• Mediaweek, Monday, November 21, 2005 1:30 PM

NBC is placing its chips on a brand-new prime-time game show, "Deal or No Deal," which it will air on four consecutive nights in late December. Mediaweek says that the show, produced by Endemol USA, "has players gambling winnings to find hidden packages worth up to $1 million." The host of the show, set to air Dec. 19-22, is Howie Mandel, the antic, unpredictable comic. Audiences may have a hard time adjusting to a long-term diet of Mandel, who is anything but mainstream. Four nights in a row may be about all Middle America will tolerate. If NBC is hoping to strike gold with "Deal or No Deal," in the way ABC did with "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire," originally hosted by Regis Philbin, the show will need to be compelling. And Mandel will need to be shackled.

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