Global Formats and Canadian Televison:The Case of Deal or no Deal

This article discusses the circulation of format television, with a particular emphasis on the Canadian version of the program Deal or No Deal. It argues for the importance of circulation as a concept for understanding the ways in which format television programs—and other forms of popular culture—travel in different cultural contexts. Through the case of Deal we can see how delays, interruptions, re-purposing, and reframing of artifacts are part of the daily rhythms that characterize the circulation of cultural works on a global scale and serve as a possible analytical opening for appreciating the flows of culture that have historically existed between the United States and Canada.