Posted November 21st, 2008by AdministratorNo Comments »
The following is an update to a recent post we reported regarding rumors about the
NBC game show, DEAL OR NO DEAL.
The facts are: DEAL OR NO DEAL halted filming of both day time and prime time versions at the end of September of this year. Neither one has yet to start back up. The prime time DEAL was only a few months into filming of its fourth season when this surprise hiatus took place.
Some more facts have been revealed to me by an inside source. According to this source, the prime time show was suppose to return this month, then it got pushed to December, now January. And, truthfully, this source said, it’s not 100% certain yet if the show will indeed return in January either.
A suggestion this source made - ALL fans should write to NBC to tell the network, and Jeff Zucker (President and Chief Executive Officer of NBC Universal) how much they love the show.
30 Rockfeller Plaza, Room 1802 New York, NY 10112.
More updates to come as news develops. On a lighter note, stay tuned for our report of this year’s DEAL Christmas episode. A Hollywood Junket host was there!
The latest word on the set is: DEAL OR NO DEAL may be canceled.
According to some of the rumors floating around town, as in Hollywood, both prime time DEAL’ and daytime DEAL’ halted filming
for about a month to work-out some issues. Now, insiders are buzzing in our ears, that one may not be returning to production.
My guess is that it’s the daytime version, since ratings have not been high. Again, these are only rumors. We’ll get back to you all once we know the real deal!
FAMILY FEUD just taped it’s “Big Money Tournament” show yesterday! Seven games were played by past family contestants chosen by the show to play for a potential grand total of $120,000. Host, John O’Hurley stated that the families for this tournament were considered the “best” ones out of last years 165 shows!
Yep, they brought the “best” of those families back to play this high stakes game. O’Hurley, nor anyone else from the production of the show mention if “best” was defined by how well the families played in their previous game, or if “best” meant they were the most entertaining in personalities. In either case, neither scenario seemed to uphold.
To see John O’Hurley for the first time in person, was like seeing John O’Hurley on TV. He never seemed to break character, even when talking to the audience. However, when one has as a distinctive voice as he, I suppose it would be difficult to determine when he’s being himself. On a professional note, the majority of O’Hurley’s lines on the show are improv. And believe it or not, a lot of hosts have difficulty reading from the teleprompter and must do re-takes. O’Hurley on the other hand, never needed a retake for the entire day of filming, and he was only cued on what to say with cue cards (yes, they still use those).
Six games were played by selected families: Teague vs. Anderson; Tripp vs. DeRoux; Hart vs. Sutton; and so on. The winning family of each game had to play the winning family of another game until the final two families were narrowed down to play the seventh and final game.
Each regular game was played as usual. Except, at the end of the “Fast Money Round”, if a total of 200 points was scored, $20,000 went to NOT the family playing, but instead, to a “jackpot” in which the final two families played to win. So, if each of the six games played ended with the contestants earning the 200 pts., then the jackpot had the potential of being $120,000. Don’t worry, I won’t reveal how much it actually ended-up being.
At the end of the final, seventh “Big Money Tournament” game, there was NO “Fast Money Round” at all. Instead, the two families played until one of them earned 400 points or more. The first family to reach 400 points in the final game, won the jackpot! Orange and blue balloons galore fell upon the stage!
My biggest complaint (besides the show announcer’s, quirky personality, who is also the show’s warm-up host) was there was not enough of a build-up to when the winning family was actually winning. Okay, there was NO build-up to the moment when the question was answered that would decide who would win the jackpot.
Audience complaints rang throughout the entire time of the tapings of shows in regards to the aggressive manner in which the announcer/warm-up host, Burton Richardson, executed his job in a Nazi-like fashion. Not letting audience members talk when he was talking, not allowing them to use cell phones in between short breaks, and even pointing-out non-clapping and non-smiling audience participants. Such is life on the set of “Family Feud”.
On a sweeter note, one of the contestants on the show actually stopped the show to make a marriage proposal to his girlfriend sitting in the audience.
Awww! According to the show announcer, Richardson, it was the first time in “Family Feud” history that anyone ever proposed on-stage.
DEAL’ fans, the show just recently taped its very popular Christmas episode last week. Everyone who couldn’t make it to the filming, myself included, here’s some of what you missed - every studio audience member got: a Sony Milo; one hundred dollar check; free satellite for one year; an Xbox360; Guitar Hero; two tickets to Jennifer Aniston’s movie premiere. All totaling a value of $2,500!
More details on this episode from one of our hosts who attended will be posted once we get them.
HOLLYWOOD JUNKET is currently on the NBC/DEAL OR NO DEAL web site. We visited the set last season to interview
models and various staff on set, including, Nick The Model PA.
Spoiler Alert! This just in from the set of DEAL’.
Filming just wrapped about an hour ago on their first day back of filming, prime time version of “Deal or No Deal”, now in season four. A Hollywood Junket host reported back that the game finally had it’s first million dollar winner!
Yes, that’s right! It happened during the second half of taping on the first day back from hiatus.
After the contestant opened the million dollar case, confetti fell down, along with fake Howie Mandel $100 bills. All of the DEAL’ models joined them on stage as publicity photos were shot along with an interview of the winner. When Howie asked the contestant, what they are going to do with the money they said one of the things on the list is to buy a second-hand car. Howie reacted in surprise.
See VIDEO INTERVIEW with DEAL’ Model, Marisa Petroro (#18) backstage last season! Go to: HollywoodJunket.com
The latest happenings on the set of “Deal or No Deal” syndication filming: One contestant got so riled-up about the Banker’s offer, he slammed the “Deal” button cover down so hard that the cover slipped off of the podium and fell apart. The buzzer remained on the podium, but on its side. He continued the game using the fractured buzzer which still worked. It was a “play it as it lies” situation. Members of the crew worked diligently to put it back together after the contestant finished his game.
DEAL’ did special themed “couples” episodes. The first in the series was newlywed couples. Each set of couples stood at the case podiums. One couple selected by the “Deal Wheel” got a raw deal with their cases. Their luck was so bad, they managed to open ALL of the first 10 cases, high amount cases. They were left with the highest option case of $500. Their game was stopped by production after Act 2, and the contestants were sent away with $500. Their episode will not air. The show had to let another couple be selected from the “Deal Wheel” to play out a game for television.
However, the last game of the day, was struck with more bad luck. Their game ended with the option of winning only $10. According to one audience member, Howie did such an amazing job at saving the show with his comedy skills, it will most likely be aired.
The next series of couples shows filmed the next day, was twins. A bit more bad luck. The majority of the twin contestants opened all of their highest cases which in this game, there are only three of them: $100,00; 250,00; $500,000. I doubt that “Deal or No Deal” will be trying the double contestant games again anytime soon.
Good news for DEAL’ Model fans - the original prime time game show starts back filming this Wednesday! There was a casting call just last week for “Deal or No Deal” models in Hollywood. So, looks like we’ll be seeing one or two new ladies behind the cases this season. We’ll keep you all updated.
The “Family Feud” will be airing a night-time version with celebrity families, hosted by “Today” show weatherman, Al Roker, according to news reported by “BuzzerBlog” starting June 24th on NBC. HOLLYWOOD JUNKET was on set and witnessed some of the celebrities viewers at home will see playing one of America’s longest-running game show.
First of all, Al Roker is a terrific, and bubbly game show host. He is genuinely his upbeat and cheerful self when the cameras are rolling, but more important, when the cameras are not rolling. He jokingly apologized to audiences seated facing his backside, for the unflattering view.
First and foremost, the format of the celebrity edition of “Family Feud” is slightly different. Four families play in one show taping. The two winning families from both games go up against each other. The family that wins that game, goes on to the final showcase showdown where they have a chance to win $50,000 for their chosen charity.
In one episode, American Choppers competes against the Christopher Knight (a.k.a. Peter Brady) family which included his wife, Adrianne Curry (first “Top Model” winner), her mother , and her best friend, along with Knight’s brother. Knight joked with American Chopper Patriarch, Paul Teutul Sr., who is easily identifiable by his big mustache. Knight wore a fake black mustache and mocked Teutul while playing against him in the head-to-head question. Tuetul’s family included two sons and two shop employees.
Other families we saw battling against each other were: Ed McMahon family vs. Tiki Barber family; Deion Sanders family vs. Kardashian family; and Corbin Bernsen family vs. Margaret Cho family.
Above: Ed McMahon (far right) gets makeup for the next round!
Aside from being the host of “Star Search”, he’s most famous for being Johnny Carson’s (of the “Tonight Show”) cheerful sidekick, Ed McMahon was greeted by Al Roker who said, “we’ve hear a lot on the news. Are you okay?” McMahon responded with a simple, “yes”. McMahon was wearing a neck brace and was helped onto to the stage by his son and wife. His family included his wife, grand daughter, and son. They competed against former NFL Giants star, and correspondent for NBC News’ “Today” Tiki Barber and family that included wife Candy, mother and children. Some humorous responses from McMahon’s side (they were 100% serious) to surveyed questions that one would only hear from people who live in Los Angeles, were: “liposuction” for what men do when they notice they have gained stomach fat, and “credit card” for something a husband wouldn’t want to see in his wife’s hand while she’s angry at him. In their defense, that last one could really do some serious damage!
As it was announced on the show, the only athlete to play in both a Super Bowl and a World Series, Deion Sanders competed with wife, Pilar, son, Deion Jr., daughter Deiondra, and his mother. If the names are not egotistical enough, the charity they played for was “Sanders Clause Foundation”, Deion’s own charity. Deion showed Pilar much affection after each of her correct answers, which by the way, were most of them. Their opponents were the Kardashian family that consisted of, Kim, step-father and former Olympics Gold winner Bruce Jenner, mother, and two sisters. One of the Producers of “Family Feud” was overheard asking if there would be a correction made when the announcer introduced Jenner’s children as his “step children”. They said “no”.
Above: Bruce Jenner plays the ‘Feud with his wife (in blue) and step children, including Kim Kardashian to his right.
Former “L.A. Law” and “How Much is Enough” game show host, Corbin Bernsen family vs. Margaret Cho (comedian) family. Corbin competed with wife and actress, Amanda Pays and three of their sons while their fourth and youngest son watched on the sidelines in the audience. Their opponents were Margaret Cho who brought her mother, father, stylist, and Assistant to battle. She wore bright red tights. Her father had the audience laughing when he made an example out of Roker to a response of a question regarding rudeness. I guess we know who Margaret gets her humor from!
“Celebrity Family Feud” was originally to be aired starting July 1st, but has been moved up to June 24th.
Word of the set is: an updated version of “The Gong Show” starts taping next weekend.
If you’re a fan of the show, and ever wondered what it would be like to stand in the models’ places, you may have your chance!
DEAL OR NO DEAL finally started taping its daytime, syndicated version last week. To adjust the show from prime time and into
daytime, some changes have been made to make it a bit lighter and quicker. The first being, MODELS! Viewers will not hear a 26 unified “Hi Howie”, but, only two ladies, Patricia Kara (#9), and Tameka Jacobs (#21) uphold the traditional host greeting.
Patricia cheers-on an audience member playing a game conducted by warm-up host during show break. “Deal Wheel” in the background.
Howie still hosts the show in full suit. In place of the gorgeous models are some real, non-camera shy folks picked as potential contestants. Only 22 cases and contestants are in play. A gold ball is dropped into a glass-enclosed “Deal Wheel” by Tameka while Patricia spins the wheel. Whatever number the ball falls on, correlates to the number of case/contestant is called down to play the game. Each person called down, does not have the benefit of having friends and family in attendance for moral support.
Howie enters the stage for a fresh taping of DEAL OR NO DEAL daytime version.
Tameka and Patricia take their places on both sides of the stage with contestants and are in charge of collecting the cases chosen and handing them off to production staff backstage. It’s very Vana White-like, but instead of turning numbers, they’re picking-up cases.
The case count is 5-5-4-2-2-1-1 with the two remaining cases left, one of which is the one the contestant either was given a the beginning of the show, or decided to trade out for another one. If a contestant choses to switch his or her case, their old case is given to the contestant he or she is switching with.
Also, all 22 contestants are kept for a 5-game run. That means, with the exception of contestants that are called down to play, they have a guaranteed five chances to get called. However, for the ones that are called, they are replaced with “alternates” (we spoke to one such alternate after the show) who play for the remaining of the five games. So, if “Joe Blow” gets called down for game number 4, then his alternate will play out the remaining of the five, which would be only one, game number 5. Contestants’ who don’t make it down to the stage, are kept in the show’s database to be considered for future shows (daytime and prime time alike)
Contestants take the stage where models stand during the prime time show.
The stakes are a lot lower. The highest number on the board on the left is, $500. Highest numbers on the right are: $50,000, $75,000, $100,000, $250,00, and $500,00. Only half a million can be won on daytime.
Money offered by the Banker seems to be contingent on how well he likes the contestant. If you’re ever on the game, you better hope he likes you because it can be a big factor on how much you walk away with.
