Fox Announces New Reality Series ‘Deal or Die’
by Big XTerminal Patients under Public Option Compete to Win Treatment or Cash
January 17, 2010 (Pasadena, California) The Fox Network kicked off its Winter Press Tour session at the Ritz-Carlton Huntington Hotel in Pasadena, California today with the announcement of its new reality series, “Deal or Die,” an eight-episode competition that features multiple terminal patients and their surviving families working together as teams to win medical treatments excluded by the National Treatment Review Board (NTRB).
Network Reality Programming V.P. Chip Saperstein explained, “Our new series ‘Deal or Die’ takes a close look at one of the most complex and volatile of all relationships — between the Federal Government, terminally ill patients, and their families — in a highly competitive and stressful situation.”
In round one, each team advocates for their terminal loved one before a panel of celebrity judges. The expense of the treatment will then be weighed against a number of objective measures, including the contestant’s age, chances of recovery, and value to society as well as more subjective factors. According to Saperstein, judges will be able to consider factors such as the patient’s positive attitude, creativity and sense of humor “as well as that special little indefinable something I like to refer to as ’spunk.’”
Round Two commences once the judges have chosen a winning team. The family is offered a variety of prizes or a cash settlement equal to half the cost of the course of treatment. In the pilot presentation, for instance, the patient, Fern Beaumont, suffering from inoperable lung cancer, won a course of erlotinib, which could extend her life up to six years. At $4,000 a month, the value of her treatment was $288,000. She was then offered cash and/or prizes worth $144,000 to forgo the hard-won medical treatment.
Saperstein opined, “This is where we see some real drama. Is the patient going to continue care at the expense of their family, or are they going to take the money and run? Things get very heated and we find out how everybody really feels about each other — if there are any past slights or buried resentment, believe me, this is where they bubble to the surface. It’s unbelievable, completely unpredictable and incredibly entertaining while thought-provoking!”
In the case of the Beaumonts, after some debate, Fern selflessly opts to pass on her cancer treatment in order to pay for a Farewell Greek Island Cruise for her extended family.
Celebrity judges in the pilot included Kim Kardashian, Carrot Top, and Dr. Drew Pinsky. “Deal or Die” is a production of Fox Television Studios. Series is created by and executive produced by Leonard Bellows (“Who Wants to Be the President,” “Last Convict Standing”).
Email this to a friend | Print |
Share on Facebook
| Tweet this
| 
Follow Us on Twitter
Subscribe via RSS
Got a Tip?
59 Comments
Shirley you jest. However, nothing in this armpit reality TV BS surprises me. Besides, carrot top knows best. Next, they'll bring back Stanley Spedowski's funhouse and the Wheel of Fish.
*cough* Check the date *Cough*
Contestants from a new age religion family were poignantly filmed~ next to the open window by the bedside of their 78 year old mother, waving an old New york Times, and chanting "follow the light, mom, follow the light."
[...] the original post: Fox Announces New Reality Series ‘Deal or Die’ This entry is filed under America – Blogs, Big Hollywood. You can follow any responses to this [...]
This is a horrifying, ghoulish idea. Remember the 1987 Arnold Schwarzenegger film, The Running Man? This was a movie about a gruesome TV show that allowed convicts to race to freedom while being hunted down by costumed superhero types. The movie presented the TV show as morbid – but wait! Now FOX showcases the terminally ill, pits them against one another, and then after one of them wins treatment, the FOX producers offer to trade it all away for cash. What FOX is doing is actually worse than the film. These are real people who are suffering. It is ghastly to film this a glorified game show.
The scary part is something like this could happen and wouldn't be that far fetched
Ok, I get that this was a joke post, but the sad thing is there seems to be a lot of people taking the bait and thinking this is a real thing. It says something about the quality of "Reality" TV…
"…and don't call him 'Shirley.'"
dadgum it, you beat me to it.
However, I sense that was a setup. Otherwise, he would have spelled it "surely."
OK, I am reporting Big Hollywood and Big X to flag/fishy@whitehouse.gov
It's called satire, this hasn't happened yet. The date is listed as being in January of 2010. This was meant to be merely a commentary on the notion of socialized health care.
Awesome lmao!!!
Oh goody, they snuck one past me this time. Thanks, folks.
Wow, good thing people pointed out the date, I thought that was real for a minute. That would have just given me one more reason to hate Kim Kardashian (not that I don't have enough already).
.Hey, there already is a lottery system in Canada for a family doctor. Seems it is hard to get a doctor in Canada. Tennessee_Jed is right.
Based on what I know about the Healthcare Bill so far I'm gonna have to say the reality show idea is probably a safer bet than ObamaCare. The odds of getting medical help are better with the game show…………….
You mean Running Mas was just a film…….
Whew!
You wll get a mailer daemon bacl that has no error measage or email return that simply says
Been There Done that!
Now Now
Don't worry, if you are worth five million plus there will still be a way to get doctors in the Bahamas to hlp you. End of Life Counseling is just for those proles don't ya see…………….
So in essence what your saying is, that if your a Senator or Congressman your covered……..or maybe even a liberal Presidents family member………….
No Rich people will have their outs.
Do you think a public school near Fort Worth in Jupiter Inlet or Palm Beach Florida has the same level of education as the public school in Deltona florida near Orlando which is a community of mostly migrant farm workers.
Do you really think the hospitals in those districts will be the same. That is the key. The Hospital in the community will have what additional funds the community can provide. Remember
All Animals are Equal but Some Animals are more Equal that others.
"The expense of the treatment will then be weighed against a number of objective measures, including the contestant’s age, chances of recovery, and value to society as well as more subjective factors."
I see you've read this gem, written by three lovely individuals, one of whom is an Emanuel (You folks know Rahm? His brother is just as wonderful): http://www.ncpa.org/pdfs/PIIS0140673609601379.pdf
Lovely. Now satire is watching desperate ill people run around for affordable health care? Jesus Christ people, and you've all got your knickers twisted around 'death panels'. Well, I guess as long as it doesn't happen to you arseholes…
Man this seems pretty tasteless. But then I never understood why Farrah Fawcett wanted a TV special on her cancer.
Man this seems pretty tasteless. But then I never understood why Farrah Fawcett wanted a TV special on her cancer.
(Editing later) OK I was had too
But the Farrah thing was real, wasn't it?
I'd watch it.
Dude, take a pill. Do you understand this series is not really in production? The article was a satirical comment on some of the philosophies behind the health reform bill. Geez.
Kim Kardashian and Carrot Top? I suspect one of the contestants could have snuck past you in a walker and dragging an oxygen tank…
It says something about the quality of reading comprehension and inference.
As the show continues…
"Good news for your family Fern!"
the Fox life counselor blurts into the microphone,
"The last doctor offering treatment for this form of cancer, Sange Gupta, retired from practice, out of disgust, disillusionment and bankruptcy!"
So, enjoy those hospice drugs as your family enjoys Bermuda!
I had to check the date to be sure it was a parody. Never mind what this says about "Reality TV". What does it say about our new reality?
Did you now? The line of hot chicks in the shorty red dresses wasn't a clue?
I wouldn't read too much into it as contemporary social commentary. Jonathan Swift wrote "A Modest Proposal" in 1729.
I think it's more of a commentary on human nature.
By the way, it's worth mentioning that this concept isn't that much different than "Queen for a Day", a very popular game show that actually aired on NBC in the late fifties.
Although the contestants weren't terminally ill, they competed for audience applause by describing how badly their lives sucked. The winner got public humiliation plus a new washing machine. The loser just got the public humiliation.
There was a social commentator – I think it was Robert Hughes, but I'm not sure – who once said (paraphrasing) that satire was no longer possible in America because it's been superseded by reality.
wymck, Obama's gonna to sneak it past you next time. Be aware. Be very aware.
StlDan, don't give Obama's Stealth Care team any suggestions, they just might put it into play.
Thorien, do you mean there's a possibility that Obama is lying to us about the "Death Pannel?"
I see Mrs. Petard you have a band-aid on your arm and I also detected some sniffling. I am going to have to recommend our Youth in Asia Program. Would you like that?
Aewsome.
What if there was an actual 'shark tank' on the set? That concept has already been used, but the "sharks" are pretty lame as it turns out they just want your stuff.
Awesome.
What if there was an actual 'shark tank' on the set? That concept has already been used, but the "sharks" are pretty lame as it turns out they just want your stuff.
Extenz for that special evening… As the scene fades in with game show fanfare, and our MC… Wink Humpingshmuck takes over… “That’s right ladies and gentlemen as we stepped away for a message from our sponsors, Vern and his family were left with a decision, …well Vern, what’s it gonna be?” Camera pulls in for a tight spot on Vern whose visibly excited… “Well Vern what’s it gonna be?” …with an heroic last gasp, “suicide.” The crowd goes wild and the music picks up with a hilarious death march as Vern bravely jumps into the shark tank. We then go to split screen, as camera B swings in tight to the excited family, and our Barry is superimposed with a hearty thumbs up, and the comforting slogan appears, “change we can believe in.”
This is happening. It's just not called "Deal or Die" it's called "England."
By the way, it's worth mentioning that this concept isn't that much different than "Queen for a Day", a very popular game show that actually aired on NBC in the late fifties.
Although the contestants generally weren't terminally ill, they competed for audience applause by describing how badly their lives sucked. The winner got public humiliation plus a new washing machine. The loser just got the public humiliation.
Looking backwards, it's kind of hard to believe.
what a horrible idea. how could anyone think that a life or death situation, should be a competition? This is not sport, or entertainment. This is human life. That is still sacred to the majority of the country. I hope they get a lot of heat for this idea.
That is a real email address to report anything fishy you hear about Obama healthcare
BigX, I’d add one wrinkle to the show. The truly sporting terminal patient could commit suicide, “live after this commercial break, for double dollars and a color TV. Show us that TV Joan.” …Joan floats by the beautiful 60” flat screen, as if holding the TV on a platter. “What will Vern do …stay tuned for a message from our sponsors.” As the family huddles for the big decision.
apparently you've never read "A Modest Proposal" in school.
In his defense, with the things that get put on TV these days, it's not hard to imagine this being for real.
It's only a movie? Dang! So all my training to be a network stalker is for naught.
ah, then i will e-mail them about "Wheel of Fish"
"there's a possibility that Obama is lying"
Isn't that redundant?
no, it was all a dream.
"Did you now? The line of hot chicks in the shorty red dresses wasn't a clue?"
isn't that required for all variety shows these days?
reminds me of Japanese game shows.
with lazer beams attached to their heads…
throw me a fricken bone here…
and I thought that's where Woody Allen procures his wives…
I think I'd rather take the hospice drugs.
LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
You must be logged in to post a comment.