You may have seen that Survivor‘s great “Boston Rob” Mariano is about to hit our television screens to appear on another reality competition show. But, what the heck is it?
Following the trend of Survivor winners appearing on other franchises, the five-time castaway will star on Deal or No Deal Island — a new NBC property. For the uninitiated, Deal or No Deal was a popular game show on the network hosted by Howie Mandel that had contestants vying for a life-changing cash prize by randomly selecting briefcases in an audience-packed studio.
Deal or No Deal’s run ended in 2019 after nearly 15 years on the air, and five years later, NBC has resurrected the franchise. But, it’s been completely changed. Instead of challenging “The Banker” in the comfort of an American studio, a crop of contestants were flown to an undisclosed international island, coined “The Banker’s Island.” According to a press release from NBC, the group will compete in challenges, search for briefcases, and battle it out in a classic-style Deal or No Deal showdown. It’s set to premiere on NBC and Peacock on Monday, Feb. 26, 2024, at 9:30 ET/6:30 PT.
Enter Boston Rob.
Well acquainted with the island life, the reality TV star is among Deal or No Deal Island’s inaugural cast. The field is made up of primarily new faces, except for Boston Rob and a former Deal or No Deal model. Like Sandra Diaz-Twine and Parvati Shallow — who both played on The Traitors US season 2 — Boston Rob will look to become a two-franchise champion.
Judging by the show’s trailer, the “Robfather” went into Deal or No Deal Island with the mindset he brought with him to his five Survivor stints. “I want to figure out a way to control the game,” Boston Rob said while sporting his infamous Boston Red Sox cap and gold chain. “And that’s it.”
In the trailer, we see players racing on jetskis, swimming, climbing, and scavenging for briefcases.
Boston Rob will likely be a clear target for the other players considering his legendary competition career. “Rob is a threat, he needs to go home,” one contestant said. At this point, it’s unclear how eliminations will work, and how the strategic makeup of the game will flow. But one thing is for certain, Boston Rob went to play.
In a Deal or No Deal Island sneak peek, we see the mastermind forging an alliance with a player named Aron, an accounting and finance professional. “You’re not an outdoors guy, I’m not so much of a numbers guy, maybe we figure out a way to help each other,” Rob said to Aron as they sat together in a jeep.
“I’d be down,” Aron said as he fist-bumped the Robfather.
“There’s two types of games: there’s games where we get backstabbed by Boston Rob, or you backstab Boston Rob,” Aron then said in a confessional. “They say keep your friends close, keep your enemies closer. I’m not sure which one he is, but I’m keeping him close either way.”
Deal or No Deal Island will build toward an ultimate showdown with the Banker
Any fans of Deal or No Deal will remember the Banker, the man in the shadows wheeling and dealing with the contestants. During every round of play, the Banker called Mandel with a cash deal to offer the player. Then, the hopeful would either accept the Banker’s proposition and end the game, or they’d shoot it down and eliminate a briefcase. The process continued until either the player made a deal with the Banker, or opened their briefcase at the end of the game and went home with its contents.
Well, according to the trailer, the Deal or No Deal Island will feature several Deal or No Deal games. One player will eventually face off against the Banker to try and secure the largest grand prize in the show’s history.
To get there, Boston Rob and his opponents will duke it out to earn immunity every episode, according to NBC’s release. Then, one competitor will get thrown into “The Temple” where they’ll “play a high-stakes game of Deal or No Deal.”
Back in his day, Rob was a revered challenge threat. And even though he’s pushing 50, he will likely be no slouch in the physical aspects of Deal or No Deal Island, let alone the mental side of it. Without any knowledge of spoilers or the show besides what the trailers and press release have revealed, and while also being a Boston Rob truther for over two decades, I believe the Survivor icon will make it deep into the game while acting as its main narrator. Considering his early ousting the last time he played Survivor, Boston Rob is poised to have an epic comeback, right?
