I had this thought the other day...why do they use boxes for the amounts to be in? Why don't they use envelopes or like on Brain Teaser on the viewers puzzle when they twizzle the baubles around on the Christmas tree, surely that's a possibility.

Envelopes? Yes, let's put a small envelope on a huge bench. Let's carry a huge amount of money in a small envelope to a huge table. Let's open a small envelope and reveal a card with a bit of money printed on it - no. It sounds really really cheap, and the whole opening motion of the box revealing the money is better then tearing an envelope open and pulling a card out, and showing it to everyone. Plus, it would have to be a pretty big envelope to fit on the font large enough for the viewers to see

I think envelopes would be a brilliant idea! I demand envelopes.

I thought you are detracted to big changes in the show?

Why even have huge tables? Why not just have everyone standing round in a circle? Why don't the contestants have the numbers on their t-shirts then open an envelope? I wouldn't want the format to change, but I've always wondered why they chose boxes!

The whole big red box and opening motion is to emphasise it for the people at home. I'm sure the whole game wouldnt have the same effect if the amounts of money were revealed in a little envelope.

We will never know!

"The independent adjudicator has licked the envelopes and only he knows where the money is"... I can see it happening!

One thing I have always thought about the boxes is why they need to have numbers on...I know it gives Noel and the other players something to talk about, but that kind of thing generally just annoys me, so I wouldn't mind if they got rid of that.

But then you would have to call out the contestant instead to pick a box - and it would remove an element to the game.

But that would be good...might lead to a (tiny) bit more interaction with the contestants on the wings, as they'd have to be named each time. I have no interest at all in the "box numbers" aspect of it. I'm not seriously expecting them to do this, though.

We use envelopes every Tuesday at the 'Meal or No Meal' game I host, it works fine...

...having said that, that is only a local pub game not a TV show watched my 4,000,000+ viewers.

I was thinking that the other day.... Cases seem to make so much more sense over in the US of A.

I do believe that before the show, they were cases but were changed to boxes later. Thats why the previous picture on Channel 4's picture had Noel standing there with a case.

Agreed. It would help us to get to know the names of contestants better and it might even stop these fanclubs of certain boxes and dislike clubs of others.
Not that I have anything against people liking certain boxes but giving them fanclubs in my opinion is taking it slightly to far. But that's just my opinion.

It would be tougher for the contestants if they had to open the box turned towards themselves, read out the amount to their fellow contestant sat in the crazy chair, then turn the box round to confirm what they'd said, but entertaining nevertheless!

Or maybe they could have the numbers on their t-shirts, and then have to take their t-shirts off to reveal an amount of money written on their chests?

Although that'd probably have to be shown post-watershed.

I've often wondered what the game would be like if they did that!

It was (is? I stopped watching ages ago so I've no idea if it's still going on) a bit like that in the daily Dutch version...the players had to lift bits of card out of the boxes, for some reason, so would generally look and see what was on them before they showed it to everyone else. Kind of ruined the suspense a bit.

You cannot change the boxes! I love box openings! If they went I think I'd stop watching it.

We were discussing a version of DOND: Uncut last night in the Chatroom.
I think it should be called DOND: In The City

Here's another thought. On a clothes rail could be several of Noel's shirts, and instead of picking numbers you could say "I'll have that weird inside out Paisely shirt you had on yesterday" and they pick it out, and remove the amount from the pocket. I think that would be more interesting than boxes personally!

Numberless boxes would be interesting... they really would be identical boxes then! Difficult to know how they would allocate them though, and would make it even harder for some players to choose which one to pick. And when someone has two boxes to open, like Danny the last couple of days, it would get a bit confusing...