When Deal Or No Deal Canada debuts next week, you can expect to get a taste of true Canadiana with an 85-year old grandfather, a gay cowboy and even a Mountie all trying to walk away with $1 million.
On Friday, the identities of the Deal Or No Deal Canada contestants were finally released after tapings at the Toronto Production Centre inside the CBC Building wrapped the day before. The contestants were chosen from nearly 115,000 applicants and represent a cross-section of the country. The contestants are:
Brian Traynor – Firefighter, Medicine Hat, AB
– Engaged
– Mid 30s
– Brian works at CFB Suffield one of the largest military training areas in the Western world
– A confident young Canadian who is obsessed with everything to do with firefighting
– ‘Tough guy with a heart of gold’.
– Wants to pay off that mortgage, go on a beach holiday, and splurge on a Rolex.
His sister, Alison is a Police officer in Toronto.
Theresa Daranciang – RCMP Officer, Portage La Prairie, MB
– Nickname: “Mini Mountie”
– Family is originally from the Philippines
– Married
– Late 20s
– Petite, articulate and energetic.
– She says that she and her family represent “what Canada is all about the immigrant success story”.
– She has been an RCMP officer for the past 3 years.
– The ‘Mini Mountie’ nickname derives from the fact that she is 5 feet tall.
– She desperately wants to visit her grandparents and extended family in the Philippines, whom she has not seen since she was very young. The visit would also require her to bring a lot of gifts for her family, as is the custom when arriving from overseas.
– She would also like to help her husband open a coffee shop.
Donald Lucas – Grandfather, Grimsby, ON
– Nickname: “Extreme Grampa”
– Married
– Charming, warm-hearted family man with energy to burn.
– Went Skydiving at 81, whitewater rafting at 84, roller blades regularly and hit Spring Break with his grandson last year (his grandson described him as a “chick magnet”.)
– He has billeted a number of famous NHL hockey players in the past and stays in touch with a lot of them. His family claims that Walter Gretzky may be the “Father of Hockey” but Donald is the “Grandfather of Hockey. “
– He would like to use his winnings to take all 50 of his family members on vacation. Or, he would divide the money by 50.
– He dreams of driving a forest green Rolls Royce.
Michael George – Teacher/Basketball Coach, Brampton, ON
– Married
– Father of baby boy
– Basketball coach for “C.I.A.” (Characteristics Inspiring Achievement) a non-profit basketball/mentorship program for low income youth.
– Described as “inspirational and energetic a motivator”.
– He will keep half of his winnings for his family and donate the other half to CIA. He would like to buy a bus for the team and create some scholarships.
– He would “Deal” for a fully tricked out tour bus for the team, including TVs, tables for games, couches and bunks. He would call it the “CIA Bounce Bus.”
Jenny Monaco – Pharmaceutical Administrative Assistant, Montreal, QC
– Recently married
– Late 20s
– Fully bilingual
– Expecting a baby currently four months along. Playing for “the Moms everywhere!”
– Bubbly, enthusiastic Italo-Canadese with great energy, and knowledge of the game.
She wanted to give referee whistles to the models, to get them to whistle if the number is good when nerves take over, she’s “too afraid to look!”.
Jamie Cumberland – Cowboy/Retail Account Representative, Calgary, AB
– Past president, current member of ALBERTA ROCKIES GAY RODEO ASSOC.
– Mid 40s
– He would like to use any winnings to buy a condo, and of course, a horse – which he would name ‘Buttercup.’
– He would also like to take his supporters to rodeos across the United States.
Valine Kavanaugh – Oil Rig Worker, Cape Royal, NFLD
– Works in the catering department on one of the world’s largest moving oil rigs, the “Eirik Raude”.
– Mid 20s
– She is bubbly, confident and full of energy. She exemplifies a true Newfoundlander with her spirit and kindness.
– She is one of four women on a crew of 120 on the “Eirik Raude”. She works 21 days on, and 21 days off. The rig’s crew consists of people from 10 different countries; all who have their own version of Deal Or No Deal at home.
– Comes from a family of oil riggers. Her dad works on Hibernia.
– She wants to win money to buy a home, a black Mustang and to stay on land.
With the contestants finally being announced, I can safely say that some of the contestants had enough personality to completely fill the studio and it is easy to see why they were chosen.
The final day of shooting involved a grueling day as this was the final chance to make sure that all the necessary footage was taken for the programs that will debut after the Super Bowl.
There is no question that Thursday was my favorite day of taping as the contestants were boisterous and that always translates into great television. It’s now hard to imagine life without Deal Or No Deal Canada as it consumed my schedule for the last week. Fortunately, there will not be a long waiting period before the show premieres.
People have stopped to ask me why I would be interested in watching the show after already seeing the tapings and I can say with certainty that the magic of the small screen allows for some things that the live show cannot account for. Perhaps the biggest is the theme music that will be entered in during post-production. One of the things that makes game shows what they are is the exciting music that is played when contestants are mulling over tough decisions that could conceivably change their lives. I think it will be interesting to see how this plays out. Another thing that I am looking forward to is seeing Howie Mandel’s dramatic throws to commercial. While being frustrated at this is something that the live audience will undoubtedly share with viewers at home, I think that this is a necessary evil because it only adds to the drama.
What will you see on the show?
I can tell you that no matter how many misconceptions you may or may not have about Deal Or No Deal, the fact of the matter is that you will care about the people that are playing. The odds are that you will never meet them and probably won’t hear about them again, but for the few minutes that they are selecting cases, you will have no choice but to loudly yell your opinions as to what they should do. It’s this fact that makes the show as successful as it is and gives Deal Or No Deal Canada the same ingredient that is included in all recipes for successful reality television. The audience must care about the people that are playing. While there are other things about the show that can pique curiosity (including Mandel’s witty jabs, the prevalent hotosity of the models and just seeing a great Canadian set), the fact is that the show is built on the backs of the contestants and in this Northern edition, they certainly do not disappoint. Howie often warmed the live crowd up by saying that they were now the contestant’s family, and I have to concur. I just hope that the people who win big money will invite us all over for Thanksgiving.
That does it for the live coverage. It was an experience unlike any other, and I really don’t know how the contestants were able to sleep the week before the show started because I was having a tough time just watching.
I will be back with my thoughts after each episode where I will offer my analysis of each decision, supplemented by what happened live.
Deal?
Deal Or No Deal Canada premieres on Global after the Super Bowl on Sunday, February 4 at 10 PM Eastern. The remaining four episodes will air as follows:
Thursday, February 8 @ 9 p.m. ET/PT
Episode #2
Thursday, February 15 @ 9 p.m. ET/PT
Episode #3
Thursday, February 22 @ 9 p.m. ET/PT
Episode #4
Thursday, March 1 @ 9 p.m. ET/PT
Episode #5
