Syndicated "Deal" renewed for second season (updated)

Production to move to Connecticut to join other NBC Universal shows

Well, what took them so long?After months of being on the fence, NBC Universal's Deal or No Deal syndicated strip is finally renewed for its second season - with a catch.

Production of the syndicated strip is moving production to Waterford, Connecticut from Culver City, Cal., a suburb adjacent to Los Angeles. Culver City is home to many television production facilities, including Sony Pictures Studios - home of Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy!

Deal will be joining other syndicated NBC Universal shows in making the move - Maury (from New York City), Jerry Springer, and The Steve Wilkos Show (both from Chicago) - to take advantage of tax credits offered by Connecticut. The three talk shows are scheduled to tape at a renovated facility in Stamford.

It is confirmed the series will leave The Culver Studios altogether, its home since 2006, since NBC will no longer air Deal in prime-time after this season.

Deal has been cleared in 85 percent of the country for season two.

Howie Mandel will continue to host, but it is unknown whether or not the two models on the syndicated version of the show (Tameka Jacobs and Patricia Kara) will continue in their roles.

But the "banker" will be there, rest assured. Just don't be surprised if the "banker" turns out to be Vince McMahon.

Or Rondo from the Celtics.

So where is Waterford, anyway? According to Google Maps, a commute from Rockefeller Center in New York (home of NBC) to the Sonalysts Studios in Waterford (where Deal will tape) is an 121-mile, 2 hour and 17 minute drive. Yikes!

From Providence's WJAR-TV (actually located in Cranston, RI), it's only a 53-mile, 55-minute trip.