'Deal or No Deal' set for syndication

LOS ANGELES, July 22 (UPI) -- The U.S. game show "Deal or No Deal" is to premiere in national syndication this September, NBC has announced.

New half-hour episodes are to air five days a week, with Howie Mandel presiding over the competition, the network said, adding that contestants can win up to $500,000 each week day.

Mandel is to continue as host of NBC's prime time version of "Deal or No Deal," now entering its fourth season, as well.

The new syndicated edition, which has been sold in more than 97 percent of the United States for its first season, features all the key elements of the hit prime time series, including models, the Banker, Mandel as host and the same production team from Endemol USA and Executive Producer Scott St. John, the network said.

"My wife could not be more thrilled to have me out of the house and at work Monday through Friday," Mandel said in a statement. "I am having a blast doing the syndicated version of 'Deal or No Deal' and love playing the game with contestants from all over the country on a daily basis."