This game show was produced by the team at the Dutch-based company Endemol (later Endemol Shine, now part of Banijay), based on one of their Dutch formats, similar to how BrainTeaser and later shows like 1 vs. 100 were like. Throughout it's run on Channel 4 from October 2005 until December 2016, Deal Or No Deal became one of the biggest game show names in the whole of the UK.
Most versions of the format use briefcases, which the contestant allows female models to open to try and win money from. However, the UK version is actually a whole lot different, instead offering 22 contestants, to which one of them is selected to open boxes and hopefully spank the Banker and win lots of money if so, a grand total of £250,000, the biggest on UK daytime TV at the time.
The appeal of this show is how much of a roller coaster ride it ends up becoming: there's emotion, laughter, happiness, tears, drama, all sorts. It's a bit like a reality show, except without the reality. Contestants have all sorts of personality and looks that stand out from the rest, ones who really want the money, to ones who just wanted to enjoy themselves.
The host: Noel Edmonds, is great as well. He's been a name on UK television for many years hosting the likes of The Late Late Breakfast Show and Noel's House Party, but when this show came through, it reinstated himself as a household name.
Of course, we also have the Banker, the antagonist of his own in all versions of the format, who is trying to keep hold of the money to himself, and hopefully wants contestants to win very little. However, if you want to beat him, you must know the skill and luck in order to spank him.
The set design is pretty nice, and thankfully has the budget put onto it compared to fellow Endemol show BrainTeaser, which itself had no budget at all due to it's phone-in stuff. Speaking of that, Deal or No Deal did have a phone-in competition as well, which I think Alex Lovell narrated for or something like that, which makes it funny considering she WAS the presenter for BrainTeaser after all.
Now, going onto the flaws, looking back now, the show is pretty cheesy and forced in a way. The format pretty much stayed the same for the whole time, even with additions like Box 23 (which allowed £500,000 to be won, or maybe nothing at all) and the offer button in 2014 didn't help much. By then, the show's popularity went down, and was being beaten in the ratings by other game shows like RDF Media's Tipping Point on ITV. Channel 4 decided to cancel the series in 2016, but not before giving the show a nice send off by sending it on tour, with the show ending on a high note with the final £250,000 winner.
Overall, Deal or No Deal has been a classic for many, although to some nowadays it may feel cheesy, but it was at least fun and even emotional at times.
0 out of 0 found this helpful.
Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink