Writer of Pop Culture

So, here is a weird one. NBC is bringing back one of its most popular and successful gameshows but with a really odd twist. From the looks of it, Deal or No Deal Island appears to be a mashup of the iconic briefcase opening show and Survivor where castaways compete with challenges and end each episode voting someone off the island. This new show even features Survivor favorite, “Boston” Rob Mariano.

Howie Madel does not host those on the island this time around although he does serve as an Executive Producer for the show. Instead, Joe Manganiello hosts 13 contestants (including Mariano and Claudia Jordan, an original briefcase model and a member of The Real Housewives of Atlanta) ranging in age from 25 to 63.

Here is how the game is played according to NBC: A number of briefcases will be hidden around an island located…somewhere… which is said to be owned by a rich “banker.” The briefcases are worth over $200 million in prize money split between them. So, the contestants will be tasked with a various “daring” challenges in order to help them find these cases which will be used for the second half of the show. Models Ben Crofchick and Kamari Love (I don’t know who they are either) will serve as the banker’s “assistants” who will be keeping a watchful eye on the briefcases throughout the game. The player who manages to find the briefcase with the most money wins immunity and they get to decide who will enter “The Temple.”

The Temple is where he or she will play a game of Deal or No Deal or die. (Okay, not really. No one is going to die. I wrote that only for dramatic effect.) However, it is said that the banker will be continually watching them and will raise the stakes with tests of strategy and greed. Manganiello will serve as the gaming liaison between the banker and the contestants while also overseeing gameplay and helping to navigate the players through their decision-making.

If this player makes a “bad deal” and accepts an offer from the banker that is a lesser value than what is in their chosen case, they will be immediately kicked off the island. However, if that player makes a “good deal” and accepts an offer that is a higher value than what is in their case, they will gain their own power and get to select who to eliminate. (I say, go with Boston Rob. He’s won enough money already.)

“The winnings from each game of Deal or No Deal will be added to a group pot that will grow to an exponential value throughout the season. At the end of the season, the last player standing will face the Banker to potentially win the biggest prize in Deal or No Deal history,” says NBC.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wdBIFbmd6c0

A 30-minute preview of Deal of No Deal Island will air on Saturday, January 13 after the NFL Wildcard Game on NBC. The show won’t actually premiere until February 26 at 9:30 p.m. before moving to its regular timeslot at 10 p.m. on March 4. All episodes will be available to watch the next day on Peacock.

Main image: Joe Manganiello (Sanjay Nimmagudda/NBCUniversal)