If, like me, you originally enjoyed “Deal or No Deal” but have become tired of the increasingly gimmicky tone and the way in which the show sometimes seems to mock its colorful-character contestants, you might want to check out the half-hour daytime version, which started this week. Here in Middle Tennessee, it runs Monday through Friday at 6:30 p.m. on WUXP (broadcast channel 30).

It’s a scaled-down but much faster-moving version of the show, and after having seen one full episode and parts of two others I have to say I like it better.

Here are the changes:

There are only 22 cases, with a top prize of $500,000, as opposed to 26 and $1 million in the nighttime version.

Although there are two models, the briefcases are held by contestants waiting to play the game. The two models operate a wheel numbered from one to 22, and generally stand by throughout the game so that the camera can show them clapping and looking sympathetic. The game begins by spinning the wheel. The contestant whose case number is chosen comes forward, bringing their own case with them. (Because they did not choose that case, Howie gives them the opportunity to switch it for one of the other cases before the game starts in earnest.)

The same basic contestant pool stays on the show all week, so that you can get to know and root for them, and the contestants-in-waiting are good sports about rooting for whomever is playing the game at a given moment. So you don’t have family members standing by giving advice as in the nighttime version.

The game moves much, much faster. The banker offers aren’t drawn out for 10 minutes, there are (so far) no gimmicky moments based on the contestant’s favorite celebrity or sports team, and there seem to be far fewer “colorful” contestants with Scarlett O’Hara, Marge Gunderson or Tony Soprano accents. A lot of times on the nighttime version, you feel like the producers and/or Howie are making fun of the contestant; I don’t get that vibe in the daytime version.

I like this version so far. It could end up sticking around after the nighttime version has thrown in the towel.