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===500th Show===
===500th Show===
On [[June 29]] [[2007]], ''Deal or No Deal'' celebrated its 500th show. The top prize was raised to £500,000 as with the shows at Chistmas 2006. The day's player was selected randomly in a draw by Laura Pearce, the only contestant to have won the top prize on the show, who was among the previous contestants in the audience for the show.
On [[June 29]] [[2007]], ''Deal or No Deal'' celebrated its 500th show. The top prize was raised to £500,000 as with the shows on Christmas 2006 (although it was removed on the first box). The day's player was selected randomly in a draw by Laura Pearce, the only contestant to have won the top prize on the show, who was among the previous contestants in the audience for the show.


==Filming==
==Filming==

Revision as of 23:59, 30 June 2007

Deal or No Deal
File:DealUKLogo.jpg
Deal or No Deal Logo
Created byEndemol UK/International
Presented byNoel Edmonds
Country of origin United Kingdom
No. of episodes500 (as of 29 June 2007)
Production
ProducerEndemol West (Oct 2005-Jul 2006) / Cheetah Television West (Jul 2006-present) (Series Producer Glenn Hugill)
Running time45 minutes. Occasionally 60 minutes for prime time. (Including Advertisements)
Original release
NetworkChannel 4
ReleaseOctober 31 2005 — Present –
(renewed until December 2007)
Related
Deal or No Deal
This article is about the United Kingdom version of the game show. For general format information, see Deal or No Deal.

Deal or No Deal is the United Kingdom version of the Endemol game show, which began airing on Channel 4 on October 31, 2005. It is presented by Noel Edmonds and normally airs from 4.15pm to 5.00pm on weekdays and early on Sunday evenings in a varying time slot, usually lasting 45 minutes and very occasionally an hour.

Format

(For a more detailed decription of the general format of the game, see Deal or No Deal.)

Contestants can win prizes ranging between 1p and £250,000 (very occasionally a top prize of £500,000 is offered).

The game is played using twenty-two identical sealed red boxes, each with an identifying number from 1 to 22 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 the presenter, the contestants, the Banker or the production team before the game.

The presenter, Noel Edmonds, starts each show with the following words, which precede the opening titles:

A quarter of a million pounds
22 identical sealed boxes
And no questions… except one – Deal or No Deal?

At the start of each episode, 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 [1] (indeed, by 2007 it was being explicitly mentioned on the programme that contestant selection was non-random). In any case, the contestants themselves do not know who is to take the seat until it is revealed at the beginning of the show. They then take their box and walk to the centre of the set, taking their place at the main table, in what Noel often refers to as the "crazy chair". Once sat 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 the host and offer support and advice to the player, though they play no active role in the game. These contestants, however, return for the following episode, along with a new contestant replacing the previous episode's player, so that all contestants eventually play the game, and the returning contestans build continuity 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 notionally 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, relating his offers to the presenter via telephone. The presenter tells the player the offer and asks the eponymous question. The player responds either "deal" or "no deal".

Responding "deal" means that the contestant agrees to sell the box for the amount of money offered, relinquishing the prize in their 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 (though often before the prize is revealed, the Banker offers the opportunity for the player to swap their box with the other remaining unopened box and take the prize contained in it instead).

Box values

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':

1p
10p
50p
£1
£5
£10
£50
£100
£250
£500
£750
£1,000
£3,000
£5,000
£10,000
£15,000
£20,000
£35,000
£50,000
£75,000
£100,000
£250,000

These have been the prizes offered in all but a few episodes of the show; the prize 'PEANUTS' replaced the 1p as a joke in an episode during the Christmas 2006 period [2](Edmonds often refers to games where only one large prize remains as being "all or peanuts"), and £500,000 was offered as the top prize in two shows over the same period (with the £15,000 removed). The £500,000 was also offered as the top prize on the 500th episode (with the £15,000 removed).

On the game board, the values in the left-hand column are displayed against a blue background, and those in the right-hand column against an orange-red background, and are frequently referred to by host and contestants alike as 'blues' and 'reds' respectively. Also, 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. With £15,000 removed and £500,000 added the total is £1,050,666.61.

Special changes

On occasion, certain cosmetic elements of the show have been altered to tie in with certain events such as Christmas, Hallowe'en, Wimbledon and The Eurovision Song Contest. Changes include different box colours (for example, the boxes were coloured green instead of red for an episode on St. Patrick's Day and were coloured yellow instead of red for Easter 2007), suitable music and sound effects, contestants and audience members dressing up festively and a change to the presenter's introduction at the beginning of the show.

First Anniversary Special

On October 29 2006 Deal or No Deal celebrated its first birthday, two days before the actual anniversary on the 31st. Two shows were broadcast, a normal episode at 5:55pm, and an hour-long anniversary special at 8pm. The special opened with Jon Culshaw impersonating Noel, as he had previously done in the BBC Two programme Dead Ringers.

File:Noel Edmonds and Jon Culshaw.jpg
Jon Culshaw (left) and Noel Edmonds (right)

Before any boxes were opened, The Banker called and said that if the 1p was found in the first round then he would give £250 to each contestant and a bottle of champagne to each member of the audience, as he had offered before in the 250th show. David Jones, the player, found the 1p in the second box.

At each break Culshaw did the voiceover for the viewer's competition along with Alex Lovell. The first and third breaks heard Culshaw's impersonations of George W. Bush, with Ozzy Osbourne in the second. Glitter came down from the set to end the show.

In the game itself, the player David Jones was left with £10,000 and £250,000 on the game board in the closing stages. The Banker's final offer was £70,000 and Noel explained to David that the Banker was "testing his skill", as many would expect a higher offer in this position. David decided not to take the risk and dealt. In the event, his box contained £10,000.

Christmas Specials 2006

On December 25 and December 26 2006, two hour-long special Christmas editions were broadcast in the evening, as well as the normal 45 minute shows in the afternoon.

During these Christmas specials, one of the boxes contained £500,000, with the £15,000 box being removed for this purpose, therefore doubling the value of the top prize. The two players selected for these shows were chosen by the contestants themselves in a vote; footage of the contestants finding out they would be playing for £500,000 was shown.

The Banker also promised that when the player was down to the last 4 boxes, he would make them an offer after each of the remaining boxes was opened.

For the episode in the afternoon of December 26, the 1p box was removed and replaced with a box containing 'PEANUTS'. Peanuts were also the reward for people offering good advice. In this show, the Banker also offered items of food in addition to cash offers. Each offer that he gave to the players consisted of an amount of money and then a Christmas-related item of food, such as Satsumas, a turkey sandwich and some stuffing.

In the episodes on the afternoon of December 25 and the evening of December 26, the Banker gave offers that included a choice of three gifts under the Christmas tree. In the first, the contestant won an extra £1,000 and a weekend for two in Paris, (the other gift that was not won was a pair of the Banker's underpants). In the second, the contestant won an extra £10,000 and another two pairs of the banker's underpants.

Comic Relief Special

File:Dealornodeal.png
"Nan" talking to The Banker

During the BBC One Red Nose Day 2007 event for Comic Relief, The Catherine Tate Show did a spoof of Deal Or No Deal featuring Noel Edmonds and Catherine Tate as her character Joannie "Nan" Taylor. In the sketch, Nan played a game of Deal or No Deal, in which she uncovered the five highest amounts in the first five boxes, blaming the players for picking such bad boxes. Being given an offer of £199 by the Banker, Nan accepted the offer happily, having already cheated and looked in her box (Box 1) and found it only to contain £50. This special was one of many Catherine Tate specials made for Comic Relief. The sketch was only a few minutes long but was visually almost identical to a normal episode of the show. While the five "contestants" who actually opened boxes were actors, the remaining contestants who appeared in the sketch were the real contestants who were filming at the time, and appeared in episodes broadcast in April and May 2007.

500th Show

On June 29 2007, Deal or No Deal celebrated its 500th show. The top prize was raised to £500,000 as with the shows on Christmas 2006 (although it was removed on the first box). The day's player was selected randomly in a draw by Laura Pearce, the only contestant to have won the top prize on the show, who was among the previous contestants in the audience for the show.

Filming

Deal or No Deal is filmed in Bristol [3]. Despite appearing to be filmed day by day, the producers of the show actually film three shows per day for two weeks[3]. This was made obvious during the show when Noel asked the audience whether, in the player's position, they would choose 'deal' or 'no deal'. At one audience member's apparent misunderstanding of the show's concept, when he suggested the player choose 'deal' and keep playing, Noel led the audience member from his seat to a fire exit and into a car park - showing that it was night-time when filmed, when at time of broadcast (April) the episode was shown in daylight.

The amount of time between the recording date and the broadcast date has varied. Many of the games broadcast during January 2006 had been recorded less than two weeks previously[citation needed]. But on June 2 2006, Noel Edmonds appeared on Friday Night with Jonathan Ross on BBC One. Noel revealed that at that current moment in time (June), Deal or No Deal was filming for October, five months in advance of broadcast[citation needed]. Soon afterwards, filming of Series 2 ended and there was a four month break in recording shows until October[citation needed].

During the same show he also joked that there have been 2 people who have won £250,000. He said that these two shows shall not be aired, but the players have been 'paid off' nonetheless. Noel has said the same thing at recordings of Deal or No Deal before saying to the audience, "obviously that's not true but just wait - it'll be on the internet within the hour!"

In June 2006, it was reported that Noel is suffering from repetitive strain injury brought about by his constant picking up and replacing the Banker's phone during recordings of the show [4]. The handset, according to Edmonds, is heavier than it looks[citation needed]. Coming at a time when episodes were being recorded in advance of October screenings, filming was unaffected by Noel's ailment[citation needed].

During the filming of Deal or No Deal, there have been a few incidents which have affected the normal running of the programme. On 29 April 2006 a contestant accidentally 'knocked a box open' resulting in all the boxes being taken back, and the amounts inside them being shuffled around by the independent adjudicator. Also, on 10 April 2007 there was a brief power cut, and for security reasons all the boxes were secured in a special locked cage until the problem was rectified.

Predictable sequences

In early 2006, it was discovered that the distribution of prizes was - for a time - ordered in one of several static sequences which soon became public knowledge. Any person spotting the sequences could determine the contents of every remaining box after a small number of boxes were opened. Had players known of these sequences, they could have guided themselves to the top prize in most circumstances[5]. In fact, there were three instances in which at least two players' games had identical box contents, in that the same figures were in the same number boxes. These were:

Show 71, Ann (23 January 2006) and Show 74, Andrew (26 January 2006)[6]

Show 81, Jim (3 February 2006) and Show 93, Paula R. (17 February 2006)[6]

Show 84, John M. (7 February 2006), Show 88, Daz (11 February 2006) and Show 106, Sam (4 March 2006)[6]

The sequences were due to the random number generator used by the independent adjudicators to load the boxes. This random number generator assigned the same patterns to boxes in various games during January and February 2006. The sequences were first publicly exposed on the website Bother's Bar [7], which offered the right of reply to the producers. This offer was taken up by Series Producer Glenn Hugill, who revealed that the independent adjudicators, unaware of the potential problem they were causing, had been using the pseudorandom number generation function in Microsoft Excel to distribute the values among the boxes, and that it had not been properly seeded [8]. Following the discovery of the patterns, the random number generation system was changed to a "balls in a bag" system [8] (the same method as is used to distribute the boxes among the contestants [9], though because the show is recorded well in advance, games using Excel-generated sequences continued to air for some time. The last show to be recorded using the Excel-generated sequence method aired on March 7 2006[8].

A similar discovery was made in 1984 by Michael Larson, a player of the US game show Press Your Luck, and used to amass a record number of winnings. However, none of the contestants on affected Deal or No Deal shows spotted the (admittedly complex) patterns, and as such were not able to profit to any significant degree[8]. That said, in Glenn's statement about the problem, it was revealed that more money was paid out over the course of these shows than the average[8].

Popularity

The original commission of 66 episodes, 6 times a week, Monday to Saturday was immediately followed by a re-commission of a further 230 episodes in December 2005, based on extremely good audience ratings for the slot [citation needed]- at that time it was averaging 2.5 million viewers since the launch at the end of October 2005.[citation needed]

Ratings for the afternoon shows peaked at 4.33 million for Frank's show in January 2007[citation needed], making it the most watched daytime TV show in the UK[citation needed][original research?]. On most days it has been the highest rating programme on Channel 4[citation needed] - remarkable given the relatively low-key afternoon timeslot[original research?]. In addition, up to 407,000 have viewed the More4 repeat showing each day[citation needed].

Deal or No Deal is widely acknowledged to have revived Noel Edmonds television career which had been ailing prior to 2005[10]. Noel has been reported to be earning up to £3 million to host the show for the next 18 months, making him Britain's highest paid presenter, ahead of Paul O'Grady (£2 million) and Richard and Judy (£1 million each), who all present shows that broadcast on Channel 4[11]. Edmonds himself, however, has denied this[citation needed].

Live audiences

The programme has increasingly included its audience of around 150 people in the fabric of the show. Because of the 'underground' feel of the set and the fact that the show is filmed in the round, audiences seem to get dragged into the drama of the game as it unfolds[original research?]. Afternoon audiences watch one show and evening audiences watch two but are shuffled around and reseated[3]. A lot of the audience members (whom Noel refers to as the "pilgrims") have also been included in various games, through Noel asking opinions or even on some occasions asking them to come down from the audience. Contestants have also been spotted in the audience before they play their first show.

Prime time

In January 2006, it was announced that due to the popularity of the show, a special Saturday night prime time series would start in the Spring[citation needed]. The first ever prime time edition aired on March 4 2006 at 7.10pm. This version replaced the regular Saturday edition, and lasted for one hour rather than 45 minutes, with an extra advert break inserted near the end, although for some editions, it actually lasted for 45 minutes due to the programme scheduling[citation needed], and one show (Morris' game on 6 May 2006) even lasted 65 minutes[citation needed], the longest episode ever.

Two-year deal for Deal or No Deal

On March 17 2006, Endemol UK announced that Channel 4 has agreed to keep the show running for another two years [12], extending the already agreed one-year contract. It follows the success of the primetime Saturday night show of up to 4.66 million viewers[citation needed], and the daytime show of up to 4.22 million[citation needed]. It has consistently been the most watched programme in its slot for all UK channels for both daytime and primetime[citation needed].

This deal will run from January 2006 to December 2007. Rumours suggest that this contract is worth £3 million [13].

Double Deal Week

In May 2006 [14] it was announced that Deal or No Deal would air twice daily for one week in June to coincide with the World Cup, with a special episode on Sunday of that week also. It was also revealed that there would be a "Hall of Fame" feature with past contestants returning to reveal how their life has changed since playing the game, and clips of their game being shown. Double Deal week began on Monday 12 June, showing two shows per day, one normal time of 4.15pm, and a second show at 8.00pm.

Awards

Deal or No Deal was named "Daytime Programme of the Year" at the Royal Television Society Awards on March 14 2006[15], and "Best Daytime Programme" in the TV Quick Awards on 5 September 2006 [16]. The UK version also won the Rose d'Or award for Best Game Show at the 2006 Lucerne Television Festival [17]. Noel Edmonds was also nominated in the Best Entertainment Performance category at the 2006 BAFTA Television Awards[18].

The show was voted "Best Daytime Programme" at the 2006 National Television Awards[19]. As Noel Edmonds was on holiday at the time, the award was collected by two former contestants, Russell Cook and Sajeela Sarfraz [citation needed] . Noel was also nominated for "Best Entertainment Presenter" at the same awards [20].

Records and facts

Largest won amounts

1p wins

On 13 May 2007, Paul Johnson had rejected every offer from the Banker and found 1p in his box. However, after being offered no money for his final offer, he was also given the amount won in the viewer's competition, bringing his prize up to £15,000.01. (See the Viewers' Competition section for more details.)

Noel refers to penny winners as being in a special group, named 'The 1p Club'. According to him, they live in a caravan. Previously they inhabited a public telephone box, though they moved into the caravan the day after Sharron became the eighth member of the club. Despite his extra prize at the end of the show, Noel still classes PJ as the 10th member of the 1p club.

Series

During the second series (July 15, 2006), Noel announced that Deal or No Deal will be taking a summer break. The week commencing July 17 2006 was frequently called "The last week of the first season" by Noel. The final episode before its summer break was broadcast on July 22, 2006. The programme returned from its summer break on August 28, 2006. More4 (which usually repeats the afternoon's show in the early evening) filled the gap by repeating Series 1 from the start, at the then-usual repeat time of 6:10pm.

Deal Or No Deal Classic

On 24 February 2007, a selection of repeats of 'classic' shows began on Saturday evenings on Channel 4. These shows have been (given with dates of original transmission):

  • May 2, 2006 - Gaz Hall, who won £100,000 (Repeated on 24 February 2007)
  • March 21, 2006 - Matt Scott, who won £35,000 (Repeated on 3 March 2007)
  • November 18, 2005 - Jennifer Miller, who won £120,000 (Repeated on 10 March 2007)
  • August 30, 2006 - Lance Warrington, who won £87,000 (Repeated on 17 March 2007)
  • March 13, 2006 - Sarah Harrison, who won £27,000 (Repeated on 24 March 2007)
  • January 31, 2007 - Jonathan Bunney, who won £110,000 (Repeated on 31 March 2007)
  • February 9, 2006 - Brenda Currie, who won £57,000 (Repeated on 7 April 2007)
  • January 3, 2006 - Nick Bain, who won 1p (Repeated on 21 April 2007)
  • November 28, 2006 - Lucy Barnes, who won £35,000 (Repeated on 28 April 2007)
  • April 20, 2006 - Gary Owen, who won £29,999 (Repeated on 5 May 2007)
  • September 27, 2006 - Hannah Storey, who won £10,000 (Repeated on 12 May 2007)
  • March 7, 2006 - Germaine Williams, who won £75,000 (Repeated on 19 May 2007)
  • November 20, 2006 - Lynne Hackles, who won £75,000 (Repeated on 26 May 2007)
  • January 5, 2006 - Dave Woollin, who won £20,000 (Repeated on 2 June 2007)
  • October 31, 2005 - Lynn Atherton, who won £14,000 (Repeated on 9 June 2007)
  • July 22, 2006 - Giorgio Fellicini, who won 1p (Repeated on 16 June 2007)
  • March 30, 2006 - Lucy Harrington, who won £5 (Repeated on 23 June 2007)

Instead of a viewers' competition, Alex Lovell explains that viewers can vote for classic shows to be shown on Channel 4. Each week, the website displays four memorable episodes that viewers can vote for in a poll to choose which game will be shown on an upcoming date.

Viewers' competition

Viewers are invited to phone in (at premium rate) or enter via the Channel 4 website (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 the caller wins the amount in that box. The competition is advertised at the beginning of the show and after each commercial break, and announced in more detail at the end of each break, with the voice-over being provided by one of the contestants in the studio. The winning entrant's name and location is displayed on-screen at the end of the show. The amounts on offer in the competition vary from day to day, but typically comprise two amounts in the low thousands of pounds and a top prize of £10,000 or more.

On Valentine's Day, 2006 a special edition was broadcast; the viewer prizes were £5,000, £10,000 and £20,000. This episode also saw the start of one of the 22 contestants introducing the competition via a voiceover - previously this had been done by Alex Lovell (who continues to read the terms and conditions).

During "Double Deal Week", the competition boxes originally contained £1,000, £2,000 and £10,000. If the top prize was not won on a particular show, it would roll over to the next show. The highest viewers' competition win under these rules was £30,000.

On October 29, 2006, the episode celebrating the show's first birthday, the competition for the first time offered a "match play"; that is, the competition winner won the same amount as the contestant. David Jones' studio win of £70,000 was therefore the amount won by the winning viewer.

During Christmas 2006, the show adopted a rollover format. On the first show on December 25, 2006 the top viewers prize was £25,000, which wasn't won, meaning the top prize rolled over to £50,000 on the second Christmas Day show. This too wasn't won, so it rolled over again on the first Boxing Day show (26 December 2006) to £75,000, which was won. This is the largest prize a viewer has won on the show.

On Valentine's Day, 2007, the competition was "match play" for the second time. In this instance the studio player, Georgina, and so the winning viewer, won £56,000.

On Mother's Day, 2007, another "match play" took place. The amount won by the player, Betty, was £20,000. Therefore the winning viewer also won £20,000.

On April 2, 2007, as a one-off, the viewers' competition was won by two lucky viewers. The amount won by each was £2,000.

On April 9, 2007, a "match play" took place for the fourth time. The amount won by the player, Dee, was £10,000. Therefore the winning viewer also won £10,000.

On May 9, 2007, to celebrate the build-up to The Banker's birthday, £15,000, £20,000 and a record £50,000 were placed in the viewers' boxes. The amount won was £15,000.

On June 6, 2007, there were two winners, who each received the amount in the box.

On June 17, 2007, to celebrate Father's Day, a top prize of £50,000 was placed in one of the viewers' boxes. £10,000 was won.

On June 29, 2007, to celebrate the 500th show, a top prize of £50,000 was placed in one of the viewers boxes and it was won.

Viewers' competition in the main game

On May 13 2007, the player, PJ, was not offered any money for his box in the last round, (when it was known to contain either £75,000 or 1p) being only offered the opportunity to swap his box for the remaining unopened one. The Banker had originally offered PJ a swap on the first offer, PJ accepted this offer and swapped his box, number 19 for box 4, because that was his lucky number (Fittingly, PJ kept box 19 till the end). PJ rejected the offer second time around, and the prize in his box was 1p. Following this, the Banker called and thanked PJ for the birthday present. (It was revealed at the start of the show that the previous day was the Banker's birthday, and PJ had brought him a present.) He followed by saying that, as a thank-you, he would give PJ the amount of money won in the viewer's competition in addition to his 1p prize. The amounts available were £1,000, £2,000 and £15,000. Noel asked for a volunteer from the audience to choose the box containing the viewer's prize. The volunteer chose box 3, which contained £15,000.

Superstition

Superstition plays a large part in some games, with players variously bringing lucky charms, or selecting boxes according to a pre-arranged system. Boxes may be selected or avoided on the basis of what prizes they have previously held, or what prizes the contestant opening that box has previously revealed. The contestants and the audience may chant or hold hands when it is felt that it is a particularly important moment in the game. Chanting became a huge part of the show in early 2007, as the players and audience chanted "Blue, blue, blue" at almost every box in almost every game. Other chants to have appeared are "Penny, penny, penny", "3, 3, 3" (referring to the £3,000 which was the lowest amount remaining in the game at that point) and "Red, red, red" (after the deal when the player wants to find the large amounts).

Players will sometimes ask fellow contestants how they feel about their box. For example the contestant may feel that their box contains a low number. Some contestants have claimed to have psychic abilities, with some being more successful than others in justifying such claims. Also players often ask fellow contestants what previous numbers they have had in their box, and if they have had a sequence of several high reds then the contestant might say that they are "due a blue" (although statistically they are no more or less likely than any other contestant to be holding a box containing a low amount). This has sometimes been referred to as "Mally Logic" after contestant Mally Welburn who was one of the first to select boxes on this basis.

Media image

The Observer interviewed Edmonds in relation to the show on January 29, 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 ambition (now fulfilled) that it would eventually hold a Saturday evening prime time slot[21]. In fact, recording for the first Saturday prime time show began just a few days later, so it is not known whether Noel already knew about this move at the time of the interview or not.

In a review by columnist A. A. Gill the show was described as 'like putting heroin in your TV remote'.

Guardian television reviewer Charlie Brooker called it 'a gameshow based on the Copenhagen interpretation of quantum mechanics'[22].

The Banker

Further information: The Banker (Deal or No Deal UK)

The Banker, whose role in the game is to offer to purchase the player's box (of unknown value) at various points in the game, is never seen, communicating solely through a telephone on the central table, which is answered by Edmonds (though occasionally the Banker may speak to the player).

The Banker's identity is never revealed (he is credited merely as 'Himself'), but through his discussions with Edmonds, his 'character' is often built upon. Similarly, it is unknown exactly how his offers for the boxes are calculated, though it is clear that it is not merely the result of a dispassionate calculation, with offers sometimes much higher or lower than would be expected (very occasionally even above the arithmetic mean of the remaining prizes), and sometimes not simply a monetary figure, including joke items, or in one case an amount of money for the previous game's contestant who had won very little.

On Christmas Day 2006, at the end of the show, a brief clip of the Banker was shown. A man in a suit and hat was seen switching off his television after watching the contestants sing Christmas carols. He then took out a mint humbug from a jar and grunted to himself. He was only seen from behind, so little could be seen of his appearance. However, he seemed to be old and well-built.

The Daily Mirror and Jo Whiley on BBC Radio 1 reported on April 3, 2006 that the actual offers made by The Banker were calculated by Glenn Hugill and two 'Executives' (believed to be executive producers Richard Osman and Richard Hague) but that Hugill has the final decision. This has not been officially confirmed or denied.

On 1st April, 2007, during the end credits, rather than being billed as playing himself, the Banker was billed as "Titus Aduxas".


Criticism

Deal or No Deal has been the subject of criticism from some as being a classic example of the apparent 'dumbing down' of modern television. The premise of the show has been criticised by some for having no intellectual content whatsoever (often described as consisting solely of "people opening boxes"). Other criticism arises from the prevalence of superstition among the players, and the sometimes seemingly-unfair offers made by the Banker, when in reality it is a game of complete chance and the only influence that any player can have on the game is through their decisions whether or not to accept the Banker's offers.

However, some say there is a great element of skill in attempting to manipulate the banker into making higher offers, with the player's relationship with the banker being of major importance. It has been seen that contestants who state a desire to "go all the way", or appear more certain and confident, can attract higher offers. Contestants can attempt to bluff the banker by appearing more confident than they actually are, or by pretending that they intend to go all the way, and will often be rewarded as the banker realises that higher offers must be made if he is to shift the player. Others feel that the banker is in exactly the same situation as the player; neither of them know what sums are in the boxes. Therefore neither of them can have any effect on the actual final sum won by the player. Similarly, the player cannot "beat" the banker and the banker cannot "beat" the player because the player's choice of which box to open is equally random to both the player and the banker. However, that fact that the offers can be so varied on identical boards illustrates that there is a clear opportunity for the player to elicit themselves high offers with the right attitude. For many, this psychological element is what sets it apart from other versions worldwide. In addition, while the contents of the box are purely random, to succeed, players seem to need an intelligent approach to balancing the risk, as well as having good luck. But since a player can only play the game once, there is no balancing or judging of risk, as risk can only be stated as an average over a large number of games. It must be remembered that many gameshows throughout television history have relied on varying degrees of luck.

Others have suggested that Channel 4 is verging on Deal or No Deal overkill with the show being aired at least 6 days a week and during 'Double Deal' week twice a day. That said, the show was rested for 5 weeks in the summer of 2006.

Some contestants have had consistent poor offers throughout their game and then turned out to have a low amount in their box, leading to early suggestions the Banker actually knows the contents of the boxes - however, statistical evidence lends no support to this theory. In fact there are just as many occasions when consistently low offers are given to someone who turns out to have a high amount and, indeed, high offers to someone who turns out to have a low figure. After so many shows and with all data analysed, sources now agree that the declaration that the Banker does not know the contents of the boxes seems absolutely true.

The show has also had other criticism from religious groups, due to symbols which appeared on Edmond's hand (so as to be visible when he picked up the telephone receiver to talk to the Banker), which were widely taken to be connected with his belief in Cosmic Ordering as was widely reported at the time. However, it transpired that there was no such connection and the symbols were simply placed there by Edmonds as a joke.

The viewers' competition has also attracted criticism, given that it involves no element of skill and the expense of premium rate phone calls (though free online entry is available) it has been referred to on a number of fan sites for the show as a "legalised telephone lottery". However it was not suspended following the controversy surrounding television phone-ins in early 2007, suggesting Endemol and Channel 4 remain satisfied with its integrity.

Merchandise

Due to the show's simple format, several games based on the show have been released in a variety of different formats. 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 has 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 contestants' games from Season 1.

A DVD TV game 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.

Episode history

  • Series 1, October 31, 2005 - January 17, 2006 (Episodes 1-66)
  • Series 2, January 18 - October 25, 2006 (Episodes 67-285)
  • Series 3, October 26, 2006 - Mid-2007 (Episodes 286-635) (Current Series)

Episode details: Series 1, Series 2, Series 3

References

  1. ^ http://www.bothersbar.co.uk/dealexplanation.htm
  2. ^ http://www.bothersbar.co.uk/dondstats2.htm
  3. ^ a b c Green, Kris (2006-05-17). "Behind the scenes of 'Deal Or No Deal' - Part 1". Digital Spy. Retrieved 2007-03-03. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  4. ^ Reynolds, Nigel (2006-06-23). "Raw deal! Noel Edmonds injures his elbow lifting the telephone". Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 2007-03-03. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  5. ^ http://www.bothersbar.co.uk/cellar/March2006.htm
  6. ^ a b c http://www.bothersbar.co.uk/dondstats.htm
  7. ^ http://www.bothersbar.co.uk
  8. ^ a b c d e http://www.bothersbar.co.uk/cellar/March2006.htm
  9. ^ http://www.dealornodeal.com/show/faq.php#Q9
  10. ^ Kirby, Terry (2006-03-23). "Noel's big deal: The rise and fall and resurrection of Noel Edmonds". The Independent. Retrieved 2007-03-03. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  11. ^ West, Dave (2006-03-23). "Edmonds scores TV's highest earner deal". Digital Spy. Retrieved 2007-03-03. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  12. ^ "Endemol secures two-year deal for Deal or No Deal on Channel 4 in the UK" (Press release). Endemol. 2006-03-17. Retrieved 2007-03-03. {{cite press release}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  13. ^ "Edmonds TV gameshow deal extended". BBC News. 2006-03-22. Retrieved 2007-03-03. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  14. ^ http://www.dealornodeal.co.uk/news/
  15. ^ "Royal Television Society Awards". The Guardian. 2006-03-15. Retrieved 2007-03-03. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  16. ^ "Doctor Who lands three TV awards". BBC News. 2006-09-05. Retrieved 2007-03-03. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  17. ^ http://www.frapa.org/news/FRAPA_Format_Award_2006/index.html
  18. ^ "The British Academy Television Awards: nominations in full". The Guardian. 2006-03-27. Retrieved 2007-03-03. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  19. ^ "National TV Awards 2006 winners". BBC News. 2006-10-31. Retrieved 2007-03-03. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  20. ^ "Edmonds makes TV award shortlist". BBC News. 2006-10-16. Retrieved 2007-03-03. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  21. ^ Cooke, Rachel (2006-01-29). "Saturday night fever". The Observer. Retrieved 2007-03-03. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  22. ^ Brooker, Charlie (2006-01-28). "New Deal". The Guardian. Retrieved 2007-03-03. {{cite news}}: Check |author-link= value (help); Check date values in: |date= (help)
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