Wheel of Fortune timeline (syndicated)/Season 19

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A timeline for Season 19 of Wheel of Fortune, which aired in first-run from September 3, 2001 through May 31, 2002.

Season Changes

 * The opening still shows flashbacks, but the graphics surrounding the clip are changed, and they now appear just before a golden version of the two-row logo appears. Until about January, a clip of contestant Gretchen jumping up and down is briefly visible just before the logo appears. The Wheel graphic used is the Speed-Up template, and the logo and graphic are accompanied with searchlights on a starry light blue background. Each word in the logo appears as said during the chant, and after "Fortune!", the logo zooms into the Wheel's center to cut to the studio.
 * Charlie's intro is changed to "Ladies and gentlemen, Pat Sajak and Vanna White!" On travel shows, this is typically changed to "And now, from [venue], here are the stars of America's Game: Pat Sajak and Vanna White!"
 * The number of Toss-Ups is increased to three. The first Toss-Up, still valued at $1,000, now determines only who is interviewed first. A Toss-Up worth $2,000 is added before Round 1 to determine who starts that round, and the one before Round 4 is upgraded to $3,000. Toss-Ups are now split-screened in the same fashion as Speed-Up rounds, and they are now introduced with a wipe consisting of "Toss-Up" written on a purple disc in Helvetica Condensed, with "TOSS" written both right-side-up and upside-down on the edges.
 * The category strips are changed to white letters in Kabel Bold on a purple, rectangular background which fades at the ends. The "rolling Wheel" effect is replaced with a white "burst" effect, and the letters themselves zoom out onto place, one letter at a time.
 * Gill Sans is reinstated as a permanent display font for the prize values and post-Bonus Round totals, but this time, it appears in its regular version instead of the bold version that had been used for both purposes in Seasons 10-12 and for the values of certain prizes in Season 18; also, the text is now accompanied by a cyan light background. The prize values have white outlines and use a variety of colors, such as red or silver, while the post-Bonus Round totals are white. This remains through Season 21.
 * The Jackpot Round now has an identifying graphic at the beginning. The first one features a red semicircle with a gold border and the gold "JACKPOT" name in Helvetica Condensed, accompanied by a gold-bordered red rectangle with five gold dollar signs on it. The "JACKPOT" name and dollar signs zoom out onto their respective shapes as these zoom into the screen, and then the entire graphic tilts to the left to reveal the Jackpot sponsor's plug.
 * The Jackpot wedge no longer has the sponsor's logo on it. Instead, the sponsor's logo is shown above the Jackpot total. Additionally, the Jackpot display has its size decreased, and the amount is switched to Impact, which remains in use through Season 22.
 * Charlie's spiel for the Bonus Round prizes is moved from after the final round to immediately before the Bonus Round. As he does this, Vanna once again holds either the electronic $25,000 envelope from the late 1990s or the regular envelope.
 * Bonus Round prizes are now reduced to the cash or cars.
 * The numbers for the $25,000 graphic are changed to a white 3-D form of Helvetica Condensed and spin into place. While they spin into place, a blue background appears.
 * Road shows now last for three weeks instead of two.
 * Pat's wardrobe provider is no longer credited.
 * Some tapings from Culver City now comprise six episodes; these sixth tapings are put into special weeks throughout the season.
 * According to a poster at alt.tv.game-shows, a contestant during this season tries to solve their bonus puzzle before giving any extra letters, but is not allowed to do so.
 * This season's Toss-Up wipes, Jackpot graphics, and $25,000 graphic carry over into Season 20.

September 2001

 * During the week of September 3 (Desert Southwest Week), the zig-zag shaped PHOENIX ARIZONA signs from the Arizona episodes in February 1997 are used to frame the video screen, although the letters are absent.
 * On September 3:
 * Pat forgets to say the category for the $1,000 Toss-Up until just before it is solved.
 * Round 3 has a rare instance of a contestant losing their turn with only vowels remaining; contestant Marva incorrectly solves the puzzle IF I KNEW THEN WHAT I KNOW NOW with only the E's and A missing, after which contestant Dante solves for the house minimum.
 * Pat accidentally says that the category for the Speed-Up is Rhyme Time (the category of the $3,000 Toss-Up), but Marva corrects him.
 * There is a very rare instance of a contestant solving the Speed-Up puzzle without any money.
 * The contents of the W-H-E-E-L envelopes change to three cars and two $25,000 envelopes, with all five remaining in play all week.
 * The winning contestant leaves with only $5,100. This is the lowest known total since both the retirement of the Friday Finals format and the introduction of Toss-Ups.
 * On September 6, a contestant solves the bonus puzzle JAWS despite getting no help from her extra letters.
 * On September 10, Round 1 and the Bonus Round are Living Thing, likely the first duplication of that category.
 * On at least the 3rd and 10th, the first spin of Round 1 uses a bird's-eye view of the entire set, instead of cutting to a closeup of the Wheel. It is not known if this was the case for the entirety of each week.
 * From September 11-14, many markets air Wheel and Jeopardy! in early-morning hours (or not at all) due to coverage of the 9/11 terrorist attacks on New York City and Washington D.C. None of the affected episodes are known to have been rerun during Summer 2002 or the 2002-03 weekend feed, although all contestants did receive their winnings. The Jeopardy! episodes were eventually rerun by GSN in 2005, while the Wheel ones likely aired on MediaCorp Channel 5 in Singapore, a station known to have aired at least some Season 19 episodes well after their American airdates.
 * September 17 is San Francisco Salute, taped in Culver City.
 * On September 21, Round 2 is the only known Where Are We? puzzle to use two clues (NEW ENGLAND GREEN MOUNTAIN STATE), and the first since September 1997 that does not use three.
 * September 24-28 is the Italian Sweepstakes.
 * On September 24, contestant Chad picks C H A D in the Bonus Round.
 * On an episode early this season (known to have been rerun on July 12, 2002), a contestant fails to solve the bonus puzzle HUMIDITY, repeatedly guessing "humditty". After time expires, he misreads the fully-revealed answer as "humditty" and asks Pat "Didn't I say 'humditty'?", after which Pat corrects him.

October 2001

 * On October 1:
 * Two contestants mispronounce Tea Leoni's name as "tea" instead of "tay-a" when trying to solve the puzzle DAVID DUCHOVNY AND TEA LEONI.
 * In the Speed-Up round, all three contestants guess BALL PEN AND PENCIL SET, when the actual answer is BULL PEN AND PENCIL SET (Before & After).
 * On October 8:
 * Ola begins to call A after a spin in Round 4, but quickly corrects it to H. Against precedent, Pat ignores the A and tells her to call a consonant; she sticks with H, which is not in the puzzle.
 * Although a repeated H is called in Round 4, it is not acknowledged as such.
 * After Ola calls the last consonant in the Speed-Up puzzle DRY ERASE BOARD, no acknowledgement is made that only vowels remain until after Joe and Corine continue to call consonants, after which John Lauderdale can be heard saying "Only vowels, vowels only". Pat asks if they must credit Corine with the incorrect consonant, which they do. Ola then calls O but does not solve, after which Joe calls E and solves for $0. These events do not affect the outcome.
 * After contestant Joe solves, Pat does not acknowledge the house minimum and announces his final total as $500 less than what his scoreboard reads. He corrects himself before the Bonus Round.
 * On October 11:
 * The Round 3 Prize is a Thunderbird motorcycle.
 * No vowels are bought in Round 4.
 * Six rounds are played.
 * One of contestant Laura's spins in Round 5 is dubbed in from another episode, as it shows the red $600 even though she actually landed on the purple one.
 * The $2,000 Toss-Up is Thing, and Round 6 is Things.
 * 12 wrong letters (including one vowel) are called in the Speed-Up.
 * October 15 (Wheel Around the World) is the first week of sixth episodes.
 * On October 19, the W-H-E-E-L envelope holder is used for the last time.
 * On October 22:
 * The $3,000 Toss-Up and Bonus Round are On the Map.
 * The category strip disappears briefly during Round 4. First_Bonus_Wheel.png
 * The W-H-E-E-L envelopes are replaced with a 24-space Bonus Wheel. Its wedges originally spell out "WIN $100,000 CASH BONUS", with a blue space after "win", a red space after "$100,000", a green space after "CASH", and a pink space after "BONUS". One envelope has $100,000 cash, 11 have $25,000, while the remaining 12 have cars (whose distribution varies depending on whether two or three cars are offered for the week). The traditional logo (with colors on its "wedges") is on the center, which itself does not spin. A special piece of music plays whenever the Wheel is spun. The first prize landed on, a Honda Accord, is not won.
 * As with the W-H-E-E-L envelopes, Charlie announces one of several rotating lines whenever the cash prizes are won; he also begins drawing out the word "thousand".
 * The original pre-commercial Bonus Round spiel is "The Wheel of Fortune $100,000 Bonus Round is coming up next! Stay tuned." The first Bonus Wheel animation graphic is introduced, set on a blue background.
 * For at least the first week, Pat reveals the location of the $100,000 envelope. When he does on this show, an overhead shot is not used, so its location is not clear.
 * The $100,000 envelope has a modern Wheel of Fortune logo on the top.
 * In the final segment, Vanna spins the Bonus Wheel and picks the comma, whose envelope contains $25,000.
 * On October 26, Columbia TriStar Television and Columbia TriStar Television Distribution merge to become Columbia TriStar Domestic Television. This lasts until the third week of Season 20.
 * On October 29, the following changes are made:
 * The Bonus Wheel is altered to replace the traditional logo with a larger domed light, and the red wedge between "BONUS" and "WIN" becomes purple.2001_Bonus_Wheel.jpg
 * The music for the Bonus Round timer is modified.
 * Pat no longer reveals the location of the $100,000 envelope.
 * Due to taping order, some weeks following use the old Bonus Wheel and timer cue, and Pat still reveals the envelope's location.
 * On an episode around this point (Cindy/Stancy/Peter), the Round 5 puzzle GLAMOUR is a very rare instance of a puzzle shorter than ten letters.

November 2001

 * For the weeks of November 5-26, the combined winnings of each episode are matched and donated to charity for the World Trade Center relief.
 * The weeks of November 5-19 are taped at the Knight International Center in Miami on September 11 and 12. November 12 is Cruise Week, and November 19 is Family Week. During these weeks:
 * Because of 9/11, Charlie is unable to make the flight, so his announcing is pre-recorded. Contestant coordinator Gary O'Brien handles audience warm-ups.
 * Also because of 9/11, the audiences are extremely small.
 * Also at this point, Pat starts wearing an American flag lapel pin on his coat; this lasts until the end of Season 23.
 * During the first week's taping, members of the audience draw raffle tickets for a chance to audition. One audience member is a contestant on November 7.
 * On November 8, a Toss-Up is reshot for an unknown reason.
 * On one of the Miami episodes, Marvel Comics writer Barry Dutter is a contestant.
 * On November 26:
 * There is a jump cut to a bird's-eye view of the set when Pat calls on Barret during the $1,000 Toss-Up, suggesting that a reshoot was done.
 * The Prize is a $2,500 QVC shopping spree.
 * Barret mispronounces "sharpener" as "sharpen-der" when solving the Round 2 puzzle ## CRAYOLAS INTRODUCED A BUILT-IN SHARPENER, but this is never noticed.
 * After the Round 2 Fill In the Number puzzle is revealed, Pat asks for the "official" name of the #, and an offstage voice (possibly Karen Griffith) can be heard saying "pound sign".
 * There is no cut to the board after Barret calls R in Round 4.

December 2001

 * On December 3, a contestant solves the bonus puzzle BALI despite getting no help from his extra letters. This is the last known four-letter bonus puzzle until FAWN in May 2005, as the long-standing trend of very short bonus puzzles (first established in Season 7) is gradually reversed over the next several seasons.
 * December 10 is Hawaii Week, taped in Culver City. During this week, as part of the Hawaiian Vacation Sweepstakes, viewers may submit each day's bonus puzzle for a chance to win a vacation to Hawaii.
 * On December 11:
 * The Round 1 puzzle ELLEN DEGENERES is a rare main-game puzzle with only one vowel.
 * A cycle of lost turns is edited out of Round 1 despite not being "null"; the first lost turn is an incorrect vowel from contestant Christopher, as his score is off by $250 for the rest of the round, which he ultimately wins. Pat references the cycle by telling him "An R, we have." despite no prior lost turns being aired.
 * The Round 2 puzzle A FATHER-TO-BE PACING BACK AND FORTH is categorized as Event instead of Person; it also has the A by itself on the top row.
 * Contestant Katie's nametag falls off during her first spin in Round 2.
 * Round 3 is the first known instance of Song Lyrics.
 * On December 19:
 * Vanna wears a shirt and pants.
 * Round 2 and the Bonus Round are Thing, while the $3,000 Toss-Up is Things.
 * The $100,000 is won for the first time.
 * If the $100,000 is won, a collection of streamers and confetti is released onto the stage.
 * The $100,000 graphic is similar to the $25,000 win graphic of that time, but its background is green instead of blue. On at least this episode, it displays at the top of the screen instead of the bottom.
 * On December 20:
 * Contestant Danielle says the answer to the $1,000 Toss-Up but does not ring in, allowing contestant Dave to ring in with the right answer.
 * The Round 2 puzzle PAUL NEWMAN AND JOANNE WOODWARD is the first known Husband & Wife puzzle after Season 7 not to use an ampersand.
 * Round 3 has a now-rare instance of a Wheel Prize that is not a trip or cash: in this case, a snowmobile plus a collection of James Bond DVDs and film soundtracks.
 * For the first known time, Around the House is used twice: Round 5 and the Bonus Round.
 * Contestant Dave, who does not solve his bonus puzzle for $25,000, misses the $100,000 by only one envelope.
 * On December 25, contestant Spencer wins despite failing to claim $39,550 in Round 2.
 * December 31 is I Love NY Week, taped in Culver City. New York then-governor George Pataki does some of the intros, and 9/11 is addressed.

January 2002

 * On January 2, Pat and Vanna replay a clip of the "A GROUP OF PILL-PUSHERS" incident during their chat. Oddly, the clip is edited down to remove the audience's reaction and Pat's "Good night, everyone!" comment.
 * January 7 is NFL Players Week. This is also the only such week to not be rerun during the Summer. During this week:
 * The NFL stars introduce themselves at the top of the show, each one appearing in golden-colored box in the lower left-hand corner, against a background of football players. The Wheel of Fortune logo spins clockwise in the lower right-hand corner.
 * In the interviews, the corresponding NFL players are shown wishing good luck to their contestants.
 * The top winner receives clothing from Players Inc. and a PlayStation 2.
 * Home viewers may enter a contest on the show's website for a chance to win tickets to the Pro Bowl. Shannon Sharpe of the Baltimore Ravens promotes this after the Bonus Round.
 * On January 10:
 * The Round 2 Prize is $2,500 towards a purchase from TicketsNow.com, and the Round 3 Prize is a set of tickets to the Pro Bowl in Hawaii.
 * Strangely, the $25,000 graphic does not appear after Mazi wins that amount in the Bonus Round.
 * January 14 is New Orleans Week, taped in Culver City.
 * On January 14:
 * The shot of Gretchen jumping up and down is removed from the opening graphics.
 * During the opening, Pat and Vanna drive onstage from behind the board in a golf cart which has a Mardi Gras mask and the traditional logo on its sides, and the cart bumps into the steps at the front of the puzzle board. After they climb out, they throw beads into the audience.
 * Vanna wears a sleeveless shirt and pants.
 * The $2,000 Toss-Up ON-LINE SHOPPING is improperly hyphenated.
 * The Round 2 puzzle LIGHTWEIGHTS WELTERWEIGHTS MIDDLEWEIGHTS does not connect the last two words with AND or an ampersand, as such an arrangement could not have fit on the board.
 * No Round 3 Prize is present.
 * No vowels are bought in Rounds 1, 4, or 5.
 * The Round 5 puzzle TUTTI-FRUTTI is a very rare instance of both a one-word Rhyme Time and a puzzle with only three unique consonants.
 * Round 5 inexplicably goes to Speed-Up with only one consonant (the F) missing.
 * Against normal practice, the "only vowels remain" beeps sound in the Speed-Up.
 * For what is believed to be the first time, there is a $100,000 loss.
 * In the final segment, Pat and Vanna replay a clip of the golf cart bumping into the board. The same clip later shows up in various retrospectives.
 * On January 21:
 * The pre-commercial Bonus Round spiel is changed to "Stay tuned, [name of contestant] is going to spin for $100,000 next!" and the Bonus Wheel animation graphic is now set on a live-action version of the studio.
 * There is a $100,000 loss.
 * On an episode from the week of January 21:
 * Contestant Sally hits Bankrupt four times over the course of four rounds; oddly, three of the four come when she has no money or cardboard.
 * The Round 3 Prize is not used; it is not known if this was the case all week.
 * Contestant April wins by $50.
 * Due to the Hershey's Sweepstakes, only January 28-30 use the week's theme name, Romantic Destinations. It is not known if these three episodes used the Round 3 Prize.
 * January 31-February 6 is the Hershey's Pot of Gold Sweepstakes, with no theme name seen for those shows. The respective weeks' sets are retained as per usual. During this sweepstakes, home viewers may win a pair of Ford Thunderbirds, $10,000 shopping sprees, $25,000 cash, a Princess cruise, a $500 Sony gift card, or Hershey's Kisses. To enter, viewers must submit either a form (from the Sunday, January 27 newspaper) or a postcard, with three of the five Bonus Round solutions from these episodes. Also, the Round 3 Prize is not used during these episodes.

February 2002

 * On February 1, a contestant fills in the bonus puzzle THE JOKER completely.
 * On February 4, a contestant guesses MINERS & HOES on the $1,000 Toss-Up FINGERS & TOES, a moment which has been seen on several retrospectives and blooper shows.
 * On February 5, Pat forgets to mention the category in Round 1 until after the first spin.
 * On February 6, the main video wall shows the Hershey's contest as the "Hershey's Hugs & Kisses" sweepstakes. Also, the contestant video wall uses the Season 17 logo.
 * On at least February 6, the Wheel Prize is a Panasonic gift card sponsored by Hershey's. The wedge features a Hershey's Kiss on it.
 * Due to the Hershey's Sweepstakes, only February 7 and 8 use the week's theme name, Island Fever.
 * The weeks of February 11-25 are taped at the Las Vegas Hilton.
 * February 11 is Sweethearts Week.
 * February 18 is Big Money Week, another case of that week occurring twice in one season. For this week, cash amounts of $30,000, $35,000, $40,000, $45,000, and $50,000 are added to the Bonus Wheel. After the interviews, Pat mentions these amounts as a graphic of them is shown in the bottom-right corner. Before the Bonus Round, Vanna models a collage of the lower portions of the envelopes.
 * On February 20:
 * Vanna wears a suit.
 * Round 1 is the first known instance since the early 1990s of Family spelling out AND (JOAN AND MELISSA RIVERS). Bizarrely, none of the letters A, N, and D are called.
 * Rounds 1, 3, and 4 all have a "null" cycle occur. The Round 1 one is left intact while the other two are edited out. Also, a fourth cycle is edited out of Round 4 despite not being "null", as it includes an incorrect A from contestant Debra, evidenced by a $250 discrepancy in her score before she calls a wrong letter on the next turn.
 * The Round 3 Prize is a $5,000 Neiman Marcus shopping spree.
 * Round 5 (BLACKJACK) is a very rare instance of a one-word Rhyme Time, a puzzle with none of the five most common consonants, and a puzzle with only one vowel.
 * February 25 is Best Friends Week.

March 2002

 * On March 14, a contestant solves the bonus puzzle KOBE BRYANT before Vanna can reveal the letters that he called.
 * March 18 is Washington D.C. Week, taped in Culver City.
 * On March 19, for the first confirmed time, seven rounds are played, although according to one recollection, this had previously happened "around" Seasons 8 and 13. This episode may have had a final round of HAIR CARE, a rare main-game puzzle with only three unique consonants.
 * March 25 is San Diego Week, taped in Culver City.

April 2002

 * On April 3:
 * Contestant Jeff spins $5,000 three times and accumulates $45,900 in Round 4, but does not win it. This would have set a new one-round record had it been won.
 * The Final Spin bells sound twice in Round 4.
 * The week of April 8 is the Wheelapalooza Sweepstakes, where home viewers may submit each day's bonus puzzle on the show's website. The grand prize is a VIP trip for two to Los Angeles with a chance to audition. During this week:
 * The Prize is a trip to see Wheel tape at Navy Pier in Chicago later in the season.
 * The Bonus Round letter wipe is a miniature Wheel with blank colored wedges.
 * On April 8, the $1,000 Toss-Up FROM A TO Z uses only one line.
 * On April 9, the bonus puzzle HAVE FAITH uses only one line.
 * On April 11:
 * There is a $13,300 Jackpot win.
 * Nobody solves the $3,000 Toss-Up, AN ONLY CHILD; contestant Linda makes an incorrect guess of AN UGLY CHILD, a moment which has been seen in several retrospectives.
 * Round 4 and the Bonus Round are Proper Name, one of only two known duplications of that category.
 * April 22 is NASCAR Week. During this week, one bonus prize is a lifetime supply of gasoline, the only known prize since the introduction of the Bonus Wheel that is not a car or cash.
 * As of April 25, very short puzzles may still be used in Round 1 (in this case, a 9-letter answer of PAULA ZAHN).
 * On April 25:
 * The $2,000 Toss-Up is Things, and Round 4 is Thing.
 * The Round 4 puzzle AN ON/OFF SWITCH is the second of only three known uses of a slash, although Harry Friedman tells Pat that it is their first slash upon being asked. Before the Bonus Round, Pat says that the research department has found that the show has used that punctuation mark before.
 * After failing to solve the bonus puzzle HOCKEY FANS, the contestant misreads the fully-revealed answer as "hokey fans". Pat immediately corrects him and notes that "This is the first time anyone ever mis-solved it when it was actually up there", despite a similar incident with HUMIDITY earlier in the season.
 * During Pat and Vanna's chat, sped-up footage is shown of the stagehands dressed as a pit crew while adding the $3,500 and second Bankrupt to the Wheel.
 * April 29 is the first Teen Best Friends Week.
 * On a Teen Best Friends episode, a contestant on the red team rings in on the $1,000 Toss-Up and says CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE. Her teammate quickly adds an S to form the right answer, and it is accepted.

May 2002

 * On May 2, for the second of only two known times, Proper Name is used twice: the Speed-Up round and the Bonus Round.
 * The weeks of May 6-20 are taped at Navy Pier in Chicago. During the credit roll on at least some episodes, some of the staff names are shown on an animated marquee at the entrance of the Chicago Theatre.
 * On May 7: WheelCheesecake.jpg
 * Demetra solves the $2,000 Toss-Up PETER PIPER, then recites the first verse of the poem of the same name. A clip of this appears during the ceremonial 4,000th episode in November 10, 2003.
 * At the end of the show, a spiel shows Vanna at Eli's Cheesecake where a staff member brings out a small cheesecake for her with a Wheel layout on top and a two-row puzzle board look-alike around the rim with the words WELCOME VANNA. Another cheesecake is brought out for Pat (who is not present in the spiel) with gooseberries on top. Back in the studio, she gives Pat the gooseberry cheesecake and soon after, a cheesecake which is similar to the one Vanna received, only much larger at 517 pounds, is rolled out for the staff. The four-row puzzle board rim reads ELI'S CHEESECAKE WELCOMES WHEEL OF FORTUNE TO CHICAGO. Oddly, the Wheel layout on this cake has 23 wedges including two $250 spaces, despite that value having been retired three years earlier.
 * On May 8:
 * Pat accidentally conducts the interviews counterclockwise (blue-yellow-red).
 * The original Round 3 puzzle is discarded due to a letter lighting up that had not been called.
 * May 13 is College Week.
 * Sometime during the week of May 13, three repeated letters are called in a Jackpot round. The Jackpot values shown during the available footage indicate that the second and third repeated letters are called on consecutive turns, and the audience applauds after the third.
 * May 20 is Chicago Sports Week.
 * On May 20:
 * There is an $11,900 Jackpot win.
 * There is a $100,000 loss.
 * On May 21:
 * Pat's mother makes a guest appearance.
 * The Round 3 puzzle takes several seconds to reveal after being introduced.
 * Vanna sings "Take Me Out to the Ballgame".
 * On May 22, a contestant solves the bonus puzzle A GOLF BAG on the buzzer. Her answer is checked during the commercial break, and in the final segment, Pat tells her that she has been ruled a winner.
 * May 27 is Wheel Goes to the Movies.
 * On May 30, the puzzle board's border accidentally starts flashing after the D is revealed in the Round 4 puzzle COSTUME DESIGNER; it stops after the Final Spin.
 * On May 31, the $2,000 Toss-Up and Bonus Round are Thing, while Round 4 is Things.