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The contestants usually had to weigh the possibility of an offer being for a valuable prize, or an undesirable item, referred to as a "zonk". The original and most widely-known version aired from 1963 to 1976. Other short-lived versions aired in 1980, 1984, 1990 and 2003. Longtime host Monty Hall also co-produced the show from the 1960s through the 1980s with Stefan Hatos. The weekly nighttime syndicated version, seen from 1971 to 1977, was distributed by ABC Films, and later by Worldvision Enterprises. The 1984 daily syndicated version was distributed by Telepictures/Warner Brothers Television.
FormatEach episode of Let's Make a Deal 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, and the host offered them the opportunity to trade for another prize; however, the offered prize was concealed. 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 or 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 of it. Prizes generally were either a legitimate prize, cash, or a "zonk". Legitimate prizes often included furniture and appliances, or vehicles. Zonks were unwanted prizes which could be anything from animals to large amounts of food, or something outlandish like a giant article of clothing or piece of furniture. On the original series, zonks were often demonstrated by the show's announcer, Jay Stewart, and legitimate prizes were modeled by Carol Merrill (although Merrill, too, helped model the zonks). A descending piano glissando always accompanied the zonk's revelation. Contestants legally won the zonks; 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 take delivery of: for example, if a contestant won an animal, they could legally insist that it be awarded to them, but chances are that they did not have the means to care for it. In fact, a disclaimer at the end of the credits of later 1970s episodes read "Some traders accept reasonable duplicates of zonk prizes."
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