Here's the bottom line

I think the bad luck is caused by how much randomising is involved, the bag of balls for example have not been very good at all and because of that it leads a few to believe that it's the independent ajudicator's fault which I understand that it's not true

I think they should get rid of them, cause at the moment, were 75% of the time sure to have an unlucky game

It's about time Endemol allowed the players to choose their own box, there's a difference between being random and being fair

I agree that the bag of balls is too random, but on the other hand, what would happen if 2 people wanted the same box? especially if they are near to having their chance to play their game. Like if Ray, Shirl, Lisa and Lee all wanted the same box (i know it's unlikely) and they are all due to play any day now, what would happen????? But, like I said, I do agree that the bag of balls is too random, because then you never know if once they have picked their boxes whether they know who is playing based on what they have in front of them............ that was poorly explained but I guess you get the gist.........

Well they might as well... it wont make any difference though. It's still a 1 in 22 chance of having the biggie whichever way they do it.

Do what the American daytime show does. Offer a swap right at the start before a box is opened. Nothing else needs to be changed.

Well it would have to be on a "First come, first served" basis

That's the only way I can think of that situation

If they do offer the free choice on a full time basis then they have to draw a line where no swaps can be offered. The whole purpose with the swap option is you can swap away the box you were allocated to. Where if you go for free choice, once you choose that box you have sealed your fate to the box contents that contain inside. Which is why the Aussie version never ask a swap if somebody no deals to the end. I know the US version offers the swap but it seems unreasonable.

or do what the daytime version offers at the moment.

I'll agree with Travis on all counts. It's my approach to the swap too - treat it as the equivalent of a free choice, which can be done once and not reversed. I wouldn't even treat my randomly-assigned box as my own unless I was forced to the end with no swap offer, and that'd probably only happen if I had an utter disaster and both the assigned box and the box I intended to be my own were blue!

There's just as likely to be bad luck if the players pick their own box, and if they want to pick one, they can just leave it to the end. Most of the time they get offered a swap, even on blue/blue finishes.

The Independent Adjudicator's not to blame either, she doesn't know what order the contestants will pick the boxes, she can't tell them where the higher amounts are, I don't see what the point is in blaming her all the time.

The only change I'd like to see is the banker making reasonable offers.

I reckon it works the way it does for a reason. Since it's a game of chance they need to make sure it stays that way as much as possible and by making changes they might compromise on that.

22 randomly sealed boxes get randomly chosen by 22 contestants. Simple as.

Although giving the player the chance to swap their box before they start could be an interesting addition, it wouldn't help in terms of the game because the odds are still 22 to 1 for each amount. We could still end up getting annoying unlucky runs like we have now. Like alex pointed out, giving the players the choice of their own box wouldn't be feasible because there'd sometimes be conflict.

Each show takes long enough as it is to film, so if you added in an option for the contestant to swap at the start, I wouldn't mind betting that a good 10 - 15 minutes could be added to each recording as the contestant decides whether or not to swap, and if so, wish box to swap for!

The "bag of balls" shouldn't be got rid of. I believe the bag is used twice anyway - once with the adjudicator who uses the balls to decide which amounts go in each box, and then again when the players pick the balls at random to decide which boxes they have for that game. Obviously the last player to pick the ball from the bag is lumbered with that box.

To make it "fair" I believe they sometimes start with the end of the west wing and work around to the end of the east wing and sometimes switch it. I did hear that if a player is due to play who is standing at the end of the east / west wing then they make sure they start with the wing they're on, so they don't have to be lumbered with a box to play with - if this all makes sense!!

That's what I thought but I wasn't sure. In that case I'm definitely of the opinion that the bag of balls
stays put.

No, I really don't think it'd be a particularly good idea to be honest. If anything, it would lead to shouts of corruption if it resulted in high money amounts coming to the table...

No the ball bags are fine.

That wouldn't be good, the same people would end up going up first every time, and would possibly lead to cries of favouritism. Picking a number at random out of a bag is the fairest way to assign the boxes in a random game. If a player is that bothered about a number (ie, 1p Matty), they're generally offered the swap anyway, so end up with the number they want.

No way, keep 'em;

1. It keeps it truly random, the people who think DOND is rigged would have a field day if contestants could pick boxes.

2. Some boxes would get a reputation for being unlucky and would never get picked.

3. Several contestants would have matching lucky numbers and would all want the same box, lets say contestants A&B both wanted box 7, A got first pick and took box 7, so contestant B had to take a box they didnt want, then B got selected to play and it turned out that box 7 contained the £250,000. It would lead to all sorts of squabbles and bad feeling between contestants.

4. DOND has been such a success that there is no way they are going to change the formula, it has been the same since it started, and will it remain the same until it goes. All these threads suggesting changes to the way things are done on the show might be a bit of fun, but we all know it just aint gonna happen.

One to counter balance that; the player who has been on the show the longest gets their first choice. But at the same time, it would be a bit crap if Judith had Box 10 24 times.

Even that wouldn't work the whole time as occasionally you get people who are on the same show count due to people being off ill etc...

I think that there might be a better way to do it, but I can't think of one! I think at the moment it poses the question of the IA being able to tell people on the team what is in the boxes, I'M NOT SAYING SHE DOES! But it is a possibility and that could influence who is picked/what's offered etc. But people picking their own won't work either because it would lead to claims of favouratism/possible bad feelings between contestants, and then there could also be calls of fixes because contestants don't get their box 1 day and then get chosen say if they have only done say 17 games but someone who was expecting to get chosen has their favourite box and doesn't get picked. OK that rambled and I can't explain it properly, but you get the gist. but the idea of a swap for the box they want as in other versions seems a good idea to me, ONCE THEY ARE CHOSEN TO PLAY THOUGH! that would mean that it was fair to everyone if they all got the same choice. phew that was complex!

Actually, I now want to vote 'yes'.................. the show should get rid of the Banker's bag of balls!

is that my fantastic powers of persuasion???? or my unerring knack of explaining myself so well???