Wheel of Fortune timeline (syndicated)/Season 1

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A timeline for Season 1 of Wheel of Fortune, which aired in first-run from approximately August 22, 1983 through June 29, 1984. (Specific dates are difficult to determine, as stations debuted the show at various points between August 22 and September 19.)

August 1983

 * On August 22, WKBW in Buffalo, New York debuts Wheel with episodes from the show's home base of Burbank, California. It is known that the first episode aired, also the first shown by WHEC in Rochester two weeks later, was the first episode aired by GSN.
 * Another station, WJRT in Flint, Michigan, debuts the show sometime in August with Burbank episodes.


 * On August 29, four TV stations in Ohio (including WEWS in Cleveland, WKEF in Dayton, and WBNS in Columbus) debut Wheel with a special week of episodes taped at the Ohio State Fair on August 18-19. According to Pat Sajak during some 1997 tapings at the same location, these were the first nighttime tapings but did not go over too well due to at least some contestants having no idea how to play the game.
 * A set of photos that surfaced in June 2014 suggest that these were not "true" episodes, but rather a "mock" version, with audience members drawn randomly to play a reduced-stakes version with a vertical Wheel. The photos indicate that two people played at a time at individual miked podiums, with the Wheel between them (a similar setup to the Melody Roulette round on Name That Tune) and the puzzle board to their left (the audience's right). Although the photos do not include a full view of the puzzle board, the portions visible suggest an appearance similar to the 1974-81 style.
 * The Wheel used in these shows later appears in an official "mini-movie" made by the show in mid-1985, part of which (specifically, a parade) is done in Nelsonville, Ohio.

September 1983

 * The nighttime Wheel debuts on September 19 in most markets, September 12 or 5 in others. It plays identically to the NBC daytime version, with Pat and Vanna White hosting, Jack Clark as announcer, and only six major differences at this point:
 * There are no returning champions.
 * The prize budget is noticeably higher.
 * Round 2 adds a Prize wedge to the orange $150 near Lose A Turn.
 * The top value in Round 3 is increased to $5,000, which is on a shiny, silver wedge covering the $2,000 wedge.
 * Following the Merv Griffin Productions logo, Jack adds "Distributed by King World Productions, Inc." The King World logo ("KING WORLD PRODUCTIONS, INC."), using the Eurostile Heavy font, is shown over Pat, Vanna, and the day's winner.
 * Each week is compiled from five taping sessions, and episodes typically air out of sequence due to the "bicycling" method of syndication still in use at this point.


 * The September 19 show is Jeff/Leslie/Linda, taped July 6.
 * On September 20 (Lisa/Bob/Nancy):
 * No vowels are bought in Rounds 1 or 3.
 * Oddly, the category strip is white in the Bonus Round, but red for the rest of the show.
 * The contestants are shown turning their backs during the commercial outro in Round 2.
 * In Round 2, Nancy accidentally asks to buy a vowel after spinning, but is prompted for a consonant by Pat. She then calls a D, which is not in the puzzle.
 * A total of ten turns are lost in Round 2, including six wrong letters (of which three are consecutive), and a streak of six consecutive lost turns.
 * Round 3 begins as a Speed-Up. Against precedent, the slide whistle does not play when Pat's Final Spin lands on Bankrupt.
 * There is a brief pause between Bob solving the Round 3 puzzle BIRTH CERTIFICATE and Pat ruling it correct, possibly due to Bob adding an A before the answer.
 * By September 20, the money graphic and logo begin using white outlines; previously, they were black.
 * On September 21 (Kathy/Janet/Barry): DollarSignPrizeWedge.jpg
 * Janet had previously played on the October 8, 1980 episode.
 * The Wheel Prize is $500 cash, displayed as five "crisp, new" $100 bills in a bird nest (a "nest egg"); the wedge has a large dollar sign in the same font as other Prize wedges. This is not the least expensive prize ever offered, as a $425 camera is also known to have been offered early in the show's run.
 * After the above plug, the players are shown turning around to face the puzzle board.
 * Oddly, one of the fee plugs is a pre-recorded ad for Big Boy Restaurants, although "Changing Keys" continues to play over it. This is the first of only six known instances prior to Season 14 of a fee plug being pre-recorded by the company.
 * On September 22 (Lou/Cindy/Karen)
 * The Round 3 puzzle THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA is on the second through fourth rows, a practice normally done only if the first word is too long for the top row.
 * Cindy lands on $5,000 three times in a row in Round 3. She then solves for $25,100, buying a total of 12 prizes (including two cars). The resulting prize copy runs for three minutes and twelve seconds.
 * By September 22:
 * The top value in Round 1 is increased to $1,000; the green wedge is placed over the $100 near $750 (which was previously the top dollar). At least two other episodes (Cyn/Susan/Steve and Laura/Lisa/Glenn) have $750 as the top value in Round 1 along with the white outlines.
 * On Laura/Lisa/Glenn, Pat explains how players choose bonus prizes during the final segment.
 * On an episode after the $1,000 top value is introduced, but before the trees change (Barbara/Harlene/Kevin), the Prize wedge's lettering (SILVER) is much smaller than usual. The smaller lettering continues to appear at least occasionally until early next season.
 * On another episode from the above timeframe (Richard/Claire/Melissa):
 * During Round 1, the buzzer sounds on a correct letter.
 * The Prize wedge (VIDEO) uses the smaller lettering.
 * The players are shown turning their backs during the commercial outro in Round 2.
 * Claire puts $25 on account after Round 2, which she claims in Round 3.
 * In late September or early October, the on-set trees become brown; previously, they were green.

October 1983

 * On an episode with the brown-leaf trees (Ed/Dawn/Ellen, stated by GSN as being taped in September):
 * Ed solves the Speed-Up puzzle with $16,050. Pat throws to commercial, but is quickly stopped and Ed shops. "Changing Keys" is heard briefly while the situation is resolved.
 * Ed sweeps the game and wins a hot tub in the Bonus Round.
 * Beginning around this point, contestants who win the Bonus Round have their final totals displayed on screen (usually in a yellow Helvetica font).
 * On another episode with the brown-leaf trees (Bob/Pearl/Carmen), Jack does not do his "the prices of the prizes..." spiel, possibly due to the available copy being a repeat.
 * On another episode from around the same point (Dan/Gloria/Ola):
 * No vowels are bought in Round 2.
 * Gloria sweeps the game but loses a Mazda in the Bonus Round.
 * Oddly, one of the fee plugs is a pre-recorded ad for Meow Mix, although "Changing Keys" continues to play over it. This is the second of only six known instances prior to Season 14 of a fee plug being pre-recorded by the company.
 * By October 31, the on-set trees become white with lights on them.

November 1983

 * On an episode with the light-up white trees, but before the Griffin logo changes (Rick/Joan/Cecelia):
 * The Prize wedge uses the smaller lettering.
 * Neither Thing nor Phrase is used.
 * On November 28, the Griffin logo is replaced by a full-color drawing of a griffin against a black background. The griffin blinks, and the company's name is animated with light blue inside; below the Griffin company name is a Califon Productions copyright notice.
 * Most likely on November 28, and definitely by the end of January, the King World logo is also altered: it now uses a rounder font, similar to Helvetica, with "KING WORLD" larger than "Productions Inc." Oddly, the new logo is shown over a slowly-spinning Round 1 layout.
 * November 29 (Francine/Kim/Paul) is Episode #S-052, taped August 28.

December 1983

 * Reruns air during the week of December 26. Repeat airings use a new set of fee plugs and cut away to a gold gradient background listing the replacement sponsors during the normal sponsor crawl.

January 1984

 * Kathy Najimy is a contestant sometime this year, between appearances on the nighttime Family Feud (1981) and The $25,000 Pyramid (July 31, 1985). On May 2, 1989, she appears as a guest on The Pat Sajak Show and shows a picture of her Wheel appearance.


 * On an episode from this month (Lloyd/Linda/Debbie):
 * During the opening, Pat sits in the on-stage motorhome and throws a wadded ball of paper out the window, causing Jack to laugh. After the logo appears, Jack introduces him as "And now, here's your litterer: Pat Sajak!"
 * The overhead Wheel shot during Pat's opening spin is positioned too far upward, cutting off the lower portion.
 * The puzzle board uses its original chase light sequence (see below).
 * Following the Bonus Round, Vanna spins the Wheel for the first known time. She does so from the host's area, and (with the red contestant arrow, much like the Final Spin) lands on the red $200 next to Lose A Turn.
 * Beginning around this point, the puzzle board's chase light sequence (used when the category is revealed and after the puzzle is solved), which normally goes counterclockwise on the left side and clockwise on the right, is occasionally reversed. As far as is known, episodes used either the original sequence or the reversed one, but never both.
 * On an episode from January or February (Thelma/Sam/Lisa), with the animated Griffin logo and light-up white trees:
 * Pat models the Cadillac in the opening, causing Jack to introduce him as "And now that he's parked, here's your host: Pat Sajak!"
 * The curtain becomes stuck on the right-hand spiral pillar after Pat's entrance, and he successfully pulls the remainder down into place. After Pat introduces Vanna, the curtain does not open and she has to push it apart herself.
 * The puzzle board uses its reversed chase light sequence.
 * The hyphen in the Round 1 puzzle MASON-DIXON LINE (itself inexplicably categorized as Thing instead of Place) fails to light up for several seconds.
 * The Round 2 puzzle has both an apostrophe and a hyphen, although the answer (BACHELOR'S-BUTTON) should not have the latter. This is the first known instance of improper punctuation.
 * There are two sets of repeated categories: Thing in Rounds 1-2, People in Round 3, and Person in Round 4.
 * Surprisingly, no vowels are bought in the entire game.
 * On an episode from around this period (Tom/Cindi/Velma):
 * The puzzle board uses its reversed chase light sequence.
 * No vowels are bought in Round 1.
 * Neither Bankrupt nor Lose A Turn is hit.
 * Rounds 1, 2, and the Bonus Round are Phrase.
 * In the final segment, Pat and Vanna plug the Arlington Hilton in Arlington, Texas, at which they stayed (apparently during a contestant search).
 * On an episode taped this month (Fern/Darlene/Michael):
 * 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.
 * Both Fern and Darlene get Free Spins in Round 1.
 * The Prize wedge (BIKE) uses the smaller lettering.
 * In a rather rare occurrence, Michael spends all of his money in the Round 3 shopping segment.
 * Mark Corwin, then the associate director, fills in as director.

February 1984

 * Early this month, the on-set trees are replaced by walls with foliage on them. The walls are altered according to the time of year (with snowflakes and lights in Winter), while the trees continue to appear occasionally.
 * On an episode from after the walls are introduced (Teresa/Mark/Gladys):
 * Oddly, all three puzzles are very short; Rounds 1 and 3 are only 15 letters, and Round 2 only 10.
 * Even more oddly for this era, the Round 2 puzzle RAY CHARLES uses only one line.
 * On another episode from around this point (Mike/Sonya/Betty):
 * The puzzle board uses its reversed chase light sequence.
 * Oddly, Round 3, which begins as a Speed-Up, is the longest of the three puzzles, at 16 letters.
 * Pat's Final Spin lands on Bankrupt.
 * Oddly, two of the fee plugs are pre-recorded ads; one is for Champale, the other is for Vanish detergent, although "Changing Keys" continues to play over both of them. These are the third and fourth of only six known instances prior to Season 14 of a fee plug being pre-recorded by the company.
 * Strangely, GSN's airing of this episode in the 1990s includes the replacement fee plugs.
 * On yet another episode from about this point (Frances/Elaine/Duane):
 * The puzzle board uses its reversed chase light sequence.
 * Rounds 1, 3, and the Bonus Round are Phrase.
 * Oddly, two of the fee plugs are pre-recorded ads; one is for Champale, the other is for Vanish detergent, although "Changing Keys" continues to play over both of them. These are the fifth and sixth of only six known instances prior to Season 14 of a fee plug being pre-recorded by the company.
 * As of the above episode, the Griffin logo still looks the same as it did on November 28.
 * On yet another episode from around this point (Joy/Norm/Ann):
 * The Prize wedge (WATCH) uses the smaller lettering.
 * Ann solves Round 3 with no money, bumped up to $200.
 * Ann calls R twice in the Bonus Round, and the second R is displayed briefly before Pat tells her to choose a different letter.
 * Strangely, GSN's airing of this episode in the 1990s includes the replacement fee plugs.
 * By the above episode, the Griffin logo is slightly altered to use much smaller text in the Peignot font.
 * By February 27, the Griffin logo is altered again to remove the blinking animation from the griffin. Over the next two months of tapings, the logo alternates between its animated and static forms.

March 1984

 * On an episode taped sometime this month (Misa/Chloe/Frank):
 * During the final segment, Pat and Vanna discuss unusual names, including Misa. During this, they note that "Vanna" is not short for anything and is not unusual (at this point, Vanna has met four other people with the same name).
 * The Griffin logo is animated, with the larger font.

April 1984

 * On an episode sometime this month (Virginia/Bob/Norma, taped February 14):
 * The puzzle board uses its reversed chase light sequence.
 * Virginia wins with $5,000, due entirely to hitting that amount on the very last spin of the game; interestingly, this also amounts to a win by only $75.


 * On an episode taped sometime this month (Betty/Debbie/David):
 * The opening graphics do not have their white outlines.
 * During the opening, Pat and Vanna model a motorcycle with sidecar. Pat acts as if they are going around a curve, falling into Vanna's lap in the sidecar.
 * Debbie puts $19 on account after Round 1, but loses it to Bankrupt in Round 2.
 * The Griffin logo uses the smaller font and animated griffin.
 * On another episode taped this month (Bill/Jude/MaryAnn):
 * At least two cracks are visible on the gold ring of the red sunburst backdrop.
 * MaryAnn calls Pat "Jack" during her contestant interview.
 * Round 4 begins as a Speed-Up, with no shopping.
 * Possibly due to the presence of Round 4, Pat signs off after the Bonus Round.
 * By the above episode, the Griffin logo appears to return to its static, small-text variant permanently.
 * Reruns air during the week of April 23.

May-June 1984

 * On an episode from around this point (Mark/Carol/Debi, taped in April):
 * The puzzle board uses its reversed chase light sequence.
 * Rounds 2, 3, and the Bonus Round are Phrase.
 * On another episode from around this time, a contestant only spins once, calling an incorrect letter on $700 in Round 3. Although he later participates in the Speed-Up the following round, none of his letter choices appear in the puzzle.

Post-Season

 * Among the Summer repeats are Thelma/Sam/Lisa (June, most likely in a market that debuted Wheel prior to September 19), Teresa/Mark/Gladys (July), Frances/Elaine/Duane (August), and Lloyd/Linda/Debbie (August).
 * While Bob/Pearl/Carmen, Tom/Cindi/Velma, and Joy/Norm/Ann are known to have rerun copies circulating, it is not known when they were reshown.