Wheel of Fortune (US game show)
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- This article is about the game show. For other uses, see Wheel of Fortune.
| Wheel of Fortune | |
|---|---|
 Wheel of Fortune Season 24 title card |
|
| Genre | Game show |
| Running time | 22 minutes without commercials, 30 minutes with commercials |
| Creator(s) | Merv Griffin |
| Starring | Pat Sajak, host (1981-present) Vanna White, hostess (1982–present) Charlie O'Donnell, announcer (1975–1981; 1989–present) Jack Clark, announcer (1981–1988) Chuck Woolery, host (1975–1981) Rolf Benirschke, daytime version host (1989) Bob Goen, daytime version host (1989–1991) Susan Stafford, hostess (1975–1982) |
| Country of origin |  United States |
| Original channel | NBC (1975–1989, 1991) CBS (1989–1991) Syndicated (1983–present) |
| Original run | January 6, 1975–present |
| No. of episodes | over 4000 in nighttime (as of fall 2006) |
| Official website | |
Wheel of Fortune is an American television game show originally devised by Merv Griffin, who also created Jeopardy!. The show debuted as a daytime program on NBC on January 6, 1975. 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 current version, which is syndicated by King World, 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 version of The Price Is Right, which began airing in 1972).
For the 24th nighttime season (2006-07), 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]
More information on the show's history, and its original daytime version, can be found here.
[edit] Personnel
Pat Sajak and Vanna White have hosted the nighttime version of the show since its beginning. Chuck Woolery hosted the original daytime version from its debut until December 25, 1981, when Sajak replaced him. Susan Stafford was the original hostess; she left in the fall of 1982 to do missionary work, and was succeeded by White. Charlie O'Donnell was the show's announcer from 1975 until 1981, and returned in 1989 after the death of his successor, Jack Clark. Sajak left the daytime version of the show on January 9, 1989, and was replaced by former San Diego Chargers place-kicker Rolf Benirschke. When the daytime show moved to CBS six months later, Benirschke was replaced by Bob Goen.
[edit] Guest personnel
Jeopardy! host Alex Trebek has guest-hosted the show on two occasions, first in 1980 when Woolery took a leave of absence, and again when he and Sajak traded jobs on April Fool's Day, 1997. Los Angeles radio personality M.G. Kelly filled in as announcer between Clark's death and O'Donnell's return. Between Stafford's departure and White's arrival, a number of guest hostesses appeared, including Summer Bartholomew. When the show taped two weeks of episodes at New York City's Radio City Music Hall, NBC announcer Don Pardo served as announcer.
[edit] Gameplay
Before taping begins, the players draw numbered dice out of a container to determine their positions on the contestant rostrum. 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. The pointer 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.
[edit] Toss-Up puzzles
The game begins with a Toss-Up puzzle worth $1000. 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 $2000) 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 $3000, 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 $1000; the current format was adopted for Season 20 (2002-03).
In any Toss-Up, if all of the spaces are filled in or all of the players are incorrect, no cash is won. If the first Toss-Up has no winner, Sajak introduces the left-most (red) contestant first; if the second has no winner, play begins with either the left-most contestant; 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. The previous method of choosing which player begins ("just before the show drawing numbers to see who would start the game", as Sajak had described it) had given Player 1 an unfair advantage, since that player was usually the only one to start two rounds (1 and 4) due to time constraints. 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 the unfair advantage. As a concession to the time that the these puzzles take, it became typical to play the fourth main puzzle entirely as a speed-up round when they were introduced. Changes in commercial break pacing and announcements have been adopted since then to allow for more main-game play.
[edit] Starting a round
On a turn, a player can choose to spin the 24-sector 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 ? marks for "fill in the blank" and # (number) signs for "fill in the number".
[edit] Categories
During early seasons, the solution to the puzzle always fit one of the following categories:
- Event(s) (sometimes defined broadly)
- Fictional Character(s)
- Landmark(s)
- Occupation(s)
- Person/People
- Phrase
- Place(s)
- Quotation
- Thing(s) (the most famous, frequent, and broad category)
- Title(s)
The following "novelty" categories were added during Season 6 (1988-89):
- Before & After (two phrases or names hooked together by a common word that starts one and ends the other, e.g. "Whitney Houston Texas", a combination of Whitney Houston and Houston, Texas)
- Same Name (two phrases or names both ending with a common word, e.g. "Piano & Alicia Keys", a combination of piano keys and Alicia Keys; originally puzzles used "and", thus giving contestants three easy letters to pick)
Before Season 14 (1996-97), whenever the category was Person, Sajak added the disclaimer, "Person/People does not always mean proper name(s)". To save time, another category was added during that season:
- Proper Name(s) (of famous people, companies, or institutions; this meant that when the Person/People category did come up, contestants knew the puzzle could not be a proper name(s))
Additional specific and "special" (see "Puzzle Round" below) categories were gradually added in subsequent seasons:
- Around the House
- Artist & Song (sometimes reversed, e.g. "Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville" or "We Are The Champions by Queen")
- Best Seller (book title)
- Classic TV (show title(s) or character name(s))
- College Life (e.g. "Pulling An All-Nighter"; only appears during College Week)
- Fictional Place/Landmark
- Family (e.g. "Francis Ford & Sofia Coppola")
- Food & Drink (e.g. "A Platter Of Sizzling Steak Fajitas"; originally On The Menu)
- Fun & Games (e. g. "Flag Football")
- Headline
- Husband & Wife (e. g. "Tim McGraw & Faith Hill")
- In the Kitchen
- Living Thing(s) (plants and animals)
- Movie Title
- Next Line Please (part of a famous phrase/quotation; contestant may give the next line for a bonus; see "Puzzle Round")
- On The Map (proper names of geographical entities)
- Rock On! (related to rock music; e. g. "British Grammy-winning Rock Band Coldplay; debuted during 2005 college week and seen regularly since then)
- Rhyme Time (rhyming word or phrase)
- Show Biz (anything relating to the entertainment industry)
- Slogan (relating to a product; if it isn't mentioned in puzzle, contestant may guess the product for a bonus; see "Puzzle Round")
- Song Lyrics
- Star & Role (e.g., "Mike Myers as Austin Powers"; originally known as Person/Fictional Character)
- The 20s/The 30s/The 40s/The 50s/The 60s/The 70s/The 80s/The 90s (events or things specific to the given decade)
- Title & Author (e.g. "The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway")
- TV Title (current shows)
- Who Is It?/Who Are They? (contestant may use the puzzle to identify a person or group described for a bonus; see "Puzzle Round")
- Who Said It? (contestant may use the puzzle to identify a person quoted for a bonus; see "Puzzle Round")
- Where Are We? (contestant may use the puzzle to identify a specific place for a bonus; see "Puzzle Round")
Categories no longer in use include:
- Clue (predecessor of above Who/Where categories; see "Puzzle Round")
- Fill in the Blank/Number (originally Blank; see "Puzzle Round")
- Foreign Word/Phrase
- Megaword (a long word, such as "prestidigitation"; the solving player could win a bonus for using the Megaword in a sentence)
- Nickname
- Really Long Title (used only once, as a joke, on April Fool's Day, 1997; puzzle was "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious")
- Slang
[edit] Spinning the wheel
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, and the result is determined by which space is in front of that player's 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. 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 White touches the screens (originally turned the trilons) to reveal them.
[edit] 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. For example, if the puzzle solution is "Too Little Too Late", and the player spins $300, he/she would earn $900 for guessing L or $1500 for guessing T. The current minimum cash value on the wheel is $300 (originally $25 in 1975). Maximum cash values (that may be multiplied and spent) are $2500 in the first round, $3500 in the second and third rounds, and $5000 in the fourth and any subsequent rounds.
[edit] 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 Season 8 (1990-91), 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 (usually $150).
Before Season 16 (1998-99), prizes were represented by distinctive green (later changed to gold in the mid-90s) wedges with the name of the prize in black letters. Currently, prizes may be $1000 gift tags from a sponsor, represented on the wheel by small oval-shaped tokens, or larger prizes, usually trips valued from $4000 to $10,000, which are represented by colorful descriptive wedges fully covering one space on the wheel. When a prize 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 round. 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 are not multiplied if the letter called appears more than once.
[edit] Penalty spaces
If the pointer lands on "Lose a Turn", the spinning player's turn ends. If the pointer lands on "Bankrupt", the player loses the turn and any cash and prizes accumulated thus far in the round. Winnings from previous rounds are not affected. The "Wild Card" is lost even if it was acquired on a previous round, but "Free Spin" is kept.
[edit] Free Spin
If the pointer lands on "Free Spin", a contestant can win a "Free Spin" token in the same manner as a prize. If that player later lands on Bankrupt or Lose a Turn, or guesses an incorrect letter, 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/prizes lost from a Bankrupt). Originally, the Free Spin space remained on the wheel throughout the game, and was awarded automatically every time a player landed on it, so that players could accumulate multiple Free Spins without successfully guessing letters in the puzzle. It can now only be claimed once during the game, when the player landing on it calls a consonant that appears in the puzzle and is allowed to pick it up off the wheel; it is removed from the wheel after Round 2 if no one has claimed it by then.
[edit] Round-specific spaces
- Bankrupt/$10,000/Bankrupt Space: Round 1 features a wedge with $10,000 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 $10,000 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 $10,000 wedge on the reverse. It is treated as a discrete 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 13 (1995-96), and moved to Round 1 the following year.
- Jackpot Round: Round 2 features a progressive Jackpot which begins at $5000 and increases by the value of each cash space hit during the round. One space on the wheel is marked Jackpot. 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 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 Season 14 (1996-97) as Round 3; several seasons later, it was moved to Round 2. 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: 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 or turn over the mystery wedge. One wedge is backed with Bankrupt and the other with $10,000 cash, an automobile worth between $10,000 and $15,000, or another high-end prize of similar value. The Mystery Round debuted with Season 20 (2002-03). 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 space for the remainder of the round. 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.
[edit] Wild Card
Introduced for the seventh week of Season 24 (2006-07), a rectangular card that says "Wild" may be picked up in the manner of a prize after a contestant lands on it and calls a consonant in the puzzle. Afterwards, if that player lands on a cash value and successfully calls another consonant, the Wild Card may be redeemed (like a Free Spin) and the player may call a second consonant for the same amount of money as the previous one. This is especially advantageous when a player spins a high dollar amount. The Wild Card may not be turned in after landing on a prize, but may be used when hitting a Jackpot space ($500 per letter) or an unturned Mystery wedge ($1000 per letter). However, the Wild Card does not allow a second chance to solve for the Jackpot, nor to flip the Mystery wedge, after calling another consonant.
The Wild Card is lost if a player hits Bankrupt (even on a later round), 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 contestant who reaches the Bonus Round and still has the Wild Card may use it to select an extra consonant, in addition to the standard three (plus one vowel).
[edit] Speed-Up Round (Final Spin)
When time is running short in the game, a bell quickly rings four times, signifying 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. Before the addition of the Toss-Up puzzles, the speed-up round was sometimes omitted. Sajak spins the wheel, and the red player's arrow determines the final spin value.
Since Season 17 (1999-2000), $1,000 has been added to the value of the final spin. This becomes the base value of all remaining consonants in the puzzle. The extra $1,000 was added to the value of the Final Spin to make it less likely that the speed-up round would be anti-climactic, as was often the case when one player had a large lead and Sajak landed on a dollar amount small enough to make it impossible for the other contestants to catch up.
Beginning with the player whose turn it was when the bell rang, each calls one letter; if it is a consonant which appears in the puzzle, the player is credited with the determined amount of money as in the main portion of the game. Vowels may also be called, at no cost but also with no cash value. If the letter appears in the puzzle, the player has three seconds (originally five) to solve the puzzle. In this case the player is allowed to try several solutions on the same turn. The timer does not begin until Vanna completely moves over to one side of the board. If the player does not solve, control passes to the next player.
If the final spin lands on a non-dollar space (Bankrupt, Lose a Turn, Free Spin, or a prize), it does not count and Sajak spins again (this is omitted from the broadcast edit of the program, though in previous years it was shown). At the start of round four, 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; indeed, this usually happens more than once per week. The record for the most money won in the speed-up round is $54,000 (nine consonants at $6,000 apiece), which has been achieved twice.
[edit] Buying a vowel
A player who has at least $250 ($200/$100 in Goen's version) 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.
Briefly after the show's debut, the wheel featured a space marked "Buy a Vowel." This was deemed redundant; even worse, a contestant with less than $250 who landed on this space would lose a turn for not being able to afford a vowel. The space was scrapped in favor of an additional dollar amount before the show logged one month on the air.
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 have large numbers of vowels; the record appears to be eleven E's. Although the cash values on the wheel have increased over time, vowels have not increased in price since 1975. Thus, the $250 price of a vowel, once five to ten 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.
The phrase "buy a vowel" has entered the public lexicon, meaning "ask for a clue".
[edit] 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" 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, the puzzle must be pronounced correctly as well. One contestant was ruled incorrect, and thus lost her turn, when she read off a fully-revealed puzzle but mispronounced the name of Seattle's Major League Baseball team, the Mariners, saying "Ma-REE-ners" instead of the correct "MARE-inn-ers"; in a late-1980s episode, a contestant lost the bonus round for incorrectly pronouncing Milan, Italy. Another incident was when a contestent mispronounced "ladle."
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 the life of the show: from $100 (1975), to $200 (1975-1995), to $500 (1995-2005), to its current $1,000. During special weeks featuring two-player teams, the house minimum is awarded to each individual player. Until Season 20 (2002-03), players who did not win a round during the game were ultimately offered consolation prizes; they now receive the "house minimum" in cash, which is considered compensation for travel expenses.
[edit] Shopping
Originally, a contestant who won a round would shop for prizes displayed in the studio, like cars, furniture, trips, furs, and jewelry. Once a contestant bought a prize, another contestant could not purchase it on the same episode.
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. Each showcase was only available for shopping once, except for the third one, which could be revisited if the game had time for additional rounds. The largest prizes, such as cars, were not included in a showcase, but were available throughout the show. Originally, the prizes belonging to a particular showcase were grouped together on the stage; beginning on the daytime show in 1981, and for the entire run of this format in syndication, they were placed on a partitioned turntable, which revolved to show only the prizes available for one particular showcase.
A player who did not have enough money left to buy the least expensive prize was offered a gift certificate in the remaining amount for merchandise from a particular retailer. Certificate providers 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 previous winnings during subsequent rounds. The player had to avoid Bankrupt spaces and win a later round (though not necessarily the next round) in order to keep the money and use it for shopping. This option was very rarely used, except when the contestant either had very little cash left (e.g., $1) or was trying to play for a larger, more desirable prize; a player occasionally succeeded in using the On Account option to combine winnings from multiple rounds to buy a car.
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." That saying became one of the most famous lines in game show history.
[edit] Playing for cash
In September 1987, the producers of the syndicated version of "Wheel" experimented with an all-cash format, and quickly decided to make it permanent. 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. From Season 5 (1987-88) until Season 17 (1999-2000), to generate building interest as the game continued, the maximum dollar amount for each round increased significantly. It began with the $1000 space as top dollar value for round 1, $2500 for round 2, $3500 for round 3, and $5000 for all subsequent rounds. In the early 2000s, to adjust for inflation, the top dollar values became $2500 in round 1, $3500 in rounds 2 and 3, and $5000 in round 4. (In one episode sometime after 2001, the producers made the reversed $10,000 wedge the top dollar value for round 4, introducing the $5000 wedge in round 3 instead, but that idea was quickly scrapped). 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.
[edit] Special features
[edit] Puzzle Round
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, now $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. However, only the player who solves the puzzle is now 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. This was 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.
[edit] Returning champions
There have been no returning champions on the show since Season 16 (1998-99); each contestant has one episode to maximize his or her winnings. This was also the format during the first six seasons in syndication, in contrast to the daytime show.
When the show moved to CBS Television City for Season 7 (1989-90), a three-day returning champion rule was established. This remained in place until Season 14 (1996-97), when a "Friday Finals" format was adopted - the top three winners during the week would return to play on Friday, when additional incentives (including a Jackpot with value progressing from $10,000 instead of $5,000) were provided. The format was scrapped later in 1998.
[edit] Surprise
From 1992 to 1998, there was a pink space marked "Surprise" on the wheel in Round 1. 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 if no one claimed it. Introduced for the 10th anniversary of "Wheel", it was scrapped by the end of Season 15 (1997-98).
[edit] Double Play
During Season 13 (1995-96), a special token called the "Double Play" was placed on the wheel. A player won possession of the token if he/she landed on the space with the token and called a consonant in the puzzle. The player earning the Double Play could redeem it before any 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 Double Play token but only endured the penalty once. If the wheel landed on a prize, the Double Play was returned for later use.
[edit] 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 or nine) 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.
[edit] 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. In the past, the celebrities played alone (for charity), and would receive a guaranteed $5,000. The celebrity advancing to the bonus round played for a flat $25,000 prize.
Celebrity weeks were rarer during the shopping era. However, at least one episode (from 1980) exists on the trading circuit, featuring game show emcee Tom Kennedy playing for a studio contestant (vs. two regular contestants).
[edit] Tie Games
Rarely, two or more players finish the game with the same score. Since the introduction of the electronic puzzle board and Toss-Up puzzles, ties are broken by a Toss-Up with no cash value, played exclusively among the tied contestants. Originally, in syndication, the tied players played an extra Speed-Up puzzle for the right to advance to the Bonus Round.
[edit] Bonus Round
A final puzzle is prepared, the category is revealed, and the contestant chooses three (originally five) consonants and one vowel. Occurrences of these letters are revealed and the contestant has 10 (originally 15) seconds, but as many guesses as necessary, to solve the puzzle and win a bonus prize (originally chosen off the "shopping" turntable).
Since 1988, the most commonly chosen letters (R,S,T,L,N,E) are given to the contestant automatically, and then three more consonants and one more vowel are chosen. Since then, the difficulty of the bonus puzzles has increased. Sometimes only one or two instances of the automatic letters appear in the puzzle, and in very rare cases, none at all. Bonus puzzles are commonly one or two words. Sometimes, the contestant's additional letters will not appear in the puzzle, making solving more difficult, although in some instances, contestants have solved without their extra letters appearing. In fact, one puzzle, "Baby", was actually solved with no letters showing at all. Rarely, the contestant's extra letters fill in the puzzle entirely, or leave only one or two letters missing.
There have been at least five instances of bonus puzzles only three letters in length: "Dog", "Bug", "Owl", "Jam", and "Zoo." The shortest bonus round puzzle was "Ax." However, "In One Ear And Out The Other" has also been used as a bonus puzzle, and is thought to be the longest bonus puzzle ever used.
[edit] Changes to the bonus round
- September 1987 (Special Prizes) – When the syndicated "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) – Contestants almost always selected the most frequently-occurring letters in the English language, which are R, S, T, L, N, and E, for the bonus round. 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 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. 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. Currently, in Season 24, 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 $100,000.
[edit] Sets
[edit] Puzzle board
The original puzzle board had three rows, consisting of 13 trilons on each row. The trilons had one mirrored side (displayed when that space was not used in the current puzzle), a blank side which was displayed before a letter was revealed, and a side which displayed the appropriate letter. When a letter appearing in the puzzle was called, the corresponding trilon would illuminate and White (originally Stafford) would turn it to display the letter. In 1981, the board was expanded to four rows, with 11 trilons each on the top and bottom rows and 13 trilons each in the two middle rows. The board was surrounded by a light border, which underwent a number of style changes over the years.
In February 1997, the original manually-controlled puzzle board, on which Vanna turns trilons, was replaced with a digital electronic board, on which Vanna touches screens. White now touches a border around the letter rather than turning the letter to reveal it. The letters fill in automatically for Toss-Up puzzles and when the solution is revealed. The board now contains 52 spaces, with 12 each on the top and bottom rows and 14 in the two middle rows. Vanna mentioned at the end of a November 2006 episode that the right side of the letter and not the left must be touched, or the letter will not appear.[citation needed]
[edit] Score displays
In September 2002, the tote boards that showed the totals for each player were changed from eggcrate lights to video monitors, with an addition to "Lose a Turn" and "Bankrupt" displays; the eggcrate lights had been in use from January 1975 to 2002. Incidentally, the eggcrate display had room for the "$" sign and four digits in the 1975-76 season (although the "$" sign could be removed in the rare event someone had more than $9,999). Sometime around 1976, the display was changed to allow for five-digit figures (along with the "$" sign); six-digit figures have never been achieved, although the eggcrate display was again changed in the 1990-91 season so a six-digit figure could be displayed with the dollar sign.
[edit] Studio layout
- 1975-1981: During the first part of the daytime "shopping era", two distinct set-ups were used. The first display, used from 1975 to 1981, had the prizes grouped by theme into different sections on the stage (for instance, the "utility room" had prizes - such as perhaps a washer and dryer - grouped into that section, while bedroom furniture might be on "the bedroom" platform). The vehicles (which included cars, boats, trailers and motorcycles) that were available - usually one or two per show - were parked on each side of the prize display, while other desirable prizes (such as jewelry and furs) were often kept offstage. Several trips were available on each show, and one or two would be assigned to each section.
- 1981-1987: On the same show that the puzzle board was updated, the prize sets were replaced with a giant, three-section turntable. The turntable would revolve after each round to expose a new prize showcase. As before, each prize section was themed and had one or two trips displayed along with the appropriate prizes. This became the first display for the syndicated version, and lasted until 1989 on the daytime version.
- 1987-1990s: After the demise 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 (later grid-like) 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. To allow time, the neon sign that says $25,000 was scrapped at the end of Season 13. A shiny black floor, added to the set in 1990, remains in place today.
- 2003-present: The gold lighting decoration that surrounded the wheel was changed to a neon blue decoration. The puzzleboard's border was changed to match that of the wheel, as was the video wall border. On September 11, 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 space labels on the wheel now shine and sparkle.
[edit] The Wheel
The Wheel weighs about 4,000 pounds with lights on the bottom. A single wheel template is currently used; however, earlier in the history of the show, different templates were used for each of the three segments of the main game. Until the show moved to Sony Pictures Studios in 1995, the Wheel would spin by itself during the opening and ending credits.
Notable changes over the years include:
- Before syndication: Dollar amounts are increased and simplified. Two-digit amounts and most amounts not ending in zero are eliminated. The top dollar value for the show (originally $1000 and later $1500) becomes $2000 in daytime and $5000 for the syndicated premiere.
- 1984: A new "Wheel click" tone is introduced for the second season in syndication, when the show expands into many additional markets.
- 1986: Some wedges are moved around on each of the three wheel templates, which also receive a brighter color scheme. $150 becomes the lowest value in syndication ($200 in Round 4). These wheel configurations last approximately ten seasons. Further information can be found at Wheel of Fortune (1975 US game show).
- 1989: The permanent "Free Spin" wedge is replaced with a token concealing a dollar amount.
- 1996: A single wheel template is used for the whole show, with a space designated for the top dollar value in every round. $250 becomes the lowest value on the wheel. The Lose-A-Turn space, formerly yellow, becomes white (for enhanced contrast with BANKRUPT).
- 1997: For the debut of the touch-screen puzzle board, updated lighting is added to the wheel.
- 1999: 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 sounded more loudly.
- 2000: The $1000 space is scrapped, and the top dollar value in Round 1 becomes $2500 (previously the top Round 2 value). $3500 becomes the top value for both Rounds 2 and 3, while Round 4 and all subsequent rounds retain the $5000 top value.
- 2003: Neon lights are added to the bottom of the wheel and around the puzzle board. The "Wheel click" tone is sounded a little more softly.
- 2006: Additional wheel colors are added, sequins the same color as each space are used for shading dollar values and fonts, and top dollar values have shading.
The current dollar value/prize configuration of the wheel appears as follows:
300/Bankrupt | 500/Jackpot/Mystery-1000 | Bankrupt-10000-Bankrupt/800 | 550 | 400 | Gift Tag/300 |
| 900 | 500/Mystery-1000 | Free Spin/300 | 900 | Bankrupt | 600 | Gift Tag/400 | 300 | Lose A Turn |
| 800 | Prize/350 | 450 | Wild/700 | 300 | 600/Bankrupt | 2500/3500/5000 | 300 | 600
[edit] Theme music
- 1975-1983 — "Big Wheels" by Alan Thicke (partly inspired by the 1974 pilot episode's theme "Give it One" by Maynard Ferguson; daytime only)
- 1983-1989 — "Changing Keys" by Merv Griffin (original disco-swing arrangement). Note: The beginning of the theme was slightly truncated during the spring of 1984.
- 1989-1992 — "Changing Keys" (first smooth jazz arrangement)
- 1992-1994 — "Changing Keys" (second "smoother" jazz arrangement) Note: From 1993-1994 (except for road shows), the closing theme would be the 1989-1992 theme.
- 1994-1997 — "Changing Keys" (big band arrangement)
- 1997-2000 — "Changing Keys" (final, "smoother" big band arrangement)
- 2000-2002 — "Happy Wheels" by Steve Kaplan (modern big-band style theme beginning with the first bars of "Changing Keys")
- 2002-2006 — "Happy Wheels" (slightly altered remix)
- 2006-present — "Happy Wheels" by Frankie Blue (a new big-band arrangement with jazz influence; reference to "Changing Keys" removed)
[edit] Production facilities
- 1975-1989 - NBC Studios in Burbank, California
- 1989-1995 - CBS Television City in Hollywood
- 1995-present - Sony Pictures Studios in Culver City, California
Each season (since 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 for Season 24 (2006-07) include Dallas, Charleston, S.C., and San Diego.
[edit] Show records
| Record | Set by | Total won | Air date |
|---|---|---|---|
| All time winnings, solo player (returning champions format) |
Mindi Mitola | $146,014 | September 1990 |
| All time winnings, team | Peter Argyropolous and Deborah Cohen |
$146,529 | February 1996 |
| Main game winnings | Lauren Kaufman | $66,350 | October 2005 |
| Highest amount lost (a) | Terry [last name not available] | $62,400 | March 1985 |
| Biggest $100,000 loss (b) | Nora Keenan | $60,150 in main game | February 18, 2005 |
| One-day team winnings | Christine Denos and Jack Wagner |
$142,550 | February 2006 |
| One-day solo winnings | Kari Merchant | $122,650 | December 5, 2006 |
As of December 5, 2006, the $100,000 prize has been won 12 times.
(a) Largest amount that a player accumulated in a round without solving the puzzle.
(b) Keenan landed on the $100,000 bonus space, and would have been the show's biggest winner in history if she had solved the puzzle.
[edit] Trivia
- Early board game versions of Wheel of Fortune incorrectly state in their rules that when a player lands on "Lose a Turn", their turn ends and they also lose their next turn. This rule was never used on any version of the TV show; a player landing on Lose a Turn just has their current turn ended.
- A week of shows in Season 23 (2005-06) was cancelled when the entire production staff had to evacuate New Orleans, Louisiana. The show was taping three weeks of episodes (five-per-day) in the city when Hurricane Katrina hit. The cancelled week, third in the series, was "Family Week". However, the show flew the originally scheduled contestants to a later taping in Los Angeles.
- The working title for the first Wheel of Fortune pilot was "Shoppers' Bazaar", apparently in reference to the shopping segments.
- The show was mentioned in Billy Joel's history-themed song "We Didn't Start the Fire".
- If a round was interrupted by a commercial break during the early years of the daytime version, the host instructed the contestants to face away from the board during the break; this ensured that any contestant could not study the board during the break and therefore obtain an unfair advantage. Today, contestants are still required (off-camera) to face away from the board during commercial breaks while new puzzles are set up and round-specific spaces (most importantly, the Mystery wedges) are added or removed.
- 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.
- In 1988, Mattel released an electronic handheld Wheel of Fortune game that allowed players to point the device at the television and play along, as the puzzle would appear on a small LCD screen. The unit also allowed players to program their own puzzles. In 2004, Tiger Electronics made a Wheel of Fortune game which worked in a similar fashion. Tiger Electronics press release
- The show has a winnings limit of $200,000, though no contestant has ever reached that amount.
- When a $100,000 bonus round win is revealed, strobe lights flash, fireworks sound effects play, and confetti falls from the studio ceiling. Sajak frequently jokes that the winning player will be required to clean up the confetti after the show.
[edit] Home Versions
[edit] Board Games
[edit] Video, Arcade and Online versions
[edit] 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 compete against others across the U.S. in multiplayer tournaments for a chance to win daily and weekly prizes. A review: IGN Wireless Review of Wheel of Fortune for Prizes
[edit] Slot machines
Given creator Merv Griffin's fondness for gambling (including being a successful casino owner), it would seem natural that Wheel would be featured as the basis for a slot machine. International Gaming Technology licensed the rights to make Wheel-based games in 1996. The first machines (and still the most popular) featured standard IGT traditional three-reel slot machines, each with a reproduction of the show's famous wheel above the reels. When a "SPIN" symbol lines up on any reel, the player presses a button to start the wheel spinning, and a player could win as many as 1000 credits (with no "Bankrupt" wedges). Lining up three "Wheel of Fortune" symbols wins the progressive jackpot, which is usually linked with other Wheel machines throughout one or more states and reaches into the millions of dollars.
In more recent years, as video-based slot machines with many paylines have become popular, video versions of Wheel machines have appeared, all with the familiar wheel above the screen. In 2004, a version featuring Sajak, White, and O'Donnell was produced as a "Special Edition." A second version of the "Special Edition" machine was produced in 2006, which features nine video terminals situated around a giant wheel in the middle. In this game, multiple players may become eligible for a bonus spin at any given time. Wheel of Fortune machines are arguably the most popular slot machines in casinos.
[edit] Wheel of Fortune in popular culture
[edit] External links
- Official site--U.S. version
- Official Wheel of Fortune Sony forum
- Wheel of Fortune for Prizes Mobile Game
- The Classic Wheel of Fortune Page, focusing on the Chuck Woolery/Susan Stafford era of the show
- Funny Wheel of Fortune solves
- The Wheel of Fortune Timeline, a work-in-progress chronicling the history of the show
- UK Gameshows Page: Wheel of Fortune
- Shane O'Donnell has his episodes, so you can view at http://ranger.befunk.com/gallery2/v/misc/shane-wheel-of-fortune/
- UK Wheel of Fortune Online version with game history, how-tos, FAQ and rules
- BigJon's PC Games A website containing a fan-made "Wheel of Fortune" game.
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