I felt like coming out of semi-retirement to talk about the new Let's Make a Deal. First off, how surprising is it to see a new network game show in daytime? Caesar's Challenge was, IIRC, the last new game show to premiere in network daytime, and that was 15+ years ago. Crazy.

I am bummed about a few things with the new LMAD, but overall I'm pleased. First, the bad. I really feel like this shouldn't be an hour long show. The reality of TV these days is that everything is an hour. It's just cheaper that way I guess. Nearly every show gets stripped as an hour long format, even if it means airing two thirty minute shows back to back. It's just lazy programming in my opinion.

I'm not blown away by the set or music cues, but I'm glad they kept the original logo. I guess the biggest disappointment is Wayne Brady. Is it me or does he seem like he's going at 50% speed? The Wayne Brady that became famous as on Whose Line is it Anyway? was a bundle of energy who never stopped, sometimes to the point of annoyance. But hosting LMAD Wayne has for some reason decided to play the role of a debonair smooth talking dealer, who throws in the occasional "holler!" moment when a contestant says something funny. He does a good job of moving the show along (the pace could be faster, but it's an hour, so who can fault them?) and he doesn't seem to fumble much given the considerably hard task of managing the various permutations of the deal. Still, I was expecting more from him.

What's good? Well the format has been maintained practically to a T, which should sit well with viewers put off by the 2003 NBC debacle. I don't mind the abandonment of the 2nd dealer in the Big Deal, because it practically almost guaranteed a winner every show and I don't think the format requires that. The supporting cast is surprisingly good; I like the announcer and especially the foxy assistant who was carrying the tray table out with surprising ease. The games on the episodes I've watched seem like they're taken right out of the original format, which is refreshing. And I think the biggest surprise has been the contestants. The contestant coordinators have done a great job of picking some really good players on the first week, and their enthusiasm more than makes up for Wayne's half-speed performance.

All in all, it's a solid B, and it's found a place on my DVR. The true test will be the ratings. I'm admittedly worried about this show's success. It's getting decent, albeit inconsistent timeslots across the country (9am out here in LA, 3pm in most places back East), and I can see CBS (and its affiliates) having a quick trigger finger to get that prime real estate back.