My .03:
Other posters have already mentioned it, but let me put it another way: This is a show that relies purely on contestants' luck. I remember Mark Goodson, one of the deans, if not the dean of game show producers, expressing surprise that "Let's Make a Deal" was a success, because it was so totally dependent on luck. Perish the thought that I'm comparing LMaD with DoND, but I could see Goodson's point: Contestants on LMaD won, not by bringing any physical or mental skill to the game, but by simply choosing the right box, curtain or door. (I guess the fast pace, outlandish costumes and Monty Hall's rapid-fire repartee made it seem more than what it was.)
The same basic principle would seem to apply to the U.S. version of DoND. I'm intrigued to hear that the Australian version required contestants to win a trivia round in order to qualify for the main game.
I'll probably watch all five episodes, but I suspect I'll lose interest before it's all over. For me, one of the pleasures of watching a game show is shouting the correct answers at the TV (which is absolutely no predictor of how I would actually do on the show), but with DoND, I'm just as in the dark as the contestant and his/her rooting section. At the end of the day, DoND is, IMHO, as exciting as watching a glorified Bingo game, with much greater money amounts at stake.
But yes, Howie Mandel did a terrific job, and yes, the models are gorgeous.