A friend of mine admitted today he has never seen the appeal of DoND. Which made me think - what *is* the appeal, after all?

And so I ask you - for you, what is the appeal of DoND? And did you start watching for one reason and keep watching for another?

For me, the main appeal of DoND is the players, and waiting to see how well they do. As someone who tends to remember players both for their on-the-wings antics, and their gameplay result (not just the latter, which most seem to do). The players are one of the things that has made DoND survive as long as it has, as well as Noel and the Banker.

To see people win MEGA money and not blow the chance of a lifetime to get it...

Let's go back to March 2006...


I had actually seen some fragments of games up until March, stand out momemts include Brenda's board (my brother at the time - ''Have you seen this woman ? She's just taking out all the blues !'') and 'Kenny Rogers' Chris taking out the £250,000 first box.

But I didn't 'see' the entertainment or feel the atmosphere until I watched my first full game (Germaine of all games. What a debut !), I was drawn in very quickly. I can even pinpoint the moment it became 'unmissable', it was Saturday March 25th. I was on the verge of missing the start to Nancy's game and I remember becoming *very* agitated about it. From then on, hooked. Hooked to the max degree.

So, it was simply two things - the gripping entertainment and tension created by this game of chance. The potential gains and losses were huge compared to most other shows, utterly compulsive viewing that had you rooting for the player all the way through. No other game show had that effect before, or since.

Secondly - the players. I feel that it was *this* that really got you hooked into the player's games, the fact that you felt you *knew* these players after seeing them on the wings for up to three/four weeks and therefore you really got behind them in their game.

All that culminating to produce cracking TV which I've loved for three years (2006-7 and 2012.... I stopped watching for 4 years )

I think if we didn't have the players on wings awaiting their turn I would have lost interest in it ages ago had it been like the US version. Plus there's (nearly) always someone on the wings who I fancy.

Surely you'd have preferred the US version in that respect?

It is interesting how many of us are attracted to the narratives formed by having the wings. It really is a clever concept - creating a show that in some ways is almost as serialised as reality formats like Big Brother, yet with each game neatly self-contained.

I like...

- The mathematical side of it. Especially games which have interesting decisions.

- Noel Edmonds, although he does do his best to make me hate him with some of the nonsense he comes out with.

- The Banker.

- Crashes. Especially when they happen to unlikeable contestants.

- Big wins.

- Watching people cry when it all goes wrong.