New game show comes from 'Deal' factory

LOS ANGELES -- With "Deal or No Deal" a consistent bright spot in its ratings, NBC is looking to catch another wave of success with a new game show.

The network has greenlit an American version of "1 Versus 100," which comes from the makers of "Deal or No Deal" and currently airs in several European countries. The show will pit one contestant against a "mob" of 100 people in a trivia competition; the more players the contestant beats, the more money he or she wins.

"We've heard hundreds of pitches on game shows since 'Deal or No Deal' became a hit, but this was truly the first one that knocked my socks off," says Craig Plestis, head of alternative programming at NBC. "Knowing this is the same team that made 'Deal' clinched the deal for us."

Endemol USA, which produces "Deal or No Deal," will do the same for "1 Versus 100." The "1" contestants will see their money totals climb as people in the mob answer questions wrong and are eliminated. A single player who outlasts all 100 of his or her opponents will walk away with a multimillion-dollar prize; a wrong answer at any time, however, and the player gets bupkes.

Players will also have the chance, a la "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire," to stop the game and take their winnings to that point.

NBC hasn't said when "1 Versus 100" will make its debut.