Last night was the first of three Deal or No Deal Around the World episodes, filmed on location in The Philippines. The idea of these episodes is to take the game on the road, with American contestants and host Howie Mandel, but play according to the host country's customs and rules. Contestants play for American cash, and the prize board is the same as it is in the U.S. version.

The first stop on the tour was The Philippines, where the show is hosted by Kris Aquino. Aquino is an accomplished actress and host in her own right, and the daughter of former President Corazon Aquino and Benigno Aquino, Jr., whose face is on the local currency. She was on hand for the entire show, telling Mandel the names of the models and giving us a taste of how the show plays out in The Philippines.

While the game itself was almost identical to the American version, there were some really fun differences too. The briefcase models, who are dubbed "The 26 K", come out and dance instead of just walking down the stairs. As this is going on, the studio audience goes nuts, dancing along and cheering. When a contestant picks a case with a very low amount inside, an on-hand DJ launches a clip of dance music and once again everyone is up and moving. Aquino says that it's "party time," and really, it brings a lot of energy into the show.

The Filipino Banker can be seen pacing around in his booth, and he actually dances when a contestant knocks out a larger amount. One poor model, who holds case number 17, is considered the "unlucky" one as she's usually holding a high dollar amount that gets taken from the board. Another very minor thing that I noticed was that they don't bunch the case models together during every commercial break. The podiums are removed, but the models stay in their original spots as the game progresses. The show was sprinkled with funny clips of Howie Mandel exploring the country, from the supermarkets to the airport.

Overall, it seems Deal or No Deal is much more energetic and light-hearted in The Philippines than it is here in North America. There was very little drama, even as both contestants battled their way to their eventual deals. Aquino is upbeat and enthusiastic, and the audience is very responsive. The show was well worth the two-hour time investment!

Deal or No Deal Around the World continues this Wednesday night with a stop in Estonia. The final destination is South Africa, and that episode airs Monday May 14th.

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