It was both title and catchphrase! "Deal... or no deal?" Over and over, host Howie Mandel posed that question to players on his NBC game show, a ratings-grabber from its December 19, 2005, premiere. (All five episodes in that Christmas week stunt landed in the Top 15.) Contestants would pick one briefcase out of 26 that held a hidden dollar value - from a penny to $1 million - and repeat until tension reached health-hazard levels. A low amount inside meant big bucks would remain in play. "This was the most relatable, maddening, 'engageable' television, I think, to date," Mandel tells Us.