Wheel of Fortune (U.S. syndicated game show)

*Wheel of Fortune*
Wheel of Fortune
	File:Hdwheelbig.jpg Wheel of Fortune Season 24 title card
Created by	Merv Griffin
Starring	Pat Sajak, host; (1983-present); Vanna White, hostess; (1983–present); Charlie O'Donnell, announcer; (1989–present); Jack Clark, announcer; (1983–1988); M.G. Kelly, announcer; (1988–1989); Johnny Gilbert, substitute announcer
Country of origin	United States
No. of episodes	over 5000 (as of March 21, 2007)
Production
Running time	22 minutes without commercials, 30 minutes with commercials
Original release
Network	Syndicated
Release	September 19, 1983 –; present; Renewed through 2011-2012 season

This article discusses the current version of the U.S. game show. For the original daytime version, 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 (2006-07), 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] The show's 25th nighttime season begins in September 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. Sajak also appeared on the daytime version from 1981 to 1989, as did White from 1982 to 1991. Charlie O'Donnell was the show's announcer from 1975 to 1980, and returned in the spring of 1989. Jack Clark was announcer from 1980 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".

Spinning the wheel

File:Bankrupt.jpg

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.

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 (i.e., 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 White 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 current minimum cash value on the wheel is $300 ($100 from 1983-1986, $150 from 1986-1996, $250 from 1996-1999). Top dollar 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. Between 1987 and 2000, top dollar values were $1000 in Round 1, $2500 in Round 2, and $3500 in Round 3. In one episode sometime after 2001, the producers made the reversed $10000 wedge the top dollar value for round 4, introducing the $5000 wedge in round 3 instead. The idea was quickly scrapped.^{[citation needed]}

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).

Prior to Season 15 (1997-98), prizes were represented by distinctly colored wedges with the name of the prize in black letters. Currently, prizes may be $1,000 gift tags from a sponsor, represented on the wheel by small silver oval-shaped tokens (introduced in 2002), or the conventional larger prizes, usually trips valued from $4,000 to $10,000, which are represented by descriptive artistic wedges (since 1997) 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 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 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, currently represented by a shiny green token with the two yellow italic words "Free" above and below the white uppercase word "SPIN", 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 1989, "Free Spin" was a full wedge that remained on the wheel throughout Round 1 (and Round 2 from 1987-1989). A brown Free Spin token was awarded automatically every time a player landed on the wedge, so that players could accumulate multiple Free Spins without successfully guessing letters in the puzzle. Since 1989, the Free Spin token can 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. The token is removed from the wheel after Round 2 if no one has claimed it by then. Unlike with prizes, a contestant does not have to solve the puzzle to retain a Free Spin.

Penalty spaces

If the pointer lands on "Lose A Turn", the spinning player's turn ends. If it lands on "Bankrupt", the player's turn ends and any cash and prizes, even the "Wild Card" (see below), accumulated thus far in the round are lost. Winnings (except the Wild Card) from previous rounds, and the "Free Spin" token, are not affected.

Speed-Up Round (Final Spin)

When time is running short in the game, a bell rings, 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 a digital electronic puzzle board in late February of 1997, 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 by saying, "It's the fourth round, but not much time left for it." Sajak spins the wheel, and the red player's white arrow determines the Final Spin value.

Since Season 17 (1999-2000), consonants called during the Speed-Up Round are worth the value of the Final Spin plus $1,000. This rule change made it less likely that the 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. Before 1996, there had been a $1500 space on the wheel during the Speed-Up Round along with the $5000 top value, 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; 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 (five seconds until 1998) to solve the puzzle. The timer does not begin until White completely moves over to one side of the board. The player is allowed to try several solutions on the same turn. 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 Sajak spins again. Non-dollar final spins are omitted from the broadcast edit of the program, though in previous years (as late as November 1996) they were 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. The record for the most money won in the speed-up round is $54,000 (nine consonants at $6,000 apiece). That happened in February and October 2005, and again on February 7, 2007.

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 and W are always considered consonants) 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 1980's episode. While the show makes allowances for regional accents (such as "expresso" instead of "espresso"), 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 $200 (1983-1995), to $500 (1995-2005), and $1,000 since 2005. During special weeks featuring two-player teams, the house minimum is awarded to each individual player. Until the scoreboard's change from eggcrates to monitors in 2002, 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.

If a round was interrupted by a commercial break during the early years of the series (which was the NBC daytime version until July 1989), 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.

Shopping

Until fall 1987 (summer 1989 on the daytime version when it moved from NBC to CBS), 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. The prizes belonging to a particular showcase 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.

Playing for cash

File:Wheel of Fortune $5000 2006.jpg

The silver $5000 wedge as seen in Season 23. Since the beginning of the all-cash format, this space has been introduced in round 4.

In September 1987, the producers of "Wheel" experimented with an all-cash format for the syndicated version, 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. 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 wins a given round of play or toss-up, 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 on September 11, 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 $1,000 (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. The show's pacing has since changed to allow for more main-game play.

Round-specific spaces

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), then moved to Round 2 starting in Season 14 (1996-97), and again moved to Round 1 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. 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 Season 14 (1996-97) as Round 3; in Season 20 (2002-03), 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 ($500 until 2004) 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, 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. Until 1995, 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. In Season 14 (1996-97), 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

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 if no one claimed it. Introduced for the 10th anniversary of "Wheel" (1992-93), it was scrapped by the end of Season 15 (1997-98).

Double Play

Throughout 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 (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 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.

Wild card

File:News wildcard.gif

The Wild card

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 prize or the Free Spin token. It may be picked up in the manner of a prize after a contestant lands on its space and calls a consonant which appears in the puzzle. A player holding the Wild Card, who lands on a cash space and calls a consonant which appears in the puzzle, may turn it in for the chance to call a second consonant at 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 early in a round. 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.

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. Since the introduction of the electronic puzzle board (in early 1997) and Toss-Up puzzles (in 2000), ties are broken by a Toss-Up with no cash value, played exclusively among the tied contestants. Until 2000, in syndication, the tied players played an extra Speed-Up puzzle for the right to advance to the Bonus Round.

Bonus Round

Original 1983 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.

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.

Since 1988, the difficulty of the bonus puzzles has increased. Sometimes only one or two of the automatic letters have appeared in the puzzle; sometimes, none of the automatic letters have appeared 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.^[1] In some rare instances, the contestant's extra letters fill in the puzzle entirely.

There have been at least 6 instances of bonus puzzles only three letters in length: "Dog", "Bug", "Owl", "Jam", "Zoo", and "Fan". "In One Ear And Out The Other", a bonus puzzle in the 1980s (under the bonus round's original rules), is thought to be the longest bonus puzzle ever used.

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. In 2003, the Bonus Round Wheel was changed from a glitter gold color to a neon coloured wheel that changed color as it spun.

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 routine of three consonants and one vowel.

Sets

Puzzle boards

File:Wheel Of Fortune Puzzle Board (2006).png

The current Puzzle Board, shown with a solved puzzle.

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 board was surrounded by an eyeglass-shaped 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 puzzle 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.

Score displays

The tote boards that showed the totals for each player were originally eggcrate light displays, with room for six digits and a "$" sign. In 2002, these were changed to video monitors, which display scores as well as "Lose a Turn" and "Bankrupt."

Studio layout

1983-1987: 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.
1987-1996: 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 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. The set was given a shiny black floor in 1990. The neon $25,000 sign was replaced with a grid-like version in 1992.
1996-2003: The $25,000 sign was gone for good by 1996. In February of 1997, the old 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. In October of that year, 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. 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 have a glitter effect. In early 2007, pink lighting was added on top of the blue lighting for a road trip to Charleston, South Carolina.

The Wheel

The Wheel, with lights on the bottom, weighs about two tons. Before the move to Sony Pictures Studios in 1995, the Wheel would spin 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 at least one special prize wedge, originally lime green, has appeared on the wheel. The only dollar 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: 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 on the show ($200 in Round 3), while $1000 becomes the top value for Rounds 1 (previously $750) and 2 (as before). These wheel configurations lasted approximately ten seasons.
1987: The first wheel template stays for the first two rounds, the second template (with the yellow $1000 space) appears in Round 3, and the third (with the yellow $1500 space) appears from Round 4 onward. The sequined $2500 (blue) and $3500 (red) spaces are introduced as top dollar values for rounds 2 and 3.
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; it lasts for six seasons.
1994: The "Bankrupt/$10000/Bankrupt" wedge is introduced.
1995: The automatic wheel spinning used at the beginning and end of every show is scrapped. The Double Play token is introduced, and only lasts one season. The pink $1000 space in Round 1 is replaced by a sequined emerald green one, for consistency with other top dollar values.
1996: A single wheel template, based on the one previously seen during the second main-game segment (third round when playing for cash) of the syndicated nighttime show starting in 1986, is now used for the entire show. Top dollar values are placed in the position previously reserved for the yellow $1000 space, and all remaining cash values are three-digit. $250 becomes the lowest value on the wheel. The "Lose A Turn" space, formerly yellow, becomes white for enhanced contrast with "Bankrupt". The red "Jackpot" space is introduced. The prize wedges are now gold, except during "Sweethearts Week", when they are valentine pink.
1997: For the debut of the touch-screen puzzle board, updated lighting is added to the wheel. That fall, arrow shaped spires are added to the wheel.
1998: The "Surprise" wedge is scrapped. Prize wedges have distinct artistic designs reflecting the nature of the prize offered.
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 $1000 space is scrapped. $2500 becomes the top 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: One or more gift tags now appear on the Wheel to start the game, and the larger prize wedge is placed on the wheel for Round 2. Black $500 "Mystery" wedges are added to the Wheel in Round 3.
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, and the large prize wedge is again introduced in Round 1, along with two or more gift tags.
2006: Additional wheel colors appear; sequins the same color as each wedge are used for shading regular fonts, creating a glitter effect; and fonts for top dollar values have white shading. This was done to take full advantage of high definition technology. The "Wild Card" is introduced to the Wheel, replacing one gift tag.

The Wheel's configuration

The current dollar value and wedge color configuration appears as follows, running counterclockwise from LOSE A TURN:

Space No.	Basic Template	Round 1 ($10,000 prize round)	Round 2 (Jackpot round)	Round 3 (Mystery round)	Round 4 onwards
#1	LOSE A TURN (White)	LOSE A TURN	LOSE A TURN	LOSE A TURN	LOSE A TURN
#2	$300 (Blue)	$300	$300	$300	$300
#3	$400 (Yellow)	$400	$400	$400	$400
#4	$600 (Lavender)	$600	$600	$600	$600
#5	BANKRUPT (Black)	BANKRUPT	BANKRUPT	BANKRUPT	BANKRUPT
#6	$900 (Pink)	$900	$900	$900	$900
#7	$300 (Green)	Free Spin (Emerald)	Free Spin¹	$300	$300
#8	$500 (Blue)	$500	$500	$1000 Mystery Wedge (Indigo)²	$500
#9	$900 (Red)	$900	$900	$900	$900
#10	$300 (Pink)	Gift Tag (Various)	Gift Tag¹	Gift Tag¹	$300
#11	$400 (Yellow)	$400	$400	$400	$400
#12	$550 (Lavender)	$550	$550	$550	$550
#13	$800 (Red-Orange)	BANKRUPT/$10000/BANKRUPT (Black/Gold/Black)	$800	$800	$800
#14	$500 (Green)	$500	JACKPOT (Silver)	$1000 Mystery Wedge (Indigo)²	$500
#15	$300 (Red)	$300	BANKRUPT (Black)	$300	BANKRUPT³
#16	$600 (Blue)	$600	$600	$600	$600
#17	$300 (Yellow)	$300	$300	$300	$300
#18	BIG MONEY (Various Sequin Colors)	$2500 (Sapphire)	$3500 (Magenta)	$3500	$5000 (Silver)
#19	$600 (Lavender)	$600	$600	BANKRUPT (Black)	$600
#20	$300 (Red-Orange)	$300	$300	$300	$300
#21	$700 (Green)	WILD CARD (Magenta)	WILD CARD¹	WILD CARD¹	WILD CARD¹³
#22	$450 (Pink)	$450	$450	$450	$450
#23	$350 (Lavender)	PRIZE (Multi-Colored)	PRIZE¹	PRIZE¹	$350
#24	$800 (Red)	$800	$800	$800	$800

¹If this space was previously picked up, the round will begin with the default value indicated in the Basic Template column.

²Reverse side has either a large prize (usually $10,000 cash) or a BANKRUPT space.

³If it is determined that Round 4 will automatically begin in Speed-Up mode, this space does not appear and the default value is used.

Theme music

1975-1983: "Big Wheels" by Alan Thicke

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.
1994-1997 — Big band arrangement. Performed by Mort Linsdey's Band.
1997-2000 — Final, "smoother" big band arrangement

2000-2006: "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: "Happy Wheels" by Frankie Blue (a new big-band arrangement with jazz influence; 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, Hawaii, 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
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.

Episode Status

All Sajak/White syndicated nighttime episodes are intact, and many have been shown on GSN, though GSN has not aired Wheel since August 2004. The daytime episodes from 1975-81 are believed to be erased, although some exist among traders. Daytime episodes since 1981 are intact and many exist on the trading circuit.

Home versions

Board games

Video, arcade, slot and online versions

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

Wheel of Fortune in popular culture

References

^ "WoF Bonus puzzle question". alt.tv.game-shows discussion. Google Groups. December 5, 2002. URL retrieved on February 9, 2007.

External links

Official site - U.S. version
Wheel of Fortune for Prizes mobile game
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
Play Wheel of Fortune on GameVault

[1] "WoF Bonus puzzle question". alt.tv.game-shows discussion. Google Groups. December 5, 2002. URL retrieved on February 9, 2007.

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