What Happened to "Deal or No Deal"

Howie Mandel with model on the set of "Deal or No Deal."
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What happened to "Deal or No Deal?" For a while, it was one of the most popular shows on television, giving the television game show industry a bit of a revival. The game show, hosted by actor and comedian Howie Mandel, first aired in 2005. It was wildly popular and excellent ratings when it first aired.

It was put in syndication from 2008 to 2010 when it was canceled due to declining ratings. The game show relaunched in the United Kingdom for a short time in 2016, but that version also was axed. It was available to watch reruns on GSN starting in 2014. 

About Deal or No Deal

In the game show, a contestant faced 22 sealed briefcases that had cash amounts in them. One could have a penny while the other had $1 million dollars and the contestant had no idea what was in the cases. The contestant had to pick one and hold it aside until it was unsealed at the end.

Next, the player had to eliminate the remaining 21 cases in between deals from "The Banker," an anonymous person who would offer a certain amount of cash for the player to take his or her original case and stop playing. Upon an offer from The Banker, Mandel would ask, "Deal or No Deal?"

Fun Facts About Deal or No Deal

Even though you know what happened to "Deal or No Deal," here are a few things you may not know about the show:

  • Versions are available as video games, and there is a social media version of "Deal or No Deal" on Facebook. It was available as a board game as well.
  • Endemol was the producer of the show. It also came out with “Wipeout,” “1 VS 100,” “Fear Factor,” “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition,” and “Big Brother.”
  • The original pilot was produced for ABC in early 2004 with Irish TV personality Patrick Kielty as host and a $2.5 million prize. ABC later decided against airing those episodes, which were taped in Hollywood. He married television presenter Cat Deeley in 2012.
  • Though originally taped at Sunset-Gower Studios in Los Angeles it was later moved to the Sonalysts Studios in Waterford, Connecticut.
  • In the syndicated version of the game show, there was less cash offered and only 22 cases.
  • There were 199 episodes of the NBC show taped.
  • The show earned a Teen Choice Award for Choice TV: Game Show and won a People's Choice Award for Favorite Game Show.
  • Canada also got on the "Deal or No Deal" bandwagon with its version, Le Banquier, which was named after The Banker.
  • Singer Celine Dion once appeared to support a player who was a big fan of her music. Big Bird was also on the show in connection to a contestant who had a childhood fear of the "Sesame Street" character. 

Since his exit from the game show, Mandel appeared on his reality show, "Howie Do It" in 2009. In 2012, he returned with another game show titled, "Take It All," which had just six episodes.