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THE MOMENT: Bring On the Briefcases! Deal or No Deal Turned Out to Be Money in the Bank 20 Years Ago

It was both title and catchphrase! “Deal... or no deal?” Over and over, host Howie Mandel posed that question to players on his NBC game show, a ratings-grabber from its Dec. 19, 2005, premiere. (All five episodes in that Christmas week stunt landed in the Top 15.) Each contestant would pick one briefcase out of 26 that held a hidden dollar value — from a penny to $1 million — and repeat until tension reached health-hazard levels. A low amount inside meant big bucks would remain in play. “This was the most relatable, maddening, ‘engageable’ television, I think, to date,” Mandel tells Us. “Everybody could open a case and take a chance.”

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