OK, I did promise this yesterday, but hey, I’m a busy guy.
Deal or No Deal is NBC’s new one-week “Super Millionaire”-esque game show smash. Airing all this week, Howie Mandel hosts this million-dollar extravaganza. Since the rules of the game has been reviewed many different times here at Buzzer, I’m just going to jump into my review.
If this show becomes a regular series, then it will bomb. As a one-week excursion, it is excellent.
This game is not about the music or the sound. Thus, it is under-par and not worth mentioning. The on-screen graphics are good and adequate for what is required from the game. I don’t like the set. I don’t like the setup of the set. It looks good. The neon and the changing colors is a good touch. The only problem is that it’s not laid out well. They could’ve done a better layout. And don’t bitch to me about the Dutch version or whatever. We’re talking about the NBC version.
Now that that’s out of the way, let’s get to the important parts of this game: the host and how he works, and the game and how it works.
Howie Mandel is a good host. It sounds like he is scripted. For all those who feel like this is a bad idea, remember that Let’s Make a Deal was scripted, too, even more so than this show because LMaD had many more options, but you see how well that one worked. His delivery during the show is superb. His commercial teasers are akin to Ryan Seacrest’s during American Idol, but that’s not necessarily a good thing. He is also very good at his contestant camaraderie, sympathizing with the contestant.
The game works for a week at a time. I don’t know how those Dutch can do it. This for sure will lose my interest in the meantime. The game itself is weak. Play the online game and you’ll see. The real draw of this show is the drama. The drama is played up more than your freshman year of high school. Everything part of this game is drummed up. The presentation of the banker is well done. The absence of hearing the banker is more drama. I also appreciate the rounded bank offers. It just makes more sense. Asking your friends and family for advice is also really good. At the very least it’s giving the contestants someone to blame if they screw up.
I will concede that I shouted at my television. But after a week or so, the only thing I’ll be shouting is, “Why is this still on the air?”
I give this a rating of 3 out of 5, its big detriment being its lack of lasting power.
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