Hi,

Now that the show has been on for many months with very little change, is Endemol likely to change the format or add anything to it? To be honest, I think that keeping it simple like it is works fine, but what "ingredients" could be added to the show to ensure that people don't start saying it's getting repetitive?

For example, I read somwhere, that in one game, he actually takes the contestant outside of the studios and asks the people on the streets of Bristol whether they should deal or not! Not sure whether this is true...

They should let the player open his box at the beginning and just walk away with that! And then get another player on and do a proper show...


And i dont like the 5-3-3-3-3-3 format.

If it was 1 box to the next offer when there are not many boxes left, it would encourage the player to no deal more, and possibly win more.

I have heard they do this on other shows, but when the player has won an amount, they can if they want to, open one of two boxes: Double or Nothing. As the name suggests, they could leave with double their origianl prize or absolute zilch

That would be brill!

On Australia, they have a gaint case with either Double or Nothing inside.

I'd like to see the banker's offers becoming even less predictable. That would put greater pressure on the player. In some games now it seems they just wait til the offer is right for them and go at that point. So they haven't really played the game, they've just gone through the process until the money was right.

I'd also play some players sooner. They all seem to know they'll be there for 20 plus shows. Why not play some after half a dozen shows?

It's good the show's going to summer recess. It's possible to have too much of a good thing. On return in Sept, i think everyone'll be refreshed and looking forward to it again.

(Oops, sorry, read the last post wrong. Ignore this one.)

That would be completely unfair on them, they would miss out on so much of the experience. I'm sure many of them would rather win 1p than have that happen.

Maybe get someone to win the £250,000.

Having said what I did, I still think mixing up the length of time before people play is a good thing though. Just that everyone should at least be allowed to get into double figures.

It has to be about time for another Lucy-style run from a contestant.

Put the amounts higher!!

On the US version, the prize money is 1 Million Dollars!!
But I suppose everything in America is always bigger and better.

I think people on the show over here are generally too cautious for a much bigger top prize to really work, the money involved would quickly become life-changing if they kept it in play for 3 or 4 rounds.

Still, if the £250,000 is won and they want to keep people watching then maybe they could raise it to £500,000 either permanently or as an occasional "special" show.

The show isn't about being fair or unfair and it certainly isn't about making sure the player has a good experience. It's about what makes good viewing and I think the show is losing a bit of 'edge' when players can almost guarantee they'll be there for a week and a half or more.

I'm surprised that someone who claims to have been a contestant would say that - although I also think that the whole thing seems to have gone a bit too far in the way that people don't want their game to come round because it means they will have to leave. It seems more like a holiday to some contestants, with the actual game taking second place.

As a viewer it is good to sometimes be surprised by who is selected to play, but don't like it when someone is called out and you barely recognise them, which would probably happen if someone was picked after 5 or 6 shows. Sure it will happen one day though, even if it's just because someone has other commitments and has to leave or just doesn't really fit into the group.

I don't really see what would be that entertaining about someone getting picked to play really early - there'd be the initial "Ooh, she's only been there 2 shows, how odd", but then it would be just the same as normal, surely?

Yes, I think they need to add a few more tablespoons of flour, one ounce of sugar, drop of milk and eurgh! Far too much salt!

Yes, thank you The Banker, I knew someone would do that if I entitled the thread "New ingredients".