| | Deal or No Deal (2005)Deal or No Deal is played by one contestant at a time. Prior to each game, 26 dollar amounts ranging from $0.01 to $1,000,000 are distributed by a third-party among 26 briefcases, the values unknown by the host or the Banker. The cases are presented to the contestant by the Deal or No Deal models. The contestant selects one case which is then placed on a podium. Through a series of rounds, the contestant is asked to select a number of the other cases still in play; each case is opened and the value revealed before it is taken out of play, and a large electronic board is used to track which dollar amounts still remain in the game. After completing the selection of cases for that round, the Banker, a figure lit only from behind in a skybox overlooking the stage, will call down to the host using a phone on the podium. The host will then tell the player of the Banker's "deal": a cash value that is typically around the average of the values of the cases remaining in play, in exchange for leaving the game. The host opens a plexiglass case on the podium containing a button; if the player accepts the deal, he or she hits the button to end the game, otherwise, he or she closes the case and declares "No Deal", requiring the player to continue into the next round. Each round progressively removes fewer cases from the game; the first round begins with six cases to be removed, the second round with five, and subsequently until the final rounds requiring removing one case at a time. Should the player make it to the final round, with the selected case and one other case left in play, the player is given the opportunity to swap cases, value unseen, and they win whatever case they end up keeping at that point. If the player takes a deal prior to the final round, the host usually encourages the player to play through to the end to see what would have happened. After the first or second round, family and friends of the contestant are usually introduced and are allowed to offer advice and encouragement to the contestant, including which case to pick next and whether to accept a deal or not. Often, special guest stars are present in the audience, typically related to the contestant's interests or background; for example Celine Dion appeared and supported a player who was a big fan, while another show featured Big Bird assisting a player who had a childhood fear of the character. An hour-long show typically only features the play of one contestant, but for longer specials and other versions, contestants that do not finish their game continue into the next show. Several shows have been themed based on the contestant's background, a holiday, or other situation; for example, all the cases were replaced by trash cans when the contestant was a garbage man, and one episode was considered "Ladies' Night", as the regular models were replaced with male firefighters from the Los Angeles and San Diego Fire Departments. In some cases, the Banker will also offer an additional prize, including both valuable prizes such as vehicles or "dream packages" customized for the contestant as well as gag gifts such as a supply of cotton swabs or donuts, with the offer, and may require an additional stipulation for the deal; in one instance, an additional cash prize was attached to the deal if the contestant would cut off his beard (which he ultimately accepted).
|
|
