Deal or No Deal will be exactly 10 years old tomorrow, 31 October 2015, at 4:15pm.

Over that time, there have been approaching 3,000 shows which have seen eight quarter-millionaires, over fifty 1p winners and many others who have had entertaining and often nail-biting games. The show's changed many lives over the years in various ways and the community on here is as strong as ever when it comes to discussing all the nuances of the games. There's probably no other gameshow that has a community that is so dedicated to it.

I started watching from show 1 on 31 October 2005. I watched at first because I was intrigued about Noel coming back onto television. It was around Autumn 2005 that David Dickinson launched Dickinson's Real Deal, so knowing nothing about the format of DOND, I saw the word "deal" and wondered if it was something to do with selling antiques!

Tommorow Deal or No Deal celebrates it's tenth anniversary. You all know I am/was a huge fan of the show, and was lucky enough to watch 329 deal games recorded live in the studio(s). I was, and it's a fact, a curse. Out of all the "regulars" I'm sure my ratio of blue/red winners I saw was terrible, and the highest win I saw achieved was £65,000. Now that's not bad, but law of averages says I should have seen at least 2 six figure wins! I missed Paddy's game by one, Roop's game by two and by the time Ann BOUGHT BOX 23 for £250,000!? I wasn't going very often at all. Even when I was given the opportunity to become Pilgrim of The Day for my 250th live game, in which I carried Box 23 to Noel and the player, it contained NOTHING. You could say I saved Endemol a fortune, they should be thankful.

Unfortunately these days I'm very critical of the game which was once for me AND millions of people captivating, addictive and dramatic. In recent years, with the departure of original series then executive producer Glenn Hugill, whose phone bill was massive, and input of many gimmicks and twists the game has become tired and tedious a lot of the time. That's not saying it still can't produce great television. In the last few weeks, it's given the fans a quarter-millionaire and one of the luckiest games of all times. Credit to Ann and Harry, they were both very lucky to have been able to play. Ratings in decline and the format becoming stale, it's very unlikely that Deal or No Deal will be on our screens for very much longer.

Saying that above, however, I will always be thankful to the show for many reasons. Mostly because I have met many good friends through the unofficial forum, twitter and seeing the game live. I remember John Cater calling me over to the "regular pilgrim" table just over three years ago after we had a few exchanges on twitter, and remember being scared of Lyn. However, everybody was very welcoming and we hit it off straight away. My adopted Grandad and I chat very often about the game and other day to day activities. Lyn and I go to London a lot for dirty weekends away/watching other exciting tv shows recorded such as Loose Women (which Lyn should be a panelist for, her bladder and bowels aren't in good nick). By the way, Ruth Langsford is my fave. Of course, Mighty Mike who joined a little later on. Great Banter! Oh, and my partner, who I suppose is alright, was an ex contestant.
Then there's Andrew and Simon, Nick, Josie and Karl who I have a great rapport with on social media. Unlike Countdown fans who are evil, rude and obnoxious, us deal fans are alright, and we stick together.

In the last few years I've been heavily involved with the deal or no deal unofficial forum (dond.co.uk) and have come across some interesting characters! Aaron, whose birthday I went to Preston for earlier this year, and subsequently needed a liver transplant. Paul, my fellow Ejector Seat mate, who did very well. *snigger*. Daniel, who is by far my favorite Facebook poster with his eloquent yet complex comments. David H, who I've met a few times and looking forward to meeting him and his partner in the near future. Also kudos to Ben, Will and Mark. HA BISKY! Skyline and Hogwild. And even the other Mark, whose robotic "ONE blue at five box IN LIVE PLAY", "Bad answer for Box 23", "early second break" and other robotic phrases clog up the discussions.

So you see, it's not just a gameshow, it's a network of discussion and friends. So thank you, Deal or No Deal. thank you for connecting me with these wonderful people. Thank you for the six hundred and fifty eight hours of studio entertainment. A month of my life which has created a lifetime of memories. But most of all, thank you for the few bottles of Banker's Bubbly that I was given over the years, that really helped me out when I was low on booze.

I think we should all celebrate with a BLUE CHANT??... Only a handful of people have ever declined anything like... You're picking random boxes, concentrate... You never know how many billions of people you have helped telling your story...

Yes, Happy 10th Birthday Deal Or No Deal! Who'd have thought it!

The format may be long past its heyday, but it's still capable of producing "event television", such as Ann's game recently (an event that hardly anyone watched admittedly, but still...).

Of course, it holds an immense significance for a lot of us here, bringing together people from various walks of life that would likely never have met were it not for the show. I know I am extremely grateful for the friendships I have made, the legacy that Deal has left on my life. Difficult to think of a gameshow that has, or will have a greater impact.

My initial interest for the show was ignited... well, probably that Noel Edmonds was making a return from the TV wilderness, and that in itself seemed intriguing and rather unexpected.

Initially, I was quite interested in the maths behind it. I did a search on the show to see what the internet thought about it. That's when I discovered a site called "Bother's Bar" were doing daily commentaries; there'd be someone assigned to box details and little show nuggets from Noel and the contestant, and another relaying the stats (in the later days, much like here, it would mainly turn out to be a solo affair).

KP soon happened upon the "Fair Deal" formula, which would become the most talked-about device (the stand-in banker practically uses it to the letter now! ), and indeed later adapted with a "final pairs" mechanism and all kinds of convolutions for Deal-Eye, which served to provide an emotionless view of proceedings! (Not to mention the occasional bout of controversy! )

Anyway, I digress a little. The main point is that it's brought communities together, perhaps we've looked at life differently, or at least it's taken a different path than it might have done. And I'm very glad it has!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DEAL!

Happy birthday to my first-ever favourite game show. Lest we forget, this forum owes its life to Deal or No Deal and so, as a by-product, does that child of Kes and Cazzie's. They do have a child, that's right, isn't it? Where did I put my slippers?

As we were, chaps. Let's roll on into the future - full steam ahead.

By the time it reached it's birthday in double figures I was expecting the jackpot winners to also be in double figures.............. or even TRIPLE ! (which was never going to happen...)

That's right! In fact it's her 8th birthday in a couple of weeks.

H, now that you're back, are you going to update the Commentaries Archive, Weekly Payouts Stats and/or Box 23 Stats?

I wouldn't think it was worth doing that, Ben, unless it was a labour of love...speaking of which, I thought I had it right! Eight, good heavens.

It's also December in just over four weeks' time. I'm 21 in just over ten weeks. My great-granddad will be 94 very shortly thereafter. Adam L is now what, 19, 20?

Now, that last one's enough to make a hardened bailiff cuddle his pet chihuahua in terror...

These are interesting times. In an era where some TV shows don't even make it to 10 episodes, Deal has managed to last an unprecedented 10 years. That is quite an accomplishment, especially for a daytime game show. I think only The Price is Right in the U.S. has lasted longer (43 years!) in a daytime slot (11 AM EST).

Through fluctuating ratings and format and time slot changes, Deal has become somewhat of a Teflon show. Just when you're ready to write it off, it manages to come through with an epic game, like Harry's on Friday. I don't know how much the ol' Dealfest has left in its tank, but despite that, the show continues to survive.

Since Day One, this forum has served as a place where Deal fans could get daily live recaps of each show, discuss stats and things, host their own games, and even make fun of each other. Compared to other single-serving forums, we're a pretty tame bunch, although those who have frequented this forum since the beginning know that this place was once quite chaotic.

So here's to 10 years of Deal. It's been a great ride, and although rumours of cancellation run rampant, the show continues to be a source of pride and joy for this forum.

L'chaim !

(Just one more thing... Archie, you're probably the biggest fan of Deal since our fearless leader H. He made it on the show and won a tidy sum; why don't you attempt to replicate the feat? You've attended literally hundreds of tapings, so why not give it a go?)

Mark, I was told 18 months or so back that I would never be able to get on the show because.. "I knew too much". However, when I told them "I don't know what is in the boxes" they were a bit stumped. That's when my respect for the show started to crumble away.

Yeah, Dave did win a tidy sum, although I found his game quite silly and immature.

That's why Dave's game was fun - it was silly and immature. But you have to hand it to the guy; he certainly made the most out of his experience .

The response the producers gave you seem to indicate that being a fan of the show is a bad thing. What's wrong with being a fan? And how could you possibly know what's in the boxes? Only the IA does, and that's common knowledge already.

Many people who admitted they were huge fans of certain game shows made it on and won something. Heck, there were even some Deal contestants who said so, including David. They all played and did relatively well. It almost seems discriminatory that they wouldn't let you play just because you're a fan.

Having said that, this is a forum full of Deal fans. Why did we only produce one contestant in 10 years? Golden-Road.net, a fan forum for The Price is Right in the U.S., has produced several contestants over the years, some of whom won big.

Congratulations to DOND on making it to 10 years! I would never have predicted that back then... looks like it's drifting towards the end of the road, but not too many daytime game shows have managed that sort of run. I know Countdown is 33 years and counting, with about 5 hosts, but that's the exception to the rule - I remember DOND debuted after Des Lynam's first Countdown show, and he was only the second full time host!

Like most game shows, the novelty wears off and popularity declines over time, especially one based around chance that's on nearly every day. Like most on here, I was completely hooked for a couple of years then gradually lost interest as most of the possibilities had been exhausted and they resorted to more artificial twists. I still tune in now and then and see what's changed, without being drawn back into watching regularly. But it surely surpassed all expectations, and provided Noel with an unexpected final chapter to his TV career, after it looked like Mr Blobby's career had outlasted his own at one stage! Maybe one day it will be back for a new generation, like plenty of other shows before it...

Ah, the age-old quandary...

Was that my first ever post? "Wakeyism" was obviously around even then... Those names bring back memories - cautious Beryl, "The Oak", John G and Fin who gambled and lost. I probably have some of those shows on a VHS tape somewhere!

It was, yeah. I'm glad someone's got those ones on VHS - I had to forego my recording of John G's game so I could attend a year 6 parents' evening...

John G. was probably one of the top 20 biggest idiots in the show's history. His game was one of the first I ever saw.

It was a huge part of my life.

It's difficult to connect the 17 year old me who watched the first episode, ten years ago, with the 27 year old me of today. At the time, I guess the show was an escape, a chance to forget the fairly miserable teenage existence I was living and be immersed in a world of success, community, and, most of all, friendship.

It was that close bond between the 22 people that really won over my heart, the idea that a simple daytime game show consisting of opening a couple of boxes could bring so many different people together. Gaz's game from May 2006 will always be my favourite episode of the show - not only for the remarkable turnaround and huge win (taking out the 250k in the first box but going on to win 100k), but it's also the increasing pandemonium of the contestants as he gets closer to the end that was one of the most powerful things I'd witnessed on a television game show. This being the early days of it, it wasn't engineered, wasn't manufactured or in any way forced by any outside influences, they're genuinely getting swept up in real, unscripted euphoria - and when that box opened, and the (first ever!) pitch invasion takes place, the whole studio literally screaming his name over and over again...ok, yeah. I cried. Incredible, timeless television.

I reached my peak of love for the show during the winter of 2006-07. Most of the 22 were posting on this forum or other equivalents. A huge wave of luck sweeped the show with several major wins, and, of course, the first 250k winner. I had grown to become so part of the online Deal or No Deal community that it had become my complete dominant social life, the only people I could talk to on a day to day basis and every evening on this forum (and the chatroom, where I spent far too many hours and sleepless nights) was a huge joy. So when one of the contestants invited me to a reunion evening, bloody hell I was there in an instant.

Picture the scene. I'm a terrified, skinny 18 year old, on my own, having barely left the house for most of the last few years. I meet all the people I'd seen on TV every day of the week, some who's games had yet to air at the time. They're all absolutely incredible. I'm given, up to that point, one of the greatest, joyous evenings of my life meeting people who I'd watched on TV and could only dream of having friendships as close as the ones I was seeing, and every one turning out to be as genuine and kind-hearted as the personalities that were showing on the screen - often even more so. I would attend three more contestant gatherings that summer, and eventually find my way into the show's audience that spring, meet Noel, and open a Viewer's Competition box - I still have my blue box seal somewhere, along with a book of signed autographs from everyone from 1p winners to 250k Laura to Noel himself.

By the end of 2007, the trust and goodwill shown to me by both this forum and all the people I'd met in person was impacting positively on me. I was starting to go out more. Meeting new people, finally living a teenage existence that had eluded me for most of my life so far. I still watched the show every day, but something about it didn't feel right anymore. Ok, the contestants I was talking to still seemed lovely enough. But the unscripted joy of that first year or so had led to increasing forced and engineered gimmicks (extra offers, box "gambles", comedy setpieces etc) and generally an atmosphere that would lead to constant on-screen emotion so overwhelming it became too much. If one contestant breaks down in tears, I would feel heartbroken for them. If 22 contestants break down in tears, every episode, every round, it becomes completely normal and I begin to feel cut off from the show. What started out as astonishing was becoming standard, forced, and eventually frustrating, and I realised that my love affair with the show, sadly, was coming to an end. Once a guy called Clive had played his show in January 2008 - a hilarious episode and the best for a long time - I decided it was a perfect moment to bow out on. My Deal or No Deal era was over.

Yeah, I've seen episodes since. Most notably around Alice's 250k win and h2005's episodes I briefly got back in the show again, and still found it entertaining, but slowly increasing adaptations to the format (the hour long episodes, box 23, offer buttons etc) gave me fewer and fewer reasons to keep following a show that worked best with 22 boxes and six offers. The last episode I watched was a couple of years ago - the set looked different, Noel looked older and generally it was too far removed from the one I'd enjoyed so much back in the mid-noughties. The show's legacy continues to provide me with surprises - in September 2008, I'm walking home when I hear a shout of "Billy!" and to my absolute surprise it's a member of this forum, someone I'd only communicated online with before who recognised me in the street and said hello. I also ended up in the same pub as h2005 one year, but I didn't realise until later when we both realised we'd been there at the same time. And that video clip of me, back in June 2007 (but filmed in the March) of me struggling to open my Viewer Competition box to the obvious amusement of Noel still raises a smile, and an amusing occasional Facebook profile picture.

Back in my old house in London, I still have a few dozen videos and DVDs of the majority of episodes from the very first in 2005 to the first couple of 2008's, half on VHS and half on DVD. They're stored away somewhere, but should I decide to relive that era of my life one day I'll definitely dig them out and remind myself of the days when a 45 minute Channel 4 game show was the best damn show ever made. Posting about it on the best damn forum ever made with the best damn people ever made.

So yeah. Happy 10th birthday, Deal or No Deal. Thanks for making the rest of my life happen. And thank you to all the people, whether on the show or not, whose lives have changed for the better because of you. You were one hell of a programme.

Away I go

Billy - I'd like to respond to that with a compliment or something similar, but perhaps this says more than I could write. Oh, yeah, ignore the old guy...

https://youtu.be/J3Pl-qvA1X8

Bravo.