User:Daniel Benfield/Nighttime Video Archive/Seasons 23-26

Next verse, same as the last.

Season 23 (2005-06)
Many gameplay changes are made: the second Bankrupt is once again permanent for Rounds 4 on, a third Gift Tag is placed on the yellow $400 between $600 and $300, the Prize wedge moves to Round 1, the Prize Puzzle now occurs daily, and all Wheel add-ons are removed after Round 3.

Aesthetically, the "?" circle on the Mystery Wedges changes to red with a black question mark, and a blue bordering is added. Also, the wheel pegs change to silver.

The commercial structure is changed for the first time since 1987: Rounds 1 and 2 are now in their own segments, and the Bonus Round and closing chat are combined into one segment, in which the Bonus Wheel is seen (instead of being taken off-stage after the final break, like the W-H-E-E-L envelope holder). In addition, this is the first season to premiere the week after Labor Day (and has continued to do so since then).

On October 3, a graphic is shown to the viewers, displaying the back of a Mystery Wedge if it is landed on. Also, the Mystery prize (barring a few exceptions due to out of order taping) is now always $10,000.

On October 24, the Jackpot wedge is changed to silver.

Any contestant who gets shut-out now gets $1,000 in cash as a consolation prize; $2,000 is offered for teams.

New Categories: TV Title on September 12, Movie Title on September 19, In the Kitchen on September 27, Song Title on October 13, College Life on October 24, Rock On! on October 25.

Road Shows: Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans, Louisiana (November 7-18); Broward County Convention Center in Fort Lauderdale, Florida (January 23-27 and February 6-24); Colorado Convention Center in Denver (May 1-19).

2005


 * September 12, 2005 (Season Premiere/Wheel Around the World, Day 1)
 * September 28, 2005 (Wheel Watchers Club I, Day 3)
 * November 15, 2005 ("Celebrating New Orleans", Day 2: Ben/Kenyatta/Jamie)
 * December 13, 2005 (Sony's Winner Wonderland, Day 2)

2006


 * February 27, 2006 (Soap Stars Week, Day 1)
 * February 28, 2006 (Soap Stars Week, Day 2)
 * March 1, 2006 (Soap Stars Week, Day 3)
 * May 15, 2006 (College Week, Day 1 {alternate copy...thing})
 * May 16, 2006 (College Week, Day 2)
 * May 17, 2006 (College Week, Day 3)
 * May 18, 2006 (College Week, Day 4)
 * May 19, 2006 (College Week, Finale)
 * May 30, 2006 (Wheel Across America, Day 2)
 * June 1, 2006 (Wheel Across America, Day 4: Helen/Dale/Anisha)
 * June 9, 2006 (Season Finale/Wheel Watchers Club III, Finale)

Season 24 (2006-07)
Aesthetically, the biggest change of all is that the show now airs in high-definition. "Happy Wheels" is given a new re-arrangement as well, and the theme ends as soon as the credits end. There are also new cues for a Toss-Up solve and main game solve, as well as a new cue for when the Bonus Wheel spins.

The King World logo changes one last time: the sky is cloudy and blue, and the thunderclap is a little softer than its predecessor; this lasts until October 2007.

The Wheel is changed majorly: The numbers are given a bigger shadow, and the golden wedges disappear, in favor of blue ones. The wedges changed to blue are the pink $300 next to Lose a Turn, the golden $500, and the red $600. As a result, the orange $900 becomes pink, and the golden $300 becomes red.

Correct letters on the Jackpot are now worth $500. The Jackpot wedge from last season is changed to a new one with a similar design on October 23.

The Gift Tag over $400 between $600 and $300 is removed. The $700 Gift Tag moves over to mentioned $400 on October with the introduction of the Wild Card, until October 30 when it is removed, leaving only the one on the pink $300.

On February 5, new music beds are added for the Toss-Up, Speed-Up, and Bonus Round.

New Categories: Food & Drink (formerly On the Menu) on September 11.

Retired Categories: The "decade" categories on September 27, Who Said It? on October 27, Best Seller on February 8 (although it showed up on April 22, 2011).

Road Shows: Nokia Theater in Grand Prairie, Dallas, Texas (October 30-November 17); Charleston Area Convention Center in South Carolina (February 5-23); San Diego Convention Center (April 30-May 18).

2006


 * September 11, 2006 (Season Premiere/"Fantastic Voyages", Day 1)
 * October 13, 2006 ("Going to the Game", Finale)
 * October 23, 2006 (College Week, Day 1)
 * November 2, 2006 (Best Friends Week, Day 4)

2007


 * April 6, 2007 ("Fantasy Islands", Finale)
 * June 8, 2007 (Season Finale/"I Need a Vacation", Finale)

Season 25 (2007-08)
To celebrate the show's quarter-century in syndication, special greetings are given by various celebrities and various flashback clips are shown (rarely, the daytime version).

The intro is composed of a photo-mosaic of various clips, all forming a large golden "25" with a silver two-row logo under it, with the "R" getting its hole for the only time in history.

New music is added to the opening, Speed-Up, bonus category solves, and Bonus Round solves.

The contestant scoreboards are changed again, this time to a basic screen and only the contestant's name to signify whose turn it is; this is quickly changed to have two arrows at the bottom that flash. The displays no longer touch each other, as was the case from 1974-90.

Several gameplay changes are made. The new gameplay changes are the 25 Wedge (over $550 in Round 2) and the Big Money Wedge (over $400 between $600 and $300 in Round 3) whose $5,000, $7,500, and $25,000 cash prizes are flat-rate and can be spent on vowels. Other changes include the Free Spin now awarding $300 per letter (and also now out for the first three rounds instead of the first two; and no longer obscuring the "3") and the second Bankrupt now over the yellow $300 for both Rounds 2-3 (and is no longer present after Round 3).

For three various weeks beginning October 16, the $2,500 wedge is replaced with a larger wedge of the same value that covers both the top dollar space and the adjacent purple $600.

In October, King World becomes CBS Television Distribution. By November 5, the Big Money Wedge changes to a blue LED wedge with red and white "lights" at the bottom.

New Categories: What Are You Doing? on September 12, What Are We Making? on October 23, Fictional Family on November 30.

Retired Categories: What Are We Making? on October 23, Slogan on February 19, Next Line Please on April 17, Who Is It? on April 23, Classic TV on May 6 (although it was used on April 2, 2010).

Road Shows: Radio City Music Hall in New York City (November 5-23); Navy Pier in Chicago, Illinois (April 28-May 16).

2007


 * September 10, 2007 (Season Premiere/Let's Party!, Day 1 {alternate copy})
 * September 19, 2007 (Casino Night, Day 3)
 * October 10, 2007 (Made in the USA, Day 3)
 * October 12, 2007 (Made in the USA, Day 5)
 * October 16, 2007 (College Road Trip, Day 2)
 * November 16, 2007 (People Celebrity Week, Finale)
 * November 20, 2007 (Heroes, Day 2)
 * December 17, 2007 (Great Outdoors I, Day 1)
 * December 24, 2007 (Happy Holidays, Day 1)

2008


 * January 14, 2008 (Great Outdoors II, Day 1 {alternate copy})
 * January 21, 2008 (Winter Hideaway, Day 1)
 * February 20, 2008 (Desert Passages, Day 3 {alternate copy})
 * February 27, 2008 (Best Friends Week, Day 1)
 * March 18, 2008 (QVC Shopping Spree, Day 2)
 * April 24, 2008 (Mexico, Day 4)
 * April 28, 2008 (College Week, Day 1)

Season 26 (2008-09)
The biggest changes come to gameplay: the $10,000 Wedge is replaced with the Million-Dollar Wedge (which means the Bonus Round now offers a potential payout of $1,000,000 if taken there; otherwise, it is played for the normal $100,000); the four wedges to the right of the top dollar wedge are changed to a green $600, a yellow $500, a red $300 (the only one left unchanged), and a blue $500; the new Jackpot wedge (recycled from the Big Money Wedge) moves to the red $300, the Mystery Wedges (which have their dark-blue bordering removed) are now on the new blue $500 and the blue $300; the second Bankrupt moves to the purple $600 next to top dollar for Rounds 2-3; and the Wild Card is now removed after Round 3.

The letters on the Bonus Wheel are now A-M-E-R-I-C-A-'-S-★-G-A-M-E-★★-S-P-I-N-&-W-I-N-★★★, due to the increase in the potential payout.

Retired Categories: Where Are We? on November 28, the last "bonus" question until Season 28 and the last time the High Rollers chimes are used.

Road Shows: Hilton Waikoloa Village in Hawaii (November 5-25, February 9-13); Sea World in Orlando, Florida (March 2-20, April 6-10).

2008


 * September 15, 2008 (Nothing but the Best, Day 1)
 * October 14, 2008 (Canada Week, Day 2)
 * November 10, 2008 (Big Island Week, Day 4)
 * December 25, 2008 (Happy Holidays, Day 4)

2009


 * January 1, 2009 (America's Game I, Day 4)
 * January 14, 2009 (Dream Vacations, Day 3)
 * January 20, 2009 (Teachers Week, Day 2)
 * January 21, 2009 (Teachers Week, Day 3)
 * February 27, 2009 (America's Game II, Finale; 5,000th Show)
 * March 12, 2009 (Family Fun, Day 4)
 * April 9, 2009 (Vacation Adventure, Day 4)
 * April 22, 2009 (America's Game III, Day 3)
 * May 1, 2009 (Sandals Resort Week, Day 5)
 * May 25, 2009 (America's Game IV, Day 1 {6th Week; College Show})