communicates with the unseen banker by telephone. Contestants can either 'deal' to take the money, or play to the end, settling on the amount in their box.
The objective is for the contestant to leave with more money than the Banker is prepared to deal for the box, while the element of risk is that by not dealing, or holding out for better deals, their luck can change and their take home amount can be relatively low, or even nothing.
There is a basic theme to the show, although now and again there are special episodes
Deal or No Deal UK special episodes
The UK version of Deal or No Deal has broadcast since 31 October 2005. During this time, there have been many special episodes, usually themed to seasonal events such as Christmas, Halloween, Wimbledon and the Eurovision Song Contest....
with a particular theme, usually based around the national holidays, introducing special features and prizes, and occasionally an opportunity to win £500,000.
Gameplay
Contestants can win prizes ranging between 1p and £250,000. The game is played using twenty-two sealed red boxes, each with an identifying number from 1 to 22 displayed on the front. Inside each box is a label showing a different amount of prize money. All the boxes are sealed by an independent adjudicator; the value inside each box is not known to anyone except the adjudicator.At the start of each game, one of the 22 contestants, each standing behind one of the red boxes, is selected to be that episode's player. The selection appears to be random, though this is never stated and in fact selection is done by the production team. The contestants themselves do not know who is to take the seat until it is revealed at the beginning of the show. Usually players will appear on around 15-25 shows before they are selected to play. The player then takes their box and walks to the centre of the set, taking their place at the "pound table", in what Edmonds often refers to as the "crazy chair". Once sitting down the player introduces themselves, and after confirming that they selected their box at random, the game begins.
The player's box contains their (potential) prize. One at a time, the player chooses one of the 21 boxes remaining (other than their own) to be opened, eliminating the value inside it from the list of possible amounts in the player's box (displayed on a large screen opposite them). Clearly it is in the player's interest to uncover smaller amounts of money, hoping that their prize is a larger amount. Boxes are opened by the remaining 21 contestants; these contestants are also regularly spoken to by Edmonds and the player, and offer support and advice to the player. These contestants, however, return for the following episodes, along with a new contestant replacing the previous episode's player, so that all contestants eventually play the game, and continuity is built between shows.
There are six rounds: in the opening round the player opens five boxes, then three in each subsequent round. After the required number of boxes have been opened in a round, The Banker (an unseen character who acts as the player's antagonist and whose money is at stake in the game) offers to buy the player's box. The specific offer is made dependent on the remaining box values: if several larger amounts are gone, the offer is likely to be low, as the probability is higher that the player's box contains a small amount of money. Occasionally, the first offer (or on very rare occasions a later offer) has been replaced by an offer to the contestant to swap their box for one of the remaining unopened boxes. The Banker is never seen, relaying his offers to Edmonds via telephone. Edmonds tells the player the offer and asks the eponymous question. The player responds either "deal" or "no deal".
Responding with "deal" means the contestant agrees to sell the box for the amount of money offered, relinquishing the prize in her box. The game is now over, though play continues to show the hypothetical outcome had the player not dealt. Saying "no deal" means the player keeps their box, and proceeds to the next round, again hoping to reveal small amounts in the remaining boxes.
After six rounds, only two boxes remain. If the player rejects the final offer, they take the prize contained in their box, although The Banker usually - but not always - offers the opportunity for the player to swap his box with the other remaining unopened box and take the prize contained in it instead. The player is always offered a swap if the 1p and/or the £250,000 is still in play.
Occasionally, after the player has said 'deal' earlier in the game, after all six rounds, the banker will offer the 'Banker's Gamble', in which if the player says deal, they give back the amount they dealt at, and open their box - winning whatever their box contains, rather than what they dealt at. The banker's gamble is offered occasionally if the 2-box offer would have been similar to the one the player dealt at. The second £250,000 winner, Alice Mundy, who had dealt two rounds earlier at £17,500, was offered the Banker's Gamble. She was left with the 1p and the £250,000. She accepted the banker's gamble and won the £250,000. It is also customary that if someone wins the £250,000 prize, they get to keep the £250,000 box.
More recently, the banker has been throwing in extra twists to the game, including making offers between rounds, and offering other gambles such as "double or nothing", where after the player has dealt, they have to open extra boxes and risk winning nothing or doubling their winnings. Such twists normally happen rarely, but happen more regularly during the themed weeks.
On 10 October 2011, it was a live show for the first time ever. Louise from Littleton was picked to play, she dealt at £16,500 and had £500 in her box.
Game board
These are the prizes contained in the 22 boxes on the programme, shown in a representation of the large display used opposite the player on the show, known as "the game board" or simply "the board":These have been the prizes offered in all but a few episodes of the show; occasionally the 1p is replaced by a joke prize at Christmas (such as a "Turkey Sandwich"). The highest five valued boxes are referred to as the "Power Five", and the five boxes of lowest value are occasionally referred to as the "Banker's Power Five". Generally, removal of blues or low reds are applauded by the audience. The total of all the 22 sums of money is £565,666.61. On rare occasions such as the 500th and 1000th shows, the top prize has been increased, up to £500,000 or two £250,000's by getting rid of the £1,000.
Participants
The game show participants comprise the host Noel EdmondsNoel Edmonds
Noel Ernest Edmonds, is an English broadcaster and executive, who made his name as a DJ on BBC Radio 1 in the UK. He has presented many light entertainment television programmes, including Multi-Coloured Swap Shop, Top of the Pops, The Late, Late Breakfast Show, Telly Addicts, Noel's Saturday...
, the unseen character of The Banker
The Banker (Deal or No Deal UK)
The Banker is the name given to the quasi-fictional antagonist on the game show Deal or No Deal.Notionally, the money on the gameboard in Deal or No Deal is The Banker's own...
, the main contestant playing that day's game, the other contestants (referred to by Edmonds as the 'East Wing' and the 'West Wing' referring to their position on set relative to the game board), and finally a studio audience arranged facing the gameboard (referred to as 'the pilgrims' by Edmonds).
The Observer
The Observer
The Observer is a British newspaper, published on Sundays. In the same place on the political spectrum as its daily sister paper The Guardian, which acquired it in 1993, it takes a liberal or social democratic line on most issues. It is the world's oldest Sunday newspaper.-Origins:The first issue,...
interviewed Edmonds in relation to the show on 29 January 2006, quoting Edmonds as saying that his scenes with the Banker bring out his "inner actor". He revealed his passion for the show and his admiration for the individual community spirit within it, as well as his (now fulfilled) ambition that it would eventually hold a Saturday evening prime time
Prime time
Prime time or primetime is the block of broadcast programming during the middle of the evening for television programing.The term prime time is often defined in terms of a fixed time period—for example, from 19:00 to 22:00 or 20:00 to 23:00 Prime time or primetime is the block of broadcast...
slot.
The show has increasingly included its audience of around 120 people in the fabric of the game. Because of the "underground" feel of the set, audiences seem to get dragged into the drama of the game as it unfolds. A lot of audience members have been directly included in various games, through Edmonds asking opinions or even on some occasions asking them to come down from the audience.
The contestants who appear on Deal or No Deal come from all backgrounds and age groups. At any one time, the 22 contestants have a mixture of old, young, male (with a brief exception during the 2007 "Battle of the Sexes"), female, loud, and quiet contestants. The oldest ever contestant is Joe, who joined the show on 23 March 2009. Noel Edmonds stated that Joe is the "most mature contestant ever at the age of 98". The youngest contestants to appear on the show have been 18 - this is the minimum age allowed for a contestant on the show.
There have been many different types of contestants over the years. Some of the more notable contestants include Pat Miller, who had much banter with Noel during her 32-show run; Lance whose show reduced Noel to fits of laughter; Walter, who provided much hilarity; and Daniel Judge, dubbed the "show's best stats man". One contestant named Mary accidentally said "no deal" to the 5-box offer of £20,000 when she immediately revealed meant to say "deal". The banker gave her the chance to correct her mistake, but she decided to no deal anyway, and won £75,000 as a result. Laura Pearce, Alice Mundy (both coincidentally from the same area in South Wales), Suzanne Mulholland and Tegen Roberts
Tegen Roberts
Tegen Roberts is a notable winner on the Channel 4 game show Deal or No Deal. She won £250,000 on the show broadcast on 22 September 2011. This is still one of the largest amounts won on UK Television and puts Tegen amongst a select few...
are the show's only quarter-millionaires. Alice's game was somewhat controversial due to the fact she had already dealt for £17,500 at 8-box, and went on to win the £250,000 by accepting a banker's gamble with 1p and £250,000 left at 2-box. Olly Murs
Olly Murs
Oliver Stanley "Olly" Murs is an English singer-songwriter and TV presenter. Murs rose to fame after being the runner-up on the sixth series of The X Factor...
, the runner-up on The X Factor
The X Factor (UK)
The X Factor is a British television music competition to find new singing talent. Created by Simon Cowell, it began in September 2004 and is contested by aspiring singers drawn from public auditions. It is the originator of the international X Factor franchise. The seven series of the show to date...
in 2009, had previously been a contestant on the show, winning just £10.
In 2009, contestant David from Essex
Essex
Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
, was dubbed the show's "#1 fan" due to helping run the Deal or No Deal Unofficial Forum. His forum username is derived from his pet pygmy goat Henry, who featured in his show, and his username was also his first offer. The banker allowed him to take his box home as he's such a fan of the show. Only a small number of people have been allowed to do this; apart from David, the other 7 were the 4 quarter-millionaires, Adam (whose box was damaged in a flood), Marianne (who was a "Christmas Star" playing for charity) and Ant (due to winning £75,000 from his box).
More recent notable contestants include wheelchair-bound Dale, who won £100,000 with an ambition to climb Mount Everest; Beryl, who won 1p after a very bad game; and Maurice, who had survived tongue cancer to be on the show.
On 8 July 2011, professional singer/songwriter Alphonso Stewart appeared on the show.
Episodes
The episodes of Deal or No Deal are pre-recorded. The show is then broadcast constantly throughout the year including holidays, with weekday episodes airing from 4pm to 5pm, and Sunday episodes at varying times. The only gap in this broadcast schedule of 6 episodes a week, is a summer break which lasts for part of July and August each year. While the show has a standard theme for most of the year, it has also broadcast several special episodes usually themed to particular events or national public holidaysPublic holidays in the United Kingdom
Public holidays in the United Kingdom are the public holidays observed in some or all of the countries of the United Kingdom. Most businesses and non-essential services are closed on public holidays, although an increasing number of retail businesses do open on some of the public holidays.Although...
such as Christmas and Easter.
Episodes have been broadcast as follows:
| Season | Start date | End date | Episodes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 31 October 2005 | 22 July 2006 | 234 |
| 2 | 28 August 2006 | 13 July 2007 | 278 |
| 3 | 13 August 2007 | 25 July 2008 | 299 |
| 4 | 25 August 2008 | 24 July 2009 | 287 |
| 5 | 24 August 2009 | 25 July 2010 | 288 |
| 6 | 23 August 2010 | 29 July 2011 | 294 |
| 7 | 15 August 2011 | ??? | ??? |
Production
Deal or No Deal is made by Endemol and supported by BBC Studios and Post ProductionBBC Studios and Post Production
BBC Studios and Post Production is a wholly owned commercial subsidiary of the BBC, providing TV studios and post production services to the media industry....
, a commercial subsidiary of the BBC. The studio set for the show was converted from an old paintworks factory and its associated warehouses in Bristol
Bristol
Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...
.
Channel 4 initially commissioned a run of 66 episodes, with filming beginning in October 2005, and the first episode broadcast at the end of the month. Channel 4 then commissioned a 2nd filming period at the end of 2005.
By May 2006, episodes were being filmed Monday to Friday at a rate of 15 episodes a week. Three episodes are filmed in a day in two sessions, an afternoon one for one episode using one audience, and then two episodes filmed in the evening using a second audience. The studio operates from 9am to 10pm.
Having initially begun filming episodes just a few weeks in advance, each new period of filming now begins several months in advance, and at a rate of 15 episodes a week being filmed, the delay between filming and broadcast varies; it can end up being months between the filming date and broadcast date for a particular episode.
The filming periods and the timing of their subsequent broadcast output period has been as follows:
| Filming start date | Filming end date | Broadcast start date | Broadcast end date |
|---|---|---|---|
| October 2005 | Early December 2005 | October 2005 | December 2005 |
| December 2005 | June 2006 | December 2005 | December 2006 |
| October 2006 | June 2007 | December 2006 | December 2007 |
| October 2007 | June 2008 | December 2007 | December 2008 |
| October 2008 | June 2009 | December 2008 | December 2009 |
| October 2009 | May 2010 | December 2009 | December 2010 |
| October 2010 | April 2011 | December 2010 | December 2011 |
Starting on the 10th October 2011, one daily (with the exception of on Saturdays) live episode was broadcasted for a period of 2 weeks, in place of the routine pre-recorded episodes.
Reviews
In a review by columnist A. A. GillA. A. Gill
Adrian Anthony Gill is a British writer who uses the byline A. A. Gill. He is currently employed by The Sunday Times as their restaurant reviewer and television critic and Vanity Fair magazine as a restaurant reviewer...
Deal or No Deal was described as "like putting heroin in your TV remote". Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
television reviewer Charlie Brooker
Charlie Brooker
Charlton "Charlie" Brooker is a British journalist, comic writer and broadcaster. His style of humour is savage and profane, with surreal elements and a consistent satirical pessimism...
criticised the in-show implication that there are strategies that can be employed and pointed out that the game premise revolves around plain guessing while calling it "a gameshow based on the Copenhagen interpretation
Copenhagen interpretation
The Copenhagen interpretation is one of the earliest and most commonly taught interpretations of quantum mechanics. It holds that quantum mechanics does not yield a description of an objective reality but deals only with probabilities of observing, or measuring, various aspects of energy quanta,...
of quantum mechanics
Quantum mechanics
Quantum mechanics, also known as quantum physics or quantum theory, is a branch of physics providing a mathematical description of much of the dual particle-like and wave-like behavior and interactions of energy and matter. It departs from classical mechanics primarily at the atomic and subatomic...
".
Awards
Deal or No Deal has consistently been the most watched programme in its slot for all UK channels for both daytime and primetime. It was named "Daytime Programme of the Year" at the Royal Television SocietyRoyal Television Society
The Royal Television Society is a British-based educational charity for the discussion, and analysis of television in all its forms, past, present and future. It is the oldest television society in the world...
Awards on 14 March 2006, and "Best Daytime Programme" in the TV Quick Awards on 5 September 2006. The UK version also won the Rose d'Or
Rose d'Or
The Rose d’Or is one of the most important international festivals in entertainment television. It was founded in Montreux in 1961 and has taken place in Lucerne since 2004. Producers, executives from independent and public service broadcasters and heads of production companies from over 40...
award for "Best Game Show" at the 2006 Lucerne
Lucerne
Lucerne is a city in north-central Switzerland, in the German-speaking portion of that country. Lucerne is the capital of the Canton of Lucerne and the capital of the district of the same name. With a population of about 76,200 people, Lucerne is the most populous city in Central Switzerland, and...
Television Festival. Noel Edmonds was also nominated in the "Best Entertainment Performance" category at the 2006 BAFTA Television Awards
British Academy Television Awards
The British Academy Television Awards are presented in an annual award show hosted by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts . They have been awarded annually since 1954, and are analogous to the Emmy Awards in the United States.-Background:...
.
The show was voted "Best Daytime Programme" at the 2006 National Television Awards. As Edmonds was on holiday at the time, the award was collected by two former contestants, Russell Cook and Sajela Sarfraz . Edmonds was also nominated for "Best Entertainment Presenter" at the same awards.
Records
- The highest the Banker would have offered was £175,000 to contestant Sara, who had already dealt.
- The highest the Banker has offered in live play is £165,000 to contestant Suzanne, who had the dream end of £100,000 and £250,000. She declined this offer and swapped her box to win the £250,000.
- The highest amount won, apart from the top prize of £250,000, was by contestant Jennifer who won £120,000.
- The highest amount won by any male contestant was £110,000, won by contestant Bunney.
- One of the most notable 'Banker Spankings' was by contestant Alice, who initially dealt at £17,500. At the climax of the game, the Banker offered the Banker's Gamble, which she accepted with 1p and £250,000 remaining. She then won the £250,000.
- The official biggest 'Banker Spanking' was by contestant Alex Gee who dealt at £88,000 with 1p and £250,000 in play. She had 1p in her box 2, and the other box 10 contained £250,000.
- The second best 'Dream Ending' that went wrong was by Contestant Kirsty, who had £75,000 and £250,000. She was Offered £125,000. She declined this offer, and chose not to swap her box. She had £75,000 in her box.
- The contestant who lost out on the most money at the climax of the game was Corinne, who declined an offer of £88,000 with 1p and £250,000 in play; her box contained 1p.
- The longest string of successive blue boxes was by contestant Keran (3 all-blue rounds - nine blues in a row).
- The strongest board ever after round 3 to the end of the show was achieved by contestant Tegen RobertsTegen RobertsTegen Roberts is a notable winner on the Channel 4 game show Deal or No Deal. She won £250,000 on the show broadcast on 22 September 2011. This is still one of the largest amounts won on UK Television and puts Tegen amongst a select few...
.
Biggest amounts turned down:
- £165k by contestant Suzanne.
- £140k by contestant Kerry-Anne.
- £125k by contestant Kirsty.
- £101k by contestant Morris.
- £90k by contestant Daniel.
- £90k by contestant Joycey.
- £88k by contestant Corinne.
- £77k by contestant Tegen.
Strongest Boards
- Tegen had £560,250.60 still in play after 10 boxes.
- David had £559,100.00 still in play after 10 boxes.
Biggest Difference in a Two box finish
- Corinne had £250,000 and 1p boxes
- Alice had £250,000 and 1p boxes
- Joycey had £250,000 and £5 boxes
- Kerry Anne had £250,000 and £10,000 boxes
- Tegen had £250,000 and £20,000 boxes
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Other positions but dealt at 2-box:
- Jeniffer had £250,000 and £750 boxes
- Alex had £250,000 and 1p boxes
Largest combined Two box finish total
- Suzanne had a combined total of £350,000
- Kirsty had a combined total of £325,000
Sponsorship
As of 15 February 2011, the game show is sponsored by Jackpotjoy Bingo, who have created a special Deal or no Deal themed advert break bingo game with a £250,500 prize.Previously the game has been sponsored by Müller
Müller (company)
Unternehmensgruppe Theo Müller is a multinational producer of dairy products, with a headquarters in Fischach in the German state of Bavaria. The group includes a number of companies operating under the Müller name, including the original Molkerei Alois Müller GmbH & Co. KG and Müller Dairy ...
, King.com and BT.
Phone-in competition
When Deal Or No Deal began, viewers were invited to phone in (at premium rate), use the Channel 4 website or enter by post (free of charge) to enter the competition, in which an audience member selects one of three boxes (coloured blue and separate from the boxes used in the main game), and a selected entrant wins the amount of money displayed in that box. The amounts on offer in the competition varied from day to day, but typically comprised two amounts in the low thousands of pounds and a top prize of £10,000 or more. On rare occasions, a 'match play' competition had been run in which the winning entrant received the same amount as the studio contestant instead of a prize being selected from the blue viewers' boxes, this once caused a viewer to win £70,000. Entry was open from the beginning of the second part of the show, when the winning box is chosen, to noon the next day, with the winner revealed at the beginning of the show seven days later.Previously, the competition was only open for the duration of the show, with the box containing the prize being opened at the end of the show, and the winner's name announced thereafter. This was changed from the third Season in August 2007, following the premium-rate services operator ICSTIS imposing a £30,000 fine on iTouch, the company responsible for running the competition. It ruled that the competition was misleading since the impression was given that entrants stood a chance of winning any of the three amounts contained in the blue viewers' boxes, whereas in fact since the programme is pre-recorded, by the time of broadcast only one prize amount is possible. The altered format of the competition only opened the competition after the prize amount had been chosen.
Channel 4 had announced that, following a spate of revelations of improper conduct regarding premium-rate phone services across British television programmes (notably on the Richard & Judy
Richard & Judy
Richard & Judy was a British magazine/chat show which was presented by married couple Richard Madeley and Judy Finnigan. It originally aired on Channel 4 from 2001 to 2008 but later moved to digital channel Watch in October 2008. It featured the world's most famous stars, along with their Book Club...
), it was scrapping all premium-rate phone competitions, with the single exception of Deal or No Deal, with profits from the viewer's competition going to charity. As of 1 October 2007, the viewer's competition was cancelled. Noel Edmonds informed the viewers that they will be giving the viewer's competition a rest for a while like all other viewer competitions on Channel 4. He thanked the viewers for entering the competition, and it has not yet returned.
Books
A book called Can You Beat The Banker? (ISBN 0-09-191422-1) was released on 25 May 2006, which has descriptions of games from early episodes and the reader having to guess what the Banker's offers will be, and whether to "Deal" or "No Deal". Drumond Park have also released three games: a board game, an electronic game, and a handheld electronic game.The Official Behind the Scenes Guide (ISBN 0-09-192006-X) was published on 26 October 2006, written by Noel and Charlotte Edmonds, Jane Phillimore, Richard Hague and Glenn Hugill. It features interviews with Edmonds, the Banker, and contestants, and has statistics for all players' games from Season 1.
Games
A DVD TV gameDVD TV game
A DVD TV game is a standalone game that can be played on a set-top DVD player. The game takes advantage of technology built into the DVD format to create an interactive gaming environment compatible with most DVD players without requiring additional hardware...
was released on 13 November 2006. Filmed in the Deal or No Deal studio, it features Noel Edmonds, and 21 contestants from Season 1 playing themselves, who open the boxes and give the player advice. The game's three modes are Single Player (played like the show), Player Vs Player (two players play rounds in turn), and Player Vs Banker (one player is the contestant, the other is the Banker, and gives offers to the player).
A card game has also been released. The 22 sums of money are shuffled, and placed on top of the 22 box numbers. The gameplay is similar to the Player Vs Banker mode on the DVD with one player being the player and another the Banker. Players then swap roles, and the one who takes more money is declared the winner. The card game is often sold in a special box-set alongside the DVD game. Deal or No Deal video games for the PC and Nintendo DS
Nintendo DS
The is a portable game console produced by Nintendo, first released on November 21, 2004. A distinctive feature of the system is the presence of two separate LCD screens, the lower of which is a touchscreen, encompassed within a clamshell design, similar to the Game Boy Advance SP...
have also been released, as has a second DVD game on 19 November 2007, subtitled "Family Challenge", and featuring series 2 contestants.
Additionally, a Wii
Wii
The Wii is a home video game console released by Nintendo on November 19, 2006. As a seventh-generation console, the Wii primarily competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3. Nintendo states that its console targets a broader demographic than that of the two others...
game and a second DS game, both titled, "Deal or No Deal: The Banker is back!" were released on 28 November 2008; a Deal or No Deal chocolate game is also available; an online version of the game is available on the website WeDigTV.com; and there is also a Facebook application called Deal Or No Deal LIVE!, in which you play with other people competing to get the highest amount out the box. The player can build up through levels. There is also a chat function while playing.
External links
- Deal or No Deal at Channel4.com
- Deal or No Deal Unofficial Fansite Forum Live daily show reports, full stats section.
- Deal or No Deal UK Official UK Endemol Site
- Deal or No Deal Official International Endemol Site
- Deal or No Deal Bingo Official Deal or No Deal online game