C4 cancels Deal or No Deal

UK broadcaster Channel 4 will end its long-running gameshow Deal or No Deal at the end of the year.

The show, from Endemol UK-owned Remarkable Television and created by Dick de Rijk, will have its final run on UK television this autumn after almost 3,000 episodes.

The programme was created by Endemol Netherlands in 2001 and has been sold to 76 countries, with Bolivia and Azerbaijan launching their versions this year. India, Algeria, Honduras and Myanmar also launched adaptations in 2015.

At its height in 2006, the series, which sees contestants randomly select boxes to win cash, attracted more than three million viewers.

To mark the end of the programme, host Noel Edmonds will present a spin-off – Deal Or No Deal: On Tour – in which the show will travel to iconic locations around the country.

Edmonds will also work with the broadcaster on a new daytime project and two pilots. Hat Trick productions’ 30×60’ gameshow Cheap Cheap Cheap (working title) will be set inside an eccentric general store filled with weird items. Edmonds and the shop staff will challenge contestants to guess the cheapest of three items presented to them.

Meanwhile, Noel Edmonds’ Sell or Swap (working title) sees studio contestants bid live for a mix of items ranging from expensive antiques to a second-hand speed boat. The show hails from Crook Productions.

Later this year, the presenter will return as host in a pilot for a studio-based big money game show for Channel 4 Entertainment.

“I remember watching Deal or No Deal launch and watching it grow to become a hit that captivated audiences for over a decade. A lot of the credit for that must go to Noel and his exceptional presenting. As the studio shows ends, I’m delighted he’ll now be taking Deal or No Deal to the audience,” said Channel 4’s chief creative officer Jay Hunt.