History Series / LetsMakeADeal

* MilestoneCelebration: The show celebrated it's 50th Anniversary (that is, the anniversary of the pilot taping) with a two-week stretch between 2/18-3/3/13 with deals integrating elements from the 1963-1977 run, the return of the $50,000 Super Deal, and the 3/1/13 show featured a deal done by Monty Hall & Carol Merrill.

* TimedMission: One deal played in 2011 gave the contestant 15 seconds to find the key that unlocks a Plexiglas box containing the keys to a car; unlocking the box won the car. The contestant was also given $1,500 cash, and could buy extra time (at $100 a second) before the game began. There were 20 keys on the board, which was a few yards away from the box, and the contestant could try only one key at a time, but was allowed to make as many trips to the board as time allowed.

** In the 1975-76 season and for two weeks in 2012, the Super Deal was added after the Big Deal. The risk was that whoever won the Big Deal could trade it in for one of three doors (Hall) or envelopes (Brady). One contained a large sum of cash ($20,000 originally, $50,000 in 2012) and also returned the Big Deal to that contestant.
** The two cothers ontained small cash prizes that changed over time: the 1970s version (in an era where the Big Deal generally hovered between $8,000-$10,000), it started out as $1,000 and $2,000 before changing to two $2,000 and finally $2,000 and an amount ranging between that and $10,000. The 2012 version (in an era where the Big Deal generally hovers between $20,000-$40,000) used the original consolations, which was clearly done to be cheap.

The show originally ran on {{NBC}} daytime and primetime from 1963-68 before {{Channel Hop}}ping to {{ABC}}, where it lasted until 1976. {{Syndicat|ion}}ed runs aired from 1971-77, 1980-81 (taped in Canada), and 1984-86 (as ''The All-New Let's Make A Deal''). The show went back to NBC from 1990-91 with Bob Hilton hosting, but after miserable ratings, Hall unsuccessfully came back. Another revival in 2003, '''again''' on NBC with Billy Bush at the helm, lasted three episodes; this version is deprecated by most of the fandom, and a 2006 one-off for ''Gameshow Marathon'' (hosted by Ricki Lake) didn't help matters. The current incarnation, begun in late 2009, replaced ''GuidingLight'' on {{CBS}}. This version is an hour long and hosted by Wayne Brady; while nobody can take the place of TV's Big Dealer, the Brady version has been pretty well-received. Hall even returned as a guest for a week and gave his blessing.

** ''{{UHF}}'': During the game show ''Wheel of Fish'', a contestant is offered the chance to trade their fish for the contents of a mystery box. They didn't even bother putting a {{Zonk}} in that box.

** The Facebook version has a game called "Piggy Bank" where you have a ring of piggy banks you must smash to meet a cash target. Some also have Zonks, but you're allowed three life preservers to keep playing; a fourth Zonk ends the game and leaves you without cash. There is a "Double" in a piggy bank that can double the cash in the next bank, or could give you two Zonks for the finding of one. (If you're low or out of life preservers, or running out of time, you can "cash out" and take the money you're won up to that point.)

** From 1975-76 in the Hall era and two weeks in 2012 on Brady's, the Super Deal was added after the Big Deal. The risk was that whoever won the Big Deal could trade it in for one of three doors (Hall) or envelopes (Brady). One contained a large sum of cash ($20,000 originally, $50,000 in 2012) and also returned the Big Deal to that contestant.
** The other two contained small cash prizes that changed over time: the 1970s version (in an era where the Big Deal generally hovered between $8,000-$10,000), it started out as $1,000 and $2,000 before changing to two $2,000 and finally $2,000 and an amount ranging between that and $10,000. The 2012 version (in an era where the Big Deal generally hovers between $20,000-$40,000) used the original consolations, which was clearly done to be cheap.

* {{Zonk}}: TropeNamer, aka the booby prizes. [[IThoughtYouMeant No, not]] ''[[FanService those]]'' [[GagBoobs booby]] [[FanService prizes]]...

** ''SanfordAndSon'': The 1975 episode "Masquerade Party" has Fred and his cronies dressing in costumes and appearing on a ''Deal''-type show, "Wheel and Deal". The host's name is Harry Monty (John Baurbor), and trading deals are very similar to the real show.
** ''TheOddCouple'': Felix and Oscar learn that ''Deal'' is taping a series of shows in New York and dress as a mule to get on the show. The two win, but since Oscar knows Monty (they were college roommates) Monty takes the money back, telling the audience it will be donated to an orphanage.
** ''TheSimpsons'': In the episode "Homer Goes to College", series villain Mr. Burns (the elderly owner of Springfield Nuclear Power Plant) offers Nuclear Regulatory Commission inspectors a ''Deal''-type offer bribe to escape sanctions for dire violations (most notably, employing dangerously underqualified employees (i.e., Homer)).

* RunningGag: In the Brady version, one of the games that pops up occasionally is a lotto-like scratch off game where the contestant can win something if he or she matches a pair of symbols; two cars gets a car, two Wayne Bradys gets a few thousand dollars, two Tiffanys gets a slightly lesser cash prize, and matching two Jonathans gets the lowest cash prize in a odd amount, like $79.95, to which Jonathan always acts offended that he is considered a low tier prize.
* ThatCameOutWrong: After seeing a contestant dressed as a baby and holding a baby bottle, Monty offered her $100 if she would "show another nipple". He meant the rubber kind.
* TimedMission: One 2011 deal played in 2011 gave the contestant 15 seconds to find the key that unlocks a Plexiglass box containing the keys to a car; unlocking the box won the car. The contestant was also given $1,500 cash, and could buy extra time (at $100 a second) before the game began. There were 20 keys on the board, which was a few yards away from the box, and the contestant could only try one key at a time, but was allowed to make as many trips to the board as they could within the time.

* VivaLasVegas: The final season of the original run (1976-77) was taped at the Las Vegas Hilton, and most of Brady's first season (2009-10) was taped at the Tropicana.

* PiggyBank: In the 1984-86 run, the Big Deal had "Monty's Piggy Bank" as well as "Monty's Cookie Jar" and the "''LMAD'' Claim Check". If either of these three were behind the doors, the prize was cash ranging from a few hundred (if shown first), $2,000-$4,000 (if shown second), and in a few rare instances '''was''' the Big Deal (if it was below $10,000).

** The Facebook version has a game called "Piggy Bank" where you have a ring of piggy banks you must smash to meet a cash target. Some also have Zonks, but you're allowed 3 life preservers to keep playing; a fourth Zonk ends the game and leaves you without cash. There is a "Double" in a piggy bank that can double the cash in the next bank, or could give you two Zonks for the finding of one. (If you're low or out of life preservers, or running out of time, you can "cash out" and take the money you're won up to that point.)

* JustForPun: Quite a few Zonks have been, including:

[[caption-width-right:300:"Whatever is behind this curtain is yours. [[TakeAThirdOption I'll buy it back from you for $400.]]"]]

The show originally ran on {{NBC}} daytime and primetime from 1963-68, and {{Channel Hop}}ped to {{ABC}}, where it lasted until 1976. A short-lived {{syndicat|ion}}ed revival taped in Canada aired in 1980, followed by the two-season ReTool titled ''The All-New Let's Make a Deal'', also in syndication, from 1984-86. The show was brought back to NBC in 1990 with Bob Hilton as the host, but after miserable ratings, Hall was (unsuccessfully) brought back to try and save the 1990 revival. Another revival in 2003, yet ''again'' on NBC with Billy Bush at the helm, lasted three episodes. This version is deprecated by most of the fandom, and a 2006 one-off for ''Gameshow Marathon'' (hosted by Ricki Lake) didn't help matters either. The most recent incarnation, begun in late 2009, replaced ''GuidingLight'' on {{CBS}}. This version is an hour long and hosted by Wayne Brady; while nobody can take the place of TV's Big Dealer, the Brady version has been pretty well-received. Hall even returned as a guest for a week and gave his blessing.

** Both the Hall and Brady versions have occasionally incorporated a double-bonus round, the "Super Deal". When the Super Deal is in play, a contestant who wins the Big Deal has the option to trade it back for one of three doors (Hall) or envelopes (Brady). Two contain small cash prizes. The third contains the Super Deal, which includes cash ($20,000 originally, $50,000 now) along with the return of the Big Deal the contestant gave up.

* ConsolationPrize: On the Wayne Brady version, Wayne may sometimes give a contestant who got a {{Zonk}} a small amount of money (usually $100) as consolation, although Wayne may make the contestant do something to earn it, such as dancing or singing. This was also present in the Monty Hall version, but typically not on-air (after each show, those who got a {{Zonk}} could trade it for some cash or a nice prize; several actually kept their Zonks, which Hatos-Hall had to honor).
* HomeGame: Several, including an electronic version which Hall himself promoted.
** There was also a 900-number game in the late 1980s that was advertised by Monty in an infomercial that featured clips of classic deals made on the show.

* AscendedExtra: In 1972, Mark Goodson, then working on a revival of ''ThePriceIsRight'', just happened to be watching the show on a day that Dennis James was filling in. Guess who got to host the nighttime version of ''Price'' that September?

* {{Crossover}}: Drew Carey of ''The Price Is Right'' appeared on Wayne Brady's version to make a deal with a contestant.
* ADayInTheLimelight: On a 1986 episode, Dean Goss hosted two deals as part of an experiment. He later confirmed that this was because Monty wanted to retire but also keep the show going, so he was testing Goss' abilities as a host.

* GuestHost: Dennis James and Geoff Edwards both filled in for Monty on separate occasions, the latter happening on ''All-New''.
** And coming full-circle, Monty guest-hosted the 1990 version. His plan was to rescue the show from the poor reception of Bob Hilton as host, and find a replacement for season 2, but the show was canceled once season 1 ended.
* HisAndHers: Some of the {{Zonk}}s, especially bathtubs and junked cars.
** According to Monty Hall, one of ABC's attempts to increase ratings late in that run was offering his-and-hers ''Cadillacs''. Didn't work.
* JustInTime: The biggest complaint about the Brady version's Big Deal (aside from only one participating in it) was that the doors were ''always'' revealed in order, leading to fake suspense. Thankfully, this practice was partially dropped -- Brady always reveals the non-Big Deal unpicked door first, then somewhat randomly opens one of the remaining doors. It's no longer guaranteed that the Big Deal will be opened last, or that the contestant's door will be opened second.

** In the Facebook version of Wayne's ''Deal'', there's a game called "Piggy Bank" where you have a ring of piggy banks you must smash to meet a cash target. Some also have Zonks, but you're allowed 3 life preservers to keep playing; a fourth Zonk ends the game and leaves you without cash. There is a "Double" in a piggy bank that can double the cash in the next bank, or could give you two Zonks for the finding of one. (If you're low or out of life preservers, or running out of time, you can "cash out" and take the money you're won up to that point.)

* RearrangeTheSong: The [[EarWorm theme]] to ''The All-New Let's Make a Deal'' started out with a re-recording of the [[EarWorm original theme tune]], before going into a whole-new bombastic melody. The theme to [[FollowTheLeader every revival since]] (including the current one) seem to take after the ''All-New'' theme more than the old one.

* ThemeSongAssonance: The entire original run through Las Vegas, the opening bar of the ''All-New'' theme, and the theme to the 1990's revival in its own way.
* TimedMission: One deal played in 2011 gave the contestant 15 seconds to find the key that unlocks a Plexiglass box containing the keys to a car; unlocking the box won the car. The contestant was also given $1,500 cash, and could buy extra time (at $100 a second) before the game began. There were 20 keys on the board, which was a few yards away from the box, and the contestant could only try one key at a time, but was allowed to make as many trips to the board as they could within the time. The show later converted the "Car Pong" game -- which had been limited to a fixed number of attempts at, well, beer pong for a car -- to a timed game.

** And coming full-circle, Monty guest-hosted the 1990 version and the Brady version.

* DuelingShows: With ''ThePriceIsRight'', to an extent. ''Deal'' had games in which contestants had to guess the prices of grocery items. When ''Price'' returned to the air in 1972, it was reformulated to include similar games. Mostly averted now as both shows appear on the same network, although ''Deal'' no longer has the pricing deals to avoid being too similar to ''Price''.

*** ''Deal'' has probably asked more of its announcers than any other game in history. Not only did Niles and his successors (minus Rich) have to read the copy, but also lug TV trays with relevant props down crowded staircases and sometimes act in skits related to the prizes. Unfortunately, it also resulted in Stewart getting chronic, intractable back pain later in life...which, when coupled with the death of his daughter Jamie in 1981, led to his suicide in 1989.

* JustInTime: The biggest complaint about the Brady version's Big Deal (aside from only one participating in it) was that the doors were ''always'' revealed in order, leading to fake suspense. Thankfully, this practice may or may not have been dropped for Season 2, revealing the non-Big Deal unpicked door first, then revealing the picked door, whether or not it's the Big Deal.

* RunningGag: In the Brady version, one of the games that pops up occasionally is a lotto-like scratch off game where the contestant can win something if he or she matches a pair of symbols; two cars gets a car, two Wayne Bradys gets a few thousand dollars, two Tiffanys gets a slightly lesser cash prize, and matching two Johnathans gets the lowest cash prize in a odd amount, like $79.95, to which Johnathan always acts offended that he is considered a low tier prize.

* TimedMission: One deal played in 2011 gave the contestant 15 seconds to find the key that unlocks a Plexiglass box containing the keys to a car; unlocking the box won the car. The contestant was also given $1,500 cash, and could buy extra time (at $100 a second) before the game began. There were 20 keys on the board, which was a few yards away from the box, and the contestant could only try one key at a time, but was allowed to make as many trips to the board as they could within the time.

** TheVanna: Carol Merrill on the first version, and other models on later versions.

** The SpiritualSuccessor in Wayne's version was the "''LMAD'' Vault", which was the Big Deal at least twice.