No, you did not misread that. The laughing stock of all international DoND version is returning to the air on May 4th. Our friends at Game Show NewsNet (http://www.gameshownewsnet.com) have some information on the upcoming episodes.

NBC's "Deal Or No Deal," hosted by Howie Mandel, will return with all new episodes starting Monday, May 4. The new episodes will air on May 4 and 11 (8-9 p.m. ET) and two back-to-back episodes are set to air on May 18 (8-10 p.m. ET). Each episode will feature the "Beat the Banker" game where viewers at home can watch and play for a chance to win $10,000.

On May 4, Denise Kinard, a single mom from Bronx, New York (or as she says, "BX!") hopes to win enough money to open up her own pre-school. But, the banker is sure she will go home with nothing (which she most likely will) and sends her a message that pays homage to former New York contestants who left with very little money (which she will as well).

The May 11 episode is full of fun and a friend of the banker -- a chimpanzee (Great, another useless one-time gimmick. Don't these idiots ever learn?!)! Kim Jones, who hails from a tiny town in the South, is determined to win a lot of money to help start her own business. Will her southern charm sweet talk the banker? (Most likely not!) Next, Thomas Fritze, a 25-year-old third generation teacher, is convinced his math knowledge will help him win enough money so he can finally move out of his parents' house. The banker is not convinced and brings a chimpanzee on the show to prove that it can make a better deal than Fritze (Ladies and gentlemen, I give the US version's answer to Daniel Judge!).

On May 18, two back-to-back episodes will include an aspiring bar owner and a musician with a strange phobia. Goretty Medeiros is followed everywhere by a black cloud -- and she is sure that it's with her on the "Deal Or No Deal" stage. She predicts that she will only take home $10,000 (She'll most likely win much less than that) but is going for the gold regardless in the hopes of opening her own bar. David Lee is a traveling musician who wants to win enough money to replace the van he tours in and to help his musician parents out as well. But, with a strange fear of styrofoam (The contestant is now the gimmick? Now I've seen everything...), Lee is hoping to brave the challenges the banker puts in front of him.

Okay, that's what's ahead. Clearly, the producers have learned nothing over the past few months. NBC is bringing this dud back as an act of desperation, as its ratings have been terrible as of late. Let's see if this was a good idea or not...

Why the pessimism?

Because DoND USA is awful, and there are numerous reasons for that.

But hey, at least its return gives me something to do around here. I'm the senior US version recapper around these parts, so that means this dark corner of the forum will actually have some activity for a change.

Cool. can't wait to read your recaps.

Doesn't sound like we have Million Dollar Madness again... should be better I guess... I'd like to see someone go home with a six-figure case value this season.

Nope. No more Million Dollar Missions this time around, which is one redeeming factor, I suppose. But mark my words on this (no pun intended), there will be some idiotic contestants this season, just as there have been in previous seasons. I am jealous of the UK version; you guys do practically everything right. Our version comes off like a giant DoND parody.

Looking forward - hopefully we'll get/find the new soundtrack, too!

So the rumors were true... 10 more days until it's back! Double Deal days are upon us once again.

Double Deal days? Are they like all the board values doubled or something?

No, I think he's referring to the fact that we'll be able to watch DoND twice in one day again (syndie version & NBC primetime version).

Oh right