Wheel of Fortune timeline (network)

An incomplete timeline for the daytime version of Wheel of Fortune. For the nighttime version, see Wheel of Fortune timeline (syndicated).

(Due to NBC's practice at the time, many episodes from 1975-80 were destroyed or recorded over. Further, Game Show Network {henceforth referred to as GSN} has only shown three daytime episodes {not including Wheel 2000}. As such, this timeline will be much less detailed than the nighttime one.)

Pilots (1973-74)
September 1973 :
 * At some point in September, the Shopper's Bazaar pilot is taped for NBC by request of Lin Bolen to Merv Griffin. It is markedly different from the eventual series in various ways, including:
 * 1) The show is hosted by Chuck Woolery, with announcer Mike Lawrence.
 * 2) The Wheel, designed by Ed Flesh, is vertical and mechanical with no Bankrupts, four Lose A Turn spaces, and a few Buy A Vowel wedges. Unique spaces on this Wheel are $0, Free Vowel, and Your Own Clue. Top dollar is $500 for Rounds 1-2, then $1,000 for Round 3 onward.
 * 3) Only three categories are used: Person, Place, and Thing, although they are not disclosed at the outset of each puzzle.
 * 4) The puzzle board is brown, with three rows and letters revealed by pull-cards much like Jeopardy! A fourth row is used as a makeshift Used Letter Board.
 * 5) Your Own Clue involves a rotary telephone where Lawrence dispenses a clue for the contestant who spins it (beginning with whether the category is Person, Place, or Thing). The clues get more detailed the more it is hit, but only for that player.
 * 6) Prizes and contestant winnings are handled by an "Accounting Department", an offstage board of three columns with four squares each which lists the four prizes each contestant had picked before the show and their values; below these cards are displays showing how much that player has earned toward winning it. While all three players' money carries over from round to round, a contestant can only "bank" the money if she solves a puzzle; should she do so and have enough to buy a prize on her list, she wins it (marked by the Accounting Department by a star placed next to that prize) and the remaining money is applied to the next prize.
 * 7) The Bonus Round, called the "Shopper's Special", is the name of the prize the contestant is playing for. The winner is shown all vowels in the puzzle, then has 30 seconds to give consonants to fill in the solution.
 * This pilot is held by GSN. Despite airing numerous pilots over the years, the network has (so far) not shown Shopper's Bazaar.
 * Shopper's Bazaar was mentioned in a $32,000 question on the April 28, 2004 episode of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?, which asked what it was the original title of.

September 1974 :
 * At some point in September, the second and third pilots (now called Wheel of Fortune) are taped in Los Angeles for NBC. Changes include:
 * 1) Edd Byrnes and Charlie O'Donnell replace Woolery and Lawrence.
 * 2) The show's theme song is changed to "Give It One" by Maynard Ferguson. It is unknown what music was used on the 1973 pilot.
 * 3) The Wheel is redesigned by Flesh to be horizontal, with much larger wedges. Bankrupt is introduced, as is a new set of top dollar values ($500 for Rounds 1-2, $750 for Round 3, and $1,000 thereafter). The minimum value is $50, and unique values include $225, $325, $375, and $425.
 * 4) The puzzle board is now gray with 39 trilons on three rows and a single light border. The trilons show green sparkles for unused spaces, a solid white for unrevealed letters, and black letters on a white background. Once a contestant solves the puzzle, all letters light up and the unrevealed ones are turned around to a portion of "Give It One".
 * 5) Contestants now purchase from a "showcase" of prizes located behind the puzzle board, which moves away so the player can shop. Both pilots use the same prizes, with their names and values scrolling on-screen; a "SOLD" tag marks prizes already purchased.
 * While the puzzle board is designed to be mechanical, this element is not completed by the time of taping. Susan Stafford is hired to turn the letters.
 * Edd is drunk during these pilots, as he recounts in his autobiography Kookie No More. On the first taping, he makes faces at the camera; on the second, he makes noises as the Wheel spins. He also bullies at least one contestant into spinning again, yelling "No! You only have $300! You can't solve yet!"
 * When shown to test audiences, the response is that the new set is too busy and Byrnes does not fit. Bolen insists the show be picked up anyway, and her bosses agree on one condition – Chuck is host, not Edd. (It is rumored that Edd was caught reciting his vowels backstage by Merv.)
 * Both pilots are known to exist; clips from one of them were shown during the nighttime version's ceremonial 3,000th show (November 20, 1998), which includes contestant Roseanne solving PRINCESS ANNE for $825.

Season 1 (1975)
January 1975 :
 * Wheel of Fortune debuts on January 6, replacing Jeopardy! as per contract but in the 10:30 AM slot formerly held by Winning Streak. Aside from Chuck hosting, there are only four changes:
 * 1) The show's theme song is changed to "Big Wheels" by Alan Thicke, who also supplies the show's other music cues (including the main theme of fellow NBC game Blank Check).
 * 2) The Wheel's values are moved around a bit, with the minimum now $25. $50 and $75 spaces are also present.
 * 3) The puzzle board trilons now turn clockwise instead of counterclockwise.
 * 4) The single shopping "showcase" behind the puzzle board is changed to three platforms at the back of center stage. The first platform is used after Round 1, the second after Round 2, and the third after Round 3; in the event of subsequent rounds, the process begins again at the first platform.
 * January 6 has the first discarded puzzle. As mentioned by Charlie during the credits, the contestant who solved it was credited with her winnings, a new puzzle was substituted, and the program edited.
 * The January 6 show is known to exist, as clips of it were used in the show's E! True Hollywood Story.

February 1975 :

March 1975 :
 * On March 17, in honor of St. Patrick's Day, Wheel and NBC's other daytime games (then Blank Check, Celebrity Sweepstakes, High Rollers, The Hollywood Squares, and Jackpot!) participate in the Shamrock Sweepstakes. Players from these games answer questions about Ireland and Irish(-American) people, with a top prize of $100,000.

April 1975 :

May 1975 :

June 1975 :

July 1975 :
 * The July 15 show is known to be held on audio tape by Archival Television Audio, Inc.

August 1975 :
 * The August 29 show is known to be held on audio tape by Archival Television Audio, Inc.

Season 2 (1975-76)
September 1975 :
 * By about this point, Milton-Bradley releases two board game adaptations; these are the only ones to be released in the 1970s, and the only ones to use the shopping element (represented by a deck of 20 prize cards ranging in value from $100-$3,000). These home games confirm several aspects about the show at the time of their release, including:
 * The categories in use at the time: Event, Fictional Character, Landmark, Person, Phrase, Place, Thing, and Title.
 * The Round 1 Wheel layout is changed, with the minimum now $100: The tan $75 becomes a second $500, the sole $25 becomes $300, the red $50 becomes $150, the yellow $75 becomes $200, and the blue $50 becomes $100. Based on available info about Round 2 (supposedly $1,000), the sole $50 in that layout is increased to $150.
 * The shopping round begins allowing contestants to put their winnings on a gift certificate, in addition to the existing "on account" option; players may also place some money "on account" and some on a gift certificate. From this point until the removal of the shopping rounds, however, most contestants choose the gift certificate.
 * Any instance of punctuation is still ignored (i.e., FISHERMANS WHARF instead of FISHERMAN'S WHARF).
 * The original score displays, shown in the same color as the respective contestant's arrow, are still in use.
 * Buy A Vowel is still present on the Wheel, and the special spaces still have their original appearance.

October 1975 :

November 1975 :
 * November 3 is NBC's Daytime Gigantic Game Gala, a week-long celebration involving Wheel and the network's other games (Celebrity Sweepstakes, The Hollywood Squares, and The Magnificent Marble Machine).
 * For the week of November 3, Wheel expands to 11:30 AM; High Rollers, which normally occupies the 11:00 slot, does not air during this period. Changes made for the hour-long format include:
 * Three contestants play three rounds each in the first half-hour, apparently with $500, $1,000, and $1,500 as the top dollar values. A second set of contestants is introduced in the second half-hour, also playing three rounds for these amounts.
 * The winners of each half-hour segment play a head-to-head round with $2,000 as top value. Also, one wedge is placed on the Wheel which corresponds to a prize. It is believed that, if a contestant hit Bankrupt while holding a Prize wedge, it was placed back on the Wheel.
 * The winner of the head-to-head round is believed to have played a Bonus Round with the same rules as the Star Bonus Round, which is described in further detail below.
 * On November 7, Chuck and Susan play Celebrity Sweepstakes for home viewers as part of the aforementioned Gala, and are the only non-soap opera personalities to do so. The home players are chosen at random from various phone books and placed in a drum, then drawn to determine who plays for who; the winners receive $75,000 for first place, $20,000 for second, and $5,000 for third.

December 1975 :
 * On December 1, Wheel apparently returns to the hour-long format.

January 1976 :
 * On January 19, Wheel returns to a half-hour, now at 11:00 AM; High Rollers returns at 10:30. All new elements added in the hour-long format are retired, although $2,000 returns in 1979 and the Prize wedge is reintroduced in 1983.

February 1976 :

March 1976 :

April 1976 :

May 1976 :

June 1976 :
 * On June 3, 4, or 6, contestant Linda sets a single-round winnings record of $8,325.
 * By June 7 (#368), the Wheel has gone through several changes:
 * 1) Buy A Vowel and the second Lose A Turn are removed; the Round 1 layout replaces Buy A Vowel with $400, while Round 2 replaces both Buy A Vowel wedges and the second Lose A Turn by a pair of $300 wedges and a red $500.
 * 2) Bankrupt, Lose A Turn, and Free Spin adopt their normal appearances.
 * 3) Top dollar in Rounds 2 and 3 are increased to $1,000 and $1,500, respectively. These may have held over from the hour-long episodes.
 * By June 7, the contestant score displays are changed to white.
 * As of June 7, there is still no sound effect for hitting Bankrupt.
 * As of June 7, champions still remain on for up to five days.
 * As of June 7, the original category displays are still in use. They use a similar font to the style introduced in 1985, but since they are on art cards, they are only shown sporadically.
 * On June 7, there is a noticeable layer of dust on top of the contestant arrows.
 * Several other events happen on June 7:
 * Charlie's introduction of Chuck is "Now, let's meet the host of Wheel of Fortune, Chuck Woolery!"
 * During Round 1, a buzzer sounds on a correct letter.
 * With only vowels remaining, contestant Gerry mis-solves the Round 1 puzzle KILL THE UMPIRE as KILL THE VAMPIRE.
 * Following Round 1, Chuck mentions getting letters from people who don't like seeing him hug contestants. He responds by saying "I like to hug folks. I'm a hugger. A lot of people are handshakers; I'm a hugger. And one more thing: If you were here, I'd hug ya too!"
 * During Round 2, contestant Lee loses a then-very high total of $2,750 to a Bankrupt.
 * After Lee solves the Round 3 puzzle (NORMAN ROCKWELL) for $800, Chuck has her spin one more time before announcing the winner. She hits $1,500.
 * Returning champion Linda sets a new half-hour total winnings record of $23,200.
 * The closing segment has Chuck and Susan saying goodbye as the camera zooms out to show the Wheel spinning. This effect was dropped by 1978, but returned in 1980.
 * The June 7 show is the earliest Wheel episode, one of only three daytime episodes, and the only episode hosted by Chuck to be aired by GSN; the network reran it in 2007 as part of a special string of repeats following Merv Griffin's death. As per the network's standard at the time, the ticket and fee plugs were cut out and the credits were crunched.

July 1976 :

August 1976 :

Season 3 (1976-77)
September 1976 :

October 1976 :

November 1976 :

December 1976 :
 * By the end of the year, the show holds "NBC's All-Star Dream Machine Championship", which is simply a week-long tournament of champions (consisting of the show's nine biggest winners from both half-hour and hour-long episodes). Three players compete on Monday-Wednesday, with the winners then playing a two-day "grand championship". This is the earliest known use of what would eventually become the Friday Finals.
 * The Monday show of the above week, known to be held by the Paley Center For Media, has contestants Richard, Patty, and Rick.

January 1977 :
 * January 24 is Brides' Week or Bridal Shower, where brides-to-be compete for prizes including a $5,000+ wardrobe, wedding cakes, rings, silver, crystal, fine china, and various home furnishings. This is the earliest known instance of a themed week.
 * Summer Bartholomew appears during the above week, modeling specially-designed bridal gowns which are among the prizes.
 * By January 24, and probably earlier, Nancy Jones joins the show as co-producer.
 * January 26 has three grooms-to-be, the only episode from the week of January 24 to not use future brides.

February 1977 :

March 1977 :

April 1977 :

May 1977 :

June 1977 :

July 1977 :

August 1977 :

Season 4 (1977-78)
September 1977 :
 * At some point in late September, Arte Johnson briefly fills in for Susan. This was likely to promote his upcoming game Knockout, which debuts October 3.

October 1977 :

November 1977 :

December 1977 :

January 1978 :
 * The January 18 show (#785) is known to be held by the Paley Center For Media.

February 1978 :

March 1978 :
 * March 15 is the earliest known appearance of Quotation.
 * On March 15, Gordon MacRae makes an appearance after the game.
 * By March 15, the Wheel layouts change a bit:
 * Round 1: The blue $100 near Free Spin becomes $400, the blue $100 next to Lose A Turn becomes $400, the orange $100 near Bankrupt becomes $500, and the blue $100 next to Bankrupt becomes $350.
 * Round 2: The sole $175 becomes $200, which carries over into subsequent rounds.
 * Round 3: The blue $200 next to Lose A Turn becomes $400, and the red $200 between the Bankrupts is increased to $350.
 * By March 15, the score displays are extended to show five digits and a dollar sign.
 * By March 15, the category displays are changed to a thin, monospaced font in various colors.
 * On an episode after the above changes, contestant Pat puts $15 "on account" after Round 1. Later in the same episode, contestant Barbara purchases a 1978 Camaro for $6,125.
 * On the above episode, Lose A Turn has a white stripe down the left side and a thick black line down the right.
 * At some point between March 16 and April 6, the Star Bonus token is introduced; the token is on the red $100 next to Free Spin during Rounds 1-2 and $150 during Round 3. The token cannot be lost to Bankrupt nor forfeited by failing to solve the round's puzzle, but is removed from the Wheel following Round 3 to play a fourth round. There are at least three known instances of the Star Bonus Round being played, one of which is mentioned below.

April 1978 :
 * On April 5, contestant Karen retires with over $16,000.
 * Veteran game show contestant Scott Hostetler plays on April 6 and 7.
 * By April 6, the curtain's lights are removed.
 * By April 6, and probably much earlier, Susan begins entering through the center of the curtain. Previously, she entered from Chuck's left and helped introduce the contestants.
 * By April 6, and probably much earlier (one recollection claims it was in 1977), a sliding whistle is added for when Bankrupt is hit.
 * By April 6, the blue $400 near Free Spin becomes red, presumably because it sat next to a blue $300.
 * By April 6, Nyesta and Augustus begin providing the wardrobe for Susan and Chuck, respectively.
 * On April 6, the first commercial outro is a closeup of the Star Bonus token, zooming out to a full shot of the Wheel.
 * April 7 has a few notable events:
 * During Round 1, a bell sounds on an incorrect letter.
 * Contestant Peggy sweeps the game.
 * The Star Bonus Round is played, which results in the contestant interviews being edited down considerably. The prizes are a trip to Las Vegas (Easy; $675), a sterling-silver tea set (Medium; $2,303), a diamond pendant (Hard; $4,060), and a Porsche 924 (Difficult; $13,586). Scott plays the Difficult puzzle, but fails to solve PABLO PICASSO.
 * Charlie's closing spiel about the prizes is "dubbed over" by a different voice saying "Additional prizes furnished by Jockey Club Resort, Bob Smith Porsche Audi."
 * By April 7, puzzles begin to use hyphens (in this case, the Round 1 answer LOVEY-DOVEY).
 * On April 24, the show moves to 11:30 AM.

May 1978 :

June 1978 :

July 1978 :

August 1978 :

Season 5 (1978-79)
September 1978 :

October 1978 :

November 1978 :

December 1978 :
 * By the end of December, original director Jeff Goldstein is replaced by Dick Carson.

January 1979 :

February 1979 :

March 1979 :
 * On March 27, the audience can be heard muttering for a few seconds in the opening before "Big Wheels" kicks in.
 * March 27 is the earliest known appearance of Occupation.
 * By March 27, the Wheel layout is very slightly altered to swap the Bankrupt next to $900 with the $200 wedge three spaces counterclockwise.
 * By March 27, Roselon Industries begins providing Susan's wardrobe.
 * On March 27, the first three spins of Round 2 are all Bankrupt, to which Chuck responds by beginning his Round 2 intro spiel again. It takes a total of seven spins before a correct letter call, and another 11 before FOURSCORE AND SEVEN YEARS AGO is solved.
 * Overall, the contestants in this round end up hitting Bankrupt six times, which may be a one-round record.
 * In the same round, Susan turns the V too hard, causing the plastic letter sheet to slide partway off the trilon.
 * In the same round, contestant Anita prefaces her letter picks with "I'd like to buy a..."
 * On March 27, Chuck's Final Spin lands on Bankrupt.

April 1979 :

May 1979 :
 * Beginning on May 24, Summer Bartholomew fills in after Susan dislocates her shoulder in a car accident.
 * May 31 is the earliest known appearance of Nickname. It is not known if the category had a constant presence between then and 1988, or if it was retired and brought back at some point.
 * On May 31, contestant Hilarie puts $5 and $89 "on account" after Rounds 2 and 3, respectively.
 * On May 31, Summer forgets to turn an X in Round 3, and has to be reminded by Chuck.

June 1979 :
 * By June 1, the show begins using apostrophes.
 * As of June 1, the show's theme is still played when going to commercial.
 * As of June 1, the Wheel's top values are still $500/$1,000/$1,500. $125, $275, $650, and $850 are still present on the Wheel.
 * Cynthia Washington, wife of former San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Gene Washington, fills in for the week of June 4.
 * Susan returns on June 11.

July 1979 :

August 1979 :

Season 6 (1979-80)
September 1979 :

October 1979 :

November 1979 :

December 1979 :
 * For the month of December, the puzzle board and contestant area are decorated for Christmas. In addition, many Christmas-themed prizes are available for purchase.
 * By December 4, the top amounts are increased to $750 for Round 1, $1,000 for Round 2, and $2,000 thereafter. $125, $275, $650, and $850 are removed from the Wheel, while $1,500 becomes the second-highest amount and $550 makes its first appearance. In addition, most of the wedges are given brighter colors.
 * By December 4, a new music cue is introduced for use when going to commercial.
 * By December 31, holiday decorations are added to the curtain as well.
 * By December 31, and likely much earlier, the returning-champion limit is decreased to three days.
 * By December 31, the aforementioned commercial outro cue is replaced by an electric-guitar music cue.
 * December 31 has a few notable events:
 * During Round 2, the puzzle-solve cue accidentally plays for a second instead of the "only vowels remain" beep (which is itself played a second later). The contestant solves the puzzle, and the cue begins playing from the point it was cut off.
 * The December 4 commercial cue is used for the prize descriptions after Round 3.
 * In Round 4, the puzzle intro cue is played over a shot of Chuck before quickly switching to the puzzle board.
 * Contestant Allan retires with $15,425, which Chuck mistakenly refers to as $1,425 until he is corrected from offstage. (The total champion winnings/"on account" display simply removes the dollar sign; on June 7, 1976, the display was simply left blank.)
 * For the closing segment, Chuck and Susan promote their appearance the next day during the Tournament of Roses pre-parade.
 * "Auld Lang Syne" is played from Chuck and Susan's sign-off through the end of the credits.

January 1980 :
 * Wheel does not air on January 1 due to the aforementioned Tournament of Roses parade.

February 1980 :

March 1980 :
 * On March 15, Pat Sajak hosts a pilot for Goodson-Todman Productions and NBC called Puzzlers. It does not sell.
 * On March 17, contestant Becky puts money "on account". According to comments the next day, it works to her advantage.
 * March 18 has several events:
 * Contestant Charlene gets two Free Spins in a row during Round 1.
 * During Round 1, Chuck forgets on two separate occasions to ask if a contestant wants to use their Free Spin following an incorrect letter call.
 * Contestant Les' microphone falls off during Round 2. He quickly retrieves it, and it is reattached during the commercial break.
 * Contestant Becky puts $240 "on account" following Round 2. She loses it to Bankrupt on her very next spin.
 * During Round 3, the contestants are shown turning their backs during the mid-round commercial outro.
 * No music is played during the commercial outro after Round 3.
 * By March 18, the closing shot of Chuck and Susan saying goodbye as the camera zooms out to show the Wheel spinning returns.
 * As of March 18, the electric-guitar cue is still used when going to commercial in all segments.
 * March 25 has several notable events:
 * During Round 3, Susan turns all four A's in the puzzle RAIN RAIN GO AWAY before they light up or their respective bells play.
 * A buzzer fails to sound on an incorrect letter in Round 4.
 * The first known instance of a one-word puzzle, in this case Round 4's PORCUPINE.
 * Following Round 4, the camera suddenly shifts to the right as contestant Kevin selects his first prize.
 * Five rounds are played, an unusual event for the shopping era. Chuck refers to it as being the "first time in a long time", implying that it has happened before.
 * Rounds 4 and 5 are both Thing.
 * Chuck and Susan say goodbye to stage manager Rob Keith, who is listed as "Robin Kenner" in the credits and who Chuck mistakenly refers to as unit manager (the actual person holding that position at this point is Michael Koljan).
 * Chuck and Susan's signoff is quite different than usual: "I'm Chuck Woolery," "And I'm Susan Stafford." "See you all tomorrow, bye-bye everybody." "Bye-bye, God bless!"
 * By March 25, the commercial outro cue used on December 4, 1979 returns for all breaks.
 * By March 25, original producer John Rhineheart is replaced by Nancy Jones.

April 1980 :

May 1980 :
 * On May 6, a champion retires undefeated.
 * On May 7, in a rare occurrence, all three contestants are left-handed; one of them, Cathy, is from Paris. Also on this episode:
 * During Round 1, contestant Diane lands on Free Spin and, after receiving a token, tries to call an S. After her next spin, she is credited with the S, which is in the puzzle.
 * The Round 1 puzzle, APHRODISIAC, is believed to be the longest one-word puzzle up to this point.
 * Early in Round 2, the trilon containing the P in STOP LOOK AND LISTEN is accidentally lit up after T is called. The mistake is quickly corrected.
 * Rounds 1 and 3 are both Thing.
 * In Round 3, the contestants are shown turning their backs during the mid-round outro.
 * After the game, Chuck and Susan address rumors about the show's cancellation; while dispelling them, Susan notes that NBC's daytime schedule will be undergoing a few changes. Chuck replies with "In the meantime, we're gonna be doing this show until we get it right!"
 * By May 7, the show now uses both commercial cues: The December 4, 1979 cue after each round, and the electric-guitar cue for mid-round breaks.

June 1980 :
 * June 9 has several notable events:
 * During Round 2, contestant Heidi begins to call a Z during Round 2, but stops herself and calls a D instead. She is credited with the D, which is in the puzzle.
 * Rounds 2 and 4 are both Phrase.
 * Chuck's Final Spin hits Lose A Turn; his second attempt lands on $2,000.
 * Contestant Fred solves the Speed-Up puzzle SLY AS A FOX with SL_ _S _ ___ showing.
 * By June 9, the December 4, 1979 cue is again used for mid-round breaks (in this case, during Round 3). The electric-guitar cue is not used at all.
 * June 20 has several interesting events:
 * Chuck makes an odd comment to Susan after her entrance, saying she looks like "a little Swedish girl".
 * Charlie coughs briefly during the second prize plug, which Chuck brings up before Round 2.
 * A somewhat infamous moment after Round 1 where contestant Charlotte reluctantly says "[I'll] take the...candy dish.", to which Chuck talks with her and the purchase is discarded. Chuck then remarks after the prize plugs that the painting she bought was better than the other one the show had from the same artist, which was "seventeen lizards sucking on an orange".
 * The Bankrupt slide whistle does not play when it is first landed on in Round 3.
 * There is no inlaid contestant shot during the shopping portion following Round 3.
 * Rounds 2 and 4 are both Phrase.
 * Chuck's Final Spin lands on Bankrupt.
 * After the game, Chuck and Susan discuss the waiting period for prize delivery (90 days). When asked by Chuck, an offstage staffer says they're shipped "whenever we get around to it".
 * By June 20, the commercial outro cues are changed up again: The electric-guitar cue is used after Rounds 1 and 4 plus the break during Round 3; the December 4, 1979 cue is used after Rounds 2 and 3.
 * On June 20, NBC airs a promo detailing the new schedule to begin the following Monday. The promo includes a clip from Wheel of a female contestant right after solving CREPES SUZETTE (Things), and apparently screaming so loud Chuck is seen with his hand up to his ear.
 * Also on June 20, Vanna White appears as a contestant on The Price Is Right, her first television "role". Despite being called down fourth, she never gets out of Contestant's Row.

July 1980 :

August 1980 :
 * August 1 is taped as the series finale, due to a cancellation order from NBC boss Fred Silverman that is overturned by the time it airs. The episode features an appearance by Chuck's then-wife, Jo Ann Pflug.
 * August 1 is Charlie's last episode until 1989. He leaves to announce The Toni Tennille Show.
 * On August 4, the show moves back to 11:00 AM.
 * Don Morrow fills in as announcer for the week of August 4.
 * The August 4 show opens with Chuck joking about the show's demise.
 * Jack Clark takes over as announcer on August 11. Charlie O'Donnell and Johnny Gilbert are known to have filled in when Jack was unavailable.
 * August 18 has several notable incidents:
 * A bell fails to sound in Round 3 after the A's are purchased. Later in the same round, a buzzer sounds on a correct letter, and again over the puzzle-solve cue when the puzzle is solved.
 * Contestant Mike (from South Africa, but living in Canada) loses $3,750 to a Bankrupt.
 * Chuck's Final Spin lands on Bankrupt.
 * The Wheel does not spin during the credits, and the camera shot is zoomed out farther than usual.
 * By August 18, the commercial outro cues are changed up once again: The December 4, 1979 cue is used when going to commercial during and after Round 3.
 * Alex Trebek fills in for Chuck around this point, most likely the week of the 25th.

Season 7 (1980-81)
September 1980 :

October 1980 :

November 1980 :
 * November 3-6 (and possibly October 31 as well) features NBC game show hosts playing for members of the audience, who also determine what prizes to buy in the shopping rounds. Each match pits the host against two contestants who play normally. Wink Martindale and Jim Perry are among the participants, and it is rumored that Art Fleming also played.
 * Bill Cullen plays on November 5, and based on comments the next day ("He blitzed everybody."), he sweeps the main game.
 * On November 6, Tom Kennedy plays for Art and wins $1,400.
 * November 6 has a rare appearance of Landmark.
 * By November 6, the electric-guitar commercial cue is moved to the mid-show consolation prize plug (although it is barely audible on November 6). The December 4, 1979 cue is now the only one used for commercial breaks.
 * As of November 6, the contestant score displays are still the same color as they were from at least June 1976.
 * November 7 begins the show's first Armed Forces "Week", plugged as such despite beginning on a Friday.
 * Immediately following the Armed Forces episodes is "Celebrity Week On The Town".
 * The returning champion from November 6 probably returns on the 24th.

December 1980 :
 * By December 18, and probably for the entire month, the set is again decorated for Christmas. Unlike 1979, the curtain has a wreath on it and the foliage behind the contestants is thicker.
 * By December 18, the contestant score displays are tinted yellow.
 * December 18 has several notable events:
 * Chuck's cord gets caught on the nearby car as he makes his entrance.
 * The shopping cue begins in the wrong place after Round 2, then starts again from the beginning.
 * After Round 3, the camera fails to switch to the first prize until Jack is halfway through describing it.
 * Contestant Joyce retires with $17,550.
 * As of December 18, the December 4, 1979 cue is still the only one used for commercial breaks.
 * By December 24, the contestant score displays return to their normal color.
 * By December 24, the commercial cues are changed up once again: For the first time in over a year, the show's theme is used when going to commercial during Round 1 and after Round 3; the December 4, 1979 cue is used after Round 2, while the electric-guitar cue remains at the mid-show consolation prize plug.
 * December 24 also has some events of note:
 * Contestant Vicki's first spin runs into some kind of error that is not explained clearly on-air, primarily since the error and resolution happen while the camera is focused on the puzzle board; the Wheel is reset, and she spins again.
 * There is a commercial break during Round 1, the earliest known instance of this happening.
 * Chuck mistakenly says that the top dollar for Round 2 is $2,000.
 * The earliest known instance of a puzzle containing two punctuation marks, in this case Round 2's SLEIGHBELLS RING ARE YOU LIST'NIN' (Quotation). It is also very large for the era, using all but nine trilons, and is solved by contestant Linda for a then-massive $6,700.
 * After Linda buys a $6,168 Mazda following Round 2, Susan is seen closing the driver's-side door from the inside. Once Jack gets to the car plug, Susan drives it around to stop in front of the prize displays, honks the horn, and gets out.
 * Rounds 3 and 4 are both Thing.
 * A buzzer fails to sound on an incorrect letter during Round 4.
 * No music is played during the commercial outro after Round 4, although it fades to black before it can do so.

January 1981 :

February 1981 :

March 1981 :

April 1981 :
 * By April 21, the electric-guitar cue returns to use for all commercial breaks and the mid-show car plug.
 * Several events occur on April 21:
 * Jack's introduction of Chuck is "And now, let's meet your host: Chuck Woolery!"
 * Chuck mentions his habit of licking his finger before touching the Wheel, and that the producer (unnamed, but very likely Nancy Jones) replied by saying "You don't know where that Wheel's been!" His reply is simply that "I don't care where that Wheel's been!"
 * Contestant Virginia attempts to spin the Wheel during the Speed-Up round, but is stopped by Chuck before she can do so.
 * Later in the Speed-Up round, a buzzer fails to sound to end a turn. A few turns later, Susan turns the N too hard, causing the plastic letter sheet to slide about halfway off the trilon.
 * What is believed to be the lowest one-round score up to this point: $250.
 * Contestant Lori sweeps the game.
 * After the game, Chuck mentions that a couple of weeks ago, he had brought up the fact that the show has done over 1,600 episodes.
 * As of April 21, the Final Spin split-screen shot still has the puzzle on top and the players on the bottom.
 * As of April 21, there is still no regular Bonus Round.

May 1981 :

June 1981 :

July 1981 :

August 1981 :

Season 8 (1981-82)
September 1981 :
 * There is a Portland Week at some point this month, where contestants from that city are flown in to compete.
 * On an episode during Portland Week, contestant Linda prepares to solve the puzzle AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLER before a voice (that of opponent Frank) tells her to spin again; she does so and hits Bankrupt, after which he solves for $1,800.
 * As of the Portland Week, the electric-guitar cue is still in use for at least one commercial break (in this case, during Round 3).
 * As of the Portland Week, the $2,000 space is still red and the nearby $250 is still yellowish.

October 1981 :

November 1981 :

December 1981 :
 * December 14 is Christmas Wish Week. The current Bonus Round is in place by this point, and it is referred to as the "Christmas Wish Bonus", implying that it was introduced this week.
 * December 18 has several events:
 * During Round 2, two vowel calls (O and E) and their reveals on the board are done in complete silence, with no applause at any point.
 * An instrumental version of "Frosty the Snowman" plays during the Round 3 prize descriptions.
 * The earliest known instance of three puzzles in the same category: Rounds 2 and 4 are Thing, while the Bonus Round is Things.
 * After the game, Susan mentions the set changes to take effect the following Monday.
 * By December 18, the commercial break cues are changed up once again: The show's theme returns, used after Rounds 1 and 3 plus the mid-show catalog plug and after the Bonus Round; the December 4, 1979 cue also returns, used after Round 2.
 * As of December 18, shopping rounds are still done after the Speed-Up, even if the round begins as a Speed-Up.
 * The week of December 21 is Christmas in New York; much like Portland Week, contestants are flown in from that city to compete. The opening for this week does not use the Wheel logo, instead showing Susan walking in a light New York shower.
 * On December 21, the set is overhauled:
 * 1) The various prize platforms are replaced by a single, large, three-sided turntable at center stage.
 * 2) The puzzle board is replaced with a new one containing another row and another nine trilons, for a total of 48 (11 on the top and bottom rows, 13 in the middle two). It uses the same trilon designs and letter font as the old one.
 * 3) The contestant area is changed to starbursts of the same color as the respective contestant's arrow with many white "beams" spreading out in all directions from each color. They continue to display the money put "on account" or total champion winnings.
 * By December 25, the December 4, 1979 cue is once again put to use for all commercial breaks and the mid-show plug for the airline which flew the players to California.
 * By December 25, the $2,000 space and the nearby $250 swap positions, resulting in $250 becoming red and $2,000 becoming yellowish.
 * On at least December 25, Susan does not make her entrance through the curtain; rather, she walks over from next to the puzzle board as the turntable spins.
 * December 25 is Chuck's last show. Among the events that day:
 * Susan's entrance includes her blowing kisses to Chuck.
 * There is a commercial break during Round 1, which Chuck erroneously states as having never happened before; one such break occurred on December 24, 1980, and probably other times.
 * During Round 2, Chuck quips that one of the contestants (Betty?) is "the only person I've ever known to hit [Lose A Turn] seventeen times consecutively".
 * After recapping the scores and announcing the winner, Chuck thanks Susan for being such a confidant over the previous years; he then thanks several people, including John Rhineheart, Nancy Jones, Charlie O'Donnell, Jack Clark, and Merv Griffin. Chuck follows this by admitting that leaving Wheel is "one of the most difficult things I've ever done".
 * No Bonus Round is played.
 * "We Wish You a Merry Christmas" is played during the fee plugs and credits.
 * During the credits, Jack mentions that due to a technical difficulty, "a third puzzle was discarded and the program edited".
 * Susan presents Chuck with a gift: A pair of goggles with wipers.
 * On December 28, Pat Sajak becomes the show's host. On December 16-18 and 21-22, he appeared on Password Plus and was credited as being "from Wheel of Fortune".
 * The week of December 28 is a Teen Week. As with the previous week, the Wheel logo is not used in the opening. Instead, the graphics say "Teen Week on Wheel of Fortune", with the words "Teen Week" in quotation marks.
 * Pat's first episode has several notable instances:
 * Pat thanks Chuck for hosting the show and wishes him well, then jokes that he is leaving the show as well.
 * The contestant interviews are obviously edited down, perhaps because of Pat's monologue.
 * The camera is zoomed too far back when the board is shown at the start of Round 1.
 * The commercial cues are changed up once again: The electric-guitar cue returns for use during Round 1, during the mid-show catalog plug, and after the Bonus Round; the December 4, 1979 cue (sounding slightly different) is used during Round 2 and after Round 3. An unknown cue is used following Round 2, as it only plays extremely briefly.
 * Susan turns the hyphen in Round 2 before it is lit up.
 * During Round 2, the camera zooms out from the $550 space while an incorrect letter is called.
 * Contestant Jay opts not to buy the $2,195 hot tub after Round 2 and instead purchases the other 10 prizes in that showcase with the remaining $849 placed on a gift certificate; the resulting prize copy runs a solid two minutes, and Pat remarks afterward about Jay not buying the hot tub.
 * The Bonus Round is played from the yellow contestant backdrop, which was likely also the case during the weeks of December 14 and 21.
 * By December 28, the Final Spin rules are altered a bit: If the Speed-Up round is the entire round, it is played for a gift certificate (or, during this week, a savings bond).
 * By December 28, the Final Spin split-screen display is changed to have the puzzle board on the bottom.
 * As of December 28, the money graphic is still green and still zooms in.
 * As of December 28, Roselon Industries still provides Susan's wardrobe.
 * During Pat's first week, a contestant buys a vowel which is not in the puzzle and Pat tells the player to spin again. He is then told by Nancy Jones that the player has in fact lost their turn.
 * During Pat's first week, a contestant mis-solves the puzzle ABRAHAM LINCOLN as ABRAHAM BINCOLN with only the B's and L's missing.

January 1982 :
 * Claudia, the returning champion from Chuck's last episode, presumably returns on January 4.
 * It is believed that the practice of playing the Bonus Round in front of the puzzle board began on January 4; it was definitely in place before March 11.
 * There is a Hawaii Week at some point this month, as promoted by Pat during his week on Password Plus. This was most likely done identically to the Portland and New York weeks in 1981, by flying in contestants from Hawaii.

February 1982 :

March 1982 :
 * By March 11, the money graphic becomes white and "flips" toward the camera.
 * By March 11, the show's theme returns to use for all commercial breaks and the mid-show car/catalog plug.
 * By March 11, a timpani roll is added to the start of the Bonus Round. The show's logo is projected onto the floor unless the contestant plays for a car, in which case the car is parked in front of the board. (These aspects may have been introduced on January 4.)
 * By March 11, the credits are slightly changed to show the Wheel spinning below Pat, Susan and the day's champion.
 * March 11 has the earliest known instance of a puzzle using all four lines of the puzzle board, in this case Round 2's A LITTLE KNOWLEDGE IS A DANGEROUS THING.
 * On March 11 and 12, Pat's Final Spin has the camera start at an overhead shot of the Wheel and zoom in to the red player's arrow (which is not flashing on March 11) as the Wheel stops.
 * March 11 has the first known instance of a contestant calling R, S, T, L, N and E in the Bonus Round, although not in that order.
 * March 12 has several notable events:
 * After Susan makes her entrance, Pat makes a remark about her outfit: "Zontar called, he said the invasion of Neptune is off." He makes a few more comments during the post-game chat, then admits he likes the outfit.
 * Just before the first spin, Pat holds up a cue card with a 4 drawn on the back and says "This is the number I drew, and that made me a loser." During the credits, Susan briefly holds up the card and appears to make a comment toward Pat.
 * Pat accidentally tells a contestant that an L has already been called in Round 1. He corrects himself later on in the round, and says that the answer simply does not have an L in it.
 * Contestant Bill purchases 11 items after Round 2; with $1,103 remaining and nothing left to spend it on, he puts it on a gift certificate. The resulting prize copy runs for two minutes and ten seconds.
 * Bill sweeps the main game and wins a bedroom set in the Bonus Round. The music cue used for the bedroom set is the theme from Blank Check.
 * The first known instance of a contestant calling a vowel other than E under the original Bonus Round rules (specifically, O).
 * Susan forgets to turn the T in the bonus puzzle GILBERT AND SULLIVAN, and is reminded from offstage.
 * The December 4, 1979 cue is used when going to commercial after the Bonus Round.
 * By March 12, Climax begins providing Susan's wardrobe; considering the strange outfits she wears on March 11 and 12, along with Pat's comments on the latter show, this association was probably short-lived.

April 1982 :
 * On April 26, the show moves back to 10:30, replacing Blockbusters.

May 1982 :

June 1982 :

July 1982 :

August 1982 :

Season 9 (1982-83)
September 1982 :

October 1982 :
 * October 22 is Susan's last episode, as she wishes to pursue charity work. As seen on the show's E! True Hollywood Story, she was presented with flowers and many of the crew said goodbye.
 * On October 25, Summer returns to fill in as guest co-host.

November 1982 :
 * November 12 is Summer's last episode.
 * Beginning November 15, the show rotates guest co-host duties among Cynthia Washington, Tricia Gist, Vicky McCarty, and Vanna White. Vanna has claimed that she and Vicky did a week each, so it would be logical to assume that Cynthia and Tricia got the same tryout window; Pat's remarks on December 13 seem to imply that Vanna did the week of December 6, although this is uncertain.

December 1982 :
 * December 13 is Philadelphia Week, which is the same as the previous city-oriented weeks minus the returning champion from December 10. The open shows Pat in that city, waving in front of a large fountain.
 * December 13 (Episode #2,016) is Vanna's first permanent episode, recorded on December 5. Her first official puzzle is GENERAL HOSPITAL, and the first letter she turns is the T.
 * On at least December 13 and 29, there is a large pot of flowers behind each player.
 * On December 13, the camera mistakenly holds on a still shot of an $840 curio cabinet after Round 2 while Jack describes it. Also in that segment, the prize cue runs to its end and begins again.
 * On December 13, footage from Pat's trip to Philadelphia is shown just before the credits, and this is where Pat signs off.
 * By December 13, the money graphic and Wheel logo begin to be displayed in different colors.
 * By December 13, the commercial cues are changed up once again: The show's theme is used after Round 1, during the mid-show car plug, and after the Bonus Round; the December 4, 1979 cue is used during Round 2, after Round 2, and after Round 3.
 * By December 13, the Final Spin shot returns to normal (although the red arrow is again not flashing).
 * December 27 is Teen Week, which uses a version of what would eventually become the Friday Finals: Three contestants compete on Monday-Thursday, and the three biggest winners return on Friday to play for savings bonds. Despite this format, the opening for the week (see below) shows 14 contestants; it would hence be reasonable to assume that two of them were standby players.
 * By December 27, the normal opening for Teen Week is introduced: Three contestants model prizes, followed by all of the week's players sitting or standing in front of the puzzle board (reading TEEN WEEK on the middle two lines); the day's contestants then introduce themselves, followed by Pat and Vanna. The practice of the hosts being introduced together would become permanent on the nighttime show in late 1989.
 * On at least December 29, the contestants stand on boxes, a fact which Pat points out after Round 1.
 * On December 29, the first two puzzles are Phrase.
 * On December 29, during Round 2, Vanna accidentally turns the O in the puzzle EASIER SAID THAN DONE, but very quickly turns it back while she is still blocking the camera's view.
 * December 29 has the first known instance of a four-line puzzle in a Speed-Up round. The answer is THE NINA THE PINTA AND THE SANTA MARIA, which is also the first known instance of a puzzle being completely filled-in before the solve.
 * By December 29, the show's theme is again used for all commercial breaks (except after Round 2 on this episode, as it fades to black before any music can begin).
 * By December 29, the red arrow again flashes during the Final Spin.
 * By December 29, Pacino begins providing Vanna's wardrobe.

January 1983 :
 * On January 3, the show moves back to 11:00 AM.
 * The January 20 show is Episode #2,044.

February 1983 :

March 1983 :
 * March 28 is Teen Week.

April 1983 :
 * On April 1, several notable events happen:
 * During Round 1, both a ding and the applause machine are suddenly cut off after the I's are purchased.
 * No music is played during the commercial outro after Round 2, as it fades to black too quickly.
 * Five rounds are played, with $1,000 as the top value for Rounds 3-4 and $2,000 for Round 5.
 * In Round 3, contestant Trevor mis-solves the puzzle JUICE NEWTON as JOYCE NEWTON. A turn later, the "only vowels remain" beep fails to sound, although a stagehand can be heard telling Pat that only vowels remain. Contestant Juanita solves the puzzle for $50.
 * The Bonus Round is played for a four-person vacation to Disneyland, worth $5,302. The puzzle, THE ACADEMY AWARDS (Event), is not solved.
 * After the Bonus Round, Pat gives a hamburger "garnished" with $200 to the contestant. She is then given five hours of a chauffeured stretch limo, which drives out from behind the host's area and stops in front of Pat; the driver gets out and opens the back door, revealing Vanna. Afterward, all of the Teen Week contestants come onstage.
 * By April 1, and probably much earlier, the "house minimum" is $200.
 * By April 1, the December 4, 1979 cue returns for at least one commercial break (in this case, after Round 5) as well as after the Bonus Round.
 * By April 1, New Leaf begins providing Vanna's wardrobe.

May 1983 :
 * At some point in May, probably a Tuesday and definitely before the week of May 23, the Wheel's spikes are rewelded with a new method that makes the spins much quieter than they were previously (referred to by Pat the next day as "the 10,000-spin checkup").
 * On the above episode, a champion is retired.
 * An episode from May, known to be the day after the above, has some unusual events:
 * During the open, Pat honks a car's horn right after Jack introduces him.
 * Pat does the demo spin with both feet off the floor. Following the overhead shot, the camera returns to the position it had just before.
 * Before Round 2, the puzzle chime accidentally sounds while Pat is talking about the aforementioned Wheel update. He then mentions the $1,000 space and second Bankrupt, after which he says "I can take a hint". The chime then sounds again in its proper place.
 * After the Round 2 puzzle STEPHANIE POWERS is solved, the O does not light up at first. Vanna merely stands in front of it, apparently waiting for it to light up, then looks to her right and turns the trilon anyway. The O does not light up until after the puzzle is fully revealed.
 * During Round 3, contestant Paul calls for either A (a vowel) or H (already in the puzzle) and stops himself halfway, then says S. Pat briefly consults the judges, after which Paul is credited with the S, which is not in the puzzle. The next player, Jackie, calls for H and loses her turn as well.
 * Pat's Final Spin lands on Lose a Turn.
 * After Round 3, contestant Penny's score display goes blank. The dollar sign on Paul's display is still present.
 * There are two sets of repeated categories: Phrase in Rounds 1 and 3, Person in Round 2, and People in the Bonus Round.
 * By the above episode, the commercial outro cue pattern is changed once again: The show's theme is played after Round 1, during Round 3, and during the mid-show catalog plug; the December 4, 1979 cue is played after Rounds 2 and 3 plus after the Bonus Round.
 * By the above episode, Climax begins providing Vanna's wardrobe; unlike the period where the company provided Susan's wardrobe, it is now credited as "Climax of California".

June 1983 :

July 1983 :

August 1983 :
 * On August 8, Thicke's music package is replaced with a new music package composed by Griffin, including a new theme tune called "Changing Keys". The last three notes of "Changing Keys" are also the cue for solving a puzzle.
 * Shopping rounds use a music cue called "Nightwalk" as the contestant buys prizes, and a variety of cues for the prize descriptions (including "Frisco Disco", the closing theme of the 1978-79 Jeopardy! revival).
 * "Changing Keys" is also used for all commercial breaks, ending a three-year period where Thicke's three commercial cues ("Big Wheels"; December 4, 1979; and electric-guitar) were generally inconsistent in their use.
 * For its first year of use, "Changing Keys" is cued up at the 0:56 mark during the intro, and until around October 1987, the bridge plays when Vanna walks out. The instrumentation is also more "chirpy" for the first few months.

Season 10 (1983-84)
September 1983 :

October 1983 :
 * October 31 has several events:
 * During Round 1, Pat forgets to ask a contestant if he wants to use his Free Spin.
 * After Round 1, the transition to the turntable is that from the opening, and briefly "sticks" halfway.
 * Jack's prize description after Round 3 ends abruptly following the last item, with the "s" in "dollars" being cut off; oddly, the prize cue is still playing.
 * Rounds 3 and 4 are Thing.
 * The bonus puzzle, WIN LOSE OR DRAW, uses all four lines of the puzzle board. It is not known why this was done, as the answer would fit easily on two.
 * By October 31, Jon Wesley begins providing Vanna's wardrobe.

November 1983 :
 * November 1 begins the Home Puzzle Contest, the show's first home-viewer sweepstakes. Portions of a puzzle are revealed each day this week, and the winners receive a microwave oven with accessories; a set of kitchen appliances; or a "video package" including a television and a video tape recorder.
 * November 7 is likely the first Couples Week, with three husband-and-wife teams ranging from engaged to being married for 40 years. The format is similar to Teen Week, with the highest-scoring couples returning on Friday for a chance at a 1984 "American luxury car". The opening shot of the puzzle board has COUPLES WEEK on the middle two lines.
 * Oddly, the opening on at least November 9 shows just eight couples. It is likely that the opening was reshot throughout the week as couples were eliminated.
 * Several events happen on November 9:
 * During Round 1, the first couple's score display goes out twice: Once during the round, and again after the puzzle is solved. The display does not return by the commercial break. (They are the only couple to play Round 1.)
 * Pat is shown in the chroma-key circle after Round 3.
 * All four puzzles are Phrase.
 * The winning couple plays for a big-screen TV in the Bonus Round, but fail to solve TOP SECRET with T__ SE_RET showing. The husband then remarks "Oh, that was so easy!"
 * By November 9, a bumper is added after Round 2 showing the turntable spinning into place for Round 3 with a Wheel of Fortune logo at the top. The Wheel logo is in a different shape and font than any "official" logo (including the one in use at this point), and is displayed in various colors.
 * By November 9, Giorgio of Beverly Hills begins providing Vanna's wardrobe.
 * As of November 9, the Merv Griffin Productions logo used in the credit roll is still the original one.

December 1983 :

January 1984 :
 * An episode from around January has several notable events:
 * The Wheel spins very slowly during the open.
 * Rounds 1 and 2 are both Phrase.
 * Before Round 2, the audience gets overly excited after Pat mentions the presence of two apostrophes in the puzzle.
 * During Round 2, two players in a row call a letter that is already in the puzzle. For no apparent reason, contestant Doug gets buzzed for calling a repeated R.
 * During the Speed-Up round, Doug forgets to say the last A when solving NEW DELHI INDIA. Oddly, the camera cuts to a close-up of him as he says the correct answer.

February 1984 :
 * February 27 is probably the first Battle of the Sexes Week. The Monday-Thursday games each feature three women or three men playing, with the top winner of each sex playing on Friday for a shot at $5,000 in the Bonus Round.
 * The opening for Battle of the Sexes shows the week's contestants playing a tug-of-war in front of the puzzle board, which reads BATTLE OF THE SEXES on the middle two lines. There are six men and seven women, implying that one of the ladies was a standby.
 * February 29 has several notable events:
 * The Wheel spins very slowly during the open and close.
 * Before Round 2, Pat brings up a question from contestant Ray, who thought Pat was in the film Raiders from Outer Space (actually an episode of the 1960s anthology series The Time Tunnel). Pat remarks that he doesn't recall such a role, and it was probably another game show host. Pat and Vanna discuss this a bit further after the game.
 * The Round 2 puzzle is SARAH PURCELL. While Pat credits her as being from fellow NBC show Real People, she had previously co-hosted The Better Sex (a 1977-78 game show whose premise was a battle of the sexes). It is possible that the presence of her name during this particular week was an intentional reference.
 * There are two sets of repeated categories: Phrase in Rounds 1 and 4, Thing in Round 3 and the Bonus Round.
 * Pat and Vanna's mics are left on during the credits, and they can be heard talking with the contestant.
 * By February 28, Jon Wesley begins providing Vanna's wardrobe again.
 * By February 29, the Merv Griffin Productions logo in the credits has been replaced by a full-color drawing of a griffin against a black background.

March 1984 :

April 1984 :
 * A Thursday episode known to be from between April 12 and May 24 has the following events:
 * During his interview, contestant Bill accidentally calls Pat "Jack". After Round 1, Pat refers to Jack as "Pat".
 * During Round 3, it takes a total of six spins before a correct letter is called.
 * There are two sets of repeated categories: Phrase for Rounds 1 and 2, Thing for Rounds 3 and 4 plus the Bonus Round.
 * Pat does his sign-off immediately after the Bonus Round.
 * By the above episode, Climax begins providing Vanna's wardrobe again.
 * As of the above episode, the contestant backdrops still look the same as they did in December 1981.

May 1984 :
 * Beginning May 7, Pat and Vanna play Dream House for the first week of a two-week All-Star Charity Tournament against Jamie Farr and Kari Michaelson; Pat and Vanna play for the American Cancer Society (winning $9,450), while Jamie and Kari play for the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation (winning $10,300).

June 1984 :

July 1984 :

August 1984 :
 * Around this point, "Changing Keys" is re-orchestrated slightly. A glissando is added to the beginning, and the instrumentation is less "chirpy". The theme now begins from the first bar during the intro, instead of the 0:56 mark.

Season 11 (1984-85)
September 1984 :
 * By September 10, 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.

October 1984 :

November 1984 :

December 1984 :
 * As of December 25, the logo shown after the money graphic is still the original one.
 * As of December 25, the category strips still use the computerized font.

January 1985 :

February 1985 :
 * By February 1, the logo shown after the money graphic is updated to an animated one.
 * By February 1, winning totals after the Bonus Round are now in Helvetica. The category strips are also changed to Helvetica, albeit a thinner version with a shadow effect.
 * By February 1, the bumper after Round 3 begins spelling out the show's title one letter at a time horizontally.
 * February 4 is Couples Week.

March 1985 :

April 1985 :

May 1985 :

June 1985 :
 * At some point during the Summer, Alex Trebek is known to have filled in for Pat, most likely for one episode.

July 1985 :

August 1985 :

Season 12 (1985-86)
September 1985 :
 * By September 9, the category strips are upgraded to a bolder form of Helvetica with a white outline.

October 1985 :

November 1985 :

December 1985 :

January 1986 :

February 1986 :

March 1986 :

April 1986 :

May 1986 :

June 1986 :
 * June 16 is Teen Week.
 * For the week of June 16, Susan briefly returns to fill in for Vanna, who has the week off (a then-recent plane crash killed her spouse, John Gibson).
 * On at least June 20, no credit is given for Susan's wardrobe.
 * June 20 has two sets of repeated categories: Phrase in Round 1 and the Bonus Round, Things in Round 3, and Thing in Round 4.
 * As of June 20, the contestant backdrops still look the same as they did in September 1984.

July 1986 :
 * On an episode at some point during the Summer, the yellow contestant acquires five Free Spins, and uses all five in Round 2.
 * On the same episode, Round 3 starts as a Speed-Up. Thanks to a $2,000 Final Spin, the blue contestant ends up winning despite having not touched the Wheel at all.

August 1986 :

Season 13 (1986-87)
September 1986 :
 * By September 8, the contestant backdrops are altered to streamline the "jagged" edges; the resulting appearance closely resembles a sunflower.
 * By September 8, the Wheel wedges are recolored, replacing some olive and brown wedges with pink and purple. Other wedge colors are brightened as well.
 * September 15 is the debut of the daytime Jackpot wedge, which begins at $1,000 and increases by $1,000 each day until claimed.

October 1986 :
 * A Monday episode from Fall 1986 has several notable events:
 * The only prize bought after Round 1 is a collection of Pressman board games, including Deluxe Wheel of Fortune.
 * Rounds 1 and 2 are both Phrase.
 * The bonus prize, a $4,200 cabinet, is presented next to the puzzle board.
 * On the above episode, the Jackpot graphic is a collection of gold coins and a gold bracelet; the money graphic, which resembles that from the opening, is red and flashes.
 * By the above episode, Gucci begins providing Vanna's wardrobe.

November 1986 :
 * The November 13 game ends in a tie. As a result, no Bonus Round is played and all three contestants continue the next day. The returning champion, who is not one of the tied contestants, is informed that the next day's game will be a "contiunation of [her] second appearance". In place of the Bonus Round, Pat and Vanna converse, and Pat shows the device from which contestants draw numbers to determine who starts the game.
 * On November 13, the Jackpot graphic is a gold "Horn of Plenty" with various coins around it; the money graphic is gold and stationary.
 * On November 13, Climax provides Vanna's wardrobe.
 * As of November 13 (or the above episode, whichever comes later), the Merv Griffin Enterprises logo is still the same as it was on June 20.
 * November 17 is College Week.

December 1986 :
 * December 22 is Teen Week, recorded on November 22. Some general notes about this week:
 * The opening, which is the same as previous Teen Weeks, shows 13 players in front of the puzzle board.
 * As it is also Christmas week, a large bow is present on the puzzle board's frame and each of the pillars flanking the turntable; the contestant area also has a small decoration behind each player.
 * Neither the animated Wheel logo or Jackpot wedge are used.
 * Pat Richards provides Vanna's wardrobe on December 22, and Climax on December 23-24. It would appear that by this point, there are several rotating sponsors for her outfits.
 * December 22 has a few notable events:
 * "We Wish You A Merry Christmas" is played during the Round 2 prize descriptions.
 * Rounds 1 and 3 are Things and Thing, respectively.
 * The Bonus Round timer continues to play for about two seconds after the time's-up buzzer.
 * Only $1,900 is won by the day's winner, and $2,700 awarded altogether.
 * The Wheel can be heard loudly spinning as Pat and Vanna sign off.
 * By December 22, the Merv Griffin Enterprises logo has been altered to add the line "A unit of The Coca-Cola Company" between the Enterprises logo and copyright date. The December 22 shot begins with a closeup of the copyright text before zooming out, implying that this is the first episode with the credit.
 * The December 23 show was mostly pre-empted on the East Coast by an NBC News report, rejoining just before Jack begins the Round 3 prize descriptions; West Coast viewers saw the entire episode. Among the known events:
 * During the Bonus Round, a contestant's call of M is misheard as N, and the N is briefly put on the chyron.
 * After the solve, one of the winner's relatives accidentally gets herself caught on the player's microphone.
 * The opening logo-on-Wheel shot accidentally appears very briefly before the camera switches to the Merv Griffin logo.
 * December 24 also has several notable events:
 * The opening Wheel shot suddenly jumps backward when the transition appears.
 * During Round 2, Pat forgets to ask contestant Leslie if she wants to use her Free Spin. He does this again in Round 3, but she turns it in herself.
 * The players are shown turning their backs at the break during Round 3.
 * On December 25, Pat accidentally says $450 is top dollar for Round 1 instead of $750; after realizing his mistake, he adds "Don't hit Bankrupt, if you do...I'm liable to give you this jacket."

January 1987 :
 * At some point in 1987, two games in a row end in a tie. This results in a champion playing five games.

February 1987 :
 * February 9 is Battle of the Sexes Week. The open is the same as in 1984, with the genders' positions swapped and the puzzle board reading BATTLE OF THE SEXES on the top three lines; oddly, there are eight women and seven men.

March 1987 :
 * On March 30, it takes six turns to reveal any letters in the Round 1 puzzle HO CHI MINH. With only the O missing, a contestant mispronounces the name; the next contestant solves for the house minimum of $200, then buys the ceramic Dalmatian and puts the rest on a gift certificate.

April 1987 :
 * On April 27, the puzzle board reads BEAST during the credits. This was done, presumably by Pat, by rearranging the letters in the bonus puzzle BEST MAN. He is known to have scrambled the bonus puzzle on at least two other occasions.
 * As of April 27, commercial breaks may still occur during a round (Round 2 in this case).

May 1987 :

June 1987 :
 * On or around June 5, a contestant wins a Jackpot of $21,000. This is believed to be the highest total ever achieved with the Jackpot.

July 1987 :

August 1987 :

Season 14 (1987-88)
September 1987 :

October 1987 :

November 1987 :
 * On November 29 and 30, a contestant wins the Jackpot for two days in a row.

December 1987 :

January 1988 :

February 1988 :

March 1988 :

April 1988 :

May 1988 :

June 1988 :

July 1988 :
 * Jack Clark dies on July 21. M. G. Kelly begins filling in as announcer immediately afterward.

August 1988 :

Season 15 (1988-89)
September 1988 :
 * September 16 is believed to be the last appearance of the daytime Jackpot.

October 1988 :
 * As on nighttime, the Bonus Round rules are changed on October 3 to the current rules. The first daytime bonus puzzle under these rules is OREO COOKIES, which is not solved.

November 1988 :

December 1988 :

January 1989 :
 * January 9 (Episode #3,564) is Pat's last daytime show. He steps down from daytime to host his short-lived talk show, The Pat Sajak Show.
 * Appropriately, the Round 1 puzzle is TAKE GOOD CARE OF YOURSELF.
 * Following the Bonus Round, Pat makes out with Vanna until series creator Merv Griffin walks up and pokes Pat's shoulder.
 * No name is ever given for Pat's replacement, likely because no host had been selected yet.
 * January 10 is Rolf Benirschke's first show, recorded on December 14, 1988. M.G.'s introductory spiel ends with "And now, here is your hostess: Vanna White!" Vanna walks out to the host's area, and introduces Rolf; the two converse during the first segment, which lasts just under two minutes, and Round 1 begins in the second segment.

February 1989 :
 * On an episode during Rolf's tenure, for what is believed to be the first time, a contestant incorrectly solves a fully-revealed puzzle. The answer is SAINT THOMAS AQUINAS, which at least one player mispronounces.
 * On two different episodes during Rolf's tenure, the show ends in a tie. On the first instance, Rolf admits on-camera that he does not know what to do.
 * There is a Teen Week during Rolf's tenure. On one of those episodes, he congratulates himself for hitting $2,000 in a Final Spin; a contestant then points out that Rolf is looking at the wrong arrow and has actually hit Bankrupt.
 * Charlie O'Donnell returns as announcer on February 20.
 * On February 22, contestant Lois gets three Free Spins in Round 1.
 * On February 22, Rolf's Final Spin lands on Lose A Turn.
 * As of February 22, Augustus still provides Rolf's wardrobe.

March 1989 :

April 1989 :

May 1989 :
 * The May 9 show is Episode #3,649.

June 1989 :
 * June 30 is Rolf's last episode and the last taped at NBC Studios.
 * June 30 is also the last episode with $2,000 as a cash value.
 * By June 30, Rick Pallack begins providing the host's wardrobe.
 * On June 30, Charlie says his name while signing off, the only known instance of any daytime announcer doing so.

July 1989 :
 * On July 17, the show moves to CBS at its original timeslot of 10:30 AM. Among the changes are:
 * 1) Bob Goen becomes the show's host.
 * 2) The show now tapes at CBS Studio 33.
 * 3) The shopping format is retired, replaced by a scaled-down version of the nighttime play-for-cash format. The shopping cue "Nightwalk" is sporadically used as a prize cue.
 * 4) The "wrong letter" buzzer, Bankrupt slide whistle, "only vowels remain" beep, Final Spin bells and category chimes are all changed to the current ones. Unsolved bonus puzzles are now followed by two short buzzes instead of the "wrong letter" buzzer.
 * 5) "Changing Keys" and the puzzle-solve cue are given new arrangements. This and all subsequent versions of "Changing Keys" end on a single note instead of the puzzle-solve cue.
 * 6) The contestant nametags are now parallelogram-shaped, with white letters.
 * 7) The Wheel offers far less than it did previously: $500 is once again top value for Round 1 and also for Round 2, $1,000 for Round 3, and $1,250 thereafter. For the first time since 1975, $50 and $75 appear on the Wheel.
 * 8) Prize wedges are introduced to the daytime show, with a new prize added in each of the first three rounds.
 * 9) Vowels now cost $200.
 * 10) The Bonus Round now offers subcompact cars and a cash prize of $5,000. The latter is displayed on a rotating green disc suspended from the ceiling. While the nighttime version changes Bonus Round prize selection to a random draw from envelopes spelling W-H-E-E-L in September 1989, daytime still allows contestants to pick their own bonus prize until the daytime version is canceled. Picking the cash is not as common on daytime as it had been on nighttime at this point.
 * The returning champion from Rolf's last episode does not return on July 17.
 * Charlie's intro on Bob's first episode is "From Television City in Hollywood, It's America's most watched game show! The famous Wheel is spinning your way with lots of cash and an assortment of fabulous and exciting prizes! And now, here's your host, Bob Goen!"
 * July 17 is the debut of Person/Fictional Character, which is renamed to its current name of Star/Role by 1990.
 * On July 17, Pat Sajak makes a cameo before Round 3 to wish Bob good luck.
 * On July 18, Charlie's intro changes to "Look at this studio, filled with lots of exciting prizes! Including our all-new $5,000 cash bonus, a gorgeous handwoven oriental rug, and a fabulous sapphire and diamond ring, plus thousands of dollars in cash, all waiting to be won on today's show! Yes, from Television City in Hollywood, it's Wheel of Fortune! And now, here's your host, Bob Goen!"
 * On July 18, the two-digit values are given diamonds. In addition, the yellow $50 near Bankrupt in Round 1 is increased to $300.
 * Charlie's intro changes again on the 19th. "Lots of exciting prizes" is changed to "wonderful and exciting prizes", and the next several episodes use a different phrase to describe the $5,000.
 * On July 19, the contestant nametags change to black lettering on a gray background.
 * On July 19, the Round 1 Wheel undergoes several value changes: The aforementioned $300 drops to $125, the $125 formerly next to it drops to $50, the pink $50 between Bankrupt and Free Spin increases to $175, the purple $50 nearby increases to $300, and the blue $75 between Free Spin and Lose A Turn increases to $200.
 * On July 21, Same Name begins using an ampersand instead of spelling out AND. The answer is EGG & VANNA WHITE.

August 1989 :
 * By August 29, the NBC "Wheel! Of! Fortune!" chant and money graphic are dropped.
 * By August 29, the purple $50 space in Round 1 is increased to $300. Only one each of $50 and $75 remain on the Wheel.
 * August 31 is the last known appearance of Nickname, and the first known appearance of Person/Title.
 * On August 31, two Wheel prizes are introduced in Round 3.

Season 16 (1989-90)
September 1989 :
 * Charlie's intro changes to "From Television City in Hollywood, one of America's most loved shows! The famous Wheel is spinning your way with lots of cash and an assortment of sumptuous prizes! And now, here's your host, Bob Goen!"
 * For a few weeks around this point, on both daytime and nighttime, some O's on the board are wider and rounder than usual, clearly not matching the font of the other letters. They are believed to have been zeroes loaded in by mistake.
 * By September 18, the Round 1 minimum is increased to $100: The pink $50 is increased to $250, the blue $75 is increased to $400, and the purple $300 near Bankrupt is decreased to $100.

October 1989 :
 * On October 16, the tan Free Spin wedge becomes a single green Free Spin token placed on various amounts. The spot formerly holding the wedge becomes $400.

November 1989 :

December 1989 :

January 1990 :

February 1990 :

March 1990 :

April 1990 :

May 1990 :

June 1990 :

July 1990 :
 * The week of July 2 is an Armed Forces Week, where contestants are called from the audience to play. After each round, the two players who don't solve the puzzle are eliminated and two new contestants are called to replace them.
 * By July 4, the cost of buying a vowel is decreased to $100.
 * Around this point, a contestant is known to have solved NICK NOLTE STARRING IN Q&A with only one letter (possibly the N) revealed.

August 1990 :

Season 17 (1990-91)
September 1990 :
 * On September 3, the score displays are altered to allow for seven digits. The dollar sign now "adjusts" to the scores instead of remaining at the far left.

October 1990 :
 * Clue debuts around this point, with the bonus worth $250 on the daytime show.

November 1990 :
 * On November 29, an episode of L.A. Law airs called "Vowel Play" which, following the "previously on" montage, begins as a daytime Wheel episode with the Round 4 layout; the puzzle, BALD IS BEAUTIFUL (Phrase), is solved by Douglas (a character on the show). This becomes a minor subplot, as Douglas mentions he won the game with $11,000 plus a dinette set, and Vanna appears later to strike up a friendship after he leaves the show.
 * The Wheel segment not only predates its move to NBC just over a month later (albeit with the 1989 opening spiel), but is also the very first use of a camera shot mentioned below.

December 1990 :

January 1991 :
 * January 11's bonus puzzle (KING OF THE ROAD) uses three lines of the puzzle board, a practice which was almost entirely abandoned after mid-1989.
 * On January 14, the show moves back to NBC, but stays in CBS Studio 33. Unlike the move to CBS two years earlier, the previous episode's winner returns to play again.
 * On January 14, a new numbering system is adopted which uses "#DT" followed by a three-digit episode counter.
 * On January 14, Charlie's intro is changed to "From Hollywood, the famous Wheel is spinning, spinning, spinning! And the players will be winning, winning, winning! Because there's lots of cash and some fabulous prizes just waiting to be won on Wheel of Fortune! With our host, Bob Goen, and our hostess, Vanna White!"
 * On January 14, the opening is slightly altered to superimpose the logo over a shot of the day's contestants. A similar shot without the logo was used on the aforementioned L.A. Law episode.

February 1991 :
 * There is a Teen Week at some point this month.
 * By the Teen Week, the opening is slightly altered to remove the superimposed Wheel logo from the shot of the day's contestants.
 * During Teen Week, Bob does not do the opening spin.
 * During Teen Week, the usual backdrop behind Bob is not present.
 * On the last day of Teen Week, a contestant wins $11,802 in the main game.
 * On the last day of Teen Week, the contestant's letters fill in the bonus puzzle SNACK BAR completely.
 * The February 26 show is Episode #DT032.

March 1991 :
 * As of March 11, the total of a prize now flashes on a chyron if a contestant picks it up on at least some episodes.
 * The weeks of March 11 and 18 are the Cashpot Sweepstakes, where home viewers enter to solve each day's Cashpot puzzle. As a result, only one round is played in the first segment.
 * On March 19, the Prize wedges move between rounds: Round 1's prize (artwork) starts on the pink $250, then moves to the yellow $200 for Rounds 2 and 3; Round 2's prize (a ring) starts on the purple $100 and moves to the blue $100, with the Round 3 prize (a spa) taking the ring's place in Round 3.

April 1991 :

May 1991 :
 * By May 23, Bob has stopped doing the opening spin entirely.
 * On May 23, the cameras switch to the over-the-Wheel shot too soon during a spin, catching it in "mid-flight".
 * May 27 has a very rare instance of a four-line puzzle in the Speed-Up round.

June 1991 :

July 1991 :

August 1991 :

September 1991 :
 * September 20 is the last daytime episode, although the show appears to have gone into reruns by this point.
 * It was once rumored that Wheel continued through December 31, 1993 in first-run or repeats; while there have been cases of affiliates showing repeats of cancelled network games (the original versions of Jeopardy! and Gambit), the continuation of daytime Wheel past September 20, 1991 is (as far as anyone can tell) merely a bit of wishful thinking.

Wheel 2000 (1997-98)

 * While Wheel 2000 did air in daytime on network television, it is considered a derivative and not a revival of the daytime show. See Wheel 2000.