Screaming at Briefcases - The Exciting Conclusion

Although I have a few things to do before I GO TO PARIS (jealous yet? Sure you are. Let it out), I did make time to watch the first instalment of Deal or No Deal Canada. Let me just say, the show did not disappoint. It had the music, the lights, the hysterical contestants, the OCD host - everything. It had all the excitement of American Deal or No Deal yet is was better. It was Canadian.

You might ask how did DOND Canada differ from the American version. Well, let me put it into easy-to-write point form because I’m tired and I want to go to bed soon.

- Those Americans get boring “one dollar” and “two dollar” amounts on their board. What did we get? “Loonies” and “toonies” baby. Ah ha ha. We have such a good sense of humour. Let’s give all our currency wacky nicknames!
- When the banker phones, he doesn’t use any old line, he uses a Rogers phone line. Product placement has never been this obvious or this boring.
- The Canuck banker eschews sitting like his American counterpart in favour of pacing around his fenced off banker zone. He frequently puts his hand on top of the divide in a show of force, or perhaps a desire to escape his glowing red prison.
- How can we make that floor more Canadian? Big ass maple leaf!
- Canadian audiences are way rowdier than American audiences. Not necessarily more happy, or more excited, but the Canadians act like they got drunk and wandered into a free circus featuring the most excellent and entertaining of clowns.

Finally, the best part of DONDC is the contestants. Opening night had a fire fighter who went home with over $100,000, and a crazy Filipino Mountie lady (hereto known as CFML) who literally went bat shit insane within two seconds of taking the stage. CFML was this little screaming, kicking, punching whirlwind of excitement. She could not stop yelling and when the banker called you could hear her literally hyperventilating off camera. She was awesome. Unfortunately, I won’t be here on Thursday to see if she goes home with $500,000, but I hope she gets big money. She deserves it. Hell, I’d watch her for an hour just screaming and kicking at the camera.

So there you go. I went on YouTube to try to find a clip of the crazy Mountie lady but strangely no one has posted it yet. For now I did find a photo (above) that shows one tenth of the insanity this woman displayed. Research has also opened my eyes to other versions of the show from around the world. I encourage you to check them out for yourself. Did you know Quebec DOND has six male models? British DOND looks like it’s taped in someone’s rec room with home made props, and India’s DOND has the hottest host ever.

Deal or No Deal - something we can all agree on. If I were a Politics phD student I think I would have just found my thesis topic.

Well, I’m off to Paris! I am really looking forward to seeing Stephanie, and of course my husband Anson who’s working hard to pay for my trip. Ta ta mes amies! A bientot!

For those of you who cannot be in Paris right now, I offer this image of a cat, on a rooftop, in the City of Lights. Le sigh. I can practically smell the diesel fumes and taste the baguette already.