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EspañolWHEEL OF FORTUNE (US GAME SHOW)
(Redirected from Wheel of Fortune (game show))
:''This article discusses the current, syndicated nighttime edition of the U.S. game show. For the original daytime series, see this article.
'''Wheel of Fortune''' is an American television game show originally devised by Merv Griffin, who also created ''Jeopardy!''. Three contestants compete against each other to solve a word puzzle similar to those seen in the game Hangman. The name of the show comes from the large wheel that determines the dollar amounts and prizes won (or lost) by the contestants.
The show debuted as a daytime program on NBC on January 6, 1975. The nighttime version, which is syndicated by King World and remains to this date, began on September 19, 1983. Since 1984, ''Wheel of Fortune'' has had the highest Nielsen Rating of any syndicated program. It is the longest-running syndicated game show in American television history, and the second-longest in either network or syndication (behind the current CBS version of ''The Price Is Right'', which began airing on September 4, 1972). ''Wheel of Fortune'' has been renewed through the 2011-2012 season.
For the 24th nighttime season (2006-2007), the show began broadcasting in HDTV. King World and Sony indicated that as of August 10, 2006, some 49 of the 210 stations which carry the show in syndication were prepared for the transition. Because "Wheel" is syndicated, it appears in both the 1080i and 720p formats, depending on the equipment used by each station. [1] The show's 25th nighttime season begins on September 10, 2007.
More information on the show's history, and its original daytime version, can be found here. Unless otherwise specified, the information in this article refers to the nighttime syndicated version.
Pat Sajak and Vanna White have hosted the nighttime syndicated show since its beginning in 1983. Charlie O'Donnell has been the nighttime show's announcer since 1989. Jack Clark was announcer until his death in 1988. ''Jeopardy!'' announcer Johnny Gilbert has substituted for both O'Donnell and Clark, and participated in an episode guest-hosted by ''Jeopardy!'' host Alex Trebek on April Fool's Day, 1997, when Trebek and Sajak switched jobs. Los Angeles radio personality M.G. Kelly was a substitute announcer between Clark's death and O'Donnell's return; when the show taped two weeks of episodes at New York City's Radio City Music Hall during Season 6 (1988-89), NBC veteran Don Pardo of ''Saturday Night Live'' fame (and the original version of ''Jeopardy!'') served as announcer.
This section outlines the basic ''Wheel of Fortune'' format, which also applied to the daytime version. The 'Format changes' section that follows lists changes that have been introduced after the daytime version was gone for good in late 1991.
Before taping begins, the players draw numbered dice out of a container to determine their positions on the contestant podium. The player drawing 1 stands at the host's immediate left, behind a red arrow; number 2 to that player's left, behind a yellow arrow; and number 3 on player 2's left, behind a blue arrow. Each player stands on a platform which may be raised to adjust the height of the player. The white arrow in front of each player determines the value of that player's spins of the wheel. Play proceeds from right to left from the contestants' perspective: from red to yellow to blue, then back to red. Prior to the introduction of the Toss-Up puzzles in 2000 (see below), the red player played first in Round 1, yellow in Round 2, and blue in Round 3. If time permitted, the order repeated itself beginning with the red player in Round 4.
On a turn, a player can choose to spin the 24-space wheel, buy a vowel, or attempt to solve the puzzle. The wheel must be spun clockwise. When a normal round begins, the spaces in a puzzle are shown as blank white spaces on the board. The category for the round is given, and any punctuation marks are revealed (except commas, which are omitted from the puzzle). Apostrophes and hyphens are the most common marks; ampersands and periods (for initials) sometimes occur. In the past, some categories of puzzle have used ? (question mark) for "fill in the blank" and # (number) for "fill in the number".
Main articles: Wheel of Fortune (List of puzzle categories)
The wheel has 24 spaces, with one peg between each space and two pegs in the middle of each space, so each space spans three "clicks" of the wheel, for a total of 72 possible positions. A player spins the wheel clockwise, and the result is determined by which space is in front of that player's white arrow (pointer) when the wheel stops. The wheel may stop on a cash value, a prize (including a "Free Spin" or "Wild Card" for use later in the game), or penalty spaces marked "Lose a Turn" or "Bankrupt". There are also some special spaces which only appear in one round (e.g., the Jackpot in Round 2). If the result is anything but a penalty space, the player asks for a consonant (including Y). If the requested letter is in the puzzle, all its instances light up and the hostess touches the screens (turned the trilons until 1997) to reveal them.
Because the Wheel weighs approximately two tons, risers are placed behind the podiums for short contestants to give them enough leverage to get a decent spin of the wheel. However, only contestants with a considerable amount of upper-body strength will get more than one revolution with a single spin. This is in contrast to earlier years on the show, when the wheel would routinely spin several revolutions.
If a player lands on a dollar value and calls a consonant in the puzzle, that player receives the cash value of the space multiplied by the number of times the letter appears (i.e., if the player lands on $700 and calls "D", and there are 4 D's, $2,800 is earned). Since 1999, the minimum cash value on the wheel during the nighttime version has been $300 (originally $100 from 1983-1986, $150 from 1986-1996, $250 from 1996-1999). Since 2000, top dollar values that may be multiplied and spent have been $2500 in the first round, $3500 in the second and third rounds, and $5000 in the fourth and any subsequent rounds.
A prize on the wheel may be claimed if a player landing on it requests a consonant that is in the puzzle. That contestant must then solve the puzzle that same round, without hitting Bankrupt, to win the prize. Prior to the fall of 1990 (Season 8 of the nighttime version), when a contestant landed on a prize, it was immediately picked up and claimed, and ''then'' the player would pick a consonant for the dollar value under it (which was usually $150).
Prior to Season 15 (1997-98), prizes were represented by distinctly colored yellow-green wedges with the name of the prize in black letters. The wedges now contain descriptive artwork. These prizes, now placed over the $350 space (in the same position where $150 used to be), are usually trips valued from $5,000 to $10,000. In 2002, for the 20th anniversary of the syndicated program, the show also introduced $1,000 gift tags from a sponsor, represented on the wheel by small oval tokens. When a prize wedge or gift tag is picked up from the wheel, it reveals the cash value of the space it was covering, and the space becomes that normal cash value for the rest of the show. When gift tags are claimed, they are placed on the railing immediately in front of the contestant; full-sized prize wedges are placed horizontally across the red, yellow or blue triangle in front of the player's podium. Prizes and gift tags remain on the wheel through Round 3 if unclaimed, and are not multiplied if the letter called appears more than once.
If the pointer lands on "Free Spin", a contestant can win a Free Spin by calling a correct letter, in the same manner as a prize. If that player later lands on Bankrupt or Lose a Turn, guesses an incorrect letter, or solves the puzzle incorrectly, the Free Spin can be redeemed to claim an extra turn at any point in the game until the Speed-Up Round; this does ''not'' however, recover money or prizes lost to Bankrupt. Until the fall of 1989, "Free Spin" was a full wedge that remained on the wheel throughout Round 1 (and Round 2 from 1987-1988 on the nighttime version). Free Spin tokens were stored in a stack right in front of the spot where the host stands until the puzzle is solved, and were awarded automatically every time a player landed on the "Free Spin" wedge, so that players could accumulate multiple Free Spins without successfully guessing letters in the puzzle. Until 1989, the Free Spin was a brown token, simply marked "Free Spin". Now, it is a shiny green token with the two yellow italic words "Free" above and below the white uppercase word "SPIN", and it can only be claimed once during the game, when the player landing on it calls a consonant that appears in the puzzle and is then allowed to pick it up off the wheel. The token is removed from the wheel after Round 2 if no one has claimed it by then. A contestant may retain a Free Spin throughout the game until choosing to use it.
If the pointer lands on "Lose A Turn", the spinning player's turn ends. If holding the "Free Spin" token, the player may use it to continue.
If it lands on "Bankrupt", the player's turn ends and any cash and prizes accumulated thus far in the round are lost. The "Wild Card" (see below) is also lost, even if obtained in a previous round. The "Free Spin" token is not lost and the player may use it to continue. Any cash or prize winnings from previous rounds are also unaffected.
When time is running short in the game, a bell rings four times, signaling the start of the speed-up round. Usually, this occurs in the beginning or middle of Round 4, but faster-paced games may include five or even six rounds. Prior to the introduction of the Toss-Up puzzles, the speed-up round was sometimes omitted, or Sajak would announce that the speed-up round was to be played at the beginning of Round 4. Sajak gives the wheel "a Final Spin," and the remainder of the game is played using the value of this spin, plus $1000, for all remaining consonants. Thus the Final Spin may be worth as much as $6000 per consonant.
The extra $1000 was added to the value of the Final Spin beginning in Season 17 (1999-2000). This rule change makes it less likely that the round will be anti-climactic, as was often the case when one player had a large lead and Sajak spun a small dollar amount which made it impossible for the others to catch up. Before 1996, there was also a $1500 space on the wheel during this round, which had lessened the possibility of a runaway game.
Beginning with the player whose turn it was when the bell rang, each contestant calls one letter; a consonant which appears in the puzzle is worth the above value, while vowels may be called, at no cost but also no cash value. If the letter appears in the puzzle, the player has three seconds (five seconds until 1998) to solve it. The timer does not begin until the hostess completely moves over to one side of the board. The player is allowed to try several solutions on the same turn within the allotted time. If the player does not solve, control passes to the next player.
If the final spin lands on a non-dollar space (such as Bankrupt or Lose A Turn), it does not count and the host spins again. (In the early seasons, the "slide" sound effect would still play anyway if the final spin landed on Bankrupt or Lose A Turn.) These spins are no longer included in the broadcast. At the start of Round 4, the wheel is intentionally pre-positioned to increase the odds of Sajak hitting the top dollar space ($5000) should the speed-up round begin before the first spin. The record for the most money won in the speed-up round is $54,000 (nine consonants at $6000 apiece), which has occurred three times.
A player who has at least $250 in cash can pay that amount to have all instances of a single vowel (only A, E, I, O, or U, as Y is always considered a consonant) in the puzzle revealed. If the letter is not in the puzzle, the player loses his or her turn (as well as this amount). This amount is a flat fee, which is not multiplied by the number of times the vowel appears.
Vowel buying is very common, and is encouraged by the show's contestant coordinators as a way to fill in the puzzle and gain time to think of the solution. Many puzzles (especially large ones) have large numbers of vowels; the single-puzzle record (for any letter) is 11 E's, set in March of 1996. Although the cash values on the wheel have increased over time, the cost of vowels has not. Thus, the $250 price of a vowel, once five times the minimum cash value on the wheel, is now less than the minimum cash value, so any contestant who earns spendable cash with a consonant may immediately buy a vowel.
At the beginning of any turn, a player can attempt to read the solution to the incomplete puzzle. If the guess is incorrect, the player's turn ends, and the player may use a Free Spin if available. Only the player who correctly solves the puzzle keeps the earnings from the round.
The puzzle must be read ''exactly'' as it appears to be valid; not even words such as "the", "and" and "or" can be added. For example, one contestant incorrectly solved the puzzle "Holy Roman Empire" as "''The'' Holy Roman Empire" in one late 1980s episode. While the show makes allowances for regional accents (such as "''ex''presso" instead of "''es''presso"), the puzzle must be pronounced correctly as well. On at least one occasion, a contestant has mispronounced a puzzle that was filled in entirely; she was ruled incorrect.
If the player solves correctly, and his or her total is less than $1,000 (combined cash and the stated cash value of prizes), a "house minimum" of $1,000 is awarded. The house minimum for solving a puzzle has increased over time: from $100 (at the daytime version's onset in 1975), $200 (a few months into the daytime version's run, carrying over to the nighttime version in 1983, and lasting until 1995), to $500 (1995-2005), and $1,000 since 2005. Currently, during special weeks featuring two-player teams, the house minimum is awarded to each individual player.
During the early years of the series, a round would sometimes be interrupted by a commercial break. The host would instruct the contestants to face away from the board during the break; this ensured that no one could gain an unfair advantage by studying the board during the break. Today, the show does not break except between rounds, but contestants are still required (off-camera) to face away from the board during those breaks while new puzzles are set up and round-specific spaces such as the Jackpot or Mystery wedges are added or removed.
Originally, a contestant who won a round would spend the money shopping for prizes displayed in the studio, genereally including cars, furniture, trips, furs, and jewelry. A particular prize could only be bought once per episode. This format was changed to play-for-cash in September 1987 for the syndicated version and in July 1989 for the daytime version.
Each round corresponded to a prize showcase with a certain theme (e.g. the "Backyard Patio"). The contestant who solved the puzzle had the opportunity to shop for prizes in that round's showcase. The showcase changed after each of the first two rounds. The showcase prizes were placed on a turntable which was partitioned into three spaces, revolving to show only the prizes available at that particular time in the game. The largest prizes, such as cars, were not limited to a specific showcase, but were available throughout the show.
A player who did not have enough money left to buy the least expensive remaining prize was offered a gift certificate in the remaining amount for merchandise from a particular retailer. These included some of Los Angeles' finest stores (Dicker and Dicker, Tiffany's, Gucci, etc.), national chains such as Service Merchandise, and American Express. A less popular option, which was available at any time while shopping, was to place the money "On Account." With this option, the contestant risked those winnings during subsequent rounds. The player had to avoid Bankrupt spaces and win another round in order to keep the money and use it for shopping. This option was intended to allow the contestant to accumulate winnings to eventually purchase a larger, more desirable prize, such as a car; however, it was not often used. A large prize could also be played for in the bonus round, lessening the incentive to put money "On Account" during the game, though the option was offered until shopping ended.
Contestants kept any prizes purchased during the shopping portion of the show, regardless of the game's outcome or if they landed on Bankrupt spaces in future rounds. Sajak always reminded contestants (and viewers at home): "Try not to hit BANKRUPT, because if you do, you lose your cash, but not your merchandise, because once you buy a prize, it's yours to keep."
In September 1987, the producers of "Wheel" experimented with an all-cash format for the syndicated version, and quickly decided to make it permanent. This all-cash format was also incorporated into the daytime version in July 1989 when it moved to CBS and Bob Goen took over as host. Removing the shopping segments after each round sped up gameplay considerably, making it common to see four and possible to see up to seven puzzles on a given night instead of the three seen during the shopping format. During the cash format, the person who solves the puzzle wins whatever amount he or she has in cash, in addition to prizes earned during a round. The total value of prizes won is added to the contestant's cash score to determine a daily winner.
As with the Shopping era, once a player solves a puzzle, any winnings are theirs to keep, regardless of whether they get a Bankrupt wedge in a subsequent round, or whether or not they win the game and advance to the bonus round. Beginning in 2006, the players' totals from previous rounds are frequently displayed above the puzzleboard to the home audience beginning in Round 3. Players who do not solve any puzzles are given $1000 (parting gifts until 2002, $500 from 2002-2005) at the end of the game as a "house minimum" consolation prize.
The game currently begins with a Toss-Up puzzle worth $1,000. Players are given the category of the puzzle and blank spaces representing its letters. White activates the board and letters are randomly revealed until a player buzzes in and solves the puzzle. An incorrect guess in a Toss-Up disqualifies that player for the rest of the puzzle.
The first Toss-Up determines who Sajak introduces first, then a second (worth $2,000) is played after all three players have been introduced. The player who correctly solves this Toss-Up begins the first round. The right to start the second and third rounds proceeds in the same order as gameplay. Another Toss-Up, worth $3,000, is held for the right to start the fourth round, and the process repeats itself in additional rounds as time permits. When these puzzles were introduced for Season 18 (2000-01), there were only two (before Rounds 1 and 4) each worth $1,000; the current format was adopted for Season 19 (2001-02).
In any Toss-Up, if all of the spaces are filled in or all of the players are incorrect, no cash is won. If one of the first two Toss-Ups is not won, the red player is introduced first or begins the first round. If the third Toss-Up is not won, the person who started the first round starts Round 4.
Sajak explained during one episode that these puzzles are intended to make the game more fair: previously, in a typical four-round game, the red player was the only one to start two rounds. Now, the third toss-up allows a new competition (after each player has already begun a round) to determine who will start round 4, eliminating that advantage. The added time for the Toss-Ups made Round 4 more frequently a complete speed-up round, but the show's pacing has since changed to allow for more main-game play.
NOTE: This information is current as of the close of Season 24 (2006-07), but may be superseded by changes for the 25th Anniversary (see below).
★ 'Bankrupt/$10000/Bankrupt Space': Round 1 features a wedge with $10000 in the middle peg gap and Bankrupt spaces in the other two. Landing on either of the two Bankrupts acts like a normal Bankrupt, but landing on the $10000 allows the player to guess a letter. If the letter is in the puzzle, the player picks up the wedge, turns it over and reveals a full-size gold sequin $10000 space on the reverse. It is treated as a prize, not as "spendable cash" with which vowels can be bought, and is not multiplied by the number of occurrences of the consonant. If the player solves the puzzle without hitting Bankrupt, $10,000 is added to the player's score at the end of the round. This space was introduced for Round 3 in Season 12 (1994-95), moved to Round 2 for Season 15 (1997-98), switched back to Round 3 for Season 18 (2000-01) and then moved to Round 1 (previously the only round other than the Speed-Up round without a round-specific space) in Season 20 (2002-03).
★ 'Jackpot Round': Round 2 features a silver space, marked with the word "Jackpot", that represents a progressive Jackpot which begins at $5,000 and increases by the value of each cash space hit during the round (not to be confused with the Jackpot featured in the daytime show's 1987-88 season). If a player lands on the Jackpot space and calls a consonant which appears in the puzzle, he/she has the opportunity to win the Jackpot from the round's sponsor for the night by solving the puzzle immediately (without buying a vowel or spinning again). As usual, if the player tries to solve and is wrong, his/her turn ends. The Jackpot Round debuted in the third week of Season 14 (1996-97) as Round 2, was moved to Round 3 in Season 15 (1997-98) and then back to Round 2 in Season 18 (2000-01). Originally, a consonant called when this space was hit had no cash value; since Season 24 (2006-07), a player who lands on the Jackpot wedge and calls a valid consonant is credited with $500 (the space concealed by the Jackpot) for each time the letter appears, and $500 is added to the amount of the Jackpot. At that point, the contestant may decide whether to solve for the Jackpot or take another turn.
★ 'Mystery Round (20th Anniversary)': Round 3 features two $1000 (originally $500) wheel spaces with a question mark on each. A player who lands on one of these "mystery wedges" and guesses a letter in the puzzle may either take $1,000 per letter occurrence or turn over the mystery wedge. One wedge is backed with a "Bankrupt", and the other features a prize. Originally, the Mystery Wedge prize was always a car worth $10,000 to $15,000, although most often the prize is now a $10,000 cash prize or gift card. If the prize is revealed, it is treated the same as other prizes, and the player must solve the puzzle without hitting Bankrupt to claim it. After one mystery wedge is revealed, the other mystery wedge acts as a regular $1000 ($500 until 2004) space for the remainder of the round. The Mystery Round debuted with Season 20 (2002-03). Beginning in Season 23 (2005-06), the producers show the home audience what's behind the mystery wedge before a decision is made by the contestant.
Since Season 8 (1990-91), some puzzle categories occasionally allow the solving player to answer a question for additional money (originally $500 in 1990, then $2,000 in 1995, finally $3,000 since early 2000). Sometimes, the puzzle was the first part of a phrase or quotation, and the player was asked to give the next line, Other times, a title or slogan was revealed and the player had to identify the author or product. Players were also asked to fill in a blank or identify a number associated with the puzzle. Originally, if the solving player did not win the bonus money, the other players in turn were given a chance. Since 1995, only the player who solves the puzzle is eligible for the bonus. More recently, these puzzles consist of a series of clues about a person, place, thing, or event, which the player who solves the puzzle may identify for an additional bonus money.
Between 1992 and 1994, some puzzles would contain a set of specially designated (red) letters which could be unscrambled to form another word or phrase. These "Red Letter Puzzles" were introduced during the 10th Anniversary season (1992-93) as a basis for home viewers to win cash or prizes by guessing the word and submitting a contest entry, and kept through Season 11 (1993-94) to provide studio players with additional winnings.
For the first six seasons in syndication (from 1983-89), players were eligible to make only one appearance. From Season 7 (1989-90) through Season 13 (1995-96), winning contestants could appear on up to three episodes. For Seasons 14 and 15 (1996-98), a "Friday Finals" format was adopted. The top three winners from the week's first four shows would return to play on Friday, with a Jackpot beginning at $10,000 instead of $5,000. The single-appearance rule returned in 1998.
From 1992 to 1998, there was a pink space marked "Surprise" on the wheel in Round 1 (similar to the prize wedge style used from 1983 to 1997). The Surprise was earned just like a normal prize, but its identity was not revealed unless it was won. Like other prize spaces, it carried over to later rounds (originally just Round 2, then indefinitely starting in 1996) if no one claimed it. Introduced for Season 10 (1992-93), it was scrapped by the end of Season 15 (1997-98).
Throughout Season 13 (1995-96), a special lavender token shaped like conjoined twin Free Spins, called the "Double Play", was placed on the wheel. A player who landed on the token and called a consonant in the puzzle won possession of it and could redeem it before any later spin. If the wheel landed on a dollar amount, that amount was doubled for that turn (e.g. if $550 was spun, each correct consonant was worth $1,100). If the wheel landed on a penalty space, the player forfeited the token but only endured the penalty once. If the wheel landed on a prize, the Double Play was returned for later use (although it is believed that no contestant had ever opted to use a Double Play right before hitting a prize).
Starting with Season 21 (2003-04), Prize Puzzles are special puzzles that award the winner with a prize, almost always a trip, which is somehow related to the solution (e.g. if the solution is "Fun in the Sun", the prize might be a vacation to a tropical island). At first, these puzzles did not appear every episode, but since Season 23 (2005-06), they have become an everyday fixture, appearing randomly in any one of the first three rounds. When a contestant solves the puzzle, the host casually encourages the player to guess his or her travel destination. This feature, which guarantees a substantial addition to the score of whoever solves the puzzle without incurring the risk of spinning the wheel, speeds up gameplay by making it advantageous for players to solve as soon as possible instead of taking time trying to rack up additional cash by calling extra consonants after they know the solution.
Since early 2004, home viewers in the U.S. are given a chance to win the same prize as the contestants. Viewers who sign up on the show's website are given a "Special Prize Identification Number" (S.P.I.N.), which consists of two letters and five (occasionally seven) numbers (example: AB1234567). Upon seeing the number, the winning home viewer has 24 hours to log on to the show's website and claim his or her prize. Beginning with Season 23 (2005-06), if a contestant wins a car in the Bonus Round, the home viewer with a matching S.P.I.N wins the same type of car. The rules for claiming the car are the same as those for a Prize Puzzle. If the winning home viewer is a SonyCard holder, he or she wins an additional $50,000.
The two letters are the winning home viewer's first and last initials. It is not known how the digits are computed; they may be designated at random or by a secret method. The S.P.I.N is not announced during the taping of the show, but is inserted in post-production. Reruns during summer hiatus, and even weekend reruns of episodes from previous seasons, are given a new and unique S.P.I.N for each Prize Puzzle appearance.
The Wild Card was introduced in the seventh week of Season 24 (2006-07). It is placed on the wheel in the same way as a Gift Tag or Free Spin token, and may be picked up after a contestant lands on its space and calls a consonant which appears in the puzzle. A player holding the Wild Card, who subsequently lands on a cash space and calls a consonant appearing in the puzzle, may turn it in for the chance to call a second consonant for the same cash value in the same turn, regardless of whether vowels have been called in between. This feature is especially advantageous when a player spins a high dollar amount before typical high-frequency letters have been called.
The Wild Card may not be turned in after landing on a prize, but may be used when a player's arrow sits on a Jackpot space ($500 per letter) or an unturned Mystery wedge ($1,000 per letter). However, the Wild Card does not allow a second chance to solve for the Jackpot, nor a second chance to flip the Mystery wedge, after calling another consonant.
As with Free Spins, a contestant does not have to solve the puzzle to retain the Wild Card. However, the Wild Card is lost if the player holding it hits Bankrupt at any time during the remainder of the game. It disappears from the wheel if no one has claimed it before a full speed-up round, and cannot be used in any speed-up round. A winning contestant who keeps the Wild Card through the end of the game may use it in the Bonus Round to select a fourth consonant after selecting the standard three consonants and one vowel.
According to postings by Season 25 contestants on "Wheel" message boards, two major changes will be made to the Wheel on the season premiere. How these changes will affect the current round-specific spaces (see above) has not yet been revealed.
★ A prize wedge marked "25" will appear on the wheel starting in Round 2; contestants earning the right to pick up the wedge with a correct consonant will win twenty-five of something (usually worth $100 each, for a total of $2,500) if they solve the puzzle without hitting BANKRUPT first.
★ A BIG MONEY space featuring a flat-screen TV monitor will be placed on the wheel in Round 3 (the "Big Money Round") and function as a cash prize wedge similar to BANKRUPT/$10000/BANKRUPT. The value shown on the monitor will change between spins to one of five randomly selected amounts: $5,000; $7,500; $25,000; LOSE A TURN; and BANKRUPT (yielding an maximal expected value, assuming the spinning player has no cash or prizes to lose, of $7,500). The wedge will remain on the wheel for the entire round unless it is spun as a cash value and claimed. Although this is treated as spendable cash for the purpose of buying vowels, it does not multiply when there is more than one of the chosen consonant, and after it is claimed, it is a $1,000 space for the rest of the round (this $1,000 does multiply).
During shows on which contestants are partnered with celebrities (athletes, soap stars, etc.), the celebrity's favorite charity receives either a minimum of $10,000 or the same amount won by the regular contestant, whichever is higher. In the past, some or all celebrities on an episode played alone for charity. Each celebrity would receive a guaranteed $5,000 with the top celebrity advancing to the bonus round playing for a flat $25,000 prize. Celebrity weeks were rarer during the shopping era.
Rarely, two or more players finish the game with the same score. In syndication, the tied players originally (until 2000) played an extra Speed-Up puzzle for the right to advance to the Bonus Round. Since the 1997 adoption of the electronic puzzle board allowed for the introduction of Toss-Up puzzles in 2000, ties have been broken by a Toss-Up with no cash value, played exclusively among the tied contestants.
The contestant selected a prize — he/she could choose any prize that had a large, gold star attached — and then faced the puzzle board to solve one final puzzle. He/she is told the category and then asked to select five consonants and one vowel. Occurrences of these letters were revealed and the contestant was given 15 seconds to provide as many guesses as necessary to solve the puzzle. On the premiere episode of the nighttime "Wheel", the contestant Linda (from Rossville, Georgia) solved the bonus puzzle SEAFOOD RESTAURANT to win a new car. This format started on the daytime show in 1981 (when Sajak first became host, replacing Woolery) and was carried into the 1983 premiere of the nighttime version.
★ 'September 1987 (Special Prizes)' – When "Wheel" began its all-cash format in Season 5, much larger bonus prizes were offered. These included a Ferrari; a vacation for six on a private island in Jamaica; a 5-acre plot in Maine; a motor home ''plus'' an invitation to tour Alaska with an RV club; a cabin cruiser; tickets to every major local sporting event for the next year; a time-share vacation home at Lake Tahoe; various shopping sprees; and valuable annuities. One of the prizes was always $25,000 in cash. Nearly all the contestants chose to play for the cash (or occasionally a car), even though the other prizes were often worth over $35,000; the other prizes were usually shunned because of the tax burden they represented.
★ 'September 1988 (More Letters, Less Time)' – Since contestants almost always selected R, S, T, L, N, and E for the bonus round, the rules were changed. Early in Season 6, the contestant was automatically given those letters and was then asked for three additional consonants and one additional vowel; the time to solve was reduced to 10 seconds. These rules remain to this day.
★ 'September 1989 (Blind Draw)' – In Season 7, each of the week's five prizes went into a blind draw, hidden in an envelope and placed behind a letter in the word "WHEEL". Each prize could be won only once per week. By September 1998, with contestants still preferring $25,000 (or at least one of the available cars), the cash was once again made available every day for Season 16; the other prizes could still only be won once per week. For the last two months of this format (from September 3 to October 22, 2001), the large prize packages were scrapped; three envelopes contained cars, while the other two had the $25,000 cash prize.
★ 'October 2001 (Bonus Wheel)' – The Bonus Round was revamped during Season 19 and now allows the contestant a chance to play for up to $100,000. Before the puzzle is displayed, the contestant spins a small 24-section wheel (originally adorned with gold glitter) to determine which prize he/she will play for, though the prize is not revealed until after the player attempts to solve the puzzle. Each section of the wheel holds an envelope representing either a cash prize or a car. In Season 21 (2003-04), a neon Bonus Wheel, which changes color as it spins, was adopted. The distribution of cash amounts and cars on the wheel has varied, but the minimum cash prize has always been $25,000 and one envelope always holds $100,000. As of the completion of Season 24 (2006-07), five envelopes have one car, five have another car, six have $25,000, three have $30,000, and one each have $35,000, $40,000, $45,000, $50,000 and $100,000.
★ 'October 2006 (Wild Card)' - If a player goes to the Bonus Round with the Wild Card (see above), he or she is allowed to pick one extra consonant after the usual three consonants and one vowel.
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The original Woolery/Stafford-era puzzle board, used from the daytime version's beginning until December 1981, had three rows with 13 trilons each, surrounded by a grid of lights along a rectangular border with oval-shaped sides.
The puzzle board which was used from December 1981 (on the daytime version) until 1997 had four rows, with 11 trilons each on the top and bottom rows and 13 trilons each in the two middle rows. The first puzzle solved on this board in syndication was BURT LANCASTER. The board was surrounded by a light border, which underwent a number of style changes over the years.
In February 1997 the original manually-controlled puzzle board, on which letters were revealed by turning trilons, was replaced with a digital electronic board. Letters are revealed automatically during Toss-Up puzzles and when a solution is revealed; during normal rounds, White touches the right side of a border around the letter in order to reveal it. The board now contains 52 spaces, with 12 each on the top and bottom rows and 14 in the two middle rows. The first puzzle solved on the new board was VALENCIA SPAIN and the first Bonus Round puzzle, which happened to be solved correctly, was COOL WHIP.
The tote boards that showed the totals for each player were originally eggcrate light displays, with room for five digits and a "$" sign; space for a sixth digit was added during the summer of 1990 on the daytime show and at the start of nighttime Season 8 (1990-91). Beginning with Season 20 (2002-03), the displays were updated to video monitors, which display scores as well as "Lose a Turn" and "Bankrupt."
★ 'Until 1987': At the center of the show's set was a giant three section turntable, which would revolve after each round to expose a new prize showcase. Each prize section was themed and had one or two trips displayed along with the appropriate prizes. Throughout the shopping era, a big yellow curtain would fall behind the host after he had made his entrance at the beginning of the show.
★ '1987-1996': After the end of the shopping era, the bonus prizes were displayed in a section behind the host's podium. One - perhaps two - of the featured prizes would be on a turntable-like display (smaller than the three-section turntable), while cars and boats flanked the end of the display. A giant neon sign displaying the $25,000 prize would be lowered from the rafters during both the prize descriptions and when the prize was chosen for the bonus round, and was replaced with a grid-like version in 1988. The set was given a shiny black floor in the fall of 1990.
★ '1996-2003': The $25,000 sign was removed by 1996. In February of 1997, the trilon-style puzzleboard was replaced by a digital computer-style electronic puzzleboard. Later in 1997, the lighting around the wheel was updated. In 2001, the bonus round prizes became exclusively cars and cash, except on occasional shows with special themes. In October 2001, the $100,000 bonus round wheel and grand prize debuted.
★ '2003-Present': The gold lighting decoration that surrounded the wheel was changed to a neon blue decoration in 2003. Around that time, the puzzleboard's border was changed to match that of the wheel, as was the video wall border. In the fall of 2006, both ''Wheel of Fortune'' and ''Jeopardy!'' became the first two syndicated game shows to be broadcast in HDTV, and further revamped their sets to accommodate the new format.
The Wheel, used since the show's 1975 inception, weighs about two tons. Until 1997, the Wheel spun by itself during the opening and ending credits.
Since the syndicated premiere in 1983, the top multipliable dollar value for the show has been represented by a sequined silver $5000 wedge and introduced for the final main game segment (originally Round 3), and at least one special prize wedge, originally lime green and introduced before Round 2, has appeared on the wheel. No dollar amounts under $100 have ever appeared on the nighttime Wheel, and the only amount not ending in "50" or "00" to appear during the syndicated run was a $175 wedge featured in the first round until 1985.
Prior to 1996, different dollar value templates were used for each of the three segments of the main game (between 1987 and 2005, the first segment of the main game included both of the first two rounds).
Notable changes over the years include:
★ '1984': Shortly after the premiere, the top dollar value for Round 1 is raised from $750 to $1000 in syndication (but not on the daytime show), matching the top value in Round 2. A new "Wheel click" tone is introduced for the second season, when the show expands into many additional markets.
★ '1986': Three new wheel configurations are introduced and last approximately ten seasons. Some wedges are moved around on each of the templates, which also receive a brighter color scheme; notably, the $1000 wedge changes from yellow to pink for Round 1 and from blue to yellow for Round 2. $150 ($200 in Round 3) becomes the lowest value (originally $100) on the syndicated program, and is often concealed by the special prize wedge.
★ '1987': Upon the elimination of shopping, the first Wheel template (with the yellow $750 space) stays for the first two rounds, the second template (with the yellow $1000 space) appears in Round 3 (also 4 in fast-paced games) and the third (with the yellow $1500 space) appears from Round 4 (or 5) onward. To build up interest throughout the game, a sequined blue $2500 wedge (placed over pink $1000) is introduced as the top value for Round 2, a sequined red $3500 wedge (placed over red $300) becomes the top dollar value from Round 3 until the next commercial break and the $5000 space, with its usual Wheel template and location, appears for the final main-game segment. A second special prize wedge is also placed on the Wheel before Round 4, regardless of which template is present.
★ '1989': The permanent FREE SPIN wedge is replaced with a token concealing a dollar amount.
★ '1992': The SURPRISE wedge, hot pink with black sequined lettering, is introduced for the 10th anniversary celebration; it lasts for six seasons.
★ '1994': The BANKRUPT/$10000/BANKRUPT wedge is introduced for Round 3.
★ '1995': Several changes occur with the move to Sony. The pink $1000 space is covered by a sequined green one in Round 1, for consistency with other top dollar values. The DOUBLE PLAY token, available during Round 2, is introduced but only lasts one season.
★ '1996': A single wheel template, based on the one previously used for the second main-game segment, is now used for the entire show. Sequined top dollar values are placed in the position previously reserved for the yellow $1000 space. All remaining cash values are three-digit, with $250 the lowest value on the wheel. The LOSE A TURN space, formerly yellow, becomes white for enhanced contrast with BANKRUPT. The red JACKPOT wedge is introduced for Round 2. The special prize wedges are now gold, except during "Sweethearts Week", when they are valentine pink, but only one is introduced per game.
★ '1997': For the debut of the touch-screen puzzle board, updated lighting is added to the wheel, as well as new periwinkle color carpet at the puzzle board and around the wheel replacing the green one. The automatic wheel spinning used at the beginning and end of every show is scrapped near the end of Season 14. For Season 15, arrow shaped spires are added to the wheel, and JACKPOT (now Round 3) switches places with BANKRUPT/$10000/BANKRUPT (now Round 2).
★ '1998': The SURPRISE wedge is scrapped. Special prize wedges have distinct artistic designs reflecting the nature of the prize offered, and are now introduced in Round 1.
★ '1999': Fonts for three-digit dollar values, and the LOSE A TURN space, have a white shaded outline. $300 becomes the lowest value on the wheel. The "Wheel click" tone is louder.
★ '2000': The green $1000 space is scrapped. The BANKRUPT/$10000/BANKRUPT wedge (now Round 3) and the JACKPOT wedge (now Round 2) switch back again. $2500 becomes the top "spendable" dollar value for Round 1, $3500 becomes the top value for both Rounds 2 and 3, and Round 4 and all subsequent rounds retain the $5000 top value.
★ '2002': Several changes mark the 20th anniversary of the nighttime show. One or more gift tags now appear on the Wheel to start the game and the special prize wedge is delayed until Round 2 again. Black $500 "Mystery" wedges are added to the Wheel in Round 3, bumping BANKRUPT/$10000/BANKRUPT to Round 1.
★ '2003': Streamlined LED lights are added to the bottom of the wheel and around the puzzle board. A new "Wheel click" tone is introduced, but it is sounded a little more softly.
★ '2004': Indigo $1000 "Mystery" wedges replace the black $500 ones; these are the first multipliable four-digit values, other than top-dollar, to appear on the wheel since the introduction of the single template.
★ '2005': A new silver JACKPOT wedge replaces the red one. The special prize wedge is again introduced in Round 1, along with two or more gift tags, and all prizes disappear after Round 3 if unclaimed.
★ '2006': Several changes are implemented to take advantage of the move to broadcasting in high definition: additional wheel colors appear; sequins the same color as each wedge are used for shading regular fonts, creating a glitter effect; fonts for top dollar values have white shading; and the JACKPOT wedge gains a large 3-D gold star. The WILD card is introduced to the Wheel, replacing one gift tag.
★ '2007': Along with other undisclosed changes to celebrate the 25th anniversary season, the 25 prize (Round 2) and flat-screen BIG MONEY (Round 3) wedges will be introduced for its premiere.
The current (as of the close of Season 24) dollar value and wedge color configuration appears as follows, running counter-clockwise from LOSE A TURN, with notes on possible changes for Season 25 as shown by a graphic on the official website:
(
★ ) The WILD card and the second BANKRUPT are removed from the wheel prior to a full Speed-Up Round.
Note: The locations of the new 25 and BIG MONEY prize wedges have not been confirmed.
'1983-2000': "Changing Keys" by Merv Griffin
★ 1983-1989 — Original disco-swing arrangement. '''Note': The beginning of the theme was slightly truncated during the spring of 1984.''
★ 1989-1992 — First smooth jazz arrangement.
★ 1992-1994 — Second "smoother" jazz arrangement. '''Note': From 1993-1994 (except for road shows), the closing theme used the previous arrangement (though the opening theme was used during the openings of Music Stars Week in Season 11).''
★ 1994-1997 — Big band arrangement. Performed by Mort Lindsey's Band.
★ 1997-2000 — Final, "smoother" big band arrangement.
'2000-present': "Happy Wheels" by Steve Kaplan
★ 2000-2002 — Modern big-band style theme with heavy rock guitar and percussion, beginning with the first bars of "Changing Keys".
★ 2002-2006 — Same theme with jazz sax and percussion.
★ 2006-present - New variation of Kaplan's theme, arranged by Frankie Blue, with greater jazz influence; opening reference to "Changing Keys" removed.
★ '1983-1989' - NBC Studios in Burbank, California
★ '1989-1995' - CBS Television City in Hollywood
★ '1995-present' - Sony Pictures Studios in Culver City, California (shot on Stage 11, with production offices in the Robert Young building)
Each season (since November 1988), "Wheel" also tapes several weeks of episodes from other locations around the country, primarily featuring contestants from that area. These episodes contain some puzzles that relate to the taping location. Destinations during Season 24 (2006-07) included Dallas, Charleston, S.C., and San Diego. For the 25th Anniversary season (2007-08), the show has planned visits to New York City and Chicago.
At the completion of Season 24, the $100,000 bonus prize has been won 14 times.
(
★ ) Largest amount that a player accumulated in a round without solving the puzzle.
The show's official rules state that any winnings over a set amount are donated to the player's favorite charity. The current winnings limit is $200,000, though no contestant has ever reached that total.
Source for most statistics: wheeloffortune.com
All Sajak/White syndicated nighttime episodes are intact, and many have been shown on GSN. Most of the daytime episodes from 1975-1981 are believed to be erased, although some exist among traders. GSN aired a 1976 episode as part of a memorial tribute to Wheel creator Merv Griffin. Daytime episodes since 1981 are intact and many exist on the trading circuit.
GSN had not shown syndicated "Wheel" since 2004, nor had it ever run the daytime version; however, it aired 10 classic episodes, including daytime shows, on August 18, 2007, in honor of Merv Griffin, who died six days earlier on August 12. The episodes aired, in order of their appearance, were:
★ A rare daytime episode from 1976, with Chuck Woolery and Susan Stafford hosting.
★ The 1982 daytime episode in which Vanna White made her official debut (also the beginning of Philadelphia Week).
★ The 1983 premiere of the syndicated nighttime version of Wheel.
★ The premiere episode of the nighttime show's fifth season (1987-88), or the beginning of "The Big Bonanza of Cash", in which the shopping format was scrapped in favor of playing for cash, a move that turned out to be a permanent one.
★ An episode from season six (1988-89) of the nighttime show , which marked the first time ''Wheel'' was ever played from Radio City Music Hall in New York City.
★ The 1997 debut episode of the computerized puzzle board.
★ The 4000th episode special, taped at Radio City Hall in New York and originally aired in 2003.
★ The April Fools Day 1997 episode with Alex Trebek as host and Lesly Sajak as hostess. Pat Sajak and Vanna White played for charities.
★ Pat Sajak's last daytime episode, aired in January 1989, and featuring an unexpected cameo by Merv Griffin.
★ An episode from the 1992-93 Tenth Anniversary Season, which ended with clips of Merv Griffin, the MervTones, and Vanna White singing at a supper club in Orlando, Florida.
Numerous board games version of the game have been released by different toy companies.[1] The games are all similar, however, incorporating a wheel, a puzzle display board, fake money and various accessories like free spin tokens.
★ Milton Bradley released the first board game in 1975.
★ Pressman Toy Corp. released several different editions from 1985 to 1991.
★ Tyco/Mattel created three editions from 1992 to 1998
★ Parker Brothers released their own version in 1999
★ Pressman Toy Corp. has had the rights to make games since 2002. They've released four editions including a 20th Anniversary edition and a Simpsons edition.
Main articles: Wheel of Fortune (video game)
In 2005, 'InfoSpace Games' teamed up with Sony Pictures Mobile to create the mobile game ''Wheel of Fortune For Prizes''. Players competed against others across the U.S. in multiplayer tournaments for a chance to win daily and weekly prizes.
In the 2006 Robin Williams film "Man of the Year", the Delacroy computer code is cracked by watching a scene of "Wheel of Fortune"
1. Wheel of Fortune Home Game Home Page
★ Official site - U.S. version
★ The Classic ''Wheel of Fortune'' Page, focusing on the Chuck Woolery/Susan Stafford era of the show
★ UK Gameshows Page: ''Wheel of Fortune''
★ Shane O'Donnell's episodes
★ UK ''Wheel of Fortune'' Online version with game history, how-tos, FAQ and rules
★ U-gottaseethis.com A website from Sony with classic Wheel video clips
:''This article discusses the current, syndicated nighttime edition of the U.S. game show. For the original daytime series, see this article.
'''Wheel of Fortune''' is an American television game show originally devised by Merv Griffin, who also created ''Jeopardy!''. Three contestants compete against each other to solve a word puzzle similar to those seen in the game Hangman. The name of the show comes from the large wheel that determines the dollar amounts and prizes won (or lost) by the contestants.
The show debuted as a daytime program on NBC on January 6, 1975. The nighttime version, which is syndicated by King World and remains to this date, began on September 19, 1983. Since 1984, ''Wheel of Fortune'' has had the highest Nielsen Rating of any syndicated program. It is the longest-running syndicated game show in American television history, and the second-longest in either network or syndication (behind the current CBS version of ''The Price Is Right'', which began airing on September 4, 1972). ''Wheel of Fortune'' has been renewed through the 2011-2012 season.
For the 24th nighttime season (2006-2007), the show began broadcasting in HDTV. King World and Sony indicated that as of August 10, 2006, some 49 of the 210 stations which carry the show in syndication were prepared for the transition. Because "Wheel" is syndicated, it appears in both the 1080i and 720p formats, depending on the equipment used by each station. [1] The show's 25th nighttime season begins on September 10, 2007.
More information on the show's history, and its original daytime version, can be found here. Unless otherwise specified, the information in this article refers to the nighttime syndicated version.
Personnel
Pat and Vanna on the set at Slavic Village Studios
Pat Sajak and Vanna White have hosted the nighttime syndicated show since its beginning in 1983. Charlie O'Donnell has been the nighttime show's announcer since 1989. Jack Clark was announcer until his death in 1988. ''Jeopardy!'' announcer Johnny Gilbert has substituted for both O'Donnell and Clark, and participated in an episode guest-hosted by ''Jeopardy!'' host Alex Trebek on April Fool's Day, 1997, when Trebek and Sajak switched jobs. Los Angeles radio personality M.G. Kelly was a substitute announcer between Clark's death and O'Donnell's return; when the show taped two weeks of episodes at New York City's Radio City Music Hall during Season 6 (1988-89), NBC veteran Don Pardo of ''Saturday Night Live'' fame (and the original version of ''Jeopardy!'') served as announcer.
Gameplay
This section outlines the basic ''Wheel of Fortune'' format, which also applied to the daytime version. The 'Format changes' section that follows lists changes that have been introduced after the daytime version was gone for good in late 1991.
Before taping begins, the players draw numbered dice out of a container to determine their positions on the contestant podium. The player drawing 1 stands at the host's immediate left, behind a red arrow; number 2 to that player's left, behind a yellow arrow; and number 3 on player 2's left, behind a blue arrow. Each player stands on a platform which may be raised to adjust the height of the player. The white arrow in front of each player determines the value of that player's spins of the wheel. Play proceeds from right to left from the contestants' perspective: from red to yellow to blue, then back to red. Prior to the introduction of the Toss-Up puzzles in 2000 (see below), the red player played first in Round 1, yellow in Round 2, and blue in Round 3. If time permitted, the order repeated itself beginning with the red player in Round 4.
Starting a round
On a turn, a player can choose to spin the 24-space wheel, buy a vowel, or attempt to solve the puzzle. The wheel must be spun clockwise. When a normal round begins, the spaces in a puzzle are shown as blank white spaces on the board. The category for the round is given, and any punctuation marks are revealed (except commas, which are omitted from the puzzle). Apostrophes and hyphens are the most common marks; ampersands and periods (for initials) sometimes occur. In the past, some categories of puzzle have used ? (question mark) for "fill in the blank" and # (number) for "fill in the number".
Categories
Main articles: Wheel of Fortune (List of puzzle categories)
Spinning the wheel
The Black Bankrupt wedge. Landing on it means all cash and prizes accumulated to that point in the round are lost. Winnings from previous rounds are not affected.
Military members on an April 2006 taping of ''Wheel of Fortune''.
The wheel has 24 spaces, with one peg between each space and two pegs in the middle of each space, so each space spans three "clicks" of the wheel, for a total of 72 possible positions. A player spins the wheel clockwise, and the result is determined by which space is in front of that player's white arrow (pointer) when the wheel stops. The wheel may stop on a cash value, a prize (including a "Free Spin" or "Wild Card" for use later in the game), or penalty spaces marked "Lose a Turn" or "Bankrupt". There are also some special spaces which only appear in one round (e.g., the Jackpot in Round 2). If the result is anything but a penalty space, the player asks for a consonant (including Y). If the requested letter is in the puzzle, all its instances light up and the hostess touches the screens (turned the trilons until 1997) to reveal them.
Because the Wheel weighs approximately two tons, risers are placed behind the podiums for short contestants to give them enough leverage to get a decent spin of the wheel. However, only contestants with a considerable amount of upper-body strength will get more than one revolution with a single spin. This is in contrast to earlier years on the show, when the wheel would routinely spin several revolutions.
Cash spaces
If a player lands on a dollar value and calls a consonant in the puzzle, that player receives the cash value of the space multiplied by the number of times the letter appears (i.e., if the player lands on $700 and calls "D", and there are 4 D's, $2,800 is earned). Since 1999, the minimum cash value on the wheel during the nighttime version has been $300 (originally $100 from 1983-1986, $150 from 1986-1996, $250 from 1996-1999). Since 2000, top dollar values that may be multiplied and spent have been $2500 in the first round, $3500 in the second and third rounds, and $5000 in the fourth and any subsequent rounds.
Prize spaces
A prize on the wheel may be claimed if a player landing on it requests a consonant that is in the puzzle. That contestant must then solve the puzzle that same round, without hitting Bankrupt, to win the prize. Prior to the fall of 1990 (Season 8 of the nighttime version), when a contestant landed on a prize, it was immediately picked up and claimed, and ''then'' the player would pick a consonant for the dollar value under it (which was usually $150).
Prior to Season 15 (1997-98), prizes were represented by distinctly colored yellow-green wedges with the name of the prize in black letters. The wedges now contain descriptive artwork. These prizes, now placed over the $350 space (in the same position where $150 used to be), are usually trips valued from $5,000 to $10,000. In 2002, for the 20th anniversary of the syndicated program, the show also introduced $1,000 gift tags from a sponsor, represented on the wheel by small oval tokens. When a prize wedge or gift tag is picked up from the wheel, it reveals the cash value of the space it was covering, and the space becomes that normal cash value for the rest of the show. When gift tags are claimed, they are placed on the railing immediately in front of the contestant; full-sized prize wedges are placed horizontally across the red, yellow or blue triangle in front of the player's podium. Prizes and gift tags remain on the wheel through Round 3 if unclaimed, and are not multiplied if the letter called appears more than once.
Free spin
If the pointer lands on "Free Spin", a contestant can win a Free Spin by calling a correct letter, in the same manner as a prize. If that player later lands on Bankrupt or Lose a Turn, guesses an incorrect letter, or solves the puzzle incorrectly, the Free Spin can be redeemed to claim an extra turn at any point in the game until the Speed-Up Round; this does ''not'' however, recover money or prizes lost to Bankrupt. Until the fall of 1989, "Free Spin" was a full wedge that remained on the wheel throughout Round 1 (and Round 2 from 1987-1988 on the nighttime version). Free Spin tokens were stored in a stack right in front of the spot where the host stands until the puzzle is solved, and were awarded automatically every time a player landed on the "Free Spin" wedge, so that players could accumulate multiple Free Spins without successfully guessing letters in the puzzle. Until 1989, the Free Spin was a brown token, simply marked "Free Spin". Now, it is a shiny green token with the two yellow italic words "Free" above and below the white uppercase word "SPIN", and it can only be claimed once during the game, when the player landing on it calls a consonant that appears in the puzzle and is then allowed to pick it up off the wheel. The token is removed from the wheel after Round 2 if no one has claimed it by then. A contestant may retain a Free Spin throughout the game until choosing to use it.
Penalty spaces
If the pointer lands on "Lose A Turn", the spinning player's turn ends. If holding the "Free Spin" token, the player may use it to continue.
If it lands on "Bankrupt", the player's turn ends and any cash and prizes accumulated thus far in the round are lost. The "Wild Card" (see below) is also lost, even if obtained in a previous round. The "Free Spin" token is not lost and the player may use it to continue. Any cash or prize winnings from previous rounds are also unaffected.
Speed-up round (final spin)
When time is running short in the game, a bell rings four times, signaling the start of the speed-up round. Usually, this occurs in the beginning or middle of Round 4, but faster-paced games may include five or even six rounds. Prior to the introduction of the Toss-Up puzzles, the speed-up round was sometimes omitted, or Sajak would announce that the speed-up round was to be played at the beginning of Round 4. Sajak gives the wheel "a Final Spin," and the remainder of the game is played using the value of this spin, plus $1000, for all remaining consonants. Thus the Final Spin may be worth as much as $6000 per consonant.
The extra $1000 was added to the value of the Final Spin beginning in Season 17 (1999-2000). This rule change makes it less likely that the round will be anti-climactic, as was often the case when one player had a large lead and Sajak spun a small dollar amount which made it impossible for the others to catch up. Before 1996, there was also a $1500 space on the wheel during this round, which had lessened the possibility of a runaway game.
Beginning with the player whose turn it was when the bell rang, each contestant calls one letter; a consonant which appears in the puzzle is worth the above value, while vowels may be called, at no cost but also no cash value. If the letter appears in the puzzle, the player has three seconds (five seconds until 1998) to solve it. The timer does not begin until the hostess completely moves over to one side of the board. The player is allowed to try several solutions on the same turn within the allotted time. If the player does not solve, control passes to the next player.
If the final spin lands on a non-dollar space (such as Bankrupt or Lose A Turn), it does not count and the host spins again. (In the early seasons, the "slide" sound effect would still play anyway if the final spin landed on Bankrupt or Lose A Turn.) These spins are no longer included in the broadcast. At the start of Round 4, the wheel is intentionally pre-positioned to increase the odds of Sajak hitting the top dollar space ($5000) should the speed-up round begin before the first spin. The record for the most money won in the speed-up round is $54,000 (nine consonants at $6000 apiece), which has occurred three times.
Buying a vowel
A player who has at least $250 in cash can pay that amount to have all instances of a single vowel (only A, E, I, O, or U, as Y is always considered a consonant) in the puzzle revealed. If the letter is not in the puzzle, the player loses his or her turn (as well as this amount). This amount is a flat fee, which is not multiplied by the number of times the vowel appears.
Vowel buying is very common, and is encouraged by the show's contestant coordinators as a way to fill in the puzzle and gain time to think of the solution. Many puzzles (especially large ones) have large numbers of vowels; the single-puzzle record (for any letter) is 11 E's, set in March of 1996. Although the cash values on the wheel have increased over time, the cost of vowels has not. Thus, the $250 price of a vowel, once five times the minimum cash value on the wheel, is now less than the minimum cash value, so any contestant who earns spendable cash with a consonant may immediately buy a vowel.
Solving the puzzle
At the beginning of any turn, a player can attempt to read the solution to the incomplete puzzle. If the guess is incorrect, the player's turn ends, and the player may use a Free Spin if available. Only the player who correctly solves the puzzle keeps the earnings from the round.
The puzzle must be read ''exactly'' as it appears to be valid; not even words such as "the", "and" and "or" can be added. For example, one contestant incorrectly solved the puzzle "Holy Roman Empire" as "''The'' Holy Roman Empire" in one late 1980s episode. While the show makes allowances for regional accents (such as "''ex''presso" instead of "''es''presso"), the puzzle must be pronounced correctly as well. On at least one occasion, a contestant has mispronounced a puzzle that was filled in entirely; she was ruled incorrect.
If the player solves correctly, and his or her total is less than $1,000 (combined cash and the stated cash value of prizes), a "house minimum" of $1,000 is awarded. The house minimum for solving a puzzle has increased over time: from $100 (at the daytime version's onset in 1975), $200 (a few months into the daytime version's run, carrying over to the nighttime version in 1983, and lasting until 1995), to $500 (1995-2005), and $1,000 since 2005. Currently, during special weeks featuring two-player teams, the house minimum is awarded to each individual player.
During the early years of the series, a round would sometimes be interrupted by a commercial break. The host would instruct the contestants to face away from the board during the break; this ensured that no one could gain an unfair advantage by studying the board during the break. Today, the show does not break except between rounds, but contestants are still required (off-camera) to face away from the board during those breaks while new puzzles are set up and round-specific spaces such as the Jackpot or Mystery wedges are added or removed.
Shopping
Originally, a contestant who won a round would spend the money shopping for prizes displayed in the studio, genereally including cars, furniture, trips, furs, and jewelry. A particular prize could only be bought once per episode. This format was changed to play-for-cash in September 1987 for the syndicated version and in July 1989 for the daytime version.
Each round corresponded to a prize showcase with a certain theme (e.g. the "Backyard Patio"). The contestant who solved the puzzle had the opportunity to shop for prizes in that round's showcase. The showcase changed after each of the first two rounds. The showcase prizes were placed on a turntable which was partitioned into three spaces, revolving to show only the prizes available at that particular time in the game. The largest prizes, such as cars, were not limited to a specific showcase, but were available throughout the show.
A player who did not have enough money left to buy the least expensive remaining prize was offered a gift certificate in the remaining amount for merchandise from a particular retailer. These included some of Los Angeles' finest stores (Dicker and Dicker, Tiffany's, Gucci, etc.), national chains such as Service Merchandise, and American Express. A less popular option, which was available at any time while shopping, was to place the money "On Account." With this option, the contestant risked those winnings during subsequent rounds. The player had to avoid Bankrupt spaces and win another round in order to keep the money and use it for shopping. This option was intended to allow the contestant to accumulate winnings to eventually purchase a larger, more desirable prize, such as a car; however, it was not often used. A large prize could also be played for in the bonus round, lessening the incentive to put money "On Account" during the game, though the option was offered until shopping ended.
Contestants kept any prizes purchased during the shopping portion of the show, regardless of the game's outcome or if they landed on Bankrupt spaces in future rounds. Sajak always reminded contestants (and viewers at home): "Try not to hit BANKRUPT, because if you do, you lose your cash, but not your merchandise, because once you buy a prize, it's yours to keep."
Playing for cash
In September 1987, the producers of "Wheel" experimented with an all-cash format for the syndicated version, and quickly decided to make it permanent. This all-cash format was also incorporated into the daytime version in July 1989 when it moved to CBS and Bob Goen took over as host. Removing the shopping segments after each round sped up gameplay considerably, making it common to see four and possible to see up to seven puzzles on a given night instead of the three seen during the shopping format. During the cash format, the person who solves the puzzle wins whatever amount he or she has in cash, in addition to prizes earned during a round. The total value of prizes won is added to the contestant's cash score to determine a daily winner.
As with the Shopping era, once a player solves a puzzle, any winnings are theirs to keep, regardless of whether they get a Bankrupt wedge in a subsequent round, or whether or not they win the game and advance to the bonus round. Beginning in 2006, the players' totals from previous rounds are frequently displayed above the puzzleboard to the home audience beginning in Round 3. Players who do not solve any puzzles are given $1000 (parting gifts until 2002, $500 from 2002-2005) at the end of the game as a "house minimum" consolation prize.
Format changes
Toss-up puzzles
The game currently begins with a Toss-Up puzzle worth $1,000. Players are given the category of the puzzle and blank spaces representing its letters. White activates the board and letters are randomly revealed until a player buzzes in and solves the puzzle. An incorrect guess in a Toss-Up disqualifies that player for the rest of the puzzle.
The first Toss-Up determines who Sajak introduces first, then a second (worth $2,000) is played after all three players have been introduced. The player who correctly solves this Toss-Up begins the first round. The right to start the second and third rounds proceeds in the same order as gameplay. Another Toss-Up, worth $3,000, is held for the right to start the fourth round, and the process repeats itself in additional rounds as time permits. When these puzzles were introduced for Season 18 (2000-01), there were only two (before Rounds 1 and 4) each worth $1,000; the current format was adopted for Season 19 (2001-02).
In any Toss-Up, if all of the spaces are filled in or all of the players are incorrect, no cash is won. If one of the first two Toss-Ups is not won, the red player is introduced first or begins the first round. If the third Toss-Up is not won, the person who started the first round starts Round 4.
Sajak explained during one episode that these puzzles are intended to make the game more fair: previously, in a typical four-round game, the red player was the only one to start two rounds. Now, the third toss-up allows a new competition (after each player has already begun a round) to determine who will start round 4, eliminating that advantage. The added time for the Toss-Ups made Round 4 more frequently a complete speed-up round, but the show's pacing has since changed to allow for more main-game play.
Round-specific spaces
NOTE: This information is current as of the close of Season 24 (2006-07), but may be superseded by changes for the 25th Anniversary (see below).
★ 'Bankrupt/$10000/Bankrupt Space': Round 1 features a wedge with $10000 in the middle peg gap and Bankrupt spaces in the other two. Landing on either of the two Bankrupts acts like a normal Bankrupt, but landing on the $10000 allows the player to guess a letter. If the letter is in the puzzle, the player picks up the wedge, turns it over and reveals a full-size gold sequin $10000 space on the reverse. It is treated as a prize, not as "spendable cash" with which vowels can be bought, and is not multiplied by the number of occurrences of the consonant. If the player solves the puzzle without hitting Bankrupt, $10,000 is added to the player's score at the end of the round. This space was introduced for Round 3 in Season 12 (1994-95), moved to Round 2 for Season 15 (1997-98), switched back to Round 3 for Season 18 (2000-01) and then moved to Round 1 (previously the only round other than the Speed-Up round without a round-specific space) in Season 20 (2002-03).
★ 'Jackpot Round': Round 2 features a silver space, marked with the word "Jackpot", that represents a progressive Jackpot which begins at $5,000 and increases by the value of each cash space hit during the round (not to be confused with the Jackpot featured in the daytime show's 1987-88 season). If a player lands on the Jackpot space and calls a consonant which appears in the puzzle, he/she has the opportunity to win the Jackpot from the round's sponsor for the night by solving the puzzle immediately (without buying a vowel or spinning again). As usual, if the player tries to solve and is wrong, his/her turn ends. The Jackpot Round debuted in the third week of Season 14 (1996-97) as Round 2, was moved to Round 3 in Season 15 (1997-98) and then back to Round 2 in Season 18 (2000-01). Originally, a consonant called when this space was hit had no cash value; since Season 24 (2006-07), a player who lands on the Jackpot wedge and calls a valid consonant is credited with $500 (the space concealed by the Jackpot) for each time the letter appears, and $500 is added to the amount of the Jackpot. At that point, the contestant may decide whether to solve for the Jackpot or take another turn.
★ 'Mystery Round (20th Anniversary)': Round 3 features two $1000 (originally $500) wheel spaces with a question mark on each. A player who lands on one of these "mystery wedges" and guesses a letter in the puzzle may either take $1,000 per letter occurrence or turn over the mystery wedge. One wedge is backed with a "Bankrupt", and the other features a prize. Originally, the Mystery Wedge prize was always a car worth $10,000 to $15,000, although most often the prize is now a $10,000 cash prize or gift card. If the prize is revealed, it is treated the same as other prizes, and the player must solve the puzzle without hitting Bankrupt to claim it. After one mystery wedge is revealed, the other mystery wedge acts as a regular $1000 ($500 until 2004) space for the remainder of the round. The Mystery Round debuted with Season 20 (2002-03). Beginning in Season 23 (2005-06), the producers show the home audience what's behind the mystery wedge before a decision is made by the contestant.
Special features
Bonus solution
Since Season 8 (1990-91), some puzzle categories occasionally allow the solving player to answer a question for additional money (originally $500 in 1990, then $2,000 in 1995, finally $3,000 since early 2000). Sometimes, the puzzle was the first part of a phrase or quotation, and the player was asked to give the next line, Other times, a title or slogan was revealed and the player had to identify the author or product. Players were also asked to fill in a blank or identify a number associated with the puzzle. Originally, if the solving player did not win the bonus money, the other players in turn were given a chance. Since 1995, only the player who solves the puzzle is eligible for the bonus. More recently, these puzzles consist of a series of clues about a person, place, thing, or event, which the player who solves the puzzle may identify for an additional bonus money.
Between 1992 and 1994, some puzzles would contain a set of specially designated (red) letters which could be unscrambled to form another word or phrase. These "Red Letter Puzzles" were introduced during the 10th Anniversary season (1992-93) as a basis for home viewers to win cash or prizes by guessing the word and submitting a contest entry, and kept through Season 11 (1993-94) to provide studio players with additional winnings.
Returning champions
For the first six seasons in syndication (from 1983-89), players were eligible to make only one appearance. From Season 7 (1989-90) through Season 13 (1995-96), winning contestants could appear on up to three episodes. For Seasons 14 and 15 (1996-98), a "Friday Finals" format was adopted. The top three winners from the week's first four shows would return to play on Friday, with a Jackpot beginning at $10,000 instead of $5,000. The single-appearance rule returned in 1998.
Surprise (10th Anniversary)
From 1992 to 1998, there was a pink space marked "Surprise" on the wheel in Round 1 (similar to the prize wedge style used from 1983 to 1997). The Surprise was earned just like a normal prize, but its identity was not revealed unless it was won. Like other prize spaces, it carried over to later rounds (originally just Round 2, then indefinitely starting in 1996) if no one claimed it. Introduced for Season 10 (1992-93), it was scrapped by the end of Season 15 (1997-98).
Double Play
Throughout Season 13 (1995-96), a special lavender token shaped like conjoined twin Free Spins, called the "Double Play", was placed on the wheel. A player who landed on the token and called a consonant in the puzzle won possession of it and could redeem it before any later spin. If the wheel landed on a dollar amount, that amount was doubled for that turn (e.g. if $550 was spun, each correct consonant was worth $1,100). If the wheel landed on a penalty space, the player forfeited the token but only endured the penalty once. If the wheel landed on a prize, the Double Play was returned for later use (although it is believed that no contestant had ever opted to use a Double Play right before hitting a prize).
Prize Puzzle
Starting with Season 21 (2003-04), Prize Puzzles are special puzzles that award the winner with a prize, almost always a trip, which is somehow related to the solution (e.g. if the solution is "Fun in the Sun", the prize might be a vacation to a tropical island). At first, these puzzles did not appear every episode, but since Season 23 (2005-06), they have become an everyday fixture, appearing randomly in any one of the first three rounds. When a contestant solves the puzzle, the host casually encourages the player to guess his or her travel destination. This feature, which guarantees a substantial addition to the score of whoever solves the puzzle without incurring the risk of spinning the wheel, speeds up gameplay by making it advantageous for players to solve as soon as possible instead of taking time trying to rack up additional cash by calling extra consonants after they know the solution.
Since early 2004, home viewers in the U.S. are given a chance to win the same prize as the contestants. Viewers who sign up on the show's website are given a "Special Prize Identification Number" (S.P.I.N.), which consists of two letters and five (occasionally seven) numbers (example: AB1234567). Upon seeing the number, the winning home viewer has 24 hours to log on to the show's website and claim his or her prize. Beginning with Season 23 (2005-06), if a contestant wins a car in the Bonus Round, the home viewer with a matching S.P.I.N wins the same type of car. The rules for claiming the car are the same as those for a Prize Puzzle. If the winning home viewer is a SonyCard holder, he or she wins an additional $50,000.
The two letters are the winning home viewer's first and last initials. It is not known how the digits are computed; they may be designated at random or by a secret method. The S.P.I.N is not announced during the taping of the show, but is inserted in post-production. Reruns during summer hiatus, and even weekend reruns of episodes from previous seasons, are given a new and unique S.P.I.N for each Prize Puzzle appearance.
Wild Card
The Wild card
The Wild Card may not be turned in after landing on a prize, but may be used when a player's arrow sits on a Jackpot space ($500 per letter) or an unturned Mystery wedge ($1,000 per letter). However, the Wild Card does not allow a second chance to solve for the Jackpot, nor a second chance to flip the Mystery wedge, after calling another consonant.
As with Free Spins, a contestant does not have to solve the puzzle to retain the Wild Card. However, the Wild Card is lost if the player holding it hits Bankrupt at any time during the remainder of the game. It disappears from the wheel if no one has claimed it before a full speed-up round, and cannot be used in any speed-up round. A winning contestant who keeps the Wild Card through the end of the game may use it in the Bonus Round to select a fourth consonant after selecting the standard three consonants and one vowel.
25th Anniversary Prize Wedges
According to postings by Season 25 contestants on "Wheel" message boards, two major changes will be made to the Wheel on the season premiere. How these changes will affect the current round-specific spaces (see above) has not yet been revealed.
★ A prize wedge marked "25" will appear on the wheel starting in Round 2; contestants earning the right to pick up the wedge with a correct consonant will win twenty-five of something (usually worth $100 each, for a total of $2,500) if they solve the puzzle without hitting BANKRUPT first.
★ A BIG MONEY space featuring a flat-screen TV monitor will be placed on the wheel in Round 3 (the "Big Money Round") and function as a cash prize wedge similar to BANKRUPT/$10000/BANKRUPT. The value shown on the monitor will change between spins to one of five randomly selected amounts: $5,000; $7,500; $25,000; LOSE A TURN; and BANKRUPT (yielding an maximal expected value, assuming the spinning player has no cash or prizes to lose, of $7,500). The wedge will remain on the wheel for the entire round unless it is spun as a cash value and claimed. Although this is treated as spendable cash for the purpose of buying vowels, it does not multiply when there is more than one of the chosen consonant, and after it is claimed, it is a $1,000 space for the rest of the round (this $1,000 does multiply).
Celebrity Weeks
During shows on which contestants are partnered with celebrities (athletes, soap stars, etc.), the celebrity's favorite charity receives either a minimum of $10,000 or the same amount won by the regular contestant, whichever is higher. In the past, some or all celebrities on an episode played alone for charity. Each celebrity would receive a guaranteed $5,000 with the top celebrity advancing to the bonus round playing for a flat $25,000 prize. Celebrity weeks were rarer during the shopping era.
Tie Games
Rarely, two or more players finish the game with the same score. In syndication, the tied players originally (until 2000) played an extra Speed-Up puzzle for the right to advance to the Bonus Round. Since the 1997 adoption of the electronic puzzle board allowed for the introduction of Toss-Up puzzles in 2000, ties have been broken by a Toss-Up with no cash value, played exclusively among the tied contestants.
Bonus round
Original rules
The contestant selected a prize — he/she could choose any prize that had a large, gold star attached — and then faced the puzzle board to solve one final puzzle. He/she is told the category and then asked to select five consonants and one vowel. Occurrences of these letters were revealed and the contestant was given 15 seconds to provide as many guesses as necessary to solve the puzzle. On the premiere episode of the nighttime "Wheel", the contestant Linda (from Rossville, Georgia) solved the bonus puzzle SEAFOOD RESTAURANT to win a new car. This format started on the daytime show in 1981 (when Sajak first became host, replacing Woolery) and was carried into the 1983 premiere of the nighttime version.
Changes to the bonus round
★ 'September 1987 (Special Prizes)' – When "Wheel" began its all-cash format in Season 5, much larger bonus prizes were offered. These included a Ferrari; a vacation for six on a private island in Jamaica; a 5-acre plot in Maine; a motor home ''plus'' an invitation to tour Alaska with an RV club; a cabin cruiser; tickets to every major local sporting event for the next year; a time-share vacation home at Lake Tahoe; various shopping sprees; and valuable annuities. One of the prizes was always $25,000 in cash. Nearly all the contestants chose to play for the cash (or occasionally a car), even though the other prizes were often worth over $35,000; the other prizes were usually shunned because of the tax burden they represented.
★ 'September 1988 (More Letters, Less Time)' – Since contestants almost always selected R, S, T, L, N, and E for the bonus round, the rules were changed. Early in Season 6, the contestant was automatically given those letters and was then asked for three additional consonants and one additional vowel; the time to solve was reduced to 10 seconds. These rules remain to this day.
★ 'September 1989 (Blind Draw)' – In Season 7, each of the week's five prizes went into a blind draw, hidden in an envelope and placed behind a letter in the word "WHEEL". Each prize could be won only once per week. By September 1998, with contestants still preferring $25,000 (or at least one of the available cars), the cash was once again made available every day for Season 16; the other prizes could still only be won once per week. For the last two months of this format (from September 3 to October 22, 2001), the large prize packages were scrapped; three envelopes contained cars, while the other two had the $25,000 cash prize.
★ 'October 2001 (Bonus Wheel)' – The Bonus Round was revamped during Season 19 and now allows the contestant a chance to play for up to $100,000. Before the puzzle is displayed, the contestant spins a small 24-section wheel (originally adorned with gold glitter) to determine which prize he/she will play for, though the prize is not revealed until after the player attempts to solve the puzzle. Each section of the wheel holds an envelope representing either a cash prize or a car. In Season 21 (2003-04), a neon Bonus Wheel, which changes color as it spins, was adopted. The distribution of cash amounts and cars on the wheel has varied, but the minimum cash prize has always been $25,000 and one envelope always holds $100,000. As of the completion of Season 24 (2006-07), five envelopes have one car, five have another car, six have $25,000, three have $30,000, and one each have $35,000, $40,000, $45,000, $50,000 and $100,000.
★ 'October 2006 (Wild Card)' - If a player goes to the Bonus Round with the Wild Card (see above), he or she is allowed to pick one extra consonant after the usual three consonants and one vowel.
Sets
Puzzle boards
The current Puzzle Board, shown with a solved puzzle.
The original Woolery/Stafford-era puzzle board, used from the daytime version's beginning until December 1981, had three rows with 13 trilons each, surrounded by a grid of lights along a rectangular border with oval-shaped sides.
The puzzle board which was used from December 1981 (on the daytime version) until 1997 had four rows, with 11 trilons each on the top and bottom rows and 13 trilons each in the two middle rows. The first puzzle solved on this board in syndication was BURT LANCASTER. The board was surrounded by a light border, which underwent a number of style changes over the years.
In February 1997 the original manually-controlled puzzle board, on which letters were revealed by turning trilons, was replaced with a digital electronic board. Letters are revealed automatically during Toss-Up puzzles and when a solution is revealed; during normal rounds, White touches the right side of a border around the letter in order to reveal it. The board now contains 52 spaces, with 12 each on the top and bottom rows and 14 in the two middle rows. The first puzzle solved on the new board was VALENCIA SPAIN and the first Bonus Round puzzle, which happened to be solved correctly, was COOL WHIP.
Score displays
The tote boards that showed the totals for each player were originally eggcrate light displays, with room for five digits and a "$" sign; space for a sixth digit was added during the summer of 1990 on the daytime show and at the start of nighttime Season 8 (1990-91). Beginning with Season 20 (2002-03), the displays were updated to video monitors, which display scores as well as "Lose a Turn" and "Bankrupt."
Studio layout
★ 'Until 1987': At the center of the show's set was a giant three section turntable, which would revolve after each round to expose a new prize showcase. Each prize section was themed and had one or two trips displayed along with the appropriate prizes. Throughout the shopping era, a big yellow curtain would fall behind the host after he had made his entrance at the beginning of the show.
★ '1987-1996': After the end of the shopping era, the bonus prizes were displayed in a section behind the host's podium. One - perhaps two - of the featured prizes would be on a turntable-like display (smaller than the three-section turntable), while cars and boats flanked the end of the display. A giant neon sign displaying the $25,000 prize would be lowered from the rafters during both the prize descriptions and when the prize was chosen for the bonus round, and was replaced with a grid-like version in 1988. The set was given a shiny black floor in the fall of 1990.
★ '1996-2003': The $25,000 sign was removed by 1996. In February of 1997, the trilon-style puzzleboard was replaced by a digital computer-style electronic puzzleboard. Later in 1997, the lighting around the wheel was updated. In 2001, the bonus round prizes became exclusively cars and cash, except on occasional shows with special themes. In October 2001, the $100,000 bonus round wheel and grand prize debuted.
★ '2003-Present': The gold lighting decoration that surrounded the wheel was changed to a neon blue decoration in 2003. Around that time, the puzzleboard's border was changed to match that of the wheel, as was the video wall border. In the fall of 2006, both ''Wheel of Fortune'' and ''Jeopardy!'' became the first two syndicated game shows to be broadcast in HDTV, and further revamped their sets to accommodate the new format.
The wheel
The Wheel, used since the show's 1975 inception, weighs about two tons. Until 1997, the Wheel spun by itself during the opening and ending credits.
Since the syndicated premiere in 1983, the top multipliable dollar value for the show has been represented by a sequined silver $5000 wedge and introduced for the final main game segment (originally Round 3), and at least one special prize wedge, originally lime green and introduced before Round 2, has appeared on the wheel. No dollar amounts under $100 have ever appeared on the nighttime Wheel, and the only amount not ending in "50" or "00" to appear during the syndicated run was a $175 wedge featured in the first round until 1985.
Prior to 1996, different dollar value templates were used for each of the three segments of the main game (between 1987 and 2005, the first segment of the main game included both of the first two rounds).
Notable changes over the years include:
★ '1984': Shortly after the premiere, the top dollar value for Round 1 is raised from $750 to $1000 in syndication (but not on the daytime show), matching the top value in Round 2. A new "Wheel click" tone is introduced for the second season, when the show expands into many additional markets.
★ '1986': Three new wheel configurations are introduced and last approximately ten seasons. Some wedges are moved around on each of the templates, which also receive a brighter color scheme; notably, the $1000 wedge changes from yellow to pink for Round 1 and from blue to yellow for Round 2. $150 ($200 in Round 3) becomes the lowest value (originally $100) on the syndicated program, and is often concealed by the special prize wedge.
★ '1987': Upon the elimination of shopping, the first Wheel template (with the yellow $750 space) stays for the first two rounds, the second template (with the yellow $1000 space) appears in Round 3 (also 4 in fast-paced games) and the third (with the yellow $1500 space) appears from Round 4 (or 5) onward. To build up interest throughout the game, a sequined blue $2500 wedge (placed over pink $1000) is introduced as the top value for Round 2, a sequined red $3500 wedge (placed over red $300) becomes the top dollar value from Round 3 until the next commercial break and the $5000 space, with its usual Wheel template and location, appears for the final main-game segment. A second special prize wedge is also placed on the Wheel before Round 4, regardless of which template is present.
★ '1989': The permanent FREE SPIN wedge is replaced with a token concealing a dollar amount.
★ '1992': The SURPRISE wedge, hot pink with black sequined lettering, is introduced for the 10th anniversary celebration; it lasts for six seasons.
★ '1994': The BANKRUPT/$10000/BANKRUPT wedge is introduced for Round 3.
★ '1995': Several changes occur with the move to Sony. The pink $1000 space is covered by a sequined green one in Round 1, for consistency with other top dollar values. The DOUBLE PLAY token, available during Round 2, is introduced but only lasts one season.
★ '1996': A single wheel template, based on the one previously used for the second main-game segment, is now used for the entire show. Sequined top dollar values are placed in the position previously reserved for the yellow $1000 space. All remaining cash values are three-digit, with $250 the lowest value on the wheel. The LOSE A TURN space, formerly yellow, becomes white for enhanced contrast with BANKRUPT. The red JACKPOT wedge is introduced for Round 2. The special prize wedges are now gold, except during "Sweethearts Week", when they are valentine pink, but only one is introduced per game.
★ '1997': For the debut of the touch-screen puzzle board, updated lighting is added to the wheel, as well as new periwinkle color carpet at the puzzle board and around the wheel replacing the green one. The automatic wheel spinning used at the beginning and end of every show is scrapped near the end of Season 14. For Season 15, arrow shaped spires are added to the wheel, and JACKPOT (now Round 3) switches places with BANKRUPT/$10000/BANKRUPT (now Round 2).
★ '1998': The SURPRISE wedge is scrapped. Special prize wedges have distinct artistic designs reflecting the nature of the prize offered, and are now introduced in Round 1.
★ '1999': Fonts for three-digit dollar values, and the LOSE A TURN space, have a white shaded outline. $300 becomes the lowest value on the wheel. The "Wheel click" tone is louder.
★ '2000': The green $1000 space is scrapped. The BANKRUPT/$10000/BANKRUPT wedge (now Round 3) and the JACKPOT wedge (now Round 2) switch back again. $2500 becomes the top "spendable" dollar value for Round 1, $3500 becomes the top value for both Rounds 2 and 3, and Round 4 and all subsequent rounds retain the $5000 top value.
★ '2002': Several changes mark the 20th anniversary of the nighttime show. One or more gift tags now appear on the Wheel to start the game and the special prize wedge is delayed until Round 2 again. Black $500 "Mystery" wedges are added to the Wheel in Round 3, bumping BANKRUPT/$10000/BANKRUPT to Round 1.
★ '2003': Streamlined LED lights are added to the bottom of the wheel and around the puzzle board. A new "Wheel click" tone is introduced, but it is sounded a little more softly.
★ '2004': Indigo $1000 "Mystery" wedges replace the black $500 ones; these are the first multipliable four-digit values, other than top-dollar, to appear on the wheel since the introduction of the single template.
★ '2005': A new silver JACKPOT wedge replaces the red one. The special prize wedge is again introduced in Round 1, along with two or more gift tags, and all prizes disappear after Round 3 if unclaimed.
★ '2006': Several changes are implemented to take advantage of the move to broadcasting in high definition: additional wheel colors appear; sequins the same color as each wedge are used for shading regular fonts, creating a glitter effect; fonts for top dollar values have white shading; and the JACKPOT wedge gains a large 3-D gold star. The WILD card is introduced to the Wheel, replacing one gift tag.
★ '2007': Along with other undisclosed changes to celebrate the 25th anniversary season, the 25 prize (Round 2) and flat-screen BIG MONEY (Round 3) wedges will be introduced for its premiere.
The wheel's configuration
The current (as of the close of Season 24) dollar value and wedge color configuration appears as follows, running counter-clockwise from LOSE A TURN, with notes on possible changes for Season 25 as shown by a graphic on the official website:
| 'Space No.' | 'Basic Value' | 'Special Value' |
|---|---|---|
| #1 | LOSE A TURN (White) | |
| #2 | $300 (Blue) | |
| #3 | $400 (Yellow) | New location for WILD card or Gift Tag? |
| #4 | $600 (Lavender) | |
| #5 | BANKRUPT (Black) | |
| #6 | $900 (Pink) | |
| #7 | $300 (Green) | Free Spin (Emerald sequins) (Rounds 1 and 2 or until claimed) |
| #8 | $500 (Blue) | $1000 Mystery Wedge (Indigo) (Round 3 until flipped) |
| #9 | $900 (Red) | |
| #10 | $300 (Pink) Apparently upgraded to $550 | $1000 Gift Tag (Various) (Rounds 1 through 3 or until claimed) Possibly moved; New location for Prize? |
| #11 | $400 (Yellow) | |
| #12 | $550 (Lavender) | |
| #13 | $800 (Red-Orange) | BANKRUPT/$10000/BANKRUPT (Black/Gold Sequins/Black) (Round 1 until claimed) |
| #14 | $500 (Green) | JACKPOT (Silver) (Round 2) $1000 Mystery Wedge (Indigo) (Round 3 until flipped) Possible location for BIG MONEY wedge (Round 3 until claimed)? |
| #15 | $300 (Red) | BANKRUPT (Black) (Rounds 2, 4 and all subsequent) ★ |
| #16 | $600 (Blue) | |
| #17 | $300 (Yellow) | |
| #18 | "Top Dollar Value" (Various Colors) | $2500 (Sapphire Blue Sequins) (Round 1) $3500 (Magenta Sequins) (Rounds 2 and 3) $5000 (Silver Sequins)(Rounds 4 and all subsequent) |
| #19 | $600 (Lavender) | BANKRUPT (Black) (Round 3) |
| #20 | $300 (Red-Orange) | |
| #21 | $700 (Green) | WILD Card (Magenta) (All rounds or until claimed) ★ Apparently moved to accomodate '25' wedge (Rounds 2 and 3 or until claimed) |
| #22 | $450 (Pink) | |
| #23 | $350 (Lavender) Apparently upgraded to $500 | Prize (Multi-Colored) (Rounds 1 through 3 or until claimed) Possibly moved; New location for WILD card or Gift Tag? |
| #24 | $800 (Red) |
(
★ ) The WILD card and the second BANKRUPT are removed from the wheel prior to a full Speed-Up Round.
Note: The locations of the new 25 and BIG MONEY prize wedges have not been confirmed.
Theme music
'1983-2000': "Changing Keys" by Merv Griffin
★ 1983-1989 — Original disco-swing arrangement. '''Note': The beginning of the theme was slightly truncated during the spring of 1984.''
★ 1989-1992 — First smooth jazz arrangement.
★ 1992-1994 — Second "smoother" jazz arrangement. '''Note': From 1993-1994 (except for road shows), the closing theme used the previous arrangement (though the opening theme was used during the openings of Music Stars Week in Season 11).''
★ 1994-1997 — Big band arrangement. Performed by Mort Lindsey's Band.
★ 1997-2000 — Final, "smoother" big band arrangement.
'2000-present': "Happy Wheels" by Steve Kaplan
★ 2000-2002 — Modern big-band style theme with heavy rock guitar and percussion, beginning with the first bars of "Changing Keys".
★ 2002-2006 — Same theme with jazz sax and percussion.
★ 2006-present - New variation of Kaplan's theme, arranged by Frankie Blue, with greater jazz influence; opening reference to "Changing Keys" removed.
Production facilities
★ '1983-1989' - NBC Studios in Burbank, California
★ '1989-1995' - CBS Television City in Hollywood
★ '1995-present' - Sony Pictures Studios in Culver City, California (shot on Stage 11, with production offices in the Robert Young building)
Each season (since November 1988), "Wheel" also tapes several weeks of episodes from other locations around the country, primarily featuring contestants from that area. These episodes contain some puzzles that relate to the taping location. Destinations during Season 24 (2006-07) included Dallas, Charleston, S.C., and San Diego. For the 25th Anniversary season (2007-08), the show has planned visits to New York City and Chicago.
Show records
| Record | Set by | Amount | Air date |
|---|---|---|---|
| All time winnings, solo player (returning champions format) | Mindi Mitola | $146,014 | September 1990 (three shows) |
| All time winnings, team | Peter Argyropolous and Deborah Cohen | $146,529 | February 1996 (two shows) |
| Main game winnings | Lauren Kaufman | $66,350 | October 24, 2005 |
| Largest amount not won ( ★ ) | Terry [last name not available] | $62,400 | March 1985 |
| Largest amount lost to a Bankrupt | Anassa Washington | $29,950 | First half of 2007 |
| One-day team winnings | Christine Denos and Jack Wagner | $142,550 | February 28, 2006 |
| One-day solo winnings | Becca Rhine | $128,177 | February 7, 2007 |
At the completion of Season 24, the $100,000 bonus prize has been won 14 times.
(
★ ) Largest amount that a player accumulated in a round without solving the puzzle.
The show's official rules state that any winnings over a set amount are donated to the player's favorite charity. The current winnings limit is $200,000, though no contestant has ever reached that total.
Source for most statistics: wheeloffortune.com
Episode status
All Sajak/White syndicated nighttime episodes are intact, and many have been shown on GSN. Most of the daytime episodes from 1975-1981 are believed to be erased, although some exist among traders. GSN aired a 1976 episode as part of a memorial tribute to Wheel creator Merv Griffin. Daytime episodes since 1981 are intact and many exist on the trading circuit.
Merv Griffin Memorial Marathon on GSN
GSN had not shown syndicated "Wheel" since 2004, nor had it ever run the daytime version; however, it aired 10 classic episodes, including daytime shows, on August 18, 2007, in honor of Merv Griffin, who died six days earlier on August 12. The episodes aired, in order of their appearance, were:
★ A rare daytime episode from 1976, with Chuck Woolery and Susan Stafford hosting.
★ The 1982 daytime episode in which Vanna White made her official debut (also the beginning of Philadelphia Week).
★ The 1983 premiere of the syndicated nighttime version of Wheel.
★ The premiere episode of the nighttime show's fifth season (1987-88), or the beginning of "The Big Bonanza of Cash", in which the shopping format was scrapped in favor of playing for cash, a move that turned out to be a permanent one.
★ An episode from season six (1988-89) of the nighttime show , which marked the first time ''Wheel'' was ever played from Radio City Music Hall in New York City.
★ The 1997 debut episode of the computerized puzzle board.
★ The 4000th episode special, taped at Radio City Hall in New York and originally aired in 2003.
★ The April Fools Day 1997 episode with Alex Trebek as host and Lesly Sajak as hostess. Pat Sajak and Vanna White played for charities.
★ Pat Sajak's last daytime episode, aired in January 1989, and featuring an unexpected cameo by Merv Griffin.
★ An episode from the 1992-93 Tenth Anniversary Season, which ended with clips of Merv Griffin, the MervTones, and Vanna White singing at a supper club in Orlando, Florida.
Home versions
Board games
Numerous board games version of the game have been released by different toy companies.[1] The games are all similar, however, incorporating a wheel, a puzzle display board, fake money and various accessories like free spin tokens.
★ Milton Bradley released the first board game in 1975.
★ Pressman Toy Corp. released several different editions from 1985 to 1991.
★ Tyco/Mattel created three editions from 1992 to 1998
★ Parker Brothers released their own version in 1999
★ Pressman Toy Corp. has had the rights to make games since 2002. They've released four editions including a 20th Anniversary edition and a Simpsons edition.
Video, arcade, slot and online versions
Main articles: Wheel of Fortune (video game)
Wheel of Fortune For Prizes - Mobile Game
In 2005, 'InfoSpace Games' teamed up with Sony Pictures Mobile to create the mobile game ''Wheel of Fortune For Prizes''. Players competed against others across the U.S. in multiplayer tournaments for a chance to win daily and weekly prizes.
In the 2006 Robin Williams film "Man of the Year", the Delacroy computer code is cracked by watching a scene of "Wheel of Fortune"
References
1. Wheel of Fortune Home Game Home Page
External links
★ Official site - U.S. version
★ The Classic ''Wheel of Fortune'' Page, focusing on the Chuck Woolery/Susan Stafford era of the show
★ UK Gameshows Page: ''Wheel of Fortune''
★ Shane O'Donnell's episodes
★ UK ''Wheel of Fortune'' Online version with game history, how-tos, FAQ and rules
★ U-gottaseethis.com A website from Sony with classic Wheel video clips
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