When the game show Deal or No Deal aired, fans were interested in whether players got all their winnings and how much Howie Mandel was paid. Then, after the game show ended, fans wanted to know if Howie was upset by how things played out. The thing that nobody could have anticipated back then was that the game show would spawn the reality show Deal or No Deal Island. More than that, nobody expected that Deal or No Deal Island would become one of Peacock’s best reality shows, partially because of its amazing cast.

During Deal or No Deal Island’s second season, the show welcomed Big Brother’s Dr. Will Kirby. Widely regarded as Big Brother’s most iconic player ever, Dr. Will was not only a strategic heavyweight, he also did amazing things like escape the game and get drunk. Still, even with Dr. Will’s incredible past achievements, it was mind-blowing to see how daring his Deal or No Deal Island debut was.

Dr. Will Kirby’s Deal Or No Deal Island Tuxedo Is An Underrated Masterpiece Of Reality TV

When people first start watching competition reality shows like Survivor, Big Brother, or Deal or No Deal Island, they tend to have a limited view. To be more specific, newer fans tend to think there is one proper way to win that kind of reality show.

However, after watching more and more reality show seasons, fans typically realize that there are almost endless different paths that reality show winners can take. The important thing for someone who wants to win a reality show to do is to understand the minds of the people who they are competing against.

When he made his first Deal or No Deal Island appearance, Dr. Will Kirby quickly reminded fans that he understands reality shows like few others do. Dr. Will proved that by pulling one of the most daring realty TV moves in many years.

During Deal or No Deal Island’s second season, Dr. Will didn’t join the game at the same time the season’s other players did. Instead, Dr. Will entered the game after the season’s first player was eliminated. Furthermore, Dr. Will was introduced to the other players while he was wearing a full tuxedo as a boat brought him in.

In response to Dr. Will wearing a tuxedo, some viewers may have written his outfit choice off as a silly choice made by a reality TV performer. While there is no denying that Dr. Will is incredibly entertaining, his choice to wear that tuxedo needs to be recognized for how daring it was.

Over the last several years, there has been a reality TV trend that many viewers love. Shows like The Traitors, House of Villains, and Deal or No Deal Island have been casting reality TV legends from other shows.

In many cases, reality show stars that are known for being strategic masterminds have gone to great lengths to downplay that when they went on other shows. A perfect example of that is the fact that when Parvati Shallow competed on Deal or No Deal Island, she only acknowledged she is a Survivor legend when other people brought that up.

Unlike other reality stars who’ve run away from their legacies, however, Dr. Will went the exact opposite direction.

Instead of trying to play down his threat level, Dr Will opted to play up his legendary status. Initially, Dr. Will did this by coming out on the show wearing a tuxedo, but that wasn’t the end of it.

After being carried to the other players on a boat while wearing a tuxedo, Dr. Will proceeded to berate his castmates. For example, Dr. Will even told the other players that they weren’t worthy of competing against him.

“For those of you who don’t know, my name is Dr. Will, and I’m the best Big Brother player of all time… See, 20 years ago, I said I wasn’t going to compete again. Unless I could compete against a group of incredibly talented individuals. And that’s not you guys.”

Between his rant and the way he dressed, Dr. Will practically yelled to the other players that they were beneath him. Keep in mind, two Survivor legends were among the group of players that Dr. Will was berating.

For a long time now, it has seemingly been agreed upon that reality TV icons must fly under the radar to win any competition show. As a result, that would have been the obvious decision for Dr. Will to have made when he competed on Deal or No Deal Island.

Never a follower, Dr. Will instead decided to pave his own path. As of the time of this writing, it isn’t clear if Dr. Will’s gambit will pay off for him or blow up in his face.

What is clear, however, is that Dr. Will decided to do something truly courageous, incredibly daring, and completely risky. If that isn’t the kind of thing that makes a reality show star something special, then nothing is.

Some people may also argue that the riskiest aspect of how Dr. Will introduced himself to his Deal or No Deal Island castmates is that he risked his reputation. However, it seems like those people may have missed the point of who Dr. Will is. Unlike a lot of reality show stars who seem to crave fans’ approval, Dr. Will has always carried himself with confidence that has nothing to do with the approval of others. Instead, Dr. Will is the kind of person who would appear on national TV in a bathrobe and still recognize how great he looked.

The thing that observers need to understand about Dr. Will is that the brilliance of his reality show persona stands on three pillars.

First off, Dr. Will is a lot more self-aware than many viewers seem to realize. That allows Dr. Will to be incredibly entertaining because he sometimes does things for viewers instead of his castmates. Secondly, Dr. Will has fun during his reality TV appearances. Thirdly and most importantly, Dr. Will plays reality shows fearlessly, which allows him to try things that nobody else would. All three of those elements contributed to what made Dr. Will’s Deal or No Deal Island debut a moment that should go down in reality TV history.

Dr. Will Kirby Exclusively Told TheThings Some Amazing Details About His Deal Or No Deal Island Debut

Only days after Deal or No Deal Island fans saw Dr. Will Kirby’s debut, the reality show icon spoke to TheThings journalist Matthew Thomas. During that process, Dr. Will revealed some incredible facts about his Deal or No Deal Island debut and tenure.

In terms of Dr. Will’s tuxedo debut, the Big Brother icon revealed the inspiration behind his fashion choice. As Dr. Will explained exclusively to TheThings, he was paying tribute to Harvey Keitel’s far too often forgotten character from Quentin Tarantino’s masterpiece Pulp Fiction.

“The tuxedo is a nod to Winston ‘The Wolf’ Wolfe from Pulp Fiction. He’s a fixer. When he takes the call, it’s 8:30 am and he’s at a swanky party. Same idea here; I arrive in the morning in sharp tux. And I’m ready to step in and fix things too. It truly saddened me that more viewers didn’t get that. The Wolf wasn’t a big part of that movie but that doesn’t mean he didn’t change the trajectory of the narrative. Discerning fans picked up on that nod and hopefully, they’ll appreciate the other Easter eggs I hid on the show as well.”

Dr. Will also exclusively explained to TheThings what being a reality show star means to him.

“Nothing, and I mean nothing, on reality TV is more important than providing entertainment. I set out to play the most fearless and brazen game in the history of television and I feel like I accomplished that. A few will love my game, some will hate my game, and the vast majority will simply be befuddled by it. See, no true artist is appreciated in his lifetime. And to me, unscripted gameplay is the highest form of artistic expression.”

Given how Dr. Will described the importance of how he expresses himself on reality TV, it makes a lot of sense that he is so selective about the shows he will compete on. More importantly for fans, that quote further illustrates why Dr. Will has always been an unforgettable part of reality TV history.

Deal or No Deal Island

Release Date

January 13, 2024

Main Genre

Game Show

Cast

Joe Manganiello

Franchise(s)

Deal or No Deal

Streaming Service(s)

Peacock

Directors

Joe Guidry

Showrunner

Matt Kunitz

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