Let's Make a Deal
Encyclopedia
Let's Make a Deal is a television game show
which originated in the United States and has since been produced in many countries throughout the world. The show is based around deals offered to members of the audience by the host. The traders usually have to weigh the possibility of an offer being for a valuable prize, or an undesirable item, referred to as a "Zonk". Let's Make a Deal is also known for the various unusual and crazy costumes worn by audience members, who dressed up that way in order to increase their chances of being selected as a trader. The show was hosted for many years by Monty Hall
, who co-produced the show with Stefan Hatos.
, then moved to ABC
where it ran until 1976. A weekly nighttime syndicated version of the show aired from 1971 to 1977. Two daily syndicated versions aired in the 1980s, one a Canadian-based revival that aired from 1980 to 1981, and The All New Let's Make a Deal, which aired from 1984 to 1986. NBC aired a daytime series in 1990–1991 and three episodes of a weekly prime time version in 2003.
The weekly nighttime syndicated series, seen from 1971–1977, was distributed by ABC Films and its successor, Worldvision Enterprises. The 1980 daily syndicated series was co-produced and distributed by Canadian production company Catalena Productions, with its American partner Rhodes Productions distributing the series in the United States (as they would later do with another Catalena production, Pitfall
). The 1984 daily syndicated series was distributed by Telepictures
. One episode of the show was part of the summer replacement series Gameshow Marathon on CBS
in 2006, hosted by Ricki Lake
.
On July 8, 2009 a pilot was taped at CBS Television City
, with Wayne Brady
as host and Jonathan Mangum
as announcer. The program premiered on CBS on October 5, 2009, and affiliates may carry the show at different times depending on their commitments to syndicated programming. CBS briefly screened two new episodes daily between the cancellation of As the World Turns
and the debut of The Talk
. As of 2011, it is one of only three CBS network programs not yet broadcast in HDTV
(this includes Up to the Minute
and Big Brother), instead broadcasting solely in standard-definition 480i
.
In the simplest format, a trader is given a prize of medium value (such as a television set), and the host offers them the opportunity to trade for another prize. However, the offered prize is unknown. It might be concealed on the stage behind one of three curtains, or behind "boxes" onstage (large panels painted to look like boxes), within smaller boxes brought out to the audience, or occasionally in other formats. The initial prize given to the trader may also be concealed, such as in a box, wallet or purse, or the trader might be initially given a box or curtain. The format varies widely.
Technically, traders are supposed to bring something to trade in, but this rule has seldom been enforced. On several occasions, a trader is actually asked to trade in an item such as his or her shoes or purse, only to receive the item back at the end of the deal as a "prize". On at least one occasion, the purse was taken backstage and a high-valued prize was placed inside of it.
Prizes generally were either a legitimate prize, cash, or a "Zonk". Legitimate prizes run the gamut of what is typically given away on game shows including trips, electronics, furniture, appliances, and cars. Zonks are unwanted booby prize
s, which could be anything, including live animals, large amounts of food, or something outlandish like a giant article of clothing, a room full of junked furniture, or a junked car. Sometimes Zonks are legitimate prizes but of a low value (e.g., Matchbox cars, wheelbarrows, T-shirts, small food or non-food grocery prizes, etc.) On rare occasions, a trader appears to get Zonked, but the Zonk is a cover-up for a legitimate prize.
Though usually considered joke prizes, traders legally win the Zonks. However, after the taping of the show, any trader who had been Zonked is offered a consolation prize instead of having to take home the actual Zonk. This is partly because some of the Zonks are intrinsically impossible to receive or deliver to the traders (such as live animals). A disclaimer at the end of the credits of later 1970s episodes read "Some traders accept reasonable duplicates of Zonk prizes."
([at]CBSLetsMakeDeal) days before taping to encourage audience members to carry and win additional cash for carrying such items). The deals are usually in the form of the following:
Prior to October 2011, three traders select envelopes to start the game. Two of them contain $1,000, the other $100 (or $500 and $50 in earlier versions).
Starting in October 2011, the envelope selection was abolished and replaced by the three traders who now attempt to pick the highest-ranked card out of nine from a game board. The two highest-ranked players win $500 and advance to the next round, while the eliminated player wins $100.
The advancing players (or prior to October 2011, the two dealers who chose the $1,000) continue on to try to win an additional prize by picking the higher-ranked card out of the remaining cards. The trader who wins can then risk the prize and the cash by picking two more cards, one for themselves and one for the host, winner take all. If the trader picks the higher card for themselves, they added a new car (or another large prize); otherwise, the trader loses everything.
Later, A 20-space carnival wheel was brought out from behind Door #4, which contained cash amounts from $100–$5,000. The trader spun the wheel and could keep the cash amount on which the wheel stopped, or risk their winnings for another spin. However, if the amount of the second spin was less than the first amount spun, the trader won nothing. Also on the wheel was a space marked "Double Deal", which doubled the trader's spin, for a possible total of $10,000. If the trader spun Double Deal with both spins, they also won $10,000.
The trader was given $750 and could return the money for a spin of the carnival wheel, which now contained amounts ranging from $100–$3,000, plus two spaces which read "Car". Also on the wheel were spaces that doubled or tripled the trader's money, as well as "Zonk" spaces. If the trader spun a Zonk, the trader received a T-shirt that read "I was ZONKED by Monty Hall". The initial cash buyout was later upped from $750 to $1,000, upon which the highest cash value on the wheel was raised to $4,000.
A revamped version, titled "Let's Take a Spin", is scheduled to be played starting in the 2011–2012 season, with many of the elements of the old Door #4 game used.
The Big Deal involves three doors, famously known as "Door #1", "Door #2", and "Door #3", each of which contained a prize or prize package. In the two-trader format used until 2003, the top winner of the two was offered the first choice of a door, and the second trader was then offered a choice of the two remaining doors. In the one-trader format used since 2009, the trader simply selects which door he or she wants.
One door hides the day's Big Deal, which is usually valued higher than the top prize offered on that specific episode to that point. It often includes the day's most expensive prize (a luxury or sports car, a trip, furniture/appliances, a fur, cash, or a combination of items). The other two doors conceal prizes or prize packages of lesser value. The Big Deal does not offer Zonks, although there is always the possibility that a trader could wind up with less than his or her original winnings. All three doors are opened, in order of increasing value; however, the order of reveal often changes on the CBS version based upon the trader's selection.
Sometimes one of the doors contains a cash prize, contained within a container such as "Monty's Cookie Jar", "Monty's Piggy Bank", a "LMaD Claim Check", or in the CBS version, the "Let's Make a Deal Vault". In some cases these cash prizes have been the Big Deal, but often they are not.
The Super Deal was discontinued when the show permanently moved to Las Vegas
for the final season (1976–1977), and Big Deal values returned to their previous range of $10,000 to $15,000.
The 1980–1981 syndicated version featured Big Deals worth $5,000–$6,000. Also, as the show was seen in both Canada and the United States, cash prizes were offered in the form of "Monty Dollars" or "Let's Make a Deal Money", and traders could accept the amount in either U.S. or Canadian currency.
The 1984–1986 syndicated version offered Big Deals worth $6,000–$8,000 in the first season and $8,000–$12,000 in the second season. The 1990–1991 version that aired on NBC Daytime
featured Big Deals worth $12,000–$20,000.
In 2003, NBC aired three episodes of a weekly version hosted by Billy Bush that featured Big Deals worth over $50,000. The current CBS version, airing since 2009, features Big Deals worth $20,000–$50,000.
presented the May 25, 1963 pilot with commentary from host Hall. In the special, Hall mentioned that two weeks into the series (January 1964), an audience member had brought in a small placard that read "Roses are red, violets are blue, I came here to deal with you!" The placard caught Hall's attention, and he chose the trader to make a deal. On later tapings, more people began bringing signs. Again to get Hall's attention, another audience member showed up at a taping wearing a crazy hat, which also eventually caught on with others. The costumes and signs became a part of the show itself and got crazier and crazier as the show went on.
The most frequently-asked question was if the show provided the zany costumes for the studio audience. The standard but ambiguous response was that all traders came to the studio "dressed as they are", in the words of Jay Stewart.
By 1974, however, the show had spent more than a decade at or near the top of daytime ratings, and became the highest-rated syndicated primetime program. At the time, the show held the world's record for the longest waiting list for tickets in show-business history – there were 350 seats available for each show, and a wait time of two-to-three years after requesting a ticket.
In 2001, Let's Make a Deal was ranked as #18 on TV Guide
s list of "The 50 Greatest Game Shows of All Time." In 2006, GSN aired a series of specials counting down its own list of the "50 Greatest Game Shows of All Time", on which Let's Make a Deal was #7.
holds international (and as of February 2009, American) rights to the show, and has licensed the show to 14 countries.
released a home version of Let's Make a Deal featuring gameplay somewhat different from the television show. In 1974, Ideal Toys released an updated version of the game featuring Hall on the box cover, which was also given to all traders on the syndicated version in the 1974–75 season. An electronic tabletop version by Tiger Electronics
was released in 1998. In the late summer of 2006, an interactive DVD version of Let's Make a Deal was released by Imagination Games
, which also features classic clips from the Monty Hall years of the show. In 2010, Pressman Toy Corporation
released an updated version of the box game, with gameplay more similar to the 1974 version, featuring Brady on the box cover.
Various U.S. lotteries
have included instant lottery tickets based on Let's Make a Deal.
, and both bear some similarity to the much older Bertrand's box paradox
. The problem examines the counter-intuitive effect of switching one's choice of doors, one of which hides a "prize."
The problem has been analyzed many times, in books, articles and online. In an interview with The New York Times
reporter John Tierney
in 1991, Hall gave an explanation of the solution to that problem, stating that he played on the psychology of the contestant, and why the solution did not apply to the case of the actual show.
Game show
A game show is a type of radio or television program in which members of the public, television personalities or celebrities, sometimes as part of a team, play a game which involves answering questions or solving puzzles usually for money and/or prizes...
which originated in the United States and has since been produced in many countries throughout the world. The show is based around deals offered to members of the audience by the host. The traders usually have to weigh the possibility of an offer being for a valuable prize, or an undesirable item, referred to as a "Zonk". Let's Make a Deal is also known for the various unusual and crazy costumes worn by audience members, who dressed up that way in order to increase their chances of being selected as a trader. The show was hosted for many years by Monty Hall
Monty Hall
Monte Halperin, OC, OM , better known by the stage name Monty Hall, is a Canadian-born MC, producer, actor, singer and sportscaster, best known as host of the television game show Let's Make a Deal.-Early life:...
, who co-produced the show with Stefan Hatos.
Broadcast History
The original and most widely-known version of the show aired from 1963 to 1968 on NBCNBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
, then moved to ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
where it ran until 1976. A weekly nighttime syndicated version of the show aired from 1971 to 1977. Two daily syndicated versions aired in the 1980s, one a Canadian-based revival that aired from 1980 to 1981, and The All New Let's Make a Deal, which aired from 1984 to 1986. NBC aired a daytime series in 1990–1991 and three episodes of a weekly prime time version in 2003.
The weekly nighttime syndicated series, seen from 1971–1977, was distributed by ABC Films and its successor, Worldvision Enterprises. The 1980 daily syndicated series was co-produced and distributed by Canadian production company Catalena Productions, with its American partner Rhodes Productions distributing the series in the United States (as they would later do with another Catalena production, Pitfall
Pitfall (game show)
Pitfall was a Canadian game show that aired in American and Canadian syndication from September 14, 1981 to September 1982. The host was Alex Trebek and the announcer was John Barton...
). The 1984 daily syndicated series was distributed by Telepictures
Telepictures
Telepictures is an American production company, currently operating as a label of Warner Bros. Television, with Hilary Estey McLoughlin currently serving as President...
. One episode of the show was part of the summer replacement series Gameshow Marathon on CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
in 2006, hosted by Ricki Lake
Ricki Lake
Ricki Pamela Lake is an American actress, producer, and television host. She is best known for her starring role as Tracy Turnblad in the original Hairspray, her ground-breaking documentary film The Business of Being Born, and her talk show which was broadcasted internationally from...
.
On July 8, 2009 a pilot was taped at CBS Television City
CBS Television City
CBS Television City is a television studio complex located in the Fairfax District of Los Angeles at 7800 Beverly Boulevard, at the corner of North Fairfax Avenue...
, with Wayne Brady
Wayne Brady
Wayne Alphonso Brady is an actor, singer, comedian and television personality, known for his work as a regular on the American version of the improvisational comedy television series Whose Line Is It Anyway?, and as the host of the daytime talk show The Wayne Brady Show...
as host and Jonathan Mangum
Jonathan Mangum
Jonathan Mangum is an American actor and comedian. He was a cast member of the variety show, The Wayne Brady Show and is an announcer for the game show Let's Make a Deal.-Early life:...
as announcer. The program premiered on CBS on October 5, 2009, and affiliates may carry the show at different times depending on their commitments to syndicated programming. CBS briefly screened two new episodes daily between the cancellation of As the World Turns
As the World Turns
As the World Turns is an American television soap opera that aired on CBS from April 2, 1956 to September 17, 2010. Irna Phillips created As the World Turns as a sister show to her other soap opera Guiding Light...
and the debut of The Talk
The Talk (U.S. TV series)
The Talk is a talk show created by actress Sara Gilbert, who also serves as the executive producer. The show premiered on October 18, 2010, and airs on CBS as a part of CBS Daytime...
. As of 2011, it is one of only three CBS network programs not yet broadcast in HDTV
High-definition television
High-definition television is video that has resolution substantially higher than that of traditional television systems . HDTV has one or two million pixels per frame, roughly five times that of SD...
(this includes Up to the Minute
Up to the Minute
Up to the Minute is a CBS overnight broadcast which offers hard news, features, interviews, weather, sports, business and commentary. Up to the Minute draws from the full resources of CBS News, including the CBS Evening News, Newspath, affiliate stations, the CBS Radio Network and Reuters Television...
and Big Brother), instead broadcasting solely in standard-definition 480i
480i
480i is the shorthand name for a video mode, namely the US NTSC television system or digital television systems with the same characteristics. The i, which is sometimes uppercase, stands for interlaced, the 480 for a vertical frame resolution of 480 lines containing picture information; while NTSC...
.
Game play
Each episode of Let's Make a Deal consists of several "deals" between the host and a member or members of the audience as traders. Audience members are picked at the host's whim as the show moves along, and couples are often selected to play together as traders. The "deals" are mini-games within the show that take several formats.In the simplest format, a trader is given a prize of medium value (such as a television set), and the host offers them the opportunity to trade for another prize. However, the offered prize is unknown. It might be concealed on the stage behind one of three curtains, or behind "boxes" onstage (large panels painted to look like boxes), within smaller boxes brought out to the audience, or occasionally in other formats. The initial prize given to the trader may also be concealed, such as in a box, wallet or purse, or the trader might be initially given a box or curtain. The format varies widely.
Technically, traders are supposed to bring something to trade in, but this rule has seldom been enforced. On several occasions, a trader is actually asked to trade in an item such as his or her shoes or purse, only to receive the item back at the end of the deal as a "prize". On at least one occasion, the purse was taken backstage and a high-valued prize was placed inside of it.
Prizes generally were either a legitimate prize, cash, or a "Zonk". Legitimate prizes run the gamut of what is typically given away on game shows including trips, electronics, furniture, appliances, and cars. Zonks are unwanted booby prize
Booby prize
A booby prize is a joke prize usually given in recognition of a terrible performance or last-place finish. A person who finishes last, for example, may get a booby prize such as a worthless coin. Booby prizes are sometimes humorously and jokingly coveted as an object of pride.Booby prizes, however,...
s, which could be anything, including live animals, large amounts of food, or something outlandish like a giant article of clothing, a room full of junked furniture, or a junked car. Sometimes Zonks are legitimate prizes but of a low value (e.g., Matchbox cars, wheelbarrows, T-shirts, small food or non-food grocery prizes, etc.) On rare occasions, a trader appears to get Zonked, but the Zonk is a cover-up for a legitimate prize.
Though usually considered joke prizes, traders legally win the Zonks. However, after the taping of the show, any trader who had been Zonked is offered a consolation prize instead of having to take home the actual Zonk. This is partly because some of the Zonks are intrinsically impossible to receive or deliver to the traders (such as live animals). A disclaimer at the end of the credits of later 1970s episodes read "Some traders accept reasonable duplicates of Zonk prizes."
Quickie Deals
As the end credits of the show roll, it is typical for the host to ask random members of the studio audience to participate in fast deals (often referred on the CBS version as "quickie deals". On the current version, the deal information is often posted on TwitterTwitter
Twitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, informally known as "tweets".Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey and launched that July...
([at]CBSLetsMakeDeal) days before taping to encourage audience members to carry and win additional cash for carrying such items). The deals are usually in the form of the following:
- Offering cash to one person in the audience who had a certain item on them.
- Offering a small cash amount for each item of a certain quantity.
- Offering cash for each instance of a particular digit as it occurred in the serial number on a dollar bill, driver's license, etc.
- Offering to pay the last check in the person's checkbook, if they had one, up to a certain limit (usually $500 or $1,000).
Other deal formats
Deals were often more complicated than the basic format described above. Additionally, some deals took the form of games of chance, and others in the form of pricing games.Trading deals
- Choosing an envelope, purse, wallet, etc., which conceal dollar bills. One of them conceals a pre-announced value (usually $1 or $5), which awards a car or trip. The other envelopes contain a larger amount of money as a consolation prize. The trader must decide whether to keep his/her choice or trade. In some playings it is possible for more than one trader to win the grand prize.
- Making decisions for another person, such as a husband or wife, or a series of unrelated traders. Sometimes after several offers, the teams are broken up to make an individual decision.
- Being presented with a large grocery item (e.g., a box of candy bars)—almost always containing a hidden cash amount—or a "claim check" at the start of the show. Throughout the show, the trader is given several chances to trade the item and/or give it to another trader in exchange for a different box or curtain. The final trader in possession of the item prior to the Big Deal is usually offered first choice of the three doors in exchange for giving up the item. The contents of the item are only revealed after the Big Deal is awarded (or prior to the Big Deal if the last trader with the item elected to choose one of the three doors).
Games of chance
Games of chance range wide in variety and format.- Collecting a certain amount of money hidden inside wallets, envelopes, etc., or by pressing unlabeled buttons on a cash register, in order to reach a pre-stated "selling price" for a larger prize, such as a car, trip or larger amount of cash.
- Choosing one from among several items (e.g., one of three keys that unlocks a safe, one of three diamond rings that is genuine, one of three eggs that is raw, etc.) in order to win money or a prize.
- Games involving a deck of cards in which a trader must find matching cards, draw cards that reach a cumulative total within a certain number of draws, etc. to win a prize or additional money.
- Receiving clues about an unknown prize (such as a partial spelling of the prize or clues in the form or rapRappingRapping refers to "spoken or chanted rhyming lyrics". The art form can be broken down into different components, as in the book How to Rap where it is separated into “content”, “flow” , and “delivery”...
, rhyme, etc.) and deciding whether to take the unknown prize or a cash prize. - Rolling dice to receive cash based upon the roll or achieving a cumulative score within a certain number of rolls to win a larger prize.
Beat the Dealer
Prior to October 2011, three traders select envelopes to start the game. Two of them contain $1,000, the other $100 (or $500 and $50 in earlier versions).
Starting in October 2011, the envelope selection was abolished and replaced by the three traders who now attempt to pick the highest-ranked card out of nine from a game board. The two highest-ranked players win $500 and advance to the next round, while the eliminated player wins $100.
The advancing players (or prior to October 2011, the two dealers who chose the $1,000) continue on to try to win an additional prize by picking the higher-ranked card out of the remaining cards. The trader who wins can then risk the prize and the cash by picking two more cards, one for themselves and one for the host, winner take all. If the trader picks the higher card for themselves, they added a new car (or another large prize); otherwise, the trader loses everything.
Pricing games
Other deals related to pricing merchandise are featured in order to win a larger prize or cash amounts. Sometimes traders are required to price individual items (either grocery products or prizes generally valued less than $100) within a certain range to win successively larger prizes or a car. Other times traders must choose an item that a pre-announced price or two items with prices that total a certain amount to win a larger prize.Door #4/Let's Take a Spin
Played every few days on the 1984–1986 version, a trader was chosen at random by a computer based on a number (from 1–36) which appeared on the trader's name tag. Originally, the chosen trader was offered a sure-thing or choosing an unknown cash amount hidden behind Door #4, which ranged from $1–$5,000.Later, A 20-space carnival wheel was brought out from behind Door #4, which contained cash amounts from $100–$5,000. The trader spun the wheel and could keep the cash amount on which the wheel stopped, or risk their winnings for another spin. However, if the amount of the second spin was less than the first amount spun, the trader won nothing. Also on the wheel was a space marked "Double Deal", which doubled the trader's spin, for a possible total of $10,000. If the trader spun Double Deal with both spins, they also won $10,000.
The trader was given $750 and could return the money for a spin of the carnival wheel, which now contained amounts ranging from $100–$3,000, plus two spaces which read "Car". Also on the wheel were spaces that doubled or tripled the trader's money, as well as "Zonk" spaces. If the trader spun a Zonk, the trader received a T-shirt that read "I was ZONKED by Monty Hall". The initial cash buyout was later upped from $750 to $1,000, upon which the highest cash value on the wheel was raised to $4,000.
A revamped version, titled "Let's Take a Spin", is scheduled to be played starting in the 2011–2012 season, with many of the elements of the old Door #4 game used.
Big Deal
Each show ends with the Big Deal. Beginning with the day's biggest winner, and moving in order to the winner of the lowest prize value, the host asks each trader if they want to trade their winnings for a spot in the Big Deal (whose value was usually revealed at that point). He continues asking until two traders agreed to participate. However, in the CBS version, only one trader is asked to participate in the Big Deal.The Big Deal involves three doors, famously known as "Door #1", "Door #2", and "Door #3", each of which contained a prize or prize package. In the two-trader format used until 2003, the top winner of the two was offered the first choice of a door, and the second trader was then offered a choice of the two remaining doors. In the one-trader format used since 2009, the trader simply selects which door he or she wants.
One door hides the day's Big Deal, which is usually valued higher than the top prize offered on that specific episode to that point. It often includes the day's most expensive prize (a luxury or sports car, a trip, furniture/appliances, a fur, cash, or a combination of items). The other two doors conceal prizes or prize packages of lesser value. The Big Deal does not offer Zonks, although there is always the possibility that a trader could wind up with less than his or her original winnings. All three doors are opened, in order of increasing value; however, the order of reveal often changes on the CBS version based upon the trader's selection.
Sometimes one of the doors contains a cash prize, contained within a container such as "Monty's Cookie Jar", "Monty's Piggy Bank", a "LMaD Claim Check", or in the CBS version, the "Let's Make a Deal Vault". In some cases these cash prizes have been the Big Deal, but often they are not.
Super Deal
During the 1975–1976 syndicated season, a new "Super Deal" was offered for Big Deal winners. At this point, Big Deals were limited to a range of $8,000 to $10,000. The trader could risk their Big Deal winnings on a 1-in-3 shot at adding a $20,000 cash prize. The other two doors caused the trader to lose the "Big Deal", but he or she took home a $1,000 or $2,000 consolation prize. Given this scenario, a Super Deal winner could win as much as $30,000 in cash and prizes. Later, the consolation prize was changed to $2,000 and a "mystery amount" between $1,000 and $9,000.The Super Deal was discontinued when the show permanently moved to Las Vegas
Las Vegas metropolitan area
The Las Vegas Valley is the heart of the Las Vegas-Paradise, NV MSA also known as the Las Vegas–Paradise–Henderson MSA which includes all of Clark County, Nevada, and is a metropolitan area in the southern part of the U.S. state of Nevada. The Valley is defined by the Las Vegas Valley landform, a ...
for the final season (1976–1977), and Big Deal values returned to their previous range of $10,000 to $15,000.
Value
Big Deals on the 1963–1976 version varied in value, but generally ranged from $1,750–$5,000. The weekly syndicated version featured Big Deals worth $7,000–$12,000, with the runner-up deal frequently featuring prizes such as cars, furs, or trips, that would normally be part of a Big Deal on the daytime version. During the 1975–1976 syndicated season, Big Deals were worth between $8,000–$10,000, meaning a trader could leave with almost $30,000 if they also won the Super Deal.The 1980–1981 syndicated version featured Big Deals worth $5,000–$6,000. Also, as the show was seen in both Canada and the United States, cash prizes were offered in the form of "Monty Dollars" or "Let's Make a Deal Money", and traders could accept the amount in either U.S. or Canadian currency.
The 1984–1986 syndicated version offered Big Deals worth $6,000–$8,000 in the first season and $8,000–$12,000 in the second season. The 1990–1991 version that aired on NBC Daytime
NBC Daytime
NBC Daytime is the schedule for the NBC television network's daytime television programming which consists of morning news program Today and soap opera Days of our Lives...
featured Big Deals worth $12,000–$20,000.
In 2003, NBC aired three episodes of a weekly version hosted by Billy Bush that featured Big Deals worth over $50,000. The current CBS version, airing since 2009, features Big Deals worth $20,000–$50,000.
Audience attire
When the series began, studio audience members wore suits and ties or dresses. Over time, contestants gradually moved to wearing costumes. In 2003, GSNGame Show Network
The Game Show Network is an American cable television and direct broadcast satellite channel dedicated to game shows and casino game shows. The channel was launched on December 1, 1994. Its current slogan is "The World Needs More Winners"...
presented the May 25, 1963 pilot with commentary from host Hall. In the special, Hall mentioned that two weeks into the series (January 1964), an audience member had brought in a small placard that read "Roses are red, violets are blue, I came here to deal with you!" The placard caught Hall's attention, and he chose the trader to make a deal. On later tapings, more people began bringing signs. Again to get Hall's attention, another audience member showed up at a taping wearing a crazy hat, which also eventually caught on with others. The costumes and signs became a part of the show itself and got crazier and crazier as the show went on.
The most frequently-asked question was if the show provided the zany costumes for the studio audience. The standard but ambiguous response was that all traders came to the studio "dressed as they are", in the words of Jay Stewart.
Reception
Upon the original Let's Make a Deals debut, journalist Charles Witbeck was skeptical of the show's chances of success, noting that the previous four NBC programs to compete with CBS' Password had failed. Some critics described the show as "mindless" and "demeaning to contestants and audiences alike."By 1974, however, the show had spent more than a decade at or near the top of daytime ratings, and became the highest-rated syndicated primetime program. At the time, the show held the world's record for the longest waiting list for tickets in show-business history – there were 350 seats available for each show, and a wait time of two-to-three years after requesting a ticket.
In 2001, Let's Make a Deal was ranked as #18 on TV Guide
TV Guide
TV Guide is a weekly American magazine with listings of TV shows.In addition to TV listings, the publication features television-related news, celebrity interviews, gossip and film reviews and crossword puzzles...
s list of "The 50 Greatest Game Shows of All Time." In 2006, GSN aired a series of specials counting down its own list of the "50 Greatest Game Shows of All Time", on which Let's Make a Deal was #7.
Episode status
Many of the show's estimated five thousand plus episodes exist:- NBC Daytime/Nighttime: Status is unknown, though it is very likely that the original tapes were wipedWipingWiping or junking is a colloquial term for action taken by radio and television production and broadcasting companies, in which old audiotapes, videotapes, and telerecordings , are erased, reused, or destroyed after several uses...
as they were recorded over by NBC with new programming in an era when videotape was prohibitively expensive. The 1963 pilot exists, with Wendell NilesWendell NilesWendell Niles was one of the great announcers of the American golden age of radio. He was an announcer on such shows as The Bob Hope Show, The Burns & Allen Show, The Milton Berle Show and The Chase and Sanborn Hour ...
as announcer, traders in normal business attire (typical of its first season), and a Zonk behind one of the doors in the Big Deal (worth $2,005). Zonks have never been in the big deal since. The 1967 nighttime finale exists in the Library of Congress, along with a few scattered daytime episodes. Three daytime episodes are at the Paley Center for Media. - ABC Daytime: More than 500 episodes exist. A clip from the ABC daytime premiere was used on Monty Hall's "Biography", which aired during Game Show Week on A&E. Another episode from 1969 was found, which features a gaffe that Hall himself rated as his most embarrassing moment on Let's Make a Deal – at the end of the show, he attempted to make a deal with a woman carrying a baby's bottle. Noting that it had a removable rubber nipple, he offered the woman $100 if she could show him another nipple (she didn't). This clip was restored utilizing the LiveFeed Video Imaging kinescope restoration process, and was re-aired in 2008 as part of NBC's Most Outrageous Moments series. Episodes substitute-hosted by Dennis JamesDennis JamesDennis James was an American television personality, actor, and announcer. He is credited as the host of television's first network game show, the DuMont Network's Cash and Carry in 1946...
exist in his personal library; a clip from one of his episodes was featured in a 1972 pitch film for The New Price Is RightThe Price Is Right (U.S. game show)The Price Is Right is an American game show which was created by Mark Goodson and Bill Todman. Contestants compete to identify the pricing of merchandise to win cash and prizes. The show is well-known for its signature line of "Come on down!" when the announcer directs newly selected contestants to...
, whose nighttime version was hosted by James. - ABC Nighttime/1971–1977 Syndicated: Exist almost in their entirety and have been seen on GSN in the past. The Family ChannelABC FamilyABC Family, stylized as abc family, is an American television network, owned by ABC Family Worldwide Inc., a subsidiary of the Disney-ABC Television Group division of The Walt Disney Company...
reran the syndicated series from June 7, 1993 to March 29, 1996.
- (NOTE: All episodes exist from 1980 onward.)
- The 1980–1981 Canadian version was seen in reruns on the Global Television NetworkGlobal Television NetworkGlobal Television Network is an English language privately owned television network in Canada, owned by Calgary-based Shaw Communications, as part of its Shaw Media division...
for much of the 1980s. - The 1984–1986 syndicated version has been seen on GSN in the past. Reruns previously aired on the USA NetworkUSA NetworkUSA Network is an American cable television channel launched in 1971. Once a minor player in basic cable, the network has steadily gained popularity because of breakout hits like Monk, Psych, Burn Notice, Royal Pains, Covert Affairs, White Collar, Monday Night RAW, Suits, and reruns of the various...
from December 29, 1986 to December 30, 1988 and The Family Channel from August 30, 1993 to September 29, 1995. - The 1990s NBC version has not been seen since its cancellation.
- The 2003 NBC prime time version only aired three of the five episodes produced, with no rebroadcasts since.
- The 1980–1981 Canadian version was seen in reruns on the Global Television Network
International
RTL GroupRTL Group
RTL Group is Europe's largest TV, radio and production company, and is majority-owned by German media conglomerate Bertelsmann. It has 45 television and 32 radio stations in 11 countries...
holds international (and as of February 2009, American) rights to the show, and has licensed the show to 14 countries.
- An AustraliaAustraliaAustralia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n version aired from 1976–1977 on Channel NineNine NetworkThe Nine Network , is an Australian television network with headquarters based in Willoughby, a suburb located on the North Shore of Sydney. For 50 years since television's inception in Australia, between 1956 and 2006, it was the most watched television network in Australia...
. A new Australian version of Let's Make a Deal has had its pilot taped and is expected to air on the Nine Network once again. - The FrenchFranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
version was called Le Bigdil and aired weeknights from 1998–2004 on TF1TF1TF1 is a national French TV channel, controlled by TF1 Group, whose major share-holder is Bouygues. TF1's average market share of 24% makes it the most popular domestic network...
. Although the framing concept of the show is similar to the American version of Let's Make a Deal, stunts similar to those seen on Beat the ClockBeat the ClockBeat the Clock is a Goodson-Todman game show which has aired on American television in several versions since 1950.The original show, hosted by Bud Collyer, ran on CBS from 1950–1958 and ABC from 1958–1961. The show was revived in syndication as The New Beat the Clock from 1969–1974, with Jack Narz...
are played throughout the show as well. - A GermanGermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
version called Geh aufs Ganze! ran from 1992–2003. The show began on Sat.1Sat.1Sat.1 is a privately owned German television broadcasting station. Sat.1 was the first privately owned television broadcasting station in Germany, having started one day before RTL Television....
and later moved to kabel 1Kabel 1kabel eins is a commercial television channel in Germany. It started business on 29 February 1992, as the Kabelkanal and belongs to the ProSiebenSat.1 Media AG. The channel is largely known for showing classic American films as well as series and documentaries...
. The show was initially hosted Jörg Draeger, who was later succeeded by Elmar Hörig. The German version of the Zonk was an always a red and black plush mouse the trader got to take home. - The show is scheduled to air on Alpha TVAlpha TVAlpha TV is a Greek terrestrial channel . The station features a mix of Greek and foreign shows with an emphasis on entertainment programs. The studios are located near Athens...
in GreeceGreeceGreece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
as an hour-long series. 140 episodes have been ordered. - A Spanish-language American version called Trato Hecho aired on UnivisionUnivisionUnivision is a Spanish-language television network in the United States. It has the largest audience of Spanish language television viewers according to Nielsen ratings. Randy Falco, COO, has been in charge of the company since the departure of Univision Communications president and CEO Joe Uva...
in 2005. Guillermo Huesca was the host. - The TurkishTurkeyTurkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
version is Seç Bakalım, hosted by Erhan Yazıcıoğlu with Spice GirlSpice GirlsThe Spice Girls were a British pop girl group formed in 1994. The group consisted of Victoria Beckham , Melanie Brown, Emma Bunton, Melanie Chisholm and Geri Halliwell. They were signed to Virgin Records and released their debut single, "Wannabe" in 1996, which hit number-one in more than 30...
Geri HalliwellGeri HalliwellGeraldine Estelle "Geri" Halliwell is an English pop singer-songwriter, author and actress. After coming to international prominence in the late 1990s as Ginger Spice, a member of the girl group the Spice Girls, Halliwell launched her solo career in 1998 and released her album Schizophonic...
as a model. - An Indonesian version debuted on the antvAntvantv is an Indonesian television network based in South Jakarta. It is owned by PT Visi Media Asia,Tbk.-History:antv was launched on 1 March 1993 as a local television station in Lampung province. In the same month it was awarded a government license for nationwide broadcasting, and moved its...
at April 2006 (now airs back since April 28, 2010), as Super Deal 2 Milyar (Super Deal Two Billions). - An Indian version was aired on Star PlusSTAR PlusSTAR Plus is a Hindi language general entertainment television channel based in India. The channel is part of the STAR TV network's bouquet of channels...
for two seasons and was called Khul Ja Sim Sim. - The Polish version is called Idź na całość! and has aired since 1997.
Home games
In 1964, Milton BradleyMilton Bradley
Milton Bradley , an American game pioneer, was credited by many with launching the board game industry in North America with Milton Bradley Company....
released a home version of Let's Make a Deal featuring gameplay somewhat different from the television show. In 1974, Ideal Toys released an updated version of the game featuring Hall on the box cover, which was also given to all traders on the syndicated version in the 1974–75 season. An electronic tabletop version by Tiger Electronics
Tiger Electronics
Tiger Electronics is an American toy manufacturer, best known for its handheld LCD games, the Furby, and Giga Pets. When Tiger was an independent company, Tiger Electronics Inc., its headquarters were in Vernon Hills, Illinois....
was released in 1998. In the late summer of 2006, an interactive DVD version of Let's Make a Deal was released by Imagination Games
Imagination Games
Imagination Games is a multi-platform game company that creates, produces and distributes interactive entertainment. It has developed socially interactive games across a number of formats including traditional games and puzzles, DVD and mobile.-History:...
, which also features classic clips from the Monty Hall years of the show. In 2010, Pressman Toy Corporation
Pressman Toy Corporation
Pressman Toy Corporation is a toy manufacturer based in New York City which was founded in 1922 by Jack Pressman. It currently focuses on family games and licensed products. Its slogan is "Games people play...
released an updated version of the box game, with gameplay more similar to the 1974 version, featuring Brady on the box cover.
Various U.S. lotteries
Lotteries in the United States
Lotteries in the United States are run by 46 jurisdictions; 43 states, plus the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the US Virgin Islands.In the US, the lottery is subject to the laws of each jurisdiction; there is no national lottery.- History :...
have included instant lottery tickets based on Let's Make a Deal.
"The Monty Hall Problem"
The Monty Hall Problem, also called the Monty Hall paradox, is a veridical paradox because the result appears odd but is demonstrably true. The Monty Hall problem, in its usual interpretation, is mathematically equivalent to the earlier Three Prisoners problemThree Prisoners Problem
The Three Prisoners problem appeared in Martin Gardner's Mathematical Games column in Scientific American in 1959. It is mathematically equivalent to the Monty Hall problem with car and goat replaced with freedom and execution respectively, and also equivalent to, and presumably based on,...
, and both bear some similarity to the much older Bertrand's box paradox
Bertrand's box paradox
Bertrand's box paradox is a classic paradox of elementary probability theory. It was first posed by Joseph Bertrand in his Calcul des probabilités, published in 1889.There are three boxes:# a box containing two gold coins,...
. The problem examines the counter-intuitive effect of switching one's choice of doors, one of which hides a "prize."
The problem has been analyzed many times, in books, articles and online. In an interview with The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
reporter John Tierney
John Tierney (journalist)
John Marion Tierney is a journalist and author who has worked for the New York Times since 1990.-Career and background:...
in 1991, Hall gave an explanation of the solution to that problem, stating that he played on the psychology of the contestant, and why the solution did not apply to the case of the actual show.
External links
- CBS' official website for their version
- Official Let's Make a Deal website (all versions)
- CBC Television Archives profile of Monty Hall with behind-the-scenes footage of Let's Make a Deal (1970)
- Monty Hall interview on TVParty.com