Ok we all love the show now but what made you watch it in the first place and what hooked you into becoming a fan.

For me I started watching in about late November early December after just hearing things about the show and then read something in the News of the World about Jennifer who won £120,000. So I decided to watch it and see what all the fuss was about. To be honest after the first episode I wasn't too sure what to think, I thought it definetly had potential and so watched a few more shows and then it happened I became a DOND addict where I couldn't miss a single show and uptil this day I haven't looked back.

I started an almost identical topic literally a few minutes before you, here http://www.dond.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?t=3321

I suppose we can have two!

De ja vue there

We must have had the same wave thought or something

That's always happening to me with many people!

I started watching ont he very first show back on October 31st 2005 as i knew at that point that i was about to go to Bristol to film. I was about a wek away from going to film myself and was getting nervous. It was wierd watching the show on TV thinking "i'm there soon!"

I thought that the show was enthralling from the beginning, but it did take Noel a few shows to really get into it. You can tell he had a bit of studio-rust prior to getting into the swing of things. Good to know it's like second nature though now.

Here's my "experience"...

When I first heard, last October, about Noel Edmonds' comeback, I think I heard it on the radio, and when I heard "Deal or No Deal" being mentioned, I thought it was going to be an antiques programme, as in "Dealing with Dickinson" (David Dickinson) that was shown last summer on BBC 1.

How wrong could I have been? I vividly remember October 31st, too. I was planning to watch the first episode of Deal or No Deal, but then forgot all about it during that Monday as I had a disagreement about coursework at school (the teacher was in the wrong, of course), and I forgot all about DOND. Until I suddenly remembered at 4pm - "Noel Edmonds is on at 4:15pm!" - and from that moment, I was hooked.

When I watched the first episode, it only took me a few minutes to understand what was going on, but I admittedly did think, as I know others thought on this forum, how will this format last? But, then, the interaction between the banker, the contestant, Noel, other contestants and the audience formed.

I was diasppointed when I realised it wasgoing to only last for 66 episodes, but then C4 renewed its contract... twice... and it's with us until at least December 2007, as far as I know!

I forgot whos game it was I watched but I was upstair chatting on random forums. I came down to get a snack and went into the lounge where my mum was watching DOND. I queried about it but was confused by the rules at first because it was at the end.

Next day I watched beginning to end and got addicted.

Bother's Bar had a review of the Australian version for a while, and I'd followed the news about the UK version over the Summer and early Autumn, with the rumours about it being a National Lottery show with 49 cases, then a Channel 4 show with a £100,000 top prize, then £250,000 top prize, then Les Dennis confirmed as host, then Noel Edmonds confirmed as host. I have to admit that I didn't really understand the rules looking at the Australian review, but it sounded like it was gonna be popular, so I watched the first UK episode on that Halloween night...and the rest is history, really. Been watching since then.

The first episode I watched was Mark's (1st November 2005, Show 2). I can't actually remember his game at all really, the only thing I remember was when Noel said he was a brave man for wearing a kilt on national television!

my best mate showed me max(1)'s game and i enjoyed it, and then i went to his house to watch Jenni's game and i've watched it ever since

I can't remember who's game I watched first but the first one I remember was Geordies Game, my mum used to watch it all the time but I was busy with my business then and didn't watch tea time tv, from then on i've been hooked and of course there is Noel

I watched it from the start and when they mentioned Noel was on it I had to give it a view and watched it ever since

My first experience of DOND was during the christmas hols during the last week of december. I had it on in the background and always caught it by accident then i started getting hooked and have watched most shows since!

My opinion of Noel has changed since watching the show. Before watching I wasnt overly keen on him and wasnt really a fan of house party. But I now realise that he is a fab presenter and makes the show what it is.

Admittedly, during the first few shows, I'd managed to work out how everything worked, etc., but one thing I could not getmy head around was why did they have all these people standing there to open the boxes? And who were they?

I'm not sure Noel actually ever said that they were contestants waiting to play, but at first, I was a bit confused and didn't realise that one of the 22 would play, and then the next day someone else would play and the players would be replaced by new contestants and they'd stand on the wings and open boxes.

Then it all became clear, especially as all the other contestants started to join in with advice, etc.

I could not imagine it now without the other contestants - imagine how lonely it would be in that chair without the other contestants standing to the east and west of you!

It's also quite strange thinking about how far DOND has come since 31st October 2005, in many ways - the way Noel works / acts, the contestant's attitude / strategy, the Banker and the contestant's (possible lack of) respect for him, the involvement of the other contestants, the audience, etc.... and all this has happened in less than 9 months, and only 6 months in terms of filming! I suppose it's because we've had so many episodes. I mean, if they showed 3 spidoes a week instead of 6, we'd only be up to about show 117 by the time the summer break came, which incidentally, was gentleman James' game!

I agree. The premise of the show has stayed the same but all the small changes they have made along the way have improved it especialy the interaction between everyone.

At first I thought they changed contestants everyday but then I soon realised they all stay in the same hotel for 2-4 weeks and get to know each other and their personal targets. Something which other game shows don't offer.

Imagine if the show was just on once a week every saturday instead of 6 times a week. We'd of only had a few games compared to over the 230 that have been and gone.

I started watching it by chance. I was watching Coutndown and they mentioned something about a new show coming on, being presented by Noel Edmonds so I thought I'd tune in and check it out. I hadn't heard anything about it beforehand. I've been hooked since the very beginning and tried to spread the DOND love at every oppertunity.

I saw the Bother's Bar article mentioned by Billy and followed some of the rumours... I knew it had potential to be very interesting, but much of our execution made it even better than that (though there's still some things I don't like about our version, and it's fascinating seeing other global versions that are so different).

Quite simply because I had always watched Countdown and couldn't bting myself to watch Des after about 10 shows so switched to give DOND a go.

Never looked back and never watched Countdown since

...Aren't they on the same channel?