Monty Hall, the cheerful host of Let's Make a Deal—the game show where contestants dress up and compete to win prizes—died in Los Angeles on Sept. 30. He was 96.
Often referred to as a staple of American television, Let's Make a Deal first premiered in 1963 and has consistently been on air ever since. The premise of the show revolved around contestants wearing eccentric costumes meant to grab Hall's attention. He would then give those selected candidates the opportunity to risk it all in order to win big.
Hall was raised in an Orthodox Jewish family in Winnipeg, Canada and was initially set on working as a radio host. However, when he and creative partner Stefan Hatos collaborated Let's Make a Deal, well, the rest is history.
He was given a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1973. He was also a recipient of a lifetime achievement award in 2013 at the Daytime Emmys.
Hall remained the host of the show for nearly 5,000 episodes, up until Wayne Brady was named his successor in 2009. However even after departing from the front end, he remained one of the show's owners and occasionally as a guest star up until his death in 2017.
He is survived by his two daughters Joanna Gleason and Sharon Hall, and one son, Richard Hall.
