Let's Make a Deal

Monty Hall will always be linked to this classic game show. A lot of people probably wouldn't list him in their Top 10 game show hosts but he's on mine. Monty Hall, like Gene Rayburn of Match Game, had no ego and respect for his contestants. I think the fact that he was Canadian made him more agreeable and friendlier.

Let's Make A Deal allowed us to see how much greed would play in a factor with people. Would they accept what they had or risk it all for a chance to win something better and would it work out? Will they get the "booby prizes" (the zonks)? It's fun to see the people in crazy Hallowe'en costumes, the horrible cars they gave away, or the zonks. If you have GSN and you're an early riser then check out this gem; although considering that GSN is planning a big change to their network in mid-March you might not get another chance for awhile.

Monty Hall is a rarity in the fact that he appeared in almost every version of the show. He even did a Canadian version. Without the Dealmaster, it wouldn't be the same.

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.

God I love this show. It is back on GSN so life is good. I love this show when it first came on. Something about the colors and the spontaneity's of the contestants made it very addicting. Monty Hall has to be one of the best hosts ever. He did not know what to expect, what decision was going to be made so he had to deal with the unknown which is how the contestant is going to react. I just saw one when a woman chased him around the audience. He is very quick on his feet. And cool as a cucumber. And a quick thinker. I do not think he gets the credit he deserves.

He also has two sidekicks Carol Merril and Jay Stewart. Both were very active, more then let's say a Vanna White and the announcer on The Price is Right. Jay had to be the hardest working guy on TV. One minute he is announcing and bringing trays back and forth, the next second he is dressed as a old lady who is sitting on this giant rocking chair as a Zonk. Carol who is a one lady Barkers Beauty presents most of the stage prizes and she also gets dressed up for zonks too.

What fascinates me about the show now is they we can see how much appliances have changed and how much cars were. I just saw a brand new station wagon for 4,000 dollars. I have seen this show give away high charged Camaro's worth at the time 2500 dollars. We see side by side refrigerators in that horrible yellow or green color with no water or ice on the door. Microwaves were all called radar ranges. Defunct food chains like Tasty Kreme, perfumes that I haven't heard about in years, such as Evening in Paris. Quasar Color TV's in those old fashion cabinets. Quadiphonic stereos, or that brand Electrophonic, what ever happened to them? Vacations on defunct airlines like Braniff, Pan Am and Eastern. Giving away fur coats like a chinchilla worth 5000 dollars.

It is a trip down memory lane every time I watch the show. The Price is Right obviously took some ideas from this show. Not the original Price is Right with Bill Cullen but the newer incarnation of it that was hosted by Denns Day and Bob Barker I am going to tape this show now so when GSN takes if off its schedule again I will be able to go back in time anytime I want.

If you are looking for a fast paced show check this out. Monty Hall is flawless. Carol is great. I believe she is related to some big actor but I can't think of who it is. And watch Jay. He does more changes then a high price model during Fashion week in NYC.

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.

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?