Deal or No Deal has been a bastion of hope in NBC’s otherwise putrid stable of original programming. Beginning as a late season sensation last year, NBC now airs the Howie Mandel-hosted game show three times a week. This ratings quick-fix may work for now, but I hope NBC isn’t (ahem) banking on Deal or No Deal as a long term prime time stalwart.
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Guest said: I just finished watching your show where the banker sent the player a pig dressed up as policeman. I consid…
ER said: Yes, thank God I was called back to the second day taped auditions in SA, TX the month of April, but have n…
Dawn said: I was called back for the second round told i was a finalist May 2.2007 in Indianapolis but still have not …
Prime time game shows are rare and don’t have the greatest of track records. Of course, the most apt display of a modern, prime time game show is “Who Want to Be a Millionaire”. The rise and fall of “Millionaire” is both an example of the bandwagon ratings potential of a game show and a nice lesson in the dangers of its overexposure. Facing the welcomed burden of an easily produced game show receiving monumental ratings, ABC resisted the urge to milk a good thing and decided to air “Millionaire” upwards of four times a week. The show remained immensely popular for two years, with every airing consistently ranking in the Nielson’s top 5. After two years, however, “Millionaire” burnt out fast and, within a year, was off the prime time air altogether. So, has Deal or No Deal learned anything from its game show predecessor? Apparently not. Deal or No Deal, airing three times a week, is bound to get overexposed sooner rather that later. For one, it doesn’t have the long-term potential of “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire”. “Millionaire” was a trivia show, which meant each episode contained new questions and, in turn, new challenges for the home viewer. There is no real skill involved with Deal or No Deal and, therefore, it’s potential for repeat viewing should be low. I predict that Deal or No Deal will be completely off the air a year from now. This begs the question: Why is NBC doing this? Are they being greedy and short-sighted? Perhaps, but I think there are two reasonable reasons for Deal or No Deal’s overwhelming presence on NBC’s schedule. 1) NBC needs it. Without the ratings Deal gets, NBC’s numbers would reach an embarrassingly low level, and 2) Maybe NBC’s research has shown that, regardless of how many times a week they’re on, prime time game shows burn out within two years. If that’s the case, I suppose they may as well air the show as often as possible and ride the wave while it lasts. Which won’t be all that long. -Oscar Dahl, BuddyTV Senior Writer
Senior Writer, BuddyTV
