After ending the run of Guiding Light, CBS made a perfectly sensible move in replacing the record-breaking but low-rated soap with a revival of Let's Make a Deal hosted by Wayne Brady. Game shows are cheaper to produce, and this one follows a formula that's already proven very successful.

Brady has the same combination of mainstream palatability and in-the-know edge as Drew Carey, thanks to an unforgettable Chappelle's Show appearance. In two years of hosting another old favorite, The Price is Right, Carey's brought about a significant lowering of average contestant age - to a much more profitable demographic - and a serious upgrade in prizes (designer clothes and fancy rims, for example).

Deal also has going for it an audience decked out in ridiculous costumes and the ever-entertaining spectacle of human greed, as over-ambitious contestants trade cash and prizes for worthless gag gifts.

After about a month, the show doesn't have Price is Right's fire, its goofy momentum. It's not for lack of trying on Brady's part, though. While you can still see the effort behind the loose, casual vibe he's going for, to be fair, it took even Carey a few months to find his footing as a next-generation game show host.