When NBC called last year and asked Howie Mandel if he would host its new game show Deal or No Deal, the Toronto-born stand-up comic turned them down flat.
"I said absolutely not, I'm not interested," recalls the 50-year-old comedian who now lives with his wife, Terry, and three kids in Los Angeles. "I thought there was a negative connotation to being a game show host that wouldn't be good for that end of my career. It would be a nail in the coffin."
But lo and behold, instead of damaging his celebrity, Deal or No Deal has given Mandel's flat-lined career a new lease on life. Since its debut last year, the show has steadily gained an ardent following. In the United States, the hour-long show drew 15.52-million viewers last Monday at 8 p.m. (in Canada it airs on CH Mondays). It also airs Thursdays at 9 p.m. here on Global, drawing an average of 1.3-million viewers -- making it Global's third-highest-rated show last week.
It's no small feat given it goes head-to-head with McDreamy and his gang over at ABC's powerhouse, Grey's Anatomy.
And no one, frankly, is more surprised than Mandel himself, who said his wife basically browbeat him into taking the job after watching an Italian version of Deal or No Deal. "My wife said, 'You idiot. Take the deal.' And I did. She saw it was a unique and good environment for me, and what I do. I had pictured a guy standing behind a podium asking trivia questions.
"But I improvise. I can wander anywhere. I create some tension and drama. I can be funny. There are no boundaries in what I can say. I've never liked a job more."
Earlier this week, NBC and Deal or No Deal's production company Endemol USA announced that Mandel and his game show -- in which contestants vie for a $1-million grand prize contained in one of 26 briefcases -- would be coming to Toronto in January to shoot five shows.
Mandel figures Deal or No Deal has tapped into a recent trend that has seen audiences going back to the safe-haven simplicity of the game show genre.
"I know that our show is based on simplicity and people can easily relate to it. When the ratings went through the roof, I was the most surprised, but even NBC and Endemol were surprised by the way it's caught on."
As is always the case in TV-land, success begets copycats. Two weeks ago, NBC premiered 1 vs. 100, hosted by Bob Saget. And the mimicking will continue when ABC unveils a game show called Set for Life and Fox rolls out The Rich List, which is modelled on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire.
Barb Williams, senior vice-president of programming and production at CanWest MediaWorks says 1 vs. 100 (which airs Friday at 8 p.m. on Global) has a weekly average of 1.1-million viewers. "These shows have clicked with audiences because they deliver on what game shows are all about. At their core, they're fun, playful, high entertainment value. They have a play-along factor that engages a broad audience. Deal or No Deal gets played along [with]from home by 10-year-olds and 90-year-olds."
The format for 1 vs. 100, also made by Endemol, which also created Big Brother and Fear Factor, involves pitting one person against 100 others for a chance to win a large cash prize.
NBC, which last week announced plans to slash expenses by $750-million (U.S.) and cut 700 jobs, bluntly added it plans to replace expensive dramas with the cheaper-to-make game and reality shows.
Here, even CBC is getting in on the play-it-safer game, announcing last fall that Test the Nation: National IQ Test would be part of its upcoming slate. It is expected to debut in the new year.
Mandel and his wife Terry have dual Canadian/American citizenship, and they still own a residence in Toronto. But when he swoops into town early next year to host the Canadian version of Deal or No Deal, he plans to stay in a hotel.
"My place doesn't have room service, and I don't like making beds," the stand-up comic cracked. But he says he can't wait to come home.
"I've always maintained keeping the language, so any reason to come home is good for me. This is where I live and work," adds Mandel, referring to his home base in Los Angeles. "But I'm truly a Canadian."