"Let's Make a Deal" (1963) TV series 1963-1977

Director:

Joseph Behar

Writers:

Jim Critchfield (writer)
Steve Feke (writer)

Seasons:

unknown

Release Date:

30 December 1963 (USA)

Genre:

Family | Game-Show

Plot:

Monty Hall hosts this hilarious half-hour gameshow in which audience contestants picked at random, dressed in ridiculous costumes...

Plot Keywords:

Non Fiction

Awards:

5 nominations

Cast

Melvin E. Dummar

...

Himself (1 episode, 1975)

Runtime:

25 min (1963-1967) | 30 min (1967-1977)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

USA:TV-G

Filming Locations:

ABC Television Center - 4151 Prospect Avenue, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

American Broadcasting Company (ABC)

Trivia:

When the show first aired, the contestants wore normal everyday business attire. Monty Hall recalls that during one of the early airings, a contestant came dressed as a chicken, and he picked her. A few days later, someone else wore an outlandish costume and once again he picked her. The rest, as they say, is history.

Quotes:

Announcer: These People has dressed as they are in disguises to come all over the United States to make deals here at the Marketplace of America... LET'S... MAKE... A DEAL! and here's Television's Top Trader, TV's Big Dealer, Monty Hall.

Movie Connections:

Spoofed in "The Monkees: Monkees Chow Mein (#1.26)" (1967)

Was this the coolest game show or what?

It's been years since this show left the air-waves, but thanks to The Game Show Network, it has been resurrected for both the older and new generations to enjoy.

"THE PRICE IS RIGHT" obviously borrowed many ideas from 'LET'S MAKE A DEAL'. Some obvious gimmicks are the shopping product quizzes where the contestant has to pick the right product that equals the winning price (ie. a jar of honey for 89 cents), or placing a group of household products in order from cheapest to most expensive. The coolest thing about the show is the 'keep your prize or take a chance to see what's behind the curtain (or inside the box)' challenges. Who didn't have a good laugh when the curtain was swept aside to reveal a bunch of pigs or a herd of goats while the camera panned on the contestant's face as they groaned in disappointment?

In my opinion, the greatest thing about 'LET'S MAKE A DEAL' was not Monty Hall as the host or the fact that the contestants had to dress up in ridiculous costumes in order to get Monty's 'attention'... I thought the greatest thing about the show were the opening credits and those awesome 'guitar riffs' that introduced the show.

'LET'S MAKE A DEAL' is a timeless masterpiece and although there is no place for that type of show to compete in today's picky television climate, it will certainly remain in my soul as one of the best game shows I have ever seen. Watching the re-runs bring about a certain amount of nostalgia - but it's something that I welcome with arms wide open.