Wheel of Fortune, the classic game show which has been highly appreciated since 1975, is still the one that fans love the most. Throughout the Wheel Of Fortune’s journey, fans have witnessed various small to big changes that transformed the show to make it engaging for the audience according to their entertainment needs. As the newest season of Celebrity Wheel Of Fortune has already been released, fans are excited to know all the format changes which happened throughout the years in Wheel Of Fortune.
Released in the year 1975, Wheel Of Fortune is considered the longest-running reality game show in the USA, which was created by the TV personality Merv Griffin. Merv Griffin loved playing Hangman, especially with his sister on road trips. He wanted a game like Hangman, a big platform, so when he discussed the same with his team, everyone was stunned by the idea of integrating a spinning wheel and Hangman into a game.
Soon, in the year 1975, the first season of Wheel of Fortune was released, which was hosted by the hosts Pat Sajak and the letter-turner Vanna White. Wheel of Fortune started airing on NBC, but in the year 1989, the episodes started releasing on CBS. But NBC again took over the rights of Wheel Of Fortune in 1991. In recent years, the spin-off show Celebrity Wheel Of Fortune has been released on the American TV channel ABC.
The format of the show, in 1975, was similar to Hangman. The contestants have to guess the words or phrases to win the prize. The contestants of the show spin the wheel, which stops at some amounts. According to those amounts, the contestant gets the chance to guess the letter of the word or a phrase, and if the guess is correct, then they win the amount prize they got after spinning the wheel. So, curious to know how this amazing game show has evolved and still managed to become the most engaging show. Then continue reading.
Wheel Of Fortune Before And After:
There are various enticing segments in Wheel of Fortune, such as the main game, buying vowels, spinning the wheel, bonus rounds, and solving puzzles. Over the past 47 years of Wheel Of Fortune, the show has adapted various minor to major changes, which were highly appreciated by the fans. Given below are the significant format changes in Wheel Of Fortune that you should know.
The Shopping Round:
When Wheel Of Fortune was first released in the year 1975, there was no shopping around, which later became the major attraction of fans in the coming years. The contestants of Wheel Of Fortune could accumulate the cash prize that they used to win by spinning the wheel, and at the end, the hosts used to announce the winners. In the year 1987, the exciting shopping round was introduced.
In this round, the contestants were given a chance to use their earnings to buy their favorite prizes from the shopping studio. Soon this round was introduced in every segment, and since 1997, fans have loved watching how the contestants use their cash prizes to get all the prizes they want.
The Bonus Round:
The Bonus Round, which has been one of the exciting parts of Wheel Of Fortune, has always had the main purpose of giving the final contestants a chance to win the big prizes. From 1975 to 1988, there was a small wheel that contestants used to spin to win the prize. But in 1988, the big wheel with arrows and different cash prizes was introduced, So if the contestant got lucky, they could win the highest amount.
In the year 2006, The Bonus Round changed again. Since 2006, the million-dollar wedge was introduced, in the cash prizes including millions of dollars are added. So, if the contestants are lucky, they might get a chance to win a million-dollar amount.
The Toss-Up Rounds:
Who does not love the Toss-Up rounds? To gain control over the main game has always been a very Wheel Of Fortune contestant’s wish, and this round which consists of small puzzles gives a chance to them to gain both control and amazing cash prizes. At first, the Toss-Up rounds were limited in the main game.
Gradually, over the years, the frequency of the Toss-Up rounds was increased so that many contestants would get the chance to guess the correct answer and win the prize. Also, with more Toss-Up rounds, the game became more challenging, which many fans found enticing. So, over the years, show developers kept increasing the Toss-Up rounds.
Wheel Of Fortune Set:
Wheel Of Fortune set changes are something that fans look forward to knowing. If you remember the classic 1975 set, there was a circular stage where the letter turner used to turn the physical letters when they were guessed by the contestants. Additionally, there was also a huge wheel that contestants used to spin. However, the stage looks never kept so traditional in the coming years.
The neon lighting on the stage was introduced in the year 1980, which looked fancier and more advanced. Gradually, after the 90s, the stage appearances were changed, and even the wheels got a modernized look. Additionally, as technology has been evolving, Wheel Of Fortune took advantage of technological devices to make the game more fun and enticing.
Technological Advancements:
Many reality shows in the world have been using technology on their sets to be more futuristic than others. Well, even Wheel of Fortune did not leave a chance to add up new technologies to the show that fans would love to enjoy. One such device that fans love is the high-definition video display.
In the year 1997, the physical puzzle board that the letter turner used to handle was replaced by the video display, which could be handled by touching the screen and merely with other technological devices such as remote and laptop. This major change made the game more realistic and adaptable to today’s world.
Special Themed Weeks:
The other major addition to the format of Wheel Of Fortune is the theme weeks. There are special celebrity-themed weeks in which the celebrities are called onto the stage of Wheel Of Fortune to entice the audience. Additionally, the Wheel Of Fortune never forgot to celebrate the special events and holidays on stage with the different themes introduced on that particular day.
Currently, the spin-off series of this game show, Celebrity Wheel Of Fortune, is ongoing, which you can stream online on the official website of ABC, YouTube TV, Hulu, Fubo TV, and DirecTV. Additionally, if you want to stream the previous seasons and episodes of Wheel Of Fortune, then you can enjoy them on YouTube and Hulu.
Also Read: 45 Best TV Game Shows of All Time To Watch
