Wheel of Fortune timeline (network)

An incomplete timeline for the daytime version of Wheel of Fortune. Since daytime did not use seasons, and since the show began in January, this timeline is divided by year. For the nighttime version, see Wheel of Fortune timeline (syndicated).

(Due to practices of the era and Merv Griffin Productions, most episodes from 1975-85 were destroyed or recorded over; a survival list is here. Further, Game Show Network {henceforth referred to as GSN} has only shown three daytime episodes. As a result, this timeline will be much less detailed than the nighttime one.)

Pilots (1973-74)
September 1973 :
 * Sometime this month, the Shopper's Bazaar pilot is taped for NBC by request of Lin Bolen to Merv. The very first attempt at the format, it is markedly different from the eventual series in various ways:
 * The show is hosted by Chuck Woolery, with announcer Mike Lawrence.
 * The Wheel, designed by Ed Flesh and based heavily on those used in various casinos, is vertical and mechanical. Among its features:
 * There are four Lose A Turn wedges; one each of Free Spin, Buy A Vowel, Free Vowel, and Your Own Clue; and various dollar amounts ranging from $0 to $500 (in Rounds 1-2) or $1,000 (Rounds 3+).
 * The Wheel is halted by Chuck pressing a button once the player in control yells "Stop the Wheel!", although the Wheel occasionally resumes spinning almost immediately afterward.
 * Chuck's area is a thin podium with an angled surface. The contestants, all female, sit at individual chairs behind a short table. The table itself has a rotary phone on top, which is used for Your Own Clue.
 * Only three categories are used: Person, Place, and Thing, although they are only given through Your Own Clue.
 * The puzzle board is brown, with three rows and letters revealed by pull-cards; a fourth row acts as a Used Letter Board.
 * 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 with a star placed next to that prize) and the remaining money is applied to the next prize.
 * The very first attempt at the Bonus Round is the "Shopper's Special", the puzzle being 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.
 * When shown to test audiences, the response is that of unenthusiasm: they do not understand the gameplay nor why players have to buy vowels, and cannot see the puzzle board. The viewpoint is shared by Bolen and Griffin.
 * This pilot is held by GSN. Despite showing numerous pilots over the years, the network has not yet aired Shopper's Bazaar.

August 1974 :
 * On August 28, the second and third pilots (now called Wheel of Fortune) are taped in Los Angeles for NBC. Changes include:
 * Edd Byrnes and Charlie O'Donnell replace Woolery and Lawrence.
 * The show's theme song is changed to "Give It One" by Maynard Ferguson. It is not known what music was used on Shopper's Bazaar.
 * The Wheel is redesigned by Flesh to be horizontal and spun by the contestants, with much larger wedges. Free Vowel, Your Own Clue, and $0 are retired, while Lose A Turn is pared down to just one wedge and Bankrupt is introduced. The minimum is increased to $50, and the top amounts are changed to $500 for Rounds 1-2, $750 for Round 3, and $1,000 thereafter. For Rounds 2+, a second Lose A Turn and Buy A Vowel are added.
 * The puzzle board is also redesigned by Flesh to be much larger and 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".
 * The Used Letter Board becomes its own prop: a chalkboard with 26 flip-up cards on top, with the chalkboard itself used for players' names and scores.
 * 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.
 * The host/contestant area is overhauled:
 * The players now stand. Behind them are three pillars with the same green sparkles as the unused trilons and a display showing money put "on account" (with an "ON ACCOUNT" light above the display) or total winnings for champions. The displays show four digits with a dollar sign, the latter omitted for winnings of $10,000 or more.
 * A white railing is in front of the players and host at about hip level, which is curved around at the host's area. Attached to the railing at the host's area is a stack of Free Spin discs, which are tan with "FREE SPIN" written in white characters in the middle.
 * Below the railing at the contestant area is a set of three colored displays used to denote score during puzzles and cumulative totals after Rounds 2+, with the same limitations as the green displays behind them. These main displays are placed above large arrows which flash for each contestant's turn, and at the end of each arrow is a thin, flat "pointer" used to denote where the Wheel has stopped for that contestant. The displays and arrows are red, yellow, and blue for the first, second, and third players respectively.
 * While the puzzle board is designed to be motorized, this element is not completed by the time of taping. A portion is finished, but these are gutted out so the trilons can turn freely; Susan Stafford is hired to turn the letters.
 * The Wheel is extremely loose, despite a prop man being underneath (lying on his back with a TV monitor nearby); the prop man nearly faints from this, resulting in the inclusion of air conditioning and a fan.
 * John Rhineheart is producer, while Marty Pasetta directs. It is not known who produced or directed Shopper's Bazaar.
 * By this point, Nancy Jones joins the show as co-producer, although a late-1986 interview suggests she was present for Shopper's Bazaar as well.
 * 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 says odd phrases like "spin the puzzle and solve the Wheel" and bullies at least one contestant into spinning again, yelling "No! You only have $300! You can't solve yet!" Following the taping, he is confronted by an upset Susan.
 * Sometime during the taping, Merv becomes upset that Pasetta includes shots of other things (such as the audience and Edd), demanding that Wheel be shot more like Jeopardy! Pasetta eventually retaliates to these demands, possibly between the pilots, by demanding that Merv be barred from the control room – a viewpoint shared by Bolen.
 * When shown to test audiences, the response is that the new set is too busy, the sound effects are too noisy, and Byrnes does not fit. Bolen insists the show be picked up anyway, placing her job on the line: if Wheel fails, she leaves the network; if it succeeds, she gets a raise. Her bosses agree by November 18 on one condition: Chuck is host, not Edd. (It is rumored that Edd was caught reciting his vowels backstage by Merv.)
 * Both pilots exist; clips from one were shown during the ceremonial 3,000th nighttime show (November 20, 1998), which includes contestant Roseanne solving PRINCESS ANNE for $825.

1975
January 1975 :
 * Wheel of Fortune debuts on January 6, replacing Jeopardy! as per contract in the 10:30 AM slot formerly held by Winning Streak. Other than Chuck hosting, the other major changes are:
 * 1) The show's theme is changed to "Big Wheels" by Alan Thicke, who also supplies the show's other music cues.
 * 2) The Wheel's values are moved around a bit; $225, $325, $375, and $425 are retired, and the minimum is decreased to $25 (although $50 and $75 spaces are also present). Presumably at this point, the round structure is changed to $500 in Round 1, $750 in Round 2, and $1,000 thereafter.
 * 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 (or the first with prizes remaining).
 * On January 6:
 * The opening is very different, with the prizes shown in the center of the spinning Wheel. After the logo appears, the chroma-key shot switches to the contestant area as the Wheel zooms in and the logo fades out, showing Chuck standing in front of the host's railing. After an introduction, the lights above the players are turned on as Susan walks in from their left.
 * The area between the puzzle board and Wheel is very different: according to personal recollections, some doors were involved; one available clip of Round 1 shows what looks like a duplicate puzzle board.
 * Bankrupt is hit at least once, a fact the weekly Variety notes in an article on the 15th.
 * For the first known time, a puzzle is discarded, likely Round 3. During the credits, Charlie mentions either the puzzle solution or the fact it was discarded, followed by an announcement that the contestant who won the round was credited with her winnings, a new puzzle substituted, and the tape edited. This was most likely due to Susan turning a wrong letter, something she was known to have done frequently in the earliest days.
 * The January 6 show is known to exist, as clips of it were used in the show's E! True Hollywood Story.
 * On January 6 or shortly thereafter, Giorgio begins providing Susan's wardrobe.

February 1975 :
 * An episode believed to be from this month exists, as clips of it were used in the aforementioned THS.
 * By the end of this month, it is believed that the duplicate puzzle board walls are replaced by a golden curtain. The curtain, decorated vertically with lights, stretches between the puzzle board and Wheel, lowering after Chuck's entrance and raising after each round to reveal the shopping prizes.

March 1975 :
 * For the week of March 10, Wheel and NBC's other daytime games (then Blank Check, Celebrity Sweepstakes, High Rollers, The Hollywood Squares, and Jackpot!) participate in the Shamrock Sweepstakes.
 * On March 17, the biggest winner of each show from the previous week appears on Celebrity Sweepstakes and their names placed in a drum; a name is drawn and asked a question for $100,000. An incorrect answer means that another name is drawn and another question asked, continuing as necessary until a correct answer is given. Chuck and NBC's other hosts (Art James, Jim McKrell, Alex Trebek, Peter Marshall, and Geoff Edwards) appear to provide moral support for their respective champions.
 * It is not known how the March 17 show was otherwise structured. It is likely, but by no means certain, that the half-hour began with clips to establish each participant followed by the drawing itself.

April 1975 :

May 1975 :

June 1975 :

July 1975 :
 * A "Fun in the Morning" promo airs sometime between about July 4 and September 26, consisting of publicity shots from Celebrity Sweepstakes, Wheel, High Rollers, The Hollywood Squares, The Magnificent Marble Machine, and Jackpot! Strangely, the Wheel pictures are one each from the Shopper's Bazaar pilot and a Byrnes pilot.
 * The July 15 show is held on audio tape by Archival Television Audio, Inc.

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

September 1975 :
 * Lin Bolen leaves NBC sometime between the beginning of this month and March 31, 1976 (a Variety article from the latter states that she was present when the Fall season began, but CBS overtook NBC by the time she left). On Wheel, this results in contestants generally playing puzzles at their own pace rather than very frequently following her insistence on playing to the last consonant to maximize winnings.
 * As of September 12, Wheel holds 2nd place among all daytime network games, trailing only Celebrity Sweepstakes. At this point, it draws a 31 share on the Nielsen ratings system.

October 1975 :
 * By about this point, Milton-Bradley releases two board game adaptations; they are the only ones to be released in the 1970s, and the only ones to use the shopping element. These games confirm several aspects about the show at the time of their release, including:
 * 1) The categories in use at the time: Event, Fictional Character, Landmark, Person, Phrase, Place, Thing, and Title. An old version of the show's website stated that Wheel began with six categories, so it is probable that Fictional Character and Landmark were the first two additions.
 * 2) 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 3, the top value is still $1,000 and the sole $50 is increased to $150.
 * 3) The price cards in shopping rounds are still black on blue, encased in a white holder.
 * 4) During shopping rounds, contestants may now place any part of 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. However, from this point until the removal of the shopping rounds, most contestants opt for the gift certificate. (Presumably, Charlie's closing spiel is amended at this point to add "Gift certificates do not include sales tax.")
 * 5) Punctuation is still ignored (i.e., FISHERMANS WHARF instead of FISHERMAN'S WHARF).
 * 6) The original score displays and thin-flap "pointers" are still in use.
 * 7) Buy A Vowel is still present on the Wheel, and the special spaces still have their original appearance.
 * Sometime between the release of the First Edition and that of the Second, at least Thing and Person begin using their respective "plural" forms.

November 1975 :
 * November 3 is NBC's Daytime Gigantic Game Gala, a week-long celebration involving Wheel, Celebrity Sweepstakes, The Hollywood Squares, and The Magnificent Marble Machine.
 * For the week of November 3, Wheel airs for a full hour from 10:30-11:30 AM, resulting in the only known week with three hour-long daytime network games: Wheel, Squares (celebrating its 10th year), and The Price Is Right (permanent expansion). As a result, neither High Rollers nor 3 for the Money air this week.

December 1975 :
 * On December 1, Wheel again expands to 11:30; as a result, High Rollers moves to Noon and The Magnificent Marble Machine to 12:30. Changes made for the hour-long format, which were likely also used on November 3-7, are believed to include the following:
 * Three contestants (including the returning champion, if applicable) play a three-round game during the first half-hour, apparently with $500, $1,000, and $1,500 as the top values. Immediately afterward, a second set of contestants play a three-round game much like the first.
 * The winner of each game plays a single-round "head-to-head all-cash showdown" with $2,000 as top value and the puzzle chosen in front of the puzzle board (reading WHEEL OF FORTUNE) from one of three bowls marked by category. Further, one wedge is placed on the Wheel which corresponds to a prize; if a contestant hits Bankrupt while holding the Prize wedge, it is placed back on the Wheel.
 * The winner of the head-to-head round plays a Bonus Round with the same rules as the Star Bonus Round, which is described in further detail under "March 1978".
 * On December 31 (taped in November), contestant Rob Mandel wins $21,000.

1976
January 1976 :
 * On January 19, Wheel returns to a half-hour, now at 11:00 AM; High Rollers moves to 10:30, while The Magnificent Marble Machine returns to the schedule at Noon. All elements added for the hour-long format are retired, some temporarily.
 * Likely on January 19, the show holds "NBC's All-Star Dream Machine Championship", a week-long tournament of champions with the nine biggest winners up to that point (five from the hour-long format, the others from before then). Three players compete on Monday-Wednesday, with the winners then playing a two-day "grand championship" (a prototype of the Friday Finals, and the first known use of such a format).
 * The Wheel layouts use $500-$1,000-$1,500 as the top values, suggesting that they were held over from the hour-long shows (and in any case, they are present on June 7).
 * On at least the Monday show, all nine players are shown as Chuck mentions their totals. These include Rob Mandel ($21,000 "in November"; see above) and Judy Bongarzone.
 * The Monday show, held by the Paley Center for Media, has contestants Richard, Patty and Rick.
 * By the above episode, Jeff Goldstein replaces Pasetta as director. It is known that Pasetta did at least the first week.
 * According to Maxine Fabe's 1979 book TV Game Shows, Judy wins the tournament and $64,461, including a Mercedes. This would appear to be the $64,000+ winner mentioned in the 1987 book Wheel of Fortune.

February 1976 :
 * Sometime this year, an episode airs in which contestant Rob Burns purchases a trip to Bermuda which becomes his honeymoon destination. His daughter, Cheron, appears as a contestant on December 8, 2009 and relates the aforementioned.
 * Following an episode shortly after Goldstein becomes director, he tells Chuck that he has never seen a game show host make a mistake and draw everyone's attention to it. Chuck responds by saying that everyone makes mistakes, so they should leave it in rather than edit it out.

March 1976 :

April 1976 :

May 1976 :
 * The May 20 show is held by the Paley Center for Media.

June 1976 :
 * On June 2, 3, or 4, contestant Linda sets a single-round winnings record of $8,325 and a single-day half-hour winnings record of either this amount or slightly more.
 * By June 7 (#368):
 * The Wheel is changed significantly: Round1-76.jpg
 * 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. With the removal of Buy A Vowel, vowels are now available for purchase at the contestants' discretion; it is not known if this was also the case during any part of Buy A Vowel's existence.
 * Bankrupt, Lose A Turn, and Free Spin adopt their normal appearances.
 * The "pointers" are changed to white, teardrop-shaped "flippers".
 * The contestant score displays are changed to white, but continue to show just four digits and a dollar sign.
 * The puzzle board's light border turns on when a correct letter is chosen. (This may have been in place since the premiere, but this is uncertain.)
 * The price cards used in shopping rounds are changed to black characters on a white background, which remains for the rest of the shopping era.
 * Susan begins entering from Chuck's left (the players' right).
 * As of June 7:
 * The original curtain is still in use.
 * There is still no sound effect for hitting Bankrupt.
 * Champions may still return for up to five days.
 * The original category strips are still in use. They look similar to the Helvetica style introduced in 1985, only without outlines. Also, they are only shown sporadically, as they are on art cards.
 * On June 7: Killtheumpire.jpgHugger.jpg
 * Charlie's intro is "Just look at this studio, filled with beautiful and imaginative gifts, which can be purchased today on Wheel of Fortune! Total retail value of all these prizes: more than $31,000! Now, let's meet the host of Wheel of Fortune: Chuck Woolery!" (This may have been the original opening, but this is uncertain.)
 * Perhaps coincidentally, the category strips are brown, matching Susan's outfit.
 * 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 $2,750 to 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.
 * Following this spin, Chuck asks an offstage staff member (possibly Rhineheart) about returning champion Linda's scores. Mention is made of her single-round record the previous week, and that she currently is second in half-hour total winnings with $23,200. (It is not known what the record was, although it may have been the aforementioned $64,461 won by Judy Bongarzone.)
 * The closing segment has Chuck and Susan saying goodbye, chroma-keyed into the center of the spinning Wheel as the camera zooms out from it. This effect is dropped by April 1978, but returns in early 1980.
 * Later in the credits, the curtain raises up to allow Chuck, Susan, and Linda to go to the boat she purchased.
 * June 7 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 marathon following Merv'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 :
 * On August 25, Nancy becomes the sole producer after Rhineheart is promoted to being the network's West Coast Daytime Program Development Director. Presumably, the full credit roll is altered to start with her credit.

September 1976 :

October 1976 :

November 1976 :

December 1976 :

1977
January 1977 :
 * Sometime this year, an episode airs in which a female contestant purchases a trip; the trip results in her getting married and having a daughter. The daughter, Sarah, appears as a contestant during the College Week of May 12, 2003 and relates the aforementioned.
 * Sometime this year, an episode airs in which contestant Gaylee Gillmore purchases a few prizes. Her son, Paul Hermosillo (whom Gaylee was pregnant with during her appearance), appears as a contestant on November 27, 2008 and relates the aforementioned. This Wiki has narrowed Paul's birthday to between May 22 and November 22, 1977.
 * January 24 is the first known Brides Week, with brides-to-be (grooms-to-be on the 26th) playing for prizes including a $5,000+ wardrobe, wedding cakes, rings, silver, crystal, fine china, and various home furnishings. It is also the first known instance of a themed week.
 * Summer Bartholomew makes her first known appearance this week, modeling specially-designed bridal gowns which are among the prizes.
 * By January 24, the curtain's lights are removed.
 * As of January 28, the contestant score displays and arrows still look the same as they did on June 7, 1976.

February 1977 :

March 1977 :
 * On March 16, Merv takes out a single-page print ad noting that Wheel attained the highest audience share of all daytime network programming for the weeks of February 14 and 21.

April 1977 :

May 1977 :

June 1977 :
 * As of June 15, Wheel is still the highest-rated daytime series on at least NBC.

July 1977 :

August 1977 :

September 1977 :
 * At about this point (no later than September 7), Susan is absent for at least four weeks due to an accident while rehearsing for the second Circus of the Stars, which airs December 5. Summer Bartholomew returns to fill in for her.
 * Susan Morrison, a model living in San Diego, plays on September 13 and 14; among the prizes she wins is a trip to Hawaii.
 * Arte Johnson fills in for at least one episode in September, most likely the 30th. It is known that he appears to plug his show Knockout, which debuts October 3.

October 1977 :

November 1977 :

December 1977 :

1978
January 1978 :
 * The January 18 show (#785) is held by the Paley Center for Media. The first nine seconds were used on the ceremonial 3,000th and 4,000th nighttime shows, the latter dating it to 1983.
 * By January 18, Charlie's opening spiel is slightly extended to mention three prizes as the camera shows close-ups of them: "Just look at this studio, filled with trips...jewelry...a station wagon...which can be purchased today on Wheel of Fortune!" (The rest is presumably the same as on June 7, 1976, but this is uncertain.)
 * By January 18, the contestant score displays are extended to show five digits and a dollar sign.
 * Sometime this year, contestant Robbie Goldstein (or Goldstein Diamond) plays on at least two episodes. Her daughter, Erin, appears as a contestant on April 21, 2011 and relates the aforementioned.

February 1978 :
 * February 6 is the second Brides Week, presumably played like the 1977 week. Roselon Industries (specifically including R. R. Adams {company president} and Tom Dove {Vice President of Merchandising}) commends the show's staff "on the excellence of their fashion presentation" in a Variety advert on the 2nd.
 * As of February 10, Goldstein is still director. Sometime afterward, possibly by April 6, he is replaced by Dick Carson.

March 1978 :
 * By March 15:
 * Charlie's introduction of Chuck is changed to end with "And now, here's your host: Chuck Woolery!"
 * 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.
 * Rounds 3+: The blue $200 next to Lose A Turn becomes $400 and changed to dark blue, and the red $200 between the Bankrupts is increased to $350.
 * The contestant arrows are redesigned: they are now brighter and come to a point, with the flipper in the center of the point.
 * The category strips are changed to a thin, monospaced font in various colors, usually matching Susan's outfit barring neutral colors or multicolored outfits. Unlike the previous strips, which were only shown sporadically due to being on art cards, the new strips are present on all shots of the puzzle board.
 * The puzzle board's border now stays lit for the entire game, instead of lighting up only on letter reveals.
 * On March 15:
 * The category strips are red, matching Susan's outfit.
 * For the first known time outside of the Second Edition game, a "plural" category is used: in this case, Things.
 * Following Round 2, Chuck notes that the show has given away a total of three or four "ceramic dogs" (specifically, Dalmatians) and asks the staff whether one of the dogs had puppies.
 * One round is the first known appearance of Quotation, the puzzle being HERE COMES PETER COTTONTAIL.
 * Gordon MacRae makes an appearance after the game.
 * On an episode after the above changes, but before the Star Bonus (see below) debuts:
 * The category strips are purple, matching Susan's outfit.
 * Lose A Turn has a white stripe down the left side and a thick black line down the right, an odd appearance which seems to also be present on April 7.
 * Contestant Pat puts $15 "on account" after Round 1.
 * During Round 3, Chuck mistakes the Final Spin bells for the "only vowels remain" beeps, and is corrected from offstage.
 * Contestant Barbara purchases a 1978 Camaro for $6,125 after Round 3.
 * By the above episode, the show's logo is moved to the end of the opening.
 * The Star Bonus token is introduced sometime between March 16 and April 6, placed on the orange $100 next to Free Spin during Round 1, the tan $100 in Round 2, and $150 in 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 three known Star Bonus Rounds; one is mentioned below. StarBonus4778.jpg

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:
 * Susan begins entering through the center of the curtain, a tradition that with rare exception is retained for the rest of the shopping era.
 * A sliding whistle is added for when Bankrupt is hit. (One recollection claims that this happened in 1977.)
 * The blue $400 near Free Spin becomes red, presumably because it sat next to a blue $300.
 * The chroma-key shot of the Wheel at the end of the show is removed.
 * 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.
 * On April 7: LoveyDovey.jpg
 * Various shots of Chuck in front of the curtain appear to be added in post-production due to the Star Bonus (see below), particularly the commercial outro and intro during Round 2.
 * The Round 1 puzzle LOVEY-DOVEY is the first known instance of punctuation.
 * During Round 1, a bell sounds on an incorrect letter.
 * After the final shopping segment, Chuck mistakenly offers the "on account" option.
 * 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 for the car, but fails to solve PABLO PICASSO.
 * Charlie's closing spiel about the prizes (see below) is overlaid by a different voice saying "Additional prizes furnished by Jockey Club Resort, Bob Smith Porsche Audi." Charlie is still audible underneath, although his voice appears to stop before saying "Gift certificates do not include sales tax.", so it is not certain whether the line was actually present at this point.
 * By April 7, some contestant nametags begin using a thicker font and have varying lengths based on the length of each player's name. The original fixed-length nametags continue to appear on an increasingly sporadic basis through the end of the shopping era.
 * By April 7, Charlie's closing spiel about the prizes is changed to "The prices of the prizes were furnished to the contestants prior to the show and have been rounded off to the nearest dollar." On January 6, 1975, this was simply "The prices of some of the prizes were furnished to the contestants prior to the show."
 * As of April 7, the 7's on the Wheel still have a round bottom, and $900 is still next to Bankrupt in Rounds 2+.
 * On April 24, the show moves to 11:30 AM.

May 1978 :

June 1978 :
 * The Star Bonus may still be in use around this point, as an episode of Match Game taped in either May or June (specifically, the June 26 debut of the Star Wheel) contains a reference to it.

July 1978 :

August 1978 :
 * At the end of this month, as mentioned in the October 16 issue of Broadcasting (Page 38), Wheel holds 15th place among all daytime network shows, tied with the second half of The Price Is Right. At this point, it draws a 6.1 on the Nielsen ratings system with a 27 share; among the then-coveted demographic of women 18-49, it is in 22nd place with a 1.15.

September 1978 :

October 1978 :

November 1978 :

December 1978 :
 * On December 25, Chuck's wife (Jo Ann Pflug) and daughter (Melissa) make an appearance, as does Charlie in a Santa Claus costume. The photo at right, showing Chuck, Jo Ann, Melissa, Susan, and Charlie in front of the puzzle board (reading HAPPY HOLIDAYS), is the only known remnant of this episode.

1979
January 1979 :

February 1979 :

March 1979 :
 * By March 2:
 * The opening is changed to "Look at these luxurious prizes! Fabulous merchandise, just waiting to be won today on Wheel of Fortune! [three prizes are described] Total retail value: over [amount]! And now, here's your host: Chuck Woolery!"
 * The money graphic is moved back to the end of the opening, and its dollar sign is centered next to the numbers.
 * The Star Bonus is retired, an event which very likely happened much earlier.
 * The 7's on the Wheel are slightly altered to have a flat bottom.
 * The Bankrupt next to $900 in Rounds 2+ is swapped with the $200 wedge three spaces counterclockwise. This was presumably done to even out the Wheel, since the two Bankrupts were separated by just five cash wedges in Round 2 and eight in Rounds 3+.
 * On March 2:
 * The category strips are red, matching Susan's outfit.
 * For the only confirmed time during this era, the puzzle board's chase light sequence is reversed, going counterclockwise.
 * A buzzer fails to sound on an incorrect letter in Round 2.
 * On March 27:
 * The audience can be heard muttering for a few seconds in the opening before "Big Wheels" kicks in.
 * 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 to reveal any letters in the answer FOURSCORE AND SEVEN YEARS AGO, and Bankrupt is hit a total of six times (which may be a one-round record).
 * In Round 2, Susan turns the V too hard, causing the plastic letter sheet to slide partway off the trilon.
 * Round 3 is the first known appearance of Occupation.
 * Chuck's Final Spin lands on Bankrupt.
 * By March 27, Roselon Industries begins providing Susan's wardrobe.

April 1979 :

May 1979 :
 * Summer returns on May 24 to fill in for Susan, who dislocated her shoulder in a car accident.
 * On May 31: Nickname53179.jpg
 * The category strips appear to be teal, matching Summer's outfit.
 * Round 1 is the first known appearance of Nickname. It is not known if the category existed before this point, had a constant presence between here and 1988, or if it was retired and brought back sometime.
 * Contestant Hilarie puts $5 and $89 "on account" after Rounds 2 and 3, respectively.
 * During Round 3, Summer forgets to turn an X and is reminded by Chuck.
 * During the credits, Summer's wardrobe graphic (Roselon, same as Susan's) appears briefly before the list of product sponsors.
 * As of May 31, the curtain is still visible during the final segment and credits.
 * May 31 and June 1 may use the reversed chase light sequence, but this is uncertain due to the quality of the available footage.

June 1979 :
 * By June 1, the dollar sign on the money graphic returns to being above the first number.
 * By June 1, puzzles begin to use apostrophes.
 * On June 1, the category strips are blue, matching Summer's outfit.
 * As of June 1:
 * "Big Wheels" is still played when going to commercial.
 * The Wheel's top values are still $500/$1,000/$1,500, and $125, $275, $650, and $850 are still present.
 * Cynthia Washington, ex-wife of former San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Gene Washington, fills in for Susan the week of June 4.
 * Susan returns on June 11.

July 1979 :

August 1979 :

September 1979 :
 * Courtenay O'Connell plays on September 4 and 5 (taped August 14); on September 10, the St. Petersburg Times publishes an article about her experience.
 * On September 4, Courtenay purchases a blue $6,000+ Subaru BRAT following a single puzzle (known to be Phrase).

October 1979 :

November 1979 :
 * A female contestant named Shauna plays on at least November 28 and 29, and is the basis of a documentary by Shauna Dillavou (born on the 28th and named after the aforementioned woman) called The Luckiest Shauna; Dillavou is known to have contacted Wheel looking for a copy of the November 28 show, but it no longer seems to exist (she was not aware of returning champions until viewing the 1976 and 1978 episodes held by Paley Center).

December 1979 :
 * For this month, the puzzle board and contestant area are decorated for Christmas. Also, many Christmas-themed prizes are available for purchase.
 * As of December 4, Charlie's opening spiel is still the same as it was on March 2, and the money graphic still looks the same as it did on June 1.
 * By December 4, the Wheel is overhauled:
 * The colors are altered, most notably the use of only one shade of blue.
 * Top value in Rounds 1 and 3 are increased to $750 and $2,000, respectively.
 * The Wheel configurations are modified again:
 * Round 1: $750 replaces the $500 next to Bankrupt, the sole $125 is decreased to $100 and swaps positions with the brown $500, the sole $275 is decreased to $250, and the orange $500 is increased to $600.
 * Round 2: The sole $100 is increased to $150, the $600 by Lose A Turn is lowered to $400, the sole $350 is lowered to $200, and the sole $650 is decreased to $550.
 * Rounds 3+: The sole $850 is reduced to $700, the sole $450 becomes $200, and $2,000 replaces $400 and swaps positions with the neighboring $350.
 * By December 4, a new music cue is introduced for all commercial breaks.
 * By December 13, and probably much earlier, Charlie's closing spiel about the prizes is amended to end with "Gift certificates do not include sales tax."
 * By December 13, the curtain is no longer seen during the final segment and credits.
 * By December 31:
 * Charlie's intro is slightly altered to replace "luxurious" with "extravagant".
 * The dollar sign on the money graphic is moved downward, lining up with the bottoms of the numbers. Strangely, it does not zoom in.
 * Holiday decorations are added to the curtain.
 * The returning-champion limit is decreased to three days, and total champion winnings of $10,000 or more are displayed without a dollar sign; on June 7, 1976, the display was simply left blank.
 * The aforementioned commercial outro cue is replaced by an electric-guitar cue.
 * On December 31:
 * During Round 2, the puzzle-solve cue accidentally plays for a second instead of the "only vowels remain" beeps (itself played a second later). The contestant solves the puzzle, and the cue begins playing from the point it was cut off.
 * Rounds 1 and 2 are played entirely by the contestant who began them.
 * The December 4 commercial cue is used for the prize descriptions after Round 3.
 * In Round 4, the category chimes are played over a shot of Chuck.
 * Contestant Allan retires with $15,425, which Chuck mistakenly reads as $1,425 until being corrected from offstage.
 * For the first known time, the post-game chat is not done near the Wheel: Chuck and Susan sit at a table (likely on a prize display) and promote their appearance during the Tournament of Roses pre-parade on January 1.
 * "Auld Lang Syne" plays over the credits.
 * As of December 31, the wedge next to $1,500 is still $200.

1980
January 1980 :
 * Wheel does not air on January 1 due to the Tournament of Roses parade.
 * On at least one show this year, Chuck wears a tuxedo. This may be from a Brides Week.

February 1980 :

March 1980 :
 * On March 17, contestant Becky puts money "on account". According to comments the next day, this works to her advantage.
 * On March 18:
 * 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.
 * Becky puts $240 "on account" after Round 2, but loses it to Bankrupt on her 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 $200 next to $1,500 is increased to $800.
 * By March 18, the closing segment once again uses a shot of Chuck and Susan chroma-keyed into the center of the Wheel.
 * As of March 18, Charlie's intro still uses "extravagant".
 * As of March 18, the electric-guitar cue is still used when going to commercial in all segments.
 * On March 25:
 * The category strips are blue, matching Susan's outfit.
 * 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.
 * Following Round 4, the camera suddenly shifts to the right as contestant Kevin selects his first prize.
 * Five rounds are played, the first known instance of such an event and an unusual one for the shopping era. Chuck refers to it as being the "first time in a long time", suggesting that it has happened before this point.
 * It is the last episode of unit manager Rob Keith, whom Chuck and Susan say goodbye to after the game. Oddly, the only person listed as unit manager 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:
 * Charlie's intro reverts to using "luxurious".
 * The commercial outro cue used on December 4, 1979 returns for all breaks.
 * Full credit rolls begin with the show's logo and end with Merv Griffin's creator credit.
 * As of March 25, the money graphic still looks the same as it did on December 31, 1979.
 * As of March 25, there is still a $150 next to $600 in Rounds 2+ and a tan $150 between Bankrupt and Lose A Turn in Rounds 3+.

April 1980 :

May 1980 :
 * On May 6, a champion retires undefeated.
 * On May 7:
 * All three contestants are left-handed; one of them, Cathy, is from Paris.
 * 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.
 * Early in Round 2, the trilon containing the P in STOP LOOK AND LISTEN is accidentally lit after T is called. The mistake is quickly corrected.
 * 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 money graphic is again altered to center the dollar sign, as it was on March 2, 1979.
 * The show begins using both "new" commercial cues: the December 4, 1979 cue after each round, and the electric-guitar cue for mid-round breaks.
 * The $150 wedge next to $600 in Rounds 2+ is increased to $250, as is the tan $150 between Bankrupt and Lose A Turn in Rounds 3+.

June 1980 :
 * On June 9:
 * 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.
 * Chuck's Final Spin lands on Lose A Turn. His second attempt lands on $2,000.
 * By June 9, the December 4, 1979 cue is again used for mid-round breaks (in this case, during Round 3) and the electric-guitar cue is not used at all.
 * On June 20:
 * 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.
 * Following Round 2, contestant Charlotte reluctantly says "[I'll] take the...candy dish.", after which Chuck talks to her and the purchase is discarded. Following the prize plugs, Chuck remarks that the Marc Chagall print she bought is better than the other one the show had from him, that being "seventeen lizards sucking on an orange".
 * The slide whistle does not sound when Bankrupt is first hit in Round 3.
 * There is no inlaid contestant shot during the Round 3 shopping portion.
 * 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 money graphic returns to its style from March 25.
 * 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.
 * Also on June 20, NBC airs a promo detailing the new schedule to begin the following Monday. The promo includes a Wheel clip of a female contestant right after solving CREPES SUZETTE (Things), and apparently screaming so loud that Chuck is seen with his hand up to his ear.

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. It is also Charlie's last regular episode until February 1989, as 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 episode opens with Chuck joking about the show's demise.
 * Jack Clark takes over as announcer on August 11.
 * On an episode probably from the week of August 4 or 11, Chuck urges viewers to call the number of the studio where Wheel tapes, giving it out on-air. The resulting 13,000+ calls cause blackouts in a few suburbs and a cutoff threat to be issued from the phone company; this results in the installation of a new, high-capacity phone line.
 * On August 18:
 * 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.
 * Contestant Mike is originally from South Africa, but living in Canada.
 * 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.

September 1980 :
 * At least September 15-18 feature NBC soap opera stars: Josh Taylor (Days of Our Lives) appears on the 15th, Ben Thomas (The Doctors) on the 16th, Barbara Rucker (Texas) on the 17th, and Douglass Watson (Another World) on the 18th. It was likely similar to Game Show Hosts Week, mentioned below.

October 1980 :
 * At some point this month (probably the week of October 20), an NBC promo airs detailing the new lineup following Letterman's departure. The promo includes brief clips of a Wheel episode probably from around this point.

November 1980 :
 * November 3-6 (and possibly October 31 as well) is Game Show Hosts Week, with NBC emcees playing for members of the audience, who also determine what prizes to buy in shopping rounds. The host competes against two contestants who play normally, and is otherwise a normal player (including participation in drawing numbers before taping to determine position). 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 game.
 * On November 6, Tom Kennedy plays for Art and wins $1,400. During the interviews, Chuck moves on to the next player (Monty) before being reminded about the audience member from offstage. A slightly echoed female voice is heard briefly during this, possibly Nancy Jones in her first known on-air appearance.
 * By November 6, the electric-guitar commercial cue is moved to the mid-show consolation prize plug (although it is barely audible on the 6th). The December 4, 1979 cue is now the only one used for commercial breaks.
 * As of November 6, Jack's intro still uses "luxurious".
 * November 7 begins the show's first Armed Forces "Week", plugged as such despite being stated on the previous show as beginning "tomorrow" (i.e., 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 decorated for Christmas in much the same way as 1979, albeit with a wreath on the curtain and thicker foliage behind the contestants.
 * By December 18, Jack's intro reverts to using "extravagant".
 * On December 18:
 * Chuck's cord gets caught on the nearby car as he makes his entrance.
 * The contestant score displays are tinted yellow. They are normal on November 6 and December 24.
 * 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 commercial cues are changed up once again: for the first time in over a year, "Big Wheels" 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.
 * On December 24:
 * The category strips are red, matching Susan's outfit.
 * Contestant Vicki's first spin runs into an error which 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.
 * During Vicki's first turn, for no apparent reason, an "8" appears on the display behind her.
 * There is a commercial break during Round 1, the first known instance of this happening.
 * Chuck mistakenly says that the top dollar amount in Round 2 is $2,000.
 * Round 2 has the first known instance of multiple punctuation marks, in this case SLEIGHBELLS RING ARE YOU LIST'NIN'. 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 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.
 * A buzzer fails to sound on an incorrect letter during Round 4.
 * No music is played during the commercial outro after Round 4.

1981
January 1981 :

February 1981 :

March 1981 :
 * According to one recollection, the first known Teen Week occurs the week of Easter.

April 1981 :
 * By April 21, the electric-guitar cue returns to use for all commercial breaks and the mid-show car plug.
 * 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, the 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 partway off the trilon.
 * Contestant Lori sweeps the game.
 * After the game, Chuck mentions that about two weeks ago, he had brought up the fact that the show has done over 1,600 episodes.
 * As of April 21, the Speed-Up round split-screen shot still has the puzzle on top and the players on the bottom.

May 1981 :
 * May 11 is San Francisco Week, where contestants from that city are brought in to compete. This is the first known instance of such a week.

June 1981 :
 * June 8 is Brides Week, known to have been promoted during the June 8 episode of Blockbusters.
 * June 22 is San Antonio Week, done the same way as San Francisco Week.

July 1981 :

August 1981 :

September 1981 :
 * September 21 is Portland Week, taped in August and done the same way as previous [City] Weeks. The week includes footage of Chuck and Susan at the Washington Park Rose Test Gardens, Portland's downtown mall, various fountains, the Columbia River Gorge, and the salmon fishing grounds near Astoria.
 * On an episode during Portland Week:
 * The category strips are purple, somewhat matching Susan's outfit.
 * 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 above episode:
 * The curtain remains visible during all non-shopping portions of the show, except the credits.
 * The electric-guitar cue is still used for at least one commercial break (in this case, during Round 3).
 * The $2,000 space is still red, and the nearby $250 is still gold.

October 1981 :

November 1981 :

December 1981 :
 * December 14 is Christmas Wish Week. The five-and-a-vowel Bonus Round is in place by this point and referred to as the "Christmas Wish Bonus", implying that it was introduced this week.
 * On December 18:
 * The opening is "Look at these extravagant prizes! [three prizes are described] Total retail value: over [amount]! As we continue Christmas Wish Week on Wheel of Fortune! And now, here's your host: Chuck Woolery!"
 * After contestant Terry says he will be a "househusband" in January, Chuck says that he will be a "househusband" on December 26.
 * 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 first 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: "Big Wheels" 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, done the same way as previous [City] Weeks.
 * The opening for this week is "Look at this glamorous set, filled with prizes! Fabulous and exciting merchandise including Christmas gifts, a diamond pin, bedroom furniture, a new car, home appliances! Over $40,000 just waiting to be won today as we present Christmas in New York on Wheel of Fortune! And now, here's your host: Chuck Woolery!" The Wheel logo is not used, instead showing Susan walking in a light New York shower.
 * The curtain does not come down after Chuck's entrance on at least the 25th; rather, Susan walks out from next to the puzzle board as the turntable spins.
 * On December 21: Chuckls1.jpg1stpat4.jpg
 * The set is overhauled. From left to right:
 * The puzzle board adds an extra row and another nine trilons, for a total of 48 (11 on the top and bottom rows, 13 in the middle two). It also has a larger, ribbed, golden frame shaped like a sideways 3 whose chase lights move counterclockwise on the left side and clockwise on the right. The trilon designs and letter font are unchanged.
 * The various prize platforms at center stage are replaced by a single, large, three-sided turntable with two spiral-esque pillars flanking it. The turntable spins during the opening and credits, and rotates to each prize showcase depending on the round.
 * The Wheel's base is changed to a more golden look, with four layers: the top has small bulbs; the layer below it has flashing lights seen in overhead Wheel shots; the third has larger bulbs that flash six at a time when the spinning Wheel is seen from the base's perspective (three at a time for the other layers); and the bottom has sword blade-like spikes and bulbs similar to the third layer. The first three layers' lights continue to flash counterclockwise, while the bottom layer's lights continue to flash clockwise.
 * The green glitter is removed from the contestant backdrops, and the displays are covered by starbursts of the same color as the respective contestant's arrow with many white, square-edged "beams" spreading out in all directions. A large, brown ring surrounds each starburst. As the starbursts are little more than filters, they continue to show money put "on account" or total champion winnings with the same limitations.
 * Chuck's Final Spin lands on Bankrupt, to which he responds by mentioning that this is his last week.
 * On December 24:
 * Chuck announces that the next show will be his last.
 * After the game, Chuck and Susan show footage of their visit to New York.
 * "Sleigh Ride" is played during the fee plugs and credits.
 * By December 25, the December 4, 1979 cue is once again used 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 gold.
 * December 25 is Chuck's last show. On this 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 (possibly 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 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.
 * December 28 is 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 "Teen Week" in quotation marks.
 * On December 28, Pat Sajak becomes the show's host. On this day: 1stpat3.jpg
 * Jack's intro is changed to "Look at this studio, filled with glamorous prizes! Fabulous and exciting merchandise, including [five prizes are described]. Over [amount], just waiting to be won today on Wheel of Fortune!"
 * The curtain begins to descend once again upon the host's entrance. By this point, it only comes down for the hostess' entrance and remains out of sight for the rest of the show.
 * 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, and 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 lights 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, instead purchasing the other 10 prizes in that showcase with the remaining $849 put 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 on the 18th.
 * By December 28, the Final Spin rules are slightly altered: rounds beginning as a Speed-Up are played for a gift certificate (or, during this week, a savings bond).
 * By December 28, the Speed-Up split-screen display is reversed to have the puzzle on the bottom and contestants on top.
 * As of December 28:
 * The money graphic is still green and still zooms in.
 * Roselon Industries still provides Susan's wardrobe.
 * The "N" of the puzzle font still does not have a top-left serif.
 * Also during Pat's first week:
 * A contestant buys an incorrect vowel, and Pat tells the player to spin again. He is then told by Nancy Jones that the player has in fact lost their turn.
 * A contestant mis-solves the puzzle ABRAHAM LINCOLN as ABRAHAM BINCOLN with only the B's and L's missing.

1982
January 1982 :
 * Wheel does not air on January 1 due to the Tournament of Roses parade.
 * 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 begins January 4; it was definitely in place before March 11.
 * There is a Hawaii Week sometime this month, as promoted by Pat during his week on Password Plus and by Variety blurbs on December 22, 1981 and January 8, 1982. This was most likely done identically to the 1981 [City] Weeks, by flying in contestants from Hawaii.

February 1982 :

March 1982 :
 * March 3 is submitted for the Daytime Emmy Awards in regard to a category applying to then-director Dick Carson. This may suggest that the episode, and any others submitted by Wheel, exist.
 * By March 11:
 * The opening is slightly altered: Jack now only mentions three prizes, while the money graphic becomes white and "flips" toward the camera.
 * The puzzle board is slightly altered: the N's now have a top-left serif, while the board itself adds four trilons for a total of 52. As the new trilons are in the corners, they are blocked by the frame and hence cannot be used.
 * "Big Wheels" returns to use for all commercial breaks and the mid-show car/catalog plug.
 * 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.)
 * The credits are slightly changed to show the Wheel spinning below Pat, Susan and the day's champion.
 * On March 11:
 * A four-line puzzle is used for the first known time: Round 2's A LITTLE KNOWLEDGE IS A DANGEROUS THING.
 * For the first known time, a contestant calls R, S, T, L, N and E in the Bonus Round (although not in that order).
 * 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. Except for the zoom, an identical shot was used by mistake on December 17, 2003.
 * On March 12:
 * 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 L has already been called in Round 1. He corrects himself later in the round, saying that the answer simply does not have an L in it.
 * Contestant Bill purchases 11 prizes 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 game and wins a bedroom set in the Bonus Round. The cue used for the bedroom set is the Blank Check theme, also composed by Thicke.
 * Bill calls O in the Bonus Round, the first known instance of a player calling a vowel other than E under the five-and-a-vowel rules.
 * 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 plus Pat's comments on the latter, 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 :

September 1982 :
 * A voiceover during the credits of the show listed as March 12 promotes an NFL preseason game that night between the Giants and Dolphins, a match known to have been held on September 3. It is not certain whether the shows listed as March 11-12 were rerun on September 2-3, or the March dates are incorrect and they originally aired in September.

October 1982 :
 * October 22 is Susan's last episode, as she wishes to pursue charity work. On this day:
 * To allocate time for Susan's farewell, all puzzles are 2-3 words long.
 * Contestant Kevin wins $2,600, followed by $900 the next Monday. His fiancee appears on the show around the same time, winning $4,400 in one round but not winning the game.
 * The Bonus Round is played for a trip to the Bahamas; the puzzle, PINCH OF SALT (Thing), is not solved.
 * At the end of the show, Susan is presented with a bouquet of flowers by Nancy Jones and most of the crew says goodbye to her. The puzzle board reads GOOD-BYE SUSAN on the first three lines.
 * Summer Bartholomew fills in for at least the week of October 25.
 * As of October 27, Wheel draws a 21 share on the Nielsen ratings system. The show following it at this point, Texas, is unable to keep that audience.

November 1982 :
 * Vicki McCarty and Vanna White (and possibly Summer as well) take turns as guest co-host between November 1 and December 10.
 * November 14 may be Vanna's first taping as guest hostess, based on her comments during certain nighttime shows (namely "three weeks later, I was taping my first [permanent] show").
 * November 19 is Episode #2,000.

December 1982 :
 * December 13 is Philadelphia Week, which is the same as previous [City] Weeks minus the returning champion from December 10. The opening shows Pat waving in front of a large fountain.
 * December 13 (#2,016; Robin/Louis/Linda) is Vanna's first permanent show, taped December 5. On this day:
 * The Wheel's light layers flash counterclockwise.
 * The category strips are purple, matching Vanna's outfit.
 * Vanna's first official puzzle is GENERAL HOSPITAL, and the first letter she turns is the T.
 * The camera mistakenly holds on a still shot of a curio cabinet after Round 2 while Jack describes it. Later, while describing the final prize bought in that round, the prize cue runs to its end and begins again.
 * Amazingly, neither Bankrupt nor Lose A Turn is hit and no wrong letters are called; the Bonus Round is lost, however. This is believed to be the closest to a "perfect game".
 * Footage from Pat's trip to Philadelphia is shown just before the credits, and this is where Pat signs off.
 * On at least December 13 and 29, there is a large pot of flowers behind each player.
 * By December 13:
 * The money graphic and Wheel logo begin to be displayed in different colors.
 * The commercial cues are changed up once again: "Big Wheels" 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.
 * The Final Spin shot returns to normal, although the red arrow is again not flashing.
 * December 27 is Teen Week and the first known use of the regular Friday Finals format: three contestants compete on Monday-Thursday, and the three biggest winners return on Friday to play for savings bonds. Despite this, the opening for the week (see below) shows 14 contestants; two were likely 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 September 1989, and on daytime in January 1991.
 * On December 29 (Chris/Evangelina/Jonathan):
 * The contestants stand on boxes, a fact which Pat points out after Round 1. (This may have been the case on other episodes this week, but this is uncertain.)
 * 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.
 * For the first known time, a four-line puzzle is used in a Speed-Up round. The answer, THE NINA THE PINTA AND THE SANTA MARIA, is also the first known instance of a puzzle being completely revealed before being solved.
 * By December 29:
 * "Big Wheels" is again used for all commercial breaks (except after Round 2 on this episode, as it fades to black before any music can begin).
 * The red arrow again flashes during the Final Spin.
 * Pacino begins providing Vanna's wardrobe.

1983
January 1983 :
 * On January 3, the show moves back to 11:00 AM.
 * The January 20 show is Episode #2,044, taped January 9.

February 1983 :

March 1983 :
 * March 28 is Teen Week.

April 1983 :
 * On April 1 (Trevor/Juanita/Michelle):
 * 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, a more unusual event than on March 25, 1980 due to the presence of the Bonus Round. Strangely, unlike in 1980, $1,000 is the top value for Rounds 3-4 and $2,000 for Round 5.
 * In Round 3, Trevor mis-solves the puzzle JUICE NEWTON as JOYCE NEWTON. A turn later, the "only vowels remain" beeps fail to sound, although a stagehand can be heard telling Pat that only vowels remain. Juanita solves the puzzle for $50.
 * The Bonus Round is played for a four-person vacation to Disneyland worth $5,302, which is not won.
 * After the Bonus Round, Pat gives the player a hamburger "garnished" with two $100 bills. She is then awarded 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, after which all of the Teen Week contestants come onstage.
 * By April 1:
 * The "house minimum" is $200. It was apparently $100 during the earliest episodes in 1975.
 * 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.
 * New Leaf begins providing Vanna's wardrobe.

May 1983 :
 * The May 6 show is Julie/Shirley/Barry.
 * On an episode sometime this month, possibly a Tuesday and definitely before May 23:
 * The Wheel's spikes are re-welded 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").
 * A champion retires undefeated.
 * On an episode sometime this month (Jackie/Penny/Paul), known to be the day after the above (and according to one recollection, "ten days" after the May 6 show):
 * During the open, Pat honks a car's horn right after Jack introduces him.
 * Pat does the opening spin with both feet off the floor. Following the overhead Wheel shot, the camera returns to the position it had just before.
 * Before Round 2, the puzzle chime accidentally sounds while Pat talks about the aforementioned Wheel update. It later 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, Paul calls for either A 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.
 * Pat's Final Spin lands on Lose A Turn.
 * After Round 3, 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: "Big Wheels" 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".
 * The Vacation Bonanza Contest (the first known home viewer sweepstakes) is held from about May 16 until sometime afterward. A print ad promoting said contest explains that home viewers "play Wheel of Fortune from [their] own home" for "an exotic dream vacation", with Hawaii specifically mentioned.

June 1983 :

July 1983 :

August 1983 :
 * On August 8, Alan Thicke's music package is replaced with a new one 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. The bridge also plays when Vanna walks out, although the nighttime show replaces it with "I'm a Wheel Watcher" on October 5, 1987. The instrumentation is also more "chirpy" for the first few months.
 * With the introduction of "Changing Keys", the intro is changed to start with an overhead shot of the spinning Wheel, with the logo zooming into its center accompanied by a pre-recorded "Wheel! Of! Fortune!" chant by an audience.

September 1983 :
 * The nighttime version debuts September 19 in most markets, September 12 in others.
 * Sometime between September 19 and 22, the money graphic and subsequent logo begin using white outlines; previously, they were black.
 * In late September or early October, the on-set trees begin using their Fall appearance.

October 1983 :
 * On October 31 (Tina/Janet/Tim):
 * 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.
 * There are two sets of repeated categories: Phrase in Round 2 and the Bonus Round, Thing in Rounds 3 and 4.
 * The bonus puzzle, WIN LOSE OR DRAW, is the first known bonus puzzle to use all four lines of the puzzle board. It is not known why this was done, as the answer would fit easily on two.
 * Following the Bonus Round, Pat and Vanna plug the Home Puzzle Contest. An unaired outtake from this segment appears at the end of the ceremonial 4,000th nighttime show in 2003.
 * By October 31:
 * The on-set trees begin using their Winter appearance, a bizarre change given the time of year.
 * A bumper is added at about the middle of each episode, showing the turntable spinning into place for the next round with a Wheel of Fortune logo slightly above the center of the screen. Said 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 sometimes (but not always) matching the money graphic and opening logo.
 * Jon Wesley begins providing Vanna's wardrobe.

November 1983 :
 * November 1 begins the Home Puzzle Contest, where portions of a puzzle are revealed each day 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 husband/wife teams ranging from engaged to being married for 40 years. This week uses the Friday Finals format, with the winning couple on Friday playing the Bonus Round for 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.
 * On November 9 (Bill & Kathy/Don & Susan/Frank & Debbie):
 * The money graphic is a flipping version of the green one used through at least Pat's first day.
 * During Round 1, Bill & Kathy'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.
 * In an extremely-rare event, all four puzzles are Phrase.
 * Bill & Kathy fail to solve the bonus puzzle TOP SECRET with T__ SE_RET showing, after which Bill remarks "Oh, that was so easy!"
 * By November 9, the mid-show bumper logo is enlarged and moved to the top of the screen.
 * By November 9, Giorgio of Beverly Hills begins providing Vanna's wardrobe.
 * On November 28, the Merv Griffin Productions logo in the credits is replaced by a full-color drawing of a griffin against a black background.

December 1983 :

1984
January 1984 :
 * Wheel does not air on January 2 due to the Tournament of Roses parade.
 * On an episode sometime this month (Lynn/Doug/Cathy):
 * The Wheel spins very slowly during the opening.
 * Before Round 2, the applause machine sounds at its loudest setting while 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; against precedent, the buzzer sounds on both.
 * During the Speed-Up round, Doug forgets to say the last syllable of NEW DELHI INDIA. Oddly, the camera cuts to a close-up of him as he says the correct answer.
 * By the above episode, the puzzle board's chase light sequence is occasionally reversed: the left side now goes clockwise and the right counterclockwise. As far as is known, episodes used either the original sequence or the reversed one; never both.
 * As of the above episode, the set still looks the same as it did on December 21, 1981.
 * Drew Pinsky is a contestant sometime this year (before the starburst backdrops change), although he does not solve any puzzles. Brief clips were shown on a September 2011 episode of The Ellen DeGeneres Show when Pinsky (since risen to fame as "Dr. Drew") appeared as a guest, although the episode itself does not appear to circulate.

February 1984 :
 * Sometime this month, and definitely by the 27th, the Griffin logo is altered: the text is now much smaller and uses the Peignot font, while the griffin no longer blinks.
 * By February 27, the on-set trees are replaced by walls with foliage on them. The walls change according to the time of year (using snowflakes and lights in Winter), while the trees continue to appear occasionally.
 * 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 gender 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, suggesting that one of the ladies was a standby.
 * On February 29 (Ron/Ray/Rick):
 * The Wheel spins very slowly during the opening and credits.
 * The puzzle board uses its reversed chase light sequence.
 * Before Round 2, Pat brings up a question from 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 does not recall such a role, and it was probably another game show host. Pat and Vanna discuss this a bit further after the Bonus Round.
 * The Round 2 puzzle is SARAH PURCELL, co-host of the 1977-78 game show The Better Sex. While the appearance of her name during this particular week is likely a coincidence, it is still interesting to note.
 * There are two sets of repeated categories: Phrase in Rounds 1 and 4, Thing in Round 3 and the Bonus Round.
 * Pat and Vanna can be heard talking during the credits.
 * By February 29, Jon Wesley begins providing Vanna's wardrobe again.

March 1984 :
 * As of March 21, Wheel draws an 8.1 on the Nielsen ratings system with a 31 share, a 6-share increase since the beginning of 1983.

April 1984 :
 * On a Thursday episode between April 12 and May 24 (Staa/Nickie/Bill):
 * During his interview, Bill accidentally calls Pat "Jack". After Round 1, Pat refers to Jack as "Pat".
 * The puzzle board uses its reversed chase light sequence.
 * During Round 3, it takes six spins before a correct letter is called.
 * There are two sets of repeated categories: Phrase in Rounds 1 and 2, Thing in Rounds 3 and 4 plus the Bonus Round.
 * Pat signs off immediately after the Bonus Round.
 * By the above episode, Climax begins providing Vanna's wardrobe again.

May 1984 :

June 1984 :

July 1984 :

August 1984 :

September 1984 :
 * By September 10, at Merv's insistence, contestants have generally stopped using "as in" when calling letters (i.e., "P as in Pat"), unless necessary for clarification.
 * On September 10, the Griffin logo is altered to replace "Productions" with "Enterprises". Jack's closing spiel is changed to "Wheel of Fortune is produced by Merv Griffin Enterprises."
 * At this point, the contestant backdrops still look the same as they did on December 21, 1981.
 * At this point, there is still a $150 wedge next to $1,000 in Round 2.

October 1984 :
 * By about 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 at the first bar during the intro, instead of the 0:56 mark.
 * By about this point, 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.

November 1984 :
 * By November 23, the $150 next to $1,000 in Round 2 is decreased to $100.

December 1984 :

1985
January 1985 :
 * Sometime this month, three minor changes are made:
 * The logo used at the beginning of the show becomes a chyron with white borders and letters which are closer together than the previous logo. The transparent portions of the Wheel graphic are filled in, while the formerly-filled spaces become white.
 * The logo shown after the money graphic is updated to an animated one with red, blue, green, and yellow sections rotating in the center, as well as the letters and dots in the logo flashing in dark and light shades of yellow.
 * The category chyrons are changed to a medium form of Helvetica with a shadow effect, often in burnt orange. Shortly afterward, the Bonus Round totals and credits are also changed to Helvetica.

February 1985 :
 * By February 1, the category strips and Bonus Round totals are upgraded to a bolder form of Helvetica with no shadow and a white outline around the bottom of each character. They again display in various colors, often matching Vanna's outfit (with the exception of neutral colors such as black, white, brown and gray).
 * By February 1, the mid-show bumper begins spelling out the show's title one letter at a time horizontally.
 * On February 1:
 * The puzzle board uses its reversed chase light sequence.
 * Rounds 1, 2 and 4 are Phrase.
 * No overhead Wheel shot is used during the credits.
 * February 4 is Couples Week.
 * Sometime between February 4 and June 7, the category strips are altered again to have the white outline around the entirety of each character, a style which remains for the rest of the run.
 * Sometime between the introduction of the third Helvetica chyrons and that of the third starburst backdrops, a then-unknown Jean-Paul Manoux is a contestant (as "J.P.") during Teen Week and wins a trip to Tahiti in the Bonus Round.

March 1985 :

April 1985 :
 * On April 1, Pat makes an April Fool's joke by claiming that he and Vanna are married.

May 1985 :
 * At this point, the Bankrupt slide whistle is still heard if Pat hits it on the Final Spin.

June 1985 :
 * At this point, the Griffin logo still looks the same as it did on September 10, 1984.

July 1985 :

August 1985 :
 * Alex Trebek fills in for Pat sometime this month, most likely for one episode.

September 1985 :
 * By September 9, the Griffin logo is altered slightly: the font color is now pacific blue, rather than the silver used previously.
 * On September 24, contestant Pamela sweeps the game and wins a station wagon in the Bonus Round.

October 1985 :

November 1985 :

December 1985 :
 * On December 25, Jack appears onstage at the end of the show with Pat and Vanna to wish everyone a Merry Christmas.

1986
January 1986 :

February 1986 :

March 1986 :
 * The daytime show likely becomes closed-captioned for the hearing-impaired on March 6, the same day the nighttime version does so (along with Jeopardy!), although this is uncertain.

April 1986 :

May 1986 :

June 1986 :
 * June 16 is Teen Week. Susan Stafford returns for this week, filling in for Vanna (who is absent due to a then-recent plane crash which killed her spouse, John Gibson).
 * On June 20:
 * The puzzle board uses its reversed chase light sequence.
 * There are two sets of repeated categories: Phrase in Round 1 and the Bonus Round, Things in Round 3, and Thing in Round 4.
 * No credit is given for Susan's wardrobe. This may have been the case on the other shows this week, but this is uncertain.
 * The game is played for savings bonds, with no shopping.
 * At the beginning of the show, the contestants introduce themselves, then they introduce Pat and Susan.
 * As of June 20, $175 is still present on the Wheel and $1,500 is still on the right-hand side of Bankrupt.
 * On June 23, Vanna tells Pat at the end of the show that she went on a vacation, after which she gives him several gifts that she found for him.

July 1986 :
 * On an episode during the Summer:
 * The yellow contestant acquires five Free Spins and uses all five in Round 2.
 * Round 3 starts as a Speed-Up and, thanks to a $2,000 Final Spin, the blue contestant ends up winning despite having not touched the Wheel at all.
 * On an episode sometime this month, the puzzle board uses its original chase light sequence.

August 1986 :

September 1986 :
 * Around this point, Pat has generally stopped saying "For [amount], [solve/identify/what's] this [category]" when a contestant asks to solve a puzzle. JackpotDaytime.jpg
 * By September 8, the Wheel wedges are considerably recolored, most noticeably replacing most of the tan and gold with pink and purple. In addition, $175 is retired (replaced by $500) and $1,500 moves to the opposite side of Bankrupt.
 * September 15 is the debut of the Jackpot wedge, which begins at $1,000 and increases by $1,000 each day until claimed. It is treated as a Prize wedge, and hence cannot be spent on vowels or in shopping rounds.
 * If the Jackpot is not won at $1,000, Jack's opening spiel is altered to begin with "Look at this studio, filled with glamorous prizes! Fabulous and exciting merchandise, including a(n) $x,000 cash jackpot!" The opening money graphic for the Jackpot simply zooms in, then flashes.
 * The wedge is not used during "special" weeks (Teen, College, Battle of the Sexes, etc.), most likely due to the Friday Finals.
 * From this point until its retirement, at least some dates that mention a Jackpot win without an amount are guesses.

October 1986 :
 * October 3 is Episode #3,000, taped around September 19. The Encyclopedia of TV Game Shows: Volume 2 includes a photo of Pat and Vanna at the puzzle board, which reads WHEEL OF FORTUNE'S 3000TH SHOW (with the numbers in a different font than the letters).
 * As of mid-October, the contestant backdrops are still look the same as they did around October 1984. Sometime between then and November 13, they are altered to streamline the "jagged" edges; the resulting appearance closely resembles a sunflower.
 * As of mid-October, the walls introduced in early 1984 are still present. Sometime between then and November 13, they are replaced by a set of lights and a more colorful background.
 * On a Monday episode from the Fall (Dean/Kathy/Karen), known to be after the third starburst backdrops are introduced and the walls are dropped:
 * The puzzle board uses its reversed chase light sequence.
 * Only one prize is bought after Round 1: a $350 collection of Pressman board games, including Deluxe Wheel of Fortune.
 * 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.
 * The bonus prize, a $4,200 cabinet, is presented next to the puzzle board.
 * By the above episode, Gucci begins providing Vanna's wardrobe.
 * An episode sometime in late October or early November (after the aforementioned set changes) has a Jackpot win; the contestant, Bernice, ends the game with $16,050 and wins a car in the Bonus Round.
 * On the above episode and at least one other in the same taping session, the puzzle board uses its reversed chase light sequence.

November 1986 :
 * November 10 has a Jackpot win.
 * On November 13:
 * The puzzle board uses its original chase light sequence.
 * In Round 1, contestant Mike accidentally calls a vowel instead of a consonant after a spin.
 * The players are shown turning their backs as Pat throws to commercial during Round 2.
 * The Jackpot graphic is a gold "Horn of Plenty" with various coins around it; the money graphic is gold and stationary.
 * The 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 "continuation 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.
 * Climax provides Vanna's wardrobe.
 * As of November 13, the Merv Griffin Enterprises logo still looks the same as it did on September 10, 1984.
 * November 17 is College Week. JackClarkBackstage10-1986.jpg
 * At around this point, Jack still does his announcing work in an offstage utility room.
 * At around this point, the Used Letter Board is still a chalkboard.

December 1986 :
 * December 22 is Teen Week, taped November 22. During this week:
 * The opening, using the same structure as previous Teen Weeks, shows 13 players in front of the puzzle board. The "odd one out", Guru, does not play at all this week. The participants are seen "modeling" the prizes at the top of the show.
 * 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.
 * The animated Wheel logo is not used.
 * Pat Richards provides Vanna's wardrobe on the 22nd, and Climax on the 23rd and 24th. It would appear that by this point, there are several rotating sponsors for her outfits.
 * The puzzle board uses its original chase light sequence on at least the 22nd, 24th, and 25th.
 * On December 22:
 * Pat mentions debuting a new video by him and Vanna "later in the week".
 * "We Wish You A Merry Christmas" is played during the Round 2 prize descriptions.
 * The Bonus Round timer continues to play for about two seconds after the time's-up buzzer.
 * The top winner has only $1,900, and all three players combined have only $2,700.
 * The Wheel can be heard loudly spinning as Pat and Vanna sign off.
 * By December 22, the Merv Griffin Enterprises logo is 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 this text before zooming out, suggesting that this is the first episode with the credit.
 * The December 23 show is mostly pre-empted on the East Coast by an NBC News report (the Voyager successfully returning to its base after a nine-day nonstop flight around the world), rejoining just before Jack begins the Round 3 prize descriptions. West Coast viewers see 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.
 * Afterward, 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.
 * On December 24:
 * 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:
 * While doing the opening spin, Pat accidentally says $450 is top dollar for Round 1 instead of $750.
 * Contestant Ian tries to spin during the Speed-Up, but is stopped before he can do so.
 * After Pat and Vanna's sign-off, the puzzle board is shown with the words MERRY CHRISTMAS on the middle two lines. "We Wish You a Merry Christmas" is played from here through the end of the credits.
 * On at least December 25, and probably for the entire week, the mid-show bumper is a shot of the TEEN WEEK board and players; the logo animation is much faster, and has green lettering.
 * The December 26 show appears to have been pre-empted by most of the network in favor of either sports programming or, on at least one affiliate (WXIA in Atlanta, Georgia), a soap opera. The soap is likely the series finale of Search for Tomorrow, which had been airing at 12:30 since it moved from CBS in March 1982.

1987
January 1987 :
 * At some point this year, two games in a row end in a tie. This results in a champion playing five games.
 * On an episode sometime this month (Mitzi/Tony/Cheryl), the puzzle board uses its original chase light sequence.

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.
 * By February 12, the puzzle board's chase lights begin using the reversed sequence permanently, and this remains so for the rest of the daytime run.

March 1987 :
 * March 13 has a Jackpot win.
 * On March 16, contestant Clay sweeps the game and wins the Bonus Round.
 * As of March 17, the money graphic still acts the same as it did on March 11, 1982.
 * On March 17:
 * Due to it being St. Patrick's Day, Pat wears a frog hat from shortly after Vanna's entrance through the end of the show.
 * After the ceramic Dalmatian is bought, Jack refers to it during his prize descriptions as the show's mascot.
 * March 19 also has a Jackpot win.
 * By March 30, the money graphic begins zooming in much like the Jackpot graphic, and appears at the top of the screen.
 * On March 30, it takes six turns to reveal any letters in the Round 1 puzzle HO CHI MINH. The puzzle is then mispronounced with only the O unrevealed, after which the next player solves for the $200 house minimum and buys the ceramic Dalmatian.

April 1987 :
 * April 16 has a Jackpot win.
 * 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 :
 * May 7 has a Jackpot win.

June 1987 :
 * June 5 and 8 are the first known instance of two consecutive Jackpot wins, the former being $21,000.
 * On June 17, Pat and Vanna chat with Jack at the end of the show.
 * At this point, the Enterprises logo still looks the same as it did on December 22, 1986.

July 1987 :
 * Most of this month's episodes are pre-empted due to coverage of the Iran-Contra affairs.

August 1987 :

September 1987 :

October 1987 :
 * October 28 has a Jackpot win.

November 1987 :
 * By November 10, the Enterprises logo is altered: the background becomes yellow, and "A unit of The Coca-Cola Company" is changed to "A unit of Coca-Cola TELEVISION".
 * November 27 and 30 have Jackpot wins, both by the same contestant. Pat states on the 30th that the November 27 Jackpot was $22,000, which is the highest known total ever achieved by it.

December 1987 :
 * By this point, the fee plugs are eliminated. Departing contestants now receive a substantial prize, announced before the beginning of Round 3 or 4, as per the network's wishes.
 * December 21 is Teen Week. During this week:
 * As in 1986, the opening shows all 15 participants standing or sitting at the puzzle board.
 * The set is again decorated for Christmas.
 * On December 25:
 * The finalists introduce themselves as well as Pat and Vanna together.
 * The main game is played for savings bonds, with no shopping.

1988
January 1988 :

February 1988 :
 * On February 8, the Merv Griffin Enterprises logo replaces "A unit of Coca-Cola TELEVISION" with "A Unit of Columbia Pictures Entertainment, Inc."
 * On February 24, The Pat Sajak Show is announced by CBS. Likely at the same time, Pat announces his eventual departure from the daytime show.

March 1988 :

April 1988 :
 * By the end of this month, Jack begins announcing from a "booth" in front of the audience. This setup remains through at least mid-October, and likely through June 30, 1989.

May 1988 :
 * May 6 is likely Jack's last episode, with Charlie O'Donnell filling in afterward.
 * Around this point, contestant Debra Stuker plays for two or three shows, winning $36,829 (including a Jeep, sailboat, small motorboat, artwork, sportswear, TV, VCR, jukebox, and sporting equipment). Much later, at the end of August 1989, the Associated Press reports that while some of her prizes arrived respectably (including the Jeep, traded in for a van), the $4,200 jukebox and $10,000 boat were both delivered in very poor condition. At the time of the article, the show took back the boat without offering a replacement and offered $2,500 cash (not taken) instead of the jukebox.

June 1988 :
 * At this point, there is still no ® on the show's logo.
 * The June 14 show is Episode #3,421, taped May 14.
 * Betty White makes a cameo on June 14.

July 1988 :
 * Jack Clark dies on July 21.
 * As of July 27, according to USA Today, there is still no permanent announcer.

August 1988 :
 * Johnny Gilbert fills in as announcer for one week this month, possibly the 29th.

September 1988 :
 * By September 5, M.G. Kelly becomes the show's announcer. He began taping nighttime episodes shortly before August 17.
 * By September 5, a "registered trademark" (®) symbol is added to the show's logo, just below the N of "Fortune".
 * Same Name likely debuts on September 6.
 * September 16 is believed to be the last appearance of the daytime Jackpot.

October 1988 :
 * On October 3, the Bonus Round rules are changed to give RSTLNE automatically and ask the contestant for three more consonants and a vowel; also, the time limit is reduced to 10 seconds. The first bonus puzzle under these rules is OREO COOKIES, which is not solved.
 * By mid-October, the Used Letter Board changes to a dry-erase board similar to those used in auditions since at least 1985.

November 1988 :

December 1988 :
 * On December 30, Pat announces that he will be leaving the daytime show the following week.

1989
January 1989 :
 * January 9 (Episode #3,564) is Pat's last daytime show, taped around October 1988. He steps down from daytime to host his short-lived talk show, The Pat Sajak Show, which debuts that night. On this day:
 * 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 taps Pat's shoulder.
 * No name is ever given for Pat's replacement, as no host had been chosen at the time of the episode's recording, although Pat and Merv's comments suggest otherwise.
 * Several comments during the show mention "Friday" and "Monday", suggesting an airdate of January 6. It appears that a recent NBC News special report (possibly the Pan-Am flight bombing in Lockerbie, Scotland on December 21) pre-empted Wheel at some point and pushed everything forward by a day.
 * January 10 is Rolf Benirschke's first show, taped December 14, 1988. Promos aired on January 4-9 advertising his debut, "starting Tuesday". On this day:
 * The money graphic returns to being in the center of the screen
 * M.G.'s intro ends with "And now, here's 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 over two minutes, with the contestant interviews and Round 1 beginning in the second segment.
 * The post-game chat is not done near the Wheel.
 * No credit is given for Rolf's wardrobe, although this is likely an error due to there being a blank spot between Vanna's credit and the beginning of the full credit roll.
 * As of January 12, the money graphic still appears in the center of the screen.

February 1989 :
 * An episode during Rolf's tenure has the first known instance of a contestant incorrectly solving 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 game ends in a tie. On the first instance, Rolf admits on-camera that he does not know what to do.
 * February 17 is M.G.'s last episode; Charlie returns on the 20th.
 * By February 22, the money graphic returns to being at the top of the screen.
 * On February 22:
 * Contestant Lois gets three Free Spins in Round 1.
 * Rolf's Final Spin lands on Lose A Turn.
 * Lois sweeps the game and wins a Toyota Tercel in the Bonus Round.
 * As of February 22, Augustus still provides Rolf's wardrobe.
 * Before & After likely debuts on February 27.

March 1989 :
 * On March 24, Rolf and Vanna wish everyone at home a Happy Easter.
 * On March 27, Rolf and Vanna talk to Charlie at the end of the show.

April 1989 :
 * There is a Teen Week during Rolf's tenure and, on one of those episodes, he congratulates himself for hitting $2,000 in a Final Spin. The blue contestant, Jade, then points out that Rolf is looking at the blue arrow instead of red, and has actually hit Bankrupt.

May 1989 :
 * The May 9 show is Episode #3,649.
 * On May 22, due to declining ratings and an inability to come to a license fee agreement with Merv (and despite Wheel having a three-year studio-use contract signed in 1987), NBC announces the show's cancellation and replacement by reruns of The Golden Girls.
 * On May 23, CBS announces the return of Wheel "beginning sometime this Summer". At this point, the Sacramento Bee notes, "the Rolf Benirschke fan club needn't panic – he will not be out of work even one day".

June 1989 :
 * Stephen Burrows, later a writer and director, is a contestant (as "Steve") on an episode taped June 10. In 1991, he produces the half-hour short The Soldier of Fortune about his "actual appearance and subsequent humiliation on [Wheel], where he is generally considered to be the worst contestant in the history of the show", including clips, which wins 29 film festivals. According to the Internet Movie Database, he is the first player to buy all five vowels in succession and still not solve the puzzle.
 * June 30 is Rolf's last episode, the last with the shopping format, the last taped in Studio 4 at NBC Studios in Burbank, and the last use of $2,000 as a cash value. On this day:
 * Rolf and Vanna talk about Summer after the game, with Rolf mentioning that he will be going to the beach.
 * The credit roll is of the extended style (Music, Utility, Flyman, etc.) like those used on other NBC finales.
 * Charlie says his name while signing off, the only known instance of a daytime announcer doing so.
 * By the end of June, a contestant retires with $65,271, the largest of the daytime run.
 * By June 30, the money graphic returns to the center of the screen.
 * By June 30, Rick Pallack begins providing the host's wardrobe.

July 1989 :
 * In early July (definitely before the 7th), TV Guide runs an ad promoting the show's move to CBS. No host is named, although a blurb of "New Host" confirms Rolf's dismissal.
 * On July 7, Bob Goen is announced as the new host.
 * July 17 is the CBS premiere, taped on the 14th, and Bob and Vanna appear on that day's CBS This Morning to promote the debut. Wheel moves back to 10:30 AM, replacing the Chuck Henry version of Now You See It, and nearly every element changes in some way:
 * 1) The show moves to CBS Television City's Studio 33 (now the Bob Barker Studio), the same studio in which The Price Is Right has taped since 1972.
 * 2) The original episode tally, in place since 1975, is discarded in favor of a three-digit counter prefaced by "#C".
 * 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" beeps, Final Spin bells, and category chimes are all changed to the current ones. A new "time's up" buzzer consisting of two short buzzes is added to the Bonus Round, where previously the elongated "wrong letter" buzzer was used.
 * 5) "Changing Keys" and the puzzle-solve cue are rearranged to have the melody on saxophone and jazz guitar, backed by organ and percussion. This and all subsequent versions of "Changing Keys" end on a single note instead of the puzzle-solve cue. The bridge of "Changing Keys" continues to play when Vanna is introduced.
 * 6) The turntable is replaced by a grouping of prizes. At least one spiral pillar is retained, placed to the left and back of the contestant area.
 * 7) The host's area and Bonus Round area each now have a backdrop of silver chevrons, while the host's area and the spaces between the players' score displays are changed to a solid brown design.
 * 8) The starburst contestant backdrops are upgraded to chevrons that continue to show total champion winnings with the same limitations. As shopping is no longer part of the format, the "ON ACCOUNT" display is now obscured.
 * 9) The contestant nametags are now parallelogram-shaped, with a gray background, although the letters are still white. 1stbob4.jpgWof01PrizeBy1250.jpg
 * 10) The Wheel offers less than half of what it did previously: $500 is once again top value for Round 1 and also for Round 2, followed by $1,000 in Round 3 and $1,250 thereafter. For the first time since 1975, $50 and $75 appear on the Wheel.
 * 11) Prize wedges are reintroduced to daytime, with a new prize added each time a previous one is claimed (up to two new prizes per round). This presents the possibility of having three prizes on the Wheel by Round 4.
 * 12) The Free Spin tokens become green, with "SPIN" in the center and "Free" on the top and bottom in yellow script.
 * 13) As a result of the reduced Wheel values, vowels now cost $200.
 * 14) The Bonus Round now offers subcompact cars, a cash prize of $5,000, and other prizes generally valued at less than $10,000; the $5,000 is displayed on a green disc suspended from the ceiling, which rotates counterclockwise. While nighttime changes Bonus Round prize selection to a random draw from the W-H-E-E-L envelopes on September 4, daytime allows contestants to pick their bonus prize until the end (although picking the cash is not as common on daytime).$5,000_Sign.jpg
 * 15) If the $5,000 is played for, the sign lowers, and Charlie announces one of several rotating lines related to the prize. This would occur in a similar fashion when the $25,000 is won on the nighttime show.
 * 16) The opening remains about the same as Rolf's last show, with a "CBS StereoSound Where Available" graphic added. Charlie's intro is now "Look at this studio, filled with lots of exciting prizes! Including a new $5,000 cash bonus, this sporty little compact car, and a wonderfully romantic Caribbean cruise, 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!"
 * 17) As Charlie says "plus thousands of dollars in cash", the money graphic appears at the bottom of the screen; oddly, during the week of July 17, it alternates between $41,000 (Monday, Tuesday, and Friday) and $42,000 (Wednesday and Thursday).
 * 18) As Charlie says "waiting to be won", a graphic of the Wheel forms, starting with several colored rings curling into place to form the frame of the Wheel, followed by the wedges falling down to form the Wheel itself (albeit extremely inaccurate, lacking Bankrupt and Lose A Turn while including values such as $850 {not used since 1979}, an "off-model" yellow $750, and the nonexistent {outside of rug and turntable layouts} $950). Once the Wheel graphic is fully formed, it tilts to form the "O" in "OF", with the rest of the show's name spelled out in gold letters. It then fades away as Charlie introduces Bob.
 * 19) The overhead Wheel shot during the close is now zoomed in on the center; only the bottoms of the wedges are visible, including the "50" in $1,250 as well as any remaining Prize wedges. As it no longer applies, "Gift certificates do not include sales tax." is removed from Charlie's closing disclaimer.
 * 20) Per CBS game show tradition, the sponsor list becomes two separate ones: namely, "The following suppliers of products have paid for their use & promotion." and "The following suppliers of products have furnished them free or at less than retail."
 * 21) The credits end with "Recorded at CBS Television City in Hollywood, California", with the CBS Eye logo included in the disclaimer.
 * On July 17:
 * After Bob's entrance, he mentions that "It is great to be here at our new home at CBS. Although some things may change, some things always stay the same, thank goodness for that." He then introduces Vanna.
 * Inexplicably, the winner of Rolf's last episode does not return.
 * Person/Fictional Character debuts.
 * Pat appears before Round 4 to wish Bob and the players good luck.
 * The first Wheel prize appears in Round 2, and is a $916 Lake Tahoe trip. It is not claimed, and is replaced by two prizes in Round 3. One of these is won and replaced in Round 4 by a fourth prize.
 * During the post-game chat, Vanna and Bob mention the switch to all-cash and the new Free Spin discs.
 * On July 17 or 18, The Pat Sajak Show features a segment about the daytime Wheel, with Pat walking downstairs to Studio 33 and surprising Bob, Vanna, and Charlie. As $1,250 is present on the Wheel, along with a Prize wedge ending in "-ng", Pat's appearance was likely before Round 4. The segment also explains the puzzle board and Used Letter Board, and has the only known shot of the $5,000 sign's reverse.
 * On July 18:
 * Charlie's intro changes slightly: the prize descriptions are now "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..." Two-Digit_Values_with_Diamonds.jpg
 * The two-digit values are given diamonds, and the tan $50 near Bankrupt is increased to a yellow $300. This yellow $300 wedge is the same "off-model" variant (with a larger dollar sign and smaller 3) used at this point to cover Free Spin in later nighttime rounds.
 * Same Name (Round 2) uses an ampersand for the first time, instead of spelling out AND. The answer is EVE & ELIZABETH ARDEN.
 * Two prizes are introduced in Round 4, as the Round 2 prize is lost to Bankrupt (however, Bob does not take away the wedge) and the Round 3 prize won. One of the Round 4 prizes is also won, and its wedge strangely remains on that player's arrow for the rest of the show.
 * During the credits, Charlie notes that "This program has been edited for broadcast."
 * On July 19:
 * Charlie's intro changes again: "lots of exciting prizes" is changed to "wonderful and exciting prizes", and the next few episodes have different prize descriptions.
 * July 19: "Including $5,000 in very spendable cash, this nifty little compact car, lovely pearl jewelry, plus thousands of dollars in cash..." (Oddly, the "new" intro animation starts while the rings are forming.)
 * July 20: "Including a great $5,000 cash bonus, a glamorous cruise through the Caribbean, and for entertaining, a contemporary bar with accessories, plus thousands of dollars in cash..."
 * July 21: "Including a romantic seven-day Caribbean cruise, a beautiful Oriental rug, and a $9,000 sapphire and diamond ring, plus thousands of dollars in cash..."
 * The contestant name tag letters change to black, likely because the white lettering was difficult to read.
 * The Rounds 1-2 Wheel layout undergoes several value changes: the "off-model" $300 is replaced by $50♦ and swaps positions with the $125 next to it, 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.
 * Round 1 has the first instance of a puzzle using zeroes instead of O's, an anomaly which appears on some puzzles and spreads to nighttime on September 7. The zeroes, likely recycled from the "3,000th show" promotional shot, can be discerned as being much wider and rounder than the regular O's. As far as is known, puzzles only either used O's or zeroes, but never both.
 * After the Round 2 prize is claimed but not won, two new prizes are introduced in Round 3. One of those is won, and is replaced by another prize in Round 4.
 * During the post-game chat, Bob and Vanna talk about more differences from the nighttime show, including the reduction of vowel cost to $200. Bob quips that they "made it through the show without Sajak having to come in and bother us".
 * On July 20:
 * For the first time, there are three Prize wedges on the Wheel in Round 4. They are neither claimed nor won. One of them is the aforementioned bar in Charlie's intro, worth $2,976. It starts out on the red $200 next to $1,250 in Round 4 and moves to the pink $300 next to Bankrupt in Round 5.
 * In Round 4, the category strip disappears a second into the first spin, but reappears after that spin is complete.
 * Contestant Patrick retires, the first of the Goen era, with $19,230.
 * Before coming back from the final break, CBS airs a promo for the show.
 * The post-game chat is not done near the Wheel.
 * On July 21:
 * The lights on the $5,000 sign are off during the entire show, except during the Bonus Round when the champion decides to play for the cash.
 * Round 2 has a Same Name of EGG & VANNA WHITE.
 * Round 3 has zeroes for O's.
 * There are only two prizes available during Rounds 2 and 3 combined, and one of them is won in Round 3.
 * Round 4 begins as a Speed-Up, with the Art wedge still on the Wheel. Unusually at the time for such a round, the chimes sound as the category is revealed.
 * The taping Pat appeared at on The Pat Sajak Show airs sometime between July 24 and August 11.

August 1989 :
 * As of August 4, Wheel draws a 2.8 on the Nielsen ratings system with a 12 share, only slightly higher than the average of Now You See It.
 * By August 29:
 * The NBC opening shot and money graphic are dropped. The opening is changed to an angled shot of the contestant area with the $5,000 sign at left, with the players running onstage during the "Wheel! Of! Fortune!" chant. The theme is slightly updated with a new opening version, and the version previously used there continues to be used during the credits. The camera pans from the Wheel to the board as the "new" logo, now the regular one, appears; cuts to the audience as the animation is reversed; then cuts again to center stage while Charlie introduces Bob.
 * Charlie's opening spiel is changed 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!"
 * The purple $50♦ in Rounds 1-2 is increased to $300, leaving just one each of $50♦ and $75♦ on the Wheel.
 * The $5,000 sign now rotates during the opening and credits, as well as when the cash is played for. Previously, the sign did not rotate during the credits.
 * On August 29:
 * The Round 2 prize is claimed in Round 3, but not won; it is replaced by another prize in Round 4, which is claimed and won. The Round 3 prize is not claimed and is removed in Round 6, which begins with the Final Spin.
 * For the first known time in the Goen era, the Bonus Round is played for something other than the cash or a car: specifically, an East Coast tour.
 * The closing plugs begin immediately after the final commercial break.
 * On August 31:
 * After the Round 2 prize is claimed, two new prizes are introduced in Round 3 and one in Round 4, again resulting in three prizes on the Wheel for Round 4.
 * Round 3 is the first known appearance of Person/Title. The puzzle uses zeroes for O's.
 * There is also a contestant plug before the fee plugs.
 * The theme music runs to the end, just after the Merv Griffin Enterprises logo appears.
 * By August 31, Fred Hayman of Beverly Hills begins providing Vanna's wardrobe.
 * As of August 31, Rick Pallack still provides Bob's wardrobe.

September 1989 :
 * Sometime this month, and definitely by the 11th, the puzzle board's chase lights begin to be used during the opening. Previously, they were static.
 * Husband & Wife debuts sometime between September 11 and December 15.
 * On September 18:
 * The category strips are red, possibly a random choice due to Vanna's dress (a flowery print).
 * Several times during the show, Bob forgets to ask contestant Ric if he wants to use his Free Spin.
 * There are two sets of repeated categories: Same Name in Rounds 1 and 5, Phrase in Rounds 2 and 4.
 * Sometime this month, and definitely by the 18th, the Rounds 1-2 minimum returns to $100: the pink $50♦ is increased to $250, the blue $75♦ is increased to $400, and the purple $300 near Bankrupt is dropped to $100.
 * September 29 appears to be the last episode to use zeroes for O's.

October 1989 :
 * On October 16:
 * The Free Spin wedge becomes a single Free Spin token placed on various amounts, with the spot formerly holding the wedge becoming $400. This is the last change to the Rounds 1-2 layout, the only one to be altered since the CBS debut three months earlier.
 * Person/Fictional Character is renamed Star & Role.

November 1989 :

December 1989 :
 * Family likely debuts during the week of December 18.
 * The December 27 show is Episode #C115.

1990
January 1990 :
 * Sometime this year, at the insistence of PETA, furs are no longer offered.
 * Sometime this year, the cars are now displayed on the turntables from the nighttime show.
 * Sometime this year, CBS airs a promo of Bob in the show's office. The nighttime 1987 Round 1 template is used as a wiping graphic (similar to one of the Disney World intros on the nighttime version) and in the background on a physical prop. The promo uses Bob's last name in several puns.
 * As of January 4, vowels still cost $200.

February 1990 :

March 1990 :
 * By March 5, the show holds a Soap Stars Week with cast members from The Young and the Restless (Jess Walton/Doug Davidson/Lauralee Bell), The Bold and the Beautiful (Daniel McVicar/Lauren Koslow/John McCook), Guiding Light (Kimberley Simms/James Goodwin/Jay Hammer), and As the World Turns (Michael Swan/Margaret Reed/Gregory Beecroft). Based on this and a print ad, it likely utilized the Friday Finals format with each soap getting its own episode.
 * An article from March 7 notes that Hammer donated his winnings to his alma mater: the University of the Pacific in Stockton, California.
 * While all twelve were on their respective shows before July 1989, it is known that Reed, Beecroft, and Goodwin leave their respective shows sometime in 1990 (Beecroft's character dying in-show).

April 1990 :

May 1990 :

June 1990 :

July 1990 :
 * July 2 is Armed Forces Week, where contestants are called from the audience to play. After each round, the two players who do not solve the puzzle are eliminated, and two new contestants are called to replace them.
 * After the logo flies into place, an American flag graphic wipes by from left to right during Charlie's opening spiel.
 * By July 5, the cost of buying a vowel is reduced to $100.
 * As of July 5, the contestant area still looks the same as it did on July 17, 1989.
 * Around this point, a contestant solves NICK NOLTE STARRING IN Q&A with only one letter (most likely the N's) revealed.

August 1990 :

September 1990 :
 * By September 3:
 * 1) The score displays are extended to allow for seven digits, with the dollar sign now "adjusting" to the scores instead of remaining at the far left. The new displays are also connected to each other, removing the solid brown space that was previously there.
 * 2) The lights surrounding the Wheel become much brighter. The bottom layer of lights, which previously flashed counterclockwise, now flash clockwise as the Wheel is spinning (much like the other layers).
 * 3) The rules for Prize wedges and the Free Spin are changed to have players call a right letter before claiming the wedge/token, instead of picking it up automatically and then calling a letter for the dollar value underneath.
 * 4) Following the last puzzle of the game, the cumulative total of an outgoing or returning champion is shown flashing in a similar manner to the post-Bonus Round totals.

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

November 1990 :
 * A Chicago Tribune article from March 17, 1991 mentions a play-by-phone contest being held for 21 days this month. The article notes that "a record 4.7 million people played, as well as watched, Wheel of Fortune in a one-shot promotion".

December 1990 :
 * December 25 is Christmas-themed, with a decorated set: lights that flash at the open and close, miniature golden bows on the puzzle board, and a large golden bow on the $9,995 Geo Metro onstage. On this episode:
 * After his entrance, Bob wishes the viewers a Merry Christmas and tells them that if they aren't spending the day with their own family, to let him, Charlie, Vanna, and the contestants be the "surrogate family" for the day.
 * After the Bonus Round, Vanna gives Bob a piece of crochet with his last name inscribed in capital letters.
 * After the "Recorded at CBS Television City in Hollywood, California" chyron credit is shown, the Merv Griffin Enterprises logo is revealed via a trilon effect, just as Charlie's spiel begins.

1991
January 1991 :
 * January 11 is the last CBS episode. On this day:
 * After Bob makes his entrance, he notices the audience doing the Wave. He laughs and mentions this, afterward quipping that "I feel like Pedro Guerrero all of a sudden."
 * In Round 5, contestant Jim tries to buy a vowel after claiming a Prize wedge, but Bob stops him as he has no money. He loses the Prize to Bankrupt on the next turn.
 * Afterward, the Speed-Up bells sound just as contestant Sonja begins to spin. She is allowed to complete her turn, after which the bells sound again and Bob does the Final Spin.
 * The bonus puzzle KING OF THE ROAD uses three lines of the puzzle board, a practice almost entirely abandoned after mid-1989.
 * Bob and Vanna only have time to sign off.
 * For the last time, the credits include "Recorded at CBS Television City in Hollywood, California".
 * After the credits finish scrolling, the picture zooms back to reveal a gray background, at which point it flips over to reveal the Merv Griffin Enterprises logo just as Charlie's spiel begins.
 * On January 14, the show moves back to NBC's daytime schedule, replacing Let's Make A Deal, but continues to tape in CBS Television City's Studio 33. Unlike the move to CBS, the January 11 winner is held over. The return to NBC results in several changes:
 * 1) The CBS episode tally is discarded in favor of a new three-digit counter prefaced by "#DT".
 * 2) 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!" Bob gives a short greeting after Charlie says his name.
 * 3) The opening is slightly altered to superimpose the logo over a shot of the day's contestants. The logo itself settles to the bottom of the screen when it finishes forming, and rises back up to zoom back out.
 * 4) The first prize is now added in Round 1, so the three-prize scenario could occur in Round 3.
 * 5) If a prize is claimed, its value now appears on a chyron.
 * 6) Except for the cash, Bonus Round prizes are increased to the $10,000 range.
 * 7) The fee plugs are either eliminated or moved to after the third segment. The only end-of-show plug that continues is promotion of Wheel merchandise (all based on the nighttime show). As the credits begin, the Wheel can be seen slowly starting its automation. During any sweepstakes episodes (see below), the credits begin with a disclaimer about the sweepstakes (phone number, mail-in address, and addresses for both rules and winner's lists) followed by either an aforementioned merchandise plug or the credits.
 * 8) If a fee plug occurs after the third segment, the graphic flips up for the camera at the beginning and then flips over at the end (similar to a book page) to a shot of the audience; during this shot, a stacked non-logo puzzle board-style "Wheel of Fortune" text on a rolling Rounds 1-2 template with Free Spin disc and Prize wedge (also seen on some nighttime Walt Disney World shows) scrolls across the bottom of the screen.
 * 9) The sponsor list is back as one, and, as per NBC's game show tradition, the disclaimer is changed to "The following companies have paid a fee and/or furnished merchandise to the production company for promoting their products."
 * On January 14:
 * Bob notes that he and the staff are "pleased as punch to be back home on NBC".
 * In a fairly unusual occurrence, the Prize wedges remaining on the Wheel are removed before Round 5 so Bob can make the Final Spin.
 * Sometime after the show returns to NBC, GUM is a bonus puzzle. This is both the first known instance of a three-letter bonus puzzle and a bonus puzzle without RSTLNE in it.
 * On an episode sometime between January 16 and early February (Edward/Diana/Patrick), Patrick calls a letter on a Prize wedge and asks to solve immediately afterward. Bob reminds him to pick up the Prize wedge, after which Patrick does so and correctly solves.
 * By the above episode, the prize value chyron begins flashing if a contestant claims it.

February 1991 :
 * There is a Teen Week (with the Friday Finals format) sometime this month, likely before the 25th. During this week, Bob does not do the opening spin and the Bonus Round chevron backdrops are not present.
 * By the Teen Week, the opening is slightly altered to remove the superimposed Wheel logo from the shot of the day's contestants.
 * On the last day of Teen Week:
 * Bob mentions that the finalists each won a car in their respective Bonus Round.
 * The Round 1 prize is a $1,000 gift certificate for sporting goods at Service Merchandise, whose wedge says "SHOP". It is claimed and won.
 * The remaining Prize wedges are removed for the Final Spin.
 * Contestant Shawn wins $11,802 in the main game.
 * Shawn's letters fill in the bonus puzzle SNACK BAR completely. He leaves with a grand total of $30,910, including the $5,000 from this Bonus Round.
 * Before the credits, the Wheel can be heard slowly starting its automation; towards the end, there is a wide shot of the set.
 * February 25-March 25 is the Cashpot Sweepstakes, where home viewers enter to solve each day's Cashpot puzzle: a partially-filled puzzle is shown after Round 1 with category as the Bonus Round timer plays, followed by the double-buzz; viewers then have until 10:00 AM Eastern the following day to call 900-436-5000 ($2.00 per minute, average call 2 minutes) to solve the puzzle, using their touch-tone phone keys to fill in the letters; viewers may enter twice per puzzle, but busy signals do not count toward this. Some other notes about the Sweepstakes:
 * There is a no-cost mail-in alternate method of entering, which is to send a self-addressed stamped envelope to: Wheel's "Cash Pot" Alternate Entry Control; P.O. Box 34985; Omaha, Nebraska; 68134. Envelopes must be received by April 10 for alternate entry calls on April 19.
 * Viewers requesting a list of rules and/or winners may send a self-addressed stamped envelope to: "Rules" and/or "Winners": Wheel's Cash Pot; P.O. Box 662; Sayreville, New Jersey; 08871.
 * For the first three weeks, five winners each day receive $1,000 in cash, for a total of $25,000 each week.
 * The $1,000 awards and $25,000 total are signified by the money graphics then only in use on the nighttime show.
 * The deadline for Friday puzzles is 10:00 AM the following Monday.
 * All callers receive a booklet containing over $5 in discount coupons on six well-known products from the Thomas J. Lipton company; Charlie plugs one of these products after Bob mentions this. Vermont and Washington State residents may omit return postage. Viewers must allow 6-8 weeks for the Thomas J. Lipton product coupons to be mailed.
 * Proceeds from the calls will be donated by NBC to a charity of their choice.
 * Only one round is played in the first segment, and it is believed that some games only go to three rounds.
 * Upon coming back from the final break, Charlie gives the answer to the previous episode's Cashpot puzzle. The puzzle board's trilons are all showing their green-glitter side; the set is quiet and only Bob is present, reminding viewers about the sweepstakes before he signs off.
 * The February 26 show is Episode #DT032.

March 1991 :
 * The known Cashpot puzzles this month are:
 * March 8: HIGH AND MIGHTY (or HIGH & MIGHTY).
 * March 11: PEP TALK.
 * March 15 (possibly): I Q TEST; a Chicago Tribune picture dated March 17 has this puzzle with the Cashpot phone number and cost.
 * March 18: CHEESE PIZZA.
 * March 19: NO TRESPASSING.
 * March 20: RED AS A BEET.
 * March 21: PINCH HITTER.
 * By March 11, the Bonus Round chevron backdrops return.
 * For the week of March 18 (the final Cashpot week), the number of winners per day is doubled to 10; as a result, the total cash payout is doubled to $50,000 (also signified by the money graphic mentioned above).
 * 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 2-3; Round 2's prize (a ring) starts on the purple $100 and moves to the blue $100 for Round 3, with that round's prize (a spa) taking the purple $100.
 * On March 21:
 * Bob is still doing the opening spin.
 * After the March 20 Cashpot answer is announced, Vanna can be seen next to Bob on-set as both chat about the 21st being the first day of Spring and how the proverb "March comes in like a lion and out like a lamb" came about. Bob then reads off some of the sweepstakes winners and reminds the viewers about the day's puzzle before he and Vanna sign off.
 * On March 25, the final Cashpot puzzle answer and its winners are announced.
 * Possibly after the Cashpot Sweepstakes, the show holds a Phone Wheel of Fortune game through March 31. Viewers call in anytime during the week and play a game over the phone much like the Cashpot, by calling 900-454-8101 and trying to solve five puzzles in the fastest time. Winners receive $500 in cash, with all callers receiving a Super Family Savings Book containing more than $500 in discount coupons. Unlike the Cashpot, the cost is $1.95 per minute and the average call is 5 minutes.
 * At least one commercial is done for this contest, which results in the final time the "Wheel! Of! Fortune!" chant is used with an overhead shot of the spinning Wheel (in this case, the Round 1 layout with no Free Spin and no logo covering the Wheel), and possibly the last use of the shot itself. The shot zooms up to the green center as soon as the Phone Wheel of Fortune logo shows up.

April 1991 :
 * As of April 16, the Bonus Round chevron backdrops still look the same as they did on July 17, 1989.

May 1991 :
 * According to a contemporary magazine article, the show does another play-by-phone contest this month.
 * By May 14, the Bonus Round chevron backdrops add lights which flash during the opening, bonus prize descriptions, and credits. Probably at this point, and definitely by the 23rd, Bob stops 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-spin.
 * During the closing disclaimer, the day's champion can be seen walking in to join Bob and Vanna.
 * On May 24, all Prize wedges are removed before Round 5, which begins as a Speed-Up.
 * On May 24 and 27, Bob plugs the Summer Vacation Bonanza Sweepstakes (see below).
 * May 27 is Memorial Day. On this episode:
 * In honor of the holiday, Vanna is wearing Stars and Stripes clothing.
 * The remaining Prize wedges are not removed before the Final Spin, but are absent from the Wheel during the credits.
 * There is a very rare instance of a four-line puzzle in the Speed-Up round.

June 1991 :
 * June 3-July 1 is the Summer Vacation Bonanza Sweepstakes, played much like the Cashpot and Phone Wheel of Fortune. Like the Cashpot, average calls are 2 minutes and cost $2.00 per minute, and the game is played the exact same way as the Cashpot (see rules). A vacation and five $1,000 cash prizes are awarded for each puzzle, with destinations including the Bahamas, Hawaii, Mexico, and Walt Disney World (Orlando, Florida); each vacation includes airfare and $500 in spending cash. Some other notes about the Sweepstakes:
 * All callers receive Summer Bonanza coupons, with discounts for various hotels.
 * The phone number is changed to 900-436-4000. The address for rules and/or winners is changed to "Rules" and/or "Winners": Wheel's Summer Vacation Bonanza; P.O. Box 678; Sayreville, New Jersey, 08871.

July 1991 :
 * Alternate entry request envelopes for the Summer Vacation Bonanza Sweepstakes continue to be accepted through July 8, with the week of July 15 being used for alternate entry calls.

August 1991 :
 * August 30 is the last first-run episode. Repeats air for the next three weeks, through September 20.
 * 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 rumors about Wheel appear to be no more than wishful thinking.

Wheel 2000 (1997-98)

 * While Wheel 2000 did air in daytime on network television, it is considered a derivative of the nighttime show. See Wheel 2000.