Last week, it was a cameo by President Bush. This week, Darth Vader is the banker. Howie, this isn't the deal I signed up for.

I was a big fan of Deal or No Deal when Howie and the 26 ladies first came on the scene. The game is a simple one, in fact, you can't get much simpler. And, there's something oddly appealing as cases are eliminated and the contestants proudly proclaim "no deal."

The banker. The Lucky Case Game. The greed of the contestants as they ignore the advice of their caring families. Everything worked to perfection. I couldn't get enough of deciding if Anya, Leyla or Aubrie was hiding the million.

As the ladies continued to open their cases, NBC tried to capitalize on the mojo of this new hit. But they made the Who Wants to be a Millionaire mistake of airing it on too many nights in prime time.

Overexposure allowed people to notice that contestants were a bit too excited to be there. Special guest stars started to regularly appear on the big screen. But as long as the game stayed simple, the show remained entertaining.

I'd love to know what it is that tempts network execs to fix something that isn't broken. Deal or No Deal isn't Jeopardy!, and the beauty of the show is that it never pretends to be. The powers that be felt things on the show weren't simple enough, and that's when the shark started to circle.

Howie proceeded to make a noble, but fateful announcement... the million dollar mission. Every week someone failed to win the million, an additional million dollar choice was added to the big board until someone took home the big prize.

Odds were becoming more favorable for the contestant, and gamesmanship started to disappear. Once you begin to mess with an already ridiculously simple game, there's no turning back.

Girls have been eliminated from The Lucky Case Game, and now it's much easier to win. Themed episodes, which occurred once in a while, are now a regular fixture. There's a Deal Wheel that can triple your money. And the fact that we know Hayely’s case (#25) always has a lot of money simply doesn't matter any more.

This week, Deal or No Deal travels to a galaxy far, far away... Star Wars night. 26 beauties dressed as Princess Leia. R2D2 and Chewie help out the contestant. Darth Vader takes over for the banker.

Don't be surprised if you see Jar Jar Binks laughing as the show sails over the shark.