I find myself appallingly gripped by Deal or No Deal

[maidamess]

For so many reasons!

Its the line of prats West Wing

Its the pensioners on a day trip Audience

Its the producer on the telephone banker

Its the worthless cardboard box box of dreams

Its Noel's biceps, the squiggles on his hand, his nail varnished pinky nail, his shirt tucked into his jeans....
GAH!! Tear me away from it someone!!

[MamaG]

I don't understand it - I watched it once and I just didn't get it

[Fimbo]

I saw a bit of it last night (parents staying - they love it and are clued to all these tea-time progs)

[charmander]

the australian version is much better - i can't bear to watch noel on it, it gives me the creeps.

[mehgalegs]

I watch it now and again. i understand the game and agree, it is gripping, but I often have this feeling like the panel and audience are all members of some weird cult. they all seem to be in on some sort of pact or summink and come across a bit geeky.

[maidamess]

mama G would you like me to explain the rules?

[themoon66]

I'm not glued to it, but if it's on in the background I have been known to stop what I'm doing to watch the final bits when the contenstant gets all greedy and blows the lot

[hecate]

I watched it a few times, was disturbed by how pleased I was when they came away with nothing. Then started to think they were all so grinny and pally and weird that they probably had a gang-bang every night in the hotel, with Noel in the middle, his gnome like face grinning and his bare saggy arse on show.

And that image disturbed me so much that I never watched the show again.

[MamaG]

You can try, but others have trid and I still don't get it

[JackieNo]

I can't stand it, but DH loves it, and if he's around when it's on, uses it to explain statistics and probability to DD .

[maidamess]

I find the actual box opening secondary to the people themselves. They are all so strange.

Meghalegs was right, its like they are in a cult. They all really believe The Baker is a real person, and the box on the desk really is worth something. It's cardboard!!

[JackieNo]

Bleeurgh, hecate, now we won't be able to get that image out of our heads either. Thanks a lot.

[themoon66]

Agree they are all strangely cult-like. I also find it amusing that whenever someone is about to open a box and they do that grand speech about -

'you're a great, wonderful, generous lady and we love you and are gonna miss you so much, here's a blue for you babe xxx'

Then they invariably open the box with a massive amount of money in

[maidamess]

Ok Mama G.

There are 20 boxes, with prats standing waiting to open them. The person who is choosing has a box too. In the boxes are values ranging from 1p to £250,000.

the person choosing asks for boxes to be opened in turn, and the contents revealed. they are hoping to elimiante all the lower value boxes, leaving just £250K on the desk in front of them.

At different parts of this process 'The banker' rings up, and makes an offer to buy the box from the chooser, dependent on what values havent been revealed yet (this is the bit where I get unstuck)

So if only 1p and £250k havent been revealed and are left, he will offer about £160k to buy the choosers box.

He's trying to tempt them to part with a box that may contain the biggest sum, for a lower amount of money. Its all a gamble.

Any clearer?

[mehgalegs]

or 50p and everyone cries.

[maidamess]

I have reached a new low.

I can't believe I've just spent 5 minutes banging out the rules for deal or No frigging Deal.

Hecate, I too laugh out loud when they open the 250k by mistake.

Also, when have they got time to get all their little momentoes. like grandads gardening fork, or childs first tooth to bring them 'luck'

Its a RANDOM GAME, PEOPLE.

I need to get out more.

Moon, I also love the speeches 'you'll be fondly remembered' Heh? they're not dead!

[sweetkitty]

I am addicted now too I feed DD3 at DOND time, it's part of my day now, 4.15 sit on sofa feet up, BF, DOND on TV start making dinner when it's finished - my life is so exciting!

[Snaf]

Did you see the one the other day when it was the girl who wrote the godawful poetry/doggerel about everyone? Ack. She was sobbing all the way through, and basically it ended up being her dead dad's fault that she gave away £250K...

[currently unemployed emoticon]

[maidamess]

I watch it twice a day. Once when I come in from work at lunchtime and once in the evening. thats lame!

[sweetkitty]

What I want to know is why is Dame Judi Dench on it right now?

(need to watch it this week to know what I'm on about)

[maidamess]

Snaf, yes I did see her, a beautician as I recall.

Some folk realy do se it as their 15 minutes of fame and ham it up for all its worth.

How long to they have to wait in the gang opening boxes before they are shipped out for a new lot?

is it like being on jury service?

[bellabelly]

Oh god, I am addicted to this programme, i is sooo compelling. Will watch Noel this aftrnoon in the light of Hecate's comment and find him even creepier than usual.

[maidamess]

She's like a lovechild between

and Dame Judy, non?

[skyatnight]

I was really hooked on it about two years ago (way before yow) but the fascination does wear off. I sometimes turn on about 2/3 of the way through to see what they get but I have to turn off if they mess it up and end up with 50p - cringe-making.

Noel is like the teacher and they are the schoolchildren. It is funny when someone gets a hit too pally or cheeky with him and he has to draw back as if to say: 'Hang on, I'm the celebrity here, you're just telly-fodder.'

[maidamess]

Yes Noel definitely has 'issues'. He's bitter and twisted like Dave Lee Travis. All the old radio 1 dj's are like that.

[MrsMills]

Did anyone see this, possibly the most cringeworthy piece of tv I've ever seen. ''gorgeous face'' TWAT.

(I know we shoudln't link to other sites, but I cannot find it anywhere else)