Deal or No Deal: The World Takes a Step Backwards

In December of 2005, NBC began airing a television show, starring "famed" 5'6" comedian Howie Mandel, entitled "Deal or No Deal."

The first time I watched the show I didn't get it. Not "didn't get it" in the sense that it involved too much matter for my brain to comprehend, but I just didn't get what was so special about this show...it's as if they eliminated all aspects of a game show which qualify it as entertaining, and kept the prize part. It didn't matter whether the contestant had the "knowledge" or creativity to snag the prize, it was, under every definition of the word: LUCK!

Yet, for some reason, everyone started talking about this show. I don't mean my friends...hell, I think no one individual really wants to bring themselves to admitting they enjoy viewing this show, but all the talk show hosts were talking about it. SNL was busting out "DOND sketches" left and right. There were lame jokes about it going around (with the always necessary 'I don't actually watch the show' claim immediately proceeding). For some reason, it was obvious, people did like the show.

Two years before, the United States (and much of the world) had become hooked on a game show with Regis Philbin called "Who Wants to be a Millionaire?" Regis is another one of those guys everyone makes fun of, and no one admits to liking...they seem popular with game shows (see Richard Karn, John O'Hurley, Bob Saget, John McEnroe, and that's only in my time). I didn't really get this show either...it was so simplified; I thought TOO simplified. One guy sits in a chair, the contestant (sometimes gleeful, other times dull) sits in a chair opposite Regis and answers up to 15 multiple choice questions on their way to a cool 1 million. Until the person actually made it to six digits, it didn't seem that grand anyways...after all, the whole attraction to the show is supposed to be the huge sum of money, but we've all seen up to $100,000 before on Dick Clark's famous "100,000 Pyramid" (even though I never actually saw the full amount reached).

Not until I saw a random commercial did I realize what was so great about "Who Wants to be a Millionaire." It made you think that anyone, and by anyone, it seriously meant you, could win $1,000,000 over a 60 minute television show. Who can't admit that you convinced either yourself or your parents to pick up the phone once or twice after a show to call the "contestants line" which apparently got you onto the show to try for the big prize? Millions (yep, that's how many other people were trying to call at the SAME TIME) of people picked up the phone because they really felt like they had a shot to do it. And, if this time, all they got was a busy signal, there was always the next show to watch, dream, and yes, try calling again.

So, there it was, simplicity. That was the key to game show success. Although the president of ABC eventually admitted to "overexposing Millionaire", the show was on five nights a week, for what seemed like the majority of two years. Don't remember any other game show in my time ever doing that. The SIMPLICITY of the show won people over. And, it's the exact same way with Deal or No Deal.

But, at least, I felt like everyone who won the big bucks on Millionaire "deserved" to win it. No guy off the street could just walk in and answer a question about the Roman Empire and who was its official third ruler was, without some prior knowledge and an interesting life story (which the show did do a good job in telling during pauses). Deal or No Deal really does let ANYONE win. And that is sad. We, as a society, don't really care about who is worthy. While our religions do tell us not to judge, we have become obsessed with a culture that rewards people for next to nothing, yet fails to assist people who have done so much. I know it's just a game show, but when you dig deep down, is it not a tad bit frustrating to know that some complete dumbass won 1,000,000 after taking offers that any sane person WOULD HAVE TAKEN! To me it is, and that's why I hate that show.

To everyone's displeasure, the primetime version of Deal or No Deal was cancelled a few weeks ago and will now be airing in syndication on GSN periodically and other networks which choose to purchase the rights from "Universal". So for those of you, LIKE MYSELF, who despise the show, the baton was just passed to, hopefully, the last runner.

A bit of awful news, Deal or No Deal completely robbed a couple of "Lingo" spots on GSN's lineup. Shameful, considering Lingo was a show that was incredibly simple (and lucky), yet took just a shred of knowledge. Simplicity wins over, my friends. In show business, knowledge now means nothing.