| Wheel of Fortune (UK) | |
|---|---|
Wheel of Fortune logo (1995 - 1998) |
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| Format | Game show |
| Created by | Merv Griffin |
| Presented by | Nicky Campbell (1988 - 1996) Bradley Walsh (1997) John Leslie (1998 - 2000) Paul Hendy (2001) |
| Starring | Angela Ekaette (1988) Carol Smillie (1989 - 1994) Jenny Powell (1995 - 2000) Terri Seymour (2001) |
| Narrated by | Steve Hamilton |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Language(s) | English |
| No. of series | 13 |
| Production | |
| Running time | 30 minutes |
| Production company(s) | STV Productions (Scottish Television) |
| Broadcast | |
| Original channel | ITV |
| Picture format | 4:3 (1988–2000) 16:9 (2001) |
| Original run | 19 July 1988 – 21 December 2001 |
| Chronology | |
| Related shows | Wheel of Fortune (US version) |
Wheel of Fortune is a British television game show created by Merv Griffin. Contestants compete to solve word puzzles, similar to those used in Hangman, to win cash and prizes. The title refers to the show's giant carnival wheel that contestants spin throughout the course of the game to determine their cash and/or prizes.
The programme ran between 19 July 1988 and 21 December 2001 and was produced by Scottish Television for the ITV network and mostly follows the same general format from the original version of the programme from the United States.
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Unlike the American version, where the numbers on the wheel correspond to the amount of money won by each contestant, the British version instead referred to these amounts as 'points' – they had no cash value, their only purpose was to determine the grand finalist, or to choose a winner for a particular round. Points earned from all players carried on to proceeding rounds, and were susceptible to Bankrupts, meaning a winner could be crowned that never solved a puzzle, but acquired a large amount of points. This rule would actually encourage sacrificing a player's turn if he or she didn't know the puzzle rather than risking his or her points by spinning again, especially if he or she had a large amount of points.
Although this method of scoring was similar to the Australian version, the Australian version had scores from all three players carried on to future rounds but still vulnerable to Bankrupts for those who didn't solve the previous puzzle.
In the grand finale, just like in America, the contestant could pick from envelopes to choose which prize there would win, but there were only three ("A", "B", or "C"), later reduced to two ("A" or "B"). As in the original American version though, the contestant had 15 seconds to solve the puzzle to win the prize.
Unlike the original American version, instead of cash prizes, successful spinners from each round were rewarded with a choice of 3 prizes which might contain household appliances, holiday, etc. From 1988 - 1993, the prizes for the final were a trip, £3,000, or a new car.
Just after the prizes limit were dropped, the prizes became the car and £10'000 before coming £20,000 during 1995. In the 1995-1998 series, The Contestant was given a choice of two sealed envelopes which contain £20,000 and a new car, when He/She had chosen the contestant was then told what He/She would be Playing for. In 1999 Bill Smithson became the first person in the UK to guess no letters on the final prize board.
During the daytime series, winners of each round were able to chosen from an array prizes laid out in the studio, such as a CD player, dishwasher etc. The cash prize for the final was dropped to £2000. As with most international versions of Wheel (and the American version until 1988), rather than being given "R, S, T, L, N, and E," the contestant picked five consonants and a vowel.
The series was originally hosted by Nicky Campbell, who left the show after the 1996 series and was replaced by Bradley Walsh. Walsh only lasted one series and was succeeded in 1998 by John Leslie, who stayed with the show through the 2000 series before being replaced by Paul Hendy for the final year. Repeats of Leslie's third and final series can be seen on Challenge.
Co-hosts (or "Board ladies" as they were frequently referred to on the show) were Angela Ekaette, Carol Smillie, Jenny Powell and Terri Seymour.
The programme was announced by Steve Hamilton.
The top point space was 1000 points, with one such space in round 1. One more space was added in round 2, along with a second Bankrupt, and a third 1,000-point space was added in round 3. Also, values were doubled beginning from round 3 onward, making the top point spaces worth 2,000 points.
Unlike the board used on the American version since 1997, the United Kingdom version's puzzle board was never electronic, so the regular puzzle would be placed at the top portion of the board while the puzzler would fill any unused lines below. The puzzle board's shape from 1995 to 2001 was the same as the current American puzzle board. From 1988 to 1993, its border was styled like the one on the American puzzle board used from 1981-1993. The background color for unused trilons on the UK's puzzle board was green from 1988 to 1994, after which it was changed to blue.
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