Let's Make a Deal

Let's Make a Deal
File:LetsMakeADeal2009.jpg Logo for the current CBS version
Directed by	Joe Behar (1963–1985) Hank Behar (1985–1986) Lenn Goodside (2009–present)
Presented by	Monty Hall (1963–1977, 1980–1981, 1984–1986, 1990–1991) Bob Hilton (1990) Billy Bush (2003) Wayne Brady (2009–present)
Starring	Assistant: Carol Merrill (1963–1977) Maggie Brown (1980–1981) Julie Hall (1980–1981) Karen LaPierre (1984–1986) Melanie Vincz (1984–1986) Diane Klimaszewski (1990–1991) Elaine Klimaszewski (1990–1991) Georgia Satelle (1990–1991) Alison Fiori (2009) Tiffany Coyne (late 2009–present) Jonathan Mangum (2009-present)
Narrated by	Wendell Niles (1963–1964) Jay Stewart (1964–1977) Chuck Chandler (1980–1981) Brian Cummings (1984–1985) Dean Goss (1985–1986) Dean Miuccio (1990–1991) Vance DeGeneres (2003)
Country of origin	United States
No. of episodes	5,000+
Production
Producers	Stefan Hatos Mark-Maxwell Smith (2003) Michael Richards (2009)
Running time	approx. 22–26 minutes (1963–1977, 1980–1981, 1984–1986, 1990–1991) approx 44–52 minutes (2003, 2009–present)
Production companies	Stefan Hatos-Monty Hall Productions (1963–1977, 1980–1981, 1984–1986, 2009–present) Catalena Productions (1980–1981) Dick Clark Productions and Ron Greenberg Productions (1990–1991) Renegade 83/Monty Hall Enterprises, Inc. (2003) FremantleMedia (2009–present)
Original release
Network	NBC (1963–1968, 1990–1991, 2003) ABC (1968–1976) Syndicated (1971–1977, 1980–1981, 1984–1986) CBS (2006 Gameshow Marathon special; 2009–present)
Release	December 30, 1963 (1963-12-30) – present

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.

Broadcast History

The original and most widely-known version of the show aired from 1963 to 1976 on both NBC and ABC. 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 version, seen from 1971–1977, was distributed by ABC Films and its successor, Worldvision Enterprises. The 1980 daily syndicated version was co-produced and distributed by Canadian production company Catalena Productions (Rhodes Productions was the U.S. distributor). The 1984 daily syndicated version 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.

Alison Fiori models one of the CBS version's "Zonk" prizes, a live llama.

On July 8, 2009 a pilot was taped at CBS Television City, with Wayne Brady as host and Jonathan Mangum as co-host and 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.

Format

Game play

Jay Stewart and Monty Hall on the evening version of the show.

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 prizes, 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 social networking sites days before taping to encourage audience members to carry 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 rap, 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 (1984–1986 only)

Played every few days, a trader was chosen by a computer at random based on a number which now appeared on the trader's tag (1 to 36). 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.

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 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 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, GSN 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 Deal's 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'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 wiped as they were recorded over by NBC with new programming in an era when videotape was prohibitively expensive. The 1963 pilot exists, with Wendell Niles 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 James exist in his personal library; a clip from one of his episodes was featured in a 1972 pitch film for The New Price Is Right, 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 Channel 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 Network for much of the 1980s.
• The 1984–1986 syndicated version has been seen on GSN in the past. Reruns previously aired on the USA Network 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.

International

RTL Group holds international (and as of February 2009, American) rights to the show, and has licensed the show to 14 countries.

• An Australian version aired from 1976–1977 on Channel Nine. 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 French version was called Le Bigdil and aired weeknights from 1998–2004 on TF1. 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 Clock are played throughout the show as well.
• A German version called Geh aufs Ganze! ran from 1992–2003. The show began on Sat.1 and later moved to kabel 1. 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 TV in Greece as an hour-long series. 140 episodes have been ordered.
• A Spanish-language American version called Trato Hecho aired on Univision in 2005. Guillermo Huesca was the host.
• The Turkish version is Seç Bakalım, hosted by Erhan Yazıcıoğlu with Spice Girl Geri Halliwell as a model.
• An Indonesian version debuted on the antv 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 Plus 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 Bradley 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.

"The Monty Hall Problem"

Main article: 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 problem, 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.

External links

• CBS' official website for their version
• Official Let's Make a Deal website (all versions)
• Template:Tv.com
• Let's Make a Deal at IMDb
• 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