Let's Make A Deal

packagers: Stefan Hatos/Monty Hall Productions ('63-'86) in association with Catalena Productions ('80-'81) and Telepictures ('84-'86), Ron Greenburg Productions/Dick Clark Productions ('90-91), Monty Hall Enterprises/Renegade 83 Productions ('03)
air dates: 12/30/63-12/27/68, 7/9/90-1/11/91 & 3/03 on NBC, 12/30/68-7/9/76 on ABC, syndicated 9/13/71-9/77 by ABC Films ('71-'73) and Worldvision Enterprises ("Not affiliated with World Vision International, a religious and charitable organization.")('73-'77), 9/80-9/81 by Rhodes Productions & 9/84-9/86 (as The All-New Let's Make A Deal) by Telepictures
hosts ("TV's big dealers"): Monty Hall ('63-'86, '90-'91), Bob Hilton ('90), Billy Bush ('03)
announcers: Wendell Niles ('63-'64), Jay Stewart ('64-'77), Chuck Chandler ('80-'81), Brian Cummings ('84-'85), Dean Goss ('85-'86), Dean Mucchio ('90-'91), Vance DeGeneres ('03)

HOW TO PLAY:
Prior to the show, some 33 audience members (36 on the All-New version) were chosen and seated on the "trading floor". The Big Dealer would choose a trader to make deals such as accepting a cash offer, which the Big Dealer would often increase little by little, or what's inside the box or behind the curtain. But there was always the risk of being stuck with a worthless gag prize called a "zonk", but as mentioned in the closing disclaimer from '75-'77, "some traders accept reasonable duplicates of 'zonk' prizes". On rare occasions, a "zonk" would conceal a fabulous prize (A garbage can with a fur coat inside it, for one.). Other deals included, but were not limited to:

Guessing the retail prices of items to make enough money to buy a big prize. The trader could call off the deal at anytime by accepting a "sure thing".

Sometimes more than one person would be involved in a deal, such as whoever came closest to an item's price won money. Sometimes, a big prize was offered for a certain price.

Selecting from a set of envelopes or wallets, each with cash in them. One of them contained a $1 or $5 bill, which was the asking price of a big prize such as a car.

Selecting from a set of keys, at least one of which started a car or opened a box. The trader was offered a "sure thing" to call off the deal.

Laminated bills would be pulled out of Monty's Cash Machine one at a time. The trader could stop at any time and keep the cash. But if a colored card came out, any cash that came out was lost. In '03, a similar deal was played where the player could continue withdrawing cash from the "LMaD ATM" either until stopping or until a red BUST card came out, costing the trader all the dough.

One or more traders could take a dollar bill out of a stack of about 10. One bill was revealed at a time. When they were about to reveal a bill that was selected, the trader who chose that bill was offered a sure thing to buy out.

The trader was given a container of a certain product. The trader could keep the product, hoping there was something else inside such as cash, or trade it. Usually, Monty would have the trader hang on to the product until after the Big Deal!

On the All-New version, sometimes a siren would go off, indicating that it was time for a "people-picker" to randomly select one of 36 traders from the Trading Floor. The selected trader was offered a prize in lieu of a mystery cash amount behind Door #4, which was actually revealed behind curtain 2. The amount hidden behind curtain 4 could be anywhere from $1-$5,000. This was later changed to accepting $1,000 or spinning a wheel. By spinning the Door #4 wheel, the player could win $2k, $3k, $4k, a new car (!), or $100, $200 or a t-shirt that read "I was 'zonked' by Monty Hall" by landing on Zonk.

When time was running short, Monty called on whoever won the highest total and then the trader with the next highest total and so forth until two traders have decided to trade in their prizes for a chance at the Big Deal. The trader who traded the higher total was the first to select one of three doors on the stage. Behind each door was an assortment of cash and/or merchandise. The other trader selected one of the other two doors. On the daytime version from '63-'76, the Big Deal was worth up to $5k. The syndicated run offered Big Deals worth up to $15k in the '70s, around $5k on the '80-'81 Canadian version, and $8k-$10k from '84-'86. Big Deals could add up to as much as $20k from '90-'91, and over $50,000 in '03. After the Big Deal, the Big Dealer would make quick deals with other traders during the closing credits. For instance, "I'll give you $200 if you have a paper clip".

From '75-'76 on the syndicated run, any trader who won the Big Deal would be given the option to go for the Super Deal. A board was displayed with 3 mini-doors, two of which each hid an amount from $1k-$9k while the other hid $20,000! The trader could trade his/her Big Deal for the cash behind one of the 3 mini-doors. If (s)he selected the $20,000 door, (s)he won that and kept the Big Deal! Selecting one of the other doors lost the Big Deal, but left the trader with some consolation cash.

OTHER TIDBITS:
A year into the original run, would-be traders began bringing signs, wearing silly hats, and finally wearing costumes to attract Monty's attention.

Bob Hilton ("the guy with the deals in his pockets and a twinkle in his eye"), best recognized as the announcer of several game shows from the late '70s to the early '90s, is now the president/CEO of Holy Cow Products, a line of effective, non-toxic household cleaners.

Access Hollywood's Billy Bush is President Bush's cousin.

Monty was joined by model Carol Merrill during the original run. On the All-New version, the prizes were modeled by Karen LaPierre and Melanie Vincz.

The announcer would often appear behind curtains displaying 'zonks' and also helped by bringing down trays with boxes or other items.

From '76-'77, the show was taped in the showroom of the Las Vegas Hilton.

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"THESE PEOPLE, DRESSED AS THEY ARE, HAVE COME TO MAKE DEALS HERE AT THE MARKETPLACE OF AMERICA..."