Spoilers ahead for the series premiere of Deal or No Deal Island on NBC.
NBC has debuted possibly the wildest reality competition show of the 2024 TV schedule with Deal or No Deal Island, which takes the bare bones of the original game show and transfers them to an island where contestants have to compete Survivor-style to stay in the running for huge cash prizes. Personally, as a fan of Deal or No Deal from back in the day, I didn't know what to make of the new show based on the promotion, since it kind of just looked like an NBC version of Survivor, featuring briefcases and set on the Banker's private island.
That impression was supported by the fact that Survivor legend Boston Rob Mariano was part of the cast. After tuning in, though, I see the appeal of the show and why Mariano was added without turning it into a carbon copy of the CBS hit.
Why Deal Or No Deal Isn't Just Survivor With Briefcases
Hosted by Joe Manganiello in the wake of all the buzz about his divorce from AGT's Sofia Vergara, the show admittedly did start out feeling a lot more like an island survival show than a game show. The host previewed how the game would work, and the iconic Deal or No Deal briefcases were introduced early on... with the twist that they'd been dropped by helicopter into a "mud spa" – complete with bugs – through which the competitors would have to crawl to find cases with big enough numbers to keep them out of the reach of elimination.
Some were clearly more prepared for the physical demands of the sludge than others, to the point that I was concerned early on that Kim Mattina, the oldest of the competitors, might need to be eliminated for health reasons, and accountant Aron Barbell admitted that he wasn't exactly an outdoorsman. These two seems likely to be cut early if the emphasis was going to be on the Survivor-esque elements of the show.
Instead, they were arguably the most entertaining competitors of the premiere, and both made some very smart moves to guarantee that they'd last until at least Week 2. After an admittedly lucky retrieval of a red briefcase that would allow her to steal the $1 million case, Kim promised that she would keep the volunteer out of danger if they switched with her, which worked.
For his part, Aron was the first to actually play Deal or No Deal on the island, and he risked it all to take the Banker to the very end and score a very good deal. The two contestants who I initially thought might be eliminated early put up the best showings of the series premiere, and Brantzen Wong was eliminated after a bad social decision made the others believe he couldn't be trusted.
Plus, Deal or No Deal Island sets itself apart from Survivor when it comes to comfort, as Boston Rob was quick to point out. There were some nice bungalows/tents, a set of showers, and enough creature comforts that I had to add Bachelor in Paradise to the list of shows that this new one reminded me of. And speaking of Boston Rob...
I Get Why Boston Rob Was Cast
While I originally suspected that Deal or No Deal Island might have just added Boston Rob Mariano to hook Survivor fans into tuning into the new show, the premiere convinced me that he's a great addition to the cast for story reasons. He was quick to start trying to strategize when it came to the mud spa, and was playing the social game early on. There was the fun twist that even though many viewers undoubtedly know him from his previous reality TV ventures, not all of the other competitors knew at first.
He has an edge when it comes to experience in high-stress immersive competitions in island settings... but that doesn't necessarily mean he'll have an edge in Deal or No Deal Island, which could be very entertaining as the season continues. Boston Rob knows how to adapt in a game of Survivor, but will that pay off when he's not playing against other Survivor competitors when eliminations work very differently?
Whether it does or it doesn't, it seems safe to say that the scheming wouldn't have started as early if he wasn't on board, and what's a reality TV show without a little scheming? There are notes of Big Brother since the contestants aren't actually living in the elements like on Survivor, for better or worse. Having a legend like Boston Rob with experience mixes things up in a fun way, and I'd say that he was the most entertaining part of the premiere other than Kim, Aron, and the eliminated Brantzen.
All in all, I'm hooked enough on Deal or No Deal Island that I plan to tune in at least one more week and see who remains in the running for the top prize at the end of the game. New episodes air on Mondays at 10 p.m. ET on NBC. If you missed the premiere and want to check it out, you can find it streaming via Peacock Premium subscription now. Seasons of the regular Deal or No Deal are available on the streamer as well.
