Wheel 2000

Wheel of Fortune 2000 (almost always shortened to Wheel 2000) was a children's version of Wheel of Fortune created and produced by Scott Sternberg which ran concurrently in first-run on CBS and GSN from September 13, 1997 to February 7, 1998. It was hosted by David Sidoni, with Tanika Ray as the voice of CGI announcer/hostess "Cyber Lucy".

The show was consistently #1 among CBS' children's programming that season (unsurprising, given its pedigree), but finished its first-run episodes in 46th place with approximately 350,000 viewers; on average, the network's Saturday-morning lineup as a whole continually ran a distant fourth, with a 0.5 on the Nielsen ratings system (about 190,000 viewers).

While Wheel 2000 is a footnote of the American franchise and one of the briefest Wheel adaptations in the world, it was adapted for Turkey (as Cark 2000) in 2000 and Vietnam (as Chiếc nón kỳ diệu) from at least 2007-09.

Changes
For more on this version's unique categories and gameplay elements, see List of categories and Gameplay elements.


 * Wheel 2000 airs weekly, on Saturday mornings. The official timeslot is 11:30 AM Eastern/Pacific, although some of those affiliates air it earlier and others air it on Sundays. Wheel2000ContestantArea.jpg
 * A much smaller set is used, despite taping in Studio 11 at Sony Pictures in Culver City (the same studio as the adult version). The only holdovers from the adult version are the score displays and flippers. A large colored light bulb is at the left side of each display.
 * Children aged 10-15 play for points (not cash) and prizes more geared towards that age group, with no returning champions. Despite this, the show's current policies count this version as your once-in-a-lifetime appearance on the American franchise.
 * The opening spiel is "Hey, it's time to play...Wheel 2000! And here's our host: David Sidoni!"
 * The intro begins with a CGI factory (including representations of various set pieces) producing letters and numbers of the show's logo; the letters are pushed into a tunnel, landing at the bottom to form the Wheel of Fortune 2000 logo.
 * As Lucy says "Hey, it's time to play...", a puff of smoke appears, changing the full title to the shortened one just before the audience chants the title. After this, another puff of smoke appears as the transition to the set.
 * Following David's introduction, he then introduces Lucy.
 * The show's full title is only used in the opening, on the Prize Box, and on a small set piece between the red and yellow contestants.
 * The Wheel is very different and, as a result of not using money, is the cheapest of the American franchise: Wheel2000NormalWheelLayout.jpg
 * 1) Top point values are 1,000 in Round 1, 2,000 in Round 2, and 5,000 thereafter. This is the first appearance of 2,000 since 1989. Other than this and the stunts, the Wheel uses a single template. Nice_Creature_Good_Creature.jpg
 * 2) Bankrupt and Lose A Turn are replaced by The Creature and Loser, respectively. The "Creature" is a monster (possibly a dragon) that lives beneath the Wheel and comes up to "eat" the player's points, with a graphic of electrical bolts "shocking" the score display.
 * 3) Free Spin is removed entirely.
 * 4) New special spaces are added: "www.Wheel2000.com", "Double Up", "Prize Box", and three double-width "stunt wedges". If the Prize Box is claimed, a new one is added for the next round.
 * 5) The center of the Wheel has a monitor on it, which typically shows the Wheel 2000 logo. Lucy sometimes appears on this screen, reminiscent of the chroma-key closing shot used in the 1970s-80s.
 * 6) The layout, going clockwise from The Creature, is Creature-650-Stunt (250)-400-600-Prize Box (100)-550-Loser-350-Stunt (250)-500-300-150-Website (750)-450-(Top Value)-Stunt (250)-700-250-Double Up (500 or 1,000)-200. This is the first appearance of 100 since 1991; the first of 150, 200, and 750 since 1996; and the first of 650 since 1979.
 * "Changing Keys" is not used, nor are any of the sound effects or music cues ever used on the adult version. The "right letter" bells are replaced by a computerized male voice (although the Bonus Round uses electronic "boops"); the "wrong letter" buzzer by a deeper, more electronic sound; the Bankrupt slide whistle by deep laughter and a repeating electronic decrescendo; the Final Spin chimes by the steam whistle previously used on Sternberg's Let's Go Back; and the Bonus Round timer and double-buzz by a "tick-tock" sound and loud buzzer.
 * Other than the replaced effects, new sounds include ones for Loser, the Prize Box (later used on the 2002-04 Pyramid), the top value, www.Wheel2000.com, Double Up, and the various stunts; a light sound for when the clock/randomizer appear just before the stunt; a bell clang for earning a letter in the stunts; a "time's up" foghorn for games that end without a Speed-Up; and a series of noises for winning the Bonus Round. At least some of these were also used on Zooventure. Wheel2000CategoryList.jpg
 * Only three categories are held over, albeit with different names: Place becomes "Globetrotter", Proper Name becomes "V.I.P.'s", and Thing becomes "Just Stuff" (it is not certain whether "Monumental" was a holdover of Landmark); all others are unique. Contestants now choose their category from a list of three, with a new category available for each round. The category display is above the puzzle, but not present during Speed-Up rounds.
 * While there is no visibly-defined "limit" for the puzzle board (only the necessary spaces are shown), puzzles are nonetheless aligned as they would be on the adult boards. This and the below suggest a four-line board with nine spaces per row (36 spaces total), slightly smaller than the 1974-81 board. The letters are in the Atrox font.
 * No puzzle is known to have used more than three rows, the longest known being LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN (V.I.P.'s) at 18 letters; conversely, the shortest known puzzle is SPAIN (Place). Bonus puzzles are placed on a separate "line" just below the category title, a top row that appears to be exclusively used for this purpose.
 * Contestants who try to solve a puzzle are shown in the lower right-hand corner much like the Bonus Round; solving a puzzle awards a prize, which is kept regardless of the game's outcome.
 * The "house minimum" for solving a puzzle is 500 points, but only if a player solves for 200 or less, a rule that is known to have affected the outcome at least once.
 * After a main-game puzzle is solved, the subject is explained in detail by Lucy, an actor (not necessarily of a CBS show), or an athlete. Wheel2000FirstBonusEnvelopes.jpg
 * The Bonus Round uses the nighttime "pick an envelope" format, albeit with just two choices (A-B) much like the British version; bonus puzzles are always a straightforward Person, Place, or Thing. It otherwise uses the nighttime format.
 * The A-B envelopes are red with a large yellow letter (at times yellow with red letters) on the front, while prize names are printed in small, black all-caps Times New Roman font on a white background. Against precedent, the bonus prize is only revealed if the contestant solves the puzzle.
 * Prizes in the Bonus Round are a computer, a week of limo rides to and from school, a blimp ride, and a theme park tour. According to one recollection, the computer was won five or six times, the limo rides four times, the blimp ride twice, and the theme park tour once. It is not known whether the envelopes contained the same prize, or different ones.

Timeline
Pre-Series :
 * On February 5, CBS announces Wheel of Fortune 2000 as part of an overhauled Saturday-morning lineup for the Fall. Jon Mandel, senior vice president of Grey Advertising, states that "People will trash it as silly, but Wheel of Fortune may be the sleeper of the season."
 * At least two pilots are recorded in early or mid-July, with only one known difference from the series: if a player lands on The Creature with no points, s/he is "eaten" out of the round instead. It is likely that these were aired as part of the series.
 * A publicity shot of Sidoni at the Wheel shows a normal 750 wedge in the position of www.Wheel2000.com. As this appeared in a TV Guide article on the show's debut, it is likely to be from the pilot tapings.
 * Double Up is likely not present, as several episodes of the series have shots of a regular 500 in its position.
 * On August 11, Tanika is announced as Cyber Lucy.
 * On August 29, David is announced as the show's host.

September 1997 : (show begins September 13)
 * On September 13 (Marissa/Gerrard/Vinnie):
 * David enters from the door closer to the Wheel.
 * During Round 1, Marissa tries to pick up the Prize Box right after landing on it (as was the case from 1983-90), but is stopped by David. She ends up claiming the prize, a Game.com, which is merely referred to as "a personal video game system". She later becomes the first aired winner of two Prize Boxes (Rounds 1 and 3).
 * Gerrard solves the Round 2 puzzle PRINTING PRESS with just the R's, E, and S's showing; the round is played only by him.
 * On September 20 (Jessica/Lea/Dwayne):
 * The front of Lucy's hair is bleached. She and David discuss the hairstyle before the start of the game.
 * Lea gets two Prize Boxes in the first two rounds. She is nicknamed "Prize Box Girl" by Lucy ("Prize Box Lady" by David) when she lands on it the second time.
 * At the start of Round 3, Lucy notes that Word Rap is her favorite category. As a possible result, Dwayne chooses it.
 * On an episode sometime during the show's run, David notes that Lucy always dances when Globetrotter is chosen.

October 1997 :
 * By October 3, David and Tanika/Lucy begin a tour of Wheel 2000, sponsored by Bravo Card and branded by Discover, to various shopping malls in Chicago, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Washington D.C., New York City, Charlotte, Dallas, Denver, Salt Lake City, Seattle, San Jose, and Anaheim.
 * The format is the same, except the Wheel has only 14 wedges including 850 (its first appearance since 1979), Bravo (much like the Prize Box, awarding a small prize package including the 1995 handheld game), Alientoss (the stunt wedge), and a very different design for The Creature.
 * The puzzle board consists of trilons in an 8&times;3 fashion (presumably turned by Tanika from behind). As a result, the category is announced without the players choosing one. The sound effect for correct letters is the same as when a Double Up question is answered correctly.
 * Winners receive a four-night, five-day trip to Universal Studios in Hollywood, Florida, where they will attend a taping of Wheel 2000.
 * On October 4 (Katie/Seph/Brent):
 * David enters from the door closer to the Wheel.
 * Brent calls the last consonant in the Speed-Up puzzle GOOSE BUMPS, but nothing signifies that only vowels remain (specifically the O's, E, and U) until after Katie picks D, at which point Lucy says "Only vowels left, I believe." Seph then calls the O's and solves the puzzle. The error causes Brent to win, as Katie had enough to overtake him.
 * On October 11 (Lauren/Skye/Murphibennett):
 * David enters from the door closer to the Wheel.
 * Three vowels are bought in Round 2, but none of them are in the puzzle.
 * The physical game, Letter Launch, is not played.
 * Murphibennett sweeps the game, but fails to solve the bonus puzzle SOCRATES with the O and A missing.
 * October 18 (Gino/Alana/Jason) is believed to be the third taped episode as, while retaining many elements of the first two tapings (see "December 1997" for more), it has the regular Wheel layout and no stunt replaces the one present in Round 1. On this episode:
 * Monumental makes its only known appearance. It is never chosen.
 * No puzzle-solve cue is used in Round 1, and the subsequent explanation of NAPOLEON (Bonaparte) does not have any accompanying pictures.
 * Jason loses 2,250 points to The Creature in Round 2, which may be a record.
 * The explanation for the Round 2 puzzle TOM SAWYER is a pretaped message clearly intended for a puzzle of MARK TWAIN, as Tom Sawyer is never actually mentioned.
 * Eleven wrong letters are called in a row in Round 3 (ORBIT) with the R and T showing, with all but the first occurring in Speed-Up.
 * Later in the Speed-Up, Alana calls the last consonant but does not solve. Immediately afterward, a series of high-pitched beeps is used to denote "only vowels remain", after which Jason calls the O and solves. It is not known if the "only vowels remain" beeps were used on any other tapings in the Speed-Up, although the October 4 show did not.

November 1997 :
 * On November 1 (Dawnell/Ebony/Patrick):
 * David enters from the door closer to the Wheel.
 * Patrick mentions that "I'm ready to play Wheel of Fortune!", which appropriately segues into David's gameplay spiel.
 * The first spins of Rounds 2 and 3 suddenly jump from approaching the Prize Box to just passing it. This may indicate that a "null" cycle was edited out, which appears to have been the case on at least one other episode (see below).
 * With only vowels remaining in the Round 2 puzzle INTESTINE, Patrick buys an A. Play passes to Dawnell, who has no points and no guess, getting buzzed out. Play then goes to Ebony, who buys the E's and mis-solves the puzzle (now with only the I's missing) as ANTESTONE. Patrick then solves correctly for 2,000 points.
 * During the Speed-Up round, Ebony tries to call two letters in a row.
 * Patrick sweeps the game and wins a computer in the Bonus Round.
 * By November 1 (or, rather, this point in taping), the A-B envelope colors are swapped to have red letters on a yellow backing. Jay/Sara/Ian also uses this color scheme.

December 1997 :
 * The first taped episode (Gregory/Kayce/Jeremy) likely airs in December or January, containing a bevy of differences:
 * 1) David walks out of the door farther from the Wheel and converses with Lucy for a bit.
 * 2) The set piece between the red and yellow contestants is a clock with the hands pointing to approximately 11:50. The time changes as the episode progresses, giving a likely reason for its removal: namely, that the episode takes about two hours to record.
 * 3) The rules are explained slightly differently, with the camera zooming out from the center to show the Wheel, then cutting to the special wedges as David points them out. The only special space that gets a zoom effect is The Creature.
 * 4) The Wheel is a bit looser, and its layout is slightly different (with a noticeable pattern of indigo/black, blue, red, yellow, orange, pink, and green throughout): 250 and 700 are swapped, as are www.Wheel2000.com and 450. The former was probably changed to not have two adjacent 250 wedges, while the latter was likely to not have three special spaces in a row (the top value and double-width stunt wedge being the others). Oddly, for Round 2, 700 is put between two 250-point spaces.
 * 5) None of the monitors show the Wheel 2000 logo.
 * 6) The large "turn indicator" lights to the left of the contestant displays are not present, and the flippers are a bit longer. (It is known that at least one other episode did not have the lights.)
 * 7) The contestant solve insert is in the upper right-hand corner.
 * 8) A new stunt is added for Round 2: Cube Roll (the stunt in Round 1 is Smell-O-Letter).
 * On the first taped episode:
 * The clock behind the players is at approximately 11:58 when a Smell-O-Letter wedge is hit, which is roughly consistent with the clock when it is first seen; when the stunt ends two minutes later, the clock is at approximately 12:25.
 * At the beginning of Round 2, the clock has jumped from about 12:30 to about 12:50. Later in the same round, the clock jumps to about 1:05 and the Cube Roll game (which had not been played yet) is gone from the double-width wedges; it is very likely that at least one null cycle (including the stunt game) was edited out.
 * When the Round 2 puzzle is solved, the clock is at about 1:05. When David begins recapping the scores, it jumps to 1:30.
 * Lucy sits on top of the puzzle during Round 1; one called letter ends up being the one she is sitting on, obscured by her legs.
 * The game ends after two rounds, a very likely record low for the American franchise; Turkey's adult version is likely the only international version to beat this with only one round and the bonus round.
 * There is a noticeable edit right after David consoles the player after the Bonus Round and before his signoff. Afterward, Lucy's fee plugs are spoken in a somewhat different tone.
 * David dances with the Bonus Round player during the credits.
 * On at least two episodes (the above and Erin/Caleb/Nikki), for the only known time since October 1987, a commercial break occurs mid-round: Round 1 on the former, Round 2 on the latter. The former appears to have been inserted in post-production, as Gregory's score display is blank despite having had 1,600 a few seconds earlier; the clock has also jumped. (The intro afterward appears to have been done in the same manner.)

January 1998 :
 * On January 8, CBS announces the overhaul of its weekend schedule, replacing everything with new cartoons by Nelvana (Anatole, Mythic Warriors, Birdz, and Flying Rhino Junior High).

February 1998 : (show ends February 7)
 * By February 7, an episode airs in which the Bonus Round is lost and the player asks David (paraphrasing) "Aren't we going to see what's inside [the envelope]?", to which he responds with (paraphrasing) "We only reveal it if you win."
 * February 7 is the last episode with 100, 150, 200, 650, 750, and 2,000 as Wheel values, although $2,000 returns for the Season 22 opening animation and $650 returns to gameplay in Season 30. It may also be the last taped episode.
 * Repeats air until September 26, when it is removed from CBS' schedule; it is known that the premiere reran February 14.
 * The website remains accessible through at least October 13, 1999. Sometime between then and May 10, 2000, "www.wheeloffortune2000.com" redirects to GSN; sometime between March 9, 2001 and November 28, 2003, it begins redirecting to various generic search engines.
 * Repeats continue on GSN until October 2001, airing in various slots before moving to 4:30 AM Fridays as part of GSN's "Cable in the Classroom" hour; reruns then air on Discovery Kids Canada for a time.

Links

 * Official website (latest revision available via Archive.org)