Deal or No Deal (Australian game show)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Deal or No Deal | |
|---|---|
 The logo for Deal or No Deal Australia |
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| Format | Game show |
| Created by | Endemol |
| Starring | Andrew O'Keefe |
| Country of origin |  Australia |
| No. of episodes | 947 (as of 27 May 2008) |
| Production | |
| Running time | 30 minutes per episode (inc. commercials) |
| Broadcast | |
| Original channel | Channel Seven |
| Picture format | 16:9 |
| Original run | May 4, 2003 – present |
| External links | |
| Official website | |
| IMDb profile | |
| TV.com summary | |
Deal or No Deal (also known as The Deal), is a game show which airs in Australia on the Seven Network and in New Zealand on Prime (though New Zealand launched its own version for TV3 in June 2007). It was the first international version of the gameshow, after the original Dutch version. It was the first of the versions to use the Deal or No Deal name.
Many changes have been made to Deal or No Deal since its debut in 2003. This included changing from a weekly format to a daily format; interactive features inviting home viewers to play along with "Double Deal Friday" and "Deals on Wheels"; and an addition of special features to the game (such as "Double or Nothing" and "Supercase"). The show has included many special episodes including several hour-long prime-time specials (such as the Psychics Special and the Unluckiest Players) and the successful Dancing with the Deals which occurs twice every year.
Contents |
[edit] Format
| Briefcase values (as of 2006) | |
|---|---|
| 50c | $1,000 |
| $1 | $2,000 |
| $2 | $3,000 |
| $5 | $4,000 |
| $10 | $5,000 |
| $20 | $10,000 |
| $50 | $15,000 |
| $100 | $20,000 |
| $150 | CAR |
| $200 | $50,000 |
| $250 | $75,000 |
| $500 | $100,000 |
| $750 | $200,000 |
The show begins in a studio with six groups of 26 people sitting in stands. One group is then randomly selected, who move onto the podium. In the chosen group, one person, based on personality, is picked to be the main contestant. The contestant selects one of the briefcases to be placed at the front, and the other briefcases are distributed to the other 25 contestants on the podium. Each briefcase contains a hidden amount of money (see table on right).
The contestant begins the game by opening six cases. To open the case, the podium player holding the case must first guess the amount that they have in their briefcase, winning $500 if their guess is proved correct upon opening the briefcase ). This process is repeated for the next five cases. After the first five cases, the major contestant is given a "Bank Offer". A bank offer is based on (but not equivalent to) the arithmetic mean of the remaining briefcases. If high amounts have been knocked out, then the bank offer would be low. If mainly low amounts have been knocked out, then the bank offer would be a lot better. The contestant now has to decide between a "Deal" or "No Deal". If the contestant says Deal, they win the money that is offered, and they must open the rest of the cases to see if they made the right decision. If the contestant says No Deal, then gameplay continues. The contestant chooses another five cases, followed by another bank offer, then four cases. This pattern continues until all briefcases have been opened. If the player continues to the end without making a "Deal", the game ends with their own briefcase being opened and the amount in that briefcase being won, otherwise they win the offer they said "Deal" to. Exceptions to the end of the game include the introduction of either a Supercase, Double or Nothing cases or a second Chance. See below for more info on them.
[edit] Features
The Australian version of Deal or No Deal has a number of special features to make the show entertaining:
Supercase, Chance, and Double or Nothing all occur at the end of the game. Due to time restrictions, these three occur rarely. Also, only one of these features is used per episode.
[edit] Supercase
Occasionally at the end of the program a Supercase is brought out. This feature was introduced in 2004. Contestants have the opportunity to either keep the deal they made or take whatever value is hidden in the Supercase. The supercase contains one of the following values: 50c, $50, $500, $5,000, $10,000, $20,000, $30,000, $50,000. Supercases appear in most episodes when contestants take a deal of approximately $10,000 when there are at least five cases left on the board, and rarely appear in any other circumstances. This means that the Supercase offers a 50/50 chance at bettering or equalling the $10,000 deal. If contestants take a $10,000 deal with fewer than four cases left on the board, Supercases are rare because there is not generally time left in the show to run it. During the 2006 season, the way of telling the contestant that a Supercase will be brought out changed, where instead of the Supercase panel flashing, a Supercase alert flashes beside the 'Cases remaining' panel, and remains there until it is actually brought out.
[edit] Chance
This feature was introduced in 2004. A Chance is an opportunity for the contestant to exchange the deal they took during the game for whatever is in their briefcase. It happens rarely, and only when the two remaining unknown case values are an extremely small and extremely high amount. For example, the contestant takes a deal of $8,000, but is offered a Chance with the remaining unopened briefcases being $500 and $50,000. If the contestant takes the Chance, they win either $500 or $50,000, depending on which value is in their selected case. If they don't take the Chance, they keep their $8,000 deal.
[edit] Double or Nothing
Double or Nothing was added in 2006. If a contestant is lucky enough to play it, two suitcases (labeled I and II) are offered to the contestant; one has the word "Double" inside, the other has "Nothing". The contestant must pick one of the cases. If Double is in the chosen case, the contestant doubles their winnings. If Nothing is in the chosen case, they lose their winnings.
The format for Double or Nothing has been altered several times. When it was first introduced, their was only one case brought out (which was the same size as the Supercase). It had only either "Double" or "Nothing" inside, and the contestant could choose how much to gamble. If "Double" was inside, the contestant wins how much they gambled as a bonus. If "Nothing" was revealed, they would lose how much they gambled from their Deal. The "two cases" format was introduced on June 23, 2006. During the 2007 season, Double or Nothing returned, though the contestant could no longer choose how much to gamble, they had to gamble the entire Deal if they wanted to play DoN.
[edit] Megaguess
This feature was introduced in 2004. At random intervals during the game, the bank will offer a "Megaguess", which increases the "correct guess" bonus for the next case to either $2,000, $5,000, or $10,000. The Megaguess is usually used at the end of the game to fill in remaining time. This generally happens when the podium player is a friend or relative of the main contestant. The end of game Megaguess has adopted a small gag where either the podium player, main contestant or the host himself must beg the banker to give the player a Megaguess.
The Megaguess feature has been altered several times during its history. When first introduced, during the $12 Million Month special, it had a fixed amount win of $10,000. When it returned in the 2005 season, the amount won was reduced to $5,000. In the 2006 season, it was altered to its current format, where either $2,000, $5,000 or $10,000 could be won. The $5,000 Megaguess has the most common appearance, sometimes showing up several times during a game, followed by the $10,000 Megaguess which would appear once early during the game, and sometimes at the end, and the $2,000 Megaguess has the rarest appearance.
[edit] Daily Prize
This feature was introduced in 2004, but was removed in 2006. One of the briefcases (except for the CAR, $100,000 or $200,000 cases) contained gold-coloured dollar signs around the cash value inside the case. The person who was holding this case (be it a podium player or the contestant) received the Daily Prize of $500. The Daily Prize was removed in 2006, although prizes were still awarded several times during that year: in a special Saint Patrick's Day-themed episode; on Mother's Day; and during the last week of the 2006 season.
[edit] Double Deal Friday
Home viewers are invited to ring a phone number charged at AU$0.55 and register their details. Every Friday, a home viewer is randomly selected to win the same prize as the studio contestant each Friday. The host of the show, Andrew O'Keefe, has mentioned that Double Deal Fridays receive over 100,000 calls each week. This generally runs for the entire season (not including repeat dates), though has been known to change start and end dates. Dancing with the Deals (the celebrity version of DoND) follows a similar format to Double Deal Friday, except that the celebrity doesn't win the prize. Double Deal Friday ran in 2007 but was dropped for 2008.
[edit] History
The first incarnation of Deal or No Deal originally debuted in late 2003 as an hour-long program. Screening on Sunday night, it indirectly competed with the Nine Network's Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? by offering a maximum prize of $2,000,000. In order to fill the longer timeslot, the initial stages of the game were significantly longer than in the current half hour format. This included an interview with the man who supposedly placed the values into each briefcase, assuring that selection were indeed random. The preliminary round was also longer than the more recent format. Although somewhat successful, this incarnation of the show only lasted for one season.
In 2004 Deal or No Deal was shortened to a half-hour format and moved to weeknights at 5:30pm, directly competing against the Nine Network's The Price Is Right. Due to the increased number of episodes airing (5 per week over the course of the ratings period rather than 1 per week) the maximum cash prize was lowered from $2,000,000 to $200,000 and the number of blocks reduced from eight to six (200 potential contestants to 150). Deal or No Deal received high ratings in its newly revised format. Shortly after the popularity of Deal or No Deal began to rise, The Price Is Right altered its showcase round to a similar format, where contestants were forced to choose between cash incentives or the showcase periodically as the prices were lit up. Despite this Deal or No Deal continued to grow in popularity, and is believed to be a factor involved in the ratings resurgence of Seven News (which follows directly after Deal or No Deal). The popularity of the show led to Nine Network game show rivals The Price Is Right and the half-hour version of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? being cancelled.
Many alterations to the game have been made throughout the years, mainly to entice viewers against the game show rivals, including the briefcase values (see below), and the addition of many new gameplay features (see Features). During the 2004 $12 Million Month, the Supercase, Chance and Megaguess features were introduced for the first time, and have become recurring segments ever since. In 2005, a car was introduced as a prize (replacing the $25,000 amount on the 2004 amount board). The cars have been the Renault Mégane II), valued at $33,000, in 2005, and the Peugeot 307 from 2006 onwards, valued at $30,000 approximately. In 2006, Double or Nothing was introduced to the show. Since the 2007 season, the game's format has remained the same. The only changes in the 2007 and 2008 seasons were the logo change, which occurred in 2007, the removal of the preliminary quiz (which determined who would be the main contestant) and onscreen graphics and music have been updated several times. Double Deal Friday was dropped in 2008 for a Daily Prize Feature.
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2003
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2004
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2005
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[edit] References in popular culture
Andrew O'Keefe appeared as himself in the Australian comedy Kath & Kim, reprising his role as host of Deal or No Deal. Character Sharon Strzelecki (portrayed by Magda Szubanski) appeared as the main contestant and Kim Craig (Gina Riley) appeared as the podium player. Sharon wins the $20,000 directly from her case (though the footage of her winnings was never shown). Several changes are made to the fictional gameplay compared to the real life gameplay, as Kim was never given an opportunity to make a guess for her case, and Sharon claims in the episode that she became the contestant by having the "fastest fingers" (the preliminary quiz was dropped from the 2007 season, and the fictional game shown was clearly the 2007 version). References to the real life version are made, as Andrew tells the girls that it's "almost news time", as the real life show is broadcast before the news.
[edit] Special shows
[edit] $12 Million Month
Starting August 31, 2004, Deal or No Deal: $12 Million Month marked the introduction of the Supercase and Chance features. It also held several hour-long prime time specials such as the Psychics Special, Conflict of the Couples and Unluckiest Players. This was due to the 2004 Athens Olympic Games which replaced Deal Or No Deal in August.
[edit] Dancing with the Deals
Dancing with the Deals was Deal or No Deal's first attempt at a celebrity special series (and was highly successful). Celebrities that were featured came from the entertainment show Dancing With the Stars, which is broadcast on the same network as Deal or No Deal. The specials consist of the celebrity playing the game for a home viewer, and the home viewer, who is randomly picked out of all who registered, will win the prize rather than the celebrity (similar to Double Deal Friday. The following tables show who the celebrities were, the date they appeared on, and how much they won.
Series 1
| Date | Contestant | Final win |
|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | ||
| February 13, 2006 | Molly Meldrum | $26,000 |
| February 14, 2006 | Kate Langbroek | $49,999 |
| February 15, 2006 | Jennifer Hawkins | $2,000 |
| February 16, 2006 | Luke Ricketson | $14,000 |
| February 17, 2006 | Noeline Brown | $2 |
| Week 2 | ||
| February 20, 2006 | Simone Warne | $3,000 |
| February 21, 2006 | Alicia Molik | $7,000 |
| February 22, 2006 | Grant Denyer | $1,000 |
| February 23, 2006 | Kostya Tszyu | Car |
| February 24, 2006 | Toby Allen | $7,000 |
Series 2
| Date | Contestant | Final win |
|---|---|---|
| September 18, 2006 | Andrew Gaze | $5,001 |
| September 19, 2006 | Tamsyn Lewis | $22,000 |
| September 20, 2006 | Anthony Koutoufides | $5,500 |
| September 21, 2006 | Arianne Caoili | Car |
| September 22, 2006 | Chris Hemsworth | $10,000 |
Series 3
| Date | Contestant | Final win |
|---|---|---|
| February 19, 2007 | Todd Woodbridge | $24,000 |
| February 20, 2007 | Kate Ceberano | $100 |
| February 21, 2007 | Tim Campbell | $23,999 |
| February 22, 2007 | Tatiana Grigorieva | $1 |
| February 23, 2007 | David Graham | $61,000 ($200,000 was in his case) |
Series 4
| Date | Contestant | Final win |
|---|---|---|
| September 17, 2007 | Michael Klim | $20,000 |
| September 18, 2007 | Patti Newton | $20,000 |
| September 19, 2007 | Anh Do | $200,000 |
| September 20, 2007 | Elka Graham | $7,500 |
| September 21, 2007 | James Courtney | $2,000 |
[edit] Deal or No Deal - It Takes Two
In preparation for the 2008 series of It Takes Two, the show held a special week similar to Dancing with the Deals, starring celebrities who are set to appear on It Takes Two. They played on behalf of a home viewer who won the money on Deal or No Deal.
| Date | Contestant | Final win |
|---|---|---|
| February 3, 2008 | Scott Draper | $4,140 |
| February 4, 2008 | Mark Wilson | $50,000 |
| February 5, 2008 | Julia Morris | $3,000 |
| February 6, 2008 | John Mangos | $26,900 |
| February 7, 2008 | Russell Robertson | $1 |
[edit] Deal or No Deal - Double Shot
| Double $200,000 chance values | |
|---|---|
| $200,000 | $1,000 |
| $1 | $2,000 |
| $2 | $3,000 |
| $5 | $4,000 |
| $10 | $5,000 |
| $20 | $10,000 |
| $50 | $15,000 |
| $100 | $20,000 |
| $150 | CAR |
| $200 | $50,000 |
| $250 | $75,000 |
| $500 | $100,000 |
| $750 | $200,000 |
Deal or No Deal - Double Shot is a series of specials where the podium will contain two briefcases with $200,000 inside them instead of one giving the contestant a 1 in 13 chance of selecting the top prize. The additional $200,000 is in replacement of the 50c amount. These set of episodes have said to answer to the premiere of Million Dollar Wheel of Fortune on the Nine Network, which will air at the same time as Deal or No Deal (except in Queensland when Wheel will air at 5pm due to Extra airing at 5:30pm). A similar special aired in 2004, with two $200,000 cases, however the second $200,000 case replaced the $1,500 amount rather than the 50c. Also, for the podium players, should a contestant guess that there's $200,000 in their case, they must specify whether it's the actual $200,000, or the "Double Shot" $200,000 to prevent them from having a 2 in any chance of winning $500. In the 10 episodes aired, the total amount of money won to the contestants was $235,100 but unsurprisingly both $200,000 cases did not get selected at all. Two contestants walked away with $50,000, another with $41,000 and one contestant turned $20 into $35,000.
[edit] Products
Products based on the Australian Deal or No Deal include a board game, electrionic game and DVD game.
The board game, made by Crown and Andrews is a game that features all parts of the game show. The contents include the 26 briefcases (a flat item that has a number and a slot to put the card of the cash amounts), the board showing the amounts, 26 covers, host and contestant cards, amount cards, instructions and money.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
[edit] External links
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