Wheel of Fortune timeline (syndicated)/Season 2

Go back to Season 1, or forward to Season 3?

A timeline for Season 2 of Wheel of Fortune, which aired in first-run from September 10, 1984 through June 21, 1985.

Season Changes

 * Around this point, at Merv's insistence, contestants generally stop using "as in" when calling their letters (e.g. "N as in Nancy"), except when necessary if Pat does not hear them clearly.
 * The occasional practice of fee plugs being pre-recorded by their respective companies is discontinued; it later resurfaces in Season 14.
 * The show is now credited as being "produced by Merv Griffin Enterprises", and the Griffin logo is altered accordingly. Also, the show now uses the same style of Griffin logo that the daytime series adopted in February 1984, with much smaller text in the Peignot font, and with the blinking animation removed from the griffin.
 * The King World credit is changed to the company's "star" logo, and is moved up to the center of the Wheel (itself changed to use the Round 3 layout).
 * Presumably at this point, and likely due to the debut of Jeopardy!, episodes of Wheel are now transmitted by satellite to subscribed affiliates; as a result, episodes now air in production order.
 * Probably at this point, and definitely by Spring 1985 (a "Gary Deeb Deeb on TV" article stated this around that time), a weekend feed is added consisting of repeats from the previous season. They typically air on Saturdays, though a few stations air them on Sundays.

September 1984

 * On an episode likely from the first week (Kersteen/Cinders/Jack):
 * The puzzle board uses its reversed chase light sequence.
 * No vowels are bought in Rounds 1 or 3.
 * Pat does not mention the hyphens in Round 3 until someone reminds him from offstage.
 * Jack sweeps the game, but loses a diamond star pin in the Bonus Round.
 * The Wheel starts its automation as Pat throws to commercial after the Bonus Round.
 * On another episode likely from the first week (Anita/Paula/Wayne):
 * The puzzle board uses its reversed chase light sequence.
 * Oddly, the category strip is white in the Bonus Round, but blue for the rest of the show.
 * On yet another episode likely from the first week (Bob/Ali/Debbie):
 * The puzzle board uses its reversed chase light sequence.
 * Oddly, the category strip is white in the Bonus Round, but pink for the rest of the show.
 * After Round 1, in an unusual move, Jack plugs the gift certificate provider (American Express) before describing the purchased prizes.
 * During the Bonus Round, before asking Debbie for her letter choices, Pat mentions that the episode is being taped on her birthday.
 * Possibly due to the presence of Round 4, Pat signs off after the Bonus Round.
 * On yet another episode likely from the first week (Joe/Gloria/Lisa):
 * The puzzle board uses its reversed chase light sequence.
 * The Round 1 puzzle ALI BABA AND THE FORTY THIEVES is on the second through fourth rows, a practice normally done only if the first word is too long for the top row.
 * Round 3 begins as a Speed-Up.
 * During the Bonus Round, Lisa's call of S is misheard as F, and the F is briefly put on the chyron.


 * Possibly on September 17 (known to be after at least five episodes), "Changing Keys" is re-orchestrated slightly to sound less "chirpy", and a glissando is added to the beginning. The theme now begins at the first bar during the intro, instead of the 0:56 mark.
 * On an episode from this month, after "Changing Keys" is redone (Larry/Diane/Howard):
 * The money graphic and subsequent logo are much smaller than usual. The former only zooms in a bit, while the latter only zooms as it slides offscreen.
 * The puzzle board uses its reversed chase light sequence.
 * The letters on the puzzle board light up very quickly, much like they did in the 1974 pilots.
 * In a rare instance, the Round 2 Prize uses a shopping pricetag to indicate its value, as opposed to Jack simply saying it. Also, its wedge (VIDEO) uses the smaller lettering.
 * Although Howard solves Round 2 for $1,050, Pat notes before the start of Round 3 that the flipper clicked over from $300 to $700 as he called the last consonant. The extra $400 is credited to Howard on a gift certificate.
 * Larry solves Round 3 with $0, increased to the house minimum of $200, without spinning at all. Since this is not enough to buy a prize, no shopping round is done and the $200 is put on a gift certificate. "Nightwalk" plays while Pat explains the situation, but is replaced with "Changing Keys" when he throws to commercial.
 * Coming out of Round 3, Howard's scoreboard reads $3,900 despite him only having $1,450, likely because his display was not cleared after Larry solved. Shortly after Pat throws to commercial, both score displays go blank.
 * At the beginning of the Bonus Round, the hazard lights are blinking on the Mazda that is being played for. During Jack's description, Pat leans into the shot to open and close the driver's-side door. After Jack finishes, Pat says that the car's door-ajar bell was ringing.
 * The winning total after the Bonus Round is in a larger font.
 * The overhead Wheel shot is not used during the credits.
 * On another episode from this period (Charmaine/Debbie/Janice):
 * Three females play.
 * Pat's Final Spin lands on Lose A Turn.
 * The Speed-Up has two rare instances of a contestant failing to solve with only vowels remaining. Janice calls the last consonant (H) in the puzzle CHAPERON but remains silent; Charmaine calls I after Pat tells the contestants that only vowels remain; Debbie then calls A and solves.
 * On yet another episode from this period (Debbie/Suzie/Dan):
 * Before Round 3, the puzzle chimes accidentally sound as the camera cuts to the $5,000 wedge. Oddly, they do not sound again when the puzzle is shown.
 * Suzie's microphone falls off during one of her spins in Round 3, and Pat is shown asking her for a letter while trying to put it back on.
 * After Suzie solves the Round 3 puzzle, her display briefly clears along with the others before coming back on.
 * Rounds 1, 4, and the Bonus Round are Phrase.
 * The footage for the Bonus Round prize (a camper) is likely edited in, as Vanna is shown modeling it from behind the puzzle board.
 * After the Bonus Round is solved, the board can be seen getting pulled off-camera to reveal the camper.
 * The sponsor list is not done over the spinning Wheel.
 * On yet another episode from this period (Eunita/Barbara/Keith):
 * The puzzle board uses its reversed chase light sequence.
 * Oddly, the category strip is white in the Bonus Round, but red for the rest of the show.
 * No vowels are bought in Rounds 2 or 3.
 * Unusually, a very short puzzle is used in Round 2 (VOCAL CORDS).
 * A total of twelve turns are lost in Round 2, including seven wrong letters (of which five are consecutive), and a streak of eight consecutive lost turns.
 * There is a pause between Eunita solving the Bonus Round puzzle (RAILROAD TRACKS) and Pat ruling her a winner, with Pat repeating her guess before announcing the win.
 * Unusually, both Vanna's and Pat's wardrobe providers are displayed together in the credits.
 * On yet another episode from this period (Lauraine/Nancy/Reggie):
 * The puzzle board uses its reversed chase light sequence.
 * On at least two spins in Round 3, the overhead Wheel shot is zoomed out too far.
 * Pat's Final Spin lands on Lose A Turn.
 * Nancy solves Round 3 with $250. Since this is not enough to buy a prize, no shopping round is done and the $250 is put on a gift certificate. "Nightwalk" plays while Pat explains the situation.
 * Lauraine wins the game with just $600, the lowest known winning score for the nighttime show.
 * On yet another episode from this period (Michelle/Emil/Linda):
 * The puzzle board uses its reversed chase light sequence.
 * Rounds 1, 4, and the Bonus Round are Thing.
 * Pat does not hear the Final Spin chimes in Round 4, and prompts the current contestant to spin again. The player takes another turn, and the chimes play again after the letter is called.
 * As Pat and Vanna sign off after the Bonus Round, the Wheel can be seen starting its automation.
 * The overhead shot of the Wheel during the credits is zoomed in further than usual.
 * On yet another episode from this period (Lynn/John/Pat):
 * The puzzle board uses its reversed chase light sequence.
 * Rounds 1, 2, and the Bonus Round are Phrase.
 * Oddly, the category strip is white in the Bonus Round, but blue for the rest of the show.
 * Contestant Pat uses her Free Spin in Round 2 after calling a repeated R. She then immediately solves the puzzle afterward.
 * The Round 3 puzzle SLEDGE HAMMER is misspelled (it should be one word).
 * Mark Corwin fills in as director.
 * On yet another episode from this period (Bill/Brilla/Teddy):
 * The puzzle board uses its reversed chase light sequence.
 * There is no inlaid contestant shot during the Round 1 shopping portion.
 * The overhead Wheel shot is zoomed in too far during the sponsor list, cutting off the top, bottom and right sides of the Wheel, and putting the left edge flush with the edge of the screen.
 * On yet another episode from this period (Robbie/Dave/Dorothy):
 * The puzzle board uses its reversed chase light sequence.
 * The Prize wedge (SILVER) uses the smaller lettering.
 * Rounds 1 and 2 are played entirely by the contestants that began them.
 * No vowels are bought in Rounds 2 or 4.
 * Oddly, the category strip is white in the Bonus Round, but blue for the rest of the show.
 * Possibly due to the presence of Round 4, Pat signs off after the Bonus Round.
 * On yet another episode from this period (Terry/Mitch/Georgia):
 * The puzzle board uses its reversed chase light sequence.
 * Oddly, the category strip is white in the Bonus Round, but pink for the rest of the show.
 * Georgia is ruled incorrect in Round 1 when she adds "the" in front of HOLY ROMAN EMPIRE.
 * The Prize wedge (PIN) uses the smaller lettering.
 * Unusually, a very short puzzle is used in Round 2 (GRIZZLY BEAR).
 * In Round 2, Vanna turns the H too hard, causing the plastic letter sheet to slide partway off the trilon.
 * The bonus puzzle WHEELER-DEALER is the first known appearance of punctuation in the Bonus Round.
 * In the final segment, Pat and Vanna plug the Hyatt Regency in Phoenix, Arizona, at which they stayed (apparently during a contestant search).
 * On this episode, "HOTEL ACCOMODATIONS AND INTERVIEW FACILITIES FURNISHED FOR THE PHOENIX TRIP PROVIDED BY HYATT REGENCY PHOENIX" appears between the sponsor list and wardrobe plugs, using the monospaced font on six lines (with a gap between "PROVIDED BY" and "HYATT REGENCY PHOENIX") over the shot of Pat, Vanna, and the day's winner at Pat's part of the railing.
 * Unusually, both Vanna's and Pat's wardrobe providers are displayed together in the credits.
 * On yet another episode from this period (Tom/Beth/Joady):
 * The puzzle board uses its reversed chase light sequence.
 * Oddly, the category strip is white in the Bonus Round, but blue for the rest of the show.
 * All of the puzzles are very short, with Round 2 being the longest at only 15 letters.
 * The camera is zoomed too far out for the entirety of Round 2 (as well as most of Round 3, up to the Final Spin), showing a portion of the Wheel in the shots of the puzzle board.
 * After Tom buys a "Dessert of the Month club" prize during the shopping portion of Round 2, Pat presents Tom with one of the deserts shown before throwing to commercial.
 * Unusually, the post-Bonus Round total display is in the center of the screen; normally, it is at the bottom.
 * The sponsor list is not done over the spinning Wheel.

October 1984

 * Likely on October 1 (known to be after at least ten episodes with the second "Changing Keys"), the squared-off edges of the contestant backdrops become pointed. The outer edge is now dark brown, while the area immediately surrounding the player's color is changed to light brown.
 * On an episode from October or November (Father Rob/Betty/Marla):
 * Vanna wears a shirt and pants.
 * The puzzle board uses its reversed chase light sequence.
 * No vowels are bought in Rounds 1 or 2.
 * Coincidentally, Father Rob ends up solving the Round 1 puzzle THE NEW TESTAMENT, after which Pat points out that the puzzles are chosen at random.
 * The camera zooms out too far during the commercial outro following Round 2, accidentally showing a nearby camera in the process.
 * During Round 3, Marla's flipper briefly stops on Bankrupt, then barely clicks over to the adjacent $700. The slide whistle begins to sound, then cuts off halfway.
 * On another episode from the above period (Janice/Faye/Marvin) FrankfurtersAndSauerkraut1984.png:
 * The puzzle board uses its reversed chase light sequence.
 * During Round 3, the trilon containing the first F in the puzzle FRANKFURTERS AND SAUERKRAUT accidentally lights up after the first letter (T) is called, and refuses to turn off. Pat repeatedly tells the contestants to disregard it until F is called later in the round.
 * Perhaps because of the above malfunction, the bonus puzzle RHINESTONE uses the third row instead of the second.
 * Pat can be heard talking during the credits.
 * On another episode from this period (Shirley/Dewey/Boone):
 * Dewey's microphone falls off during his first spin, and Pat can be seen walking over just before the shot changes.
 * The 1983 "Changing Keys" plays coming out of Round 1.
 * Pat stops Dewey before the first spin of Round 2 to state the "People does not always mean proper names" disclaimer.
 * On another episode around the same point (Michael/Sandy/Karen):
 * Rounds 2 and 3 are played entirely by the contestants that began them, although a Free Spin is used in Round 3.
 * Karen guesses STRAWBERRY PIE in the Bonus Round, and the applause machine begins to sound before Pat tells her that she is incorrect. Later on, she says STRAWBERRY, pauses for about three seconds, and says JAM after the buzzer, which Pat rules as a win.
 * On yet another episode around this time (Dave/Joan/Kathy):
 * The puzzle board uses its reversed chase light sequence.
 * No vowels are bought in Rounds 2 or 3.
 * Rounds 1, 2, and the Bonus Round are Phrase.
 * Oddly, the category strip is white in the Bonus Round, but purple for the rest of the show.
 * After Round 1, in an unusual move, Jack plugs the gift certificate provider (American Express) before describing the purchased prizes.
 * The Prize wedge (SILVER) uses the smaller lettering.
 * After Joan hits Bankrupt in Round 2, Pat walks over to remove the Prize wedge from her arrow himself, as opposed to asking her to pass it to him as usual.
 * A total of ten turns are lost in Round 2, including six wrong letters (of which three are consecutive, and one of those being a repeat), and a streak of eight consecutive lost turns.
 * In Round 2, Kathy buys only one prize (a $2,198 color TV and VCR) and puts the remaining $2 on account, which she claims after Round 3.
 * Mark Corwin fills in as director.
 * At this point, there is still a $150 next to $1,000 in Round 2.

November 1984

 * On November 19 (Marge/Bill/Patricia):
 * The 1983 "Changing Keys" plays after Round 1.
 * Rounds 2 and 3 are Phrase.
 * By November 19, the $150 next to $1,000 in Round 2 decreases to $100.
 * On an episode after the above change, but before the debut of the wide-font $1,000 and $5,000 spaces (Scott/Bus/Susie):
 * The puzzle board uses its reversed chase light sequence.
 * The Prize wedge (SILVER) uses the smaller lettering.
 * In the Round 2 puzzle THERE'S MORE WHERE THAT CAME FROM, Vanna turns the A in "CAME" too hard, causing the plastic letter sheet to slide partway off the trilon. She can later be seen adjusting it when she goes to turn the R's.
 * In an unusual occurrence for this era, the Final Spin bells sound only one turn into Round 3.
 * During the Speed-Up, the camera is zoomed too far back on the players' half of the screen, showing most of the Wheel.
 * On another episode from this period (Sharon/Cathy/Rich):
 * The puzzle board uses its reversed chase light sequence.
 * During Pat's intro, the Wheel's loud automation can be heard, so he asks the control booth to "Stop the Wheel!"
 * The category displays are white, although Vanna is wearing blue.
 * No vowels are bought in Rounds 1 or 2.
 * All of the puzzles are very short, with Round 3 being the longest at only 17 letters.
 * It takes eleven turns to reveal any letters in the Round 1 puzzle BILLY JOEL. A total of 12 turns are lost in this round including two Bankrupts and a repeated letter.
 * After Round 1, in an unusual move, Jack plugs the gift certificate provider (American Express) before describing the purchased prizes.
 * The 1983 "Changing Keys" plays after Round 1.
 * Rich sweeps the game, but loses a $24,000 boat in the Bonus Round.
 * As Pat and Vanna sign off, the Wheel can be seen starting its automation.
 * On November 22 (Nancy/Al/Nicki):
 * Oddly, contestants Nancy and Al's last names are never stated on-air.
 * The 1983 "Changing Keys" plays after Round 1.
 * In Round 2, Pat walks over to fix Al's microphone.
 * In the Speed-Up, Nancy missolves YOUR GOOSE IS COOKED as YOUR MOOSE IS COOKED, a wrong answer that has been recalled by many viewers over the years. She gives the right answer after the buzzer.
 * All of the puzzles are very short, with Round 2 and the Bonus Round being the longest at 19 letters each; this is the second known instance of the bonus puzzle being the longest.
 * Starting November 22, the green $1,000 wedge begins using a much wider font than usual, most noticeably the dollar sign and first zero. Oddly, the normal font is used on November 23. 5Kwide1984.png
 * As of November 23 (E.R./Casey/Stacey), the King World logo still looks the same as it did at the beginning of the season.
 * On at least two episodes after the wide-font $1,000 debuts (including Sharon/Dee Dee/Brent and Laura/Bob/Rochelle), the $5,000 space also uses a much wider font. The altered spaces likely debuted at the same time, with the latter removed shortly afterward.
 * On Sharon/Dee Dee/Brent:
 * During the intro, Jack describes a Parisian holiday in a mock French accent.
 * Vanna wears a suit.
 * The Round 1 puzzle SCUTTLEBUTT is a rare instance of a one-word Phrase.
 * On Dee Dee's last spin in Round 1, the Wheel noticeably wobbles and makes a grinding noise.
 * Rounds 1 and 2 are Phrase, while Round 3 and the Bonus Round are Person.
 * On Laura/Bob/Rochelle:
 * The top half of the Speed-Up split-screen is zoomed out too far, showing most of the Wheel.
 * The bonus puzzle LEAVE WELL ENOUGH ALONE uses all four lines of the puzzle board, one of the few known instances of a bonus puzzle doing so.
 * The Bonus Round is played for a mink coat, which Vanna wears throughout.
 * The board malfunctions during the Bonus Round, as it takes several seconds for any trilons to light up, and several of them do not light up in sync with the dings.
 * Very strangely, the wardrobe plugs are shown over the spinning Round 1 layout.
 * On an episode from around this point, with the wide-font $1,000 and regular $5,000 (Jeannette/Tim/Colleen):
 * The Wheel spins very slowly during the intro.
 * "Changing Keys" is slightly slowed in the intro and "Nightwalk" warbles during the shopping rounds.
 * The puzzle board uses its reversed chase light sequence.
 * Jeanette gets four Free Spins in Round 1, the first three on consecutive spins, and uses three of them in Round 3.
 * The 1983 "Changing Keys" plays coming out of Round 1. Patrevealsapostrophe.png
 * Pat runs up to the puzzle board to reveal the apostrophe in the Round 3 puzzle, for which he is applauded.
 * Later in Round 3, both the buzzer and ding sound on a correct letter.
 * Pat informs Jeanette that the bonus puzzle is both a Phrase and a Title, although the chyron only shows Phrase. This is one of only two known instances of Pat stating that a puzzle can fit in more than one category.
 * Jeanette reveals only the B in the bonus puzzle SIDE BY SIDE, believed to be the fewest letters revealed under five-and-a-vowel rules.
 * On another episode from around this point (James/Gale/Sharon):
 * The money graphic and subsequent logo do not have their white outlines.
 * Oddly, the category strip is white in Round 1 and the Bonus Round, but purple for the rest of the show.
 * Gale solves the Speed-Up puzzle CLEVELAND OHIO with just the N revealed for $5,000, a moment which appears in several retrospectives.
 * Gale sweeps the game and wins a classic car in the Bonus Round.


 * At this point, the Round 1 layout is still the same as it was near the beginning of Season 1 and the Round 2 layout is still the same as it was on November 23.

December 1984

 * On an episode from early this month (Ken/Kathy/Bruce):
 * The puzzle board uses its reversed chase light sequence.
 * The Round 2 puzzle CATCH-AS-CATCH-CAN has three hyphens, tying the record for the most punctuation ever revealed on the trilon boards until 1994. It is also a rare main-game puzzle with only one vowel.
 * Rounds 1, 4, and the Bonus Round are Thing.
 * The winning contestant has only $1,000 before the Bonus Round; even more interestingly, his two opponents both have $900.
 * By the above episode:
 * The walls introduced in February begin using their Winter decorations. It is uncertain whether they were used in Season 1.
 * The Wheel is altered again:
 * In Round 1, the tan $100 next to Free Spin becomes a light red-orange $700 and the sole $175 becomes a light orange $800.
 * The light-orange $100 next to $1,000 in Round 2 is increased to an orange $600. Yellow_$500.png
 * The red $200 next to the tan $250 in Rounds 2+ becomes a yellow $500, resulting in two spaces of the same color adjacent to each other in Round 3.
 * On another episode from early in the month (Reiko/Ralph/Conrad):
 * For the only known time since late 1982, the money graphic and subsequent logo are white.
 * The closing segment is not done at or near the Wheel.
 * Mark Corwin fills in as director.
 * By the above episode, the aforementioned yellow $500 is moved to cover the red $300 next to Bankrupt instead.


 * On December 19 (Kathe/Esther/Dennis):
 * The puzzle board uses its reversed chase light sequence.
 * Rounds 1-3 are Phrase.
 * In Round 2, the trilon containing the N in the puzzle SOUTHERN HOSPITALITY accidentally lights up after R is called, but quickly turns back off.
 * Contestant Dennis only spins once in the entire game, calling a wrong letter on $700 in Round 3.
 * By December 19, the set is decorated for Christmas with wreaths and bows.
 * By December 19, the Wheel is altered again: Round1whl-85.jpg
 * In Round 1, the $200 near Lose A Turn becomes $900.
 * The outer frame becomes slightly misaligned.


 * John/Larry/Peggy likely airs on December 24 or 25, as it has Christmas-themed puzzles. On this episode:
 * Peggy looks at the wrong contestant arrow for two spins in a row.
 * No vowels are bought in Round 2.
 * Round 2 also has a rare instance of a contestant losing their turn with only vowels remaining: Peggy accidentally reads the last word of the puzzle CAN'T LIVE WITHOUT IT as "you", after which John solves for $250.


 * On an episode possibly from December 31 (Angela/Diane/Roger):
 * Mark Corwin fills in as director.
 * $800 is placed over $750 by mistake, thus putting $175 back into play.
 * It is initially thought that the week of December 31 consisted of reruns, but this recollection is contradicted by the above; however, it is not impossible that either the above episode is mis-dated, or that the reruns were actually a week later.

January 1985

 * On an episode between January 7 and 18 (Dave/Melanie/Vicky):
 * The puzzle board uses its reversed chase light sequence.
 * $800 is placed over $750 by mistake, putting $175 back into play.
 * Rounds 1, 2, and 3 are Phrase.
 * Round 4 begins as a Speed-Up.
 * Vicky solves Round 4 with $0, increased to the house minimum of $200. Since this is not enough to buy a prize, no shopping round is done and the $200 is put on a gift certificate.
 * After the Bonus Round, Dave's final total of $11,250 is displayed on screen (in the typical yellow Helvetica font). This is the first known time (on the nighttime show, at least) of a final total being shown for a player who did not win the Bonus Round.
 * Possibly due to the presence of Round 4, Pat signs off after the Bonus Round.
 * On another episode from the above timeframe (Rita/Lynn/Jonas):
 * $800 is placed over $750 by mistake, putting $175 back into play.
 * The puzzle board uses its reversed chase light sequence.
 * On another episode from the above timeframe (Mike/Renita/Laura):
 * The Wheel's outer frame is still misaligned, and it spins more tightly than is normal at this point. The misalignment causes Pat to claim that Renita landed on $400 in Round 2 despite the flipper clearly being over the $500 portion sticking into that section. This error does not affect the outcome.
 * The puzzle board uses its reversed chase light sequence.
 * One prize purchased after Round 1 is a pair of "Practically Perfect People" with Pat and Vanna's faces on them.
 * Renita sweeps the game and wins an $11,000 pair of diamond earrings in the Bonus Round. Among her winnings are two cars, both purchased in Round 3.
 * Landmark appears in the Bonus Round for the first known time.
 * On another episode from the above timeframe (Andrea/Doug/Sandy):
 * Pat begins to say the first half of the rules spiel but only gets as far as "$1,000... don't hit Bankrupt, and the merchandise, and all that, here's our first puzzle..."
 * The puzzle board uses its original chase light sequence.
 * Oddly, the category strip is white in the Bonus Round, but pink for the rest of the show.
 * After Doug hits Bankrupt in Round 2, Pat walks over to remove the Prize wedge from his arrow himself, as opposed to asking him to pass it over as usual.
 * In a rather rare occurrence, Andrea spends all of her money in the Round 3 shopping segment.
 * On another episode from the above timeframe (Iola/Teri/Jim):
 * The puzzle board uses its original chase light sequence.
 * Oddly, the category strip is white in the Bonus Round, but red for the rest of the show.
 * The Prize wedge (PIN) uses the smaller lettering.
 * The Round 2 puzzle COMPUTER SOFTWARE is categorized as Things instead of Thing.
 * There are two sets of repeated categories: Phrase in Rounds 1 and 3, Things in Round 2 and the Bonus Round.
 * In the Bonus Round, there is a wider-than-usual gap between Jim's third and fourth consonants on the chyron. Furthermore, his last three consonants and vowel are not put on the chyron until after all of them have been called.
 * On another episode from the above timeframe (Judy/Jim/Kathy):
 * The puzzle board uses its reversed chase light sequence.
 * $175 is used for the last known time in Round 1, due to the orange $800 being put on the adjacent $750 instead. This same mistake had occurred on at least three other episodes previously (Dave/Melanie/Vicky, Angela/Diane/Roger, and Rita/Lynn/Jonas).
 * After Round 1, in an unusual move, Jack plugs the gift certificate provider (American Express) before describing the purchased prizes.
 * In a somewhat-unusual move, the platform for the chosen bonus prize (a $4,305 entertainment center and color TV) is placed in front of the puzzle board.
 * The board malfunctions during the Bonus Round, as it takes several seconds for any trilons to light up, and several of them do not light up in sync with the dings.
 * On another episode from the above timeframe (Regina/Jim/Gary):
 * During the interviews, Gary presents a Florida Gators bumper sticker to Pat. In exchange, Pat presents Gary with a handwritten sign reading "I (heart) Wink Martindale".
 * The puzzle board uses its original chase light sequence.
 * The Prize wedge (CRUISE) uses the smaller lettering.
 * In Round 1, Pat accidentally says there is no M in the puzzle. At the same time, Vanna is turning the M around. The ding does not sound until after the letter is revealed.
 * Regina sweeps the game and wins a trip to Switzerland in the Bonus Round.
 * Landmark appears in the Bonus Round for the second known time.
 * Mark Corwin fills in as director.
 * Strangely, the credit roll is done over a blurred close-up of one of the spiral pillars (similar to the shots used for replacement sponsor lists in summer/weekend reruns). As the circulating copy of this episode comes from a GSN airing, this likely indicates this was aired from a "repeat master".
 * On January 17 (Cynthia/John/Susie):
 * During his contestant interview, John pulls out a list of people he wants to say hello to.
 * The puzzle board uses its original chase light sequence.
 * John solves the Round 2 puzzle LEMON MERINGUE PIE by putting an A in front of it, which is accepted. Afterward, Pat notes that "You can add an 'a' or 'an' at the beginning of solving", a rule which has been inconsistently applied over the years.
 * After John wins the game, Pat lets him begin reading the aforementioned list into the commercial break. After the break, John finishes reading the list and puts it away.
 * By January 17, the King World logo is no longer shown over the Wheel.
 * Possibly on January 21 (known to be after the above episodes and at least seven others), three graphical changes are made:
 * The logo used at the beginning of the show becomes a chyron with white borders and letters which are closer together than the previous logo. The transparent portions of the Wheel graphic are filled in, while the formerly-filled spaces become white. BlackBlueAnimatedLogo1-85.pngGreenYellowAnimatedLogo1-85.png
 * The logo shown after the money graphic is updated to an animated one with colored sections rotating in the center. The letters and dots flash in dark and light shades of yellow.
 * The colored sections vary by episode: Maryann/Linda/Joel uses a blue and black iteration with the rest of the logo being blue, while Melanie/Helene/Art uses red and yellow; Steve/Christina/Debra and Judy/Tim/Iris use green and yellow; and Peg/Renee/Doc uses red, yellow, and green.
 * The category chyrons are changed to a medium form of Helvetica. The Bonus Round totals and credits are also changed to Helvetica. Also, the value of the Prize now appears on a chyron as it is announced; previously, no graphic was used.
 * On Steve/Christina/Debra:
 * The puzzle board uses its original chase light sequence.
 * No letters are revealed in Round 1 until the sixth turn.
 * In Round 1, Steve buys only one prize (a $1,299 refrigerator) and puts the remaining $1 on account. He loses that to Bankrupt in Round 2, then puts $12 on account following that round. Bikeprize.png
 * The Round 2 Prize is a Harley-Davidson motorcycle, whose wedge has "BIKE" in small letters on the top half of the wedge.
 * Bankrupt is hit five times in Round 2; overall, fourteen turns are lost in the round, including eight wrong letters (of which four are consecutive), and a streak of six consecutive lost turns.
 * Surprisingly, no vowels are bought in the entire game.
 * All of the puzzles are very short, with the Bonus Round being the longest at 16 letters; this is the third known instance of the bonus puzzle being the longest.
 * None of the puzzles have an N in them; in addition, none of the maingame puzzles have R or T in them.
 * Steve sweeps the game and wins an $11,700 set of gold chains in the Bonus Round. Strangely, his post-Bonus Round total is displayed in Korinna, the font used for clues on sister show Jeopardy!Wheel of Fortune (January 1985, Steve-Christina-Debra).png
 * By the above episode, the Wheel's frame is fixed.
 * Likely on January 24, the category chyrons get a shadow effect. After at least two more episodes (Judy/Tim/Iris and Bob/Kathy/Mike), the regular animated logo (with red, blue, green, and yellow sections) debuts, although at this point the credits are still white.
 * On Judy/Tim/Iris:
 * In an unusual move, Pat walks over to Vanna after her entrance, having noted her dress making a rustling sound, and shakes her sleeve.
 * After Round 1, in an unusual move, Jack plugs the gift certificate provider (American Express) before describing the purchased prizes.
 * Pat's Final Spin lands on Lose A Turn.
 * Pat and Vanna do not sign off; rather, the final segment begins with the fee plugs.
 * On Peg/Renee/Doc:
 * Vanna wears a sleeveless shirt and pants.
 * For the only known time after the font change, the category chyrons are white.
 * Doc begins to solve the bonus puzzle THE LOVE BOAT just before the buzzer, giving the last word just after the buzzer ends. Despite this being one guess, and against precedent, he is told that the buzzer beat him (with Pat stating that Doc had to say the full answer within the 15-second time limit). Afterward, Vanna gives him a set of keys which Pat claims are the keys to her apartment, but are actually the keys to a car he purchased during the game.

February 1985

 * On an episode with the shadowed Helvetica chyrons and regular animated logo (Mary/Dick/Chris):
 * The 1983 "Changing Keys" plays coming out of the Bonus Round.
 * The puzzle board reads LEE RAWLS during the credits. This was done (most likely by Pat) by swapping out letters in the bonus puzzle LOU RAWLS, referencing the fact that Dick said "Lee Rawls" at the start of the Bonus Round and did not come up with the right answer until several seconds later.
 * On another episode from the above period (Steve/Kelli/Jim):
 * Vanna wears a shirt and pants.
 * Pat begins to say the first half of the rules spiel but only gets as far as "$1,000...you know the rules, let's get on with it."
 * Kelli says the first word of the bonus puzzle THE NATIONAL ANTHEM just before the buzzer, with the rest immediately afterward. It is immediately ruled as a win.
 * On another episode from the above period (Milt/Fran/Stuart):
 * Rounds 1 and 2 are played entirely by the person who began them: Milt puts $654 on account following Round 1, while Fran puts $13 on account after Round 2.
 * Following Round 3, Pat suggests that Milt put his remaining $179 on a gift certificate due to it being Round 3, after which Milt asks "Will we have time for a fourth round?", causing Pat to laugh. Milt opts to put his remaining money on account if there is time for a fourth round, after which Jack begins reading the prize plugs. Returning from break, Pat says "Welcome back to On Account Playhouse." before doing the Final Spin.
 * On yet another episode from the above period (Joyce/Nancy/Mark):
 * The Round 2 Prize (JADE) uses much larger lettering than usual.
 * One of Mark's spins in Round 2 causes the Wheel to make a loud noise.
 * Nine consecutive turns are lost in Round 2, four of which are Bankrupts.
 * Joyce puts $1 on account following Round 2, but does not claim it.
 * Nancy tries to use her Free Spin in the Speed-Up.
 * Mark solves the bonus puzzle TRIAL LAWYER (Occupation) with only the T, R's, and E showing.
 * Following the sponsor list, Pat can be seen removing the first R from the bonus puzzle and slotting in an I; the first L is also pulled off its trilon.
 * On yet another episode around this point (Stacey/John/Kim):
 * The blue portions of the animated logo are present, but noticeably transparent.
 * The puzzle board uses its original chase light sequence.
 * Rounds 1, 2, and 3 are Thing.
 * John puts $76 on account following Round 1, but does not claim it.
 * During the Round 2 Prize plug (for a men's mink coat valued at $6,500), John models the coat.
 * Round 4 begins as a Speed-Up.
 * In the Round 4 puzzle (JOHN WAYNE), Vanna turns the N in WAYNE too hard, causing the letter sheet to slide partway off the trilon.
 * On this episode, the graphics for the eligibility disclaimer and the wardrobe plugs are pink.
 * On another episode around this point, before the chyrons are changed to having a white outline (Mary/Dan/Marianne):
 * The Round 1 puzzle THREE-RING CIRCUS is categorized as Phrase instead of Thing.
 * In Round 1, contestant Mary just barely avoids hitting Bankrupt, and her scoreboard briefly goes blank as a result.
 * Later in Round 1, Pat asks Mary to "follow through a little more" on her spins, due to her last spin only moving eight wedges.
 * In Round 2, Dan accidentally calls an O after spinning, but quickly changes to P; Pat rules it as an O, and Dan loses his turn. Oddly, the buzzer sounds during this ruling.
 * Rounds 1 and 3 are played entirely by the contestants who began them.
 * By February 8, the money graphic font and all other chyrons are changed to a bolder form of Helvetica with no shadow and a white outline around the bottom of each letter. They again display in various colors, often matching Vanna's outfit (with the exception of neutral colors such as black, white, brown, and gray). At least 12 episodes used this design.
 * By about this point, the Winter decorations are again removed from the walls. This is uncertain, however, as three episodes with the shadowed chyrons (Bob/Kathy/Mike, John/Doreen/Janis, and Steve/Kelli/Jim) do not use the decorations while two from this period (Stacey/John/Kim and Mary Lou/Lee/Greg) do.
 * By about this point, the graphics for the eligibility disclaimer, wardrobe plugs, and full credit roll become blue.
 * One episode from this period (Marge/Eddie/Susie) does not use the blue portions of the animated logo.
 * On an episode around this point (Ann/Derek/Jerry):
 * Ann puts $107 on account in Round 1, and uses it in Round 3.
 * Unusually, a very short puzzle is used in Round 2 (FORT KNOX).
 * Eight wrong letters are called in Round 2, five of which are consecutive; also, no vowels are bought.
 * Ann solves the bonus puzzle OUT TO LUNCH with only the T's and N showing.
 * On another episode around this point (Carol/Susan/Beverly):
 * Three females play.
 * No vowels are bought in Round 1.
 * Rounds 2-4 all have punctuation marks: hyphens in Rounds 2 and 4, and an apostrophe in Round 3.
 * On an episode sometime around this point (Ken/Irene/Gina):
 * Unusually, the shadowed Helvetica chyron is used for Round 1, but the white-outline-on-bottom chyrons are used in Rounds 2 and 3. Furthermore, the Bonus Round uses a variant which has the smaller size of the original Helvetica chyron, but the white-outline-on-bottom appearance of the second style.
 * All of the puzzles are very short, with Round 1 being the longest at only 17 letters.
 * The bonus puzzle SILVER WEDDING ANNIVERSARY is very likely the longest bonus puzzle ever used on the show, at 24 letters; it is also a rare instance of the bonus puzzle being the longest.
 * On another episode around this point (Clayton/Carolyn/Laurie):
 * During the rules spiel, Pat jokingly says "... try not to hit Bankrupt, if you do we'll take you out back and rough you up, and you'll lose your cash..."
 * The puzzle board uses its reversed chase light sequence.
 * No vowels are bought in Round 2.
 * In a rare instance, the Round 2 Prize uses a shopping pricetag to indicate its value, as opposed to Jack simply saying it.
 * It takes seven turns to reveal any letters in the Round 2 puzzle COMPANY PICNIC.
 * In Round 3, Laurie loses $11,450 to Bankrupt.
 * After recapping the scores and announcing the winner at the end of Round 3, Pat tosses Carolyn's Free Spin token on to the Wheel, saying "Who needs a Free Spin?"
 * On another episode around this point (Howard/Bridgette/Derry):
 * During the opening spin, Pat almost calls $750 the top dollar value for Round 1, but corrects himself to $1,000.
 * The puzzle board uses its reversed chase light sequence.
 * It takes six turns to reveal any letters in the Round 1 puzzle BARRY MANILOW.
 * In an unusual occurrence, during the throw to commercial after Round 1, Pat plugs the Round 2 prize, saying "When we come back, we will find out what special prize we've put on the Wheel for Round 2 this time." After the break, Pat throws to Jack with "So Jack, what is the nice prize we have on our Wheel?"
 * Strangely, there is no category strip on screen for the first two shots of the Round 2 puzzle (Quotation).
 * After Bridgette hits Bankrupt in Round 2, Pat walks over to remove the Prize wedge from her arrow himself, as opposed to asking her to pass it to him as usual.
 * During Round 2, nine turns are lost, five of which are consecutive. Altogether, the round runs for 4 minutes and 25 seconds.
 * No vowels are bought in Round 3.
 * Pat and Vanna do not sign off; rather, the final segment begins with the fee plugs.
 * On another episode around this point (Maynard/Mary/Charlotte):
 * The puzzle board uses its reversed chase light sequence.
 * During Round 1, after Mary hits Bankrupt, Charlotte quickly attempts to spin, but is stopped by Pat to allow Mary the option to use her Free Spin, which she does.
 * No vowels are bought in Round 2.
 * All of the puzzles are very short, with Round 1 being the longest at 17 letters.

March 1985

 * On an episode around this point (Denise/Gloria/Ron), after the aforementioned graphics become blue:
 * No vowels are bought in Round 2.
 * Pat wears Denise's nametag during the Round 3 outro.
 * Nine wrong letters are called in Round 4, including seven in a row.
 * Neither Bankrupt nor Lose A Turn is hit.
 * Denise sweeps the game and wins an Oldsmobile Cutlass Ciera in the Bonus Round.
 * On another episode during this period (Hal/Chris/Rita):
 * The puzzle board uses its reversed chase light sequence.
 * After Round 1, in an unusual move, Jack plugs the gift certificate provider (American Express) before describing the purchased prizes.
 * Round 4 begins as a Speed-Up.
 * After Hal calls D, his score display mistakenly reads $7,550 instead of the proper $750. When he then solves, the display briefly goes blank before coming back on and showing the correct score.
 * There are two sets of repeated categories: Phrase in Rounds 1 and 3, Thing in Round 2 and the Bonus Round.
 * Possibly due to the presence of Round 4, Pat signs off after the Bonus Round.
 * By March 29, the category chyrons are altered again to have the white outline around the entirety of each letter, a style which remains until January 1993.

April 1985

 * Reruns air during the week of April 8.
 * Jerry/Joan/Elaine, Deborah/Cheryl/Robin, Gina/Cindy/Mike, Kim/Brad/Carla, Kathy Jo/Tom/Beth, and Ron/Margot/Elaine air around this point.
 * On Jerry/Joan/Elaine:
 * In a rather rare occurrence, Joan spends all of her money in the Round 1 shopping segment; despite this, Jack still plugs the gift certificate.
 * No vowels are bought in Rounds 1 or 2.
 * On Deborah/Cheryl/Robin:
 * Deborah gets two Free Spins in Round 1, while Robin gets one.
 * In Round 2, Deborah uses both Free Spins after hitting Lose A Turn twice in a row, but she hits it a third time. It is hit four times overall, possibly a one-round record.
 * On Kim/Brad/Carla:
 * The contestant overlay does not appear during Round 1's shopping round.
 * Kim wins with $4,000, earned entirely from a single spin landing on $1,000 in Round 2.
 * On Kathy Jo/Tom/Beth:
 * The puzzle board uses its reversed chase light sequence.
 * Tom gets two Free Spins in Round 1, using one of them after hitting Lose A Turn later that same round, and the other after hitting Lose A Turn on the first spin of Round 2.
 * By Ron/Margot/Elaine (known to have been rerun on September 27, 1986), the King World logo becomes light blue and is again at the bottom of the screen.
 * On Gina/Cindy/Mike, Cindy solves the puzzle BUFFALO NEW YORK with only the N revealed.
 * On another episode during this period (Shannon/Larry/Meryl):
 * Meryl puts $279 on account following Round 2, then claims it in Round 4. As the latter is played for a gift certificate, the $279 is simply added onto that.
 * One prize bought after Round 2 is a $330 desk set, which includes a digital clock showing a time of 5:57.
 * In a somewhat-unusual move, the platform for the chosen bonus prize (a $7,850 Mediterranean cruise) is placed in front of the puzzle board.
 * Due to a longer-than-usual sponsor credit, the sponsor list zooms out partway through.
 * On another episode during this period (Jo Ann/Rusti/Fritz):
 * The puzzle board uses its reversed chase light sequence.
 * There are two sets of repeated categories: Rounds 1 and 3 are Person, while Round 2 is Things and the Bonus Round is Thing.
 * By the above episode, it becomes standard practice to go to a commercial, have the winning contestant do their shopping, then come back and announce what they purchased, in cases where a contestant wins more than $10,000 in a single round.
 * On another episode during this period (Karen/Kimberly/Mike):
 * The puzzle board uses its reversed chase light sequence.
 * Vanna drives one of the cars, an Oldsmobile Calais, to center stage as Jack is describing it during the Round 3 prize plugs.
 * Possibly due to the presence of the extra prize plug segment, Pat signs off after the Bonus Round.
 * On another episode during this period (Kathy/Richard/Dawn):
 * The puzzle board uses its reversed chase light sequence.
 * In Round 1, the category strip does not appear until after Vanna reveals the apostrophe in the puzzle.
 * In Round 2, Dawn attempts to call a letter on Lose A Turn.
 * After Richard hits Bankrupt in Round 2, Pat walks over to remove the Prize wedge from his arrow himself, as opposed to asking him to pass it to him as usual.
 * Round 4 begins as a Speed-Up.
 * The Round 4 puzzle FORTUNETELLER is misspelled (should be two words).
 * No vowels are bought in Round 4.
 * Possibly due to the presence of Round 4, Pat signs off after the Bonus Round.
 * On another episode during this period (Susan/Beth/Ted):
 * The puzzle board uses its reversed chase light sequence.
 * When Ted lands on $800 in Round 2, Pat mistakenly tells him he has landed on $500, and is corrected from offstage.
 * A total of eleven turns are lost in Round 2, including seven wrong letters (of which four are consecutive) and one repeated letter, and a streak of five consecutive lost turns.
 * Susan sweeps the game, but loses an Isuzu Impulse coupe in the Bonus Round.
 * Pat and Vanna do not sign off; rather, the final segment begins with the fee plugs.
 * On another episode during this period (Tony/Bob/Kathy):
 * The puzzle board uses its reversed chase light sequence.
 * Rounds 1, 2, and 3 are Phrase.
 * After Round 1, in an unusual move, Jack plugs the gift certificate provider (American Express) before describing the purchased prizes.
 * The Prize wedge (SILVER) uses the smaller lettering.
 * Round 4 begins as a Speed-Up.

May 1985

 * On May 2 (Diane/Linda/Ronda), Pat's Final Spin lands on Bankrupt. His second attempt hits $5,000.
 * As of May 2:
 * The wide-font $1,000 is still in use.
 * The slide whistle is still used if Pat hits Bankrupt on the Final Spin.
 * Sometime between May 3 and June 21, the green $1,000 returns to its normal appearance.

June 1985

 * On an episode from May or June, after the green $1,000 returns to normal (Lori/Peggy/David):
 * During the interviews, Lori presents a key to the city of Henderson, Nevada and a certificate that certifies Pat as an honorary member of Henderson, both provided by the city's then-mayor. In exchange, Pat gives Lori a set of keys, which he takes back after the interviews are done.
 * The puzzle board uses its reversed chase light sequence.
 * The Round 2 prize (a Harley-Davidson motorcycle) uses the same "BIKE" wedge with bunched-up letters from January.
 * The Speed-Up puzzle MORRIS THE CAT is inexplicably categorized as Thing instead of Fictional Character. Afterward, Pat says the puzzle is "difficult to categorize" because he's "sort of real".
 * During the fee plugs, Pat rearranges the letters in the bonus puzzle FRANK SINATRA to RANK RATS. He can be seen adjusting the S and walking away from the puzzle board after the fee plugs, causing Jack to laugh as he signs off.
 * On another episode from this period (Denise/Rob/Mary):
 * The puzzle board uses its reversed chase light sequence.
 * When Denise calls an incorrect T in Round 1, the Bankrupt slide whistle accidentally plays instead of the wrong letter buzzer.
 * In a rather rare occurrence, Mary spends all of her money in the Round 2 shopping segment.
 * There are two sets of repeated categories: Thing in Rounds 1 and 3, Phrase in Round 2 and the Bonus Round.