rcj5365
The costumes,the prizes(both clunky and fancy),the barkerlike style of Monty Hall-if there was ever a game show that created a carnival atmosphere,"Let's Make A Deal" was it. In this game show,no real intelligence was needed,only the ability to attract Monty's attention to play fast-moving guessing games in a shot to win big cash,merchandise,and ultimately a shot at the "Big Deal Of The Day" hidden behind one of the three doors. It was loud and frenetic,but millions loved the show,and it became TV's biggest daytime hits that stayed on the air for the next two decades.It first premiered on NBC-TV from December 30,1963 until December 27,1968. Then from there moved over to ABC-TV for the next seven years from December 30,1968 until its last hurrah on the network on July 9, 1976. Also to add here,the success of "Let's Make A Deal" prompted a prime-time version for NBC from May through September 1967,and also a prime-time version of the show when it moved to ABC from February,1969 until August,1971,after which the show when into syndication from 1971 until 1976,with Monty Hall as the host. After a mere fifteen year absence from network television,the series returned to NBC Daytime and this time was not done in Hollywood,but taped at the Disney/MGM Studios near Orlando Florida,with Bob Hilton as the host from July 9,1990 until January 11, 1991. However,Hilton held the reins by October of 1990,and the following month Hilton was gone,and Monty Hall returned to his old format.The show again was absent for the next eighteen years until a new format was introduced in October of 2009,when the show was revived for CBS Daytime,and also had a new host...former talk show host/variety/musical artist Wayne Brady.
DKosty123
In a way, this game show is the full Monty. Granted Jay Stewart & Ms Carol Merrill were also regulars, but Monty was this show. Games & elements of this show were later borrowed & refined by Mark Goodsen & Bill Toddman when they retooled The Price is Right in 1972.The original sales pitch given by Hall to NBC is extremely accurate. It is a scene of Monty Hall sitting in an empty studio in a suit. The camera zooms up on Monty & he describes the format of the game he is selling. In fact, Monty is selling himself & he does it so successfully that many of us wanted to see what was behind those 3 doors over & over.Audiences for this show went from being stuffed suits & shirts into being costumed bananas & cake's. In spite of all the costumes though, Monty was always the show. He always set a frantic pace as this show never was more than 30 minutes. In a way, this is the opposite of Price is Right where contestants getting excited winning are often a big piece of why you watch.Monty would always close each show making fast deals with people looking for folks with hard boiled eggs, etc. This was always my favorite part & the hallmark of the show. These deals would always make me want to come back for more & I always wished that Monty would do 30 minutes of nothing but these fast deals.The proof of Monty being good is very strong, every effort to revamp this show has failed because without another Monty, it doesn't work. Is the big deal behind door number 1, 2 or 3?
Mark81961
Like all you others out there that were thankful when GSN brought the show back on the air for a brief run, I made it a point to make sure and get the VCR rolling to get episodes preserved, for who knows when it may ever come out on season DVD. And indeed, the show's moments were classic from the new cars to the dreaded zonks. It's a pity they weren't able to go a bit further back in time to the early to mid 60's when the show was really in full popularity...wondering if ABC preserved those tapes??? They didn't have very many game shows on at that time, and I've heard that one of the networks scrapped a lot of classic game shows from the vault before anyone could watch them again in reruns. If you're a Christian, you may remember the Christian comedy group Isaac Air Freight that started their album "Fun In The Son" with a brilliant parody of the show called "Let's Trade Your Salvation" where the gifts were the enticement against the Bible and Monty Hall became Monty Lucifer who was booed by the audience. It is hilarious but does give a great message.
AReifman
The Game Show Network has recently started airing old reruns of Let's Make a Deal. I'm really enjoying seeing it again. Monty Hall really knows how to work an audience. But my favorite feature of the show has to be the "zonk" (when a person trades in a known prize for an unknown one behind a door or curtain, and it turns out to be a gag gift, such as a farm animal). Everything, from the theme song, to the announcer Jay Stewart, to the prize model Carol Merrill, brings back nice memories.