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The topic of this page has a Wikia of its own: Let's Make a Deal.
Hosts
Monty Hall (1963–1977, 1980–1981, 1984–1986, 1990–1991; also hosted in 2003, 2010, and 2013)
Dennis James (1964-1972, sub)
Geoff Edwards (1985, substitute)
Dean Goss (1986, sub)
Bob Hilton (1990)
Gordon Elliott (1998)
Billy Bush (2002-2003)
Ricki Lake (Gameshow Marathon, 2006)
Wayne Brady (2009–Present)
Co-Hosts
Vance DeGeneres (2003)
Gilbert Gottfried (2006)
Maile Brady (2020; Kids)
Scarlett Coyne (2020; Kids)
Chase Mangum (2020; Kids)
Austin Mangum (2020; Kids)
Models
Carol Merrill (1963-1977, 2003 substitute)
Barbara Lyon (substitute, 1960s–1970s)
Maggie Brown & Julie Hall (1980–1981)
Karen LaPierre & Melanie Vincz (1984–1986)
Diane & Elaine Klimaszewski & Georgia Satelle (1990–1991)
Nicole Pulliam, Jayanna Wolfe, & Vanessa Minnillo (2003)
Rusty Joyner & Brandi Sherwood (Gameshow Marathon, 2006)
Rachel Reynolds (2009 pilot)
Alison Fiori (2009)
Tiffany Coyne (2009–Present)
Danielle Demski (2013, 2020-present substitute)
Announcers
Wendell Niles (1963–1964)
Jay Stewart (1964–1977)
Chuck Chandler (1980–1981)
Brian Cummings (1984–1985 season)
Dean Goss (1985–1986 season)
Dean Miuccio (1990–1991)
Elizabeth Oakes (2003)
Rich Fields (Gameshow Marathon, 2006)
Jonathan Mangum (2009–Present)
Chris “Money Fairy” Ahern (2022-present substitute)
Musical Directors
Pamela (2009 Pilot)
Cat Gray (2009–Present)
Broadcast
Vlcsnap-602514
NBC Pilot: Taped 5/25/1963
Let's Make a Deal 1965
NBC Daytime: 12/30/1963 – 12/27/1968
LMAD-1967NighttimeLogo
NBC Primetime: 5/21/1967 – 9/3/1967
Let's Make a Deal B&W
Image0002
ABC Daytime: 12/30/1968 – 7/9/1976
ABC Primetime: 2/7/1969 – 8/30/1971
Lmad63
LMAD Vegas Trial Run 1976
LMAD '76 Vegas
Syndication: 9/13/1971 – 5/28/1977 (reruns aired until 9/1977)
Lmad80
Syndication (Daily): 9/22/1980 – 5/22/1981 (reruns aired until 9/11/1981)
Lmad84
Syndication (Daily): 9/17/1984 – 5/23/1986 (reruns aired until approximately 6/6/1986)
Lmad90
Pilot: Taped 6/4/1990
NBC Daytime: 7/9/1990 – 1/4/1991 (reruns aired until 1/11/1991)
LMAD '99
Unsold Pilot for Daily Syndication: Taped 1998
LMAD2002pilottitle
Pilot: Taped 2002
Let's Make a Deal 2003
NBC Primetime: 3/4-18/2003
G$M LMAD
Vlcsnap-596763
CBS Primetime (Gameshow Marathon): 6/1/2006
LMAD 2009 Pilot logo
Pilot: Taped 7/12/2009
Let's Make a Deal 2009
Current Let's Make A Deal Logo
Pilot: Taped 7/8/2009
CBS Daytime: 10/5/2009 – Present
Packagers
Stefan Hatos-Monty Hall Produtions (1963–1986)
Catalena Productions (1980–1981)
Ron Greenberg Productions/Dick Clark Productions (1990–1991)
Monty Hall Enterprises/Renegade 83 (2003)
(Fremantle) Media North America (2006, 2009-present)
Distributors
ABC Films/Worldvision Enterprises (1971–1977)
Rhodes Productions (1980–1981)
Telepictures Corporation (1984–1986)

Let's Make a Deal (also formerly known as The All-New Let's Make a Deal) is the long-running game show that is also dubbed as "The Marketplace of America".

Format[]

Each episode of Let's Make a Deal (which was billed by Jay Stewart, who served as the show's announcer from 1964 until 1977, as "The Marketplace of America") consisted of several "deals" between the host and a member or members of the audience as contestants. Audience members were picked at the host's whim as the show went along, and couples were often selected to play as "one" contestant. The "deals" were mini-games within the show that took several formats.

In the simplest format, a contestant was given a prize of medium value (such as a television set), and the host offered them the opportunity to trade for another prize. However, the offered prize was unknown. It might be concealed on the stage behind one of three curtains, or behind "boxes" onstage (large panels painted to look like boxes), within smaller boxes brought out to the audience, or occasionally in other formats. The initial prize given to the contestant might also be concealed, such as in a box, wallet or purse, or the player might be initially given a box or curtain. The format varied widely.

Technically, contestants were supposed to bring something to trade in, but this rule was seldom enforced. On several occasions, a contestant would actually be asked to trade in an item such as his/her shoes or purse, only to receive the item back at the end of the deal as a "prize". On at least one occasion, the purse was taken backstage and a high-valued prize was placed inside it.

Prizes generally were either a legitimate prize, cash, or a "zonk". Legitimate prizes ran the gamut of what was given away on game shows during the era (trips, fur coats, electronics, furniture, appliances, and cars). Zonks were unwanted booby prizes which could be anything from animals (usually farm animals such as horses, cattle, donkeys, mules, pigs, ducks, geese, "A Bucket O'Chicken" which was real chicken in a coop that was shaped like a bucket, sheep, llamas, goats, and rabbits) to large amounts of food (cabbage, pumpkins, and bananas) to something outlandish like a giant article of clothing, a room full of junked furniture, an old washer-and-dryer, an old gas station, a moose head, the "World's Largest Crying Towel," or a junked car. Sometimes zonks were legitimate prizes but of a low value such as "Matchbox" cars, wheelbarrows, T-shirts, small food or non-food grocery prizes, etc. Zonks are often demonstrated by the announcer, and legitimate prizes were modeled by the model (On the original series, Merrill would often help model the zonks). On rare occasions, a contestant would appear to get zonked, but the zonk would be a cover-up for a legitimate prize; for instance, the old washer and dryer having a pair of old jeans that had thousands of dollars in cash or a set of keys to a new car in one of the pockets.

Though usually considered joke prizes, contestants legally won the zonks.[1] However, after the taping of the show, any trader who had been zonked would be offered a consolation prize instead of having to take home the actual zonk. This is partly because some of the zonks were intrinsically impossible to receive or deliver to the contestants. For example, if a contestant won an animal, he or she could legally insist that it be awarded to him or her, but chances are that the contestant did not have the means to care for it. In fact, a disclaimer at the end of the credits of later 1970s episodes said, "Some traders accept reasonable duplicates of zonk prizes."

On some episodes, the first contestant(s) offered an unknown prize kept it for much of the show, not trading it in until the Big Deal.

On occasion in the CBS version, usually during the contestant's introduction, the contestant would do something unique (like a dance). And whenever that happens, Wayne would give that contestant $100, theirs to keep regardless of the outcome of the deal.

In addition, as the end credits of the show rolled, it was typical for Hall to ask random members of the studio audience to participate in fast deals. In the current Wayne Brady version, these are often referred on the CBS version as "quickie deals", and are conducted by the host, announcer, and model each. CBS will post information on the show's Twitter (now "X") address (@letsmakeadeal) days before taping to encourage audience members to carry and win additional cash for carrying such items. The deals were usually in the form of the following:

  • Offering cash to one person in the audience who had a certain item on them
  • Offering a small cash amount for each item of a certain quantity
  • Offering cash for each instance of a particular digit as it occurred in the serial number on a dollar bill, driver's license, etc.
  • Offering to pay the last check in the person's checkbook (up to a certain limit, usually $500 or $1,000) if they had one

One memorable incident from a series of fast deals involved Hall offering a woman $100 for every dime she had; she produced a roll of dimes. After that, there were limits placed on how much a trader could get.

Other Deal Formats[]

Deals were often more complicated than the basic format described above. Additionally, some deals took the form of games of chance, and others in the form of pricing games, similar to those used on The Price is Right:

Trading deals[]

  • Choosing an envelope, purse, wallet, etc., which concealed dollar bills. One of them concealed a pre-announced value (usually $1 or $5), which awarded a car or trip. The other envelopes contained a larger amount of money as a consolation prize. The player had to decide whether to keep his/her choice or trade. In some playings it was possible for more than one player to win the grand prize.
  • Acting as a team with two or three unrelated traders. Sometimes, only one trader 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, the host breaks up the team and each contestant could individually decide on one or more options on a final deal.
    • Related: A contestant acted as an "adviser" to another unrelated trader, being offered a cash amount or an unknown prize, with the contestants acting on their own on a final deal.
  • Being presented with a large grocery item (e.g., a box of candy bars)—almost always containing a cash amount—or a "claim check" at the start of the show. Throughout the show, the trader was given several chances to trade the item and/or give it to another trader in exchange for a different box or curtain. The final trader in possession of the item prior to the Big Deal of the Day was usually offered first choice of the three doors in exchange for giving up the item. The contents of the item was only revealed after the Big Deal of the Day was awarded (or prior to the Big Deal if the last trader with the item elected to choose one of the three doors).
  • Three contestants each being given a curtain of his or her choosing, and offering the trader an opportunity to turn down the curtain in exchange for a sum of money.

Games of Chance[]

  • Seven Envelopes – 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. At various points, the host would stop and offer a buy-out.
  • Monty's Cash Register – wherein a couple had to punch keys on a 15-key register. Exactly 13 buttons hid amounts of either $50 or $100 and 2 were marked "no sale", and getting to a stated amount (usually $500–$1,000) won a grand prize. Stewart marked off any buttons hit so they could not be used again. 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 and cost the couple any and all cash accumulated up to that point. If a couple chose a "no sale" button on the first try, hitting the second "no sale" button the very next time also won the grand prize. Otherwise, Hall allowed the couple to take home whatever dollar amount they hit with the next key punch; sometimes he would double the cash they got (if they hit $50, they got $100; if they hit $100, they got $200). In the 2009 version, the game is played using a board of fifteen numbers, thirteen with cards marked either $200 or $400, and the remaining two are Zonks.
  • Monty's Money Machine – which contained several bills connected end to end in one long strip. The machine dispensed one bill at a time, and the player had to decide after each one whether to cut the strip and stop (keeping all money won to that point), or risk it and keep playing. If the machine dispensed a blank card, the player lost everything. This format was updated in the 2003 and 2009 versions using an ATM motif and involving an ATM card. Each withdrawal was worth a random amount of cash that accumulated, and "OVERDRAWN" on the screen meant the player lost everything. The player had the option to stop after each withdrawal.
  • Three Keys – A contestant or a married couple was presented with a choice of three keys, one of which unlocked anything from boxes (containing money, trip tickets, etc.) to cars. The host usually offers a sure-thing buyout consisting of a smaller prize package, which was offered once one of the "dud" keys was demonstrated. A variation of this game involved more than one contestant selecting a key (sometimes from four instead of three). In this case, more than one key could (and often did) open the item, and contestants could trade in their key for an unknown behind a curtain/box or a cash amount. This probability game gave rise to the Monty Hall problem.
  • Deciding whether an announced prize was real or imitation, and choosing a cash amount or a box/curtain as a substitute.
  • Beat the Dealer – Three contestants chose envelopes to start the game. Two of them contained $1,000, the other $100 (or $500 and $50 in earlier versions). The two dealers who chose the $1,000/$500 continued on to try to win an additional prize by picking the higher-suited card out of nine off a game board. The trader who won could then risk the prize and the cash by picking two more cards, one for themselves and one for the host, winner take all. If the player picked the higher card for themselves, they added a new car (or another big prize); otherwise, they lost everything. In the CBS version, the trader must give back all previous winnings for a shot at the big prize.[2]
  • The Egg Game – Deciding whether an egg given to a contestant was raw or hard boiled and choosing a cash amount or box/curtain as a substitute. A raw egg was typically worth $500 to $1,000.
  • Putting a bill of a certain denomination through a magic trick device in the hope that the denomination is increased.
CBS version games[]
  • Race to the Finish – A contestant can win any or all of three prizes, of which the most expensive is usually a car. The contestant is given a standard deck of cards with three suits representing one of the prizes (most expensive is given hearts, the next is given spades, the least expensive is given diamonds), and the remaining suit (clubs), representing Zonks. He/she/they draws until either one of the prizes or the Zonk crosses the finish line (five hearts, four spades, three diamonds, three clubs). In the event a prize crosses the finish line first, the contestant is given an offer to continue on or keep the prizes they have earned so far (if the former happens, he/she will not be allowed to have the option of bailing out until another prize crosses the finish line), knowing that if the Zonk suit crosses the finish line, all prize(s) earned are forfeited. A cash buy-out may be offered to stop if the contestant is one away from the Zonk and no prizes have crossed the finish line. Prior to late January 2012, the game was called Finish Line. On one episode, six hearts, five spades, and four diamonds or clubs were necessary.[3] On March 1, 2012, a contestant won the car by drawing five hearts in only five cards drawn.[4][5]
  • Three of a Kind – A contestant is shown six cards, all are either of two different ranks (either four of one rank and two of the other or three of each rank; as of 2022, there are three 4s and three Queens). To win a car (or other prize), they must pick three matching cards. Two of their three cards (that do match) are shown and the contestant is given a bailout. If the bailout isn't taken, other cards not chosen may be shown and the contestant(s) is offered an increased bailout.
  • Movin' On Up – Two versions of this game exist. In the first version, contestants choose one card from each of five rows and attempt to avoid choosing a card that says "Zonk". The first (bottom) row has six cards, the second five cards, up to two cards in the last (top) row, with one Zonk card in each row except the first. The non-Zonk cards in the first four rows contain money, and any money revealed accumulates which the contestant can quit and take after selecting a money card. If a contestant chooses the Win card in the top row, they win all the money previously banked and the grand prize (usually a car). In the second version of the game, the number chosen in each row is decided by the roll of a single die, and all the cards in each row contain money. If the contestant risks their money to play the next row and rolls a number that does not show up on that row (i.e. rolling a 6 on the second row when the cards are only numbered 1 through 5), it is considered a Zonk and the contestant loses. If the contestant successfully clears all five rows (rolling a 1 or a 2 on the top line), the grand prize and all money previously banked are won. (Both versions can be played for a cash prize--$10,000 or $15,000, usually--where winning the game increases the cash total to the large prize amount.)
  • Smash For Cash – A contestant/couple chooses a Piggy Bank containing an amount of cash. Contestants choose from Piggy Banks numbered 1 through 10. Eight contain an amount of cash ranging from $1 to $3, while the other two contain a "Zonk" card. Five money plateaus can be reached by collecting all of the money in the piggy banks - $1,000 for $3, $2,000 for $5, $3,000 for $8, $5,000 for $11, and $20,000 for $15. The contestant(s) have the option to quit if they find one of the Zonk cards. If both Zonk cards are found, the contestant loses all their winnings. Prior to Season 3, the maximum value is $10,000.[6]. Beginning in Season 15, Jonathan hosts the game and Wayne or Tiffany smashes the piggy banks.
  • Spell Me a Deal – The name of a mystery prize is hidden behind a "video chalkboard" (i.e. TV monitor). One at a time, a letter in the name of the prize is revealed. Then the contestant will decide if they want to go for the prize on the "chalkboard" or take a prize hidden behind a box or a curtain. If the contestant goes for the "chalkboard", the prize is automatically given to another player. The game continues until the first three letters of the word are revealed.
  • Rap Me a Deal – Brady and Mangum rap a contestant a clue to a curtain. Also done as "Song Battle" (clues are sung to the player) and "Dance Battle" (clues are acted out charades-style to music).
  • Red or Black - Introduced in Season 9, replacing Hi-Lo. This game is played similar to Hi-Lo except for a few differences: There are five cards in the sequence. The contestant now decides whether the next card in the deck is red (heart/diamond) or black (spade/club). The contestant is given $500 to start for each correct prediction doubled. If the contestant gives an incorrect prediction, he/she goes back to $500. The Free Pass as well as the option to stop has been eliminated. If the contestant can get all five cards right, he/she wins $16,000. Thus, the contestant must play the game in its entirety. Starting in Season 11, if the contestant accumulates at least $1,000, he/she is given a sixth and final card to play for a car. He/she can also take the money accumulated. If the contestant gives a correct prediction, he/she wins the car. Otherwise, he/she goes home with nothing.
  • Lotto – A contestant faces a board of eight numbers that resemble a scratch-off lottery ticket, and Wayne uses a giant coin to "rub off" the spots. They must pick three, with the idea to match pictures of either the on-air talent, or two car symbols. After the first two are revealed, Wayne offers the player a sure thing to avoid the risk of the player leaving with nothing. In the first season, matching anything but the car won $3,000. In Season 2, matching two "Waynes" won $1,000; two "Tiffanys" $5,000; and two "Jonathans" were worth an amount less than $100 ($79.95 from Seasons 2 to 8). As of Season 3, two Waynes are worth $5,000, two Tiffanys are worth $3,000 and the value for two Jonathans is assigned various amounts less than $100. In some episodes in Seasons 4 and beyond, some of the faces switched prizes, (in this game, Jonathan Mangum always acts offended that he is considered a low tier prize, or he offers his "personal guarantee" along with the money by his name). If the game is played for cash, two Wayne’s are worth at least $10,000, two Tiffany’s are worth $5,000, two Jonathan’s are worth $3,000, and two Zurtles are worth “the personal guarantee.”
  • Dice Derby – A contestant rolls a single die, hoping to roll odd numbers four times to win a trip; rolling even numbers four times wins nothing.
  • Cash Board – An update of "Monty's Cash Register". A board of 15 cards is presented (Originally 8 "$100"s, 5 "$200"s, and 2 "ZONK"s"; currently 8 "$200"s, 5 "$400"s, and 2 "ZONK"s) to a couple. The goal is to accumulate a goal amount (originally $1,000 or more; now $2,000 or more) before choosing a "ZONK" card. If they do, they win a car. If they pick a "ZONK", they lose everything. If it happens on the first pick, the couple picks another number, and wins money as a consolation prize (originally double the revealed amount; now half the revealed amount). If they choose the other "ZONK", they still win the car.
  • Keep on Rollin – A contestant/couple is shown increasingly valuable prizes behind all three curtains, with the Curtain 3 prize usually being a car. They are given one six-sided die and up to 4 rolls to accumulate a total of 10 or more points to win the Curtain 1 prize (a 0.9028 ≈ 1 in 1.1 chance). They can then stop, or give back the prize to try to roll 10 or more points in 3 rolls for Curtain 2's prize (a 0.625 = 1 in 1.6 chance). If successful, they can then give back THAT prize and try to roll 10 or more points in only 2 rolls to win the Curtain 3 prize (a 0.1667 = 1 in 6 chance).
  • Roll for Cash - Played the same as above except a contestant can win up to $10,000 by rolling the die perfectly. In the first round, he/she can win $2,500 by accumulating 10 points in four rolls. He/she can then have a chance to double the money, by accumulating ten points in three rolls. If successful, he/she can play one more round to double the money to $10,000 by accumulating ten points in two rolls.
  • No Duplicates – A contestant rolls a single die. After the first roll, he/she/they win a certain amount of cash. He/she/they can stop and take that money or continue rolling to collect more cash but if they roll the number previously rolled they lose everything and the game ends. The contestant can quit after each roll and will lose everything accumulated if they duplicate a roll at any point. If the contestant rolls all six numbers from 1 to 6 without duplication, they win a grand prize (either $20,000 or a car).
  • Blank Check – Not to be confused with the short-lived 1975 NBC daytime game show of the same name, a contestant is given a check. He/she chooses four colors to fill in the check. Once the contestant locks in the colors, the numbers are revealed one at a time. Before the last two numbers are revealed, Brady offers them a deal to give up the check for a prize hidden behind a curtain.
  • Rock Paper Scissors – Two contestants select one of three boxes which contains a rock, a pair of scissors and a sheet of paper. Using standard roshambo rules, the winner gets $1,000 and the loser receives $100. The winner can continue and win a car (giving up the $1,000 he/she won) by selecting what item has the word "CAR" hidden on a card. The other two contain $100 (was a Zonk in the first season). If that is selected, they win the consolation prize ($100).
  • Who Wants to Answer Multiple-Choice Questions for Cash and Prizes? – Similar to Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?, contestants answered three multiple-choice questions about things happened on the show before the game was played for cash. Each question contained three answers. When contestants were to confirm their response, Wayne would ask them "Is that your definitive response?" (similar to "Is that your final answer?" on Millionaire). Each correct answer was worth $500. (In later seasons, the questions were worth $500, $1,000 and $2,000 respectively; the maximum total of which is $3,500.) Afterwards, the contestant could walk away of what they had won or buy one of two unknowns, in hopes of winning a big prize (usually a car).
  • Let's Make a Deal Casino – The game is played in three rounds: Three Card Tiffany, Four Card Jonathan, and Five Card Wayne. In the first round, the contestant chooses one of three cards (two with Tiffany's picture, one with $500). If the contestant picks a Tiffany card, he/she wins a small prize, otherwise he/she wins the cash. In the second round, there are four cards (two with Jonathan's picture, one with $750 and one with $1,000). Picking a Jonathan card wins a medium-valued prize, otherwise they get the cash. In the final round, there are five cards: one card with Wayne's picture, two cash cards ($500 and $2,000), and two Zonk cards. The contestant can leave with the money and/or prizes from the first two rounds or risk it all on the final round. If the contestant picks a Zonk card in the final round, he/she loses everything and leaves with nothing. Otherwise, they get the cash on the card or the prize represented by Wayne's card (usually a car, but it has also been a larger cash value of at least $10,000).
  • A or B – The game is played in three rounds. In the first two rounds, a contestant is shown two prizes. There are two letters, A and B, both hiding an arrow that points to one of the prizes. The contestant wins the prize that the arrow points to in each of those rounds. In the final round, the contestant can win a better prize (usually not a car but a trip or a motorcycle) but has to risk the two prizes won previously. If he/she plays, he/she once again chooses A or B, one points to the grand prize (they win all three prizes) and the other points to a Zonk prize (they lose all prizes). As of 2024, the deal is now being done with a cash card (e.g. $40??). One keeps it at that amount (e.g. $40), and the other takes it to a bigger cash amount (e.g. $4,000)
  • Dr. Wayne – The game is played with a couple. The couple is shown two prizes and must separately choose what prize they want (or what they think their partner wants). Whatever prizes the couple match, that's what they win, otherwise they win neither prize. They repeat the process with two different prizes. After two rounds, they can risk what they've won for an unknown. In this game, Brady impersonates Dr. Phil.
  • Gold Rush – A contestant/couple plays for a car or large cash prize (usually $10,000 or $15,000). They choose from eight numbered boxes: six of them contain carts of gold while the remaining two contain dynamite (representing Zonks). If the contestant/couple picks a cart of gold, they move closer to the car (Level 1: $500, Level 2: $1,000, Level 3: $2,000, Level 4: $4,000, Level 5: Car/Win). If a contestant chooses a dynamite, they lose all their progress and have to start from the bottom again. If the dynamite is found in 3-4 picks, the contestant is mathematically eliminated from winning the car. Whenever gold is found, they are given the option to stop playing and take the money, or risk it for the Car/Win. If both dynamites are chosen, the game ends and any money accumulated is lost.[7]
  • Dice Duel – Two contestants compete, taking turns rolling a pair of dice. They first roll a single die and the player who rolls the higher number goes first. For each new roll, if a specific number (between 2 and 12) has come up, the contestant wins an amount of cash behind the number. Once a number is rolled, neither contestant can roll that number again. The first time a contestant rolls a duplicate number, they are allowed to use a FREE ROLL pass to roll again. Starting in Season 5, the opponent can give the other contestant the win by taking a cash-buyout of $300. If a contestant rolls a duplicate number without having a FREE ROLL pass, they are eliminated and lose all money accumulated. The other player can keep his/her cash, or trade it in for an unknown. For a short time in mid-Season 11, the contestant could risk all the money for a chance to win a car. To win, he/she must roll doubles in a single roll (2, 4, 6, 8, 10, or 12).[8]
  • Go For a Spin – A revival of the "Door 4" Dealer Wheel seen in the 1984-1986 revival. The big difference is that (like the Match Game '90 wheel) instead of the whole wheel spinning, a pointer spins. A contestant plays for a car. They spin a wheel which initially contains 16 spaces (one car space, five Zonk spaces, and cash spaces of $100, $200, $300, $400, $500, $1,000, $2,000, $3,000, $4,000, and $5,000). Before spinning, the contestant is asked three audience survey questions; which have been given to them before the show; each containing two possible answers. The contestant has to pick the most popular answer out of the two. For every question answered correctly, one of the Zonks is replaced with a car (for a maximum of four car spaces and a minimum of two Zonk spaces) before the contestant spins. After the Zonks are replaced by cars (if applicable), the contestant gets one spin and gets what he or she lands on. Before spinning, Wayne offers the player $500 per correct answer to go home without spinning.[9]
  • Strike a Match – A contestant can win cash and/or prizes, is not clear, however, whether or not he/she can win a car. On a board is 24 numbered squares each containing either a cash value, a deal (box, envelope, or curtain), or a Zonk. The board contains two squares with each of the following dollar values: $500, $1,000, $1,500, and $2,000, two squares with each of the following deals: Curtain 1, Curtain 3, Small Box, and Small Envelope, and eight Zonk squares.[10] In 2021, the match for Curtain 1 is replaced with two more Zonks. The contestant is shown what is behind which number for five seconds and then must match cash values or deals to win them. Contestants can keep whatever they earn unless they match two Zonk squares, in which case they lose everything; in the event one is found, from that point on, they are offered the opportunity to stop after each choice until they find a second Zonk.[11]
  • Go Big or Go Home – A contestant can win a car and/or cash and prizes. On a board is 16 hexagonal spaces. (This is the same board used for Strike a Match above, but with the center spaces covered with the "Go Big or Go Home" logo.) The top left space says "Go Big". Initially, two spaces (positions 9 and 15) say "Go Home". The contestant starts at "Go Big" and rolls a single six-sided die to determine how many spaces the lighted border indicator moves. The contestant wins any cash and/or deals he/she lands on. If a contestant lands on "Go Home", the contestant loses everything and the game ends. If a contestant lands on "Go Big", the contestant wins the car in addition to any cash and prizes he or she landed on along the way. Every time a contestant lands on a square, the space is then replaced with an extra "Go Home" space (a button near the space is pressed, which is flipped to a "Go Home" sign). If a contestant makes it around the board completely without landing on either Go Big or Go Home, he/she must avoid the additional Go Home spaces as well. To prevent the contestant from "going home" (losing it all), he or she always gets a choice to stop after each safe roll and landing on a safe space.[12] This option to bailout is available only if the contestant is six spaces or less away from a "Go Home" space.
  • Car Pong – A contestant can win a car and/or cash by throwing ping pong balls into cups. Contestants start with 5 seconds. He/she can earn up to 15 more seconds by answering a pop culture list question containing four possible answers to a question. He/she must choose the three correct answers out of the four. For each correct answer, the contestant wins five more seconds. If the contestant chooses an incorrect answer, the question round is over. The nine cups are arranged in a horizontally-elongated diamond shape with the CAR cup in the center of the layout. The eight outer cups each earn cash. The four cups immediately to the left and right of the center CAR cup earn $750 per ball; the two cups above and below the CAR cup are worth $250 per ball, and two outermost cups are worth $1,000 per ball. No matter how much time a contestant has, each time a ball is thrown, it must bounce at least once in order for the throw to count and must land in a cup and stay in a cup within the time limit. This rule clarification was introduced due to an episode from February 15, 2017 when a contestant's final throw landed in the "CAR" cup after the clock hit zero.
  • The Great Key Escape – A contestant is given $1,500 and is offered a chance to win a car by unlocking a padlock on a box containing the car key, using the right key out of 15 in 15 seconds. The contestant can choose to buy up to 15 extra seconds by paying $100 per second. He/She must choose one key at a time from a board containing the 15 keys and must run back and choose another key if the key doesn't open the padlock. If the contestant chooses the right key, he/she wins the car and any money left over. Since the beginning of Season 5, Wayne would caution the contestant "The box must be unlocked before the clock hits zero." This rule clarification was introduced due to an episode from April 23, 2013 when a contestant unlocked the box after the clock hit zero.[13] On the 2019 New Year's Day episode, it was called Tiffany's Great Check Escape as the grand prize was a check for $19,990, which was won. The $19,990 represents the year 1999. From Seasons 5-10, the game was called Tiffany's Great Key Escape. In Season 11, this was renamed to its current name to reflect Danielle serving as the regular substitute hostess. Beginning in Season 13, $15,000 was offered in this game as opposed to a new car, usually used to minimize the cars offered per show (mainly during "Fabulous Car Fridays"). In Season 14, it is usually played for trips worth over $15,000 (mostly on WinTastic Wednesdays).
  • Cash Train – A contestant can win cash by filling in a train with five money bags. Each car represents a different color (red, orange, yellow, blue, and green). One color at a time, a contestant chooses one of three cards representing cash. After each successful pick, Wayne offers the contestant a sure thing to stop playing. Choosing a Zonk at any time automatically ends the game and the contestant leaves nothing. (The red row has two $250 spots and a $500 spot, the orange row has two $750 spots and a $1,000 spot, the yellow row has a $1,250 spot, a $1,500 spot, and a Zonk, the green row has a $2,000 spot, a $2,500 spot and a Zonk, and the blue row has a $3,000 spot, a $3,500 spot, and a Zonk)
  • Four Keys – A contestant or couple chooses one of four keys that opens the door to a car. Once the contestant chooses a key, Wayne offers a contestant a sure thing to stop playing.
  • The Zonk and Winding Road – Wayne and a contestant takes a journey around the set towards one of two curtains. Before the game begins, a contestant chooses a path which contains a clue.
  • Fact or Fiction – A contestant is asked to choose one of two envelopes, one says "Fact" and the other says "Fiction". Wayne gives the card to Jonathan and offers the contestant an unknown. Before the contestant decides, Jonathan makes a statement about the unknown (a fact or a fictional statement depending on which envelope the contestant chose). The contestant can choose the unknown or a sure thing cash amount.
  • Jukebox – A contestant is asked to choose one of four numbered jukebox slots, each containing a specific style of music and an unknown amount of money. After the music style is revealed, Wayne and Jonathan offer a clue to the unknown by singing a song in the style of music chosen. The contestant can then choose the unknown or the cash amount behind the style. (This was previously played with CD's in place of the jukebox slots.)
  • Head 2 Head Marbles – Two contestants face off each other winning cash. There are eight marbles: seven blue, one red. Each contestant secretly chooses a marble. If a blue marble is found, the contestant wins cash. If a red marble is found, the game is over and the other contestant wins and gets the chance to make a deal. Beginning in Season 12, this game is used as a qualifying game with no money at stake, which each contestant has a red marble in each of their hoppers. While the blue marbles are discarded, in a rare event that both contestants pull out a red marble, they get put back in and they try again.
  • My Husband Sounds Like... – A couple plays against each other by imitating three sound effects. Wayne gives the husband a name of a person, place, or thing for him to make a sound. Then the wife has to guess what sound is that from using "My husband sounds like...", and only one guess is allowed for each one. If she is right, the couple wins $500 for each correct word. If the husband talks, the word is disqualified and the game is over. Afterwards, the couple can keep their cash won or trade it in for an unknown. Other variants of this game include "My (family member)", "My boyfriend", or "My wife." Since Season 8, Tiffany will put the guesser a blindfold with eyes so that the player can be out of sight and not out of hearing.
  • The Dealing Game – A contestant must choose from two unknowns. Before choosing, Wayne and Jonathan reveal information about their respective unknowns by answering Dating Game style questions.
  • 0 to 80 – A contestant can win a car by having a mini car go down the speedway to 80. The contestant chooses up to four tokens with speed amounts ranging from 0 to 40. For each token they pick, the mini car goes down the speedway. After each pick, Wayne offers a contestant a sure thing to stop playing which increases per pick. If the contestant has their car go to 80 in four picks or less, he/she wins the car. If the contestant is mathematically impossible to win, the game is over.
  • Pair-A-Dice – A contestant or couple plays for a car. They are shown 8 boxes, each of which conceal a colored die; either a red 4, a green 5, a blue 6, or a yellow Zonk. If two red 4's are found, the contestant/couple is awarded $400. Two blue 5's, $500. Two red 6's, $600. When a pair of numbered dice is found, the contestant/couple is offered the opportunity to take any cash won, or keep going, knowing that if both Zonk dice are uncovered, they lose everything; however, if all numbered dice are found, the car is won along with the accumulated cash.
  • 9 Cards – A contestant (or couple) is asked to cut a standard deck of 53 playing cards (the standard 52 plus one Joker). A la Hi-Lo and Card Sharks, the first nine cards are dealt. The player may either go from left to right or right to left. For each card they turn over, they earn $500 in cash. However, among the 9 cards, is a Joker. If the Joker is revealed at any time, the game is over and they lose everything. But if they turn over all 9 cards successfully without a Joker, they win $4,500 in cash. The original name of the game, hence the object is Avoid the Joker.
  • Big Deal Surprise – A lesser version of the Big Deal. It plays just like the endgame, with the top prize being of lesser value than the actual Big Deal's.
  • Accelerator – A contestant can win a car in this roulette-style game. The player rolls a giant ball down a ramp which lands on a spinning roulette-style wheel with the letters C, A, and R, each appearing four times and concealing a cash amount. The object is to collect all three letters. Each time a letter is collected, the cash amount behind is revealed and awarded to the player; but once that letter is collected, all instances of that letter are converted to zonks. If a player hits a zonk, all money accumulated is lost; but if all three letters are collected, the car is won along with all cash accumulated. Beginning in Season 15, as to minimize the show’s budget, the game can be played for a cash prize of at least $10,000. In this variant, the letters on the wheel are W, I, and N. As usual, if the player hits a zonk, he/she wins “no thousand dollars.”
  • Numbers Up – Three contestants compete to win an unknown cash amount. In the first round, there are 4 colored squares concealing numbers and all 3 dealers play. Each player picks a color, and the player with the lowest number is out, while the highest number is added to the cash amount, starting at the tens digit. This repeats for the hundreds digit, but with 3 digits and 2 players. When one player is left, their choices are either the last digit or a zonk. At that point, they can decide whether to go for the cash, or take a sure thing.
  • Cash Country – Various items representing cash are placed along a map of the United States. There are also multiplier items that multiply the cash chosen. The contestant(s) first chooses a cash item on the map, followed by a multiplier item. They can either take the multiplied cash or a sure thing in the Let's Make a Deal envelope.
  • Spell Me A Winner – Two contestants face off each other in spelling out a six letter car name (Nissan or Toyota) (or "WINNER" if the car letter name is less or more than six letters). To begin the game, Wayne will give each the contestant an envelope, one with $100, one with $50. The contestant that found the $100 goes first, the other will go second. In the second portion, they are eight boxes representing letters of the car name and two zonks. One by one, a contestant chooses a box. If the contestant chooses a box containing a letter, he/she stays in the game . If the contestant finds the zonk, he/she is out of the game but goes home with the cash amount won. After each successful pick, Wayne will offer a contestant a sure thing cash amount to stop playing. The game will end if the other contestant bails out, the first contestant to completely spell out the car name, or if both contestants get zonked. Prior to Season 9, this game was called Spell The Car Name Out. With the name change, this game is played for cars besides Nissans and Toyotas as well as $20,000. The word to spell when playing for cars that have six letters is now permanently "WINNER".
  • Wishing Well – A contestant faces a table (designated by Wayne as the Wishing Well) containing coins containing cash and prizes totaling $15,000. The contestant is asked to draw two coins which represent pictures of the envelope, a curtain, or a box. Then, he/she decides which coins the contestant wants to keep. Afterwards, the contestant can go for the unknown or take the cash that's inside the coin.
  • Jonathan Big Head – A contestant faces five yes or no questions containing clues to a unknown. He/she must ask three out of the five questions to Jonathan Big Head [portrayed by Mangum]. After the questioning is complete, he/she can take the unknown or take a cash offer by Wayne.
  • Exactly $1,000 – A contestant rolls a die containing cash amounts from $100 to $300. The object of the game is to earn exactly $1,000 to buy a car. After three rolls, Wayne will offer a unknown worth an amount. Once the contestant buys the unknown, the game is stopped. On occasion, the unknown has been the car that the contestant is playing for. After the fourth roll, Wayne offers the contestant another unknown which also provides the contestant an opportunity to take whatever money won. If the contestant goes over $1,000, the contestant wins nothing.
  • Perfect Ten - Played the same way as above, except that if the player has accumulated $1,000, he/she has decoupled the money (in other words, $1,000 turns into $10,000). The first unknown is offered if the contestant has accumulated $400. If the player is $200 or less away from $1,000, he/she is offered a final unknown our buyout.
  • Cat's Word – A contestant can win cash by spelling a seven letter word. The larger the spelling word, the more cash he/she can win. To begin, a contestant spells out a word then Cat will sing the word. Afterwards, the first three letters are turned into cash. Then, Wayne offers a contestant an envelope or box. The contestant can elect to take the unknown or the remaining money.
  • One Out Of Seven – A contestant faces a board of seven numbers. One number contains $500, one contains $1,000, and one says CAR. The other four contain zonks. To begin the game, Wayne asks a contestant for three items (a la Quickie Deals). If the contestant finds the item asked by Wayne, he/she removes a zonk. After the item searching is done, the contestant picks an number. Then, he/she is offered a sure thing which he/she can take or go for the selected number. Prior to Season 8, the game was called Seven Envelopes.
  • Majority Rules
  • Three Aces – A contestant is shown four pairs of cards, each containing an Ace and a zonk. The object of the game is to reveal two out of four aces for a small prize and three out of four for a car. The contestant chooses a card and if it contains an Ace, he/she is one step closer to winning the cash and/or car. If the contestant draws two zonks, the contestant is mathematically eliminated from winning a car. If the contestant draws three zonks, the game is over. On Christmas themed shows, the Aces are replaces with Santas. On Valentines Day shows, the Aces are replaced with hearts.
  • Tic Tac Deal 2.0 – A 3 by 3 grid of numbers is displayed (3 4 5 / 6 7 8 / 9 10 11). The contestant has 5 rolls to create a tic tac toe across, down or diagonally by rolling a pair of dice to match the numbers on the grid. If the number rolled is either a 2, a 12, or a repeat number, it's a wasted roll. Wayne offers a buy out if the contestant is one roll away from completing tic tac toe (for a car) or not being able to get 3 in a row. The game ends when the contestant wins the car, accepts the buyout or runs out of rolls/can't create a tic tac toe. If the game is played in cash, the final buyout is $2,000, if the contestant rejects the buyout and if he/she completes tic tac toe, the money accumulated is quintupled to $10,000. Otherwise, he/she wins “no thousand dollars.”
  • Dating Profile – This game requires two or three people: Two men and one woman or vice versa. Wayne will ask three dual-choice questions from a dating profile that was randomly chosen before the show (for example: If you were to buy a woman something sweet, would she choose A) something chocolate or B) something vanilla?). The wo(men) will show Wayne their answers using paddles. This is followed by the (wo)man providing the choice. The (wo)man is given a blindfold with hearts from Tiffany, so that he/she cannot see the men's answer. Each correct match is worth $500 for a possible total of $1500. Afterwards, the contestants can keep their money or buy an unknown.
  • Solo Marbles – A contestant can win up to $10,000 or a car. There are six marbles [as opposed to eight on its sister game Head 2 Head Marbles], five blue, one red. One at a time, a contestant draws a marble. If he/she draws the blue marble, he/she wins $500. He/she is given the option to stop playing and take whatever money won, knowing that if the contestant draws a red marble, all money accumulated is lost. If he/she gets all five blue marbles drawn, he/she wins $10,000 and/or a car.
  • Winfall – A contestant can win a car by knocking six circle blocks (two of each red, yellow blue) before allowing a green “WIN” block to reach the bottom. The contestant rolls a heptagon shaped die with the colors of the block and one star side (indicating a wild). For each successful roll, Tiffany knocks the rolled colored block away. If the contestant eliminates two blocks of one color, he/she is offered $500 to stop playing. If two colors are eliminated, the buyout is increased to $1000. If the contestant rolls a color that is eliminated, the game is over.
  • Five Envelopes: One Car - A contestant faces a board of six envelopes. Only one of the envelopes is the word "CAR" The rest say "NO" (which acts as a Zonk). The contestant rolls a die twice. Whatever the numbers he/she roll, he/she receives the envelopes as indicated by the roll. If the same number is rolled twice, it's a wasted roll. After the envelopes have been selected, Wayne offers the contestant a sure thing. After the first envelope is chosen and if it contains the word "NO", he will either increase or decrease the sure thing by $100.
  • Silent Auction - Two contestants face-off each other on bidding up to two unknowns. The contestants are given $1,000 to start. Wayne offers the players are unknown. They will write down their bid in secret. The highest bid wins the unknown. After the two unknowns, the players will individually decide to keep their prize(s) and any remaining cash won or risk it all for a chance at a bigger unknown.
  • Closer to LA - A contestant can win three trips by choosing the distance of a particular trip closest to LAX in flight miles. Once each distance is locked in, Wayne offers a contestant a sure thing. After two correct distances, the sure thing is increased. If the contestant is incorrect, the contestant wins nothing.
  • I'm Drawn To You - Debuted in Season 11. Two men (or two women) will draw something assigned by Wayne on an easel located on the stage. The drawers have only fifteen seconds to do it. The guesser is blindfolded with eyes (from My Husband Sounds Like...) so that he/she cannot see who's drawing. Once the drawing is complete, he/she will decide who has the best drawing. The artist who has the award winning drawing will win $1,000 and the right to make a deal with Wayne. The loser goes home with $100.
  • Draw Me A Deal - A couple is given $1,000 to start. They can win additional money by drawing one of two pictures involving words of difficulty: one easy and one hard. The easy word is worth $1,000 while the hard is worth $2,000. The drawer will be given the choice of the easy or hard one. The drawer has fifteen seconds to draw a picture involving the word while the guesser looks away. If correct, the couple wins the amount earned. Afterwards, Wayne offers the couple one of two boxes: One worth half of the money, one worth all of the money.
  • Sculpt Me A Deal - A variant of the above except one person has a chance to sculpt a thing using up to three balls of clay. The guesser is isolated (or turn their backs) so that he/she cannot see the sculptor. After the fifteen seconds are up, the guesser is allowed one only guess. If correct, the couple wins $1,000 and has a chance to buy one of two unknowns: One worth half of the money, the other worth all of it.
  • Football Frenzy – This was only played during football season. A contestant could win a car by having a team's helmet race down the field against the opposing team to the end zone. He/she chooses the team he/she wants to play. One by one, the contestant would choose one of eight boxes, each of which represented the helmet of the team's logo. After each successful pick, Wayne would offer him/her a cash amount as a sure thing to stop playing. If the contestant picked the opposing team's helmet, Wayne would penalize the sure thing. If the contestant's team reached the end zone, the contestant won the car. If the opposing team crossed it, the contestant would get zonked. This game was retired after CBS lost the rights to Thursday Night Football. This game was brought back in 2021 on years when CBS holds the Super Bowl. To begin the game, a famous NFL Hall-Of-Famer asks the couple/contestant a football related trivia question. If he/she is correct, they are given a head start.
  • Speed Lock - A contestant can win a car by correctly setting a three digit combination to three locks; the first numbered 1-4, the second numbered 1-6, and the third numbered 1-8 (in similar fashion to the pricing game "Safe Crackers" on LMAD's sister show The Price is Right). He/she has 20 seconds to try as many numbers as possible. Once the player has selected a three digit combination, he/she will then press the button to lock in. Locks turning green indicate a correct number, while locks turning red indicate an incorrect one. After the first round, Wayne offers a contestant a buy-out to stop the game, or he/she may play another round, but with only 15 seconds on the clock. After the second try, Wayne offers another buy-out or the opportunity to play one final round with only ten seconds on the clock.
  • Foley Challenge - Wayne and Jonathan create a picture using sound effects heard in movies that acts as the contestant’s prize. The contestant is isolated via blindfold so he/she cannot see what is going on. After a certain amount of time, the trader is offered to take the prize heard from the clues or take a separate unknown.
  • Jewel Heist - This game is a combination of No Duplicates and Exactly $1,000. This game is played for a prize worth over $250,000. A contestant faces a board of six diamonds each representing a highly cash value. The contestant rolls a die with numerals (as opposed to dots), for each successful roll, he/she accumulates cash for each diamond. The contestant has the option to take the money accumulated or can roll again. If the contestant rolls again and rolls the same number, he/she is zonked. If he/she rolls all the numbers, he/she wins the prize.
  • Tiffany's Court - To start, Jonathan would interrupt Wayne, telling him that he's been summoned to appear in court. The action would then shift to a courtroom like setup. Here's the contestant would see a list of four witnesses; all of which would be portrayed by Wayne. But (s)he would have to choose to of them one at a time, and Wayne posing as the selected witness would give clues to what behind the curtain.
  • The Dealy Show - To start, Tiffany would interrupt Wayne, telling him that she & Jonathan are about to do a live show and needs to step aside for a while. This is a cross late night talk show setup between The Tonight Show & The Daily Show. Wayne would pose a guest to give clues to what behind the curtain.
Retired games[]
  • Panic Button – A contestant or couple can win any or all of three prizes, of which the most expensive is sometimes a car. After being shown the three prizes behind each curtain, the player(s) are asked to press three of six buttons on a control panel. However, three buttons close one of the three curtains (which eliminates the prize), and the other three have no effect. After pressing the buttons, the player(s) can either take the prizes still remaining, or press one of two additional buttons revealed for a 50/50 chance at either opening all three curtains again and winning a cash bonus, or losing everything.[14]
  • Hi-Lo – A contestant (or a couple) was asked to cut a standard deck of cards. The first nine cards were dealt and the first card was revealed. Like on Card Sharks, the contestant(s) had to guess whether the next card was higher or lower than the previous, with aces counting high and deuces counting low, with ties an automatic loss. He/She/They could make one mistake in the first five guesses (up to card #6) and keep playing, but a second mistake ended the game and the contestant(s) won nothing. The contestant(s) could quit after either he/she/they made a mistake up to the $2,500 card or won the $2,500. He/She/They could then attempt to guess the last three cards for the car with the condition that they couldn't make a mistake (even if they hadn't made one up to that point).
  • Time is Money – A contestant could win up to $15,000. There are four clocks ranging from :00 to :15. One clock at a time, each second deducted $1,000. The contestant could take a sure thing after the first clock was chosen, increasing with every clock. If the contestant reached $0, the game would end and the contestant won nothing.
  • The Piñata – Contestants attempted to hit a piñata for $5,000 or a car. Each contestant was given an piñata, then was given the option to break the piñata or go for a prize hidden behind a curtain or box. At least one of the piñatas contained the $5,000 or car keys, while the rest had candy as a consolation prize.
  • Tic Tac Deal – A contestant (or couple) was shown seven cards with each saying "X", "O", or "Wild Card", which could be used as either. The contestant(s) would pick four of the seven cards. To win a car (or other big prize), they had to get three X's or three O's. If chosen earlier in the game, they had to state which symbol the wild card would represent (X or O) prior to continuing. The contestant(s) were offered a bailout before the last card is revealed. After Season 3, they would get only three cards with either "X" or "O" as their letter.
  • Money in the Bank – A contestant could win up to $10,000 by playing a game that involved four questions and four answers. He/She had to match the answers to the questions, and for each correct answer, he/she won $500 in cash. In the second half of the game, he/she could opt to keep whatever cash he/she had won or put it in one of five safes. One safe doubled the cash, one cut it in half, one multiplies it by 5, and the remaining two were Zonks, which cost the player everything.
  • Checks in the Mail – A contestant could win cash and/or a car by opening four out of eight mailboxes. He/She was given $500 to start, then would pick four out of the eight mailboxes consisting of five checks, two zonk checks, and the title to the car. After each successful pick, the contestant was given the option to stop playing and hopes that he/she wouldn't choose a zonk check (which cost everything up to that point). If both zonk checks were found, the game would end, and the contestant won nothing.
  • Wac-A-Zonk – A contestant could win a big prize (usually a trip or a car) by smashing one of three Zonkimals (Zonky the Donkey, Zonko the Gorilla, and Zurtle the Turtle) on a Wac-A-Mole like game board. At least one of the zonkimals contained the prize, while the rest had nothing. Before the contestant attempted to pick a zonkimal, Wayne would offer a contestant an unknown. If the contestant smashed the zonkimal containing the prize, he/she won it; if, however, the zonkimal contained nothing, he/she would be truly zonked out.
  • Eight Boxes – Two contestants would compete against each other for a car. The game was divided into two parts. In the first part, the contestants wrote down what they believed was the price of the car in secret. The contestant who was closest, high or low received four picks in the second part. The other contestant received three picks. In the second part, the contestants would take turns on choosing one of the eight boxes. One of the boxes said "CAR" the rest contained the word "NO." If the contestants found two "NO" boxes, Wayne would offers them a sure thing, increasing per round. In this game, it was always possible that both contestants would win nothing. The game ended if either both contestants had used up all their picks, bailed out, or the first contestant found the word "CAR.”
  • Make It Wayne - A contestant faces a table of twelve coins. Each coin represents a money amount ranging from $100 to $300. He/she is allowed to choose five coins. For each $100 accumulated, a rainbow which grows from the grow from the cloud on the left to the pot of gold on the right. The object of the game is to reach $1,000 or more and complete the rainbow which increases the winnings to $10,000. After two picks, Wayne offers a contestant a sure thing to stop playing. Successive picks increase the value of the offer by the amount accumulated in the pot of gold to that point. If the contestant is mathematically impossible to win, he would allow the contestant to use his/her remaining pick(s) as a consolation pick for half of the amount picked (similar to Cash Board). (In earlier playings of the game, the coins ranged from $200 to $400, with three of them being negative coins, which regressed the rainbow.)
  • Treasure Hunter - A contestant faces a boat with either cash or keys to car. The object of the game is to move a shark pass four buoys without destroying the boat. The contestant can choose three out of eight treasure chests each containing a number between 0 and 3. For each successful pick, a shark laugh is heard. The shark can move up to four buoys. If the shark is one buoy away from the boat, Wayne offers the contestant a sure thing to stop playing. If the shark eats the boat, he/she wins nothing.
  • Head 2 Head for a Car – Two contestants face off each other, with one contestant's curtain carrying a new car and the other a Zonk (typically a junk automobile). Brady offers them cash, increasing as the game progresses. The first contestant to hit the buzzer will win the cash. The other contestant wins their curtain.
  • Bobbing For Apples - Played only on family shows, usually on Halloween (as is done at Halloween parties). A family can win a car by bobbing apples. There are ten apples in a bowl filled with apples. Nine of the apples contain cash ranging from $100 to 300. The object of the game is to get up to $1,000 without bobbing for a Zonk. After each successful bob, the family is given the option to stop playing and take whatever money they earned. If they picked the Zonk, the family wins nothing. If the family accumulates $1,000, they won a car.
Consolation games[]

Should a contestant get zonked out during a particular game. Wayne offers a contestant a consolation cash prize with at least the house minimum of $50 ($100 in the prime time version) by performing the following:

  • Dice – $50 x the number of rolled (i.e. 6 = $300). If the game the contestant plays has a pair of dice, only one die is used.
  • 0 to 80 – $5 x the number of shown on the token.
  • Hi-Lo – $50 for each correct prediction.
  • Cash Board – Half of the amount picked.
  • Accelerator - $500 if the contestant landed on a Zonk.

Skill-based games[]

The following games were played for a grand prize, such as a car or trip, and almost always involved grocery items. At certain stages of these games, Hall often offered a sure-thing deal (a prize or cash) to quit before the result was revealed. If all of Hall's offers were turned down and the grand prize lost, Hall would usually give the grocery items to the contestant as a consolation prize along with $50 or $100 in cash.

  • Arranging small prizes (usually $5–50) in order of dollar value.
  • Determining which item out of several was appearing on the show for the first time, or which item was first to debut.
  • Choosing which item was a pre-announced price, or which items' prices totaled a certain amount.
  • Recalling which grocery items were concealed beneath the letters in the name of a car model or trip destination.
  • Pricing successive items within a predetermined amount from the MSRP (manufacturer's suggested retail price) on the West Coast. The first item was always easy while the last item was always more difficult.
  • Pricing successive items with the difference between the contestant's guess and the actual MSRP of each item being deducted from an initial sum (usually $5.00) placed in an account. If there was any money remaining after the last item was priced, even as little as one cent, the contestant won the grand prize. The last item was always more difficult, so the object was to come as close as possible to the MSRP of each of the previous items in order to have a greater chance of winning the grand prize.
  • Pricing items with the total of all guesses within a predetermined range from the actual total of the suggested retail prices. A similar concept is used in the game Check-Out on The Price is Right.
  • Competing against another trader/couple to price a series of items closer to the suggested retail price and win increasing cash awards (usually $100, $200, $300, and $400, but sometimes $200-$200-$200-$300 or $100-$100-$200-$200-$300). The first trader (or couple) to collect a pre-announced amount (usually $700) won a grand prize, such as a car or a trip (and kept any leftover money). The losing trader/couple was offered a regular take-it-or-leave-it deal in exchange for any cash accumulated. The consolation deal was also played for both teams if both obtained less than the required amount.
CBS Version Games[]
  • Timeline – A contestant first plays for a trip or other similar valued prize by arranging three entertainment items (TV shows, music songs, movies, etc.) in order. Placing the three in the correct order wins the contestant the trip and a chance to play for a car if they decide to give up the trip. To win the car, the contestant has to place a fourth item in the same timeline correctly (before the first item, between the first and second, between the second and third, or after the third item).
  • Remember When – A contestant can win a car by identifying when two of five entertainment items (TV shows, music songs, movies, etc.) premiered in the same calendar year. After revealing some of the years, Wayne offers the contestant a sure thing. If the contestant does not take the sure thing, another item may be revealed and Wayne may offer the same sure thing plus additional cash.
  • Think Big – Played for a car, a contestant faces a board of four numerical statements (i.e. Number of zonks that appeared on the first episode of Let's Make A Deal). The object of the game is to choose the statement that contains the biggest number. Once the contestant selects the statement, the first two statements are revealed. Wayne offers the contestant a sure thing to stop playing.

Door #4 (1984–1986 only)[]

Played every few days (at least once a week) and announced with siren and quick-zoom fanfare, a contestant was chosen by a computer at random based on a number which now appeared on the contestant's tag (1 to 36). A contestant who had previously been chosen for a deal earlier in the show had their number called on a few occasions. This contestant was chosen to play a special deal, which had four incarnations:

  • Version 1 – The contestant was offered a prize in exchange for a mystery cash amount ranging from $1 to $5,000 (on occasion, $100 to $5,000), which was concealed behind "Door #4" (in actuality another curtain).
  • Version 2 – A 20-space carnival wheel was brought out from behind Door #4, containing cash amounts ranging from $100 to $5,000. The contestant would spun the wheel and could keep the amount won, or spin again in hopes of winning a higher amount. If a lesser amount was spun, all winnings were lost. One space on the wheel read Double Deal, and, if it was hit on either spin, doubled the winnings up to a maximum of $10,000. Hitting Double Deal on both spins also earned the $10,000 top prize.
    • Wheel configuration: $5,000, $750, $600, $200, $3,000, $350, $700, $150, $1,000, Double Deal, $500, $2,000, $400, $250, $800, $4,000, $300, $450, $900, $100.
  • Version 3 – The contestant could keep $750 or risk it by spinning the wheel, which now contained spaces that earned $1,500 (by landing on a space marked "double") $2,250 (by landing on "triple"), $3,000, a new car, or receiving something smaller in value (cash ranging from $100 to $500, or perhaps even a zonk. (The zonk was a white T-shirt that read "I was ZONKED by Monty Hall.")) If the contestant kept the money, Hall would let the player spin the wheel to see what would have been passed up. In this format of Door #4, the car was always a Chevy Chevette. Also, instead of the car being displayed behind one of the doors, a film clip was shown.
    • Wheel configuration: Car, $200, Double, $100, $1,000, $250, $200, Zonk, $500, $100, Car, $250, $300, Double, $400, $300, Triple, $500, $400, $3,000 (the $400 and $3,000 spaces were swapped after a few playings).
  • Version 4 – Played in the same way as Version 3, except that the contestant was given $1,000 to start and fewer money possibilities were on the wheel. The spaces on this wheel were modified after a few playings of this version to include more Double spaces.
    • Wheel configuration #1: Car, $100, Triple, $200, Zonk, Double, $100, $4,000, $200, $100, Car, $200, Triple, $100, Zonk, Double, $200, Triple, $100, $200.
    • Wheel configuration #2: Car, $100, Triple, $200, Zonk, Double, $100, $4,000, $200, Double, Car, $200, Triple, $100, Zonk, Double, $200, Triple, $100, Double.

The current revival has a similar wheel-based game under a new name, "Go For a Spin" (see above).

Big Deal of the Day[]

Each show ends with the Big Deal of the Day. Beginning with the day's biggest winner, and moving in order to the winner of the lowest prize value, the host would ask each contestant if they wanted to trade their winnings for a spot in the Big Deal (whose value was usually revealed at that point). He would continue asking until two contestants agreed to participate. In case of a tie, the host goes to the winner who he picked first. In the CBS version, only one player participates in the Big Deal.

The Big Deal involves three doors, famously known as "Door #1", "Door #2", and "Door #3", each of which contained a prize or prize package. The top winner of the two was offered the first choice of a door, and the second contestant was then offered a choice of the two remaining doors. One door hid the day's Big Deal, which was usually more than the top prize offered to that point. It often included the day's most expensive prize (a luxury or sports car, a trip, furniture/appliances, a fur, cash, or a combination of two or more of said items). The other two doors concealed prizes or prize packages of lesser value. Zonks were never included in the Big Deal, although there was always the possibility that a contestant could wind up with less than his or her original winnings. All three doors were normally opened, going in order of increasing value. In the CBS version, the other two doors are referred to as the "Small Deal" (worth $1,000+) and the "Medium Deal" ($3,000+).

Sometimes, one of the doors contains a cash prize, contained within a container such as "Monty's Cookie Jar", "Monty's Piggy Bank", a "LMaD Claim Check", or in the CBS version, the "Let's Make a Deal Vault". In some cases these cash prizes have been the Big Deal, but often they are not.

Value[]

The Big Deal values shown in the table are to give a general idea of the average value of said prize package. On occasion, Big Deals were worth considerably more than the highest-stated value in a particular version.

Version Value Notes
1963-1977 (NBC/ABC/Syndicated) Daytime: $1,500-$5,000
Primetime/Syndicated: $5,000-$16,000
The Big Deal in the 1963 pilot was $2,005.
On the nighttime versions, prizes that were normally part of daytime Big Deals (such as cars, trips, and fur coats) were often part of the runner-up door.
During the Super Deal era of the syndicated run (see below), Big Deals ranged from $8,500-$10,000, most often being in the $9,000 range.
1980-1981 (Syndicated) $4,000-$6,000 Cash prizes in this version were given in the form of "Monty Dollars" or "Let's Make a Deal Money". As explained on-air, the show was seen in both the United States and Canada, and contestants could take home money in US or Canadian currency. Most preferred the greenback because of its then-relative strength.
1984-1986 (Syndicated) 1984-1985: $6,500-$11,000
1985-1986: $8,000-$13,000
1990-1991 (NBC Daytime) $10,000-$25,000+
2003 (NBC Primetime) $50,000+ The largest Big Deal in the three aired episodes was $57,099.
2006 (Gameshow Marathon One-Off) $87,044 for Home Player The winner of this show also advanced to the next show in the tournament.
2009-Present (CBS Daytime) $17,000-$49,000 This is administered like the Super Deal in that one player plays (or two if they have played as a team). Occasionally, a contestant will have his/her spouse join him/her for support as the doors open. Most Big Deals total between $20,000 and $30,000 in value.
2019-Present (CBS Primetime) $50,000+

Super Deal[]

During the 1975-1976 syndicated season, a new "Super Deal" was offered for Big Deal winners. The Super Deal board contained three mini-Doors, of which one of them had $20,000 hidden behind it. At this point, Big Deals were limited to a range of $8,500 to $10,000. The contestant could risk their Big Deal winnings on a 1-in-3 shot at adding the $20,000 cash prize to their winnings. The other two Doors caused the player to lose the "Big Deal", but he/she took home a consolation cash prize. Given this scenario, a Super Deal winner could win as much as $30,000 in cash and prizes (in fact, the first-ever Super Deal won the $30,000 maximum).

Originally, the consolation amounts were $1,000 and $2,000. The former was later increased to $5,000, and still later became a mystery amount (ranging between $1,000 and $9,000 in $1,000 increments).

The Super Deal was discontinued when the show permanently moved to Las Vegas for the final season (1976-1977), and Big Deal values returned to their previous range of $10,000 to $16,000.

The Super Deal returned on the CBS version's 500th episode on March 26, 2012, a two-week stretch from February 18 to March 1, 2013 in celebration of the show's 50th Anniversary, and the week of April 22-26, 2013. The winner of the Big Deal would be presented with three envelopes: ruby (red), sapphire (blue), and emerald (green). The envelopes hid $1,000, $2,000, and $50,000. Three contestants picked the $50,000 envelope.

Mega Deal[]

In Season 7 on the CBS version, a "Mega Deal" is played as part of the Big Deal of the Day segment for every non-cash and non-zonk prize available on that day's show. The contestant, after picking his/her door, also picks a "Mega Deal" card from a row of seven numbers (minus one for each day the Mega Deal is not won); one of them has the word "WIN" written on it, while the others had "NO."

If the contestant wins the Big Deal, the "Mega Deal" (unlike the Super Deal) is a no-lose proposition, meaning he/she keeps his/her Big Deal winnings even if he/she didn't pick the correct Mega Deal card. Picking the Mega Deal card awards the contestant a prize package of more than $100,000, including the contents of the other two Big Deal of the Day doors. Regardless of the outcome of the Big Deal of the Day portion of the game (if the Big Deal is not won or the contestant chooses incorrectly) Brady reveals the correct Mega Deal card.

Audience Attire[]

When the series began, studio audience members wore suits and ties or dresses. Over time the show gradually evolved into the costume-wearing menagerie it became. In 2003, Game Show Network presented the May 25, 1963 pilot with commentary from host Hall. In the special, Hall mentioned that two weeks into the series (January 1964), an audience member had brought in a small placard that read "Roses are red, violets are blue, I came here to deal with you!" The placard caught his attention, and he chose that player to be a contestant. On later tapings, more people began bringing signs. Again to get Hall's attention, another audience member showed up at a taping wearing a crazy hat, which also eventually caught on with others. The costumes and signs became a part of the show itself and got crazier and crazier as the show went on.

The most frequently-asked question was if the show provided the zany costumes for the studio audience. The standard response was that all contestants came to the studio "dressed as they are", in the words of Jay Stewart.

Reception[]

Upon the original version's debut, journalist Charles Witbeck was skeptical of the show's chances of success, noting that the previous four NBC programs to compete with CBS' Password had failed.[15] Some critics described the show as "mindless" and "demeaning to contestants and audiences alike."[16]

By 1974, however, the show had spent more than a decade at or near the top of daytime ratings, and became the highest-rated syndicated primetime program.[16] At the time, the show held the world's record for the longest waiting list for tickets in show-business history[16][17] – there were 350 seats available for each show, and a wait time of two-to-three years after requesting a ticket.[16][17]

In 2001, Let's Make a Deal was ranked as #18 on TV Guide's list of "The 50 Greatest Game Shows of All Time."[18] In 2006, GSN aired a series of specials counting down its own list of the "50 Greatest Game Shows of All Time", on which Let's Make a Deal was #7.[19]

In 2017; the current LMAD with Wayne Brady[20]set a world record for the largest zonk cereal bowl in the world, as of which it weighs about 3,504 pounds.

C-6yRS9XYAE2y3R

On October 20, 2020; due to the pandemic (a.k.a. COVID-19/Coronavirus)[21]it has been announced that the set was changed to mix of both in-studio and virtual (online) contestants, the latter nicknamed "At-Homies". The practice of the hosts handing out money is currently suspended, and all contestants that won money (including consolation prizes if they got zonked) were instead given out checks at the end of the show. Any cash amount won (excluding consolation prizes) is now shown on the bottom of the screen. As of the 2023-2024 season, the "At-Homies" have been discontinued and more in-studio seating restored (though nowhere near the original pre-COVID seating numbers). All contestants are now given replicas of the microphones used by the hosts by the Money Fairy.

LMAD-Season-12-Set-3

Episode status[]

Many of the show's estimated 4,700 episodes exist:

  • NBC Daytime/Nighttime – The status of this era is unknown, although it's very likely that the original tapes were wiped as they were recorded over by NBC with new programming in an era when videotape was expensive. The 1963 pilot exists, with Wendell Niles as announcer, contestants in normal business attire (typical of its first season), and a Zonk behind one of the doors in the Big Deal (worth $2,005). Zonks have never been in the Big Deal since. The 1967 nighttime finale exists in the Library of Congress, along with a few scattered daytime episodes. Three daytime episodes are at the Paley Center for Media.
  • ABC Daytime – More than 500 episodes exist. A clip from the ABC daytime premiere was used on Monty Hall's "Biography", which aired during Game Show Week on A&E. Another episode from 1969 was found, which features a blooper that Hall himself rated as his most embarrassing moment on the show (at the end, he attempted to make a deal with a woman carrying a baby's bottle. Noting that the bottle had a removable rubber nipple, he offered her $100 if she could show him another nipple (she didn't). This clip was restored using the LiveFeed Video Imaging kinescope restoration process, and it was re-aired in 2008 as part of NBC's Most Outrageous Moments series.
  • ABC Nighttime/1971-1977 Syndicated – Exist almost in their entirety and have been seen on Game Show Network in the past. The Family Channel reran the syndicated series from June 7, 1993[22] to March 29, 1996.[23] Reruns previously aired on Buzzr.
(NOTE: All episodes exist from 1980 onward.)
  • The 1980-1981 Canadian version was seen in reruns on the Global Television Network for much of the 1980s.
  • The 1984-1986 syndicated version has been seen on Game Show Network in the past. Reruns had previously aired on the USA Network from December 29, 1986[24] to December 30, 1988[25] and on The Family Channel from August 30, 1993[26] to March 29, 1996.[27] This version has also aired on Buzzr, and is now airing on GameTV in Canada as of July 2, 2018.
  • The 1990s NBC version has not been seen since its cancellation.
  • The 2003 NBC prime time version only aired three of the five episodes produced, with no rebroadcasts since. One episode is viewable on YouTube.

International Versions[]

RTL Group holds international (and as of February 2009, American) rights to the show, and has licensed the show to 17 countries.

  • An Australian version aired for a brief period from 1968 until 1969 and from 1976 until 1977 on Nine Network which had four host, the original version was hosted by Mike Dyer from 1968 followed by John Laws in 1969 then Jimmy Hannah followed later by Garry Meadows respectively hosted the 70s version on the same network. In addition, a short-lived revival of the show hosted by Vince Sorrenti aired on Network Ten from 1990 until 1991. In 2009, a new Australian version of Let's Make a Deal has had its pilot taped and was expected to air on the Nine Network once again.[28] This, however, never came into fruition.
  • A Brazilian version under the name Topa um Acordo? (You're Going to Come Up with a Deal?) hosted by Rodrigo Faro aired on Rede Record in 2014. In 2023, a revival was aired on SBT hosted by Celso Portiolli.
  • An Egyptian version of Let's Make a Deal has been running on Al Hayat since 2013. The host for it is Moutaz El Dermerdash and its set is based on the 2009 Brady version.
  • An Estonian version called Kas Loome Kaed? (Shall We Shake Hands?) hosted by Robert Rool airs on Kanal 2 since 2023.
  • The French version was called Le Bigdil (The Bigdil) hosted by Vincent Lagaf' along with an animated character named Bill aired weeknights from 1998 until 2004 on TF1.[29] Although the framing concept of the show was similar to the American version of Let's Make a Deal, stunts similar to those seen on Beat the Clock are played throughout the show as well.
  • A German version called Geh aufs Ganze! (Go All Out!) ran from 1992 until 2003. The show began on Sat.1 from 1992 until 1997, then on tm3 from 1997 until 1998 and later moved to kabel eins from 1999 until 2003. The show was initially hosted Jörg Draeger, who was later succeeded by Elmar Hörig. The German version of the Zonk was always a red and black plush mouse the trader got to take home. After being off the air for no more than 18 years, in 2021, the series return (along with its original host Draeger but this time with his co-host Daniel Boschmann) to its original channel Sat.1 on Fridays with three new episodes.
  • A Greek version called To Megalo Pazari (Grand Bazaar) originally ran on Mega Channel from 1991 until 1995. Two years later, another version called Parta Ola hosted by Sakis Boulas aired on SKAI in 1997. Thirteen years later, its revival under the title To Pio Megalo Pazari (The Biggest Bargain) ran on Alpha TV also for a brief period from 2006 until 2007, both versions were hosted by Andreas Mikroutsikos. Ten years later, the show has now been repackaged as Kane Pazari hosted by Doretta Papadimitriou airing on SKAI in 2017. Since 2023, Another revival of To Pio Megalo Pazari hosted by Ilias Vrettos also airs on Alpha TV.
  • The Hungarian version called Zsakbamacska (Sack Cat/Bag Cat) ran on M1 for a brief period from 1994 until 1995, hosted by Gyorgy Rosza. After being off the air for no longer than 28 years, the series was revived for tv2 hosted by Majka & Joci Papai since 2023.
  • An Indian version was aired for two seasons called Khullja Sim Sim (Open Sesame), ran on STAR Plus from 2001 until 2004. Aman Verma hosted the first season while Hussain Kuwajerwala hosted the second and final season of the series.
  • An Indonesian version called Superdeal 2 Milyar (Super Deal 2 Billion) ran for three seasons on antv with four different hosts: originally with Nico Siahaan from 2006 until 2007, then with Aditya Herpavi Rachman in 2010, finally with Indra Bekti and Indy Barends in 2011. Three years later, the show was revived on the same network as Super Deal, hosted by Uya Kuya and Luna Maya from 2014 until 2015, with some another casts from Pesbukers (antv's comedy show) such as Olga Syahputra (that passed away at same time with end of this show), Raffi Ahmad, Indra Bruggman, Jessica Iskandar, Opie Kumis and Sapri Pantun. It was then revived (and ended) in 2016, hosted by Raffi Ahmad and Ruben Onsu. In 2018, it was rebooted as Super Deal Indonesia on GTV, hosted by Ananda Omesh and Edric Tjandra. Then, Omesh replaced by Andhika Pratama until the end of this show at 2020 due to his vocal cord illness at end of 2018. In some episodes, Tjandra replaced by Papham as substitute host. Later, Andhika Pratama and Edric Tjandra returned to be host in short-lived Indonesian version of The Price is Right at mid-2020, that aired on same channel. At 2022, it revived on the same network with same host too. In some episodes of 2022 version, Tjandra replaced by Gilang Gombloh or Erick Estrada as substitute host. The 2022 version also have a weekend version with different host, Rina Nose and Mimin Eva, but regular version with Pratama and Tjandra still aired at weekdays.
  • The Israeli version called Asinu Esek (Ashino Esk) ran on Channel 2 from 1994 until 1996. It was originally hosted by Avri Gilad from 1994 until 1995 and then with Zvika Hadar in 1996.
  • A short-lived Italian version called Facciamo un Affare (We Make a Deal) was originally hosted by Walter Chiari aired on Telemontecarlo in 1980. Five years later, another version hosted by Iva Zanicchi of OK, Il Prezzo e Giusto! (OK, The Price is Right!) ran on Canale 5 for a brief period from 1985 until 1986.
  • The Polish version is called Idz na calosc (Go All Out/Go All the Way) and has aired on Polsat from 1997 until 2001, originally with Zygmunt Chajzer (1997-2000) then with Krysztof Tyneic (2000-2001) respectively as host for the series.
  • In Portugal, they were two versions, the first version is called Negocio Fechado (Closed Business) hosted by Henrique Mendes ran for a brief period from 1999 until 2000 on SIC. 23 years later, another version called Vai ou Racha (Make or Break) hosted by Pedro Teixeira airs on TVI since 2023.
  • A short-lived, Romanian version called Batem Palma! (Deal!) ran on Antena 1 from 2002 until 2003. The host for the short-lived version was Dan Negru.
  • Another short-lived version of Let's Make a Deal aired in Spain as Trato Hecho (Deal), running on Antena 3 from 1999 until 2000 with Bertin Osbourne as host.
  • The Turkish version called Seç Bakalim (Let's Take a Look a Sec), hosted by Erhan Yazicioglu, originally ran on Kanal 6 from 1992 until 1995 then on ATV from 1995 until 1998, with future Spice Girl Geri Halliwell as a model.[30]
  • The short-lived British version called Trick or Treat hosted by Mike Smith and Julian Clary ran only for three months on ITV in 1989.
  • A Spanish-language American version called Trato Hecho (Deal) aired on Univision in 2005. Guillermo Huesca was the host.
  • The Vietnamese version called O cua bi mat (Mystery Door) ran three years on VTV3 from 2009 until 2012, hosted by Tran Ngoc.

Other countries with their own versions include Lebanon, Mexico, and Thailand.

Let's Make a Deal Telephone Game[]

In 1992, ads were running for their 1-900 phone game where you can play LMAD on your touch tone phone. The commercials featured Monty Hall who also did the informercials for it explaining that you can win fabulous prizes by choosing doors, but there were some rumors saying that there were legal troubles with the game and a lot of players didn't receive the prizes they'd won or received far less than the prizes they were told they won on the phone game. (See below for the commercials at the bottom of the page.)[31][32][33][34][35][36][37][38][39]

Live Stage Versions of LMAD[]

Let's Make a Deal Live!

Let's Make a Deal On The Road[]

Produced by WorldWise Productions[40], where it was a lively, fun-filled game in-locations throughout the United States, with appearances at conventions, colleges, sports arenas and shopping malls. Tim Wise was the host for the road shows giving "Traders" a chance to wheel and deal in person in the tradition of the classic television game show.

Let's Make a Deal Live! (Stage Show)[]

Produced by FremantleMedia, randomly selected contestants get the chance to buy, sell or trade anything and everything that was held at the Foxwoods casinos Oct 28, 2010, and just like the "Live" versions of TPIR and Feud, it also has a share of multiple veteran hosts including Alan Thicke, Drew Lachey, Jerry Springer and Joey Fatone.

Let's Make a Deal (Foxwoods)

Potential Revival[]

In 1998, Buena Vista Television (now Disney-ABC Domestic Television) was in talks with Stone-Stanley Productions (the producers of the 1996 flopped reboot Big Deal) to produce a revival with Gordon Elliott (who previously hosted To Tell the Truth for NBC Daytime in 1990), but was never materialized in the end.[41][42]

CBS version[]

On July 8, 2009, a non-airing pilot was taped at CBS Television City in Hollywood, California. Hosted by Wayne Brady, the show put out a casting call. Components featured the same "zonks" behind one of the three curtains and Wayne choosing contestants in the audience based upon their attention-grabbing creative costuming. With the show now owned by FremantleMedia North America, the staff of fellow Fremantle game show The Price is Right assisted in production of the pilot, with executive producer Michael G. Richards, and model Rachel Reynolds participating in their respective roles. Let's Make a Deal was one of three games the network auditioned, along with Pyramid and The Dating Game, to fill the time slot vacated by the cancellation of the soap opera Guiding Light. Monty Hall returns to this version as a creative consultant until his death in 2017.[43]

In the July 12, 2009 Pilot it featured a drummer named Pamela instead of Cat Gray.

This version premiered on October 5, 2009 in the time slot vacated by Guiding Light - 9 AM, 10 AM, or 3 PM ET (9 AM or 2 PM in all other time zones), by the local station's choice, dependent on local commitments to syndicated programming.[44] Prior to April 2010, the current version taped at the Tropicana Resort in Las Vegas. When the Tropicana underwent a construction project during 2010, the show moved to Los Angeles.[45] Mangum, a longtime Brady associate from his former self-titled daytime talk show and his current "Making It Up" live stage show at The Venetian Hotel casino, joins Brady as the show's announcer and former Deal or No Deal model Alison Fiori serves as the show's model. On February 15, 2010, Tiffany Coyne became the new model replacing Fiori. Hatos-Hall Productions, along with FremantleMedia North America (now Fremantle), is credited as co-production company.

Unlike previous versions, only one contestant plays for the Big Deal of the Day.

In addition, viewers can send in Zonk ideas to CBS.com and if their idea is chosen, they win $2,500 in cash.

Special Themed Episodes[]

Throughout this version of Let's Make a Deal, there are some themed episodes.

  • Zonk Redemption – Usually held near the end of each season, contestants who got zonked [either picking prize containing a zonk or getting zonked on a game] got a chance to try again.
  • The Dealy Awards – Usually held the evening before the Grammys, People's Choice, or CMA awards; contestants with the best or worst costumes were pre-selected to take part in this special episode.
  • Family – Usually aired during Christmas week (usually Christmas Eve). Played in the normal format except contestants and their families take part in the deals. Some of the prizes are kid friendly.
MashUp Week
  • Mash-Up WeekLet's Make a Deal and its sister show The Price is Right began a special "Mash-Up Week" which ran May 9–13, 2016, where the two shows would be sharing games, cast members and other surprises.

The pricing games from The Price is Right that appeared on Let's Make a Deal during "Mash-Up Week" were:

  • Cliffhangers
  • Hole in One
  • Five Price Tags
  • Master Key
  • Punch-a-Bunch

Another one of the weeks ran from March 23-27-2020, here are the TPIR games that appeared for the week:

  • Plinko
  • Dice Game
  • 3 Strikes
  • Cliffhangers
  • Big Wheel
  • At Home Traders – For the week of January 23-27, 2017, the show held a special At Home Trader week. Each day, one of the games was played by a home viewer who was being viewed by a video camcorder and shown on a monitor. The At Home traders would play the game just like the studio traders and they were also being approached when The Big Deal of the Day came around. Both At Home Traders participated in The Big Deal, with the one from Tuesday's show, winning The Big Deal of the Day. This process would become permanent since season 12.
  • Publisher's Clearing House Week - Played in the normal format except the fact the show is guaranteed to give away $20,000 a day for the week from Publisher's Clearing House. Hidden on the deals is $20,000 in cash. In addition, many of the games replaced the car prize with $20,000. The first trader to win $20,000 is automatically in first place in the running for the Big Deal of the Day which he or she can trade in the $20,000 for the Big Deal.
  • Triptastic - Three contestants can win three guaranteed trips. Hidden in the deals is a golden ticket containing the words “Triptastic.” If the contestant/couple finds the ticket, he/she is in the running for the three guaranteed trips. During the Big Deal of the Day segment, if the contestant selected has a deal containing the ticket and goes for the Big Deal, he/she relinquishes the chance for the Triptastic deal. On these episodes, the Big Deal of the Day is played during Act 6 while the Triptastic is played during Act 7.
  • Kids - Played in the normal format except children take part in the show without grown-ups. All of the prizes and deals are children friendly (i.e. no cars; however, trips are available). The hosts' then children co-host the show with their parents.
  • Mega Money Monday - Debuted in Season 13. Played in the normal format except somewhere in the show which a contestant is guaranteed to win $10,000. In Season 15, this was reduced to only on the first Monday of the month and the prize is increased to $15,000. Whenether the Mega Money Monday is won, Wayne and Jonathan will sing "Mega Money Monday" with Money Fairy shooting dollar bills as confetti onto the contestant.
  • Fabulous Car Friday/Week - Debuted in Season 13. Played in the normal format except that one of the deal games is when a contestant can win a luxury car (such as a Acura, Infiniti, Tesla, Ferrari, Cadillac, Lincoln, Audi or Mercedes-Benz). To compensate this, no other cars are offered throughout the show. This was replaced in Season 14 with Fabulous Car Week. If a contestant wins a fabulous car, he/she automatically gets first shot at the Big Deal of the day.
  • Wintastic Wednesday - Introduced in Season 14 replacing Fabulous Car Friday. Played in the normal format except, one of the deals contains a vacation package worth at least $20,000. To compensate this, no cars were offered on the show. If the contestant wins the vacation package, he/she automatically gets first shot at the Big Deal of the day.

Let's Make a Deal Primetime[]

Let's Make a Deal Primetime

In 2020, a primetime special called Let's Make a Deal Primetime on CBS was announced by making the show one of the first to appear in primetime on the three legendary networks as a regular primetime series. Three primetime episode were announced with the first airing October 27 (along with its sister show The Price is Right as The Price is Right at Night) as part of CBS launching both of their daytime game shows' pandemic-delayed seasons in primetime while the second aired on December 1 featuring Phil Keoghan and the third will be Holiday Themed Episode featuring families on December 22. The third prime time show aired January 26, 2022. In this prime time show, more expensive prizes are offered. (such as a Lamborghini). On April 3, 2023, another installment of LMAD Primetime was originally aired for April 5 but was pulled and replaced by the crime drama series[46]FBI instead. However, the four episodes will be rescheduled for future dates. In Season 15, this replaced Wintastic Wednesday and Fabulous Car Friday.

Records[]

In 2023, LMAD set a record for the most expensive non-cash prize offered in game show history, a Rolls-Royce Convertible worth $446,225. The contestant, Bryan, has to complete a Jewel Heist to win the car. However, he elected to bail-out with $7,100.

On the February 14, 2024, LMAD Primetime show, a contestant named Ohdarnette (as a panda) set a Let’s Make A Deal (Daytime or Primetime) record for the largest trade-off in any incarnation of the show. She played for a Porsche 718 Boxter S worth $94,830. To win the Porsche, she had to face a Jewel Heist by rolling all six numbers. After rolling a three and four, she banked $2,101. If she rolled any of the two numbers again, she was zonked. Ohdarnette elected to take the $2,101. Meanwhile. Jonathan tempts her with a gift bag worth all of her money. She elected to buy Jonathan’s gift bag and the bag contained the Porsche.

Lawsuit[]

In 2012, the show was hit with a lawsuit, according to The Hollywood Reporter's Hollywood, Esq.[47]The suit, filled Friday, contends that the show makes it difficult to get on the show as contestants. Two wheelchair bound fans of LMAD named Arnie Pike and Christie Rudder filed the suit against the show's producers CBS broadcasting and FremantleMedia (now Fremantle) claiming that they had to negotiate their way across busy streets and up slippery ramps in their attempt to appear on the show, suffering embarrassment and being treated unfairly, the piece reports. Citing the Americans with Disabilities Act and California's civil rights laws, the plaintiffs contended that the show failed to provide full and equal access to facilities and services. In the court documents, the plaintiffs tell of not having a parking facility for their handicap van, no accessible place for them to buy food, no handicap toilet and wheelchair ramps that were dangerous to use. Furthermore, inside the studio, they were separated from other audience members and shunted into an "extremely dark" area that offered obstructed views because of cameras and equipment. The pair have sought an injunction that orders the defendants to alter their facilities, an injunction to shut everything down until the producers comply and monetary damages.

CBS had yet to commit for the story while a Fremantle representative wasn't available when the publication made inquires.

Court documents reportedly show that both Pike and Rudder have a history of filing similar lawsuits against fitness clubs, hotels, beaches, grocery stores and libraries. In addition, Pike had also filed a suit against Dancing with the Stars.

Lemonis & Glass Acquires LMAD's Intellectual Property[]

In 2021, it was announced that Marcus Lemonis and Nancy Glass[48]has acquired the intellectual property of Let's Make a Deal and will own all of the assets to the show including the show's trademark and legacy episodes while Fremantle will continue to license the format and trademark to produce the current reboot hosted by Wayne Brady. The company did not have a comment at press time. In addition, Lemonis & Glass have taped Sharon Hall to serve as a consultant and help with the expansion of the brand.

Trivia[]

The original NBC Daytime version of Let's Make a Deal has the distinction of being the first game show to be recorded in color, since it began on December 30, 1963. Prior to this, certain NBC game shows were only broadcast in color, and not recorded in color.

Rating[]

72px-TV-PG icon svg
72px-TV-Y7 icon.svg (Kid friendly versions of the CBS version)

Music[]

  • 1963 Pilot - Sheldon Allman & Ivan Ditmars (Live)
  • 1976 - Sheldon Allman & Stan Worth
  • 1980 - Sheldon Allman & Stan Worth
  • Prize Cue 1976, 1980 - "Pop Trumpets" by Keith Mansfield (KPM Music)
  • Prize Cue 1980 - "Sexy" by Mother Father Sister Brother
  • Prize Cue 1980 - "Biyo" by Earth, Wind and Fire
  • 1984 - Michel Camilo (Other cues recycled from previous versions by Sheldon Allman, Stan Worth & Todd Thicke)
  • 1990 - Jerry Ray
  • 2003 - Alan Ett & Scott Liggett
  • 2006 - Ode to Joy
  • 2009 - Dog On Fire (silent)
  • 2011-present - Cat Gray (Live)

The 2009 main was also used on The Price is Right as a showcase cue. The Price is Right's main theme (1st version) was heard in an episode with Drew Carey making a special appearance, as well as one episode of the second season; this was due to the fact that the contestant wore a Price is Right T-Shirt and dressed up like one of the Showcase podiums. The 2009 main was also used during Game Show Mashup week in 2016. The losing horns were also used if a contestant lost a game.

Music cues from other Hatos-Hall game shows that were recycled into Let's Make A Deal '76, '80, and '84 include Split Second, 3 for the Money, It Pays to Be Ignorant, It's Anybody's Guess, and Masquerade Party. Cues from the 1970's version of High Rollers were also recycled into this show as well.

Inventor[]

Stefan Hatos & Monty Hall

Studios[]

NBC Studios, Burbank, California (1963–1968, 1984–1985, 2003)
ABC Television Center, Hollywood, California (1968–1976)
Las Vegas Hilton, Las Vegas, Nevada (1976–1977)
Panorama Studios, Vancouver, British Columbia (1980–81)
Hollywood Center Studios, Hollywood, California (1985–1986)
Disney-MGM Studios (now Disney's Hollywood Studios), Orlando, Florida (1990–1991)
Tropicana Resort & Casino, Las Vegas, Nevada (2009–2010)
Sunset Bronson Studios, Hollywood, California (2010–2015)
Raleigh Studios Hollywood (2015–2017)
Saticoy Studios, Van Nuys (2017–22)
Quixote Studios, Sylmar (2022–23)
Haven Studios, Glendale (2023–present)

Spin-Offs[]

Big Deal – A show with only 6 episodes aired in 1996.
Trato Hecho – A Spanish language version aired on Univision in 2005.
Gameshow Marathon – This was the second classic of this marathon's seven episode series, it aired on June 6, 2006.
Let's Make a Deal (channel) - A channel on Pluto TV that's devoted to the current Wayne Brady version 24/7. It debut on July 11, 2022.

Additional Pages[]

Let's Make a Deal/Episode Guide
Let's Make a Deal/Quotes & Catchphrases
Let's Make a Deal/LMAD in Popular Culture
Let's Make a Deal/Merchandise
Let's Make a Deal/Picture Gallery
Let's Make a Deal/Video Gallery

References[]

  1. Interview with Monty Hall Retrieved 2008-06-24
  2. Pictures of Beat the Dealer
  3. Finish Line
  4. [1]
  5. Pictures of Race to the Finish (old rules)
  6. Pictures of Smash for Cash
  7. Pictures of Gold Rush
  8. Pictures of Dice Duel
  9. Pictures of Go For a Spin
  10. [2]
  11. Pictures of Strike a Match
  12. Pictures of Go Big or Go Home
  13. Most heartbreaking moment in Let's Make a Deal history
  14. Pictures of Panic Button
  15. "Two New Daytime Shows Aired" - The Blade Retrieved 2009-09-28 (dead Link)
  16. 16.0 16.1 16.2 16.3 "Monty Hall's "Let's Make a Deal" Most Successful Television Program" - Boca Raton News Retrieved 2009-09-28
  17. 17.0 17.1 "Monty Hall Deals in Entertainment" - St. Petersburg Times Retrieved 2009-09-28
  18. "TV Guide Names the 50 Greatest Game Shows of All Time" Retrieved 2010-09-12
  19. "GSN's list of the 50 Greatest Game Shows of All Time slideshow" Retrieved 2010-09-12
  20. Let's Make a Deal creates the world's largest cereal bowl
  21. 'Let's Make a Deal' Returns To The Studio With Redesigned Set & Preps First CBS Primetime Specials
  22. The Intelligencer - June 7, 1993
  23. TV Guide - March 23-29, 1996
  24. The Intelligencer - December 29, 1986
  25. The Intelligencer - December 30, 1988
  26. The Intelligencer - August 30, 1993
  27. The Intelligencer - March 29, 1996
  28. Let’s Make A Deal and Millionaire Pilots Taping Soon in Australia Retrieved 2009-08-04
  29. Le BigDil 2009-08-04
  30. Foreign-Language Productions of "Let's Make A Deal" 2009-08-04
  31. Let's Make a Deal telephone game -TV commercial #1 1992
  32. Let's Make a Deal telephone game - TV commercial #2 1992
  33. Let's Make a Deal phone game ad #1, 1992
  34. Let's Make a Deal phone game ad #2, 1992
  35. Monty Hall's Let's Make a Deal Hotline Commercial
  36. Let's Make a Deal - Telephone Game - TV Commercial 1992
  37. Let's Make a Deal - Telephone Game - TV Commercial 1992 b
  38. Let's Make a Deal, Let's Make a 1-900 Call
  39. Let's Make a Deal phone game ad w/Monty Hall, 1992
  40. Let's Make a Deal Live!
  41. Elliott aboard new 'Let's Make a Deal'
  42. The Secret Words Are: Game Show; Attracting Big Profits and Big-Time Stars, the Old Standby is Making Quite a Strong Comeback on Both Cable and Network Television.
  43. Senate and Assembly Pork" - Times Union Retrieved 2010-09-12
  44. Let's Make a Deal Will Replace Guiding Light Retrieved 2009-08-03
  45. "Let's Make a Deal" Moves to Los Angeles; BuzzerBlog.com Retrieved 2010-01-19
  46. Encores of the CBS Drama "FBI" Will Air in Place of the Previously Scheduled "Let's Make a Deal Primetime" on Wednesdays
  47. CBS' 'Let's Make A Deal' Sued for Allegedly Not Providing Access to Disabled People
  48. Let's Make a Deal Intellectual Property Acquired by Producers Marcus Lemonis and Nancy Glass

Links[]

LMAD2 Website
Official-lmad

The Official Let's Make a Deal Website
Let's Make a Deal @ Tim's TV Showcase
The Official CBS Website for Let's Make a Deal
What's Your Zonk?
Official Website for the Let's Make a Deal online game (BuyBidWin.com)
NBC Let's Make a Deal press release
Jaimal Ware's Let's Make a Deal site
Rules for Let's Make a Deal @ Loogslair.net
Senor Wood's Let's Make A Deal Fan Page
Official Pearson site for Let's Make a Deal (via Internet Archive)
Let's Make a Deal Set (Brady) @ John Janavs' Website

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