Lykkehjulet

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Lykkehjulet
Format	Game show
Created by	Merv Griffin
Starring	Michael Meyerheim, host (1988) Pia Dresner, co-host (1988) Bengt Burg, host (1989–2000) Carine Jensen, co-host (1989–1994) Maria Hirse, co-host (1995–2001)
Country of origin	Denmark
No. of episodes	3,559
Broadcast
Original channel	TV2 (Denmark)
Picture format	PAL
Original airing	October 1, 1988–2001

Lykkehjulet is the Danish version of the Wheel of Fortune television game show. Airing in 1988, the show was the first big American game show to be imported to Denmark and it was one of the first successes for Danish broadcaster TV2 when it became Denmark's second TV channel in 1988. ^[1]

The show originally used the "shopping" format of the American program in which winnings were used to buy studios prizes, such as furniture, appliances, and trips. In later years the format was changed to reflect the American version of all-cash winnings. The host during the first season was Michael Meyerheim with Pia Dresner at his co-host. Subsequently, the show was hosted by Bengt Burg from 1989 to 2000, with a short stint by Keld Heick during 1996-1997, and in the final 2001 season by Lars Herlow. The letter-turning co-hosts were Carina Jensen (1989–1994) and Maria Hirse (1995–2001). According to TV2, the show had a run of 3,599 episodes until it was cancelled in 2001 after an attempt at modernizing the format to suit young viewers.

(For details about how the game was played, see Wheel of Fortune.)

[edit] Unique to the Danish Version

There were several details which were unique to the Danish version of Wheel of Fortune.

Theme Song

The opening theme to the program was an original composition composed by Jesper Ranum.^[2]

The Wheel and Podiums

The wheel originally ranged from 400 to 3,000 krones for shopping purposes. The podiums followed a blue-red-yellow pattern, as did several other foreign adaptions. Eventually, the money values ranged from €100 to €500, with a space worth €5,000 imitating the $10,000 space in the United States version.

Vowels

Vowels cost 500 Krones (€250) and were to be purchased prior to spinning the wheel.

The Free Spin

Known as an "Ekstra Tur," it was originally conceived like the US Free Spin, where it was an entire wedge on the wheel, and multiple Free Spins could be won. It eventually became a single token placed on the wheel. This version is the only version in which the token was automatically awarded to the player who landed on it. The player called for a letter to win the hidden amount beneath the token (usually 600 Krones).

Puzzleboard

The puzzleboard remained the traditional trilon shape until 2000, when it became electronic.

Sound effects

The bell indicating a correct letter had a high D-note pitch to it, while the horn for a wrong guess or a Tabe Tur (Lose A Turn) was borrowed from the US version of The Price is Right.