Dear Editor,
It is always good to be able to relax as often as we could and not to take ourselves too seriously all the time. I read the letter and comments about the two TV game shows on American television – The Price is Right and Deal or No Deal (SN ‘There is a lesson for Guyanese in “The price is right”’ 22.8.08). The British versions are both very popular, and I believe both game-shows started life in Britain and were ‘borrowed’ by the Americans. I watch them whenever they’re on.
My favourite TV game-show at the moment is called ‘Golden Balls.’ The game starts out with 4 (I think) players, each given a number of ‘golden’ globes with amounts of money written inside, and a few with the word ‘Killer.’ The Killer balls are the ones to get rid of as soon as possible, as they have a negative impact (jokers in the pack). Players are eliminated as the game progresses until only two are left.
The idea is to accumulate as much money as possible, to be divided equally (or not) between the two.
The four deciding balls (one of each for both players) are marked ‘Steal’ or ‘Split.’ If they both choose ‘split,’ they share equally; if they both choose ‘steal,’ they leave with nothing; if one chooses ‘split’ and the other ‘steal,’ the ‘steal partner’ gets the lot. It is always worthwhile watching the game until the very end.
The two remaining players, more often than not, look each other in the eye and promise earnestly to split and… guess what? particularly if the amount is substantial. It is fascinating to watch body language and guess who will keep their word.
I suspect it is only a matter of time, before this show reaches America. ‘Golden Balls’ is what I see as a greedy game. Until the final stage, the contestants tell fibs about the worth of the globes they’re holding (allowable) to stay in the game.
Some folk think (the British) Deal or No Deal a greedy game; to me, it is serious gambling,
encouraged by the studio audience. Both games provide a certain amount of fun – judging from the reaction of the studio audience.
Yours faithfully,
Geralda Dennison
