This is a 'Deal' worth making

I know, I know you've heard this kind of thing before. NBC is telling us that "Deal or No Deal" is an "exhilarating game show" that's a "high-energy match of nerves, instincts and raw intuition."

And it's going to keep us "on the edge of our seats."

You know, the kind of stuff that all the networks tell us about all their shows.

Here's the weird thing, though — in this case, NBC is telling us the truth.

I know, you're having a hard time believing it. Hey, I had a hard time believing it myself. I get paid to be skeptical, and NBC's hawking this format as a show that's been a huge hit in a whole bunch of countries — and then installing Howie Mandel as the host — didn't leave my expectations high.

Plus, scheduling it for five consecutive nights on the week leading up to Christmas looked a lot like a way to bury "Deal or No Deal."

Hopefully, it won't get buried, because it is, indeed, a surprisingly gripping game show.

"Jeopardy!" it's not — you don't have to know anything about anything. You just have to have nerves of steel and guess right a lot. Each contestant chooses one of 26 sealed briefcases that contains some amount of money between 1 cent and $1 million. But he/she doesn't get to open it.

Instead, he/she picks six other cases to open, revealing how much money is in those. If he/she is lucky, he/she picks cases containing 1 cent, $1, $5 or $10 and not the cases containing $500,000, $750,000 or $1 million.

After opening six cases, the "banker" (yes, that's hokey) offers the contestant some money — maybe a few thousand — to give up, take that amount and go home. Or the contestant can go on and pick five more cases to open — and then get another offer from the banker and start again.

If the contestant is lucky and picks cases with low amounts, the banker will offer lots of cash — six figures — to give up and go home. Or the contestant can miscalculate and end up with, well, not much.

It's like "Let's Make a Deal" on steroids without the silly costumes. And, believe it or not, it will suck you in the way "Who Wants to be a Millionaire?" did back when that show started.

Who would've thought?

Monday-Friday

"Deal or No Deal" airs Monday-Thursday at 7 p.m. on NBC/Ch. 5. Because KSL is airing the "Joseph Smith Commemorative Broadcast" on Friday at 6 p.m., followed by a Christmas special featuring the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and Audra McDonald at 7:30 p.m., the fifth and final (for now) episode of "Deal" will be seen locally on Friday at 9 p.m., on Ch. 5.

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E-mail: pierce@desnews.com