The Most Uncomfortable Game Show Moment Ever?
Deal or No Deal produced a moment this afternoon that I had a long, long debate on whether we should show it or not. I think if it’s not the most uncomfortable moment in game show history, then it’s in the top two or three. Today’s contestant is Rob, a shop assistant. Through his time in the Dream Factory we learn he has a disability but it has only made him more dedicated to succeed. Take a look at what happens. It borders on nearly unbearable to watch, and there’s not a remote exaggeration.
First off, no nasty comments about what happened. Next, the reason I posted it is because I got emails about it and I tend to agree. I praise the UK version of Deal for its very solemn, serious tone and great attitude. However, I think today pushed the boundaries a bit too far. It’s fine to go out-there, but I think this nearly stepped over a line. I think it also raises a debate on whether you should put people who clearly cannot handle the pressure through one mean or another on a show like this. Note that I’m not saying all shows and I swear I mean no offense. But Deal is a show that’s solely driven on guts and emotion. Rob had trouble with it and it created something that’s brutally difficult to watch.
Usually there’s some good TV moments to come from uncomfortable moments. I don’t see any real amount of good here beyond the Banker’s call at the end. There wasn’t an ounce of fun or enjoyment in the last 15 minutes, and while I know that’s how life goes, this was too much. I really don’t know. I also don’t think anyone could have preplanned this to happen, so I don’t know what to think. I know they had the best intentions and frankly they had no reason to say no to him. It was an emotional and inspirational story. But the aftermath makes you wonder, that’s all.
Video courtesy Endemol and Channel 4. Video will disappear a week after broadcast.
Be sure to check out tomorrow’s episode (Tuesday) which looks to be showing off just about the polar opposite.
Wow I was completely gutted watching that, but im happy what the banker did and all the support from the crowd to turn it into more of a positive experience.
Alex -
It’s a Catch 22, to be sure. You’re one of the people back when that suggested you’d hate to see the US syndicated version of DoND toss shows based on low wins and/or lack of excitement. UK DoND relies on the same players each day of the week — meaning that tossing a show would have created an odd void here that would’ve raised some eyebrows.
If your problem is with the reveal at the end, I don’t know what to say beyond it’s something that happens during every show in which the offer is taken before the climax. Yet, let’s think about what happened here. The player took $8k. Do you REALLY think that in the next offer at $14.5k, he would’ve passed it up again with just one value higher than the offer? He would’ve never made it to the $75k offer — and never in a million years have faced the swap decision. The emotion was simply based on the idea that he passed up a chance for the $250k or other big money, but doesn’t every player technically have that chance if they pick the boxes with some accuracy? Even Howie Mandel would say on occasion during the final reveal that the player “would have been crazy to have continued, but if [they] did, which case would [they] have picked next…” That was just as applicable here — the most the contestant could’ve really won in realistic terms was $14.5k. Maybe Noel should’ve focused on that more?
I did shed a tear, I will admit. It was a bittersweet scenario, and we all wanted to see him win. However, I can’t fault the show for doing what it always does — a slow reveal to allow for quasi-what-ifs. I have a feeling that UK talk shows will grab this story and someone will do an Ellen-like gift to him for making what was at the time a very sensible and caring decision. In the end, this will probably work out for him — keep your eye on it.
Still, he had a list of what boxes he picked in order, and it sounded like he wanted to switch too from the beginning. That makes the “what if” scenario more significant.
I have a disability as well, but I don’t think I would have been that emotional about it. It was his decision to take the deal or not, and he took it. Of course, it’s so easy to say when you’re watching at home.
Sell this all you want, but what Alex is worried about is nothing that Rob shouldn’t have expected. Anybody who’s seen this show knows what they’re getting into, so too bad on the “over the top” part even if the rest of the reaction is completely within expected boundaries for such a drainingly harsh moment like this. He had even considered the possibility that he was giving away the 250K and what his reaction would be, then decided to deal – so although a player SHOULD be gutted if that happens, the fact that he went THIS far is the sign of another problem.
Based on the way Rob has reacted here, it seems that he didn’t follow his own advice about which extreme he would regret more – hence the show and its format has only minimal blame for the parts that are being sold as the “most uncomfortable game show moment ever” (even if they didn’t make it any easier to watch). Rob’s reactions were expected up to a particular point, where anything further is caused by his own actions.
This has been just as much a problem for U.S. contestants, who were 100% sure they would refuse every offer until chickening out when actually presented with such offers, and the advice is the same: be aware what amount of heat you can take before entering a kitchen you’re FULLY AWARE is extremely hot. If someone gets burned one way or the other (which this represents), then their moves wasn’t just subjectively incorrect based on the luck of the boxes showing they threw away 242,000 pounds, when he had the same chance of turning 8,000 pounds into 50 pence; it was definitely an objectively incorrect move to take this deal with the information shown in this clip.
First off, we have no context about the contestant’s background other than that his parents had been “looking after him” yet he was gainfully employed. Though gutting to watch, I did not consider the reaction over the top, rather genuine all way round. If you don’t want to be made uncomfortable, don’t watch games like this, and don’t play them. I think in hindsight, 8000p is more than he came in with, and a life-changing amount of money for him. I think the gracious Banker did the right thing in the end, and Noel handled this very, very well indeed, as well as anyone could. This was genuine, non-manufactured drama, an example of why USDOND did not last so long and why this show has staying power in the UK.
So thanks to Alex for putting this out there and sparking some discussion. This was a riveting though heartbreaking endgame.
This was hard to watch, yes, but such is the premise of the show. In any play of this game, this is a possibility and players KNOW it. So while my heart breaks at the clip, I can’t say it’s irresponsible on anyone’s part. It’s part of the game.
And let’s all remember, he does come up 8,000 pounds ahead (slightly more than $13K US) and that’s a nice chunk of money. I hope he and his parents use it wisely, they seem sweet.
yeah, I know it’s not the best thing to see happen but on a show like this, such outcomes are inevitable. Alex, didn’t you post a video awhile back where a contestant dealt way too early and ended up with the quarter million? she broke down too and I can’t help but see parallels. It was an unfortunate outcome but this is part of the game and the way it presented in such a serious tone, this sort of thing will crop up time and again. At this point, I haven’t seen enough to be bothered enough by it to think it crosses any wrong boundary.
BT14: The point is that if you break down when the worst possible outcome happens (after either deal or no deal), then your decision was probably unwise. I believe that while being gutted is part of the game, breaking down is always going to be the fault of a contestant’s decisions, and it was that little bit extra that caused this to happen.
Why could’nt the banker use his banker’s gamble?!
Why would he want to do that at 8,000 quid? Wait until 50,000 or so before considering that.
Outside of maybe taking the contestant off stage and doing the reveal without them there, I cannot see what they could have done. This has to be done to ensure the viewing public that the game isn’t rigged.
The man had a hard time taking the loss, but everyone there, including the banker, helped to improve his spirits
I don’t know. That was sad, certainly, but I don’t know if I’d call it the most uncomfortable game show moment ever. It might be because I haven’t watched the show day in, day out, but out of context, I don’t think it’s as bad as you make it out to be.