Just read some interesting news regarding DoND USA from Buzzerblog @ http://www.buzzerblog.com . Here's the post:

Interesting headline from our friends at Hollywood Junket. Supposedly production on both the primetime and daytime editions of Deal or No Deal. Reasons are being boiled down to “working out some issues”. Or in other words, “we’re not happy with how the show is doing; we need to find a way to save it and bring the ratings up. Interestingly they are hearing from insiders that one of the versions may not come back because of low ratings.

Hollywood Junket thinks it’s the daytime version, but I don’t think they understand the ratings difference from daytime and primetime shows. Last Friday’s episode of Deal or No Deal got just a 3.9 rating. It’s been hovering around the 4.0 range more often than not. However, Daytime Deal keeps growing and growing, up to a 1.8 and two and a half million viewers at last count. It’s the top rated new syndicated game show, the top rated new game show since Who Wants to be a Millionaire?, and it’s not that far away from Millionaire’s rating. Only 0.7 behind; not a lot to gain on counting that Deal hasn’t stopped growing.

I think primetime Deal is on its way out more than anything. Ratings are really dragging and word of mouth of Daytime Deal is spreading rapidly. More people are turning over. What’s to blame for primetime Deal’s downfall? I don’t even think it’s overexposure, because it was severely overexposed last season and the ratings weren’t at the levels they are now. I think they just ruined the mystique of the show by giving away the million twice and too easily for one. But my main reason is because of the word of mouth of Daytime Deal. People are seeing a good Deal or No Deal, how it’s supposed to be played, and just an overall more entertaining show. I can barely watch primetime Deal anymore because of how painfully slow and drawn out it is, how annoying the contestants are, and just the circus it’s become. Daytime Deal is the opposite of it. If Daytime Deal somehow is the show that gets axed, if this is indeed true, I’ll just be in utter shock.

Is there any way to save primetime Deal? I really don’t think there are clear ways to without just totally changing the show. I don’t even think just streamlining the show like Daytime Deal would help. I’d just do what the Dutch do. Raise the prize, add some new rounds in, and make it event programming. Make it a special event and a special reason to watch the show. What they have now is stale and not working anymore.

The article makes some very good points. The primetime version's ratings have been slipping recently, while the syndicated version's ratings are constantly on the rise. I suppose the constant overuse of gimmickry that the primetime version has become notorious for has finally backfired. Plus, we've not had one normal game since the season began. It's been one MDM game after another.

What do all of you have to say about this?

I wouldn't mind if Daytime Deal was canceled because I never have time to watch it, anyway. I love the primetime version and would be upset if that went. They only had two million-dollar winners. WWTBAM had at least 10 and that was enormously popular.

A while back, I had heard a rumor that syndie Deal was being brought in to eventually replace primetime Deal. The rumor was that primetime Deal would be gone after this season, while syndie Deal would continue on. So this report totally makes sense. Primetime Deal may be hitting that burnout point that Millionaire had, so it might be time to pull the plug next summer at season's end. And honestly, that doesn't totally sadden me. If not for the models, I'd have no problem whatsoever with the primetime version being gone. Syndie Deal is the way the show should be... hardly any of the cheesy stuff, and more of the game itself. Like I said, though... the one thing I'll miss is the models. No more seeing my beloved Lindsay and her trademark dips? No more seeing Katie's trademark quick glances? No more seeing Keltie's trademark quick reveals? No more seeing Claudia and her world-class fakes? What a sad, sad thought.


No... Friday's game had a regular money table.

I saw part of Monday's 200th episode. I am definitely convinced that Primetime Deal is on its way out, possibly even before the New Year hits.

Needless to say, I was definitely *not* impressed at all with what they did. I need not say more about it.

Actually, I didn't think it was that bad. Doing it every show would definitely not work, but doing it every now and then wouldn't hurt.