No deal

The latest network television show to receive overexposure due to high ratings is Deal or No Deal on NBC. The game show is now on 3 nights a week. Doesn't anyone recall what happened to Who Wants to Be a millionaire? when ABC barraged the viewing audience with it? The show died a slow death.

And it's not if there's all that much to Deal or No Deal. Certainly not 3 nights worth. Haven't seen it? I'll give you the gist of it; the contestant picks a briefcase out of twentysomething cases, the one he/she believes to contain the top prize. They then eliminate the other cases one by one, finding out how much money was in it. Depending on the odds of the contestant having the briefcase with the top prize, a "banker" proposes a deal to the contestant, who then either takes the money or continues playing. "Deal or no deal," get it?

I find the game strikingly similar to the "Punch Game" on the Price is Right. (I have three days off in the middle of the week, I watch some daytime TV. So sue me.) On THAT game, the contestant gets x number of punches on the punchboard. They can keep the amount that is in one hole or give it up and go for another amount. Only on the Price is Right, they get it done in about 5 minutes. And even that can be too long. Deal lasts an entire HOUR.

It's not like the game requires any kind of skill whatsoever to play; it's all based on chance. NBC milks the show to the point of ridiculousness. While I have never seen an episode in its entirety, it's conceivable that a person could go the entire hour. They will bring the contestants friends and family out during the game, and their entire purpose seems to be to discourage the player from making the smart move and take a reasonable offer from the banker. Sure, you could take the $85,000 offer the banker just gave you, but there's still a 2% chance you can win $250,000! No deal!

In the middle of all this absurdity is Howie "Gizmo" Mandel, who bless his heart, seems to be trying, but seriously, a comedian as a game show host? Haven't the producers seen Louie Anderson as the host of Family Feud? Mandel stands there with his oh-so-masculine soul patch and tries to maintain order as the scantily-clad models open the briefcases (models..another similarity to Price is Right).

So here we are, with another reality show nightmare. At best, NBC, this is a two-night-a-week show. Certainly not 3. I don't think America can tolerate one more "only 3 cases left.. but he'll open them next time!" Its certainly one of the examples of "reality" TV I hate.. but that's another blog post.