Let's Make a Deal
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Let's Make a Deal is a television game show aired in the United States. The original and most widely known version aired from 1963 until 1977. Other short lived versions aired in 1980, 1984, 1990, and 2003. The show's attraction was its deals - audience members were challenged to maximize their winnings by matching wits against the host, usually Monty Hall.
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The premise
The idea behind Let's Make a Deal began with the host (again, usually Monty Hall) choosing a studio audience member at random to play a game against him. Although the specifics of the games varied, the usual pattern was that the audience member was given a small amount of cash or prizes, or promise of cash or prizes. The choice posed to the audience member was to keep a relatively safe bet, or to risk for the potential of a larger or different prize or cash award.
Initially, studio audience members came in their Sunday best - suits and ties and dresses. Shortly into the show's run, a single audience member carried a sign to try to get Monty's attention, and he picked her. The sign became more signs, costumes, hollering...anything an audience member could think of to become the lucky person Monty picked next. The free for all with the audience became a hallmark of the show.
Format of the show
The show opens with a series of deals between Monty and contestants he picks.
For example: Monty Hall picks a studio audience member at random to become a contestant. He gives him a plastic egg.
Monty: 'You have a plastic egg that may have a thousand dollar bill hidden in it, or it may have a lot less. You can either keep that, or trade it for what's behind the large box on the display floor that Carol Merrill is showing us.'
Now the contestant is forced to make a difficult choice: keep the egg he's been given in the hope that a thousand dollars is contained within, or pick the box and its contents instead. Either may have a prize of value; the egg could contain $1000, or the box might reveal a new kitchen appliance. However, either location may also contain something worthless, called a 'zonk' on the show.
Zonks became as outrageous as the audience:
- Giant shoes, a garbage can for each day of the week.
- Giant stuffed toys.
- A ton of watermelons.
- Carol Merrill modeling a room of furniture ... junk furniture, appliances, etc., that is.
- Every type of live animal imaginable (they were rented from local zoos or farms).
- Junk antique automobiles (frequently rusted out shells with steaming radiators, flat tires, broken windshields ... you get the idea), or sometimes, a collection thereof.
- Carol Merrill and/or Jay Stewart dressed as comedy characters (e.g., Merrill as the mother "disciplining 'Baby Jay'" for throwing a tantrum in an oversized crib).
The goal, of course, for contestants was to increase their winnings by making the right choices as given by Monty Hall.
Other deals
Other typical deals included the following:
- Keys which unlocked anything from boxes (containing money, trip tickets, etc.) to cars, usually from a choice of three. Hall always offered cash or a curtain/box as options. Variant: A couple chooses one key from a choice of three, with a car offered as the grand prize (and a sure-thing buyout offered once Monty demonstrated one of the "dud" keys).
- Deciding whether an announced prize was real or fake and choosing a cash amount or the box/curtain as a substitute.
- Choosing an envelope, purse, wallet, etc., which concealed dollar bills. One of them concealed a pre-announced dollar bill (usually $1 or $5), which awarded a car or trip. The other envelopes contained a consolation gift of $500, $1,000 and $1,500. The player had to decide whether to keep his/her choice or trade.
- Choosing four of seven envelopes, each containing $1 and $2 bills, whose contents they hoped added up to at least $7 for a grand prize.
- Monty's Cash Register, wherein a couple had to punch keys on a 15-key register. Exactly 13 of the buttons hid amounts of either $50 or $100, and getting to a stated amount (usually $500-$1000) won a grand prize. The couple could stop at any time and keep what they have (always then being tempted with a follow-up keep-or-trade deal) but hitting "no sale" at any time ended the game; if the unlucky button were struck on the first try, hitting the second "no sale" button the very next time also won the grand prize. Otherwise, Monty allowed the couple to take home whatever dollar amount they hit with the next key punch.
- Three unrelated traders act as a team on deals. Sometimes, only one was allowed to speak for the team without consultation of the others; other times, a "majority rules" format was used. Usually after a series of deals, Hall broke up the team and could individually decide on one or more options on a final deal.
- At the start of the show, a contestant given a large grocery item (e.g., a box of candy bars), always containing a cash amount. Throughout the show, he/she is given several chances to trade the box and/or give it to another trader, in exchange for the box or curtain. Only after the Big Deal of the Day was awarded (or if the last trader with said item elects to go for the Big Deal) was the cash amount or prize given. Variant: A "claim check" given to a trader at the start of the show for any prize shown during the regular deals and chances to trade throughout the episode. The prize ranged from cash and cars to zonks. Variant: The "claim check" was played as the very last regular deal with one sure deal offered in lieu of its contents.
Skill-based games
Several games, however, were skill games testing a contestant's consumer knowledge or memory (a la The Price is Right). Games of this nature included:
- Arranging items by dollar value.
- Choosing which item was a pre-announced price (e.g., 55 cents), or added up to a certain amount (e.g., $1).
- Recalling which grocery items were concealed beneath the letters of a car model (e.g., P-O-N-T-I-A-C) or trip destination (G-E-R-M-A-N-Y).
Even if the contestant failed, Hall offered a consolation prize (usually, the small items and/or $50).
Big Deal of the Day
The top two winners in each show were eligible to either keep their winnings or give up everything already won for a spot in the Big Deal of the Day.
If one or both of the top winners declined to give up their winnings (usually because they won a car or large amount of cash), Monty would go down the list of winners - highest to lowest - until he had two traders.
In the Big Deal of the Day, the two contestants were allowed to make a simple choice between three curtains. The top winner in the Big Deal had first choice. One curtain hid the day's Big Deal, which often had the day's most expensive prize (a luxury or sports car, a trip, furniture/appliances, a fur, cash ... or more often than not, a combination of two or more of said items).
During the classic era (1963-1977), the daytime Big Deal of the Day was typically worth $2,000-$5,000; the nighttime and syndicated show's Big Deals were worth $8,000 to $15,000 or more.
A new Super Deal was offered for "Big Deal" winners during the 1975-1976 syndicated season. The contestant could risk his Big Deal winnings on a 1-in-3 shot at a $20,000 cash prize. The other two doors caused the player to lose the "Big Deal," but he/she took home a $1,000 or $2,000 consolation prize. Later, the consolation prize was changed to $2,000 and a mystery amount ($1,000 to $9,000).
Versions of the show
1963-1977 version
The classic version of Let's Make a Deal aired from 1963 until 1977. It was broadcast on NBC until 1968, and switched to ABC in 1969, where it aired until 1976. A prime-time version aired on NBC in 1967, and on ABC from 1969 to 1971. The classic syndicated version aired from 1971 to 1977. This version was filmed in a former Con Edison building on 48th street in Manhattan, which was later converted into the Power Station recording studio. The final season of the show was based in Las Vegas.
1980-1981 syndicated
A short-lived remake, based in Canada, aired during the 1980-1981 season.
1984-1986 syndicated
A modestly successful remake, called The All New Let's Make a Deal, surfaced in 1984, three years after the last version folded, this time from NBC Studios in Burbank. Although it began with a terribly small budget, it managed to widen its audience and budget as the series went on.
This version was most famous for a new feature called "Door 4." Played every few days (and announced with siren and quick-zoon fanfare), a contestant was chosen at random and given a $1,000 check. The contest could keep the money or risk it by spinning a carnival wheel, where he could win $2,000 (by landing on a space marked DOUBLE), $3,000 (landing on a TRIPLE), $4,000, a new car ... or win less ($100, $200 or perhaps even a zonk).
The 1986 finale featured cameo appearances by Carol Merrill and Jay Stewart.
1990-1991 NBC daytime
In 1990, NBC tried a revival of the show starring Bob Hilton, but the show flopped. Monty Hall was brought back to try to bring the show's ratings up, as was Dick Clark, but the attempt failed. Big deals now could potentially be worth up to $20,000. This version originated from the Disney-MGM Studios in Orlando FL.
2003 NBC primetime
In 2003, another revival of Let's Make a Deal was tried, this time starring Billy Bush. The show was plagued by a souring of the audience due to some questionable content, and its being put against the incredibly popular reality show American Idol. This version only lasted three episodes, and was most notable for bringing back Monty Hall for a deal in the final airing. Big deals were now worth $60,000 or more.
2005 Univisión
On January 10, 2005, a Spanish version of Let's Make A Deal, titled Trato Hecho ("It's a Deal"), premiered on Univisión, a Spanish television network in the United States. Contestants who got zonked got a "chasco", which is the Spanish word for "disappointment". This version originates from Hollywood.
See also
External links
- SHOW INFO (http://www.letsmakeadeal.com/showinfo.htm) (description at official website)
- Let's Make A Deal (http://www.tvtome.com/tvtome/servlet/ShowMainServlet/showid-5457/Lets_Make_A_Deal/) (another description)