Endemol are appealing for more Christmas Star players this year over at their website - http://dealornodeal.co.uk/show/christmas-stars/

Rather bizarre talking about Christmas shows in the middle of summer (supposedly), but are you happy to see the Christmas Star shows return this year or would you rather they didn't bother?

They were *beep*, the whole point of the show (well maybe not the whole point but a big part of it, for me at least) is getting to know the people on the wings so you care about them when they play, when confronted with a bunch of people I'd never seen before I couldn't give a *beep* what happened them and therefore none of the shows were that exciting...shame they're back, the "Santa or Scrooge" week was really good and I'd rather see that take place over the actual Christmas period.

oh no, i didnt really like them last year. It would be soo much better if they did the christmas week shows the way they did the "normal shows" last year where they all dressed up in festive clothing and had the studio all decorated. That would be soo much better!

Oh God. I was hoping they wouldn't do them this year. I didn't like them in 2007, and didn't like the current 22 disappearing for a week. The 2006 Christmas specials were great - why can't they just do them like that again?!

They've filmed up until Saturday 20/12, so I guess when they return in October they'll film from the Monday 29/12 episode and film the Christmas Star week episodes separately. Which is presumably why they filmed 4 episodes in one day in June due to that flood putting them back by 1 episode, so they could have all the pre-Star shows in the can before they went on their summer break.

I may do a deal with Kestral or something and see if he can do all those shows and see if I can do a whole week of commentaries to make up for it, as I want to try and avoid the Star shows this year.

Also something that I never understood with the Star shows is that even if they won a low amount, they still had a load of extra gifts given to them anyway (admittedly some were better than others) so it makes a mockery of the whole DOND thing where some players go home with pennies and some win big.

Sob stories at Christmas. Everyone wants them.

ENDEMOL, SCRAP IT, WE DONT WANT TO SEE THIS S-CRAP AT CHRISTMAS, PLEASE!

Those christmas star episodes were pathetic, they all seemed to be there to make a quick buck. Much squandering all round.
Also, the whole point of the episodes is that these people are "stars", and that we should empathise with their sob story. But some of them were hardly even depressing. The first one, john i think his name was, had done nothing but lose a girlfriend in a car accident! Oh how awful. Come on, many of us have lost people who mean a lot to us, indeed i have recently lost my girlfriend and right now wish she was in a car crash herself, but do i get to go on a popular gameshow, make a pathetic deal at £37,000 with a decent fallback of £10,000 and squnder the £75,000!?!?
NO! And neither should he.
Please, business as 2006 would be fine!

I lost my great grandma in a car crash...

In fairness we get them anyway, I wouldn't mind the Christmas specials if they where elsewhere in the year (Thus defeating the point I know), as I like the idea of spending the Christmas shows with the players we know.

Ooooh the stories are up on YouTube!

I thought the Christmas Star episodes were OK. I wouldn't mind if they did a special episode that was shown on Christmas Day, but I don't think a whole week of them was/is a good idea.

I liked them - the situation of not knowing any of the 22 contestants was exactly the same as the show as it stood at the time, it having become The Hayley and Clive Show by then with all of the other players not doing anything. And having recently seen a few current episodes, I'm still none the wiser as to who any of the players are, to find the last time I could name loads of the current 22 would be back in November 2007. From memory you had Simon, Steff, Tink, Denis, Judy, Mary, Charly, Little Rich, Shaz, Artak, Sarah, JC...good times. And Bridget's game was one of the very very few games of the entire month that was genuinely exciting, what was great and unexpected was that all the players were happy to be there and they didn't spend the whole show crying.

Just as long as they vary the stories a bit this time, I think last year all of them were somehow connected to cancer, whether it was having it or knowing someone who did!

Actually, I think quite a few players recently could've been good candidates for the Star shows. If the current 22 is very dull just before Christmas and there are lots of sob stories, the only difference between the normal shows and the Star shows maybe the extra sparkling graphics.

NO No No we do not want these again once was enough but not again!

I have mixed feelings about the Christmas shows. Whilst I didn't hate them completely I would of much preferred the standard shows during the festive week and whilst I did watch every show I wouldn't have been too fussed if I missed any.

It's hardly entertaining to hear about someones misfortune on Christmas day. I would much rather watch the standard shows with the regular 22 contestants and the added festivities.

A part of the show I like is the entertainment we get from the wings. Such as the banter between Noel, The Banker and the contestants and also the running jokes that Noel attaches to certain contestants through out their time on the show. Like Noel's running banter with Charles and his job, Tommii and his age, various banter when Jess. But when it was the Chistmas Star week I felt it lost that quality not only due to the fact that Noel, and indeed the viewers didn't know who anyone was, but that the shows just felt more serious.

Of course it all depends on who the current 22 will be at the end of the year, but hopefully Endemol will have picked some fun palyers for the Christmas period and hopefully none with too many sob stories. Especially if we're get a week's worth from the Chistmas Star shows.

Maybe Endemol won't put the CS shows on during the Christmas week, but maybe the week before. Though i'm guessing they will, but maybe they may screen two shows a day. One CS and one standard show. Then again for all we know Endemol may have planned more than a week's worth of CS shows.

I would say overall that they are a complete waste of time. You don't get to identify with the contestants long enough, don't really care what they win, don't really want to hear sob stories and heartrending tales of bravery at christmas of all times. The current 22 is bad enough without adding to it with this torture.

Plus, it mucks up some of my stats. Scrooge or (or was it and) Santa was good, I hope they keep that, but this should have been a one-off (out of interest, we didn't have an Independence Day Special this year, and that wasn't too bad...).

It also means you can't go in october to see christmas week shows, which would have been quite fun. Thanks Endemol.

EDIT: Have they done Scrooge or Santa already? Does anyone know?

Yes I said last year I hoped they'd put 2 shows a day on this year and maybe they'll do something like that so the normal shows can continue through the Christmas week.

StatsMan - assuming they're replacing the normal shows with the Star shows during Christmas week then I'd imagine that they'd have already recorded the Scrooge vs Santa shows seeing as though they have already recorded up until December 20th.

I'll put the correct answer in quote so it doesn't spoil anything...

Have to say, when I heard about them last year they reeked of self-importance on the show's behalf. OK, it's not as silly as a quiz (or generally more skill-based show) offering the same opportunity, but their thinking appears to be, let's improve these people's lives by giving them a huge wad of cash - forgetting that there's no guarantee you'll actually win that much, coupled with the fact the person you're pitted against is meant to epitomise evil and would probably be glad if you dropped dead during the game.

To be honest, I get the impression they put on shows like this so they have some control over what goes out over the festive period - would you want to watch someone have a trainwreck game on Christmas Day? A lot of us here have come to accept that it can happen, maybe a casual viewer wouldn't...

John had beaten Prostate cancer and then found his soulmate only to lose her in a car crash.

You sound a lovely person wherever your girlfriend is must be better than with you. Be careful what you wish for.

From what I have been told they will record the last two Christmas shows on the first Monday back.

Then three Christmas Star shows will be done in November.

But things change

What exactly was the Santa Scrooge twist? I didn't watch the show over Christmas