A lot of us criticise the contestants who appear pretty dull in the wings... particularly when there's a spell where there's not many characters around. Some, of course, have a go at the early dealers, who dare to take a sum of money that's meaningful to them, rather than "playing the game" and making it exciting for the viewers...

So, what about if there was a contestant who came with the approach of saying absolutely nothing in the wings, so the Banker can't read them at all, then walking as soon as they get £15,000 - even if that's the first or second offer - and not caring what would have happened afterwards? Is that a valid approach or would it be against the "spirit" of the game and the show? Should contestants play the game totally for themselves, or give some consideration for the need to make good TV knowing that they're being watched by 3 million people?

(Of course the producers wouldn't select someone who said that was their approach, but they wouldn't say that at interview, and obviously the producers will go for a mixture of "louder" and "quieter" characters - after all, Bunney was great but you still wouldn't want a whole wing full of Bunneys!)

No, I don't think they have any kind of duty. If the show is dull then it's the responsibility of the producers and the people who make the show to make it entertaining.

With regards to behaviour on the wings, I think "making an effort" to be entertaining often has the opposite effect anyway. I thought Bunney was one of the most irritating people I've ever seen on TV, whereas I really liked people like, for example, £1 Barbara, who didn't do anything out of the ordinary except be themselves. If contestants did feel they had a duty to be "entertaining" then it would probably lead to them being the exact opposite in many cases. The players chosen should just be naturally likeable people, rather than having to have some kind of "gimmick" to make them stand out.

As for playing the game, I absolutely think the players should be able to do whatever they want to. If we get too many people dealing early, as seems to be happening at the moment (or indeed too many people gambling), then it's the responsibility of the Banker, whoever he may be, to pitch his offers in a way that gets a good balance. This week, for example, while the early deals of Philip and Anne-Marie were quite surprising, I thought it was blatantly obvious that Rita was going to go early given the chance, and the people making the show should have pitched much more testing offers if they wanted to avoid that. (I suppose you could argue that the offers were high to ensure a "feel-good" show, but if that was the case then why did they ridiculously inflate the proveout offers to give her no chance of an OPW?!)

If someone came along, said *beep* all on the wings then took the first offer for £15,000 and couldn't care less what happened afterwards then it would make quite an interesting talking point, I suppose. If everyone did that, it would be dire, but it's up to the producers to ensure that they don't.

A. I criticised anne-marie for taking £12k, because she had so many blues left, and she knew she would be hitting them all next round. So why take £12k?
B. the £15,000 careless option is the worst option to take in DoND bar the cautious approach. Hate it when people say, "Soon as i get £15k i will walk" and then probably dont walk when they're offered £15,000.01 aswell.

Blimey, she never mentioned that she was a psychic...

I like this paragraph. I couldn't have put it better myself.

Obviously I wasn't suggesting lots of contestants should try to be like Bunney, for example (as my comment about a "wing full of Bunneys" was intended to clarify) - I think he was being himself and definitely a one-off, but most contestants can come across as interesting characters just by being themselves - whether that's with a gimmick/catchphrase, by providing comedy moments or just with good advice and enthusiastic support. It's good to have a mixture of all these types, as well as a few quiet ones who surprise you when they get in the chair, though it can be a bit annoying when there's someone who you wonder why they didn't make more of them before their game.

The game itself and the presenter and not the contestants should be sufficiently entertaining in themselves, which I believe they are.

If some of the contestants are entertaining then that is a bonus but the fact that they are normal people is why people can relate to them.

The entertainment comes from Noel and his banter with the banker and the drama of the game unfolding.

Not sure I completely agree with that, I think what makes the UK format is the fact that we see the contestants on screen over a few weeks and get to "know" them a bit before they get in the chair.

When I'd been away for a couple of months and seen nothing apart from a few Youtube clips, it was a bit harder to get back into it, but soon got familiar with some of the characters of that era. But a few weeks later there was a time when there were only one or two people's games I was looking forward to, and along with the run of crap games we had I was finding it hard to retain interest. But now we've got some interesting characters that they're making the most of again, and there's a fair number of games I look forward to seeing. "Storylines" are what keep people hooked on soaps/drama/reality shows/sport etc., but DOND is pretty much unique among gameshows in having that aspect to it.

I'm not against 3rd round dealers per se (after all Melanie and Harry, two of my faves did so, and their proveouts were fantastic entertainment), but prefer it when it's a once in a blue moon occurrence and not almost commonplace as it seems to be becoming. I don't think AMO proveout offers are the answer either, as it just reeks of unfairness, but I'd almost wish nasty banker would come back (or at least be more unpredictable).

We need to see some more happy games, and I get the feeling that the only way to get an OPW now is to gamble and hope you have a biggie in the box (like Barry), or if you have a blue, leave a biggie out on the wings till the very end (like Charlie), or if you deal earlier, more or less take out everything above the offer in one round (like Kerry).

If it wasn't for many characters on the wings whose games I'm really looking forward to, I'd almost want to stop watching, as in the Anne-Marie thread, too many games seem to be holding pattern. Gaz's was great for the novelty if anything else, as he had a great board sneak up on him, he only had an average start (75k going in the first round, 35k, 15k and 10k also went quite early, but then had two all-blue rounds more or less)!

I dont think the contestants have any obligation to entertain either on the wings or in the hot seat. But sometimes you are having so much fun you cannot help it.

I was so into the game while on the wings that I forgot all about the cameras and the audience. You really do forget all about the cameras after a really short time

Geordie

The people choosing the contestants - I believe in the US they're called 'contestant coordinators', I don't know if we use that term here - have a duty to pick players who will be worth watching.

The contestants themselves have no such duty to entertain.

I don't think contestants have a duty to entertain us. After all people have their personalities and its hard to change. Quiet introverted people don't suddenly become loud extroverts because they are on TV. Its the responsibility of the people choosing contestants to pick a blend of personalities that give some variety.

Also all the recent blue chanting has robbed the players of any chance to say anything or show any personalitty as they are drowned out the minute they go to open their box.

But Noels recent introductions to some of the players has helped us to get to know something about them and the demise of the blue chants should help us get to know them more during the game.

All we want now are some players with the guts to go for the big money when they've got the board to do so. Thats what I call entertaining!

Agreed, but...



We've already got some, though not a flood of them, and with the offers as they are it would generally take more stupidity than guts to do it at present. And the attitude to risk should be incorporated under 'variety' as well, I think!

Yeah, just in the past week we've had Theresa taking a huge gamble and Gaz admittedly going too soon but still getting to the fifth offer with an amazing board and having one of the biggest wins ever. Not long before that we had Penny and Barry determined to go all the way for the big money as well...I think there are plenty of players with the "guts" to go for it.