89 Fun Facts About Wheel of Fortune

Which television personality created the long-running game show Wheel of Fortune?

Griffin conceived the show in the early 1970s, adding a roulette-style wheel to a word-guessing game for an element of chance.

What job was Pat Sajak working when he was hired to host Wheel of Fortune?

NBC president Fred Silverman objected to the hire, feeling the KNBC forecaster was "too local" for a national audience.

The original Wheel of Fortune puzzle board used 39 three-sided rotating pieces known as what?

Each had a green side for unused spaces, a blank side for a hidden letter and a lettered side; a larger 48-piece board arrived just before Pat Sajak's debut.

In what year did Guinness recognise Pat Sajak for the longest career hosting the same game show?

Sajak was honored on an episode taped in March 2019 for surpassing previous record holder Bob Barker of The Price Is Right.

Who was Wheel of Fortune's first and longest-tenured announcer?

Charlie O'Donnell, also the voice of American Bandstand, announced from the 1975 premiere and again from 1989 until his death on November 1, 2010, the longest run of any Wheel announcer.

What on-air role made Vanna White famous on Wheel of Fortune?

Vanna White is best known as the show's co-host, revealing the letters on the large puzzle board since December 1982.

Who began hosting the syndicated nighttime version of Wheel of Fortune starting in September 2024?

Ryan Seacrest was announced as the new host of Wheel of Fortune, taking over from Pat Sajak starting with the 42nd syndicated season in September 2024.

Which actress won the top prize on Celebrity Wheel of Fortune on October 17, 2021?

Melissa Joan Hart was the first Celebrity Wheel of Fortune player to win the $1 million top prize, solving the bonus puzzle in the episode aired October 17, 2021; her winnings went to charity.

What was the original title of the 1973 pilot for Wheel of Fortune?

The first pilot for Wheel of Fortune, taped in 1973, was originally titled 'Shopper's Bazaar' and put more emphasis on shopping for prizes.

In what year was the mechanical puzzle board on Wheel of Fortune replaced by an updated electronic board?

One of the biggest changes in Wheel of Fortune history came in 1997 when the original mechanical puzzle board was replaced by an updated electronic board.

In what year were the 'shopping rounds' dropped from the syndicated version of Wheel of Fortune?

The early version of Wheel of Fortune featured 'shopping rounds' which were dropped from syndication in 1987 and the daytime version in 1989.

Which six letters does Wheel of Fortune reveal automatically at the start of the bonus round, before the contestant picks four more?

With R, S, T, L, N, E already on the board, the contestant adds three more consonants and one vowel, then gets ten seconds to solve.

While Pat Sajak fronted the nighttime show, who hosted the daytime Wheel of Fortune when it moved to CBS in July 1989?

Bob Goen took the CBS daytime job in July 1989 and later turned up as an alternate host on the live touring version of the show.

In which year did Wheel of Fortune premiere as a daytime show on NBC?

The original Wheel of Fortune debuted on NBC at 10:30 am on January 6, 1975, a daytime show years before the syndicated evening edition most people know.

Who was the original co-host and letter-turner on Wheel of Fortune when it premiered in 1975?

Susan Stafford was the original co-host and letter-turner from the January 1975 premiere, leaving more than seven years later to pursue humanitarian work.

In what year did Pat Sajak first become the regular host of Wheel of Fortune?

Pat Sajak debuted as host of the daytime NBC show on December 28, 1981, after the original host's contract was not renewed following a salary dispute with the show's creator.

Which game show host filled in for a week in August 1980 while Wheel of Fortune's original host was away?

Alex Trebek, four years before he took over Jeopardy!, filled in for a week in August 1980; on April 1, 1997 he and Pat Sajak swapped shows for a day, Sajak hosting Jeopardy!.

In which year did the syndicated nighttime Wheel of Fortune with Sajak and White premiere?

The nightly syndicated version of Wheel of Fortune premiered on September 19, 1983, and went on to outlast the original daytime show.

Where was Wheel of Fortune originally taped?

The show taped at NBC Studios in Burbank from its 1975 premiere until 1989, then moved to CBS Television City and, in 1995, to Stage 11 in Culver City.

Vanna White grew up in which South Carolina beach town?

Vanna White, born Vanna Marie Rosich in Conway, South Carolina, in 1957, grew up in nearby North Myrtle Beach before moving to Los Angeles in 1980 to pursue acting.

Which classic word puzzle game inspired the creation of Wheel of Fortune?

The show's creator based it on Hangman, which he had played with his sister on long family car trips, then added a roulette-style wheel for an element of chance.

Who briefly hosted the daytime Wheel of Fortune after Pat Sajak left it in 1989?

Rolf Benirschke, a former NFL placekicker, lasted a little more than five months before NBC cancelled the daytime show.

How much is the second toss-up puzzle worth, the one that decides who spins first in round one?

The second toss-up is worth $2,000 and its winner spins first in round one; the first toss-up, worth $1,000, only decides the order of the pre-game contestant interviews.

Who was the original host of Wheel of Fortune, fronting the NBC daytime show from its 1975 premiere until Christmas Day 1981?

Chuck Woolery left after a salary dispute with the show's creator that ended with his contract not being renewed, which opened the door for Pat Sajak.

Which actor and TV personality composed Wheel of Fortune's original theme, titled "Big Wheels"?

Alan Thicke, later the sitcom father on Growing Pains, composed the original theme 'Big Wheels'; in 1983 the show's creator replaced it with his own composition, 'Changing Keys'.

What was the Wheel of Fortune children's spin-off that aired on CBS and GSN in 1997-98 called?

Wheel 2000 ran on CBS Saturday mornings and Game Show Network from September 1997 to February 1998, with child contestants and host David Sidoni.

Pat Sajak hosted a late-night talk show on which network from 1989 to 1990?

The Pat Sajak Show ran on CBS from January 1989 to April 1990, which is why Sajak gave up the daytime Wheel of Fortune while keeping the syndicated evening edition.

How much does it cost a contestant to buy a single vowel on "Wheel of Fortune"?

Contestants can buy a vowel for a flat rate of $250, a price that has remained consistent throughout much of the show's history.

How many wedges are typically on the main "Wheel of Fortune" wheel?

The iconic "Wheel of Fortune" wheel is divided into 24 wedges, each with different dollar amounts or special spaces.

What is the consequence for a contestant who lands on the "Bankrupt" wedge?

Landing on "Bankrupt" results in the loss of a contestant's turn and all cash or prizes accumulated in that specific round.

How many Daytime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Game Show Host did Pat Sajak win?

He won in 1993 and then back to back in the late 1990s; the show itself shared the Outstanding Game Show award in 2011.

In 2013, Vanna White was presented with a Guinness World Record certificate for what feat?

Guinness certified Vanna White as television's most frequent clapper: an estimated 3,480,864 claps across the show's first 30 seasons, roughly 606 per episode.

What is the minimum a contestant receives for solving a puzzle on "Wheel of Fortune"?

If a contestant solves a puzzle for less than $1,000 in cash and prizes, their winnings are increased to a minimum of $1,000.

Which special wedge lets a contestant call an extra consonant in regular rounds or the Bonus Round?

The Wild Card wedge, if collected and used, allows a contestant to call an extra consonant during regular play or in the Bonus Round.

What is the top dollar value found on a wedge in the main game's fourth round or later?

The top dollar value on the wheel increases throughout the game, reaching $5,000 for Round 4 and any subsequent rounds.

The show's production company, Califon Productions, takes its name from a town in which state?

Califon is a small borough in Hunterdon County, New Jersey, where Merv Griffin once owned a farm; Califon Productions holds the copyright on every episode.

Which quiz show, from the same creator as Wheel of Fortune, is widely considered its sister show?

Jeopardy! comes from the same creator and production company and tapes on a neighboring Culver City stage; the two shows shared the 2011 Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Game Show.

What happens if a contestant lands on the "Lose a Turn" wedge?

Landing on the "Lose a Turn" wedge results in the forfeiture of the contestant's current turn, but they do not lose any accumulated cash or prizes.

What did the "Free Play" wedge, used from 2009 to 2021, let a contestant do?

On Free Play a contestant could call any letter with no penalty: vowels were free, consonants paid $500 each, and a miss did not cost the turn. It replaced the Free Spin token in 2009 and was retired in 2021.

In what year did Vanna White officially become the regular co-host of "Wheel of Fortune"?

White made her first appearance as the regular co-host on December 13, 1982, after auditioning as one of three substitutes.

What puzzles, added to "Wheel of Fortune" in 2016, let contestants give words in any order?

In 2016, "Wheel of Fortune" introduced crossword puzzles, a new format where contestants can solve the interconnected words in any order.

Which studio, as successor to Columbia TriStar Television, came to own Wheel of Fortune?

Sony Pictures Television is the successor to Columbia TriStar Television, which absorbed original producer Merv Griffin Enterprises.

How many toss-up puzzles per game did Wheel of Fortune adopt in 2019?

Season 37 in 2019 raised the count to five: the $1,000 and $2,000 openers plus the Triple Toss-Up, three $2,000 puzzles before round four that replaced the single $3,000 toss-up.

What happens if a contestant solves a "Prize Puzzle"?

Round 3 is the Prize Puzzle, and the prize on offer is usually a trip.

Who took over as Wheel of Fortune's announcer in 2011?

Jim Thornton took over the announcer's booth in 2011 and stayed on through the 2024 change of host.

Which round-2 space lets a contestant take a hidden $10,000 prize or risk going Bankrupt?

On a Mystery Wedge a correct consonant pays $1,000 each, or the contestant can flip the wedge to reveal either a $10,000 prize or a Bankrupt; one of the two round-2 Mystery Wedges hides each.

What is the top cash prize a contestant can play for in the Bonus Round after carrying the special wedge to it?

If a contestant collects the Million Dollar Wedge and carries it to the Bonus Round without hitting Bankrupt, they get an opportunity to play for a top cash prize of $1,000,000.

What role did Vanna White take for three weeks while Pat Sajak recovered from surgery?

Three weeks of episodes were taped with Vanna White at the host's podium in late 2019 after Pat Sajak's emergency intestinal surgery; during the Disney-themed week Minnie Mouse turned the letters.

Which 77 Sunset Strip actor hosted the show's second and third pilots?

Edd Byrnes later admitted he was drunk at the taping; Griffin reportedly settled on a different host after overhearing Byrnes reciting the vowels to himself backstage.

Which NBC daytime chief pushed the show's creator to add a shopping element for female viewers?

Lin Bolen, NBC's vice president of daytime programming, wanted the show to appeal to women and insisted on the shopping rounds in which winners spent their cash on showcased prizes.

The 1973 pilot's "Your Own Clue" wedge let a contestant hear a hint through what?

That pilot's wheel was mounted vertically, spun automatically and had no Bankrupt wedge at all.

Roughly how much does Wheel of Fortune's studio wheel weigh?

The wheel weighs about 2,400 pounds; built in 2003 on a steel-tube frame with Plexiglas panels, it carries more than 200 lighting instruments.

Which designer, who also did Jeopardy!'s set, laid the wheel flat for an overhead camera?

Ed Flesh's horizontal wheel, shot from an overhead camera, replaced the 1973 pilot's vertical wheel that had been hard to see on screen; Flesh later designed the 1984 Jeopardy! set.

From 1989 to 2001, bonus prizes were chosen from five envelopes labelled with what?

One envelope always held $25,000 in cash, the others changed weekly, and a prize that was won came out of rotation for the rest of the week.

What was the 1978 experiment that put a special token on the wheel called?

The Star Bonus token, tried in 1978, sent whoever picked it up into an extra round for one of four prizes, with the prize's value setting how hard the puzzle was.

Since 2017, the bonus-round contestant picks from how many puzzle categories?

Before 2017 the category and puzzle were fixed in advance and the winner simply got whatever came up.

After a correct letter in the speed-up round, how long does a contestant have to solve?

A contestant gets three seconds to solve after a correct letter; multiple guesses are allowed, but the whole solution has to be out before the buzzer sounds.

What bonus is added when one contestant solves all three Triple Toss-Up puzzles?

A $4,000 sweep bonus, added in 2021, lifts a perfect Triple Toss-Up from $6,000 to a round $10,000.

How does Wheel of Fortune break a tie for first place after the speed-up round?

A final toss-up puzzle settles the tie and pays the winner an extra $1,000, and that contestant goes on to the bonus round.

Which 2013 wedge lets a player keep calling consonants for $1,000 each without spinning?

Riding the Express is a gamble: a wrong letter, a bad solve or running out of time is treated exactly like hitting Bankrupt, wiping out the round's winnings.

From 1996 to 1998, the week's top winners returned for what end-of-week showdown?

Friday Finals brought back the three highest scorers from Monday through Thursday for the Friday show; returning players were dropped for good in September 1998.

Before season 39, who performed the speed-up round's final spin?

Until 2021 the host made the final spin; it sets the value of every consonant for the rest of the game, with $1,000 added and vowels free.

In November 1996, why did Sajak and White swap roles for a bonus round?

Pat Sajak had laryngitis, so Vanna White hosted the bonus round while he turned the letters; their better-known swap came on April 1, 1997, when both played as contestants.

Who filled in for White in January 1991 while she was on her honeymoon?

Gist, who went on to marry Griffin's son Tony, came back two months later when White had a cold at taping time.

Who took White's place in October 2023 after she tested positive for COVID-19?

Donald-Blue was California's 2023 Teacher of the Year, and the absence was White's first missed episode since 1991.

Who ran the puzzle board while White played Ken Jennings and Mayim Bialik in 2023?

Maggie Sajak, Pat's daughter and the show's social correspondent since September 2021, took Vanna White's place at the puzzle board for that game.

Who became executive producer when Griffin retired in 2000?

Friedman ran both Wheel and Jeopardy! until his retirement at the end of the 2019-20 season.

Which executive producer was fired from both Wheel and Jeopardy! in August 2021?

Mike Richards was removed as executive producer of both shows on August 31, 2021, eleven days after stepping down as Jeopardy!'s newly named permanent host amid criticism over past podcast remarks.

The "Wheelmobile" used for traveling auditions is what kind of vehicle?

The Wheelmobile is a Winnebago motor home that tours the country for auditions: names are drawn at random, five people at a time play a mock speed-up round, and everyone called on stage leaves with a prize.

In 1980 NBC kept Wheel on the air by cutting which 90-minute program to an hour?

NBC had announced the cancellation that August to make room for The David Letterman Show, then cut Letterman's morning program from 90 minutes to an hour; the reprieve came too late for the original announcer, who had taken another job.

Which company, run by three brothers, originally distributed the syndicated show?

King World, run by brothers Roger, Michael and Robert King, distributed the syndicated show from its 1983 launch until the company was folded into CBS Television Distribution in 2007.

What was the name of the CGI hostess on the children's spin-off Wheel 2000?

Cyber Lucy, the computer-animated hostess, was voiced and motion-captured by Tanika Ray; David Sidoni hosted, and the kids played for points instead of cash.

Where were the show's first on-location episodes taped in late 1988?

The first road shows were taped at New York's Radio City Music Hall in late 1988, the start of regular remote tapings in cities across the country.

During COVID-era tapings, contestants spun the wheel using what?

Each contestant spun with a white bicycle handlebar grip fitted to the wheel so nobody touched a shared surface; the podiums were widened too to keep the players apart.

The sound heard when the wheel lands on Bankrupt is known as what?

The Bankrupt wedge's sound is a descending slide whistle, the downward glissando that signals a contestant has lost the turn and every dollar from the round.

Which toy company released the first Wheel of Fortune board game in 1975?

Milton Bradley issued the first home version in 1975, the year the show premiered, with prize cards to mimic the shopping rounds of the original show.

Which publisher released the first Wheel video game, for the NES in 1987?

GameTek published the 1987 NES Wheel of Fortune, developed by Rare, and issued many more Wheel titles before folding in 1998 under Chapter 11 bankruptcy.

Which company introduced Wheel of Fortune slot machines in 1996?

IGT introduced Wheel of Fortune slots in 1996 and the line became one of its longest-running; the machines play a recording of the show's longtime announcer calling 'Wheel of Fortune'.

As an Army DJ in Vietnam, Sajak hosted the same radio show made famous by whom?

Adrian Cronauer, the AFVN disc jockey portrayed by Robin Williams in Good Morning, Vietnam, originated the sign-on; Sajak kept up the Dawn Buster tradition of opening with 'Good Morning Vietnam!' on Armed Forces Radio in Saigon.

Sajak accidentally cut off which president's Christmas broadcast to the troops in Vietnam?

Working the board at Armed Forces Radio in Saigon, Sajak killed the feed of Richard Nixon's 1969 Christmas message to the troops early and decided it would be best not to resume it.

In which 1982 film did Sajak appear as a Buffalo newscaster?

Sajak's cameo as a Buffalo newscaster came in Airplane II: The Sequel (1982); a year later he played Kevin Hathaway on Days of Our Lives.

What was the name of the Sesame Street Muppet who hosted "Squeal of Fortune"?

Host Pat Playjacks had contestants Prairie Dawn and The Count guess how many times the pig in the middle of the wheel would squeal before it stopped.

Which Martin Short character was famously obsessed with Pat Sajak?

Ed Grimley, Short's hyperactive manchild with the gravity-defying hair, fawned over Pat Sajak on both SCTV and Saturday Night Live during the 1980s.

Before Wheel, White appeared as a contestant on which game show in 1980?

Vanna White was called to Contestants' Row on The Price Is Right in 1980 but never won her way on stage; the clip of her running down has been replayed many times since.

Vanna White won $403,000 after suing which electronics company over an ad that showed a robot turning letters on a game-show set?

The Ninth Circuit sided with White against Samsung on personality rights, over a famous dissent by Judge Alex Kozinski, and the Supreme Court declined the case.

White owns "Vanna's Choice", a brand of what?

Vanna's Choice is a line of yarn made with Lion Brand; White, an avid crocheter, directs part of the proceeds to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.

Which dating show did Chuck Woolery host from 1983 to 1994?

Woolery hosted Love Connection for its entire 1983-94 run, later fronted Scrabble, Greed and Lingo, and did eventually host The Dating Game itself from 1997 to 1999.

Who hosted the ITV revival of Wheel of Fortune when it launched in 2024?

Graham Norton was the host when the ITV revival launched in January 2024; the original British run, first hosted by Nicky Campbell, ran from 1988 to 2001.

Which Australian held the longest-serving game show hostess record White overtook?

Adriana Xenides turned letters on Australia's Wheel of Fortune from its July 1981 debut on the Seven Network until 1999, the long run that put her in the record books before White passed her.