Deal Or No Deal

[Gromit]

[quote name=\'Matt Ottinger\' date=\'Dec 20 2005, 09:53 AM\']Howie isn't saying the numbers correctly.  He refers to "One hundred AND thirty-eight thousand dollars," when proper form would be to not include the word "and".

[snapback]105252[/snapback]

[/quote]

Why do I get the feeling that if one of us regular folk had posted that, we'd have been ripped to shreds by the Inner Circle? I think this is very much a regionalism, and not an error per se. Some countries say it one way, others the opposite. I can't think right now how I normally say it, as I'm thinking about it.

I enjoyed the show, my one thought is that it's too long. It felt like they were stretching things out just to fit the hour slot. I think it would work better as an half hour show. Just trim a few moments here and there, less on the family, a few seconds less on the reveals, the banker etc. Since there's not really much meat behind the concept, the half hour just seems more appropriate.

[chris319]

[quote name=\'clemon79\' date=\'Dec 20 2005, 12:56 PM\']I actually DO like the Banker being on set. What I DON'T like is that they don't USE him. He's a sinister guy hiding in shadows, and we don't get to INTERACT with him.

All they need to do is make the Banker be a speaking role. Let us hear him say "The Bank relectantly offers $X." That would fix ALL of it for me.[/quote]
Not for me. This I could live with: put a camera and mic on the REAL producer in the booth or on stage, wherever he hangs out. His mic would not go over P.A. but would go to tape. The home audience hears the real producer say, "Howie, tell her we can offer her $77,000." The contestant and studio audience do not hear this, and Howie passes it on to the contestant. This eliminates all pretense and contrivance and puts more reality into this "reality" show than an ersatz banker.

(of course, the game itself would still be broken, but that's another issue.)

[snapback]105308[/snapback]

Um, well, yeah.

Besides reducing the number of cases from 26 to 16 or 18, I would have a couple of cases contain something other than a flat money amount. Perhaps one which offers the contestant double the previous offer. Something, anything to introduce some relief to this format.

[nbcburbank]

This is one game where I think it's more fun to watch than actually play at home. I played the online Game about 4 times and got pretty bored. I'm wondering if the same thing will happen when viewing it for a week.

[Matt Ottinger]

[quote name=\'Gromit\' date=\'Dec 20 2005, 06:36 PM\']Why do I get the feeling that if one of us regular folk had posted that, we'd have been ripped to shreds by the Inner Circle? [/quote]
Well of COURSE not, because you would have had my full support!  

[quote name=\'Gromit\' date=\'Dec 20 2005, 06:36 PM\']I think this is very much a regionalism, and not an error per se.[/quote]
No.  It is an improper way of using the English language, no matter where you're from.  It's akin to using the word "ain't".  A conversation isn't going to come to a crashing halt because someone said it wrong (and even though it's a pet peeve, I am not so much of a geek as to correct people in casual conversation) but professional broadcasters do not make that mistake, and Howie did.  It's not a big deal, but there is a right and a wrong here, not regional differences.

[Kevin Prather]

Not to be nit-picky, but wasn't "ain't" recently added to the OED or some damn thing?

[xibit777]

Adding boxes with special effects is a really nice idea.   Maybe something like have a really nice car (like a Corvette) attached randomly to one of the dollar amounts.   So even if the contestant doesn't have any big money left, they could still come out with something really great since theoretically it could even be on the penny briefcase if that's where it randomly got put.

I mean what's going to happen when the only thing left is a penny, 75 dollars and 100 dollars, and 2 or 3 other very low amounts.   You still have to go through the boringness of picking the other 2 briefcases since no one is going to accept the banker's offer of 10 dollars.

[Dbacksfan12]

[quote name=\'xibit777\' date=\'Dec 20 2005, 08:40 PM\']Adding boxes with special effects is a really nice idea.   Maybe something like have a really nice car (like a Corvette) attached randomly to one of the dollar amounts.   [/quote]
Make the game a tad more brainless, why don't ya?

This is one game where I think it's more fun to watch than actually play at home.

The difference is lost on me.

Anyhow, I managed to catch it tonight...and I think the show blows:

1. The family on set is annoying as hell.  At any moment, I expected them to start yelling "Good Answer!" "Good Answer!"
2. The show lacks atmosphere.  I expected a much gloomier, darker, environment.  The mood is dissapointingly upbeat.
3. Someone remind me where they find these people--the gentlemen that was on about :38 in seemed rather phony...and scripted.
4. It's very jarring to hear what the banker "says".  While most people here know that S&P is watching, casual fans may wonder if what Howie announces is truly what was said over the phone.

And that was in watching just 10 minutes.  I didn't bother to watch the rest--there's college hoops on tonight.

[BrandonFG]

I'm not surprised Mark hates the show.

The set IMO is visually appealing. I was sick of the dark look, it's not 2001. I like how the models enter the set as well, esp. Claudia. ;-)

It's actually a fun little show, even with no skill being required. If it's on just once-a-week, I'll prolly watch.

And there is a little bit of play-at-home element, mainly when the Banker comes up. And I must echo some of the complaints that the phone call is dumb. I wanna hear the Banker's voice, not just a one-sided conversation from Howie.

I like the family on-set. Hell, a big decision like that, I need some folks behind me to let me know that I'm making a good or bad decision. However, it kinda reminds me of the relationship seat on Millionaire, only thing is I wouldn't cut to them so much. Ditch the constant audience reactions as well.

Other than that, a fun little show.

[Robert Hutchinson]

Okay, now I've seen an episode. I thought it was . . . okay. It definitely doesn't need to air more than a few times per year as a special week, though.

Howie was really good, to the point where I felt pretty sure that his off notes could mostly be blamed on the producers, or all of the crazy people in the studio.

I didn't notice *too* much horrible editing, but I probably was subconsciously looking away from the TV during all of the "scream 'no deal' at the top of your lungs" moments. I got a good chuckle out of the 500 edits that all happened while the banker phone was ringing. "riiiiiiiiiing . . . . . . . . . riiii--riiiiiiing . . riiiiiiiiing . . . . . rii-- . . ."

The Wheel of Fortune producers were no doubt sitting at home watching the contestants and their families, thinking "See? Constant screaming and yelling and flailing around! Why can't *our* contestants be more like that?"

And just because all of the other options have already been voiced, I say get rid of the banker and replace him with the live band from Twenty One.

[roadgeek]

After day two, I'm eager to watch the rest of the week, but if it became a semi-regular series I don't think I would watch it more than once a week.  Unfortunately, the editing was even more jarring tonight -- at times it reminded me of a Ron Popeil informercial.

[Unrealtor]

Waited for two episodes before I said anything, so much of this may be a repeat, but here goes.

It's well done, but count me among those who wonder how many times you can watch different people play the same game without it getting boring. One of the things that kept LMAD, DoND's closest game show sibling, going for so long was the variety in the deals.

I was a little bit doubtful about Howie Mandel when he was first announced, but I'm really liking him as host. We got to see a bit more of his humor tonight, and it really worked well.

I doubt anyone is ever going to take the first couple bank offers. They're intentionally way low to keep the game going, so you might as well eliminate one of them. Replacing 6-5-4-3-2-1 with 10-5-3-2-1 seems reasonable. Also, early in the game, there's no point in having as much suspense in opening a case as they've had; you might as well go right from calling the number to opening the case, with no talk. It's a little more shocking when you don't get time to brace for bad news, and you'd get more time later in the game if you want or need it.

I don't mind the way Karen's bank offers were essentially the mean value of the remaining cases. If you have the presence of mind while being presented with large sums of money on national television to calculate that sort of thing in your head, more power to you, but I doubt many people in that situation can, and if you get fair value, it doesn't help you with your decision. They do use the psychology of big numbers when the mean value gets high enough; none of the offers tonight were more than 80% of the mean.

If you're not going to have the banker audible on the "phone", Howie should be allowed to have a little bit of fun with it. I'm pretty sure that a man of his comedic talents can keep one end of a phone call interesting, and a bit of laughter might break the tension while the delay brings it higher. Otherwise, find some way to rework the bank offer, because it's kind of pointless as it is.

[Speedy G]

[quote name=\'Modor\' date=\'Dec 20 2005, 09:52 PM\']And that was in watching just 10 minutes.  I didn't bother to watch the rest--there's college hoops on tonight.

[snapback]105342[/snapback]

[/quote]
Do you stop watching Jeopardy at the first commercial break?  Do you stop watching Millionaire when someone hits $1000?  Do you quit on Pyramid after someone wins the frontgame?

Maybe I've just seen (thru the magic of the Internet) the pacing on the UK version, and this feels fast by comparison.  If you're one of those people who loves to beat on Press Your Luck, you're not going to like this show, ever.

The banker and the torturing of the contestant with a long phone conversation are severely lacking at this point.  They can certainly do a lot more with building up the banker as an antagonist, but I'm not going to hold a grudge for it on day 2.  Quickly picking up the phone, getting a number, and putting it back down is better than the alternative, where an offer magically appears and no one knows where it comes from.

[Dbacksfan12]

[quote name=\'Speedy G\' date=\'Dec 20 2005, 09:53 PM\']Do you stop watching Jeopardy at the first commercial break?  Do you stop watching Millionaire when someone hits $1000?  Do you quit on Pyramid after someone wins the frontgame? [/quote]
Look, I dissed the show before it aired, and people cried.  I gave the show a chance.  I still don't like it.  Now you complain more.

If something can't grab your interest in 10 minutes, then it's not worth it.  College Hoops>NBC

[tyshaun1]

[quote name=\'Speedy G\' date=\'Dec 20 2005, 09:53 PM\']
Maybe I've just seen (thru the magic of the Internet) the pacing on the UK version, and this feels fast by comparison.  If you're one of those people who loves to beat on Press Your Luck, you're not going to like this show, ever.

[snapback]105358[/snapback]

[/quote]

I duuno, I'm a big PYL fan, yet I haven't been completely won over by the show, either. The constestants control less of their fate on this show. Plus, I get the feeling that Howie is not taking this show as serious as the editor makes it seem like he is, it seems that every time he's about to make a jok(HACK) Deal or No Deal?

Tyshaun

[NickS]

I stand corrected regarding the ADR tonight; I think from SS and Matt's comments I was more vigilant to watch for that and it showed.  For instance, the whole "low money revealed equals big offers" ADR made me wish that we actually saw Howie talk about that more.

My only complaint is that they didn't show what would have been offered if he had gone on from his deal point; it's that "YOU FOOL!" feeling if you have big money in the case.

Still, according to NBC spin, the premiere had good 18-49s for them, so if this holds up, I would guess it's a weekly event next year... that or at least syndie.