Wheel of Fortune timeline (syndicated)/Seasons 1-12

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

Season 1 (1983-84)
September 1983 : (season begins September 19)
 * The nighttime Wheel of Fortune begins on September 19, 1983. It plays identically to the daytime version present on NBC at the time, with only four notable differences at this point:
 * There are no returning champions.
 * The prize budget is noticeably higher.
 * Round 2 features a Prize wedge.
 * Top dollar in Round 3 is increased to $5,000, which is on a shiny, silver wedge.
 * On September 21, the Wheel prize is $500 cash, displayed as five "crisp, new" $100 bills in a bird nest (a "nest egg") while "Frisco Disco" plays; the wedge is simply a large dollar sign in the same font as other Prize wedges. It is known that this is not the least expensive prize ever offered.

October 1983 :

November 1983 :
 * 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 :
 * By the end of 1983, the top dollar value in Round 1 is increased to $1,000; the green wedge is placed over a $100 one.

January 1984 :

February 1984 :
 * On February 14, contestant Virginia wins the game with $5,000, which she gets entirely from the last spin of the game.

March 1984 :

April 1984 :

May 1984 :
 * From around this point until early next season, at least some of the Prize wedges have smaller lettering than usual.
 * On an episode from around May:
 * The opening graphics are about half their normal size; the cash value does not zoom in, but the logo does.
 * The letters on the board light up very quickly.
 * Contestant Larry solves Round 3 with $0, increased to the house minimum of $200. Since this is not enough to buy a prize, no shopping round is done and the $200 is put on a gift certificate. "Nightwalk" plays while Pat explains the situation, but is quickly replaced with "Changing Keys" as the show goes to commercial.
 * Coming out of Round 3, contestant Howard's scoreboard reads $3,900 even though he only has $1,450.
 * During the Bonus Round, the hazard lights are blinking on the Mazda that the contestant is playing for. While Jack describes the car, Pat leans into shot to open and close the driver's-side door; Pat then says that the door-ajar bell was ringing.
 * The winning total after the Bonus Round is in a larger font.
 * The overhead shot of the spinning Wheel is not used during the credits.

June 1984 : (season ends June 15)
 * On an episode from this month, the curtain becomes stuck on the right-hand spiral podium after Pat's entrance; he successfully pulls the remainder down into place. After introducing Vanna, the curtain does not open and she has to push them apart herself.
 * On the above episode, a hyphen in the Round 1 puzzle fails to light up for several seconds.

Season 2 (1984-85)
Season Changes :
 * 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.
 * Some of the Wheel wedges are increased: the $100 next to Free Spin becomes $700, the sole $175 becomes $800, and the $200 near Lose A Turn is changed to $900.
 * Around this point, contestants have generally stopped using "as in" when calling their letters (e.g. "N as in Nancy").
 * "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.
 * The show is now credited as being "produced by Merv Griffin Enterprises"; the Griffin emblem at the end of the credits is altered to replace "Productions" with "Enterprises". In addition, the credit is smaller.

September 1984 : (season begins September 10)
 * On an episode from early in the season:
 * During Round 3, the trilon containing the first F in the puzzle FRANKFURTERS AND SAUERKRAUT accidentally lights up after the first letter, T, is called. It stays lit for the entire round (although it dims briefly at one point), and Pat repeatedly tells the contestants to disregard it until F is called later in the round.
 * Perhaps because of the above trilon malfunction, the (one-word) bonus puzzle uses the third row instead of the second.
 * Pat can be heard talking during the credits.
 * On at least another episode from early in the season, the $5,000 wedge uses a much wider font than usual (seen at right).

October 1984 :
 * On an episode from sometime in the Fall:
 * "Changing Keys" plays about a semitone lower than usual during the intro. "Nightwalk" warbles slightly, but the other music cues are unaffected.
 * The Wheel spins very slowly during the intro.
 * Contestant Jeanette gets four Free Spins in Round 1; she uses three of them in Round 3.
 * The 1983 version of "Changing Keys" plays coming out of Round 1.
 * Pat runs up to the puzzle board to reveal the apostrophe in the Round 3 puzzle, for which he is applauded.
 * Later in Round 3, both a buzzer and a bell sound on a correct letter.
 * In the Bonus Round, Pat informs the contestant that her bonus puzzle is both a Phrase and a Title (although the chyron shows only Phrase). This is the only known instance of a contestant being informed that a puzzle fits into more than one category.
 * The contestant reveals only the B in the answer (SIDE BY SIDE), believed to be the lowest amount of letters ever revealed under the Bonus Round's original rules for letter selection.

November 1984 :

December 1984 :
 * As of December 25, the logo shown after the money graphic is still the original one.
 * As of December 25, the category strips are still in the thin, monospaced font.
 * On December 25, the outer frame of the Wheel is slightly misaligned, and it spins more tightly than is normal at the time. The misalignment causes Pat to claim that a contestant has landed on $500 in Round 2, when she actually landed on $400. This error does not affect the outcome, as the contestant sweeps the main game and wins a set of earrings in the Bonus Round.

January 1985 :
 * At some point this month, the logo shown after the money graphic is updated to an animated one. In addition, the category strips are changed to a medium form of Helvetica with a shadow effect, which is almost always burnt orange. (It is known that at least one episode dated 1985 used the original logo and monospaced font for the categories, but Helvetica for the post-Bonus Round total.)
 * On an episode after the above changes, contestant Doc solves the bonus puzzle THE LOVE BOAT just after the buzzer. Afterward, Vanna gives him a set of keys which Pat claims are the keys to her apartment (but are more than likely the keys to a car he purchased during the game).
 * Shortly after the category strips are changed, the Bonus Round totals and credits are also changed to the Helvetica font.
 * On an episode with the shadowed Helvetica category strips, the puzzle board reads LEE RAWLS during the credits. This was done (possibly by Pat) by swapping out letters in the bonus puzzle LOU RAWLS, referencing the fact that the contestant (Rick) said "Lee Rawls" at the start of the Bonus Round and did not come up with the right answer until several seconds later.

February 1985 :
 * By February 1, the category strips and Bonus Round totals are changed to a bolder form of Helvetica with a white outline and once again display in various colors, often matching Vanna's dress (with the exception of neutral colors such as black, white, brown, and gray); the opening logo also matches the color of the category strips.

March 1985 :

April 1985 :

May 1985 : (season ends May 24)
 * As of May 2, the Bankrupt slide whistle is still heard if Pat hits it on the Final Spin.
 * May 2 has a very rare instance of a four-line puzzle in a Speed-Up round.

Season 3 (1985-86)
September 1985 : (season begins September 9)
 * At some point in early Season 3, a contestant solves TUTTI-FRUTTI ICE CREAM with only the T's revealed.

October 1985 :
 * Charlie O'Donnell fills in for Jack Clark beginning on October 21; during this time, Jack announces on The $25,000 Pyramid.

November 1985 :
 * Jack returns on November 4, having resigned from Pyramid due to scheduling conflicts with Wheel.

December 1985 :
 * On December 5, contestant Terry misses out on $62,400 by calling a wrong letter (an S) with the majority of the puzzle THE THRILL OF VICTORY AND THE AGONY OF DEFEAT revealed; she loses $10,000 more in the Speed-Up. Incredibly, $62,400 would still have been a one-round record more than 25 years later.
 * At the end of the December 25 show, Jack Clark wishes everyone at home a Merry Christmas.

January 1986 :

February 1986 :

March 1986 :
 * On March 14:
 * The overhead shot of the Wheel during the intro and ending is about 45 degrees clockwise from its normal position.
 * No letters are added to the Round 1 puzzle PRIMA DONNA for 9 turns in a row (an incorrect vowel, 7 incorrect consonants, and a Lose A Turn).
 * A contestant sweeps the main game and wins a Mazda in the Bonus Round.

April 1986 :

May 1986 : (season ends May 23)
 * On May 5, contestant John puts $386 on account in Round 2.
 * On May 5, a contestant mis-solves the bonus puzzle AT MY WIT'S END as "AT MY CAT'S END". Very shortly afterward, he starts to give the correct answer just ahead of the buzzer, pauses slightly, then says the rest of the answer after the buzzer. Since there is no time for another commercial break, a stop-down is required before he is declared a winner; this results in a very obvious jump cut and an unusual camera angle while Vanna reveals the puzzle answer. Of these events, only the mis-solve has been seen on specials.

Season 4 (1986-87)
Season Changes :
 * The Wheel wedges are recolored, replacing some tan and gold wedges with pink and purple. The most notable change is $1,000, which is now pink.
 * The contestant backdrops are changed to streamline the "jagged" edges while retaining the same color scheme. The new backdrops appear to resemble sunflowers more than the prior starbursts.
 * Around this point, Pat has generally stopped saying "For [amount], [solve/identify/what's] this [category]" after a contestant asks to solve.

September 1986 : (season begins September 8)

October 1986 :

November 1986 :
 * Sometime this month, a contestant sets a new one-round record of $44,300.

December 1986 :

January 1987 :

February 1987 :

March 1987 :

April 1987 :

May 1987 :
 * At some point this month, THE BOTTOM OF THE BARREL is a bonus puzzle. At 20 letters, this is the longest known bonus puzzle until 2010, although the record is tied at least twice.

June 1987 : (season ends by June 19)
 * Only a month later, another 20-letter bonus puzzle appears: UNITED STATES AIR FORCE. This is also only the second known bonus puzzle to use all four lines of the puzzle board.

Season 5 (1987-88)
September 1987 : (season begins September 7)
 * Sometime this month, a contestant sweeps the game and wins a Mazda in the Bonus Round.
 * On the above episode, the Prize wedge is in a different font than usual, and a third $900 wedge is present; this one is tan and is upgraded from $600 in the first round.

October 1987 :
 * October 5 is the first week in Big Month of Cash, a special format which eliminates the shopping rounds and has the contestants play for cash. Changes introduced on this episode include:
 * Top dollar in Rounds 2 and 3 are increased to $2,500 and $3,500, represented by sparkling wedges that are greenish-blue and magenta, respectively.
 * The average number of rounds increases from three to four. A second Prize wedge is added in Round 4.
 * Commercial breaks no longer occur mid-round. The breaks are now between Rounds 2 and 3, between Rounds 3 and 4, between the last round and the Bonus Round, and between the Bonus Round and Pat and Vanna's post-game chat. If time permits, some games advance Round 4 to the second segment, with the third segment introducing $5,000 in Round 5; this practice is abandoned around Season 8.
 * Five prizes are available in the Bonus Round: $25,000 cash, a car, and three other prizes which are changed out every week. A neon blue-and-green $25,000 sign represents the cash prize, and the sign is lowered if the contestant chooses to play for the cash.
 * "I'm a Wheel Watcher", also used in commercials around this point, now plays when Vanna walks out. This song, performed by Kool & the Gang, is a rewrite of "I'm a Girl Watcher" by The O'Kaysions.
 * The entire puzzle board is now shown during Speed-Up rounds. Previously, the shot of the board would be cropped as tightly as possible.
 * The stage now has several rugs and turntables showing various (mostly nonexistent) Wheel layouts, used mostly to display prizes like cars and boats; this includes a smaller rug which Pat, Vanna, and the day's winner stand on at center stage during the credits.
 * As it no longer applies, "gift certificates do not include sales tax" is removed from Jack's closing disclaimer.
 * Other notable events on October 5:
 * Jack's intro is "The studio is buzzing today in anticipation of magnificent prizes and lots of money in this Month of Cash on Wheel of Fortune! And here's our host, who's also buzzing to tell us more about it, Pat Sajak!" During the intro, the puzzle board reads WHEEL OF FORTUNE on three lines, center-aligned (which would be the hallmark of the show's merchandise). Perhaps due to a technical error, Jack's intro echoes slightly.
 * The first four puzzles all have apostrophes in them, much to Pat's amusement.
 * A dramatic orchestral cue accompanies Pat's rundown of the Bonus Round prizes.

November 1987 :
 * On November 2, the changes from Big Month of Cash are made permanent, and is likely now referred to as "Big Bonanza of Cash". Jack's intro mostly reverts to the original one, but ending with "...as we present our Big Bonanza of Cash on Wheel of Fortune!" In addition, the dramatic orchestral cue is dropped.
 * Daytime uses the shopping format until Rolf Benirschke's last episode (June 30, 1989), while Pat continues to tell nighttime contestants "We're playing for cash" for at least the next decade.

December 1987 :
 * At some point this month, a game ends in a tie. The non-tied contestant is dismissed before the commercial break, and the tied contestants play a second Speed-Up round (complete with another Final Spin) in its own segment to break the tie. As a result, Pat signs off immediately after the Bonus Round.
 * Beginning at some point in late December (still with the "Big Bonanza" title), the Prize wedge lettering is shorter than usual.
 * As of the above episode, Free Spin is still used for the whole game.
 * On the above episode, a contestant sweeps the game and wins $25,000 in the Bonus Round.

January 1988 :
 * Beginning around midseason, Free Spin is only present during Round 1 and is replaced by a yellow $200 for subsequent rounds. This $200 wedge is "off-model", using a different font.

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."

March 1988 :
 * On an episode from about this point:
 * The "off-model" $200 is accidentally present on the Wheel from the "Wheel! Of! Fortune!" chant through Pat's opening spin.
 * A contestant sweeps the main game, but loses a Corvette Roadster in the Bonus Round.
 * At the end of the show, Vanna gets into the pool on-set and soaks her dress. She stands up, only to realize that her dress has become transparent.
 * By the above episode, the "Big Bonanza" title has been dropped.
 * As of the above episode, the shorter Prize wedge lettering is still present. They return to normal by the start of Season 6.

April 1988 :

May 1988 :

June 1988 : (season ends June 3)
 * June 3 is Jack Clark's last full episode as announcer. He reads newly-recorded fee plugs for the first few weeks of Summer reruns, but once he becomes too ill to announce anymore, Pat and Vanna read the new fee plugs for the rest of the Summer. Jack dies on July 21.
 * The repeat airing on July 27 is interrupted in the Cleveland market (specifically WEWS) around the 20-minute mark by a Jimmy Carter campaign ad from 1976, which runs about 15 seconds before switching back to Wheel.

Season 6 (1988-89)
Season Changes :
 * Nickname is used several times this season, including at least two Bonus Rounds. Although it appears in a 1979 daytime episode, it is not yet known whether the category had a consistent presence, or if it was "un-retired" at some point.
 * For no particular reason, the slide whistle no longer sounds if Pat hits Bankrupt on the Final Spin.
 * The category strip now appears in Speed-Up rounds.
 * The "off-model" $200 wedge covering Free Spin in later rounds is increased to $300, which is also off-model (this one having a large dollar sign and smaller "3").
 * The second (and more familiar) $25,000 sign debuts. This one, shaped like an elongated hexagon, is composed of green and blue light bulbs which give a "pulsating" effect.

September 1988 : (season begins September 5)
 * On September 5:
 * M.G. Kelly becomes the show's temporary announcer. Jack had reportedly wanted Charlie O'Donnell to be his successor, but Charlie was busy announcing The Newlywed Game at the time.
 * Pat pays tribute to Jack Clark after Round 2; this tribute appears to have been edited in, likely after the taping.
 * There is a very rare instance of a four-line puzzle in a Speed-Up round.
 * September 6 is the debut of Same Name. A trumpet fanfare precedes Pat's announcement of it being a new category and, for the next several episodes, he comes up with punny non-examples of Same Name puzzles (such as GROUCHO & STRETCH MARX {MARKS}).
 * On September 6, M.G. is shown on-camera at the end of the show while Pat and Vanna welcome him as the new announcer.
 * September 8 contestant Colin had previously been on the show, but his first appearance ran into an error which resulted in his return.
 * On September 8, Pat and Vanna show off the new $25,000 sign at the end of the show.
 * On a September episode, the original Speed-Up round puzzle is thrown out for reasons unknown. Due to poor editing, the thrown-out puzzle is introduced normally at the top of the round (just as the Speed-Up bells ring), but the replacement puzzle is seen immediately after Pat makes the Final Spin. The error is more obvious in that the original puzzle is Phrase, and the replacement puzzle is a one-word People.
 * Another September episode has the only known appearance of Quotation in the Bonus Round. The answer, TWO IF BY SEA, is not solved.
 * September 30 is the last Bonus Round played under the old rules. The puzzle in question, FIRST PRIZE, is not solved.

October 1988 :
 * On October 3, with only vowels remaining in the Round 3 puzzle, the Bankrupt slide whistle accidentally sounds instead of the "only vowels remain" beep, which itself sounds immediately afterward.
 * Starting October 3, RSTLNE is now given automatically in the Bonus Round, and the contestant is now asked for three more consonants and a vowel; also, the time limit is reduced to 10 seconds. THE VATICAN, the first puzzle under these rules, is solved for $25,000.
 * October 7 is the nighttime show's 1,000th episode (listed on the slate as S-1000), taped August 17.
 * On an episode from sometime in October:
 * The first three puzzles are all Phrase.
 * Two rounds are played in the second segment, both with $3,500 in play.
 * The bonus puzzle is a 20-letter answer of THE RED BADGE OF COURAGE, tying what is then the record for the longest known bonus puzzle. The record stands until 2010.
 * October 24 is the first Wipeout Week. This is an experimental week where any prize won in the Bonus Round is "wiped out" for the rest of the week and not available for the other contestants, and winning the Bonus Round allows the contestant to return the next day. Any prize that is won has a red "WO" placed on it for the rest of the week, and a portion of "Wipeout" by The Surfaris replaces the puzzle-solve cue if the Bonus Round is won. Also, the cash amount during the intro is changed throughout the week, to reflect the value of the remaining prizes.
 * On October 25, a contestant sweeps the main game and wins $25,000 in the Bonus Round. She also calls her vowel third instead of last, although the chyron puts the vowel in its normal position and leaves a gap for the third consonant.
 * Sometime in the Fall, believed to be immediately after the change to the Bonus Round rules, there is a game where every puzzle in the main game is Thing and the Bonus Round is Fictional Character.

November 1988 :
 * The weeks of November 14 and 21 comprise the show's first set of travel episodes, which are taped at Radio City Music Hall in New York City. Changes for these weeks include:
 * New contestant backdrops, a new puzzle board, and a new Wheel are built exclusively for this and future road shows. Pat references the new Wheel on November 14, pointing out that it is much louder than the normal one. During his intro speech, its loud automation can be heard, so before he continues his speech he asks the control booth to "Stop the Wheel!"
 * The prize budget is higher than usual (November 14 uses a money graphic of "$337,000"), with Porsches and boats among the prizes. Several of the prizes are suspended above the set.
 * Several celebrities make cameos throughout the two weeks, typically after their name is used as a puzzle.
 * The opening is a montage of New York-related scenery, accompanied by a recording of "New York, New York" (from On the Town, not to be confused with the Frank Sinatra song). The montage ends with a graphic of Pat and Vanna appearing on the front page of a fictional newspaper called the Anytown Times.
 * "Changing Keys" is played on the Mighty Wurlitzer organ, except during the credits.
 * Don Pardo announces. His spiel starts with "From Radio City Music Hall in New York City, it's America's #1 game show!", over a flyover shot of the theatre which cuts to a shot of the studio. The intro then uses a star wipe to a shot of the audience doing the traditional opening cheer. His spiel continues as normal, and ends with "as the Wheel takes Manhattan", and the logo rolls away towards the right instead of just panning towards the right.
 * On November 17, the camera is further to the right than usual during the Bonus Round, showing the rightmost set of trilons in the middle rows.
 * On one of the New York City episodes, a contestant gets booed for failing to solve the bonus puzzle APRICOT. Don can also be heard groaning after time expires.
 * On November 25, contestant Willie gets three consecutive Free Spins in Round 1. He uses two of them after making two incorrect guesses on the puzzle KENNY AND ROY ROGERS (with only the K unrevealed), and solves correctly after getting the third.

December 1988 :
 * On an episode during the week of December 19, a contestant solves the bonus puzzle EGGNOG despite not getting any help from their extra letters. This appears to be the first instance of either happening.
 * On December 23, VANNA AND SNOW WHITE is a Same Name puzzle.
 * At the end of the December 23 show, Pat gives an intentionally off-key rendition of "White Christmas" while Vanna accompanies him on a piano.

January 1989 :
 * Sometime in either January or early February, no letters are added to the Round 4 puzzle RAZZMATAZZ for 9 turns in a row, counting both a repeated H and an I that was called after the A because Pat did not inform the contestants that no more vowels remained; seven letters come after the Final Spin. Finally, a contestant calls the four Z's in the puzzle at $5,000 each.
 * On another episode from the above timeframe:
 * A buzzer does not sound on an incorrect letter in Round 4, and the Speed-Up bells sound immediately afterward.
 * Pat's Final Spin hits Bankrupt twice. His third hits $1,500.
 * Contestant Arnie jokingly asks to play for Vanna in the Bonus Round. After he says that he actually wants to play for $25,000, M.G. replies with "I was getting ready to tell him about Vanna!"
 * Arnie calls his vowel second, and it is displayed on the chyron second, establishing the precedent that out-of-order letter calls in the Bonus Round are displayed on the chyron in the order called.
 * The bonus puzzle is one space further to the left than usual.

February 1989 :
 * February 13 is the second and final Wipeout Week. Pat obviously has a cold throughout the week, as he sounds congested and can be heard coughing.
 * On February 14, Pat mis-hears a contestant's accidental call of N as an M in the Bonus Round, and prompts the contestant for a vowel. The contestant calls an O, and is asked for his third consonant after Pat's mistake is realized. The chyron also shows the O in the third position.
 * On February 20, Charlie O'Donnell replaces M.G. as announcer. Strangely, no mention is made on-air of the change.
 * On February 20, Marla Gibbs makes a cameo after her name is the Round 2 puzzle. She appears again at the end of the episode, and Pat mentions the episode of 227 on which Gibbs' character, Mary Jenkins, appears on Wheel.
 * February 27 is the debut of Before & After. The "Charge!" trumpet fanfare plays when Pat refers to it as a brand-new category.
 * On February 27, contestant Andy is nearly disqualified because he had gotten lost from the group before the taping, and ran into Vanna backstage. Andy's brother also competed on the show in 1986.

March 1989 :

April 1989 :
 * In either late April or early May, a contestant is given THE ACROPOLIS as a bonus puzzle. With T_E _CR___LIS showing, the contestant says "tie", "toe", and "tee" for the first word despite getting "Acropolis" correct.

May 1989 :
 * May 8 is Family Week. Although it does not use the Friday Finals format, the week's top winning family is given a plaque at the end of the show.
 * During this Family Week, the intro includes footage of the competitors standing in front of the puzzle board (which reads FAMILY WEEK, center-aligned on the middle rows), just as Charlie reaches the "Wheeeeeel of Fortune" part of the intro.
 * May 12 has a very rare appearance of a four-line puzzle in a Speed-Up round.
 * On at least May 12, Charlie plugs the Round 4 prize at the top of the show, referring to it as an extra Wheel prize.
 * May 15 is College Week. Starting this season and lasting through Season 14, there are three representatives for the schools represented each day; however, only one from each school may be on stage at any time during the main game. Whichever school wins has all three representatives available for the Bonus Round.
 * At some point in May, for what is most likely the first time, a contestant calls Z in the Bonus Round. Interestingly, this was done because the contestant knew the answer before picking her letters, but the answer (A HIT OR A MISS) had only two more consonants.

June 1989 : (season ends June 16)

Season 7 (1989-90)
Season Changes :
 * The nighttime show moves from NBC Studios in Burbank to CBS Television City's Studio 33 (now the Bob Barker Studio, longtime home of The Price Is Right), used by the daytime version since July 17. Unlike the daytime show, nighttime credit rolls do not mention being "Recorded at CBS Television City in Hollywood, California".
 * The new Free Spin discs, updated sound effects package, and second rearrangement of "Changing Keys", all introduced on Bob Goen's first daytime episode, carry over to nighttime.
 * The nighttime version adopts a three-day returning champion rule.
 * Husband & Wife debuts sometime after the sixth episode.
 * Some Person and People puzzles begin including descriptive phrases (e.g., COUNTRY SINGER JOHNNY CASH instead of just JOHNNY CASH). This tradition continues into the present day with most Proper Name puzzles.
 * The contestant's Bonus Round prize is now determined by picking from one of five envelopes, placed in a holder that spells out W-H-E-E-L in gold letters on green sparkling stars. Any prize that is won is taken out of rotation for the rest of the week. The change to these envelopes was presumably done because almost every contestant chose to play for the $25,000 cash (or occasionally the car).
 * Bonus Rounds almost entirely stop using more than two lines of the puzzle board. Previously, an answer that was three words or longer might be on three lines, even if it could fit easily on two.
 * The timpani roll is removed from the Bonus Round.
 * The intro is changed. During the "Wheel! Of! Fortune!" chant, the contestants run onstage. Charlie's spiel is now "From our studios in Hollywood, It's America's most watched game show! The famous Wheel is spinning your way with lots of cash and an assortment of fabulous and exciting prizes! Over [amount], just waiting to be won tonight/this week/given away so far this week! And now, here are your host and hostess: Pat Sajak and Vanna White!"
 * The intro graphic starts 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. 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. The camera pans from the Wheel to the board as the logo appears, cuts to the audience as the wedges fly back out of the graphic, then cuts again to center stage while Charlie reads the cash value of the prizes, which drops off the screen as he introduces Pat and Vanna. As with most of the other "falling wedges" graphics used in later seasons, this one is extremely inaccurate; it lacks Bankrupt and Lose A Turn while featuring $850 (not used since 1979), an "off-model" yellow $750, and the nonexistent $950.
 * Because Pat and Vanna now walk out together, "I'm a Wheel Watcher" is no longer used.
 * Nickname becomes the first known category to be retired; it was last seen on a daytime episode in August.
 * Prize wedges begin to be removed after their respective rounds if they are not won.
 * The contestant backdrops are updated to a chevron shape. The midsection of the backdrop shows a contestant's cumulative score if he or she has been on for more than one day.
 * For the first month of the season, several puzzles use zeroes instead of O's. These can easily be discerned as they are much wider and rounder than the O's. As far as is known, puzzles only either used O's or zeroes, never both.
 * Pat's podium and the spaces between the contestants' podiums are changed to a solid brown design.

September 1989 : (season begins September 4)
 * On September 4:
 * The Round 3 template is accidentally kept for Round 4. As a result, $5,000 is over the red $300, which is where $3,500 normally is in Round 3.
 * The bonus puzzle, BINGO, is the first known five-letter bonus puzzle. This puzzle starts a trend towards much shorter bonus puzzles, which is gradually reversed through the 2000s.
 * After the contestant fails to solve the bonus puzzle, Pat places the unopened envelope back in the holder. From September 5 onward, he always opens the bonus envelope at the end of the round.
 * September 5 is the first instance on nighttime of Same Name using an ampersand.
 * On September 5 and 6, Rounds 3 and 4 are done in the second segment (both with $3,500 in play), and Round 5 (with $5,000) is played in the third segment. The second Wheel prize is still introduced in Round 4 in both episodes.
 * On September 7, Pat is briefly visible in the contestant "window" in the Bonus Round.
 * On September 7, the bonus puzzle uses a zero for an O.
 * On September 8, contestant John becomes the first nighttime contestant to retire undefeated, with $66,350. His final Bonus Round is the first known instance of a contestant choosing U in the Bonus Round; amusingly, the answer is VOWELS, which is not solved.
 * On September 11:
 * Round 2 is a puzzle of JOHN MCENROE AND TATUM O'NEAL; as this puzzle is People, it is clear that Husband & Wife has not yet debuted.
 * A contestant accidentally buys an A that has already been revealed; while all of the vowels in the puzzle had been bought, Pat had not yet informed the contestants of this.
 * The contestant's letters fill in the bonus puzzle MARMALADE completely.
 * Sometime during the week of September 11, Vanna plays a round for charity at the end of a game, and Pat turns the letters for her. She spins the Wheel once and calling letters until the answer, STARK REALITY, is completely revealed. Her first spin lands on Bankrupt (complete with sound effect), and her second spin lands on $250, but Pat asks her to move it to the $900 that she almost hit. Her $900 goes to the American Cancer Society.
 * On September 18 (recorded August 12), the bottom-most tier of lights around the Wheel is not working.
 * On September 19, the Round 2 prize is a $3,500 TV console. The Prize wedge has "TV" in the normal font, with a very large typeface.
 * On September 19, 21 and 29, zeroes are used instead of O's for two puzzles: Rounds 2 and 3 on the 19th; Round 2 and the Bonus Round on the 21st; and Round 4 and the Bonus Round on the 29th (seemingly the last episode with zeroes).

October 1989 :
 * By October 2, Wheel becomes the first game show to be closed-captioned for the hearing-impaired (unless the notice was retroactively added to a rerun). This is noted by a white disclaimer graphic appearing below the logo during the open, after it finishes forming.
 * On October 2:
 * The dollar sign is removed from the contestant score displays if that player has at least $10,000 showing, an apparent glitch which remains for the rest of the season.
 * This episode uses the same five-round structure as September 5.
 * During the Bonus Round, the category strip is red when Pat announces the category (People). As the contestant "window" appears (right before Pat says "proper names" in his reminder), the camera suddenly shifts to the left and the category strip becomes purple.
 * On October 4, the Round 3 puzzle GEORGE C SCOTT AS PATTON is inexplicably categorized as People instead of Person/Fictional Character or Person/Title (both of which had been introduced on daytime in July). This puzzle may have been one of the reasons behind renaming Person/Fictional Character to Star/Role less than two weeks later.
 * On October 6, the original Round 1 puzzle is thrown out for reasons unknown; the puzzle's blanks are still visible during the open. This is most notable in that the original puzzle uses the middle two rows, while the replacement (Before & After) uses all four rows.
 * October 6 may be the first (only?) use of Person/Fictional Character on nighttime.
 * October 6 is a five-round game played with the more conventional pacing (i.e., Round 3 in the second segment; Rounds 4-5 in the third). It is not currently known if any games before this point used this pacing, which becomes the norm within the next couple years.
 * On October 10, contestant Alan retires with a total stated to be $35,450; during the credits, Charlie notes that this total is a mathematical error – Alan's grand total is actually $42,100.
 * October 11 may be the first use of Person/Title on nighttime.
 * On October 13, the category strip is accidentally dark red for the entirety of Round 3; Vanna's outfit for this episode is blue, which all the other category strips match.
 * On October 16:
 * The Free Spin wedge is retired, with the "off-model" yellow $300 replacing it; from this point until its retirement, there is only one Free Spin disc. Initially, it is placed over a random dollar amount and claimed in the same way as Prize wedges.
 * Person/Fictional Character is renamed Star & Role. Possibly by the end of the season, the ampersand in the category name is changed to a slash.
 * The episode uses the same round structure as September 5.
 * The winner's Bonus Round letter choices begin to be displayed in black, a color typically not used by the category strips. This continues for the rest of the season.
 * On October 17:
 * The "off-model" yellow $300 is still in use.
 * Contestant Bruce pronounces "dese" as "Desi" when solving the completely-revealed Round 1 answer DESE DEM AND DOSE GUYS. After calling the puzzle "crummy", Pat asks Nancy Jones for a ruling; she tells the contestant to say it again, and after he does (with the same mispronunciation), Pat says "Listen, he's got all the letters up; I'm taking it." and the answer is accepted. Pat then explains the answer to the contestant.
 * The Round 2 prize includes a TV, which during Charlie's prize description shows a clip of Pat, Vanna and some Muppets.
 * Round 2 is the first instance of a contestant landing on the Free Spin disc; the rule change was not mentioned on-air until this point.
 * Rounds 2 and 3 are also solved after being completely revealed: Round 2 by Mike, and Round 3 by Donna.
 * There is no second Wheel prize due to Round 4 beginning as a Speed-Up.
 * On October 23: DianeGrandTotal102389.jpg
 * Contestant Shelly's nametag is in a larger, wider font than usual.
 * No music plays under Charlie's description of the Round 4 prize.
 * Contestant Diane Landry retires with $129,370; after she wins the main game, Pat affixes a piece of cardboard reading "$1" to the far left side of her chevron backdrop, since the display only has five digits (and then only by removing the dollar sign). At the end of the show, he mentions the network's winnings cap of $100,000 and notes that anything over the limit is donated to a charity of the winner's choice.
 * By October 23, the "off-model" yellow $300 is upgraded to a correctly-designed yellow $500.
 * On October 24, Vanna sings "Proud Mary" at the end of the show.
 * On October 25, Pat forgets to mention the ampersand in Round 2 (which is a Same Name) until after the first spin; it is revealed before that contestant calls her letter, which is not in the puzzle.
 * On October 25, as the Final Spin chimes sound, the category strip quickly "decreases" from purple to darker shades of blue until it disappears. It returns to purple for the rest of the round.
 * As of October 25, Nancy Jones is still the first name listed during full credit rolls.
 * On October 26:
 * Rounds 1 and 2 are played entirely by the person who began them.
 * Pat's Final Spin lands on Lose A Turn.
 * Contestant Mark retires with $110,757.
 * At the end of the show, Vanna surprises Pat with a birthday cake; the audience sings "Happy Birthday" while "Happy Birthday, Pat!" appears onscreen in the category strip font. Pat jokes that he has turned 30, although his actual age was 43.
 * On October 27:
 * During Round 3, contestant Nicole hits $3,500 three times in a row. The round is played only by her.
 * There are two sets of repeated categories: Phrase in Rounds 1-2, Thing in Round 3 and the Bonus Round, and Things in Round 4.
 * Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck and Pluto are seen in the audience during the credits.
 * October 30 has two sets of repeated categories: Thing in Round 1 and the Bonus Round, Phrase in Rounds 2 and 4.

November 1989 :
 * On a Friday episode not long after the Free Spin change:
 * A contestant solves MEL BROOKS AND ANNE BANCROFT (also the first known appearance of Husband & Wife on nighttime) with only the N's and T's.
 * The bonus puzzle, ATOM, is the first known four-letter bonus puzzle.
 * This episode has the same five-round structure as September 5.

December 1989 :
 * December 18 is Family Week, with the winning team on Friday receiving a "Family of the Year" trophy. Some general notes about this week:
 * The opening has the teams already in place, with no movement by them until the "Wheel! Of! Fortune!" chant finishes.
 * Family debuts at some point during this week, possibly the 22nd, although Pat's comments on that show suggest that it was used at least once earlier in the week.
 * The set is decorated for Christmas.
 * On December 22:
 * The teams are introduced with their previous scores on the main contestant displays; oddly, the chevron backdrops are not used for the cumulative scores after the game.
 * Rounds 1 and 2 are played entirely by the team who began them.
 * Rounds 1-3 are Thing.
 * The Round 4 prize is a $10,000 savings bond, the first known five-digit Wheel prize.
 * Round 4 is a very rare instance of a four-line puzzle in a Speed-Up round.
 * Following the Bonus Round, the trophy is shown with Pat, Vanna, and the winning team inlaid in the lower left-hand corner (continuing from Pat's joke about it being "six stories tall"). Amusingly, the close-up shot of the group retains the illusion until the King World logo is shown.

January 1990 :
 * It is believed that there is a seven-round game in early 1990. If so, it is very likely the first, and just as likely that Rounds 3 and 4 were in the second segment.
 * On January 9, contestant Meg retires with $107,938.
 * On January 10:
 * The episode uses the same round structure as September 5, 1989.
 * Vanna forgets to turn an L in Round 5 (during Speed-Up), although the puzzle is solved immediately afterward.
 * After describing the Cadillac won in the Bonus Round, Charlie accidentally says "Good luck."
 * By January 10, full credit rolls begin with Merv Griffin as Executive Producer and continue to end with his creator credit.
 * Possibly beginning on January 11, and for select episodes, a shot of the audience is used following Round 3; at this point, the shot is framed in a thin purple border surrounded by a thick blue border. It is also seen on January 12 following Round 4, and on January 30 after Round 2.
 * At the end of the January 11 show, Pat and Vanna plug the upcoming Disney World tapings.
 * On January 10 and 11, the full credit roll is done for two days in a row.
 * As of January 11, the Merv Griffin Enterprises logo still appears in the same way it did at the beginning of 1989 (the camera cuts to it for that portion of Charlie's spiel, then cuts back to the set for the King World logo/announcement).
 * January 12 and 30 have six rounds, with Rounds 3 and 4 in the second segment.
 * On January 12:
 * Rounds 1, 2, and 6 are all Phrase.
 * Contestant Louise retires with $118,936, a rare instance of two consecutive undefeated champions.
 * On January 30:
 * During Round 6, contestant Alan begins to spin right before the Final Spin chimes; the spin is allowed to be completed, after which Pat does the Final Spin.
 * Rounds 3, 5, 6, and the Bonus Round are all Thing; Round 5 is a rare one-word answer of BATMOBILE.
 * By January 30, the Merv Griffin Enterprises graphic appears differently: it now "flips" down from above the screen for Charlie's spiel, then "flips" back upward to show the set and King World logo/announcement.

February 1990 :
 * A Friday episode from early 1990, known to be after the aforementioned credit changes but before Pat stops doing the opening spin, uses the same round structure as September 5, 1989. It also has two sets of repeated categories: Phrase in Rounds 1 and 2, Thing in Rounds 4, 5 and the Bonus Round. (Round 3 is Landmark.)
 * February 7 has six rounds, also with Rounds 3 and 4 in the second segment. Round 6's answer, GRACELAND, is inexplicably categorized as Thing instead of Place or Landmark.
 * The weeks of February 12 and 19 are taped at Walt Disney World. Unusually for a road show, these weeks use the rugs and turntables.
 * From the week of February 12 until at least the Virginia episodes in late Season 12, two-line bonus puzzles on road shows use the first and second rows of the puzzle board instead of the second and third. This was probably done to increase visibility in larger venues.
 * As of February 27, Pat still does the opening spin.
 * On February 27, Bankrupt is hit four times in Round 3, including the first two spins.
 * On February 27, contestant Cornelia retires with $45,637.

March 1990 :

April 1990 :
 * On April 12, CBS cancels The Pat Sajak Show.
 * By April 18, Pat stops doing the opening spin. He does it again on April 23, but the lack of an overhead Wheel shot suggests that it was a fluke.
 * April 18 has the same round structure as September 5, 1989.
 * On April 18, contestant Vince retires with $101,649.
 * On April 23, Charlie appears on-camera at the end of the show.
 * On at least April 23 and 26, a car is the Round 4 prize: a $13,394 Geo Prizm LSI on the 23rd, a $10,863 Toyota Tercel on the 26th. Pat jokes on the latter show that the wedge says "Car" because nobody on the staff could spell "Tercel".
 * By April 23, a shot of the audience is added following Round 2 (the CBS Eye curtains can be seen in the background); the shot is framed in a blue border, which is itself framed in a purple border. It is known to have not been present on April 18.

May 1990 :
 * On May 4:
 * The episode uses the same round structure as September 5, 1989.
 * PAT & LESLY SAJAK is the Round 4 puzzle (Husband & Wife).
 * After Pat consoles the solver of Round 5 for his not hitting a larger amount, she replies with "Well, there's always Jeopardy!"
 * May 7 is College Week.
 * May 17 has six rounds, also with Rounds 3 and 4 in the second segment.
 * On May 31, Pat's Final Spin lands on Bankrupt three times in a row. His fourth lands on $5,000.

June 1990 : (season ends June 1)
 * On June 1, the Free Spin disc comes loose during Round 1 and nearly falls off the Wheel.
 * On June 1, the Speed-Up puzzle UNDER HOUSE ARREST is inexplicably categorized as Event instead of Phrase.

Season 8 (1990-91)
Season Changes :
 * Contestants now have to call a right letter before claiming a Prize wedge or Free Spin. Previously, these were claimed automatically upon being hit, and the contestant called a letter for the value underneath.
 * The contestant backdrops are replaced by the diamond backdrops first used on the Radio City Music Hall shows in November 1988.
 * The floor is changed to black, and (likely as a result) the projected Wheel of Fortune logo is retired.
 * The scoreboards are widened to seven digits.
 * The contestant podiums are now connected to each other, with no spaces between them.
 * A large, thick gold ring is added to the Bonus Round envelope holder.
 * This is the only season after Season 6 not to have a road show.
 * The blue $150 between the peach $200 and the red $450 gets upgraded to $500, leaving the blue $150 between the pink $250 and red $400 as the sole $150 space in the first two rounds. These changes remain in place until the Wheel templates are upgraded in September 1996.
 * The lights surrounding the Wheel become much brighter. The bottom layer of lights, which previously flashed counterclockwise, now flashes clockwise as the Wheel is spinning (much like the other layers).
 * At some point this season, the Bonus Round chevron backdrops (in use since July 1989) add lights which flash during the opening, bonus prize descriptions, and credits.
 * Around this point, Round 3 is always self-contained in the second segment (except for some road shows).

September 1990 : (season begins September 3)
 * September 3 is Teen Week, a tradition which leads off the next several seasons.
 * Actress Alicia Witt, whose only role at this point is a character in Dune, competes on one of the Teen Week episodes. She later appears on a celebrity edition in November 1997.
 * On September 11:
 * Round 1 is a rare one-word puzzle, TURBOCHARGER.
 * Late in Round 3, contestant Gemini's flipper manages to completely bypass the middle portion of the blue $450 right as the Wheel stops.
 * The Round 2 and 4 prizes are still removed from the Wheel if they are not claimed in their respective rounds.
 * At some point this month, Mindi Mitola sets a winnings record of $146,014 over three days.

October 1990 :
 * Clue debuts at some point this month. For this season only, a light saxophone sting plays if a contestant correctly identifies what the Clue describes.

November 1990 :

December 1990 :
 * December 24 is Family Week.

January 1991 :
 * Vanna is absent for two weeks this month due to her wedding, which was on New Year's Eve (and coincidentally, on Pat and Lesly's first anniversary). Tricia Gist, then the girlfriend of Merv Griffin's son Tony, fills in for her. New Leaf provides Tricia's wardrobe.
 * For the period that Tricia fills in, the opening returns to introducing Pat, who then introduces Tricia.
 * On one of Tricia's episodes (definitely a Wednesday or Thursday), the Free Spin is higher on the wedge than usual, and the Round 2 prize is on a $250 wedge instead of $150.
 * By the above episode:
 * The copyright date is now shown during the credits, as opposed to being on the Merv Griffin Enterprises logo.
 * The Merv Griffin Enterprises logo returns to its original black background with "Merv Griffin Enterprises" animated, and is now revealed by a "page turn" effect; the byline, "A unit of Columbia Pictures Entertainment, Inc.", is orange. The Griffin also winks at the camera. (The logo itself was used on Jeopardy! from 1984-93.)
 * The King World logo is changed to its more familiar full-screen "spotlights" animation.

February 1991 :

March 1991 :

April 1991 :
 * On April 1, at the end of the show, Vanna appears to be pregnant; she then takes the cushion out of her dress and notes that it is an April Fool's joke.
 * On April 9, the original Round 1 puzzle is thrown out and replaced, as mentioned by Charlie at the end of the show. The original puzzle's blanks can be seen in the opening pan.
 * By April 9, the practice of removing Prize wedges after their respective rounds is abandoned.

May 1991 :
 * May 6 is Teen Week.
 * May 13 is College Week.
 * On May 14:
 * Rounds 1 and 2 are Phrase.
 * With only vowels left, contestant Andrea mis-solves the Round 2 puzzle HAVE IT ON GOOD AUTHORITY by saying "in". Play passes to Vince, who only has $200 and begins the same mis-solve, only to be buzzed-out. Finally, Becky solves correctly for $200.
 * The Jeep turntable turns during the opening and closing, but the Saab turntable does not.

June 1991 : (season ends June 21)

Season 9 (1991-92)
Season Changes :
 * This season appears to be the debut of Title/Author, which is occasionally inverted as Author/Title.
 * It is also the debut of Foreign Word(s) and Foreign Phrase, which seem to have debuted later in the season.

September 1991 : (season begins September 2)
 * September 2 is Teen Week.
 * The weeks of September 30 and October 7 are taped in Chicago.
 * On one of the Chicago shows, a contestant lands on a Prize wedge and immediately picks it up and puts it on his arrow. Pat walks over, takes the Prize wedge, and whacks the contestant repeatedly with it. He then puts it back on the Wheel and tells the contestant "You have to find a letter first!" The contestant guesses a letter that is in the puzzle, so Pat takes the Prize wedge and places it back on the contestant's arrow.

October 1991 :
 * On October 4, there is no second Wheel prize because Round 4 begins as a Speed-Up.
 * On October 4, a contestant accidentally calls N in the Bonus Round, and the N is briefly placed on the chyron.
 * October 28 begins a month of episodes taped at MGM Studios in Orlando titled "Wheel Around the World", paying tribute to various international versions.
 * On October 28, a contestant sweeps the main game and wins a trip to Paris in the Bonus Round.
 * On October 29, a contestant accidentally picks L in the Bonus Round, and the L is briefly placed on the chyron.

November 1991 :
 * Beginning on November 4, each "Wheel Around the World" episode features a guest appearance by an international version's host and/or hostess.
 * On November 15, the camera is further to the right than usual during the Bonus Round, showing the extra trilons in the middle rows.

December 1991 :

January 1992 :

February 1992 :

March 1992 :
 * The weeks of March 2-16 are the Watch and Win Sweepstakes. Home viewers compete via mail, attempting to answer at least three of the five "questions" (likely puzzles). Winners receive a trip for two to Los Angeles and "a chance" to attend the show's 10th-Anniversary Gala (see September 1992 for more).

April 1992 :
 * The weeks of April 27-May 18 are taped at Walt Disney World.
 * The first intro to the Walt Disney World episodes is "America's most-watched game show! Celebrating Walt Disney World's 20th anniversary surprise celebration! Special friends, entertainment, fun, fantasy, magic, fabulous fireworks! On Wheel of Fortune! And now, here are your host and hostess, Pat Sajak and Vanna White!" Disney World-related video footage appears during the opening, ending with an animation of Tinker Bell using her magic wand to "zap" the screen as the transition to the typical shot of Pat and Vanna walking onstage. As soon as Charlie says "On Wheel of Fortune!", the 1989 logo zooms up just before Tinker Bell "zaps" the screen.
 * A second intro with the same opening spiel uses the former Round 1 template complete with Free Spin, the blue $150 between the peach $200 and red $450, and a sparkly blue center that is also used as a bumper graphic accompanying the text "Wheel of Fortune from Orlando". In the first few seconds of the intro, the template is seen on the bottom of the screen zooming out as the camera flies over footage of Mickey Mouse waving while standing on top of the Epcot Center dome.
 * The third intro is "On location in Orlando, Florida! America's favorite game show! Coming to you from America's favorite theme park!" More footage is seen before the usual 1989 intro graphics fly into place, and the intro continues, "The famous Wheel is spinning your way, with lots of cash and fabulous prizes! And now, here are your host and hostess, Pat Sajak and Vanna White!" As usual, Tinker Bell appears and "zaps" the screen with her wand to transition from the logo to the studio.
 * The fourth intro starts with Vanna's intro of "It's Wheel of Fortune from Walt Disney World!", followed by Tinker Bell "zapping" to a shot of Cinderella's castle. Then the 1989 intro graphics fly into place before more footage of Walt Disney World is seen, as the opening text is "Tonight, the famous Wheel is spinning your way! America's favorite game show! Coming to you from America's favorite theme park in Orlando, Florida! It's fun and fantasy! With lots of cash and fabulous prizes just waiting to be won! And now, here are your host and hostess, Pat Sajak and Vanna White!". It ends with a shot of the monorail traveling at sunset, before a graphic of the aforementioned Round 1 template "rolls" counterclockwise to wipe the screen to a shot of the studio.
 * There are two separate bumpers featuring only the bumper graphic Wheel that features no text: A time-lapse of Cinderella's castle at the Magic Kingdom from day to night, and a fireworks show at said castle.
 * On certain shows, the bumper graphic Wheel used would be the Rounds 1-2 template from the Goen NBC era (complete with Free Spin disc and Prize wedge), which would roll beneath the screen (often seen on certain Goen episodes as well). The graphic has the white text "Wheel of Fortune" in two-line form on the template.

May 1992 :
 * On May 6:
 * All three contestants give incorrect responses when asked what the Clue puzzle THE SOUL OF WIT describes: Nancy says "Pat Sajak", Scott says "Bill Cosby", and Sherry says "laughter". When Pat then tells them that the correct response is "brevity", Nancy asks what "brevity" means.
 * Pat's Final Spin lands on a Prize wedge.
 * Foreign Word(s) makes its first known appearance in the Bonus Round, although it is not known why the answer DEJA VU is called Foreign Words instead of Foreign Phrase.
 * On May 8, a contestant solves the bonus puzzle BUENO despite getting no help from his extra letters. This is the second (and last) known appearance of the "Foreign" categories in the Bonus Round.
 * All five Bonus Rounds are won on the week of May 4.
 * May 11 is College Week.
 * On May 18, the cameras switch to the over-the-Wheel shot too soon during a spin in Round 4, catching it in mid-flight.

June 1992 : (season ends June 19)
 * For at least the weeks of June 1 and 8, Pat and Vanna announce several winners of the Watch and Win Sweepstakes.
 * On June 3:
 * The lights around the Wheel are turned off during the intro.
 * There is an unusual situation in Round 2: after a $350 spin, contestant Kathy buys an I and the I's in the puzzle light up, but a stagehand can be heard telling Pat "she doesn't have enough". Pat then asks why her scoreboard reads only $100, but the confusion is quickly straightened out and Vanna turns the I's. A likely explanation is that her scoreboard immediately displayed the $100 she had left after buying the vowel, instead of displaying $350 and then removing the $250 for the vowel.
 * At the end of the show, footage is shown of Pat in Blair, Nebraska (specifically the D.L. Blair Company) reading the names of three winners from the first week of the above Sweepstakes. He does this by grabbing envelopes while standing on a very large bin of them and verifying that they are winners.
 * As of June 3, Augustus still provides Pat's wardrobe.
 * On June 5, a Prize wedge is placed over the pink $200 instead of the red $300.
 * On June 5, the winning contestant has only $200 cash and one of the Wheel prizes.
 * June 15 is a Teen Week salute to Disneyland, taped in CBS Television City's Studio 33 (Bob Barker Studio).

Season 10 (1992-93)
Season Changes :
 * The intro is changed to an animated one, with anthropomorphic Wheel wedges walking down a staircase and a "10th Anniversary" graphic that fades out after a few seconds. Charlie's intro is "From Hollywood, celebrating its 10th Anniversary, the world's most popular game show! Filled with fun, glamour, excitement, surprises – Wheel of Fortune! And now here are your host and hostess, Pat Sajak and Vanna White!"
 * The logo for this and the following season is a "falling wedges" variation of the 1989 logo, as the Wheel surrounds the "of" in the traditional version of the show's logo. The template is a variation of the Round 4 template with $3,500 in place of the pink $300, $2,500 in place of the blue $200, and a pink $200 in place of the second Bankrupt. The Wheel spins counterclockwise as the wedges form, and as the show's logo completes transformation (with a color-only version of the template in the background spinning clockwise), it fills the screen with light and wipes into center stage using a star-like graphic.
 * Where Are We? and Fill In the Blank debut. For no particular reason, the latter is just "Blank" on the category strips until the end of Season 12.
 * The question following a Clue, Fill In the Blank or Where Are We? puzzle is now preceded by the "rolling doubles" chime from the Wink Martindale version of High Rollers.
 * The "decade" categories, which are known to have gone back as far as The Twenties, also debut. Initially, the "decade" categories offer a $1,000 bonus for answering a trivia question related to the puzzle answer.
 * Quotation puzzles begin offering a $1,000 bonus if the contestant can identify the source of the quote. Unlike Clue and Fill In the Blank, the questions associated with Quotation and the "decade" categories are asked by Charlie, signaled by four low-pitched beeps, and available only to the contestant who solves the puzzle.
 * This season also seems to be the debut of Artist/Song. By 1996, the category starts alternating between Artist/Song and Song/Artist before settling on Song/Artist in late 2008.
 * Foreign Word(s) and Foreign Phrase both appear to have been retired within the first month of this season.
 * "Changing Keys" is given another re-arrangement, this time including an electric guitar solo. However, the 1989 remix is sometimes heard during the credits on 1993 episodes.
 * The contestant backdrops are changed to a "burst" pattern shaped like interlocking W's atop clear blocks. The same clear blocks are also used at stage left as a backdrop for the Bonus Round prizes.
 * The blue wedges become teal.

September 1992 : (season begins September 7)
 * September 7 is the debut of Slang.
 * On September 7, a contestant sweeps the main game and wins a Cadillac El Dorado in the Bonus Round. He solves the bonus puzzle FROG despite getting no help from his extra letters.
 * By September 7, Fred Hayman begins providing Pat's wardrobe. This essentially concludes the long-standing relationship between Augustus and Wheel, dating back to at least April 6, 1978.
 * On September 10:
 * In a fairly rare occurrence, all three contestants are male.
 * The Round 1 puzzle SLIPPED ON A BANANA PEEL is inexplicably categorized as Event instead of Phrase (although "slipping" would make it an Event).
 * Slang makes its first known appearance in the Bonus Round. Despite its short life, this category appears with disproportionate frequency in the Bonus Round.
 * On September 14, the last line of Charlie's intro is changed to "Here they are, the stars of the show, Pat Sajak and Vanna White!"
 * September 14 is the last known appearance of Foreign Phrase. After the puzzle MAZEL TOV is solved, Pat explains that there are multiple acceptable pronunciations of the answer, then refers to it as "the category from Hell" after a long string of incorrect letters. Both of these are likely reasons for the category's short life.
 * On September 15:
 * Round 4 features the first known instance of a "normal" category offering a $1,000 bonus for answering a trivia question related to the puzzle's answer: in this case, a Person puzzle of TEXAS BILLIONAIRE ROSS PEROT. The contestant is asked how Perot made his money, and she guesses real estate instead of the correct answer, information technology.
 * When Charlie plugs the new Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune video games for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System and Sega Genesis system, he accidentally pronounces "Sega" as "Saga".
 * When the credits start, the Wheel can be seen slowly starting its automation.
 * September 17 has four Thing puzzles: Rounds 2, 4, 5 and the Bonus Round.
 * During the week of September 21, footage is shown from a "Wheel of Fortune gala" at the end of each episode. The Thursday episode includes footage of Vanna and Merv Griffin singing.
 * On September 21:
 * A low-level pan from the $25,000 sign to the contestant area is added before the animation. Also, "Here they are" in Charlie's spiel is replaced with "And now".
 * The prop holding the W-H-E-E-L envelopes is changed to a heavier, sturdier, rectangular frame with lights that flash when a Bonus Round puzzle is solved. The letters are now illuminated in red and arranged in a zig-zag. When a contestant picks an envelope, a chime sounds as the chosen letter's light turns off (a high-pitched one at home base, a low-pitched one on road trips).
 * The center Wheel rug is enhanced with a gold border.
 * Between September 22 and 24, the same contestant loses the same Bonus Round prize (a gazebo/spa package) for three days in a row. He fails to solve CORK with only the K missing on September 23.
 * On September 23, for what may be the first time, a Same Name puzzle has three "names" instead of two.
 * On September 24, the puzzle-solve cue does not play when the Round 2 puzzle is solved.
 * September 28 is Teen Week.

October 1992 :
 * October 5 is the debut of the Surprise wedge. For at least the first week, it has a much thinner and plainer font.
 * October 5 has the first known instance on nighttime (and only second overall) of both a three-letter bonus puzzle and a bonus puzzle without RSTLNE in it. The contestant solves the puzzle, WAX, at the last second with only the A revealed.
 * On October 8, the bonus puzzle is once again a three-letter answer without RSTLNE in it. The contestant's letter choices (including the second known instance of Z being called in the Bonus Round) reveal the answer ZOO completely. Strangely, the chyron disappears as soon as the second O is revealed, but several seconds before the timer starts.
 * On October 9, Pat walks out on the right and Vanna on the left.
 * On October 22, the bonus puzzle BABY BOY is believed to be the longest bonus puzzle without RSTLNE in it (a record which is later tied on at least three separate occasions). The contestant solves it without any letters revealed, the only known instance of this happening.
 * October 23 is the month's third instance of a three-letter bonus puzzle, and fourth instance of a bonus puzzle without RSTLNE in it. The answer, WIG, is not solved.
 * By October 26, the lettering on the Surprise wedge is changed to a much heavier font, and sparkles are added to the letters. It keeps this design until it is retired.
 * On October 26:
 * Surprise is accidentally placed over $1,000. Pat still tells the contestants that $1,000 is the top dollar value, although he seems to do a quick double-take in realization of the error.
 * For what may be the first time, a "decade" category is followed by a trivia question. After a puzzle of FLOWER CHILDREN FLOCK TO SAN FRANCISCO (The Sixties), the contestant who solves is asked what district the Flower Children flocked to, and is unable to come up with the correct response of Haight-Ashbury.
 * Six rounds are played.
 * Charlie's closing spiel is changed to "Merv Griffin Enterprises produces…" (over copyright/title screen and drumroll) "…Wheel of Fortune!", with the title said over the title screen. The King World logo and spiel are accompanied by their own music. The 1984 Merv Griffin Enterprises logo that appeared the previous two seasons (and on Jeopardy! from 1984-93) now has the byline "A Sony Pictures Entertainment Company" to reflect the ownership change from Columbia (which later is bought by Sony).

November 1992 :
 * The weeks of November 2 and 23 are taped at the Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco.
 * During the week of November 2, the scoreboards do not have dollar signs on them.
 * The San Francisco episodes are the second known set of road shows to use the rugs and turntables.
 * On November 2, Round 2 is edited out because the puzzle answer is VANNA'S PREGNANT; she had become pregnant when the episode taped in September, but miscarried by the time it aired. As shown during Vanna's A&E Biography, Merv Griffin came onstage with balloons to congratulate Vanna after she revealed the puzzle answer.
 * In place of this round, home viewers see a three-minute spiel about the San Francisco tapings, narrated by Charlie. The segment begins and ends with post-production clips of Pat standing at the puzzle board, which reads WHEEL ON LOCATION. At the end of the segment, he says that the show "played a round" during the spiel and mentions that the winner got $1,350, as a still shot of the winning contestant appears in a circle at the bottom of the screen.
 * After the Bonus Round, Charlie promotes the remaining three road trip weeks (see below). The touched-up Wheel rug can be seen during the promotion.
 * During the credits, the Wheel is not spinning. Towards the end, Charlie notes that "This show has been edited for broadcast." (Namely the Round 2 segment, although this is not specified.)
 * The weeks of November 9 and 16 are taped in Philadelphia. November 16 is the show's first My Favorite Teacher Week, with teacher/student teams.
 * Both weeks use Elton John's "Philadelphia Freedom" as the road trip song, which is played over footage of the sights and sounds of Philadelphia.
 * On November 10, a contestant wins a historic document signed by Benjamin Franklin in the Bonus Round.
 * The week of November 23 is Soap Opera College Challenge, which has a college student playing against two soap opera stars. The student plays for themselves, while the soap stars play for charity (and possibly also themselves, but this is uncertain); each star's total is matched and donated in cash to a charity or charities of their choice, with a minimum guarantee of $10,000.
 * One episode during the week of November 23 features what may be the most expensive Wheel prize and non-Bonus Round car ever offered: a Chrysler LeBaron convertible valued at $17,483 in Round 4, which is won.
 * The commercial bumpers for all four weeks are the same: the 1992 logo rolls by and leaves behind either "from San Francisco" (November 2 and 23) or "from Philadelphia" (November 9 and 16).
 * For all four weeks, the Merv Griffin Enterprises logo fades in, instead of flipping down.

December 1992 :
 * It seems that at least some of Charlie's intros around this point are pre-recorded, as the intros on at least December 9 and 25 are identical and far less enthusiastic than usual.
 * Sometime this month, a contestant sweeps the main game and wins a Holiday Dining package in the Bonus Round. Her episode has a fairly rare occurrence of Before & After appearing twice in one game (Rounds 3 and 4).
 * On December 14, Vanna forgets to turn either the O or F when revealing the answer to the Speed-Up puzzle BALE OF HAY.
 * December 18 has a rare instance of a bonus puzzle without RSTLNE in it. The answer, BAMBI, is solved.
 * December 21 is a Family Tournament with the Friday Finals format. The winning family on Friday receives a silver bowl as a bonus prize.
 * During the week of December 21, there is a large red bow across the top of the puzzle board frame.
 * All five Bonus Rounds are won on the week of December 21. This is known to be part of a winning streak comprising at least seven episodes.
 * The December 25 show was the lead-off episode on GSN's "12 Games of Christmas" marathon, hosted by Betty White (oddly with a TV-PG rating despite nothing in-show warranting it); each show that day had a question, the Wheel one being "What was Vanna's gift to Pat?" On this episode:
 * In Round 1, Ben and Bunnie win the Surprise, a $15,065 Geo Tracker. This is the second known instance of a non-Bonus Round car offered in the main game, and the most expensive known Surprise.
 * For what may be the first time, two "bonus" categories are played: Fill in the Blank in Round 1 and Clue in Round 3.
 * The Round 4 prize (an $11,953 Monterey Travel trailer) is removed before Round 5, as that round begins as a Speed-Up.
 * Before the Bonus Round, Pat opens the sole remaining envelope to show the $25,000 prize; normally, he would tell contestants what the remaining prize was, but still hold the envelope until the round was over. Ben and Bunnie win the cash, leaving with a grand total of $130,708 in cash and prizes, plus the silver bowl.
 * Following the Bonus Round, Vanna gives Pat a book by Jack Paar (the answer to the above question).
 * During the credits, Charlie notes that winnings over $125,000 are donated to the charity of the team's choice, and that "This show has been edited for broadcast.".
 * The week of December 28 is the first "Wheel into the New Year" Week (namely 1993), where the Wheel rugs and turntables are all replaced with giant silver stars, and aside from the cash, almost all the Bonus Round prizes are cars.
 * On December 28:
 * After a The Twenties puzzle of BATHTUB GIN & FLAPPERS, contestant Kelly is asked for the most popular dance of that decade. He responds by saying "the dance that goes like this" while dancing the Charleston; although a buzzer sounds while he dances, Nancy Jones decides to accept the answer.
 * Both a bell and buzzer sound on a correct letter in Round 3.
 * The Round 4 prize is to the viewer's right of Lose A Turn.
 * The 1989 version of "Changing Keys" plays during the credits.
 * Kelly later appears on Some of the Greats Week in February 1995.

January 1993 :
 * On January 4, the font on the category strips is changed from Helvetica to Gill Sans, which is slightly smoother in appearance.
 * Starting in early 1993, possibly on January 4, the opening pan during the intro is now shot at a higher level.
 * On a 1993 episode (exact date unknown, but likely in this season), none of the contestants or Pat can figure out what is meant by the Clue puzzle SILENT BUTLER'S TARGETS, for which the bonus answer is "crumbs or ashes". One contestant gives a humorous guess of "maid".

February 1993 :
 * The weeks of February 8-22 are the Red Letter Sweepstakes. One puzzle each day in Round 3 has some red letters in it, which spell out a word when unscrambled and are lit while the remaining letters are dimmed. Home viewers may submit each day's word for a chance to enter a prize drawing, and entries must be received by March 15. Some other notes about this sweepstakes:
 * Over $1,000,000 in prizes are offered, including a $10,000 GM MasterCard as a grand prize to be awarded to 10 winners (Vanna can be seen holding a giant version of the card, with a GM car on a Wheel turntable and the light towers in the background), a 7-week Caribbean cruise aboard Norwegian Cruise Lines and a chance to audition for the show as a first prize (cruise departs May 23, and the audition Wheel is most likely the 1986 Round 1 template), a Bulova watch or clock as a second prize, and a Laguna Sportswear package as a third prize.
 * Viewers requesting a list of rules and/or winners may send a self-addressed stamped envelope by March 15.
 * These weeks use the 1989 version of "Changing Keys" during the credits. In addition, the Wheel rugs and turntables are replaced by red stars, all similar in appearance to "Wheel into the New Year" Week.
 * When these episodes rerun on GSN in the late 1990s, most references to the sweepstakes are edited out.
 * On February 26:
 * In a fairly rare occurrence, all three contestants are male.
 * During the Speed-Up puzzle BUTTINSKY (Slang), the contestants give multiple consecutive mispronunciations, almost all of which come with only vowels remaining. By the fifth turn, Pat starts prompting the contestants to call for a free vowel; one contestant declines because he does not know the answer, and the other two call incorrect vowels. Finally, on the ninth turn, a contestant calls the U to fill in the puzzle entirely, mispronounces the answer, then gives the correct pronunciation immediately afterward.
 * The bonus puzzle, FEBRUARY, is inexplicably categorized as Thing instead of the more logical Event.
 * The complete 1989 closing theme plays, then loops back to the beginning.

March 1993 :
 * On an episode from some point this month:
 * The Round 2 Prize value uses the regular Helvetica font, while the Round 4 value uses Gill Sans.
 * The Wheel rug is lacking its golden border.
 * A contestant fails to solve the bonus puzzle EYEBROWS with EYE_RO_S showing.
 * The 1989 version of "Changing Keys" plays during the credits.

April 1993 :
 * On April 1, the Merv Griffin Enterprises logo is changed to a gold-colored statue of a griffin in front of a cloudy background (the same one used for Columbia Pictures Television, Tri-Star Television, and later Columbia Tri-Star Television), with the Merv Griffin Enterprises text and Sony Pictures Entertainment Company byline all in the same Bank Gothic MD font as the aforementioned logos.
 * April 2 has a Clue puzzle featured in Round 3 of THERE ARE TWO DAILY DOUBLES IN THIS ROUND, with the correct response being "Double Jeopardy!". The contestant who solves the puzzle fails to give the correct response, and the contestant who gives the correct response first answers with "Jeopardy!" and is asked to be more specific before giving the correct response.
 * On April 2, the 1989 version of "Changing Keys" plays during the credits.
 * April 5 is Teen Week.
 * In a rather rare occurrence, April 9 has two Before & After puzzles (Rounds 4 and 5).
 * On April 9, the 1989 version of "Changing Keys" plays during the credits.
 * Reruns air during the week of April 12.
 * On April 26:
 * There is an Artist/Song puzzle of HANDEL'S MESSIAH, matching the concept of the Composer/Song category used only once in Season 13.
 * A Same Name puzzle has three "names" instead of two.
 * A contestant solves the Round 3 puzzle TOM & ROSEANNE ARNOLD with only the R's showing.

May 1993 :
 * May 3 is Sports Stars Week. Some notes about this week:
 * The intro starts out with the walking $3,500 wedge "wiping" its arm to reveal the logo, followed by a cut to the studio after the chant.
 * Charlie's intro is "They've set world records, captured pennants, and won medals! San Francisco 49ers' Steve Young, Philadelphia Eagles' Herschel Walker, Houston Oilers' Warren Moon, boxing champion Sugar Ray Leonard, Olympic gold medalist Florence Griffith-Joyner, baseball great Steve Garvey, Olympic gold medalist Greg Louganis, football hall-of-famer Dick Butkus, basketball hall-of-famer Bill Walton, baseball hall-of-famer Ernie Banks, hockey hall-of-famer Phil Esposito, and Olympic gold medalist Jackie Joyner-Kersee! These superstars of sports face the Wheel challenge! Can they spin to win? We'll find out. But first, here are Pat Sajak and Vanna White!"
 * As Pat mentions in his opening speech, the celebs are playing both for charity and themselves. This is the only known instance of such a payout structure.
 * The 1989 version of "Changing Keys" is played during the credits.
 * The weeks of May 10 and 17 are taped in Boston. May 17 is College Week.
 * On May 21, the former shopping cue "Nightwalk" plays while Charlie plugs the hotel that accommodated the staff and contestants (before the Bonus Round).
 * On May 25, the bonus puzzle NICE AND WARM uses three lines of the puzzle board, a practice which was almost entirely abandoned after Season 6.
 * On May 25, Pat and Vanna read off the names of the 10 grand prize winners of the $10,000 GM MasterCard in the Red Letter Sweepstakes.

June 1993 : (season ends June 18)
 * June 14 is Second Honeymoon Week.

Season 11 (1993-94)
Season Changes :
 * Except for the removal of the "10th Anniversary" graphic and the addition of a closed-captioning bug, the opening animation is unchanged from last season. The higher-level shot introduced in early 1993 is also retained.
 * Charlie's opening narration is slightly changed to begin with "From Hollywood, it's America's Game! A show the whole family can enjoy!" The rest of his spiel is the same as it was on September 21, 1992.
 * For this season only, the 1989 version of "Changing Keys" is used on road shows as the opening and closing themes, and the 1992 version continues to be used as a bumper.
 * The Red Letter puzzles debut.
 * This is the final season produced by Merv Griffin Enterprises.
 * At some point this season (known to have been rerun in July 1995), AX is a bonus puzzle. This is certainly the shortest puzzle ever used on the show.

September 1993 : (season begins September 6)
 * September 6 is Teen Week. The 1989 version of "Changing Keys" plays during the credits.
 * On September 21:
 * A very unusual prize is offered: a certified authentic autograph of Florence Nightingale with an engraving of her, valued at $1,250.
 * Following the Bonus Round, Vanna offers Pat some tomatoes and bread from her then-husband, George San Pietro.
 * A repeat of this episode from about 1995 uses the "Created by Merv Griffin" credit (no chyron, just Charlie's voice), then segues into the Columbia Tri-Star Television spiel used since April 1995.

October 1993 :
 * The week of October 4 is taped at Walt Disney World.
 * On October 4, when the Super NES and Sega Genesis video games for Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune are plugged by Charlie, the Jeopardy! video game for Sega's Game Gear can be seen as well.
 * All five Bonus Rounds are won the week of October 18.
 * October 25 is a New York-themed week taped at CBS Television City's Studio 33 (Bob Barker Studio).

November 1993 :
 * The week of November 1 is taped on a cruise ship.
 * November 12 is the nighttime version's 2,000th episode. While Pat mentions the milestone several times and footage is shown of a press conference (with Merv, the King brothers, and Vanna), the episode otherwise contains normal gameplay.
 * November 15 is My Favorite Teacher Week.
 * From around this point until the end of the season, Vanna starts wearing suits (at least some of the time) while pregnant with her son, Nicholas.

December 1993 :
 * December 20 is Family Week, taped at Walt Disney World with the same rules as the December 1992 tournament. On all of the Walt Disney episodes:
 * Mannheim Steamroller's rendition of "Deck the Halls" plays during the intro in place of "Changing Keys".
 * Charlie's intro is "Join us for Family Week, as we celebrate the holidays at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida! 'Tis the season for sparkling lights, merriment and good cheer, Christmas caroling, fireworks, parades, and memorable moments! And now, your host and hostess: Pat Sajak and Vanna White!" Snowflakes are used as a "wiping" graphic.
 * The puzzleboard is decorated with a wreath at the top and a tall toy soldier on each side.
 * The 1992 version of "Changing Keys" is played as the bumper and closing theme.
 * The closing credits feature the 1992 logo scrolling up first before the actual credits start scrolling. The credits themselves are in a white font similar to Gill Sans.
 * On December 24:
 * Round 1 is a rare one-word answer, HIPPOPOTAMUS.
 * The former shopping-round cue "Nightwalk" plays while Charlie describes the Round 2 prize.
 * The Round 2 prize's value is in Helvetica, but Round 4's uses Gill Sans.
 * Round 2 is the first known Red Letter puzzle: PAPER OR PLASTIC, with the hidden word PASTOR.
 * The Bonus Round cars, which are won, are topped with golden bows. The cars are a Chevrolet Lumina coupe and Cavalier convertible worth $40,190.
 * Reruns air during the week of December 27-31.

January 1994 :
 * As of January 25, the second style of Fill In the Blank puzzle (with three question marks) has debuted. The one on this episode has the question marks at the end of each phrase, instead of the later more-common position at the beginning. From now until December, both styles of Fill In the Blank are used interchangably until the "original" style is renamed Next Line Please.
 * On January 25, a contestant wins a historic document signed by Abraham Lincoln in the Bonus Round.
 * January 26 has a "three question marks" Fill In the Blank puzzle, with the question marks at the beginning.
 * During the week of January 31, the second Wheel prize is not in play due to the time allocated to plug the upcoming Gold Letter Sweepstakes. It is likely that these episodes also featured only one round in the first segment.

February 1994 :
 * February 1 has a "three question marks" Fill In the Blank puzzle.
 * The weeks of February 7 and 14 are the Gold Letter Sweepstakes. Each game has one puzzle with gold letters that, when unscrambled, spell the last name of an Academy Award winner. Some of the games this week have only three rounds because of the time needed to explain the Sweepstakes.
 * On February 7, the contestant's letters reveal the bonus puzzle CABARET completely.
 * Raymond Taylor appears at some point this month. He acts particularly goofy and offbeat, winning over $81,000 and retiring undefeated. In 1997, Raymond is banned from appearing at tapings, following claims that he had trespassed and had to be physically removed from the stage.
 * The weeks of February 21 and 28 are taped in Miami.

March 1994 :
 * March 4 has a "three question marks" Fill In the Blank puzzle with the question marks at the end.
 * March 11's bonus puzzle of AVOCADO is a tie for the longest known bonus puzzle without RSTLNE in it. It is not solved.
 * On March 25, the 1989 version of "Changing Keys" plays during the credits.

April 1994 :
 * April 4 is Teen Week.
 * The intro of the Disney World shows is similar to that of the 4th intro of the Season 8 shows, with the alteration of the last few lines to include "Fun, fantasy, and fireworks! With lots of cash and fabulous prizes just waiting to be won!" The 1992 logo then flies up and settles at the center of the screen before the star wipe to the studio.
 * The weeks of April 11 and 18 are taped at Disney/MGM Studios.
 * All five Bonus Rounds are won on the week of April 11.

May 1994 :
 * The weeks of May 2 and 16 are taped at Disney/MGM Studios.
 * May 2 is Music Stars Week, which has singers competing for charity under the Friday Finals format. The intro starts out with the chant as the show's logo forms, and the chant finishes just as the logo fills with light and star-wipes to the studio.
 * Charlie's intro for this week is "It's time to rock around the Wheel with these superstars of the musical world! In alphabetical order: James Brown, Lee Greenwood, Marilyn Horne, Gladys Knight, Tone Lōc, Little Richard, David Sanborn, Tanya Tucker, Tammy Wynette and 'Weird Al' Yankovic! Now your host and hostess, Pat Sajak and Vanna White!" Oddly, James Brown and Little Richard play as a team.
 * On May 3, Al plugs his album Alapalooza after Round 1, and part of the music video for "Bedrock Anthem" is shown. Despite this clip, there is no commercial break between Rounds 1 and 2, although there is one at this point on at least May 6.
 * On May 6:
 * Marilyn Horne reappears to help the day's winner, Lee Greenwood.
 * The trilon containing the U in the bonus puzzle HUMOR accidentally lights up before the timer starts, and it remains lit throughout the round.
 * Lee and Marilyn fail to solve the puzzle, so Pat brings in "Weird Al" Yankovic, Little Richard and James Brown to help them end the week on a win. He asks them to provide more letters, but Al just says the answer.
 * On May 11, Charlie appears on-camera after his name is the Speed-Up puzzle.
 * May 16 is College Tournament Week.

June 1994 : (season ends June 17)
 * June 3 has a "three question marks" Fill In the Blank with the question marks at the end.
 * On June 17, Pat announces that it's the end of the season and that there will be encore presentations during the summer (this had to do with Vanna's pregnancy). Also, the Merv Griffin Enterprises logo and spiel are used for the final time, including repeats; however, weekend repeats of the show use the Columbia Tri-Star Television logo and spiel adopted the following season (see Season 12, 1994-95).

Season 12 (1994-95)
Season Changes :
 * "Changing Keys" is rearranged yet again, with a big-band orchestration and a very different melody. This new version is performed by Mort Lindsey's orchestra. Some episodes this season also use a softer version of the big-band theme over the fee plugs and Bonus Round prize descriptions. Also for this season only, a big-band style fanfare plays if a contestant provides the correct answer on a "bonus" category.
 * Charlie's intro is changed to "From Hollywood, it's the Wheel of Fortune! America's most popular game show, and now, the world's! Here they are, soaring into your lives, Pat Sajak and Vanna White!"
 * The intro starts with the logo in gold letters over a graphic of the Wheel, which has undergone a few layout changes: the lone Bankrupt is replaced by a purple $300, and the pink $200 from Rounds 3-4+ and the $3,500 swap places. As the letters fly towards the screen, the Wheel graphic rotates towards its side to reveal hand-drawn animations of Pat and Vanna "riding" the middle of it, with various America-related graphics in the background. The words "SPIN THE WHEEL", written in white letters a semicircle, spin around at the end of the "riding" graphic and wipe to a shot of Vanna blowing a kiss while the words "America's Game" appear in cursive on gold squares; the square with the S flips to show another America graphic. Afterward, "Millions Win" appears in orange at the bottom as the "riding" graphic returns, with frames of international versions of the show in the background. The Wheel graphic then tilts again as Charlie says "soaring into your lives", and finally, graphics of Pat and Vanna parachuting with their hands extended appear along with a circular, white wipe to a shot of center stage.
 * The puzzle board's border is changed to a "spiky" style.
 * Charlie no longer describes the second Wheel prize unless it is won.
 * Columbia-TriStar Television (owned by Sony) takes over production; thus Charlie's closing spiel is changed to "Wheel of Fortune is produced by…" (over copyright/title screen and drumroll) "…Columbia TriStar Television!" (accompanied by Columbia's logo and music), with the King World logo, music, and spiel playing out as usual.
 * This is the last season in which the show's logo appears in the credits.

September 1994 : (season begins September 5)
 * September 5 is Teen Week.
 * The first Wheel prize on September 5 is a set of backpacks and a camera, worth $826. This is very likely the last Wheel prize under $1,000.
 * On September 5, the camera is zoomed too far back when the board is shown at the beginning of Round 1.
 * Vanna shows off her newborn son, Nicholas (Niko), at the end of the September 14 episode.
 * September 15 and 23 have "three question marks" Fill In the Blank puzzles. The question marks are at the beginning on the 23rd.
 * On September 15, contestant Lesley sets a new one-round record of $45,000 in the Speed-Up.
 * September 16 is the only known instance of an "old-style" Fill In the Blank's question mark being in the middle. The puzzle is HARRIET ? STOWE, and none of the contestants can identify her middle name, Beecher.
 * September 20 is the debut of Megaword.
 * On September 23, contestant Kevin retires with $101,388.
 * On September 27, a buzzer sounds on a correct letter.

October 1994 :
 * On October 4, the puzzle-solve cue is changed to a "big band" style as well.
 * On October 18, Rounds 1 and 3 are Phrase.
 * By October 18, "decade" categories are no longer followed by trivia questions.
 * The "three question marks" Fill In the Blank puzzles on October 24, 26 and 27 all have four question marks. The question marks are at the beginning on the 24th.
 * On October 24, contestant Danny retires with $53,092; he sweeps the game, but loses $25,000 in the Bonus Round.
 * The weeks of October 31 and November 21 are taped at Fair Park in Dallas, home to the State Fair of Texas. The first week uses the closing variation of "Changing Keys", which has the big-band orchestration but the original melody, during the intro.
 * During all of the Dallas episodes, the category strips use a slightly thinner font (similar to the style used in the latter half of Season 2).
 * During all of the Dallas episodes, the traditional show logo is altered where the dots are replaced with horseshoes, the Wheel is replaced with a lasso rope, and the "of" is replaced with a Texas Ranger badge in place of the "o" and a cactus in place of the "f".
 * On October 31:
 * The former shopping cue "Nightwalk" plays as Charlie describes the Round 2 prize.
 * A contestant fails to solve the bonus puzzle AWARD with only the W missing.
 * Merv Griffin appears in the final segment.

November 1994 :
 * November 4 may be the last appearance of the "old" Fill In the Blank category before it is renamed Next Line Please.
 * On November 4, a contestant accidentally calls N in the Bonus Round, and N is briefly placed on the chyron.
 * All five Bonus Rounds are lost on the week of October 31. Interestingly, the only prize picked all week is an annuity.
 * The weeks of November 7 and 14 are the Red White and Blue Sweepstakes. Similar to the Red Letter Sweepstakes of Season 10 and the Gold Letter Sweepstakes of Season 11, each episode has a puzzle where some letters are red on top and blue on the bottom; when unscrambled, the letters spell out the last name of a U.S. President. While the contest plugs are typically cut out of GSN reruns, at least one episode (November 15) is shown with the sweepstakes address intact.
 * November 21 is Dallas Week.
 * On November 21:
 * There are two returning champions: Teresa from November 18, and Bree from November 4.
 * Rounds 2 and 4 are Things, while the Bonus Round is Thing.
 * Teresa retires with $103,240.
 * On November 22:
 * The Nineties makes its first known appearance.
 * Rounds 1 and 5 are both Before & After.
 * A contestant spins $5,000 three times in a row in Round 4.
 * The contestant's hands are visible in the shot of the board during the Bonus Round.
 * On November 28:
 * The spikes on the puzzle board no longer flash while the other lights are flashing, a trait which continues for the rest of the season. Pat jokes that something new will appear on the puzzle board.
 * Round 1 is a Same Name puzzle with three "names" instead of two.
 * The former shopping cue "Nightwalk" plays as Charlie describes the Surprise prize. The video for the prize shows Vanna with a white-haired man whose face is not seen clearly, but is likely Merv Griffin.
 * Round 2 is a "three question marks" Fill In the Blank puzzle, with the question marks at the beginning.
 * The $10,000 cash prize debuts in Round 3. For the first couple weeks or so, the "$10,000" text is smaller than it would later be.
 * On November 29, a contestant sweeps the main game but loses $25,000 in the Bonus Round.

December 1994 :
 * On December 5, the bonus puzzle CHANGE OF HEART uses three lines of the puzzle board, a practice which was almost entirely abandoned after Season 6. This is the last known puzzle to do so.
 * December 9 is the debut of Next Line Please, which is identical to the "old" Fill In the Blank minus the question mark. From this point onward, Fill In the Blank refers only to the "three question marks" puzzles.
 * On a December episode, contestant Patty hits Bankrupt in Round 1 and asks if she can keep the Free Spin. She then tries to spin again, but Pat quickly stops her and tells her that she "can't have it both ways", asking her if she was trying to scam him.
 * December 19 is Family Week, played identically to the ones in 1992 and 1993.
 * On December 20, the Round 4 prize is erroneously placed on the purple $700 (between Bankrupt and the blue $500).
 * December 22 is the only known instance of a contestant failing to use a Megaword in a sentence.
 * On December 23:
 * A family pair solves the Speed-Up puzzle CHRISTMAS WREATH with only the C revealed.
 * Each family pair gets a box of Perugina chocolates after the Speed-Up round.
 * In a very rare occurrence, RSTLNE comprises more than half of the bonus puzzle (FRASIER).
 * The Teen Week from September 5 is rerun during the week of December 26.

January 1995 :
 * Reruns air during the week of January 2.
 * An episode from some point in January has a "three question marks" Fill In the Blank puzzle with four question marks at the end.
 * At the end of the same episode, footage is shown of Pat calling the winners of the Red White and Blue Sweepstakes.
 * On January 10 or 11, the Megaword answer PRISTINELY leads to only the second known instance of a contestant incorrectly solving a fully-revealed puzzle.
 * January 16 is Best Friends Week, with the Friday Finals format.
 * On January 20, a best-friends pair sweeps the game. In an unusual move, Pat lets the contestants pick between the two remaining bonus prizes (two cars or two pianos) instead of having them draw from the W-H-E-E-L envelopes. They choose the cars, but do not win them.

February 1995 :
 * On February 1, a contestant accidentally calls E in the Bonus Round, and the E is put on the chyron.
 * The weeks of February 6-27 are taped at Disney World. They were probably taped in late 1994, as the numbers on the $10,000 wedge are once again smaller than usual.
 * February 6 is the last My Favorite Teacher Week. Teacher-themed weeks do not occur again until May 28, 2007.
 * On February 10, Vanna turns a letter too far in the Bonus Round, causing the plastic sheet to slide partway off the trilon.
 * February 15 is the last known instance of a "three question marks" Fill In the Blank puzzle having four question marks, and one of the last known instances of them being at the end instead of the beginning.
 * February 20 is Some of the Greats Week, which has 11 past winners competing for charity. During the interviews, clips are shown from each contestant's prior episode(s). Contestants who finish with $0 are given $500 towards their charities, instead of consolation prizes. Oddly, the returning-champion rule remains in effect minus the three-day limit, which results in a player competing on all five shows.
 * Raymond Taylor appears on February 20.
 * On February 20, nobody gives a correct response to the question asked by the Clue puzzle CERVANTES' ROMANTIC IMPRACTICAL KNIGHT.
 * On February 23 and 24, two bonus puzzles in a row do not have RSTLNE in them (respectively, VOODOO and COWBOY); neither is solved.
 * On February 24, the contestant calls the vowel in the Bonus Round before her third consonant. Against precedent, the chyron still displays the vowel at the end and leaves a gap for the third consonant.
 * On an episode during the week of February 27, a contestant offers "Being on Wheel of Fortune is a bombastic experience." as the sentence for her Megaword, BOMBASTIC. This results in a quip from Nancy Jones, who says "If she really feels that way!"

March 1995 :
 * March 10 has six rounds. Round 6 is an extremely short puzzle of GLOVES.
 * On March 15, it takes the contestants 11 turns to reveal any letters in the Megaword puzzle OXIDIZED (easily a record), and 12 more before it is solved. Every consonant is called except J, and the round lasts over 6 minutes (including three Bankrupts and an incorrect vowel).
 * On March 16, Pat mis-hears a contestant's call of A as E, but corrects himself and tells the contestant that there are four A's in the puzzle. He then corrects himself again when the buzzer sounds, as the puzzle actually has four E's but no A's.
 * March 17 has a rare one-word puzzle (LEPRECHAUN) in Round 4, even though the game is 5 rounds. Strangely, Rounds 1 (BIG AS LIFE) and 5 (mentioned below) are also very short puzzles, meaning that the game has three puzzles that are ten letters or fewer.
 * On March 17, a buzzer does not sound on an incorrect letter in Round 5. Later on in the same round, no letters are added to the answer CHUCK IT for 7 turns in a row (4 of which are during the Speed-Up).
 * March 24's Speed-Up puzzle, SCRAM, is believed to be the shortest puzzle ever used in the main game. It is not known why so many games this month have extremely short puzzles; it is possible that the ones in late rounds were originally loaded in as bonus puzzles until it was realized that enough time remained for another round.
 * On March 24, the contestant's letter choices reveal the bonus puzzle LOCKER completely.
 * On March 31, a contestant solves the bonus puzzle WAY OFF BASE with ___ O__ __SE revealed.
 * All five Bonus Rounds are won on the week of March 27.
 * By this point, Charlie's closing spiel is changed to begin with "Created by Merv Griffin", and a separate chyron credit with said text is made to reflect this change.

April 1995 :
 * April 7 is the last use of Megaword.
 * At the end of the April 7 episode, Vanna uses the bonus puzzle to show how the trilons work.
 * April 10 is Teen Week.
 * Reruns air during the week of April 17.
 * Slang and Red-Letter Puzzles are both retired around this point.
 * Around this point, the intro spiel is slightly changed to remove "the" before the show's title and the phrase "soaring into your lives".

May 1995 :
 * May 1 is Celebrity Award Winners week, with the softer closing mix of the theme used during the intro. At least some of the games have a commercial break after Round 1, resulting in some three-round games.
 * Paul Rodriguez competes on May 2. Clips are shown from his version of The Newlywed Game, which he hosted from 1988-89.
 * On May 3, Jess Walton accidentally asks for a 4 in Round 1.
 * On May 3, the Free Spin is on $1,000.
 * On a May episode (presumably during the week of the 8th), Pat accidentally goes straight to the bonus puzzle before the contestant has picked an envelope. Vanna turns the RSTLNE letters while the camera is still focused on Pat.
 * From possibly the above week, there is a rare instance of a bonus puzzle without RSTLNE in it. The answer, PUPPY, is solved.
 * The weeks of May 15 and 22 are taped on the hangar deck of the United States Navy aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower, which is docked in Newport News, Virginia at the time. Also, all contestants in the first week are members of the military.
 * One of the Virginia episodes has a rare three-letter bonus puzzle, which is also a rare instance of a bonus puzzle without RSTLNE in it. The answer, GUY, is not solved.
 * On another Virginia episode, a siren sounds in the middle of a round.
 * On the same episode as above, a contestant solves the bonus puzzle GAME PLAN at the last second despite getting no help from his extra letters.
 * On May 30:
 * Fictional Place makes its first known appearance.
 * The chyron for the contestant's two-day total reads $52,592 instead of $51,592.
 * Charlie O'Donnell appears on-camera after the Bonus Round.
 * On May 30 and 31, P C F A is called in the Bonus Round for two days in a row.
 * On May 31, a contestant solves the bonus puzzle GENIUS despite getting no help from his extra letters.

June 1995 : (season ends June 23)
 * June 1 has a very rare instance of both a three-letter bonus puzzle and one without RSTLNE in it; the answer, HUG, is not solved.
 * On June 9, a contestant fails to solve the bonus puzzle MENU with only the U missing.
 * June 12 is Alaskan Cruise Week.
 * June 19 is Teen Week.
 * By June 22, Harry Friedman replaces Nancy Jones as producer.
 * On June 22, Harry appears on-camera at the end of the show.
 * June 23 is the last episode taped at CBS Television City's Studio 33 (Bob Barker Studio).

Season 13 (1995-96)
Season Changes :
 * The show moves to its current taping location, Stage 11 at Sony Pictures Studios in Culver City.
 * The category graphics are updated to a white font (similar to Times New Roman) on a tan background. The category strips are now revealed with a miniature graphic of the Wheel, which rolls from left to right. With these new category strips, the "decade" categories are now shown as numbers (e.g. "The 20's"), and Fill In the Blank's name is now shown in full.
 * The $1,000 space is now sparkly green.
 * Pat now asks contestants to provide the source of a Quotation puzzle instead of Charlie. Also, the High Rollers chime is now used instead of the four beeps.
 * If a contestant does not give a correct answer to the question asked after a "bonus" category, the question is no longer offered to the other two contestants. Also, the value is increased to $1,000.
 * The intro is abridged to "It's America's Game — Wheel of Fortune! The world's most popular game show! And now from the Sony Studios, here they are, Pat Sajak and Vanna White!" The opening logo is almost the same, but is no longer angled and the Wheel is now spinning clockwise. When the logo breaks, the letters fly towards the sides, and the wedges all separate as they zoom forward while the center zooms back. It also transitions to different graphics related to the show, shown in the letters of "WHEEL", followed by a fly-over shot of Sony Pictures Studios just before Pat and Vanna are introduced.
 * This season is apparently the debut of Who Is It?
 * Two other categories, Composer/Song and Show/Song, are used only once each at some point this season. These are the first two categories known to have been used only once, something which does not happen again until What Are We Making? in 2007.
 * Charlie signs off with "This is Charlie O'Donnell speaking. (over copyright/title screen and drumroll) Wheel of Fortune was created by Merv Griffin." This is the only closing spiel where he signs off with his name. The CPT music and logo are played as he says "Produced by Columbia-TriStar Television." The King World logo and music play as usual with spiel.
 * For the first few weeks, the puzzle board from the road shows is used. Later, a new puzzle board debuts with a similar border to the one used in Season 12; the difference is that there are no spikes pointing downward into the board like the road show board, only from the top.
 * The last of the music cues composed by Merv Griffin (first used on the daytime version in August 1983) are replaced with new music cues.
 * The Free Spin moves to the purple $200 (to the viewer's right of Lose A Turn), where it stays for the entire season and the first two weeks of Season 14. Previously, it did not have a fixed location.
 * For the closing credits, the first few credits from Executive Producer to Associate Director are shown as chyron before scrolling to reveal the remaining credits. Pat and Vanna's wardrobe credits are accompanied with their appropriate logos.
 * As of this season, it has become increasingly rare to see the same category twice in the main game.

September 1995 : (season begins September 4)
 * September 4 is Teen Week, the last time that the season begins with one.
 * September 4 is the debut of the Double Play token, located on the blue $300. A post-production shot with the Rounds 4+ template is inserted when Pat describes the token at the start of Round 2.
 * The Double Play token is located on the orange $400 in Round 2, and is seen on the tan $200 in Rounds 3+ until claimed. If a Prize wedge or Surprise occupies the tan $200 when the Double Play is still on the Wheel, the token is placed on the pink $200. The Surprise wedge is placed on the purple $150 in Round 3.
 * September 4 sets what may be a record for the most instances of one letter in the same puzzle: the answer PLEASE LEAVE A MESSAGE AFTER THE BEEP has 10 E's. This puzzle is known to have been used on at least one other occasion (October 21, 2009).
 * As of September 4, the reverse of the $10,000 wedge is still blank. After the blue contestant loses it to a Bankrupt, he removes it from his arrow and tries to keep Pat from retrieving it; to which Pat replies "I don't want to have to fight you for this; it's just a piece of cardboard."
 * At some point in late September or early October, JEOPARDY PREMIERES is a Round 1 puzzle. The category is The 60's.
 * On the above episode, a contestant solves the bonus puzzle TAKE A BOW despite getting no help from their extra letters.

October 1995 :
 * By about this point, the $10,000 wedge now has a shiny gold $10,000 design on the back. It is believed that one week of episodes used its reverse as a dollar value in Round 4; there is also one record (later in the season) of it being placed upside-down by mistake and won.
 * October 26 is the first known instance of a puzzle with a slash in it: JULIE ANDREWS STARS IN VICTOR/VICTORIA. This is also one of the last known appearances of Person/Title.
 * On an episode from sometime in the Fall, Pat kills a fly on the Wheel by swatting it with the Surprise wedge.

November 1995 :
 * The weeks of November 6 and 13 are taped in Seattle. November 13 is College Week.
 * November 20 is Celebrity Week.
 * On one of the Celebrity episodes, Ed Asner is the top winner. Before the Bonus Round, Pat mentions that he once played against Ed on an episode of Celebrity Jeopardy!
 * Ed's letters fill in his bonus puzzle SLEIGH entirely.
 * Johnny Gilbert fills in for Charlie for the weeks of November 27 and December 4. This is the only time until Charlie's death in November 2010 that someone filled in for him.
 * During the week of November 27, Pat and Vanna's post-game discussion is about her decision to cut her hair. At least two of the episodes feature various computer-generated images of what Vanna would look like in different hair styles.
 * On November 29, Pat jokes about Jeopardy!, saying that "if you finish in second place with $10,000, you get a lounge chair!", to which Johnny responds, "But it's a $10,000 lounge chair."

December 1995 :
 * On December 1, Pat cuts off a lock of Vanna's hair to ensure that she doesn't "chicken out", then distributes strands to audience members during the credits.
 * Vanna debuts her new haircut on December 4. At the top of the show, Pat walks out solo, and then introduces Vanna, while joking about her fear of her new haircut.
 * Charlie returns on December 11.
 * On December 11, Pat accidentally calls the Bonus Round the Speed-Up Round.
 * December 18 is Family Week, played identically to the ones in 1992-1994.
 * Reruns air during the week of December 25.

January 1996 :
 * January 8 is Best Friends Week.
 * On January 25, a contestant solves the bonus puzzle WHISPER despite getting no help from her extra letters.

February 1996 :
 * February 5 is Sweethearts Week, with the Friday Finals format.
 * During two episodes of Sweethearts Week, Peter Argyropolous and Deborah Cohen set a new winnings record of $146,529.
 * On their first episode, Peter and Deborah use Double Play on the $10,000 cash prize.
 * On February 9:
 * Peter loses his nametag in Round 2. It is recovered in Round 3.
 * $1,000 Slogan makes its first known appearance.
 * There is an extremely-rare instance of Artist/Song appearing in Round 4, which leads to an equally-rare instance of a four-line puzzle in a Speed-Up round.
 * Peter and Deborah sweep the main game and win his-and-hers Ford Mustangs in the Bonus Round.
 * All five Bonus Rounds are won on the week of February 5.
 * The weeks of February 12 and 19 are taped outdoors, in front of the Waikoloa Village in Hawaii. February 19 is Family Week. These episodes use a unique piece of lap steel guitar music in the intro, a timpani roll under Charlie's introduction, and a lap steel guitar rendition of the original "Changing Keys" melody. Also, the episodes use surfboard-shaped backdrops.
 * February 12 and 13 both have Same Name puzzles with three "names" instead of two.
 * Pat's daughter Maggie makes an appearance on February 13.
 * The week of February 19 has a commercial break between Rounds 1 and 2. They also introduce $3,500 in Round 2 and $5,000 in Round 3. It is possible that the week of February 12 did this as well.
 * On February 19, Vanna forgets to turn the first O in the Round 1 puzzle A MOTHER'S INTUITION when revealing the answer.

March 1996 :
 * March 4 is the first known instance of Author/Title being used instead of Title/Author.
 * On March 8, a buzzer sounds on a correct letter, quickly followed by a bell. Pat quips to "pay no attention to that man behind the curtain."
 * On March 14, WHEEL OF FORTUNE COOKIE is a Before & After puzzle.

April 1996 :
 * On April 1, APRIL FOOL'S DAY is the Round 1 puzzle. At the end of the show, Pat jokes that this is the last show.
 * On April 2, a contestant solves DICK & JERRY VAN DYKE with only the R's revealed.
 * Reruns air during the week of April 8.
 * On April 15, a contestant solves the bonus puzzle GULF despite getting no help from her extra letters.
 * The weeks of April 22 and 29 are Olympics-themed weeks taped at the Fox Theater in Atlanta. The set for these episodes features Olympic torch-shaped backdrops, plus a video wall at center stage; also, the $25,000 sign is not present, so a $25,000 graphic is used onscreen instead. A special piece of music plays during the open, and a timpani roll plays under Charlie's intro. The "Atlanta 1996" Olympic logo is on the floor of the stage. These episodes use the Friday Finals format and the same round structure as the Hawaii Family Week episodes.
 * On the first three Olympics episodes, the outer frame of the Wheel is misaligned by about half the distance between two pegs; this is most noticeable when a contestant hits one of the Bankrupts on the $10,000 wedge on the 24th. The frame is finally fixed on Round 3 of the April 24 episode.
 * On April 23:
 * FREE SPIN LOSE A TURN & BANKRUPT is the Round 2 puzzle.
 * For what may be the first time, Fill In the Blank puzzles now have their question marks already revealed, as opposed to Vanna turning them at the start of the round.
 * A contestant sweeps the main game and wins a Ford Taurus in the Bonus Round.
 * On April 24:
 * Only three rounds are played (without Speed-Up), owing both to plugs for an Olympics T-shirt and an extremely long second round.
 * The slide whistle does not sound when a contestant hits Bankrupt in round 2.
 * A contestant solves the bonus puzzle PISTACHIO on the buzzer. Pat informs the contestant that they have to stop tape to check his answer; despite apparently being beaten by the buzzer, he is still ruled a winner in the final segment, with Pat and Vanna signing off after Charlie plugs the Greece trip that the contestant won. Strangely, Vanna never reveals the full answer.
 * The week of April 29 is the Olympic Sweepstakes, similar to the Red Letter (Season 10), Gold Letter (Season 11), and Red-White-and-Blue Sweepstakes (Season 12), but with red-and-blue letters that spell out the name of an Olympic event. This is the last time that differently-colored letters are used as part of a contest.
 * April 30 is the first known instance of Song/Artist being used instead of Artist/Song. The show continues to alternate between the two for the next 12 years.

May 1996 :
 * May 1 has the last known instance of a Same Name puzzle with three "names" instead of two.
 * Between May 6 and 31, the Olympic torch backdrops are used in Culver City.
 * On May 8, a letter that the contestant did not call is accidentally revealed in the Bonus Round, and the contestant solves the puzzle. The mistake is not realized (or at least not mentioned) until the next episode, when Pat says that the contestant won "fair and square" despite the mistake.
 * On May 13, a contestant solves the bonus puzzle FROG despite getting no help from their extra letters. This previously happened with the same puzzle on September 7, 1992.
 * The week of May 27 uses the Friday Finals format.

June 1996 :
 * June 7 is the last appearance of the $25,000 sign. It is also the "unofficial" end of Season 13.

July 1996 : (season ends July 19)
 * In an unusual scheduling, the week of July 15 consists of new shows during the Olympic games. Also taped at the Fox Theater, this week has former Olympics stars playing for charity.

Season 14 (1996-97)
Season Changes :
 * The three-day champion rule is replaced by the Friday Finals. Each contestant plays for one day on Monday-Thursday, and the week's three highest winners (counting contestants who did not proceed to the Bonus Round) compete on Friday. The winner of the Friday episode wins an extra prize.
 * Double Play and the $25,000 sign are retired.
 * Classic TV, Headline and Show Biz all debut. Until around 1998, these categories use a unique wipe instead of the "rolling Wheel" one: a console TV, folded-up newspaper, and drawing of crossed spotlights, respectively.
 * The "bonus" category award is increased to $2,000, resulting in $1,000 Slogan being renamed Slogan. Also, the categories are used no more than once an episode; previous episodes often had two in the same game.
 * Some fee plugs are now pre-recorded by the company.
 * The intro is changed to an animation of Sony Pictures Studios, which zooms in through the studio doors. A few seconds into the intro, the circular concrete transforms into a Wheel graphic, which contains no Bankrupt or Lose A Turn spaces. Four gold squares with the two-row version of the show's logo on the reverse zoom around to show Pat, Vanna, and a CGI version of the now-retired $25,000 sign, using the previous season's graphics as a backdrop. The graphic then zooms up to the fourth square as Pat and Vanna walk out. During the "Wheel! Of! Fortune!" chant, the logo is seen in a purple background. Charlie's spiel is slightly changed to "From the Sony Studios, it's America's Game — Wheel of Fortune! And now here are the stars of our show, Pat Sajak and Vanna White!"
 * A video screen is added at center stage, near where Pat and Vanna walk out. It features that particular week's theme for the entire show until the close, where it is replaced by the show's logo. This lasts until at least the following season. During some spins, it changes to a close-up of the Wheel in "mid-flight".
 * For some weeks this season, the insides of the prize envelopes are sparkly green.
 * When Charlie plugs the $25,000 cash prize leading into the commercial break before the Bonus Round, Vanna or Pat is shown holding a sparkly green battery-operated envelope with flashing numerals, although sometimes the normal envelope is used.
 * When the cash is won, a $25,000 graphic "flips" into place on the bottom of the screen.
 * The $10,000 wedge is moved to Round 2.
 * The Prize wedge is changed to dark green text (in the Clarendon font) on a glittery greenish-brown background.
 * The second Wheel prize is moved to Round 3, but it only appears if the Surprise is claimed before then.

September 1996 : (season begins September 2)
 * On September 2:
 * The show begins with Pat and Vanna walking out without theme music playing, and conversing with each other briefly before the intro segment.
 * The category strips are changed to a bold but narrow white font on a multicolored pastel rectangle. This design is only used until December.
 * The original yellow $1,000 is present, suggesting that the sparkly green one was simply placed over the existing yellow one. This is also seen in the closing of certain episodes.
 * Between September 2 and 20, the only Bankrupts in Round 2 are the ones on the $10,000 space. Given the other erroneous placements of Wheel templates in this season, it is likely that this was accidental.
 * September 6 is the debut of Proper Name. As a result, it is very likely that Person/Title is retired at this point, although it could have been retired earlier.
 * On September 6, I'LL GIVE THE WHEEL A FINAL SPIN is the Round 2 puzzle.
 * All five Bonus Rounds on the week of September 2 are Thing.
 * September 9's bonus puzzle, OWL, is the last known instance of a three-letter bonus puzzle.
 * Beginning September 12, the camera closest to the blue contestant is noticeably cockeyed.
 * Pat and Vanna discuss the then-upcoming Jackpot round at the end of the September 12 episode. He also shows off the Jackpot wedge, holding it upside-down and calling it the Topkcaj.
 * On September 16: 96jack1.jpg
 * The Prize wedges no longer have glitter.
 * The music cue for the Wheel prize (a trip to Hawaii) is a lap steel guitar rendition of the original "Changing Keys" melody.
 * The current Jackpot wedge debuts in Round 3. The wedge, initially placed over the orange $300, starts out as a shiny red color with "Jackpot" written on it in the font "Cooper Black" in gold letters.
 * Many Wheel wedges are recolored. The most obvious change is Lose A Turn, which is now very light yellow (nearly white). Also, a template based on the one formerly used only in Round 3 is now used throughout the entire game (albeit with only one Bankrupt in Rounds 1 and 2) and the minimum value is increased to $250. These changes result in the retirement of $150, $200, $750, and $1,500, and the relocation of Free Spin to the green $300. For the first two rounds, the space between the red $600 and green $500 where the second Bankrupt normally would be in the third and upcoming rounds is replaced by a tan $300. Also, Surprise moves from the peach $200 of the old Rounds 1-2 template and the tan $200 of the Rounds 3-4+ template to the yellow $400 near Lose A Turn on the new template. Narrow_Bankrupt_Govener.png
 * From September 16 to at least the 26th, the second Bankrupt is "off-model", using Clarendon instead of the normal font. As a result, it resembles a Prize wedge with the Bankrupt color scheme.
 * September 26 has the first Jackpot win. The contestant solves GREEN EGGS & HAM BY DR. SEUSS with only the G's revealed, which results in the only known instance of the Jackpot being won for its base value of $5,000.
 * Beginning September 30, a closed-captioning promotional plug read by Vanna is added after Round 2.

October 1996 :
 * By October 2, the "off-model" Bankrupt is fixed.
 * As of October 2, Quotation puzzles are still followed by Pat asking for the source of the quotation. It is not currently known if this continued directly until the introduction of Who Said It?, or if there was a gap.
 * As of October 2 and lasting until mid-Season 20, when the closing credits end, the copyright tag is first shown, then "Created by Merv Griffin", then the King World and Columbia-TriStar Television logos (no spiels for any of these).
 * As of October 11, the aforementioned camera is still cockeyed.
 * October 29 and 30 both have Jackpot wins, believed to be the second and third.
 * By October 29, the cockeyed camera angle is fixed.
 * On October 29, a contestant solves the bonus puzzle just ahead of the buzzer.
 * October 31 is a Halloween show. When a Bonus Round envelope is selected, evil laughter is heard instead of the traditional chime.

November 1996 :
 * November 4 is Best Friends Week.
 * The weeks of November 11 and 18 are taped at the Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco.
 * November 18 is College Week. A marching band plays "Changing Keys" live, but this rendition follows the original melody instead of the altered melody of the "big band" remix.
 * From this point onward, any College Weeks taped on the road have the contestants introduce themselves, followed by a local college's cheerleading squad and mascot introducing Pat and Vanna.
 * Pat has laryngitis for the entire College Week, and hosts with a hoarse voice throughout. This results in two oddities, both done so that Pat can rest his voice:
 * On November 21, he and Vanna trade places during the Bonus Round.
 * On November 22, he uses hand gestures throughout the beginning of Round 4 (pointing to the contestants when it is their turn, hitting the railing with his fist for wrong letters and a Bankrupt, and a series of gestures for the Final Spin spiel) until the Speed-Up begins.
 * On November 21, the category strip disappears briefly during Round 2.

December 1996 :
 * December 9 is Beverly Hills Week, taped in Culver City.
 * Four of the Beverly Hills episodes, one of which is the Friday Finals, have Jackpot wins. As a result, Gregg is the only contestant known to have won the Jackpot twice.
 * On December 10, Vanna shows behind-the-scenes footage of her CD Santa's Last Ride. In the clip, she sings "Making Toys" with Tony Danza.
 * On December 12, at the end of the show, Vanna sings "Holiday Time" from the above CD to several children, including her son.
 * On December 16, the category strips are changed to a heavier white font on a blue oval.
 * December 16 is Family Week.
 * On December 18, the original yellow $1,000 wedge is visible when the Wheel spins at the end of the show.
 * December 23 is the first Happy Holidays Week, which is the name of the Christmas week episodes for the next several years.
 * The week of October 7 is rerun during the week of December 30, edited to include the blue oval category strips.

January 1997 :
 * Starting January 6, the Wheel no longer spins automatically during the opening and credits. It is also tightened.
 * On January 6, a contestant forgets to pick up the Free Spin after hitting it. Three turns later, Pat walks over to the other side of the Wheel, removes the Free Spin and gives it to her. Lastbrd6.jpg
 * On January 13, the Jackpot wedge is redesigned, with JACKPOT written in a semicircle at the top of the wedge and written again vertically down the middle of the wedge. The letters are now yellow and in a thinner, sans-serif font.
 * On January 13, Vanna announces that she is pregnant with her first daughter, Giavonna. As was the case when she was pregnant with Nicholas, she wears suits (at least some of the time) for the next several months of taping.
 * On January 16, the second Bankrupt is accidentally placed on the Wheel for Round 1.
 * On January 16, during Round 5, the middle contestant's flipper lands on $250, but flips over to $400 while he calls a letter. Although he is initially credited with $250 per letter, his score is corrected immediately after the round goes into Speed-Up. The difference in score causes him to win.
 * January 20 is the first NFL Players Week, featuring teams composed of contestants and NFL players. This and all subsequent weeks with celebrity/civilian teams have the contestants receive their winnings in cash and prizes as normal, while a cash amount equal to the contestant's winnings (with a minimum of $10,000) is donated to a charity of the celebrity's choice. Also, this is the first known instance of two audiences: The traditional in-studio audience as well as an additional on-stage audience. Except for Season 19, the rerun of NFL Players Week is always the last of the Summer reruns.

February 1997 :
 * February 3 is Sweethearts Week.
 * Starting on February 7, the Jackpot is increased to a starting value of $10,000 on Friday Finals episodes.
 * The weeks of February 10 and 17 are taped at the Blockbuster Desert Sky Pavilion (now Ashley Furniture HomeStore Pavilion) in Phoenix. February 17 is Family Week. Unusually for a road show, neither week is rerun during the Summer.
 * By this point, the contestant backdrops become randomized.
 * February 21 is the last episode with the mechanical puzzle board. The last official puzzle on it is the bonus puzzle POUND SIGN, but at the end of the episode, Vanna reveals FOR SALE on the board.
 * On February 24: Newbrd4.jpg
 * The electronic puzzle board debuts. The first puzzle on the new board is VALENCIA SPAIN, and Vanna's first letter on this board is S. At the end of the episode, Vanna uses the bonus puzzle to demonstrate how the board works.
 * The gray parallelogram nametags are replaced with white-on-blue, oval-shaped nametags identical to the category strips. This style of nametag is still in use today.
 * Charlie's intro is just "Ladies and gentlemen, Pat Sajak and Vanna White!" (which becomes the official intro in Season 19), and no theme music is playing. Pat and Vanna then walk out, discuss the new puzzle board and show time-lapse footage of the old board being dismantled before walking to their respective places. After the contestant interviews, a curtain reveals the new board while the puzzle-solve cue plays.
 * The prop holding the five W-H-E-E-L envelopes changes from white lights and red letters to gold lights and green letters.
 * Final Spins that land on anything other than a cash amount are now edited out.

March 1997 :
 * On March 3, the font used by the puzzle board is changed to a slightly thinner one.
 * On March 4, the Surprise, $10,000 prize and round 2 Prize are all on the wrong wedges: Surprise is on the purple $350 (where the Prize should be), $10,000 on the red $600 and the Prize on the orange $300. Since the Prize is claimed, the Jackpot wedge ends up in its correct place for round 3.
 * On March 4, Rosie O'Donnell makes a cameo after TALK SHOW HOST ROSIE O'DONNELL is the Round 2 puzzle. She then helps Vanna touch letters in Round 3.
 * March 17 is the first Spring Break Week.
 * The week of October 21 is rerun during the week of March 24. As was the case in the December reruns, these episodes are edited to include the blue oval category strips. Unusually for Spring reruns, these do not correspond with Easter week.
 * March 31 is the first European Vacation week, a tradition which since then occurs once a season (or a variation of it, such as European Holiday or EuroTour) until Season 19.

April 1997 :
 * On April 1, Pat and Vanna play for charity as part of an April Fools' Day gag, with Alex Trebek as host and Pat's wife, Lesly, touching the letters. Conversely, Pat hosts that day's Jeopardy!, whose first round features Wheel-themed categories (including Before & After, which quickly becomes a recurring category identical to its Wheel counterpart). Notable facts about this episode:
 * The European Vacation set is retained.
 * Charlie begins the intro as normal, but Johnny Gilbert announces the last line, "And now, here is your host, Alex Trebek!" Alex then introduces Lesly.
 * Alex mentions that he had previously guest-hosted a week of daytime episodes in 1980, a fact he had confirmed during a 1990 episode of To Tell the Truth on which Charlie was a substitute announcer (although his guest-hosting gig actually came two weeks after Charlie left daytime). No mention is made of the single daytime episode he guest-hosted in 1985.
 * After Alex's opening dialogue with Lesly, Johnny introduces Pat and Vanna using Jeopardy!'s "Now entering the studio..." while the Jeopardy! opening music plays. As they are introduced, their names appear onscreen in the style of the category strips.
 * Rounds 1 and 4 are both Phrase.
 * Round 1's answer is PAT I'D LIKE TO SOLVE THE PUZZLE.
 * Pat and Vanna solve Round 2, VANNA MAKES HER WHEEL DEBUT, together. It is followed by a clip of her first official episode on December 13, 1982. Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious.jpg
 * Round 3 is SUPERCALI-FRAGILISTIC-EXPIALIDOCIOUS in the joke category of "Really Long Title" and hyphenated twice (as shown) to fit on the board. It is also given a "bonus" question asking for the musical it came from; Pat gives the correct answer of Mary Poppins, winning an extra $2,000.
 * Alex's Final Spin moves only five wedges.
 * The Speed-Up round itself has Pat and Vanna's images inside boxes, rather than the usual shot.
 * The Speed-Up puzzle, IT'S NOT AS EASY AS IT LOOKS, is the only puzzle that Vanna solves herself.
 * Pat and Vanna play the Bonus Round together and win $25,000. Their combined winnings are split 50/50 between the two charities.
 * The bonus puzzle, TRADING PLACES, is believed to be the first bonus puzzle under current rules that has at least one each of R, S, T, L, N and E.
 * No credit is given for Alex's wardrobe, although ones are given for Vanna, Pat and Lesly.
 * April 14 is the first Puerto Rico week, a tradition that continues until Season 17.
 * All five Bonus Rounds are won on the week of April 14.
 * April 28 is the first Wheel Across America week. This theme is later called America Travel, and renamed again to Road Trip in Season 28.
 * Sometime during the week of April 28, the Round 2 puzzle BILLIE JO BOBBIE JO & BETTY JO (Classic TV) is followed by a trivia question asking for the hometown of those characters. The contestant fails to provide the right answer of Hooterville.

May 1997 :
 * May 5 is a special week where celebrities and their mothers play together.
 * Starting May 5, the Jackpot Round now has a sponsor, whose logo is also displayed on the Jackpot wedge. The first is Pizza Hut.
 * From May 5 until the end of the season, for all Culver City episodes, there are fixed music bumpers leading into the commercial breaks after Rounds 2 and 3.
 * On May 8, Bonnie Hunt's mother accidentally calls a vowel after spinning, twice in Round 1. In Round 2, Bonnie accidentally spins again before Vanna can reveal the letter that was called. Bonnie then stops the Wheel, causing her and Pat to joke around for several seconds before he tells her to "spin the damn Wheel."
 * On May 8, a Classic TV puzzle is in the format normally used by Star/Role (BARBARA BILLINGSLEY AS JUNE CLEAVER).
 * The weeks of May 12 and 19 are taped in San Diego; May 19 is College Week. Neither is rerun during the Summer.
 * May 26 is New York Week, taped in Culver City.

June 1997 : (season ends June 13)

Season 15 (1997-98)
Season Changes :
 * The opening graphic of Sony Pictures Studios is changed slightly. The logo is seen on Sony Pictures studios, in a yellow light on a black rectangle.
 * "Changing Keys" is given a new arrangement by Steve Kaplan. This is the last version of "Changing Keys" to be used.
 * The puzzle-solve cue is updated.
 * The font in the category strips is slightly narrower.
 * Prize wedges now have unique designs, typically with a graphic related to the prize.
 * Throughout this season, Pat sometimes introduces the Jackpot round with "Put down that [random object], Charlie, it's time for our Jackpot round!"
 * At some point in late 1997, Karen Griffith and Steve Schwarz take over as producers.
 * The Wheel's base is now blue with four long, golden spikes. 15sp4.jpg
 * The W-H-E-E-L envelope prop changes to all 5 letters being lined up in a row; at this point, the flashing lights are gone and the only lights remaining on the prop are the letters themselves.
 * Starting this season, the credits are done in Times New Roman. This continues until the end of season 17.
 * Also around this point, episodes with Bonus Round wins often feature a slow-motion replay of the contestant's reaction near the end of the credits. This practice continues until around the mid-2000s.

September 1997 : (season begins September 1)
 * The weeks of September 1 and 8 are taped at the Ohio State Fair in Columbus, Ohio. The first week has contestants who are members of the AFL-CIO. For this week, there is a commercial break between Rounds 1 and 2, resulting in some three-round games without the Jackpot, including at least one that goes into Speed-Up mode in Round 3.
 * During the week of September 1, a Hummer is offered in the Bonus Round, but it is not won.
 * Sometime during the week of September 1, AFL-CIO president John Sweeney makes a guest appearance.
 * September 13 is the debut of Wheel 2000, a special children's version hosted by David Sidoni. Further information on this show, including its own timeline, can be found on its article.
 * On September 15, Vanna shows off her newborn daughter, Giavonna.
 * September 29 has six rounds.

October 1997 :
 * October 20 is Broadway Week, taped in Culver City.
 * October 27 is Halloween Week, which begins the tradition of highly ornate Halloween sets. During this week, the set is decorated with an animatronic gargoyles, smoke and lightning effects, and fake tombstones. This also begins the tradition of Halloween sounds replacing the chime when a Bonus Round envelope is selected.

November 1997 :
 * November 3 is Celebrity Week, which does not use the Friday Finals format. It also has the same round structure as the season premiere.
 * One of the Celebrity episodes (with Robert Guilliaume) has a Jackpot win.
 * On November 5, Alicia Witt is a contestant; she previously appeared as a contestant during the Teen Week of September 3, 1990, and clips are shown of that appearance.
 * On November 6, William Shatner quits after Round 2 and Julie Pinson takes his place.
 * The weeks of November 10 and 17 are taped at The Temple Hoyne Buell Theatre (part of Denver Center for the Performing Arts) in Denver. November 17 is College Week.
 * During the week of November 17, the University of Colorado marching band plays "Changing Keys" during the intro, again using the original melody and not the "big-band" melody. The band also plays music going into and out of commercial.
 * On November 20, the Round 2 puzzle of ALPHA BETA GAMMA & DELTA (Things) is followed by a trivia question, asking for the last letter of the Greek alphabet. The contestant fails to provide the correct answer of omega.
 * November 24 is Best Friends Week.

December 1997 :
 * December 22 is Happy Holidays Week, and the Surprise wedge is changed to have the word written out horizontally with a gift box below. When the Surprise is claimed and won, the box is opened to reveal a card that says "I've won [name of prize]. Tell me about it, Charlie!" which then segues into the prize description. The concept is very similar to the Prize Box on Wheel 2000, which at this point is still in first-run.
 * Reruns air during the week of December 29.

January 1998 :
 * January 19 is NFL Players Week.
 * January 27 has six rounds.

February 1998 :
 * The weeks of February 2 and 9 are taped in Las Vegas. February 2 is Family Week.
 * On one of the Vegas episodes, a contestant wins a custom-built Shelby Cobra worth over $100,000 in the Bonus Round. This is believed to be the most expensive prize ever offered in the Bonus Round until the $1,000,000 prize debuts.
 * On February 4, the Prize wedge does not have a graphic on it; it just has "VIDEO" in white Clarendon text on a magenta background. Also, it is on the orange $300 instead of $350; since it is claimed, the Jackpot ends up in its proper space in Round 3.
 * On February 12, BEFORE & AFTER DINNER DRINK is a Before & After puzzle.
 * The weeks of February 16 and 23 are the Come Spin and Win Sweepstakes, sponsored by Sears. There is a special "Play to Win" puzzle after Round 3, to which more letters are added throughout the week; home viewers can submit the answer for a chance to win $1,000,000 in cash or Sears gift certificates. For the first week, the puzzle is FOUR SCORE AND SEVEN YEARS AGO, and the second, SHOW ME THE MONEY.

March 1998 :
 * Matthew Fenwick, a then-wanted criminal on two counts of child molestation, appears as a contestant on March 18 (taped February 13) and wins $4,400. He is arrested on March 20 after one of his alleged victims sees him on the show, then sentenced to 6½ years in prison on October 7.
 * Reruns air during the week of March 23. This is the last time that reruns air mid-season.

April 1998 :
 * April 7 is the debut of Fill In the Number.
 * On April 13, the time limit in the Speed-Up round is reduced from 5 seconds to 3.

May 1998 :
 * The weeks of May 4 and 11 are taped in Houston. May 11 is College Week.
 * On at least May 4, Pat is visible in the shot of the board during the Bonus Round.
 * On May 4, the winning contestant has only $3,200.
 * The week of May 18 is Wheel Goes to the Movies, a recurring theme which occurs in May for the next several seasons (always as the first week after the May travel episodes).

June 1998 : (season ends June 12)
 * During the week of June 8 (Summer in the City), various Summer-related songs play leading into the commercial break after Round 2. Also, Pat gives each contestant a baseball cap after the Speed-Up.
 * June 12 is the first appearance of the Puzzler round.

Season 16 (1998-99)
Season Changes :
 * The opening graphics change again, placing the show's logo over the door frame during the chant.
 * The Friday Finals format is eliminated, with a single exception for this season (see below). As was the case before September 1989, contestants once again stay for only one episode. In the 2000s, Pat revealed on the Sony Rewards website that this was done because the most skilled contestants are not always the top winners (although such reasoning has been contested in recent years).
 * Rhyme Time debuts.
 * This season may also be the debut of Who Said It?
 * The $25,000 cash prize is no longer taken out of the W-H-E-E-L envelopes if it is won.
 * The Surprise wedge is retired. As a result, the second Wheel Prize is always in Round 3.
 * Throughout most of Seasons 16-17, Game Show Network is promoted in a short ad during the credits of Wheel and Jeopardy!
 * Jackpot is moved to the green $500 next to $800 ($250 for this season).
 * The three pink $250 wedges are increased: the ones between $900 and $400, as well as between Lose A Turn and $400, become pink $300s. The one between $600 and the top dollar value is changed to a yellow $300, while the purple $500 is decreased to $250. The yellow $1,000, present underneath the top dollar values, is replaced by a blank white wedge.

September 1998 : (season begins September 7)
 * The weeks of September 7 and 14 are taped at Three Rivers Stadium in Pittsburgh, which was imploded in 2001. In honor of the season beginning on Labor Day, all prizes for these weeks are American-made. The episodes have the same round structure as last season's premiere week. This is the last time until Season 27 that the season premiere is also a road show.
 * On the Pittsburgh episodes, the audience does the "Wheel! Of! Fortune!" chant live in place of the pre-recorded chant. This is believed to be the only time that the pre-recorded chant is not used.
 * On September 7, a contestant solves the bonus puzzle FLIGHT CREW despite getting no help from their extra letters.
 * On September 14:
 * Fred Rogers makes a cameo after he is the answer to the Who Said It? puzzle IT'S A BEAUTIFUL DAY IN THIS NEIGHBORHOOD.
 * There is a rare one-word puzzle in Round 4.
 * The contestant's letters fill in the bonus puzzle FORK entirely.
 * The bonus prize is an unusual bundle consisting of a Dodge Durango, barbecue grill and food basket.
 * On September 21, the Puzzler round is made official.
 * Beginning on September 21, a video wall is added behind the contestants.

October 1998 :
 * On October 6, WHEEL OF FORTUNE GOES NIGHTTIME is the Round 1 puzzle (The 80's).
 * The week of October 12 is one of the only weeks in the show's history where no cars are offered in the Bonus Round. The prizes this week comprise $25,000 and four different shopping sprees: in Rome, Paris, Houston and Beverly Hills. The Rome and Paris trips are the only prizes selected all week, and all five Bonus Rounds are lost.
 * October 12 is one of the only known instances of a Puzzler being in Round 3.
 * As of October 12, the Puzzler is still preceded by a series of bells.
 * On October 30, FAT FREE SPIN is a Before & After puzzle.

November 1998 :
 * November 9 is Soap Stars Week, with soap star/contestant teams. It has the round structure of the season premiere week.
 * By November 9, the bells are removed from the Puzzler round.
 * On November 10, the bonus puzzle is HAIRCUT. Less than a month prior, on October 12, the bonus puzzle was a very similar answer of HAIRDO.
 * November 13 has a very short Round 1 answer of DYNASTY, followed by a Puzzler of JOHN FORSYTHE. This is one of only two known instances of the Puzzler being longer than the puzzle before it.
 * The weeks of November 16 and 23 are taped at the Las Vegas Hilton.
 * November 20 is the show's ceremonial 3,000th episode, although it is actually #2,980. It is a clip show with commentary from Pat and Vanna. The show begins with an open from a 1978 daytime episode, which cuts to the current intro about halfway through; Charlie then appears on-camera to introduce Pat and Vanna. The clips include footage from one of the two 1974 pilots hosted by Edd Byrnes.
 * November 23 is Family Week, with the round structure of the season premiere weeks. This is the last week to have that round structure; all games after this point introduce $5,000 in Round 4 and do not end before then, even if the time spent on the first three rounds would warrant otherwise.

December 1998 :
 * On December 3, a contestant solves the Fill In the Number puzzle ####: A SPACE ODYSSEY as "2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY". He is credited with a correct answer, and given the $2,000 bonus for filling in the number. This puzzle is also the show's first known use of a colon.
 * December 21 is the first Christmas week to be called Christmas Week instead of Happy Holidays.
 * On December 25:
 * A contestant is from Toronto.
 * There is a Jackpot win.
 * The Round 3 Prize wedge has a small box in the center, suggesting that it is a leftover Surprise wedge from the week of December 22, 1997. Pat opens the box to find a CD jewel case with his picture on it, and gives this to the winning contestant before the Bonus Round.
 * December 28 is Wheel into 1999 Week. This is the last time the New Year's week is called "Wheel into [year]", and the last New Year's-themed week until December 27, 2010.

January 1999 :
 * January 4 is Fabulous Florida Week, taped in Culver City.
 * January 25 is NFL Players Week, and the last use of the Friday Finals format.

February 1999 :
 * Throughout the week of February 8, during the Pat & Vanna talk, Vanna brings in her tomato sauce and mentions different things about it each day.
 * The weeks of February 15 and 22 are taped outdoors, near the Hilton Hawaiian Village Hotel in Honolulu. February 22 is Best Friends Week.

March 1999 :
 * After SHE SELLS SEA SHELLS BY THE SEASHORE is a puzzle on March 8, all Pat & Vanna talks during the week have to do with tongue twisters.
 * The week of March 29 is called April in Paris, even though three of the five episodes air in March.

April 1999 :
 * April 14 is the debut of On the Map.

May 1999 :
 * The weeks of May 3 through 24 are the Come Play in LA Sweepstakes.
 * The weeks of May 3 and 10 are taped at the Apollo of Temple (now Liacouras Center) in Philadelphia. May 10 is College Week.
 * On May 5, the winning contestant kisses Pat's shoes after winning the Bonus Round.
 * May 7 has a Jackpot win.
 * On May 7, the audience boos the bonus puzzle THAT'S IFFY after the contestant fails to solve it.
 * On May 20, VANNA WHITE WEDDING DRESS is a Before & After puzzle.
 * On May 21:
 * Kermit and Gonzo promote Muppets from Space in front of the puzzle board, which also reads MUPPETS FROM SPACE, at the top of the show.
 * Round 5 is a very short answer of PAYDAY.
 * In honor of director Dick Carson's last show, he appears on-camera after the Bonus Round to chat with Pat and Vanna while random clips from early episodes are shown. At the end of the credits, the chyron credit "Directed by Dick Carson" is shown on footage of Carson leaving the studio.
 * On May 24, Mark Corwin takes over as director.

June 1999 : (season ends June 4)

Season 17 (1999-2000)
Season Changes :
 * The opening graphics are changed again. The logo used in the intro now has a graphic of the Wheel around it; this graphic is rather inaccurate, as it has no Bankrupts, and it keeps the $250 spaces even after they are removed. In fact, the Bankrupt between the orange $900 and purple $500 is replaced by the sparkly green $1,000.
 * WebTV introduces an interactive element that allows users with WebTV to play along with Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy! from home. This interactive game is indicated on both shows with a "WebTV interactive program" bug at the top of the show.
 * "Bonus" categories and the Puzzler round are now worth $3,000.
 * Harry Friedman retires as co-producer, and joins Merv Griffin as co-executive producer.
 * The Wheel pegs are upgraded, a fact which Pat references twice on the season premiere. These new pegs make the Wheel spin very tightly and loudly. Jackpot-2.jpg
 * The Jackpot wedge is redesigned again, with "JACKPOT" surrounded by a semi-circle of yellow dots that light up.
 * It seems that the show has begun using Song/Artist more frequently than Artist/Song around this point.

September 1999 : (season begins September 6)
 * September 6 has a now-rare occurrence of a one-word puzzle in Round 1.
 * September 6 is the debut of Around the House. For this season only, its category strip has a unique house-shaped wipe when it is revealed.
 * The weeks of September 20 and 27 are both filmed at Universal Studios in Orlando; November 27 is Family Week. This is the last time until March 2009 that a road show does not occur during November, February or May sweeps.
 * The week of September 20 is evidently the debut of a special opening theme tune for road trips, which is used well into the next decade.
 * September 20 is the first use of On the Map in the Bonus Round.
 * September 23 has only the second known instance of a Puzzler longer than the puzzle before it: in this case, the Round 1 answer SWIMMERS is followed by a Puzzler of BACKSTROKE.

October 1999 :
 * There are two very similar Bonus Round answers on two consecutive episodes, October 1 and 4: A DAY OFF and A WEEK OFF, respectively. The former is also the first known instance of a bonus puzzle without RSTLNE in it since HUG in June 1995.
 * Several changes are made on October 4:
 * The Preview Puzzle debuts.
 * The $250 spaces are replaced with $300, $500, $600 and $800, thus making $300 the lowest-valued space on the Wheel. Pat and Vanna later discuss this change on October 8.
 * The Final Spin now has $1,000 added to its value.
 * The digits on the wedges now have a white outline, as does Lose A Turn.

November 1999 :
 * The weeks of November 8 and 15 are taped at Madison Square Garden. November 15 is Best Friends Week.
 * November 8's Preview Puzzle is presented on the set of Live with Regis & Kathie Lee by that show's staff, who hold up cue cards with the letters on them. The full answer, BROADWAY, is also revealed in this fashion.
 * November 8 is also the only known instance of Show Biz being used twice in one show (the Preview Puzzle and Round 3).
 * November 11 has a well-known incident where a contestant guesses A GROUP OF PILL-PUSHERS in the Speed-Up, causing a stunned Pat to scream, "This is Wheel of Fortune, Joe!"
 * November 22 is the first NBA Week, with baskbetball star/civilian teams. For the next several seasons, the NBA week is always the first week of reruns during the Summer.

December 1999 :
 * December 3 has a Jackpot win.
 * December 13 is the last Puerto Rico week.
 * December 27 begins the show's first Retro Week, which pays tribute to the shopping era. Several changes are made for this week only, including:
 * The Preview Puzzle is a freeze-frame of a puzzle from an older episode when the mechanical board was still in use. After Vanna walks out, she reveals the Preview Puzzle answer on the current board.
 * The intro is an abridged version of the "Look at this studio..." intro from the 1980s, as Charlie describes that week's prizes (which appear on turntables). A new piece of music accompanies this intro.
 * The intro from a 1980s episode appears after that (with the original "Changing Keys" dubbed over), followed by a wipe to Pat and Vanna discussing the special week.
 * The set has 1970s flower-power decor and a ceramic Dalmatian.
 * The contestant video wall has replicas of the 1992-96 contestant backdrops on it.
 * A Shopping wedge is used in place of the regular Wheel prizes, allowing the contestant to "shop" for one of three trips (each represented by props on a turntable). This wedge also has a drawing of a ceramic Dalmatian on it.
 * On at least December 27 and 28, the 1980s clip used during the intro inadvertently leaves in a reference to Jack Clark.
 * At least two of the Retro Week episodes use unique combined categories in Round 1: December 27 uses 70's Song/Artists, and December 28 has 60's Event. It is likely that this theme continued throughout the entire week.
 * December 27 is the first known appearance of Around the House in the Bonus Round.
 * On December 28, Richard Simmons makes a guest apperance at the end. He promotes his show Dream Maker, which is already canceled by the time this episode airs.

January 2000 :
 * January 3 is Hawaii Week, taped in Culver City.
 * January 10 is the first Big Money Week.
 * January 24 is NFL Players Week.
 * January 31 is Las Vegas Week, taped in Culver City.

February 2000 :
 * February 7 is Soap Opera Stars Week.
 * The weeks of February 14 and 21 are taped in New Orleans. February 21 is College Week.

March 2000 :
 * March 20 debuts three $1,000 gift tags on the Wheel, placed over money wedges; if won, they award $1,000 towards a certain company's products. The number of tags changes repeatedly over time.
 * Beginning on March 20, an animated bumper is added following Round 3.

April 2000 :
 * At some point during the week of April 24, the theme (Wheel Across America) is misspelled "Amercia" on one of the on-screen graphics.

May 2000 :
 * The weeks of May 1 and 8 are the WheelOfFortune.com Sweepstakes, with every Round 3 puzzle being computer-related.
 * On the weeks of May 1 and 8, the Jackpot wedge is moved to Round 2. This change becomes permanent in the next season.
 * May 22 is Family Week. The set is a replica of Universal Studios, interestingly the scene of Family Week earlier in the season.
 * May 29 is Big Money Week, making this the first known regular player week to occur twice in one season.

June 2000 : (season ends June 2)

Season 18 (2000-01)
Season Changes :
 * The opening now shows flashback clips within the outline of the logo.
 * The Preview Puzzle and Puzzler rounds are eliminated, and the former is essentially replaced with Toss-Ups. For this season only, both Toss-Ups are valued at $1,000: one at the start of the show (before the interviews) determines who starts Round 1, and one before Round 4 determines who starts that round. Initially, Toss-Ups are not split-screened.
 * The shiny $1,000 wedge is retired. $2,500 becomes the top dollar for Round 1, $3,500 for Rounds 2 and 3, and $5,000 thereafter.
 * The Jackpot wedge is moved to Round 2, and the $10,000 wedge is moved back to Round 3, but unlike seasons 12 and 13, the $10,000 wedge is removed after Round 3 even if unclaimed.
 * As of this season, most episodes tend to have two female contestants and one male. This pattern is often broken for road shows and Armed Forces Weeks.
 * Merv Griffin retires, leaving Harry Friedman as sole executive producer.
 * "Changing Keys" is retired. The show adopts a new theme called "Happy Wheels", composed by Steve Kaplan. The puzzle-solve cue is also changed to match.
 * The category strips are changed again, giving a three-dimensional appearance to the oval outline and changing the font to a thinner one. The "rolling Wheel" effect is replaced with a slightly smaller "rolling" Wheel of Fortune logo, which rolls from right to left; the unique category wipes for Show Biz, Headline, Around the House and Classic TV are retired.
 * The beeping timer in the Bonus Round has music added to it.
 * This season may be the debut of Living Thing; it is known not to have been present last season.
 * As of this season, and possibly earlier, the house minimum is increased to $500.
 * The animated bumper following Round 3 is dropped.
 * Many puzzles from this point through the end of Season 22 begin with a redundant A or AN, most often Thing puzzles (e.g. A HAPPY MEAL instead of HAPPY MEAL).

September 2000 : (season begins September 4)
 * The week of September 11, Endless Summer, has a blue floor.
 * At the end of the September 20 episode, Pat and Vanna discuss the Toss-Ups from the contestant area.
 * On September 22, actor Leonard Stone (best known as Sam Beauregard in the 1971 film Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory) appears as a contestant.
 * Pat's son and daughter, Patrick and Maggie, appear at the end of the September 25 episode.
 * On September 25, the version of "Happy Wheels" used at the end of the Bonus Round plays during the closing credits.

October 2000 :

November 2000 :
 * On November 2, celebrities play the game for charity while in Halloween costumes, as part of an "unmask the stars" sweepstakes on the show's website. This is the show's last all-celebrity match.
 * The celebrities are Richard Simmons, Tara Lipinski and Alex Trebek, who are respectively disguised as William Shakespeare, a genie and a gnome, and referred to as such by Pat.
 * Both Alex and Richard appear to throw Round 1 by deliberately calling incorrect letters with most of the puzzle revealed, then joking about their incorrect calls.
 * This episode does not have a second Toss-Up.
 * The bonus puzzle is IN DISGUISE, which Tara solves for $25,000.
 * In the final segment, Charlie reveals each celebrity's identity. All three appear with Pat and Vanna, as does Alex's son Matt (also in a gnome costume).
 * The week of November 6 is taped at DAR Constitution Hall in Washington, D.C.
 * Starting November 6, background music is now played during the Speed-Up round.
 * On November 6, the $10,000 is mistakenly placed on the Wheel in Round 2, where it is also won. Pat comments on the error at the start of Round 3, and it remains for that round as well.
 * The week of November 13 is the Hershey's Pot of Gold Sweepstakes. It offers home viewers a chance to sit in the audience for the Hawaii episodes that air in February 2001; other prizes include $25,000 cash, a car, a Hawaiian vacation, and Hershey's chocolates.

December 2000 :
 * For a few weeks in December, the background of the set changes before the Bonus Round.

January 2001 :
 * At some point in 2001, PIKACHU is a bonus puzzle. This is the last known instance of a bonus puzzle that does not have RSTLNE in it.
 * January 1 is Las Vegas week, taped in Culver City.
 * January 22 is NFL Players Week, taped at DAR Constitution Hall in Washington, D.C. This is the first time since the Olympics episodes in 1996 that a road show runs for more than two weeks, and it is the first time since then that episodes from the same venue do not air contiguously.
 * January 29 is San Francisco Week, taped in Culver City.

February 2001 :
 * February 5 is College Week, taped at DAR Constitution Hall in Washington, D.C.
 * On February 6, for what may be the first time, nobody gives a correct response to a Toss-Up. The correct answer is SHE ACED IT, and two contestants ring in with wrong answers.
 * February 9 has a Jackpot win.
 * On February 9, Pat accidentally starts prompting Vanna to reveal the contestant's Bonus Round letters before he has picked a vowel. The contestant solves I'M SO HAPPY with only I'M S_ _____ revealed.
 * The weeks of February 12 and 19 are taped in Hawaii. February 12 is Family Week.

March 2001 :
 * On March 4, Microsoft announces that it is pulling the WebTV interactive elements from Wheel and Jeopardy! due to a financial dispute with Sony.
 * On March 5, there is now a transparent Wheel of Fortune bug in the bottom left-hand corner of the screen, written in the same font as the logo. It is seen during the intro, and whenever the contestant area or puzzle board is on-screen. For road shows, "of Fortune" is replaced with "in [name of city]".
 * March 12 is Fast Cars, which was also the season premiere week. This is the only known regular player week, other than Big Money and America's Game, to occur more than once in one season.
 * On March 30, nobody gives a correct response to the second Toss-Up.

April 2001 :
 * On April 2, WHEEL OF FORTUNE is the second Toss-Up. After it is solved, Pat jokes that they have officially run out of puzzles.
 * April 9 is the second and final Retro Week. Except for the Preview Puzzle and Puzzler being replaced by Toss-Ups, it plays identically to the one in December 1999.
 * On April 13, a post-production shot of the Wheel from Round 2 is accidentally put in during Round 3. This error is made obvious in that the $2,500 space is plainly visible in the post-production shot for a few seconds.
 * April 16 is the second Big Money Week of the season.
 * April 23 is San Diego Week, taped in Culver City.
 * April 30 is Soap Stars Week.

May 2001 :
 * The weeks of May 7 and 14 are taped at the Dallas Convention Center. May 14 is Best Friends Week.
 * During the week of May 14, one of the Bonus Round prizes is 1,000,000 Advantage Miles from American Airlines.
 * On May 18, the Round 3 puzzle A FRIEND IN NEED IS A FRIEND INDEED is categorized as Phrase instead of Rhyme Time, possibly because Round 4 is also Rhyme Time.
 * May 18 is the 3,500th nighttime episode.
 * May 29 has a Star/Role puzzle of ROBERT BLAKE AS BARETTA. Between the episode's taping and airing, Blake is accused of shooting his wife; after the round is solved, a clip is dubbed in of Pat explaining the situation.

June 2001 : (season ends June 1)

Season 19 (2001-02)
Season Changes :
 * The Toss-Up before Round 4 is increased to $3,000. Another Toss-Up worth $2,000 is added before Round 1; this one now determines who starts Round 1, while the $1,000 Toss-Up at the top of the show now determines who is interviewed first. Toss-Ups are now split-screened in the same fashion as Speed-Up rounds, and they are now introduced with a wipe consisting of "Toss-Up" written on a purple circle.
 * The opening still shows flashbacks, but the graphics surrounding the clip are changed. For the first week only, a clip of a woman jumping is briefly visible just before the show's logo appears. The Wheel graphic used is the Speed-Up template.
 * Charlie's intro is changed to "Ladies and gentlemen, Pat Sajak and Vanna White!" On travel shows, this is typically changed to "And now, from [venue], here are the stars of America's Game: Pat Sajak and Vanna White!"
 * The $10,000 prize moves to the orange $800.
 * The category strips are changed to white letters on a purple, rectangular background. The "rolling Wheel" effect is replaced with a white "burst" effect.
 * Road shows now last for three weeks instead of two.
 * Some tapings from Culver City now comprise six episodes; the sixth episodes are put into separate weeks throughout the season.
 * As of this season, there is only one gift tag on the Wheel.
 * This season may be the debut of Song Lyrics.
 * The cash totals after the Bonus Round are now large, thin, white numbers.
 * The Jackpot wedge no longer has the sponsor's logo on it. Instead, the sponsor's logo is shown above the Jackpot total.

September 2001 : (season begins September 3)
 * On September 3, Pat forgets to say the category for the first Toss-Up until about half of the letters are revealed.
 * Between September 3 and October 19, the W-H-E-E-L envelopes comprise three cars and two $25,000 envelopes, with all five prizes in play all week.
 * September 17 is San Francisco Week, taped in Culver City.
 * The week of September 24 is the Italian Sweepstakes.
 * On September 24, contestant Chad picks C, H, A and D in the Bonus Round.
 * At some early point in this season, a contestant fails to solve the bonus puzzle HUMIDITY, repeatedly guessing "humditty". After time expires, he misreads the fully-revealed answer as "humditty", and asks Pat, "Didn't I say 'humditty'?"

October 2001 :
 * On October 1, two contestants mispronounce Tea Leoni's name as "tea" (the beverage) instead of "tay-a" when trying to solve the puzzle DAVID DUCHOVNY AND TEA LEONI. In the same game's Speed-Up round, all three contestants guess BALL PEN AND PENCIL SET; the actual answer is BULL PEN AND PENCIL SET.
 * October 15 is the first week of "sixth show" tapings, Wheel Around the World.
 * On October 22, the category strip disappears briefly during round 4.
 * On October 22, the W-H-E-E-L envelopes are replaced with a 24-space Bonus Wheel. One envelope has $100,000 cash; the rest have either $25,000 or cars. The first prize landed on, a Honda Accord, is not won.

November 2001 :
 * The weeks of November 5-19 are taped in Miami. November 12 is Cruise Week, and November 19 is Family Week.

December 2001 :
 * On December 3, a contestant solves the bonus puzzle BALI despite not getting any help from their extra letters. This is believed to be the last four-letter bonus puzzle until FAWN in May 2005, as the long-standing trend of very short bonus puzzles (first established in Season 7) is gradually reversed over the next several seasons.
 * December 10 is Hawaii Week, taped in Culver City.
 * December 19 is the first $100,000 win.
 * December 20 is one of the only known games in which Around the House is used twice (Round 5 and the Bonus Round).
 * December 20 also has a now-rare instance of a Wheel prize that is not a trip. In this case, the Round 3 prize is a snowmobile, plus a collection of James Bond DVDs and film soundtracks.
 * As of December 20, Pat still reveals the location of the $100,000 envelope at the end of the Bonus Round. He stops doing this very soon afterward.
 * December 31 is I Love NY Week, taped in Culver City. New York then-governor George Pataki does some of the intros, and 9/11 is addressed.

January 2002 :
 * January 7 is NFL Players Week. This is also the only such week to not be rerun during the Summer.
 * January 14 is New Orleans Week, taped in Culver City.
 * On January 21, the Round 3 Wheel prize is removed. There is once again only one prize on the Wheel.
 * The Hershey's Pot of Gold Sweepstakes is held from January 31-February 6, with no theme name seen for those shows. The respective weeks' sets are retained as per usual.
 * Due to the Hershey's Sweepstakes, only the shows of January 28-30 use the week's theme name, Romantic Destinations.

February 2002 :
 * On February 1, the contestant's letter choices reveal the bonus puzzle THE JOKER completely.
 * Due to the Hershey's Sweepstakes, only the shows of February 7-8 use the week's theme name, Island Fever.
 * The weeks of February 11-25 are all taped at the Las Vegas Hilton. February 11 is Sweethearts Week and February 25 is Best Friends Week.
 * On February 11, two teams forget to add an S to the $3,000 Toss-Up, IN-ROOM MOVIES. One member of the second team seems to whisper "oh, shit" after realizing the error.
 * February 18 is Big Money Week, another case of that week occurring twice in one season. For this week, amounts of $30,000, $35,000, $40,000, $45,000 and $50,000 are added to the Bonus Wheel.

March 2002 :
 * On March 14, a contestant solves the bonus puzzle KOBE BRYANT before Vanna can reveal the extra letters he has called.
 * March 18 is Washington D.C. Week, taped in Culver City.
 * March 19 has seven rounds.
 * March 25 is San Diego Week, taped in Culver City.

April 2002 :
 * April 22 is NASCAR Week.
 * As of April 25, very short puzzles may still be used in Round 1 (in this case, a 9-letter answer of PAULA ZAHN).
 * On April 25:
 * The Round 4 puzzle (AN ON/OFF SWITCH) is only the second known instance of a puzzle with a slash in it. Pat erroneously refers to it as the first.
 * After failing to solve the bonus puzzle HOCKEY FANS, the contestant misreads the fully-revealed answer as "hokey fans".
 * During Pat and Vanna's chat, footage is shown of the stagehands dressed as a pit crew while adding the $3,500 and second Bankrupt to the Wheel. This footage confirms that there is just a white space under the top dollar value.
 * April 29 is the first Teen Best Friends Week.
 * During a Teen Best Friends episode, a contestant rings in on the first Toss-Up and says CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE. Her teammate quickly adds an S to form the right answer, and it is accepted.

May 2002 : (season ends May 31)
 * The weeks of May 6-20 are taped in Chicago. May 13 is College Week, and May 20 is Chicago Sports Week.
 * Sometime during the week of May 13, all three contestants call repeated letters in a Jackpot round.
 * Pat's mother makes a guest appearance on May 21.
 * Vanna sings "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" on May 21.

Season 20 (2002-03)
Season Changes :
 * The $10,000 prize is moved again, to Round 1.
 * The long-standing practice of very short Round 1 puzzles is abandoned around this point.
 * The Mystery Wedges debut in Round 3, worth $500 per letter if not flipped over. They are located over the green $500 and the orange-yellow $500.
 * The puzzle-solve cue is changed.
 * The eggcrate score displays are replaced with computer-generated panel displays. These displays are colored with respect to each podium with an "embossed" texture of the Bankrupt-$600-$400-$300-Lose A Turn section of the wheel as a background. Scores are displayed in a white Impact font. Whenever a score is altered, it swivels as it morphs to the new score. If a contestant hits Bankrupt or Lose A Turn, those words are shown on the display (in the color scheme of the wedge) for a few seconds.
 * The extra amounts added to the Bonus Wheel for Big Money Week in February 2002 are made permanent.
 * Contestants who fail to earn anything are now given $500 cash instead of parting gifts, to alleviate the cost of travel.
 * The opening is now blue rings in a reddish background, forming the logo. Once it's complete, the "Wheel! Of! Fortune!" chant is heard.
 * The category strips are purple rectangles with a green line at the top and bottom, with a very narrow font.
 * "Happy Wheels" is given a new re-arrangement which samples the first few bars from the 1997 "Changing Keys".
 * For this season only, there is a "20th Anniversary" bug on-screen, which also forms part of the contestant window during the Bonus Round.
 * The Wheel pegs are changed to shorter, bronze-colored pegs. The Wheel spins a little more loosely than in the past two seasons, but it is still quite loud.
 * For this season, compilation weeks (i.e., weeks composed of sixth episodes) don't have names; they simply have the name of the full set week. For this season, there are four, and from this season onward, the last week of the season is always a compilation week.
 * If a contestant has friends and/or family members in the audience, they are now shown standing at the front of the audience at the start of the Bonus Round.
 * Fill In the Blank is known to have been retired by the start of the season, and possibly earlier.
 * Either in this season or early in the next, there is a $3,000 Toss-Up of WHAT A RELIEF for which no one even rings in; this is believed to be the only time this ever happened.

September 2002 : (season begins September 2)
 * On September 2, the very first Mystery Wedge is flipped; the other side is Bankrupt.
 * For most of the first few weeks, Pat flips over the second Mystery Wedge at the end of the round if a contestant has flipped over one of them. However, he does not do this on September 2.
 * September 9 is Las Vegas Week, taped in Culver City.
 * September 9 is a $100,000 loss.
 * On September 10, Charlie does not do the Mystery Round intro, and there is no Pat & Vanna chat at the end.
 * On September 10, a contestant mispronounces "jalapeño" as "jalapeña" when solving the Speed-Up puzzle JALAPENO AND DR PEPPER, but is still ruled correct. This is also the first known instance since 1989 of a Same Name spelling AND instead of using an ampersand, and one of the last known instances of Same Name in the Speed-Up round.
 * Not long afterward, the show stops using Before & After, Same Name and three-line puzzles in the Speed-Up. This change was probably done for time constraints.
 * Donny Osmond makes a cameo on September 16 after the puzzle TV GAME SHOW HOST. He promotes Pyramid, which debuts that day.
 * Season 20 starts with 13 consecutive Bonus Round losses, accounting for the longest known losing streak in the show's history.
 * September 30 is Florida Week, taped in Culver City.

October 2002 :
 * October 7 is the last European Vacation Week (or EuroTour, as in this edition) until Season 24.
 * October 21 is Wheel Takes Manhattan, taped in Culver City.

November 2002 :
 * The weeks of November 4-18 are taped in Seattle. November 11 is College Week, and November 18 is Family Week.
 * On one of the Seattle episodes, CINEMATOGRAPHY is a Speed-Up puzzle. This is believed to be the first time that a one-word answer fills in the entire second row of the current puzzle board, something which does not happen again until the bonus puzzle QUALIFICATIONS on May 13, 2011.

December 2002 :
 * December 2 is Family Week, despite there having been one just two weeks before in Seattle. This one is called Family Vacations, and has the Universal Studios Orlando background, similar to the week of May 22, 2000. This Family Week has a sixth episode. The week is originally scheduled for the week of December 30, but rescheduled to prevent being pre-empted by the Rose Bowl on ABC affiliates.
 * On December 3:
 * There is a now very-rare instance of the same category being used twice in one game: the $2,000 Toss-Up is Things, and the $3,000 Toss-Up is Thing.
 * There is also a rare instance of a one-word puzzle in Round 5.
 * The contestant "window" does not appear in the Bonus Round until after Vanna reveals the letters the contestants called.
 * The bonus puzzle, WORKBENCH, is categorized as Around the House. While it keeps that category the next time the puzzle is used (May 5, 2005), it is only categorized as Thing on April 9, 2010.
 * December 4 has an Artist/Song puzzle.
 * On December 4, a family pair sweeps the main game and wins $100,000 in the Bonus Round. This is the first sweep since at least the introduction of Toss-Ups.
 * December 5 has a rare one-word puzzle in Round 4, even though the game is 5 rounds.
 * December 6 has a Jackpot win.
 * On December 12:
 * Vanna wears a sleeveless shirt and pants; this is probably the only time outside her pregnancies that she does not wear a dress.
 * The blue contestant solves the Speed-Up just after the buzzer. After the red contestant solves, Pat tells them that the scores are tentative because they need to check the tape in regards to the blue contestant. After the commercial break, it is determined that the blue contestant was beaten by the buzzer, so the red contestant is present at the Bonus Round.
 * There is a $100,000 loss.
 * Sometime around December, Rhyme Time makes its first known appearance in the Bonus Round. The contestant's letters fill in the answer, FINE WINE, completely.
 * December 30 is San Francisco Week, taped in Culver City.
 * Sometime during the week of December 30, a contestant solves KELSEY GRAMMER AS DR. FRASIER CRANE with only the R's and S's revealed.
 * December 30 is a $100,000 loss.

January 2003 :
 * January 13 is the first Big Money Week to occur only once in a season.
 * Sometime around January, the font on each wedges on the wheel is changed.
 * On January 13, a contestant fails to solve the bonus puzzle WINNIPEG with _INNIPE_ revealed.
 * January 14 is a $100,000 loss.
 * On January 23, a contestant solves the bonus puzzle BLACKBIRD while his extra letters are still lighting up.

February 2003 :
 * The weeks of February 3-17 are taped at the Grand Ole Opry House in Nashville.
 * All five Bonus Rounds are won on the week of February 3.
 * On February 3, the contestant's letter choices reveal the bonus puzzle SNOWPLOW completely.
 * February 7 has a redundant answer of FIREPLACE MANTEL as the $2,000 Toss-Up.
 * February 10 is Sweethearts Week, and the last Hershey's Pot of Gold Sweepstakes.
 * On February 13, a pair of contestants sweeps the main game and wins a pair of Mercedes SLKs in the Bonus Round.
 * February 17 is the first Country Music Stars Week, with teams consisting of a contestant and a country music singer. It plays identically to all other weeks with celebrity/civilian teams.
 * On February 17, Lee Ann Womack helps her contestant solve the bonus puzzle BOOKWORM at the last second with only ______RM revealed.
 * February 21 is a $100,000 loss.

March 2003 :
 * On March 6, the bonus puzzle is a redundant answer of CHURCH HYMN.
 * On March 13, in an unusual move, Pat gives the contestant a choice of three possible companies after the Slogan puzzle THE CLEAR ALTERNATIVE TO CELLULAR. The contestant gives the right answer of Sprint.
 * March 13 is the first tie game since the introduction of Toss-Ups. The tie is broken by a fourth Toss-Up without cash value. This also creates a now-very rare occurrence of the same category appearing three times in one show; Round 3 is Thing, while the tie-breaking Toss-Up and Bonus Round are Things.
 * March 17 has a Jackpot win.
 * On March 18, Pat forgets to open the envelope after the Bonus Round.
 * March 21 has what may be the longest puzzle ever used on the show in terms of spaces used: a Who Is It? of SHE JUST WON A SEVENTH U.S. FIGURE SKATING CHAMPIONSHIP (Michelle Kwan), which uses 47 of the 52 spaces. In terms of letters used, it is only the second-longest known answer, as a 46-letter puzzle appears in October 2007.
 * March 24 is Hawaii Week, taped in Culver City.
 * March 27 is a $100,000 loss.

April 2003 :
 * April 7 is NASCAR Week.
 * April 21 is Salute to Chicago Week, taped in Culver City.
 * April 24 is a $100,000 win. The contestant solves JOCKEY with _O__E_ revealed.
 * April 24 begins a 20 Cars in 20 Days sweepstakes in honor of the nighttime version's 20th season. Home viewers can enter for a chance to win one of 20 different cars.
 * The weeks of April 28-May 12 are taped at the San Diego Convention Center.
 * From the San Diego episodes to the end of the season, the gold frames at the top and sides of the puzzle board are inexplicably missing; only the ones at the bottom are present. It is possible that this change is related to the addition of the board's neon frame in the next season.
 * April 30 is a $100,000 loss.

May 2003 : (season ends May 30)
 * On May 1, contestant Kara accidentally breaks her buzzer following the $2,000 Toss-Up, by jumping in celebration while holding it. It is fixed in time for the $3,000 Toss-Up.
 * May 5 is Armed Forces Week.
 * On May 5, the total from the $3,000 Toss-Up is accidentally kept in the yellow contestant's bank for Round 4. This ends up affecting the game, as she uses this money to buy a vowel even though her only spin to that point landed on the Prize wedge. However, she later hits Bankrupt.
 * May 12 is College Week.
 * During one of the College Week episodes, contestant Sarah mentions that her mother won a trip on the show in 1977, which resulted in her marriage and Sarah's birth.
 * On May 15, a contestant fails to solve the bonus puzzle ENJOY THE SHOW with EN_O_ THE SHOW revealed.
 * May 21 is a $100,000 win. The contestant has only $5,500 before the Bonus Round, which is very likely the lowest pre-Bonus Round total since the introduction of Toss-Ups.

Season 21 (2003-04)
Season Changes :
 * The gold borders around the Wheel and puzzle board are replaced with the current blue and purple LED borders. The borders around the Wheel are made of Plexiglas, and at least the base of the Wheel itself is rebuilt.
 * The video wall behind the panel now has moving pictures instead of a singular pattern.
 * The Toss-Up wipe is changed to a blue ring saying "Toss-Up" on the top and bottom, with the amount written on a blue bar in the middle.
 * On the Menu debuts.
 * The category strips are now white text on a dark blue-violet strip, the left and right sides of which fade instead of having distinct ends.
 * The Jackpot wedge is changed, now showing a golden-colored logo with "JACKPOT" written on a triangle.
 * The opening is the logo forming (first the wheel representing the O in "of", then the rest of it), on a white background with green streaks. It is slightly changed after only the second week of the season.
 * Black carpeting is added to the part of the puzzle board that Vanna walks on.
 * Like the two from Season 19, weeks composed of sixth shows now have their own names.
 * For the first time since Season 5, the season does not begin on Labor Day.
 * This is the only known season in the show's history not to have a Family Week.
 * The camera shot is changed slightly in the Bonus Round. Instead of showing a static shot of the board when the category is revealed, the camera now slowly zooms in on the board until the timer starts. By the time the shot stops zooming in, the extra monitors in the middle two rows are cut off.
 * This is the only season in which the $100,000 is not won.

September 2003 : (season begins September 8)
 * September 8 is Big Money Week.
 * On at least September 8, one of the gift tags is $1,000 cash in the form of then newly-redesigned $20 bills (which is also the shape of the gift tag). Pat promotes the prize before the first Toss-Up.
 * September 8 has a Jackpot win.
 * On September 8, the second Bankrupt in Round 3 is accidently placed on the yellow $300. Later in Season 25, it is placed on that space to make the $3,500 wedge easy to read.
 * September 11 is the debut of the Prize Puzzle.
 * September 12 is the last known instance of a "normal" category followed by a trivia question; unusually, it is a multiple-choice question. After the Headline puzzle QUEEN ELIZABETH CELEBRATES MILESTONE, Pat asks whether it is Queen Elizabeth's 40th, 50th or 60th anniversary of coronation, and she provides the right answer (50th).
 * On September 22, Pat jokes about Game Show Network (GSN) before the $3,000 Toss-Up by saying, "I mean, there are shows on Game Show Network that don't give that away in a month!"

October 2003 :
 * On October 3, a contestant impersonates Fred Flintstone, which leads to Pat impersonating Barney Rubble.
 * On October 21, a contestant is given the bonus puzzle HICCUPS with only _____PS revealed, and Pat jokes that he will retire if she solves it. She does.
 * On October 27, Vanna's son and daughter, Niko and Giavonna, appear in costume at the end of the show.

November 2003 :
 * The weeks of November 3-17 are taped at Radio City Music Hall.
 * On all of the Radio City Music Hall episodes, the Jackpot display is inexplicably in the lower left-hand corner instead of the upper left-hand corner.
 * On November 6, a contestant fails to solve the bonus puzzle CAB FARE with _A_ FARE revealed.
 * On November 7, the original Round 1 puzzle is thrown out because a contestant is inadvertently allowed to buy a vowel despite having only $50 and the $10,000 prize.
 * On November 7, Pat pretends to wrestle the winning contestant after he wins the Bonus Round.
 * November 10 is the show's ceremonial 4,000th episode. Like the 3,000th episode, it is composed entirely of clips, narrated by Pat and Vanna. During the first clip montage, the 1978 opening used in the ceremonial 3,000th show is erroneously identified as 1983.
 * The rest of the November 10 week is Best Friends Week. Strangely, during reruns in Summer 2004, the November 3-6 episodes are packaged with November 10, which re-airs on a Friday.
 * On one of the Best Friends episodes (either on the 11th or 12th), a Toss-Up is thrown out because the lockouts are not activated on the buzzers, allowing one team to accidentally ring in twice.
 * November 14 has a grammatically incorrect bonus puzzle. The answer is PIECE OF MIND, a conflation of PEACE OF MIND and A PIECE OF YOUR MIND.
 * November 17 is NBA Week.
 * November 17 and 26 both have Artist/Song puzzles.
 * Starting November 24, there is now a split-screen during the Pat and Vanna chat. The right side of the screen displays the show's disclaimers and the companies who provided Pat and Vanna's wardrobes. The first one is an orange-red background; road shows use ones with themed graphics.
 * November 26 is a $100,000 loss.

December 2003 :
 * Starting December 8, Charlie now announces two sponsors after the first commercial break with "Tonight's show brought to you by..." Reruns of episodes before this point are edited to include the sponsors.
 * December 8 through 19 are the Blue Cash Sweepstakes. This is a special "blue"-themed sweepstakes sponsored by American Express Blue Card. Home viewers may submit each episode's bonus puzzle on the show's website to enter a drawing which offers "blue"-themed prizes, such as tickets to Blue Man Group or a blue car. A promotional clip for this sweepstakes shows a Bonus Round win from earlier in the season, edited so that the board says BLUE CASH (in the wrong font).
 * The week of December 15 is also Blue Cash Week. All of the cars in the Bonus Round are blue, and both the neon parts of the set and the category strips are darker blue than usual. Also, the Mystery Round prize is $10,000 towards the purchase of products from Sony Style.
 * On December 16, music director Steve Kaplan dies in a plane crash.
 * On December 17, all three contestants hit Bankrupt consecutively in Round 3 (the second by way of a Mystery wedge).
 * On December 17, the tight close-up of the red contestant's arrow is not used during the Final Spin. Instead, the camera stays on the zoomed-out, angled shot the whole time, so that the whole Wheel is seen during the entire Final Spin.
 * December 22 contestant Khalilah's mother also competed on the show.
 * December 22 has six rounds.
 * December 23 is a $100,000 loss.
 * December 24 is the first known instance of a Prize Puzzle offering something other than a trip: in this case, the answer GIZMOS AND GADGETS offers a home entertainment package.
 * On December 29, both Wheel and Jeopardy! show a black-and-white picture of Steve Kaplan after the credits.
 * For the week of December 29, the Jackpot score display is again in the lower left-hand corner. A music note-shaped bug appears in the upper left-hand corner.
 * On December 31, a contestant supposedly fails to solve the bonus puzzle MAID MARIAN with only the I's unrevealed.

January 2004 :
 * January 1 has an Author/Title puzzle, while January 21 has a Title/Author.
 * On January 2:
 * For only the third known time, a contestant incorrectly solves a fully-revealed puzzle. The answer is FRANCIS FORD & SOFIA COPPOLA, but she mispronounces "Coppola".
 * Another contestant accidentally calls C twice in the Bonus Round.
 * The theme music continues to play under the first pre-recorded fee plug.
 * January 5 is NFL Week.
 * January 6 has a redundant puzzle, STAR CONSTELLATION, as the $1,000 Toss-Up.
 * On January 13 and 14, two contestants in a row call G C D O in that order in the Bonus Round.
 * On January 28, a contestant makes an extremely close mis-solve in the Bonus Round. The puzzle is BACK TO BASICS, but the contestant says "BACK TO THE BASICS".

February 2004 :
 * February 2 is Aloha Week; despite being Hawaii-themed, it is taped in Culver City.
 * February 3 and 6 both have six rounds.
 * On February 6, one of the older cues (possibly the original one) accidentally plays after the $3,000 Toss-Up.
 * On February 6, the bonus puzzle A NEW JOB is inexplicably categorized as Phrase instead of Thing.
 * The weeks of February 9-23 are taped at the Dodge Theatre in Phoenix, Arizona. February 9 is Sweethearts Week, and February 23, Teen Best Friends.
 * Unusually for a road show, February 9 appears not to have been the first taped episode from that week, as Pat makes no mention of it being their first week in Phoenix.
 * February 9 is a $100,000 loss.
 * On February 10, THE FAMILY CIRCUS CARTOON is a puzzle. At the end of the show, Pat and Vanna show a Family Circus strip where a character mentions her.
 * On February 13, all three teams ring in with wrong answers on the $1,000 Toss-Up, CORNER BARBERSHOP.
 * On February 13, a pair of contestants technically sweeps the main game (disregarding the unsolved $1,000 Toss-Up) and wins $25,000 in the Bonus Round. Their letters fill in the bonus puzzle A CLEAN SHAVE entirely.
 * On February 18, one of the contestants is picked out of the audience. She makes it to the Bonus Round, where she tries to call four of the six letters that are already given (T, N, S, R).
 * On February 20, with a Slogan puzzle of OUTWIT OUTPLAY OUTLAST, a contestant loses her chance at the $3,000 bonus when an audience member shouts out the right answer of Survivor. This does not affect the outcome, as she wins anyway. This is also the only known instance of a Slogan puzzle that is not related to an individual business or product.
 * On February 20, Pat stands over the Bonus Wheel and makes bizarre, pseudo-Indian chants before the contestant spins it.
 * All five winners on the week of February 16 are female.

March 2004 :
 * March 1 is Aruba Week, with a sweepstakes.
 * During the week of March 1, at least three contestants get no help from their letters in the Bonus Round.
 * On March 9, after SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS is a puzzle, Pat says, "What do you mean, 'Fictional Character'?" and recites the entire SpongeBob SquarePants theme song.
 * March 12 is the first use of On the Menu in the Bonus Round.
 * On March 15:
 * Several clear arches are added to the set. The arch behind Pat has a smaller video screen which displays the show's logo atop a graphic of a spinning Wheel.
 * The Wheel Watchers Club debuts, which allows home viewers who are members of the show's rewards program a chance to win the prize offered by a Prize Puzzle. After Charlie finishes the prize plug, he reads a randomly-drawn SPIN ID number; home viewers who see their SPIN ID on the show may go to the show's website to confirm their ID and claim the prize. New SPIN IDs are edited into reruns.
 * Following the Clue puzzle A ROMAN GOD OR THE PLANET NEAREST THE SUN, the contestant gives an incorrect guess of Pluto. Pat then lets her guess again, and she then guesses the Moon, Mars and Saturn before finally saying the right response of Mercury. (Obviously, the subsequent guesses are not taken.)
 * The bonus puzzle A GROUP HUG is categorized as Event. The next two times this bonus puzzle appears (February 27, 2006 and January 12, 2010), it is categorized as Thing and doesn't have the A.
 * During the post-game chat, Pat reminds Vanna that during a chat in November, she wished that Thanksgiving could be at another time, such as March. He then reminds her it's now March, and surprises her with a turkey dinner.
 * March 17 has a now-rare instance of a Bonus Round prize worth less than $25,000: a (base model) Chrysler PT Cruiser valued at just over $19,000.
 * On March 18, the second-place contestant has $26,900, believed to be the highest second-place total at the time. This is later beaten on October 12, 2009.
 * March 25 is a $100,000 loss.
 * All five Bonus Rounds are lost on the week of March 29.
 * March 29 has a slightly inaccurate Next Line Please puzzle. The answer is I DO NOT LIKE THEM SAM-I-AM, which Pat tells the contestant is followed by "I do not like green eggs and ham" after she fails to provide a guess. While this is technically correct, these two lines appear in the opposite order far more frequently in the book, and only appear in that order once.
 * During the week of March 29, Wheel Changes Lives segments are shown during Pat and Vanna's talk.
 * On March 31, a contestant mispronounces "plush" when solving THICK PLUSH BEACH TOWELS. Against precedent, she is asked to say the answer again, and pronounces it correctly the second time. Pat then explains that she was allowed to re-solve because the puzzle is a tongue twister.

April 2004 :
 * On April 2, a contestant (Heather) makes a second appearance because of an error on her first episode. She finishes this episode in third place with $2,050.
 * Between January 17 and April 5, Fictional Place has appeared four times, when it rarely appears more than once in an entire season.
 * April 8 has a very unusual, non-sequitur puzzle of SPARROWS & PARAKEETS as the first Toss-Up. These are two types of completely unrelated birds which are not commonly associated together.
 * April 9 has a very rare instance of a bonus puzzle without A, E, I, O or U in it. The answer is MYTHS.
 * All five Bonus Rounds are lost on the week of April 12. The losing streak extends to seven before another win occurs on the 21st.
 * April 12 is Wheel Around the World Week.
 * During the week of April 12, three contestants get no help from their letters in the Bonus Round.
 * On April 12, the theme to the Australian version of Wheel is used as a cue for the Wheel Prize, which is a trip to Australia.
 * On April 19, I'D LIKE TO BUY A VOWEL is the Round 1 puzzle.
 * April 28 is the last appearance of Fill In the Number. Interestingly, the puzzle has two different numbers in it (# SCORE AND # YEARS AGO); all other known instances had only one.
 * On April 28, a contestant fails to solve the bonus puzzle PROOF POSITIVE with only the I's and V missing.
 * The month of April has three bonus puzzles that are five letters long: MYTHS on the 9th, VOGUE on the 12th, and FIBER on the 20th.

May 2004 :
 * May 3, 10 and 17 are taped at Moscone Center in San Francisco. May 3 is the first Mom & Me Week (with mother/son and mother/daughter teams), and May 17 is College Week. These episodes are also the source of a frequently re-aired outtakes reel, where Vanna repeatedly flubs the line "Highlight your nightlife" while shooting a bumper.
 * May 3 has the only known use of Slogan as a Toss-Up. Since the answer is CHOOSY MOMS CHOOSE JIF, Pat does not ask the "bonus" question. (It is known that at least two other Slogan puzzles in the early 2000s had the product's name in the answer.)
 * On May 3, Willie Mays makes a guest appearance after the Round 2 puzzle BASEBALL HALL OF FAME.
 * May 4 is the first of only two known appearances of Classic TV in the Bonus Round.
 * On May 10, the lights briefly go out in the middle of a round. Gameplay is simply picked up from where it left off, and the show is edited.
 * On May 10, the Bonus Wheel spin is re-shot because it did not go all the way around the first time. The original spin is edited out.
 * On May 17, a contestant solves the bonus puzzle MY GIFT TO YOU at the last second with only the T's and O's revealed.
 * On May 21, a contestant wins the main game by $50.
 * Despite being taped in Culver City, the weeks of May 24 and 31 have themed backdrops for the split-screen during Pat and Vanna's talk.
 * On May 25, one of the contestants is from Italy.
 * On May 25, a contestant makes an extremely close mis-solve in the bonus round by saying KODAK BEAR when the answer is KODIAK BEAR.
 * On May 28, a contestant sweeps the main game but loses $25,000 in the Bonus Round.

June 2004 : (season ends June 4)
 * June 2 has seven rounds.
 * On June 2, the scoreboards glitch out at the end of the Speed-Up round.
 * On June 3, the Bonus Round contestant says the words "boiling" and "point" at various times among his guesses, but never says the right answer of BOILING POINT.

Season 22 (2004-05)
Season Changes :
 * The opening starts with the show's title written in many different fonts, in orange letters. The letters then combine to form the edge of the Wheel. When the full title is displayed, the Wheel graphic tilts to form the O in OF, and the rest of the letters in the logo are silver on a blue background. The Wheel graphic in this intro is extremely inaccurate, lacking both Lose A Turn and Bankrupt while including $1,500 and $2,000, values which have never been used on nighttime.
 * The Bonus Wheel is redone in neon colors, to match the set.
 * The category strips are still white on dark blue, but darker than the ones in Season 21. The font is also slightly taller and heavier, and the edges of the blue field are slightly more pronounced. They also reveal with a white "spark" effect.
 * This season is the last one to begin on Labor Day.
 * A small graphic now informs home viewers if there are no more vowels left in the puzzle. The first one is written in black on a yellow rectangle, which "pops" out of the category strip.
 * Mystery Wedges now offer $1,000 per letter if they are not flipped over, and the color scheme is reversed: the wedge itself is now blue, and the circle around the question mark is now black. Also, the prize offered is sometimes $10,000 cash instead of a prize worth roughly $10,000.
 * The Final Spin now has a graphic wipe, with the words "Final Spin" written in several fonts in orange letters (like the opening).
 * There are now two gift tags: one on the pink $300 and one on the green $700.
 * The Prize Puzzle bug sometimes shifts to "Have Your SPIN ID Ready".
 * The cash totals after the Bonus Round are now in a wide silver font.
 * The Pat & Vanna talk backdrop is a blue "starry sky" pattern.
 * The practice of editing out "null" turns (i.e., player control goes a complete cycle without affecting score) appears to begin around this point. If this occurs in a Speed-Up round, it is typically masked by cutting to Pat.
 * The Toss-Up wipe is changed.

September 2004 : (season begins September 6)
 * For at least the first week (it is known to have been present on the 10th), there is a cylindrical prop with the show's logo at stage right, near the blue contestant. On the season premiere, Pat jokingly refers to it as a soft drink machine.
 * September 6 is the debut of Fun & Games. Interestingly, it is the second Toss-Up.
 * On September 6, at least one "good" turn is accidentally edited out of Round 1. With one gift tag and the Free Spin, a contestant spins and calls a C, which is not in the puzzle. Immediately afterward, she hands in the Free Spin, and a P is on the board despite not being present before she called the C. Also, the contestant is holding both gift tags at the end of the round, although one of them is never seen being hit.
 * September 8 is the debut of Best Seller.
 * On September 9 (the first Prize Puzzle of the season), a wipe is added for the Prize Puzzle.
 * On September 10, a contestant solves the bonus puzzle GUITAR PICK with only ___TAR ____ revealed.
 * September 13 has a rare instance of a contestant referring to a previous episode's puzzle: after failing to solve her bonus puzzle, she says "I couldn't get HIPBONE either" (in reference to the February 17, 2004 show).
 * On September 15, the A in the bonus puzzle WAX FRUIT takes an extremely long time to reveal after Vanna touches it.
 * On September 20, a contestant solves the bonus puzzle MATH WHIZ with only M_T_ ____ revealed.
 * On September 21, a contestant accidentally leaves out "big" when solving the Round 2 puzzle CLIFFORD THE BIG RED DOG. He stops just shy of saying the G in "dog", then says the correct answer, which is accepted.
 * By September 27, the "soft drink machine" is removed. Precedent would suggest that it was only present for the first week of taping.

October 2004 :
 * October 6 is the first appearance of Fun & Games in the Bonus Round.
 * On October 13, the contestant solves the bonus puzzle about a half-second before the buzzer.
 * On October 18, a contestant sweeps the main game but loses $25,000 in the Bonus Round.
 * October 25 is the last Halloween Week until 2008.
 * On October 25, the Jackpot wedge is changed to a sparkling red color.
 * October 25 is a $100,000 loss.
 * On October 29, no one gives a correct answer to the $1,000 Toss-Up, RIGHT OFF THE BAT.
 * October 29 has a Jackpot win.
 * On October 29, the bonus puzzle ALMOND JOY is very misleadingly categorized as Around the House, perhaps due to being a Halloween episode. This puzzle may have been one of the reasons behind renaming On the Menu to Food & Drink in Season 24.

November 2004 :
 * November 4 has a Jackpot win.
 * November 4 has a very non-sequitur puzzle of FLAMINGOS KOALAS & GIANT PANDAS; these three animals are not only extremely unrelated, but also native to completely different continents.
 * On November 5, Pat accidentally asks the winning contestant if he has any friends or family members in the audience, even though he was told during the commercial break that the contestant did not. Pat then blames his gaffe on "that damn ventriloquist" who was one of the other contestants.
 * The weeks of November 8 and 15 are taped in Philadelphia. November 15 is Family Week.
 * On November 16, a family pair fails to solve the bonus puzzle THE VIEW with THE _IE_ revealed.
 * On November 17, all three teams are composed of identical twins.
 * November 17 is the first of only two known appearances of Song Lyrics in the Bonus Round.
 * Between November 19 and 23, three contestants in a row call their vowels out of order in the Bonus Round: third on the 19th, second on the 22nd and first on the 23rd.
 * November 23 is the last appearance of Landmark in the Bonus Round, and possibly its only appearance there in the 2000s.

December 2004 :
 * December 13's winning contestant leaves with only $6,550, quite possibly the lowest post-Bonus Round total since the introduction of Toss-Ups.
 * On December 14, the contestant's letter choices fill in the bonus puzzle KEEPSAKE completely. The second K fails to reveal for several seconds after Vanna touches it.
 * December 20 has six rounds and a Jackpot win.
 * On December 22, a contestant solves the $3,000 Toss-Up FA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA with only one of the A's showing.
 * December 28 has the second known instance of a puzzle with a colon in it. The answer is EXTREME MAKEOVER: HOME EDITION. Colons begin occurring with increasing frequency, including another exactly one month later.
 * On December 28 and 29, C M P A may have been called in the Bonus Round in that exact order for two consecutive days.

January 2005 :
 * The week of January 3 is NFL Week, with introductions from former Cleveland Browns running back Jim Brown.
 * Between January 7 and 14, the $25,000 bonus prize is hit six times in a row.
 * The week of January 17 has the first instance of $100,000 being hit twice in one week: on Monday and again on Thursday.
 * January 18 is the last appearance of Clue.
 * All five Bonus Rounds are lost on the week of January 17. This is part of a seven-loss streak that extends to the 25th.
 * January 31 is Teen Best Friends Week, from Philadelphia.

February 2005 :
 * February 3 is the first $100,000 win since May 21, 2003.
 * The weeks of February 7-21 are taped in Las Vegas. February 7 is Sweethearts Week, February 14 is Las Vegas Week, and February 21 is Big Money Week.
 * On the Vegas episodes, the video wall is replaced with an oversized replica of a slot machine, with video screens for the slots. At the start of each round, they spin, rotating among 7's, BARs and cherries. They also show the cash amount during Toss-Up rounds, "Final Spin" during Speed-Up rounds and "Jackpot" if the Jackpot is won.
 * On February 18, a contestant sets a new one-round record of $54,000 in the Speed-Up.
 * February 18 is a $100,000 loss; the contestant would have set a one-day record of $160,150 had she solved. The bonus puzzle, QUALITY TIME, causes another $100,000 loss on September 21, 2010.
 * All five Bonus Rounds are lost on the week of February 21.
 * Between February 28 and March 7, the $25,000 bonus prize is hit six days in a row.

March 2005 :
 * March 7 has six rounds.
 * On March 7, a contestant solves the bonus puzzle GRAVY BOAT despite getting no help from his extra letters.
 * On March 10, a contestant solves the bonus puzzle KAYAKING with only _____ING revealed.
 * On March 23, a letter that the contestant did not call is accidentally revealed in the Bonus Round. Although her letter choices of M P D A are correctly shown at the bottom of the screen, the B is revealed in the answer SUBWAY, which she then solves. During the post-game discussion, Pat says that they will let her keep the prize since the board operator mis-heard the P as B.

April 2005 :
 * April 4 is a $100,000 loss.
 * April 6's bonus puzzle THE BEACH BOYS is inexplicably categorized as Show Biz instead of Proper Name.
 * April 11 is the last Big Money Week until the one from Las Vegas in Season 28. This is also the last time that it's used more than once in the same season.
 * On April 11, all three contestants ring in with wrong answers on the $2,000 Toss-Up, WILD DINGO.
 * On April 15, a wheelchair-bound contestant has his brother spin the Wheel for him.
 * On April 19, a contestant sweeps the main game and wins $25,000 in the Bonus Round.

May 2005 :
 * The weeks of May 2-16 are taped at Bartle Hall in Kansas City, Missouri. May 2 is Mom & Me, and May 16 is College Week.
 * On May 6, a team solves the Speed-Up puzzle NON-STICK FRYING PAN with only the N's revealed.
 * May 10 is the last appearance of Title in the Bonus Round. Interestingly, none of the three subsets of Title introduced in the next season are ever used in the Bonus Round.
 * May 23 is the last Wheel Goes to the Movies Week, although movie-themed weeks continue to air: Season 23 has Hollywood Walk of Fame in January, and Seasons 24-26 have Holiday Movie Magic sometime between Thanksgiving and Christmas.
 * May 27's bonus puzzle FAWN is believed to be the only four-letter bonus puzzle since BALI in November 2001, although A GULF appears early in Season 23.
 * May 30 is a $100,000 loss.

June 2005 : (season ends June 3)

Season 23 (2005-06)
Season Changes :
 * From now until season 29, the season premiere is always the first Monday after Labor Day.
 * For all of Season 23, most shows begin with one of three animated intros featuring people getting ready to watch Wheel. One includes a man quickly driving home from work; one features a man seeming to get ready for a date (including a cat wearing an "I'm a Wheel Watcher" shirt); and one features a black family finishing dinner quickly before running into the living room. Each animation ends with the last bar of "Happy Wheels" and the logo in maroon with a blue background, as if it were joined in progress. These intros are not used during road shows. Some affiliates also use these animations as ads for the show.
 * Though the logo changes, the Prize Puzzle and Final Spin graphics and Pat & Vanna talk background don't.
 * Prize Puzzles now occur daily.
 * The Prize wedge moves to Round 1.
 * The question mark on the Mystery Wedges is now in a red circle instead of black.
 * The category strips are white on a blue strip that fades at the ends, with a plain font similar to Arial.
 * Cars won in the bonus round are now available to Wheel Watchers Club members. Charlie reads the SPIN ID after describing the car.
 * The first commercial break is moved to the end of Round 1; Rounds 2 (Jackpot) and 3 (Mystery) are now in their own segments. Also, there is also no longer a commercial break between the Bonus Round and credits; instead, a brief promotional spiel (e.g., Wheelmobile plug) airs at this point.
 * The "no more vowels" graphic is changed to a slanted appearance.
 * For this season and Season 24, the Jackpot bumper features the Jackpot logo over the contestant area. During this shot, Pat often does something amusing.
 * The consolation for contestants who fail to earn anything, and the house minimum, are both increased to $1,000. During episodes with two-person teams, both are $2,000.
 * The Wheel pegs are changed again to a silver color. As a result, the Wheel is now noticeably quieter.
 * The "$3,000 bonus" categories begin occurring much less frequently.
 * The Prize Wedge, Gift Tags and second Bankrupt are now removed from the Wheel after Round 3.

September 2005 : (season begins September 12)
 * The season starts with seven Bonus Round losses.
 * The week of September 12 is Wheel Around the World.
 * September 12's Round 1 answer, LUXURY BOX OF KLEENEX, sets a record for the most X's in one puzzle.
 * September 12 is the debut of TV Title.
 * On September 12, a contestant asks to buy a vowel after Pat has reminded the contestants that there are no more vowels in the puzzle. Because the vowel called is already in the puzzle, she loses her turn.
 * September 19 is the debut of Movie Title, as the third Toss-Up.
 * Between September 20 and 27, six bonus puzzles in a row are Thing.
 * September 21 has a very rare instance of Star/Role appearing in Round 4. It is not known why this category almost never appears in Round 4.
 * On September 21, a contestant sweeps the main game and wins $25,000 in the Bonus Round.
 * September 22 has seven rounds.
 * September 26 is the first of three Wheel Watchers Club weeks in the season. During these weeks, the Gift Tags award 10,000 Wheel Watchers Club Points/Sony Rewards Points and $1,000 cash.
 * September 26's bonus puzzle, A GULF, is one of the last examples of a puzzle with a redundant A at the beginning.
 * September 27 is the debut of In the Kitchen, as the third Toss-Up.
 * On September 28, a contestant solves the bonus puzzle KICKBOXING with _I_____ING revealed.
 * September 29 has two males and one female contestant.

October 2005 :
 * Starting October 3, a graphic effect now shows home viewers what is on the other side of a Mystery Wedge if it is landed on. The prize is now always $10,000 cash, barring two episodes mentioned below.
 * All five Bonus Rounds are lost on the week of October 3.
 * On October 4, an audience member shouts out the right answer to the question asked by a Next Line Please puzzle.
 * October 6 has three female contestants.
 * The weeks of October 10-24 do not have any animated intros. October 17 is a sixth-show week.
 * Kurt Warner gives introductions on October 10 and 13. The former is also the debut of a maroon-colored "full" intro used whenever the animations are not.
 * October 13 is apparently the debut of Song Title, as the first Toss-Up.
 * October 18's sixth show taping is of the previous week.
 * October 19 and 20 are sixth-show tapings from the weeks of September 26 and 19, respectively. These are the last two episodes in which the Mystery Round prize is not $10,000 cash, and do not have the graphic effect showing what is on the reverse of the Mystery Wedges.
 * On October 21, a contestant solves the bonus puzzle SKUNK despite getting no help from their extra letters.
 * October 24 is the first College Week from Culver City. As a result, no marching band or cheerleading squad is present, and the contestants do not introduce themselves while walking onstage.
 * October 24 is the debut of College Life.
 * On October 24, the Jackpot wedge is re-colored shiny silver like the $5,000 wedge, with a red triangular Jackpot logo.
 * On October 24, a contestant ties the one-round record of $54,000 in the Speed-Up round.
 * October 25 is the debut of Rock On!
 * On October 25, the bonus puzzle BIG GULP is very misleadingly categorized as On the Menu; this puzzle may have been one of the reasons behind renaming On the Menu to Food & Drink in Season 24.
 * The week of October 31 is the last NBA Week.

November 2005 :
 * The weeks of November 7 and 14 are taped at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans. Hurricane Katrina forced the crew to evacuate, canceling a third week (Family Week) which would have been taped there. The teams scheduled for the third week eventually appear in May 2006.
 * November 14 is a $100,000 win.
 * On November 15, a contestant is only one peg away from the $100,000 envelope.
 * Round 1 is edited out of the November 16 episode, and the $1,000 Toss-Up is edited out on the 17th. Both puzzles were removed because their answers were deemed insensitive to Hurricane Katrina victims. In place of the rounds, viewers see clips of Pat and Vanna asking viewers to donate to Hurricane Katrina relief funds, then announcing who won the round. When the episodes are rerun in Summer 2006, the Toss-Up is restored (THE LOUISIANA SUPERDOME), but Round 1 of the November 16 show is replaced with another clip of Pat and Vanna thanking those who donated.
 * November 21 is Teen Best Friends Week, and the first in Culver City since Season 20.
 * November 21 is the second $100,000 win of the season, only one week after the first.
 * Between November 21 and 23, three teams in a row call P M D A in the Bonus Round. However, the letters are called in a different order each time.
 * The week of November 21 also has three instances of teams calling their vowels out of order in the Bonus Round: second on Monday, first on Wednesday and third on Friday.
 * The week of November 28 does not have any animated intros.

December 2005 :
 * December 2 is the only appearance of Best Seller in the Bonus Round. The puzzle, JOY OF COOKING, is not solved.
 * The week of December 5 has animated intros on Monday, Tuesday and Friday.
 * On December 5, the contestant solves the bonus puzzle about a second after the buzzer.
 * December 7 is a $100,000 loss.
 * From December 12 until the end of the season, the animated intros are used on on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday only.
 * The week of December 12 is the Sony Winner Wonderland sweepstakes. Home viewers may collect game pieces from Circuit City stores or the show's website. If an episode's bonus puzzle matches the answer on a game piece, the home viewer may send in the piece for a chance to win a $25,000 prize. Also, all of the prizes this week are Sony products, making for a now-rare occurrence of Wheel prizes that are not trips.
 * On December 15, no one gives a correct answer to the $3,000 Toss-Up, BUDDY MOVIE.
 * The holiday themed week the week of December 19 is the second that has a name other than Happy Holidays. This version is 'Tis the Season.
 * December 21 begins a streak of seven consecutive Bonus Round losses, spread over two weeks.
 * December 23 is only the second known appearance of Rhyme Time in the Bonus Round.
 * During the week of December 26, four contestants land on the car (a Chevy HHR) in the Bonus Round.

January 2006 :
 * January 4 has a now-rare instance of a duplicated category; both the $2,000 Toss-Up and Bonus Round are Living Thing.
 * On January 4, a contestant solves the bonus puzzle HEIFER despite getting no help from her extra letters.
 * The week of January 9 is Hollywood Walk of Fame, and the first time a movie-themed week isn't in May or has the theme name Wheel Goes to the Movies.
 * January 9 is the last appearance of On the Menu in the Bonus Round. Food & Drink is first used in the Bonus Round on October 17.
 * When the January 10 episode is rerun in the Summer, the Pat & Vanna talk is replaced with a clip of Vanna getting her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
 * January 11 has six rounds.
 * All five Bonus Rounds are won on the week of January 16. This is part of an eight-day winning streak.
 * On January 20, a contestant solves the bonus puzzle HOUSEFLY despite getting no help from their extra letters.
 * January 20 is a sixth episode from the week of January 30, making for the first instance of a sixth episode airing before the rest of the corresponding week.
 * January 23 is the last NFL Players Week, taped at the Broward County Convention Center in Fort Lauderdale.
 * January 24 is a $100,000 win.
 * January 30 is Las Vegas Week, taped in Culver City and using the slot machine background from the February 2005 Vegas shows.
 * January 30 is the first appearance of In the Kitchen in the Bonus Round.
 * January 31 has six rounds.

February 2006 :
 * On February 2, a contestant accidentally calls S and T in the Bonus Round.
 * The weeks of February 6-20 are taped at the Broward County Convention Center in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. February 6 is Sweethearts Week.
 * February 6 is a $100,000 win.
 * February 8 starts a streak of seven consecutive Bonus Round losses spread over two weeks.
 * On February 10, a contestant solves the bonus puzzle just after the buzzer.
 * February 15 is the second known instance of a contestant choosing not to look at the Bonus Round envelope after losing it.
 * February 16 is a $100,000 loss.
 * February 21 is the second of only two known appearances of Classic TV in the Bonus Round.
 * February 24 has two males and one female contestant.
 * February 27 is Soap Stars Week, with teams composed of a contestant and a soap opera star. The soap stars' nametags have golden letters and outlines.
 * During the week of February 27, the Prize wedge is on the yellow $400 near Lose A Turn (where Free Play is now). This was probably done to prevent the red wedge from being next to the red $800.
 * February 28 is a $100,000 win. It also sets a new one-day record of $142,550.

March 2006 :
 * March 2 ends in a tie. As was the case on the last tie game on March 13, 2003, it is broken by a fourth Toss-Up.
 * The week of March 6 does not have any animated intros.
 * March 13, 17 and 20 all have two males and one female.
 * March 14 is a $100,000 loss.
 * March 20 is the second Wheel Watchers Club week.
 * March 27 has six rounds.

April 2006 :
 * April 3 is Armed Forces Week.
 * On April 6, the contestant solves the bonus puzzle about a second after the buzzer.
 * April 18 has two males and one female contestant.
 * April 28 has six rounds.
 * April 28 is a $100,000 loss.

May 2006 :
 * The weeks of May 1-15 are taped at the Colorado Convention Center in Denver. May 1 is Great Outdoors Week, May 8 is Mom & Me Week, and May 15 is College Week. This makes Denver one of the few locales not to have a week with the name of their locale in the theme name.
 * On May 8 and 9, two teams in a row call their vowel first in the Bonus Round.
 * On May 8, Pat and Vanna mention during their talk that there is a person named Vana White, who is then introduced.
 * May 10 is the last appearance of In the Kitchen in the Bonus Round until April 2007.
 * May 12 has a rare one-word puzzle in Round 4.
 * The week of May 15 is the Text Me to Paradise Sweepstakes. During this week, home viewers may text the Bonus Round answer to a special number for a chance to win prizes. The grand prize is a one-week trip for four to Hawaii.
 * May 15 is a $100,000 win.
 * May 22 is Family Week, consisting of teams originally planned for the canceled New Orleans tapings.
 * The week of May 29, Wheel Across America, does not have any animated intros. Before the intro, Vanna promotes the week's theme at the top of the show.

June 2006 : (season ends June 9)
 * June 5 is the third Wheel Watchers Club week, composed of sixth episodes.
 * June 5's sixth-show taping is of the previous week.

Season 24 (2006-07)
Season Changes :
 * Both Wheel and Jeopardy! now broadcast in high definition.
 * The Jackpot wedge now offers $500 per consonant, even if the Jackpot is won.
 * The puzzle-solve cue is changed to the current one.
 * The animated intros seen throughout most of Season 23 are retired. The opening is a gold logo on a graphic of the Wheel, starting with a gold "center" dropping into the Wheel graphic, which contains a purple $500 in place of $550, a light purple $400 in place of $450, a dark purple $800 in place of $350, and a red $600 in place of $800. For the season premiere week (and its sixth show taping), there is a flashback clip during Charlie's "Ladies and gentlemen..." announcement.
 * "Happy Wheels" is given a new re-orchestration by Frankie Blue.
 * The logo bug in the bottom left-hand corner is changed from transparent to gold, and is only shown during the intro and shots of the board.
 * After the first letter reveal in Round 3, a graphic now drops down from the top of the screen to show the contestants' names and scores at that point. The graphic is white text on rectangles corresponding to the respective contestant's scoreboard color.
 * The Round 1 prize plug begins and ends with a graphic of the Wheel dipping down and briefly framing the trip graphics.
 * The Prize Puzzle and Final Spin graphic wipes are now those words written in gold with the multicolored wheel background.
 * The opening and closing music beds are changed. This season's opening music is used only for this season.
 * The category strips are changed again, keeping the white-on-blue motif but adding a slight sunburst effect to the blue field and changing the font yet again.
 * The "no more vowels" graphic is now written in white and curved. It now uses a fireworks sound effect.
 * For the intro to the two sponsors after the first commercial break, "the following" is added after "brought to you by".
 * SPIN ID reveals are changed from "If you're a Wheel Watchers Club member and your SPIN ID is [SPIN ID number], you're a winner" to "Hey, Wheel Watchers, if this is your SPIN ID, [SPIN ID number], you're a winner."
 * The Wheel wedges now have sparkly outlines around the digits and lettering, instead of just solid white outlines. In addition, the orange $900 becomes pink, the orange-yellow $500 becomes blue, the orange-yellow $300 becomes red, the red $600 becomes blue, and the pink $300 between Lose A Turn and $400 becomes blue. This is the first time since Season 14 that any of the wedges have been blue.
 * The Pat & Vanna talk backdrop is now purple with the show's logo at the top.
 * The Toss-Up graphic is changed again.
 * Starting around this period, the Culver City studio audience no longer reacts regularly to notable spins such as the top dollar value.

September 2006 : (season begins September 11)
 * On September 11, On the Menu is renamed Food & Drink. Pat points out this change when the category comes up in Round 1.
 * On September 11, the slide whistle does not sound when a contestant finds a Bankrupt on the reverse of a Mystery wedge.
 * On September 15, a contestant solves the bonus puzzle FUEL GAUGE despite getting no help from their extra letters.
 * September 26 has a promo of the Sony Pictures Animation movie Open Season, which is also part of the Round 1 prize, before the opening.
 * September 26's bonus puzzle, FICUS, is the first five-letter bonus puzzle since October 21, 2005.
 * September 27 has the last known appearance of a "decades" category (The 70's). These categories had been extremely sporadic in the last several seasons.
 * On September 27, the bonus puzzle has a redundant "the" at the beginning (THE FAIRWAY).
 * On September 28, the contestant's original bonus puzzle is thrown out after she calls her letters, apparently because it was realized that she did not spin the Bonus Wheel all the way around. The replacement puzzle, WAVE GOODBYE, is inexplicably categorized as Thing instead of Phrase.

October 2006 :
 * All five Bonus Rounds are lost on the week of October 2.
 * October 10 is the first $100,000 loss of the season.
 * October 17 is the first appearance of Food & Drink in the Bonus Round. The contestant solves the puzzle HOT WINGS despite getting no help from their extra letters.
 * October 20 has two males and one female contestant.
 * October 23 is College Week, from Culver City.
 * October 23 is the debut of the Wild Card, which replaces one of the two gift tags.
 * October 25 begins a streak of eight consecutive Bonus Round losses, spread out over two weeks.
 * October 27 is the last appearance of Who Said It?
 * The weeks of October 30-November 13 are taped at the Nokia (now Verizon) Theatre at Grand Prairie in Dallas, Texas. October 30 is Best Friends Week.

November 2006 :
 * On November 8, nobody gives a correct respopnse to the $2,000 Toss-Up, STAR POWER.
 * The November 8 episode, with a bonus puzzle of JULY FOURTH, is coincidentally rerun on July 4, 2007.
 * November 9 has two males and one female contestant.
 * November 13 is Family Week.
 * On November 14, the bonus puzzle is a Phrase, but the category strip for Thing is put up by mistake.
 * On November 15, the Wild Card is used in the Bonus Round for the first time; although the extra letter is not in the puzzle, it is solved. The Wild Card is used in the Bonus Round again the next day, and once again, the letter called with it is not in the puzzle.
 * On November 20, the puzzle THE CROCODILE HUNTER is used as a Prize Puzzle for a trip to Australia. At the end of the show, a segment is dubbed in with Pat explaining that the episode was taped before the death of Steve Irwin.

December 2006 :
 * December 4 is the first Holiday Movie Magic week.
 * December 5 has a now-rare occurrence of a duplicated category within the main game, as both the $1,000 Toss-Up and Jackpot Round are Event.
 * December 5 is a $100,000 win.
 * December 6 is the first instance of a Wild Card letter being in the bonus puzzle.
 * All five Bonus Rounds are lost on the week of December 11. This is part of a seven-loss streak spanning from the 8th to 18th.
 * December 22 is the second of only two known instances of Song Lyrics in the Bonus Round.
 * The holiday themed week the week of December 25 is Spirit of the Season. It has the set from the previous season's Denver shows.

January 2007 :
 * January 1 is Las Vegas Week, taped in Culver City and using the slot machine background from the February 2005 Vegas shows.
 * On January 3, the original bonus puzzle is thrown out due to some sort of error in revealing the letters. For some reason, the Bonus Wheel spin is also re-shot with a dummy envelope in place, but the contestant plays for the prize that was picked on the original spin.
 * January 8 has six rounds.
 * On January 8, all three contestants make incorrect guesses on the Round 6 puzzle FRUIT SALAD.
 * January 9 is a sixth episode from College Week.
 * January 18 has two males and one female contestant.
 * For the week of January 22, as well as the sixth show taping, all episodes (which follow the two females/one male contestant rule) have male winners.
 * On January 24, a contestant loses $29,950 to Bankrupt.
 * On January 25, a very short contestant has his fiancée spin the Wheel for him.
 * January 26 has six rounds. Round 6 is a rare one-word puzzle.
 * The week of January 29 is Teen Best Friends week.
 * On January 29, the winning contestants' Wild Card is not taken away after they hit Bankrupt. The mistake is never realized, and they even go to the Bonus Round with it (but do not solve the puzzle).
 * On January 31, one member of the yellow team shouts the answer to the Speed-Up puzzle during the red team's turn. His teammate informs him of his mistake as the red team gets buzzed out. They then call a consonant in the puzzle and solve.

February 2007 :
 * The weeks of February 5-19 are taped at the Charleston Area Convention Center in Charleston, South Carolina.
 * On February 5, new music beds debut for the Toss-Ups, Speed-Up and Bonus Round. The new Bonus Round music features a ticking clock sound.
 * February 5 has two males and one female contestant.
 * On February 7, a contestant ties the one-round record of $54,000 in the Speed-Up. After winning a Winnebago in the Bonus Round, they leave with $128,177.
 * The week of February 12 is the last Country Music Stars week. The stars are Steve Azar; Terri Clark; Josh Gracin; Michael Britt, Richie McDonald, Keech Rainwater and Dean Sams of Lonestar; Eddie Montgomery and Troy Gentry of Montgomery Gentry; Lorrie Morgan; Julie Roberts; Trent Tomlinson; Mark Wills; Wynonna and Trisha Yearwood.
 * On February 13, Julie Roberts and her contestant sweep the main game and win $100,000 in the Bonus Round.
 * On February 20, a contestant wins the main game by $50.
 * February 23 is a $100,000 loss.
 * On Februrary 27, no one gives a correct response to the $1,000 Toss-Up FROM SOUP TO NUTS.

March 2007 :
 * On March 5, a contestant accidentally calls an M after buying a vowel, but before spinning again. He is then told to spin again and credited with the M, which is not in the puzzle.
 * March 14 and 22 both have six rounds.
 * On March 22, Round 5 is a one-word puzzle instead of Round 6.
 * On March 22, one round (which one is unknown) with the answer of HE SAID SHE SAID is replaced, because a contestant said HE SAYS SHE SAYS and was credited with a correct response. According to the contestant who made this erroneous solve, all three contestants were given a $100 bonus.

April 2007 :
 * April 5 is a $100,000 loss.
 * April 6 has three female contestants. This does not happen again until March 21, 2011.
 * All five Bonus Rounds are lost on the week of April 9. The losing streak extends to nine before another win comes on the 20th.
 * The April 9 sixth show taping is of the Happy Holidays week minus the decorations. This is the first time that a sixth show taping has set alterations between the full set week and the sixth show taping, and the first sixth show taping of a holiday-themed week.
 * On April 9, the winning contestant has only $8,900.
 * On April 11, Pat gives the winning contestant a Wheel of Fortune lunchbox after he loses the Bonus Round.
 * All five Bonus Rounds are won on the week of April 23. This does not happen again until the week of March 7, 2011.
 * April 23 is Choose Your Own Vacation week, where the Prize wedge offers the contestant a choice of four different vacations.
 * On April 23, a gold "$50,000 Cash" graphic is added to the Sony Card announcement after SPIN ID draws.
 * April 23 has two males and one female contestant.
 * April 24 is the first appearance of In the Kitchen in the Bonus Round since May 10, 2006. The contestant solves the bonus puzzle BACKSPLASH, then asks Pat what a backsplash is.
 * The weeks of April 30, May 7 and May 14 are taped at the San Diego Convention Center. April 30 is the last Mom & Me week (even though Mother's Day is May 13), and May 14 is Armed Forces week.

May 2007 :
 * On May 1, a contestant solves the bonus puzzle just after the buzzer.
 * All five Bonus Rounds are lost on the week of May 21. This is part of an eight-loss streak spread over three weeks.
 * Between May 22 and 29, six bonus puzzles in a row are Thing(s).
 * May 28 is Teachers Week.
 * May 30 is a $100,000 win.

June 2007 : (season ends June 8)
 * On June 6, the winning contestant has only $8,800.
 * On June 8, a contestant impersonates Charlie's "The prices of the prizes have been furnished to the contestants prior to the show." spiel from the earliest years.
 * Merv Griffin dies on August 12.

Season 25 (2007-08)
Season Changes :
 * The opening is a photomosaic of flashback clips, which zoom out to form a yellow "25" logo, with a blue background and several multicolored squares for confetti. The edge of this is seen as the HD border. This is also seen as the Pat & Vanna talk backdrop, with a yellow "25".
 * The puzzle board is revamped with flat-panel monitors.
 * A new theme composed by John Hoke debuts for use in the opening, with the 2006 "Happy Wheels" remaining as the closing theme.
 * The Prize Puzzle graphic is now a globe with the words PRIZE PUZZLE written in yellow, with a blue background. However, the Final Spin graphics don't change.
 * The Jackpot sponsor's logo is no longer shown on the Jackpot display.
 * The Jackpot and Mystery wipes are now the respective wedges flipping and dropping down into place on the Wheel.
 * The second Bankrupt moves to the yellow $300.
 * Many episodes begin with a pre-recorded greeting from a celebrity, congratulating the show on its 25th Anniversary. Others show a flashback clip leading into the first commercial break.
 * Two special wedges are also added to honor the show's 25th season: a "25" prize and the Big Money Wedge.
 * The category strip font is changed again, but the rest of the strip is not. This is the first season since Season 17 that the category strips didn't change thoroughly.
 * Even though it had changed only in February, the Speed-Up music changes again.
 * The puzzle board monitors are replaced with flat-screen LCDs.
 * Hitting the wedge with the Free Spin disc now offers the disc and $300 per letter. To reflect this change, Free Spin is placed higher on the wedge, so that it does not obscure the 3. Also, the Free Spin is now available in the first three rounds.
 * Only two locales are now used on road shows.
 * A fifth week of sixth-show tapings is added for each season. Four of the five in this season make up the Thanks a Million Sweepstakes in February, and do not use any theme names beyond that.
 * Very strangely, Merv Griffin's death is never mentioned on the show.

September 2007 : (season begins September 10)
 * The contestant score displays are upgraded to enlarged plasma screens. They now display the score in very tall numbers, and the contestant's name in very small letters over the score; the player in control is indicated by his/her name blinking. if Lose A Turn is hit, those words are now on two lines of the scoreboard instead of one. For the first week of taping only, "Big Money" is placed over the score if the contestant has the Big Money wedge. When not in use, the scoreboards show the 25th Anniversary logo.
 * The week of September 10 has a "starry sky" background on the set.
 * September 10 begins the season with a $100,000 loss.
 * September 12 is the debut of What Are You Doing?
 * On September 17, the contestant names are removed from the scoreboards; the scores themselves are given a new font and moved upward. This change was done most likely because the font used on the 10th was often blocked by the Wheel pegs. In the space below the score, two blinking arrows pointing at each other are added. They appear whenever the respective player has control or rings in on a Toss-Up. The scoreboards still show the 25th Anniversary Logo when not in use and the "Big Money" graphic just before the Round 3 puzzle is displayed.
 * September 17 is Casino Night; despite being Las Vegas-themed, it is taped in Culver City with the slot machine background from the February 2005 Vegas shows.
 * On September 19, a contestant loses $33,450 in cash and a $6,296 Caribbean trip by adding an "-es" to the puzzle GLEAMING WHITE SAND BEACH.
 * September 26 is the sixth and final appearance of In the Kitchen in the Bonus Round.

October 2007 :
 * October 1 has an unusual instance in the Mystery Round. A contestant hits a Mystery Wedge, calls a letter that reveals the puzzle entirely, then flips the Mystery Wedge to find a Bankrupt on the other side. As a result, the completely filled-in puzzle gets passed on to the next contestant, who solves it.
 * All ten Bonus Rounds are lost on the weeks of October 1 and 8. The streak includes two $100,000 losses, on the 4th and 8th. Overall, the month has only five wins out of 23.
 * October 12 uses the 2006 "Happy Wheels" in the intro rather than the John Hoke theme.
 * October 15 is the first of three weeks this season to use a double-width $2,500 cash space, achieved by extending the wedge over the purple $600. It is sponsored by Dawn dish soap, whose logo is also on the wedge.
 * October 15 is College Road Trip Week.
 * October 22 and 26 are believed to be the first occasion of contestants calling U in the Bonus Round twice in one month, much less one week. The former is also the first U called there since December 12, 2006.
 * October 23 is the only appearance of What Are We Making? The puzzle is HERSHEY BAR GRAHAM CRACKER GOOEY ROASTED MARSHMALLOW, which the contestant correctly identifies as the ingredients to S'mores. This is the third known "official" category to be used only once. At 46 letters, this is also believed to be the longest puzzle ever used on the show; although one answer in March 2003 used 47 spaces of the board, it included two periods.
 * October 25 is a $100,000 loss.
 * The week of October 29 is the second week to have the double-width $2,500 space.
 * October 29's bonus puzzle, RUGBY, is the first five-letter bonus puzzle since September 26, 2006. The contestant solves it despite getting no help from their extra letters.

November 2007 :
 * The weeks of November 5-19 are all taped in New York City.
 * November 5 is Best Friends Week.
 * November 12 is the last celebrity/civilian week, which is sponsored by People magazine and unlike most other such weeks, has no particular theme to the celebrities. Show Biz is renamed People for this week only, with the magazine's logo on the category strip.
 * November 12 is the last week to use the double-width $2,500 space.
 * November 15 is the first instance of a contestant getting no help from their Bonus Round letters even with the help of a Wild Card.
 * November 19 is Heroes Week, which consists of men and women who have done good to New York City. As a result, this set of New York episodes is the only known instance of a road show having no "normal" matches.
 * On November 23, nobody gives a correct response to the $3,000 Toss-Up, ROBIN REDBREAST. Unusually, the cameras cut to Pat, and then back to a full shot of the puzzle board with the answer still on it.
 * Sometime in November, the flashbacks are always seen Mondays and Wednesdays, and the celebrity messages always Tuesdays and Thursdays.
 * November 30 is the debut of Fictional Family.

December 2007 :
 * December 3 is Wheel Across America, just like the week of December 3, 2001 was.
 * December 10's bonus puzzle WIVES is the second five-letter bonus puzzle of the season.
 * December 19 has six rounds.
 * December 21 is a $100,000 win.
 * The holiday themed week of December 24 is Happy Holidays for the first time since Season 22. Interestingly, both it and the week of the 17th use identical props on the set, which were also seen on the Denver episodes in 2006.
 * December 24 is the only appearance of Rhyme Time in the Bonus Round between March 2006 and May 2011.
 * The December 24 episode ends with a reunion of the three contestants who appeared on Pat's first show (December 28, 1981). Clips are also shown from that episode.
 * December 27 is a $100,000 loss.
 * All five Bonus Rounds are lost on the week of December 24.

January 2008 :
 * On January 2, Pat and Vanna show off the ceramic Dalmatians that they own.
 * January 7 has six rounds.
 * January 9 is the first appearance of What Are You Doing? in the Bonus Round. The category appears in the Bonus Round again on the 17th, but is not used there again until December 2010.
 * January 28 is Teen Best Friends Week.
 * On January 30, a team solves the completely revealed Slogan puzzle EAT FRESH as "Subway, eat fresh". After a presumed stop-down, their answer is ruled correct, and they receive the $3,000 bonus for identifying the product; this incident goes against precedent that puzzles have to be solved exactly as they appear on the puzzle board. It should be noted that Slogan only appears once after this, and the last remaining "$3,000 bonus" categories are gradually phased out soon afterward.

February 2008 :
 * February 1's bonus puzzle ICING is the last five-letter bonus puzzle.
 * The weeks of February 4 to 25 are the Thanks a Million Sweepstakes. All episodes in this timespan are sixth episodes. After the first commercial break (or the second if Round 1 is a Prize Puzzle) and Bonus Round, a SPIN ID is drawn, and the owner of that SPIN ID wins $25,000. Since there are 40 over those 4 weeks, that makes $1,000,000 total.
 * February 4 is a sixth episode from the season premiere week, complete with the scoreboards from that week.
 * All five Bonus Rounds are lost on the week of February 4.
 * On February 13, BUYING A VOWEL is the $1,000 Toss-Up.
 * February 13 is a $100,000 loss.
 * February 19 is the last appearance of Slogan.
 * On February 19, Pat eats a piece of cake throughout one round, and occasionally addresses contestants with his mouth full. This gag is a callback to earlier in the same episode, when he noticed one of the cameramen eating a piece of cake.
 * February 25 is the last instance of Author/Title being used instead of Title/Author.
 * February 27 is a sixth episode from Teen Best Friends week.

March 2008 :
 * On March 3, the bonus puzzle BUYING POWER is categorized as Thing. The last time this answer was used (April 13, 2004), it was categorized as Phrase.
 * The weeks of March 10 and 17 comprise a two-week stretch of Bonus Round losses. The latter week is particularly notable, as any Bonus Round win that week would have offered $10,000 worth of QVC merchandise on the contestant's birthday.
 * March 11 is a $100,000 loss. The contestant says the answer just after the buzzer.
 * March 14 has six rounds.
 * During the week of March 17, the Wheel prize is a $5,000 QVC shopping spree.
 * On March 18, the bonus puzzle RHYTHM GUITAR is inexplicably categorized as Show Biz.
 * March 19 has two males and one female contestant.
 * March 24 is a $100,000 win.
 * The week of March 31 is Wheel Around the World.
 * March 31 is a $100,000 loss, setting a new record of nine $100,000 losses in one season.
 * With only three wins and 18 losses, March 2008 may have produced the fewest Bonus Round wins of any month in the show's history (although September 2002 may be close).

April 2008 :
 * On April 1, as an April Fools' Day gag, Pat fools Vanna into thinking that he is actually bald. As revealed later in the week, he achieved this by wearing a real wig over a bald wig. The prank is removed when the episode is rerun in July 2008.
 * April 7 is the first Going Green Week, which occurs around this time every season.
 * On April 9, a contestant fails to solve the bonus puzzle KIND OFFER with _IND _FFER revealed.
 * April 9 has two males and one female contestant.
 * Between April 7 and 10, the contestant in the blue position is the top winner for four days in a row.
 * April 14 is the first Pet Lovers Week, in which contestants show off their pets (though not in the sixth show tapings for any editions of this week).
 * April 17 is the last appearance of Next Line Please.
 * In the six weeks of episodes between March 10 and April 18, only four Bonus Rounds are won.
 * April 23 is the last appearance of Who Is It?
 * On April 23, a contestant loses $35,000 (The $10,000 Mystery Wedge and $25,000 on the Big Money Wedge) to Bankrupt, which may be a record.
 * April 25 has six rounds.
 * The weeks of April 28-May 12 are taped at Navy Pier in Chicago. April 28 is College Week, May 5 is Family Week, and May 12 is Get in the Game (which has to do with Chicago sports teams).

May 2008 :
 * On May 1, HAMSTER WHEEL OF FORTUNE is a Before & After puzzle.
 * May 2 is the last appearance of Fictional Character(s) in the Bonus Round.
 * Between May 6 and 13, the car is hit six times in a row in the Bonus Round.
 * May 6 is the last appearance of Classic TV until April 2, 2010.
 * On May 13, a contestant makes incorrect solves on three puzzles.
 * On May 13, the top winner has only $8,750.
 * On May 15, a contestant sweeps the main game and wins $25,000 in the Bonus Round.
 * May 15 and 23 have two males and one female contestant.
 * May 26 is Dads & Grads Week.

June 2008 : (season ends June 6)
 * June 6 has six rounds.

Season 26 (2008-09)
Season Changes :
 * The opening consists of the Wheel wedges (including the new Million-Dollar wedge seen from its reverse) falling into place. Once the graphic of the Wheel is complete, it wipes to a silver logo on a blue-and-white background with spotlight beams. The blue-and-white background is also used for the Final Spin graphic and Pat and Vanna's post-game chat. Also, the window for the chat is much smaller, and has 13 lights underneath flashing from left to right.
 * When not in use, the scoreboards now show "Wheel" on red, "Of" (with the Wheel as the O) on yellow and "Fortune" on blue.
 * The Prize Puzzle bug is now a globe with only the word "Prize!" written on it in cursive.
 * The Big Money and "25" prize wedges are both retired.
 * The $10,000 cash prize wedge is replaced with the identically-structured Million-Dollar Wedge.
 * Any week comprising the "leftover" sixth episodes from a taping session is now themed as America's Game.
 * The category strips are changed to their current design, with white text on a spotted background that cycles from purple to blue to green; these strips extend the length of the screen, and incorporate the golden logo bug. These are still used through Season 29, making them the first style to last more than a full season since the Gill Sans strips used from 1993-1995.
 * The Jackpot wedge is changed again to its current design, which recycles the housing of the Big Money wedge from Season 25. Also, it is moved to the red $300.
 * Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy! now air on CBC (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation) in Canada.
 * This season starts a trend of using fewer categories in the Bonus Round, which continues through the end of Season 28.
 * One of the Mystery Wedges is moved from the blue $500 (between $900 and $300) to the blue $300 between $400 and Lose A Turn.
 * The Wheel layout is changed slightly: The green $500 becomes a second blue $500, the blue $600 is changed to a yellow $500, and the yellow $300 is changed to a green $600.
 * The second Bankrupt is moved again, to the purple $600 next to an orange $300.
 * The Bonus Wheel is altered to say S-P-I-N-&-W-I-N-★★★-A-M-E-R-I-C-A-'-S-★-G-A-M-E-★★, with a different font.

September 2008 : (season begins September 8)
 * On September 11, a contestant sweeps the main game and wins $30,000 in the Bonus Round.
 * On September 19, no one gives a correct answer to the $1,000 Toss-Up, FINE WINE. The first contestant to ring in gives an incorrect answer with only the W missing, so neither of the other contestants has an opportunity to ring in.
 * September 22 is Teen Best Friends Week.

October 2008 :
 * October 3 is the first instance of a contestant taking the Million-Dollar Wedge to the Bonus Round. The contestant loses $25,000.
 * On any episode where the Million-Dollar Wedge is taken to the Bonus Round, Pat reveals the location of the $1,000,000 envelope regardless of outcome.
 * October 6 is a $100,000 loss.
 * On October 6, a contestant uses the Wild Card on $550.
 * October 10 is the last appearance of Proper Name in the Bonus Round.
 * October 13 is Canada Week, done to honor the show's airing on CBC and probably also in honor of Canadian Thanksgiving on October 13. Each episode this week has Canadian-themed puzzles and prizes. After Round 1, Alex Trebek gives a fact about Canada in a pre-recorded segment.
 * October 13 has an extremely rare instance of RSTLNE comprising more than half of the Bonus Round answer (JEAN SHORTS).
 * On October 14, Michelle Loewenstein becomes the show's first $1,000,000 winner. She hits the Million-Dollar Wedge on her first spin.
 * October 14 is also the last appearance of Around the House in the Bonus Round.
 * On October 16:
 * JEOPARDY! HOST ALEX TREBEK is the Round 1 puzzle.
 * The Prize Puzzle bug is accidentally put up during the Jackpot round, whose puzzle is a Same Name (meaning it can't possibly be themed to a prize).
 * All three contestants make repeated, incorrect guesses on the Speed-Up puzzle WOOD-BURNING STOVE.
 * October 17's winning contestant solves the bonus puzzle with 0.3 seconds left on the timer. This is also the only known instance of the timer being shown on-camera.
 * On October 20, the contestant is only two pegs away from the $1,000,000 envelope.
 * October 22 is a $100,000 loss.
 * October 24 is a $100,000 win.
 * October 28 has a rare one-word puzzle in Round 5.

November 2008 :
 * November 4 has only the third known instance of a contestant calling a Z in the Bonus Round. However, it is not in the puzzle.
 * November 5-25 are all taped outdoors in Hawaii. The Hawaii episodes start on a Wednesday, most likely to prevent the string of episodes from being interrupted by President's Day or Thanksgiving.
 * As a result, Wheel Across America week is split up. The first two episodes air November 3-4, and the last three air on November 26-28.
 * November 6, 10, 11, 20 and 24 all have two males and one female contestant.
 * On November 17, Pat forgets to ask the contestants for their extra consonant from the Wild Card. He has to be reminded from offstage.
 * November 17 is a $100,000 win.
 * On November 18, Pat tells a contestant in Round 3 that they have landed on $400 when they were actually on $500. They are still credited with a $500 spin.
 * On November 20, the winning contestants have only $9,900.
 * At the end of the November 24 episode, a clip is shown from the February 13, 1996 episode where Pat introduced his daughter, Maggie.
 * November 25 is the only known appearance of the very rare Fictional Place category in the Bonus Round. The puzzle, UTOPIA, is solved.
 * On November 26, a contestant sweeps the main game but loses $100,000 in the Bonus Round.
 * November 28 is the last appearance of Where Are We?

December 2008 :
 * On December 4, Vanna hides a wrapped present for Pat in her dress. At the end, Pat opens the box and finds that it's empty.
 * December 5 has six rounds.
 * On December 8, Betty White makes a guest appearance in honor of Pet Lovers' week, after the Round 2 puzzle THE GOLDEN GIRLS. Since the puzzle is categorized as TV Title, and Classic TV is not used at all this season, it is likely that the show was pushing to retire Classic TV.
 * December 15 is the last Hollywood Movie Magic.
 * On December 15, contestant Edgar makes a humorously incorrect guess of FISH LOVE on the $3,000 Toss-Up, to which the answer is WISH LIST. Later on, after he celebrates his Bonus Round win, Pat tells Edgar to look at the puzzle board, which reads FISH LOVE.
 * On December 18, the contestant solves the bonus puzzle just after the buzzer.
 * December 19 is only the fourth known instance of a contestant calling a Z in the Bonus Round.
 * On December 23, a contestant accidentally removes the backing from a gift tag when picking it up, and has to turn in both pieces after losing it to a Bankrupt.
 * Charlie appears on-camera at the end of the December 23 episode to give Christmas greetings.
 * On December 25, the contestant solves the bonus puzzle just after the buzzer.
 * All five Bonus Rounds are lost on the week of December 22, the second year in a row that this happened during Christmas Week. The losing streak extends three more days, into December 31.
 * December 29 is the sixth episode from the Christmas Week tapings.
 * December 29 is a $100,000 loss. The contestant has ___BLE AGENT revealed and fails to solve DOUBLE AGENT.
 * December 30 is the only instance after March 3, 2008 of Artist/Song being used instead of Song/Artist.

January 2009 :
 * On January 1, a Same Name puzzle spells out AND instead of using an ampersand.
 * January 2 is the last appearance of On the Map in the Bonus Round.
 * January 5 is Armed Forces week.
 * On January 6, the unsolved bonus puzzle reveals like one that is solved: the entire answer is put up at once, instead of the letters revealing one at a time in a zig-zag pattern, and the board's border flashes.
 * January 12 is Dream Vacation week, with two males and one female contestant. This makes six consecutive episodes without the typical two female/one male setup, and interestingly enough also makes six consecutive episodes with at least one member of the armed forces. His presence here probably explains the two males and one female abnormality, as he could have not gotten the cut for the previous week (probably taped immediately before since both weeks have the same set).
 * January 19 is Teachers Week.
 * January 26's winning contestant, whose real name is Robert, is referred to as Skittles on the show.
 * January 27 is a $100,000 loss.
 * On January 28, a contestant sweeps the main game and wins $30,000 in the Bonus Round. She solves the bonus puzzle BALCONY at the last second despite getting no help from their extra letters.

February 2009 :
 * On February 6:
 * A contestant calls a letter in the Mystery Round that fills in the puzzle entirely, after landing on a Mystery wedge. She chooses to flip over the wedge, and finds $10,000 on the reverse.
 * The puzzle ROW ROW ROW YOUR BOAT GENTLY DOWN THE STREAM is inexplicably categorized as Quotation instead of Song Lyrics.
 * A contestant solves the Speed-Up puzzle THE ONE THAT GOT AWAY with only the T's showing.
 * February 9 is Second Honeymoon Week, from Hawaii, with a sweepstakes involved. All couples this week are Hawaiians.
 * On February 13, the puzzle is GOING TO THE CHAPEL AND WE'RE GONNA GET MARRIED. With over $17,000 and a trip to New York on the line, one pair of contestants mis-solves the puzzle as GOING TO THE CHAPEL AND WE'RE GOING TO GET MARRIED.
 * February 13 is a $100,000 loss.
 * Michelle Loewenstein appears at the end of the February 16 episode. Pat gives her an oversized replica check and discusses the win. This was presumably done because the episode ran unusually short. (According to a YouTube user present at this taping, the staff took away her fake check immediately after the segment and handed her an envelope; after opening it, she "looked shocked and seemed like she started crying. It was obvious that part wasn't meant to be on TV though." The user later clarified that Michelle was happy, not sad; it seems very likely that the envelope contained her real check for $1,000,000.)
 * Following Loewenstein's return, there is a post-production clip of Pat and Vanna paying tribute to wardrobe manager Alan Mills, who died on the 6th.
 * February 18 is a $100,000 loss by a contestant who solves the puzzle just after the buzzer. Their puzzle is VARSITY SQUAD; almost exactly two years later, on February 17, 2011, the bonus answer is JUNIOR VARSITY SQUAD.
 * On February 20, a contestant seems to have added an S to the Prize Puzzle FANTASTIC SURFING SPOT, but this mistake is never realized.
 * The week of February 23 is a sixth-episode week.
 * February 27 is the nighttime show's ceremonial 5,000th episode. While 3,000 and 4,000 were clip shows, 5,000 has regular gameplay. The only real connections to the event are the first two Toss-Ups (A HUGE MILESTONE and SPIN OR SOLVE), and a clip of Pat kissing Vanna on his last daytime episode is shown at the end.
 * February 27 has a $100,000 loss.

March 2009 :
 * The weeks of March 2-16 are taped at SeaWorld in Orlando, Florida.
 * March 9 is Family Week.
 * On March 9, the contestants solve the bonus puzzle just ahead of the buzzer.
 * March 10 has an unusual situation in the Speed-Up round. The yellow contestants appear to say the answer right on the buzzer. After conferring with the judge, Pat moves on to the blue contestants, who call a letter and solve. He then says that there is a possibility that the yellow contestants beat the buzzer and won instead of the blue contestants. Before the Bonus Round, it is determined that the yellow contestants did not beat the buzzer, so the blue contestants have won.
 * Between March 5 and 18, ten bonus puzzles in a row are Thing(s).
 * On March 20, Pat accidentally calls the $1,000 Toss-Up the Bonus Round.
 * March 23 is a $100,000 win.

April 2009 :
 * April 6 is a fourth week of episodes from SeaWorld.
 * On April 6, a very short contestant has a friend spin the Wheel for him. This contestant also solves his bonus puzzle just ahead of the buzzer.
 * April 14 is a $100,000 win.
 * All five Bonus Rounds are lost on the week of April 20. This is part of a nine-loss streak stretching from April 15-27.
 * April 29 has a theme name from earlier in the season as the $2,000 Toss-Up, NOTHING BUT THE BEST.

May 2009 :
 * May 4 is Wheel Around the World Week.
 * May 7 has a rare one-word puzzle in Round 5.
 * On May 12, a contestant (who solves the bonus puzzle) is only one peg away from the $1,000,000 envelope.
 * On May 13, SAME NAME is the $2,000 Toss-Up; the Round 1 puzzle category is Same Name.
 * May 15 has two males and one female contestant.
 * May 15 is the last appearance of Show Biz in the Bonus Round until May 4, 2011.
 * On May 22, the contestant solves the bonus puzzle on the buzzer. Although the victory music plays and the answer is revealed, Pat tells him that they will have to stop tape to check his answer. After returning from a Wheel Watchers Club plug, Pat and Vanna tell the contestant that he solved 1/10 of a second before the buzzer. The show ends on the contestant's celebration, without any post-game chat. This is also the last car win in the Bonus Round until December 2009 (see below).
 * May 27's winning contestant leaves with $8,400.
 * On May 28, the Wheel prize is $5,000 cash, following a promotion of Columbia Pictures' Paul Blart: Mall Cop.
 * On May 28, a contestant makes two incorrect solves on the Prize Puzzle before giving the right answer on his third attempt.
 * New episodes end temporarily on May 29.

July 2009 : (season ends July 17)
 * July 13 is World Café Week, counted as part of Season 26. These episodes are part of a sweepstakes sponsored by CoffeeMate non-dairy creamer, which offers home viewers a chance at winning a European vacation. This is only the second time that new episodes have aired out of the typical September-June cycle.
 * Beginning July 13, cars are no longer available in the Bonus Round.
 * July 16 has a $100,000 loss, tying the record for most $100,000 losses in one season at nine. Interestingly, the contestant had lost the Millon-Dollar Wedge earlier in the game.
 * July 17 has two contestants who are not US natives: One is originally from Jamaica, and one is originally from Italy.

Season 27 (2009-10)
Season Changes :
 * The opening graphic is now an illuninated logo atop a neon graphic of the Wheel, with a cityscape background and beams of light (like an illuminated billboard). The Final Spin Graphic and Pat & Vanna talk backdrop reflect the opening, and the window for the Pat and Vanna post-game chat is bigger than before.
 * The contestant railing is redesigned with LED lighting and Plexiglass
 * The Prize Puzzle bug now says "PRIZE PUZZLE" again. It is also now purple and yellow.
 * The Toss-Up graphic is now a purple wheel with a yellow center.
 * If a contestant has friends and/or family in the audience on a Culver City episode, they are now shown from their seats, instead of at the railing in front of the audience. Road shows, however, still let friends and family members stand at the front of the audience.
 * The practice of putting a gag title over Pat's name during a full credit roll appears to have begun this season.
 * The second Bankrupt is now on the Wheel for the entire game, replacing the purple $600 next to the top dollar value.
 * The Free Spin is retired, and Free Play is introduced. The latter is an electronic wedge (similar to the Big Money Wedge) which replaces the yellow $400 near Lose A Turn.
 * The Jackpot wedge is moved to Round 1. Nothing new is added to the Wheel in Round 2.
 * The design of the $1,000,000 envelope is changed to black text with "ONE" in very small letters and "MILLION" in much larger letters. Previously, the lettering was sparkly green, with "One Million Dollars" in curved text surrounding a large dollar sign.
 * Until November 30, only cash is available in the Bonus Round.
 * One of the arches on the set now has a clear, vertical replica of part of the Wheel.

September 2009 : (season begins September 14)
 * On September 14, the SPIN ID reveal is changed to "Tonight's winning SPIN ID number, [number], belongs to [first name and last initial] of [city, state]. You have 24 hours to log on to wheeloffortune.com to claim your [description of trip]." Also, a map of the U.S. zooms in on the town, and a "nameplate" graphic is shown with both the contestant's name and hometown.
 * The weeks of September 14 and 21 are taped in Las Vegas: the 14th at the Venetian, and the 21st at the Palazzo. This is the first time since Season 16 that the season premiere is on the road, although in the September 14 post-game chat, Pat and Vanna erroneously say that this is the first time the season ever opened on the road.
 * Nine of the first ten bonus puzzles are Thing(s), with September 15's Occupation being the exception; it is also the last time that category appears in the Bonus Round.
 * On September 16:
 * Anthony Crivello, who portrays the title character in the Las Vegas production of The Phantom of the Opera, makes an in-character guest appearance.
 * No one gives a right answer to the $1,000 Toss-Up, CUTTING THE CARDS. Two contestants ring in with wrong answers.
 * Bankrupt is hit five times in the Jackpot round. Amazingly, this is not a record.
 * On September 24, a contestant solves the bonus puzzle BRIEF PAUSE despite getting no help from her extra letters.

October 2009 :
 * October 1 has the only known appearance of Rock On! as a Toss-Up.
 * On October 2, the SPIN ID reveal changes again. The hometown is no longer mentioned, and the U.S. map is changed to a smaller, less detailed one. When the state is mentioned, it "pops out" of the map, with the home viewer's name and the name of the state written on it.
 * On October 5, Pat introduces a Rock On! puzzle in a deadpan voice instead of letting Charlie announce it.
 * October 12 is Wheel Around the World week. Each week's episode begins with a greeting from the host(s) of an international version: Spain on Monday, Brazil on Tuesday and Friday, Turkey on Wednesday and Italy on Thursday.
 * Beginning on October 12, and barring April 12, 2010, every episode has a Before & After or Same Name puzzle. The former appears four times a week, and the latter once.
 * On October 12, the $3,000 Toss-Up BUDAPEST HUNGARY is accidentally categorized as Place instead of On the Map.
 * On October 12, the second-place contestant has $35,000, which may be the highest non-winning total in the show's history. Interestingly, none of it came from touching the Wheel directly: $5,000 came from the second and third Toss-Ups, and the rest from the Speed-Up.
 * On October 16, the contestant's letter choices (including the fourth consonant from a Wild Card) reveal the bonus puzzle CHOSEN FEW entirely. This is the first time since December 2004 that a bonus puzzle has been completely filled in.
 * The week of October 19, Welcome Aboard, is the last week to use a blue-sky background.
 * October 20 and 23 both have six rounds. Round 6 on October 23 is a rare one-word puzzle.
 * On October 26, a Same Name puzzle spells out AND instead of using an ampersand.
 * On October 27, Pat and Vanna show off some of the gag tombstones on the Halloween Week set. Most of them declare various trends and objects "dead", such as the Free Spin, the Macarena, common courtesy and Alex Trebek's mustache.
 * On October 28, the contestant area is not shown during the $2,000 Toss-Up due to a technical error; only the puzzle board is seen, but positioned as normal for a Toss-Up.

November 2009 :
 * The weeks of November 2-16 are taped at the Boston Convention & Exhibit Center.
 * November 2 has a redundant answer of BABY DUCKLINGS as the $3,000 Toss-Up.
 * November 3's bonus puzzle, BUY NOW, is the only six-letter bonus puzzle since HOT WAX on February 27. From this point onward, all bonus puzzles are seven letters or longer.
 * On November 6, a contestant tries to call L and E in the Bonus Round, even though both are in the puzzle.
 * November 9 is College Week.
 * November 9, 10, 12, 16 and 17 all have two males and one female contestant.
 * November 12 has a Jackpot win.
 * November 12 has a very rare instance of a Proper Name puzzle that isn't a person's name, sports team or college name. The answer is THE INTERNET MOVIE DATABASE.
 * On November 16, I'D LIKE TO SPIN is the $2,000 Toss-Up.
 * The week of November 23 has four Landmark puzzles: The $1,000 Toss-Up on the 23rd and 26th, Jackpot round on the 24th, and the $2,000 Toss-Up on the 27th. As a result, the category has appeared five times in November 2009 alone, when it otherwise appears far less than once a month.
 * On November 25, Bankrupt is hit eight times.
 * On November 27, a letter from 2006 winner Linda Buford is shown at the end.
 * Starting November 30, cars are once again available in the Bonus Round. However, they are no longer available to Wheel Watchers Club members.
 * On November 30, the Million-Dollar Wedge is accidentally placed on the red $800 (next to Lose A Turn) instead of the orange $800.
 * On November 30, a contestant spins $3,500 four times in a row. Strangely, there is no audience reaction to any of these spins.

December 2009 :
 * December 1 has a Jackpot win. A contestant solves SHAGGY AND SCOOBY-DOO with only the S's revealed.
 * On December 2, a contestant loses $5,700, the Gift Tag, Wild Card and Million-Dollar Wedge to Bankrupt.
 * December 3 has the first car win since the re-introduction of cars. It is a Honda Element worth $23,275, also making it a now-rare instance of a bonus prize less than $25,000.
 * On December 11, the Mystery Wedge next to the Million-Dollar Wedge is hit three times, including two turns by the same contestant, who doesn't flip it over but later hits Bankrupt. The second contestant to hit it opts to flip it over and finds a Bankrupt.
 * December 14 is Heroes Week, featuring members of the Armed Forces; it is also the Sears Holiday Sweepstakes. Each Wheel prize this week is a $5,000 Sears shopping spree, and each game has an Around the House or In the Kitchen puzzle in which Pat informs the contestants that the puzzle answer is something that might be purchased at Sears.
 * The week of December 14 has a Before & After puzzle in every game, but no Same Name puzzles.
 * December 16 has only the third known occurrence of a puzzle with a slash in it. The answer is COMBINATION MICROWAVE/CONVECTION OVEN.
 * On December 17, a contestant solves the Speed-Up puzzle LITTLE ROCK ARKANSAS with only the T's revealed.
 * No cars are available in the Bonus Round on the week of December 21, perhaps because the week was taped out of order. They return on the 28th.
 * During the week of December 21, the category strips are white text on red.
 * On December 23, a contestant hits $5,000 three times in Round 4.
 * December 29 has the first What Are You Doing? puzzle that does not have a gerund. The answer is THE NEW YORK TIMES CROSSWORD PUZZLE.
 * On December 31, a contestant loses $24,350 and the Wild Card to a Bankrupt.

January 2010 :
 * January 1's top winner has a total of $12,345, which is also only $147 over second place.
 * On January 4, the contestants make four incorrect solves on the puzzle REGIS PHILBIN & KELLY RIPA by mispronouncing one or both names. One contestant even solves incorrectly with the entire puzzle revealed, only the fourth known instance of this happening.
 * January 5 has six rounds.
 * On January 7, a contestant solves THE HOST WITH THE MOST with only the T's.
 * On January 8, a contestant solves CHARLESTON SOUTH CAROLINA with only the T's.
 * At the end of the January 11 episode, a clip is shown from the December 10, 2009 episode of Jeopardy!, where a contestant said that watching Wheel of Fortune helped him learn the alphabet as a child.
 * Between January 13 and 15, three contestants in a row take the Wild Card to the Bonus Round.
 * January 14 has a very rare instance of RSTLNE revealing more than half of the bonus puzzle (THE PLOT THICKENS).
 * On January 15, a contestant (who does not solve her bonus puzzle) misses the $1,000,000 envelope by only one peg.
 * January 18 is Wheel Watchers Club Week.
 * On January 20, a contestant fails to solve the bonus puzzle FOLK HERO with _OL_ HERO revealed.
 * January 25 and 29 both have six rounds.

February 2010 :
 * February 1 begins with a greeting from Regis Philbin and Kelly Ripa. Regis also gives a greeting on February 4.
 * February 1's bonus puzzle QUEST FOR KNOWLEDGE may be the first "official" bonus puzzle under current rules that has at least one each of R, S, T, L, N and E. The only other known instance is TRADING PLACES on the April Fools' Day 1997 episode.
 * February 2 begins with a greeting from Michael Bloomberg.
 * February 3 begins with a greeting from Sam Champion.
 * On February 4, a Same Name puzzle spells out AND instead of using an ampersand.
 * On February 5, a contestant uses the Wild Card on $900.
 * The week of February 8 is taped at the Venetian in Las Vegas.
 * On February 8, Blue Man Group is standing the contestants' area while Pat and Vanna walk out. After an obvious edit, the contestants are in place for the first Toss-Up. It is believed that a guest appearance was edited out due to time constraints.
 * The week of February 15 is taped at the Palazzo in Las Vegas.
 * On February 16, the contestant's letter choices reveal the bonus puzzle VERY HUSH-HUSH completely. Unusually, the category strip disppears as soon as Vanna touches the last H, but before the timer starts.
 * On February 19, the Mystery Round puzzle is preceded by a clip of Pat saying, "We thought you should know that tonight's Wheel of Fortune show was taped prior to all the recent fun on late-night TV. Who knew?", superimposed over a blurred freeze-frame of the puzzle board. This clip is added because the answer is THE TONIGHT SHOW WITH CONAN O'BRIEN, which had already been canceled by the time this episode aired.
 * Beginning February 22, Feeding America for Hunger Relief receives a $2,500 donation from Maxwell House for each Bonus Round win (counting reruns). The donations are eventually capped at $200,000, but Feeding America plugs continue to air for a short time after that amount is reached. Episodes now feature a Maxwell House plug before the Bonus Round, and a Maxwell House bug in the upper left-hand corner; these are edited into reruns of episodes before this point.
 * On February 24, Pat almost forgets to interview one of the contestants.

March 2010 :
 * For at least the third time this season, the Same Name puzzle on March 3 spells out AND instead of using an ampersand.
 * March 5 has six rounds.
 * March 5 has the second What Are You Doing? puzzle that does not contain a gerund. The answer is THE TEXAS TWO-STEP.
 * On March 8, Pat accidentally rules a contestant's solve incorrect on the first Toss-Up, but is quickly corrected from offstage.
 * Against 99.6% odds, the $100,000 is not hit at all this season until March 15. It is lost on the 15th, with the contestant not realizing the answer until just after the buzzer.
 * On March 18:
 * Contestant Barry's nametag falls off and lands under the Wheel during his first spin. It is never retrieved.
 * For the third and final time, a What Are You Doing? puzzle does not contain a gerund. The answer is PULL-UPS PUSH-UPS SIT-UPS AND CRUNCHES. All three could logically have been categorized as Fun & Games to avoid this oddity (although March 5 had another Fun & Games puzzle as the third Toss-Up).
 * Barry becomes the season's first $100,000 winner.
 * The week of March 22 is Family Week, promoting Beaches Family Resorts.
 * The week of March 22 has a Before & After puzzle each day, and no Same Name puzzles.
 * On March 22, the winning contestants exceed $100,000 without hitting that amount in the Bonus Round: following a $45,000 win there, they leave with $100,850.
 * March 23 is the second $100,000 win of the season.
 * The week of March 29 is a Hawaii week, despite being taped in Culver City. Every Wheel prize this week is a trip to Hawaii.
 * March 29 has two males and one female contestant.
 * On March 29, a contestant accidentally pulls the Free Play wedge off the Wheel, causing a stopdown. This incident is edited out of the broadcast.

April 2010 :
 * On April Fools' Day, the show does ten things that are "wrong", all of which are revealed in the next episode. They are:
 * 1) Pat walks out on the right and Vanna on the left.
 * 2) Pat, Vanna and Charlie stand at the contestants' area when it it is shown during the intro. (The Wheel layout in this shot is from Round 4.)
 * 3) Vanna stands on the wrong side of the puzzle board at the start of the Jackpot Round.
 * 4) Both Bankrupt wedges use the Polish version of the word, "Bankrut". Neither is hit, so it is not known if the scoreboards would have changed accordingly.
 * 5) Pat wears a (barely-visible) stud earring in Round 2.
 * 6) Charlie stands in Vanna's place at the start of the Mystery Round.
 * 7) A clip from September 4, 1995 (erroneously identified as 1992) appears during the Final Spin.
 * 8) Pat changes suits before the Bonus Round.
 * 9) Pat (in his original suit) and Vanna are seen sitting behind the winning contestant's family members at the start of the Bonus Round.
 * 10) Pat and Vanna wear nametags at the end.
 * 11) Also, the montage of Hawaii-themed clips at the beginning includes two seconds of rodeo footage, but this "wrong" moment is never pointed out.
 * April 2 is the only appearance of Classic TV since May 6, 2008. This could have been a fluke, as at least one classic TV-related puzzle in between was categorized as TV Title.
 * April 5's bonus puzzle BUZZING WITH EXCITEMENT is believed to be the longest bonus puzzle ever used on the show, at 21 letters.
 * On April 7, Pat and Vanna eat a replica of the Wild Card during their chat.
 * April 12 is the first episode after October 9, 2009 to have neither Before & After nor Same Name. Perhaps in relation to this, the game has a now-rare instance of a repeated category, as both the Mystery Round and Round 4 are Phrase. The Mystery Round answer THAT'S MY STORY AND I'M STICKING TO IT could have been categorized as Song Lyrics to avoid this oddity.
 * April 15 has six rounds.
 * On April 19, the winning contestant leaves with only $9,375.
 * On April 20, a contestant loses over $28,000 to Bankrupt.
 * On April 21 and 22, the winning contestants both leave with $52,550 after winning $35,000 in the Bonus Round.
 * On April 21, the bonus puzzle has a redundant A at the beginning (A FOREIGN LANGUAGE), something which almost never happened after A GULF in September 2005.
 * The week of April 26 is World Capitals Week. All week long, the first Toss-Up is the name of a world capital.
 * On April 26, a Same Name puzzle spells out AND instead of using an ampersand.
 * April 26 has a grammatically incorrect bonus puzzle. The answer given is WAIT A WHILE, when it should have been WAIT AWHILE.
 * On April 29, Bankrupt is hit four times in the Jackpot round.
 * On April 29, the winning contestant leaves with only $7,907, which appears to be the lowest total since Season 23 (when Prize Puzzles started occurring daily).

May 2010 :
 * May 3 begins the Thanks a Million sweepstakes, which last throughout the entire month. A SPIN ID is drawn at the top of each show and another before the Mystery round. Any viewer who confirms that his or her SPIN ID was drawn receives a chance at winning $25,000.
 * The week of May 3 is a salute to Chicago, despite being taped in Culver City. On the sixth show from this taping session (which airs April 16), there are clips in Chicago promoting National Train Day on May 8; however, it's not mentioned once during the rest of the week.
 * On May 3 and 4, the first Toss-Ups (THE WINDY CITY and NAVY PIER, respectively) are both solved with only one letter revealed.
 * On the week of May 10, the category strip wipe is pigs running across the screen from right to left.
 * At the end of the May 10 episode, Pat and Vanna promote the Wheel of Fortune Hall of Fame which had just opened at Stage 11.
 * May 17 is Dads & Grads Week.
 * The week of May 17 is the only week of season 27 in which all of the Bonus Rounds are lost.
 * On May 25, a contestant pronounces the H in "heir" when solving HEIR TO THE THRONE, and the answer is accepted. This contradicts precedent that words must be pronounced exactly.
 * On May 26, a contestant pronounces CRUSOE as "Caruso" in the Before & After puzzle AND HERE'S TO YOU MRS. ROBINSON CRUSOE. Her answer is accepted, despite this also being a mispronunciation.
 * On May 31, no one gives a right answer to the $1,000 Toss-Up, TREASURE MAP. Unusually for unsolved Toss-Ups, all three players ring in, and even more unusually, the third ring-in comes with more than one letter unrevealed. The first two blank on the second word, and the third guesses TREASURE BAY with both the M and P missing.

June 2010 : (season ends June 11)
 * The week of June 7 has a Before & After puzzle each day, and no Same Name puzzles.
 * On June 7, Vanna nearly forgets to touch an R in the Speed-Up round. Later in the game, she explains that she didn't hear it ding.
 * On June 11, the contestant (who fails to solve the bonus puzzle) is only one peg away from the $100,000.

Season 28 (2010-11)
Season Changes :
 * Most Culver City episodes use animated intros featuring the Pat and Vanna avatars from the show's Wii game, which is released in November.
 * The Pat & Vanna talk backdrop is a dark blue "starry sky" motif.
 * Vehicles won in the Bonus Round now come with a $5,000 cash bonus. The vehicle plug ends with "...plus $5,000 cash. Your grand prize total: [amount]!"
 * $30,000 is now the lowest cash amount on the Bonus Wheel.
 * Prize Puzzles no longer occur in the Jackpot Round.
 * The Wheel logo is changed to a variant of the "round" style retired at the end of Season 11. After the chant, the logo zooms into the O in "of" and cuts to the studio.
 * On several episodes this season, the closed captioning misspells the Show Biz category as "Showbiz".
 * Only two of the five "sixth show" taping weeks are called America's Game. The rest, like Seasons 21-24 and the last of Season 25, have names.
 * Wheel Deals (part of the Wheel Watchers Club) now has a sponsor, which is announced at varying points in the show.
 * A laser arrow is now projected onto the Wheel at the start of each round, due to constant problems with contestants forgetting that it is their turn. While normally seen only by the contestants, it is sometimes briefly visible at the start of a round.

September 2010 : (season begins September 13)
 * The weeks of September 13 and 20 are taped in Las Vegas: the 13th at the Venetian, and the 20th at the Palazzo. Both Friday episodes have two males and one female contestant.
 * On all of the Las Vegas episodes this season, a slot machine-like graphic displays the RSTLNE letters in the Bonus Round.
 * For the week of September 13, every Prize Puzzle is categorized What Are You Doing?
 * September 15 is the debut of Same Letter.
 * On September 15, a contestant solves the Speed-Up puzzle CHERRY BLOSSOMS with only the S's revealed.
 * On September 16:
 * There is a Jackpot win.
 * What's That Song? debuts.
 * For only the first time since April 12, 2010 (and second since October 9, 2009), neither Same Name nor Before & After is used.
 * September 20 is the last appearance of Food & Drink in the Bonus Round until October 13, 2011.
 * September 21 is the first $100,000 loss of the season. The puzzle, QUALITY TIME, previously caused a $100,000 loss on February 18, 2005.
 * On September 22, a contestant solves the $1,000 Toss-Up THE A-TEAM with only the M showing.
 * On September 23:
 * Pat grabs the wrong envelope from the Bonus Wheel and has to be corrected from offstage.
 * For the first time, a contestant calls their letters out of order while holding a Wild Card. The contestant calls her fourth consonant before her vowel; the onscreen graphic displays the fourth consonant in its normal position, leaving a gap for the vowel. This contradicts the precedent of the graphics showing the letters in the order called.
 * The contestant wins a Lexus IS 250, the first vehicle win under the new "$5,000 bonus" rules.
 * September 24 has an obvious edit near the start of Round 2: a contestant starts with $1,200 and earns two more letters at $600, but Pat states the score is $1,200 rather than $2,400. After earning another $600 consonant, his scoreboard reads $1,800 rather than $3,000 and the Wild Card, which he had earned earlier, has disappeared. The player most likely spun a Bankrupt after his first turn, which was edited out along with two "null" turns from the other two contestants; further, the Wild Card can be seen sitting near Pat in certain shots.
 * September 29 has a Jackpot win.
 * On September 29 and 30, two contestants in a row take the Million-Dollar Wedge to the Bonus Round. September 29's contestant fails to solve the puzzle, and is only one peg away from the $1,000,000 envelope.

October 2010 :
 * On October 1:
 * Contestant Bevin says that her mother competed on the show in 1983 while pregnant with her.
 * Bevin starts to say THE VIEW FROM THE TOP OF THE MOUNTAIN instead of THE VIEW FROM THE TOP OF A MOUNTAIN, but catches herself after saying the third "the" and restarts from the beginning. Her answer is accepted.
 * Bankrupt is hit eight times: three times each in Rounds 2-3, and twice in Round 4.
 * The animated intro for the week of October 4 uses the Speed-Up bells as cruise ship bells.
 * On October 4, a contestant accidentally removes the backing from a gift tag when trying to pick it up.
 * On October 4, all three contestants hit Bankrupt in Round 1, and again in Round 3.
 * October 7 is the first $100,000 win of the season.
 * On the week of October 11, all five contestants land on the car (Mercedes-Benz C-300) in the Bonus Round. It is won on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
 * On October 13, the show runs an ad hinting at a $1,000,000 win during the next week, using footage from the October 19 episode. The contestant in question loses the Million-Dollar Wedge to Bankrupt in Round 4.
 * During the week of October 18 (Get Out of Town Week), the logo used in the opening is the two-row version, with the logo zooming up into the "O" in "Fortune" before cutting into the studio. This is possibly the only time any part of the logo (in this case, "WHEEL" and "FORTUNE") is displayed in the unofficial font "SF Fortune Wheel," rather than the undisclosed font that is normally used for the logo.
 * October 18 is the second $100,000 loss of the season.
 * October 20 has a Jackpot win.
 * On October 21, the Million-Dollar Wedge is mistakenly placed over $550 instead of the orange $800 for the first two rounds. This ends up affecting the game, as in Round 2, a contestant hits one of the Bankrupts on the wedge, and another hits the edge of the orange $800 (meaning that, under normal circumstances, these spins would have landed on $550 and Bankrupt, respectively).
 * The Halloween episodes inexplicably start on Friday, October 22. As a result, the last two episodes from Get Out of Town (which started on October 18) air during the same "sixth episode" week.
 * October 22 and 28 both have a rare instance of a Wheel prize that isn't a trip: namely, an entertainment package including a Wii, a Sony home theater system with an HDTV, and a K-Mart shopping spree, all worth $5,000.
 * On all six Halloween episodes, the "Wheel! Of! Fortune!" chant is pitch-shifted to sound deep and scary. Also, the Pat and Vanna animation is black-and-white, made to look like an old horror movie.
 * On all six Halloween episodes, the Wheel prize is $5,000 cash courtesy of Ally Bank.
 * Pat opens his Twitter account on-air at the end of the October 22 episode.
 * October 26 has two males and one female contestant.
 * October 27 is the third $100,000 loss of the season.
 * October 28 has an unusual incident in the Bonus Round. After the contestant calls his letters, two letters are lit up (but not touched) before Pat realizes that he has a Wild Card. He then asks the contestant for a fourth consonant, which is not in the puzzle, and the lit letters are revealed.

November 2010 :
 * Charlie O'Donnell dies the morning of November 1.
 * Johnny Gilbert announces for the weeks of November 1-15. It is apparent that Charlie had fallen ill in October, and Johnny was called in as a last-minute replacement. Coincidentally, Johnny also filled in for Charlie in late 1995, the only other time that someone filled in for him.
 * During the week of November 1, the wipe for the category strips is a graphic of a person surfing.
 * November 3 has two males and one female contestant.
 * On November 3, the contestant solves the bonus puzzle just after the buzzer.
 * On November 5, contestant Caitlin solves the Prize Puzzle I'VE GOT A GOOD FEELING ABOUT THIS with only the L revealed. She later appears on several talk shows discussing her solve.
 * The November 5 show ends with Pat and Vanna giving a short tribute to Charlie; this tribute was recorded earlier in the week and appended to this episode. It includes a montage of photos of all of his work and ends with a black-and-white portrait of him on a black background, with the caption "Charlie O'Donnell: 1932-2010". The photo with caption quickly fades in, and after a few seconds, slowly fades out to the black background. The copyright date and Merv Griffin credit are shown as usual.
 * The week of November 8 is taped in Las Vegas, and is announced by Johnny in post-production. The remaining seven weeks recorded before Charlie's death, set to air at varying points over the rest of this season, have his work dubbed over by guest announcers; all direct references to him are either dubbed over or removed.
 * On November 9, Pat accidentally rules a contestant's answer wrong on the $1,000 Toss-Up because he was looking at the wrong answer on his card. The board continues to reveal letters for another couple seconds before Pat realizes his mistake.
 * On November 11, Pat appears to say "All right, Charlie, thanks." after the Mystery round announcement. If this is indeed what he said, then this is also the only time that a reference to Charlie is left in after his death.
 * For the week of November 15, the Round 1 puzzle is an Around the House or In the Kitchen puzzle. Before each puzzle, Pat mentions that the answer is something that might be found at Sears.
 * The Wheel prize for the week of November 15 is a $5,000 Sears shopping spree. The wedge is placed over the green $300 instead of $350, most likely to keep the red wedge from being next to the red $800.
 * On November 18, a contestant wins $42,000 in the Speed-Up.
 * Rich Fields announces the weeks of November 22-December 13; his first two weeks are done in post-production.
 * From November 29 through December 9, the $1,000 Toss-Up puzzles are all On the Map. This results from the show's themed weeks: November 29 is Wheel Around the World, and December 6 is Wheel Was Here. The former is also a sixth-episode week.
 * The week of November 29 includes greetings from the hosts of various international versions of the show.
 * On November 29, Pat forgets to take away a contestant's Prize wedge after she hits Bankrupt in Round 3. He takes it away later in the round.

December 2010 :
 * December 1 is the first known instance of a contestant calling Q in the Bonus Round.
 * On December 1, the Pat and Vanna chat is done from behind the blue contestant's scoreboard, as the two are discussing the image of Trevi Fountain on the video wall.
 * On December 2, a contestant jokingly calls 7 as his vowel in the Bonus Round.
 * On December 3, Charlie's call of "Rock On!" is dubbed over with Pat saying the category name.
 * On December 6, the arches are removed from the set. There is now a series of blue-tinted transparent panels behind Pat, one of which has the "round" logo on it. This set was first seen on the Charlie O'Donnell tribute in November.
 * December 7 has a rare instance of a duplicate category in the main game, as the first two rounds are both Phrase.
 * At the end of the December 7 episode, clips are shown from a set of military episodes taped aboard the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower in early 1995.
 * On December 10, Bankrupt is hit four times in Round 2.
 * December 10 is the second time that the very unusual non-sequitur puzzle SPARROWS & PARAKEETS is used. This time, it is in the Speed-Up round.
 * December 13 is the first appearance of What Are You Doing? in the Bonus Round since January 17, 2008, and only the third overall.
 * On December 13, the contestant solves the bonus puzzle just after the buzzer.
 * On December 14, the closed captioning is finally corrected on the Mama Lucia Meatballs plug, which has aired on the show for several years, to say "on a roll" instead of "on the road".
 * On December 14, the split-screen during Pat & Vanna's post-game chat doesn't have any text.
 * December 16 is a $100,000 win. The puzzle, BRAINS AND BRAWN, previously produced a $100,000 win on January 24, 2006. Coincidentally, both were also followed by nearly-identical bonus puzzles the next day: OLD RIVALRY on January 25, 2006, and AGE-OLD RIVALRY on December 17, 2010.
 * December 17 is the first time this season that Before & After appears in Round 1.
 * Jim Thornton announces the weeks of December 20-January 3 in post-production. During these episodes, Vanna reads the SPIN IDs and Wheel Deals plugs.
 * During the week of December 20, the puzzle-reveal chime is replaced with chimes playing a Christmas song, except during Toss-Ups.
 * John Sly, co-owner of The Price Is Right fan site Golden-Road.net, is the winning contestant on December 21.
 * The week of December 27 is taped at the Palazzo in Las Vegas.
 * December 29 is the fourth $100,000 loss of the season.
 * December 30 has two males and one female contestant.

January 2011 :
 * January 3 is the last week of Culver City episodes originally announced by Charlie.
 * The week of January 3 is America's Game.
 * For the week of January 3, the Wheel prize is $5,000 cash courtesy of Ally Bank.
 * January 3's middle contestant, whose actual first name is Victor Trey, is referred to as Funklove throughout the show.
 * On January 3, the category strip disappears twice during the Jackpot round.
 * All five Bonus Rounds are lost on the week of January 3.
 * During the week of January 3, the category strips reveal with a "spark" effect.
 * January 4 is the only time this season that Same Name appears in Round 1.
 * January 4 is the fifth $100,000 loss of the season. The puzzle is A KNOWN FACT, and the contestant says AN UNKNOWN FACT twice.
 * January 5-18 is the Vanna for a Day contest. It allows home viewers to submit audition videos for a chance to take Vanna's place for one episode; the videos are then voted on through the show's website to determine the eventual winner.
 * On January 7:
 * The board refuses to activate for several seconds during the $2,000 Toss-Up.
 * The category strip does not appear during the $3,000 Toss-Up.
 * Both the Speed-Up and Bonus Round are What Are You Doing?
 * A contestant loses the $100,000, the sixth loss of the season. The contestant asks Pat to "show me something small", prompting Pat to drop the envelope and start walking offstage as the contestant opens the envelope himself.
 * Lora Cain announces the week of January 10. Even though Lora is not announcing in post-production, Vanna reads this week's SPIN ID, Jackpot and Mystery plugs.
 * On January 10, the contestant solves the bonus puzzle one second after the buzzer.
 * January 11 is the seventh $100,000 loss of the season. As a result, January has started off with seven straight Bonus Round losses, three of which were $100,000.
 * January 13 is the only appearance of Fun & Games in the Bonus Round since April 16, 2010.
 * January 14's top winner leaves with only $8,050.
 * Pat's website and Twitter account close on January 16.
 * Jim Thornton announces the weeks of January 17 and 24. The former is his first week announcing from the studio.
 * On January 17, a contestant tries to use his Wild Card on a vowel in Round 3, but Pat stops him before he can do so. On his next turn, he turns it in to get six N's on $3,500.
 * January 17 has a rare one-word puzzle in Round 5.
 * All five Bonus Rounds are lost on the week of January 17.
 * January 20's contestant is only one peg away from the $1,000,000 envelope.
 * On January 21, a contestant who has $50 and a Caribbean trip lands on the Mystery Wedge next to the orange $800 and decides not to flip it over, lest she lose the trip. Later in the round, with $2,800 and the trip, she lands on the other Mystery Wedge and flips it over, finding $10,000 on the reverse.
 * On January 23, after supposedly having $3,000, a contestant's podium can briefly be seen reading $2,750 before being covered with the "BANKRUPT" graphic after she lands on one. This was most likely from an edit that involved her buying a vowel not in the puzzle, followed by lost turns from the other contestants.
 * On January 24, the blue contestant's arrow can be briefly seen flashing during the Final Spin. There is an obvious edit here that results in the Final Spin music briefly playing over itself in a different spot, possibly masking a Final Spin that landed on Bankrupt or Lose A Turn.
 * Rich Fields announces the week of January 31.
 * During the week of January 31 (Teachers' Week), the category wipe is a school bus driving from right to left.

February 2011 :
 * February 2 has six rounds.
 * Jim Thornton announces the week of February 7 in post-production. The episodes were taped at the Venetian in Las Vegas and, like the other Vegas episodes, originally had Charlie announcing.
 * February 7 is Sweethearts Week. During this week, the category wipe is Cupid shooting an arrow on a background of clouds.
 * On February 7, contestant Chris lifts up half of the Wheel template when picking up the Wild Card in Round 3.
 * On February 8:
 * What's That Song? makes its last appearance of the season.
 * One set of contestants attempts to solve the Round 2 puzzle with only three T's and an H showing. The male of that team guesses BATTLE HYMN OF THE REPUBLIC, which does not fit the blanks or the category of What Are You Doing? (The actual answer is GETTING COZY BY THE FIREPLACE.)
 * Neither Before & After nor Same Name are used.
 * February 9 is the last appearance of Rock On! Once again, Charlie's "Rock On!" call is dubbed over by Pat saying the category name.
 * Lora Cain announces the week of February 14.
 * February 14 is Teen Best Friends Week. This is the first week of Culver City episodes without an animated intro; instead, all of the week's contestants are shown in a clip at the beginning.
 * February 14 has a rare instance of a Wheel prize that isn't a trip: namely, a gaming package including a TV.
 * Jim Thornton announces the weeks of February 21 and 28.
 * On February 21, nobody gives a correct answer to the $1,000 Toss-Up, STARBOARD SIDE. The first contestant to ring in gives an incorrect answer with only the S in SIDE missing, so neither of the other contestants get an opportunity to ring in.
 * On February 24, a pre-recorded audience gasp is obviously dubbed in when contestant Jared lands on the Million Dollar Wedge in Round 1.
 * Same Name is not used at all during the week of February 28. However, all five episodes have Before & After.
 * All five Bonus Rounds are lost on the week of February 28.

March 2011 :
 * March 1 and 3 are the eighth and ninth $100,000 losses of the season.
 * Joe Cipriano announces the week of March 7.
 * All five Bonus Rounds are won on the week of March 7. This is the first all-win week since April 23-27, 2007.
 * On March 8:
 * The original Round 3 is edited out. During the original Round 3, contestant Sandy uses her Wild Card on $3,500. Later, she apparently calls a letter before spinning again, but the letter lights up. As a result, the round is discarded, and Sandy is given back her Wild Card.
 * The Used Letter Board malfunctions during the replacement Round 3, resulting in another stopdown. When the yellow contestant lands on a Mystery Wedge, the blue contestant can be seen trying to notify Pat of the issue.
 * A cycle of "null" turns is likely edited out at the start of Round 5.
 * John Cramer announces the week of March 14. Vanna does the Jackpot plugs and SPIN IDs.
 * March 14 is Pet Lovers' Week. In honor of this:
 * Tillman, a skateboarding bulldog, appears at the beginning of the March 14 episode.
 * Natural Balance Pet Foods has a $1,000 gift tag on the Wheel. Every time the tag is hit, the company donates $1,000 to the American Kennel Club Fund; the tag is hit three times.
 * At the end of the March 14 show, everyone in the audience receives a goodie bag of pet treats.
 * On March 15, Ron Horetski of the Los Angeles County Fire Department appears at the end of the show with a rescue dog named Pearl.
 * March 15 begins a streak of seven consecutive Bonus Round losses, spread over two weeks.
 * Jim Thornton announces the weeks of March 21 and 28.
 * During the week of March 21, the Final Spin is framed through the viewfinder of a Sony camera, with a camera flash as the transition to the split-screen.
 * March 21 is the first game since April 6, 2007 to have three female contestants.
 * On March 21, Pat nearly forgets to open the bonus envelope.
 * On March 23, Bankrupt is hit four times in the Jackpot Round.
 * March 23 is the tenth $100,000 loss of the season, setting a record.
 * On March 24, Vanna for a Day contest winner Katie Cantrell takes Vanna's place for Rounds 2 and 3. Portions of her audition video are shown after Round 1, and she models a car during the post-Round 4 bumper. The other four contest finalists are shown in the audience just before the Bonus Round.
 * On March 24, the Mystery Round, $3,000 Toss-Up and Bonus Round are all Phrase. This is very likely the first time since March 2003 that the same category has been used three times in one show.
 * The week of March 28, taped at the Palazzo in Las Vegas, is the last week originally announced by Charlie. Unlike all the other weeks with dubbed-in announcers, Jim also reads the Mystery Round plug and SPIN IDs.
 * On March 29, Pat forgets to take away a contestant's Prize wedge after she hits Bankrupt. He takes it away later in the round.

April 2011 :
 * On April 1, as an April Fool's Day gag, every puzzle except the Bonus Round has some form of the word "fool" in it. This results in the first known occurrence of Song Title and Song Lyrics in the same game, and one of the only games this season to have neither Same Name nor Before & After. Interestingly, the contestants never catch on.
 * On April 1, Pat does not say the Bonus Round category until after the contestant has picked her letters.
 * John Cramer announces the week of April 4.
 * The week of April 4 does not have any animated intros. Instead, Vanna promotes the week's car, a Chevy Volt, at the top of the show. She also announces the Mystery Round prize.
 * Starting April 4, the Mystery Round sponsor is permanently removed; some episodes before then did not have a sponsor.
 * April 4 has an unusual instance in the Round 3. A contestant hits a Mystery Wedge, calls a letter that reveals the puzzle entirely, then opts to flip the Mystery Wedge only to find a Bankrupt on the other side; as a result, the completely filled-in puzzle gets passed to the next contestant, who solves it. (The same incident previously happened on October 1, 2007.)
 * On April 5:
 * The same contestant hits Bankrupt four times.
 * The answer to the Round 4 puzzle reveals like an unsolved bonus puzzle: the letters fill in one at a time in a zig-zag pattern instead of all at once, and the board's border does not flash.
 * A contestant sweeps the main game. She takes both the Wild Card and the Million-Dollar Wedge to the Bonus Round, where she wins $30,000.
 * The sequence of Pat revealing the $1,000,000 envelope is obviously done in post-production.
 * On April 6:
 * Pat informs the contestants that each puzzle is "recycled" from a previous episode, in honor of Going Green Week. To indicate that, each puzzle reveal (besides the Toss-Ups) is a clip from an older episode: Round 1 is from 1993 (erroneously identified as 1996), Round 2 from November 1996, Round 3 from 1990, and Round 4 from 1998.
 * Strangely, the 1993 clip is altered so that the category strip reads Headline. The puzzle, NEIL ARMSTRONG'S MOON LANDING, was most likely categorized as Event or The Sixties on the original episode, and would have been more logically categorized as Event today.
 * The 60's makes its only known appearance since Retro Week in 1999. The "decade" line of categories was phased out in early Season 24, and only The 70's onward were in use for several seasons prior.
 * Pat accidentally calls the Free Play a Free Spin.
 * Contestant Matt's nametag falls off during Round 3.
 * There is a very rare instance of Star/Role appearing in Round 4.
 * On April 7, Vanna reads most of the Prize Puzzle copy, but John announces the prize's value and then ad-libs "Vanna not included".
 * April 7 is the eleventh $100,000 loss of the season.
 * Joe Cipriano announces the week of April 11.
 * The week of April 11 features two special ½ Car wedges in honor of Road Trip week. One is placed over the orange $300, and the other over the blue $500 (next to the red $900). The first car offered by the ½ Car wedges is a Hyundai Accent; it is not won, as only one tag is even hit all week.
 * As a result of the ½ Car wedges, two other changes are made for the week of April 11 only: the red $900 is changed to blue until Round 4 to avoid two adjacent wedges of the same color, and the Wild Card moves to the pink $900. The latter change becomes permanent at the start of Season 29, which also introduces a modified version of the ½ Car tags.
 * On April 12 and 14, the opening title card says Get Out of Town instead of Road Trip, most likely because both weeks used the same Wii animations.
 * On April 12, a contestant mispronounces "Pasadena" as "Pasadayna" when solving IT'S THE LITTLE OLD LADY FROM PASADENA, but is still credited with a correct response.
 * April 12 is the fifth appearance of What Are You Doing? in the Bonus Round since December 13; it did not appear there in February or March. As was the case on January 7, the last puzzle before the Bonus Round is also What Are You Doing?
 * April 14 has an unusual incident in the Bonus Round: after the contestant calls her extra letters, some letters are lit up (but not touched) before Pat realizes that the contestant has a Wild Card. He then asks the contestant for a fourth consonant, which is not in the puzzle, and the lit letters are revealed.
 * All five Bonus Rounds are won on the week of April 11. Incidentally, these episodes were taped in the same session as the week of March 7, in which all five Bonus Rounds were also won. This is believed to be the first season since Season 11 that had more than one perfect Bonus Round week.
 * All the changes from the week of April 11 are reverted on the week of the 18th.
 * Jim Thornton announces from April 18 onward.
 * On April 18, Bankrupt is hit eight times, including five in Round 3.
 * On April 18, a pre-recorded audience "ooh" is dubbed in when contestant Whitney lands on $3,500 in Round 3.
 * Starting April 18, Maxwell House Coffee donates $2,500 to Rebuilding Together every time the Bonus Round is won, with a cap of $200,000. Once again, this is promoted before the Bonus Round, and a Maxwell House logo is put in the upper left-hand corner during the round; reruns from before this point are edited to include both.
 * On April 18, a contestant accidentally calls N and E in the Bonus Round.
 * On April 21, contestant Erin mentions that her mother was on the show in 1978.
 * April 21 has six rounds.
 * April 22 is the only appearance of Best Seller since February 8, 2007. It is extremely likely that this is a fluke.
 * April 26 has two males and one female contestant.
 * On April 27, a spin from the next day is dubbed into Round 3, possibly because the camera over the Wheel did not catch the actual spin. This error gives the appearance of the Prize wedge (which was claimed earlier in the round) being replaced by a Vegas trip.

May 2011 :
 * The weeks of May 2-16 are taped at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans.
 * Jim Thornton's announcing is pre-recorded on the New Orleans episodes.
 * The Wii animations are not used between May 2 and June 3.
 * Rockin' Dopsie Jr. and the Zydeco Twisters appear as a house band during the week of May 2, playing zydeco music as the show goes in and out of commercial, and over the credits.
 * During the weeks of May 2 and 16, the puzzle chimes are replaced with a saxophone riff, except in the Toss-Up rounds. The category wipe is a saxophone with music notes coming out of its bell.
 * For reasons unknown, the Million-Dollar Wedge is not present on May 2.
 * On May 2, the "fireworks" effect for a Jackpot win is accidentally used when a contestant solves that round's puzzle, even though she does not win the Jackpot.
 * May 2 is the only appearance of Rhyme Time in the Bonus Round since December 24, 2007.
 * On May 3:
 * A spin from another episode is edited into Round 1. The contestant lands on the red $800, but the post-production clip shows the orange $800; also, the Million-Dollar Wedge and Jackpot wedge are missing from the shot.
 * For no particular reason, there is no audience reaction when a contestant hits $2,500 in Round 1.
 * There is an extremely rare instance of a Family puzzle which refers to a family name in general, instead of individual members (THE NEVILLE BROTHERS).
 * Pat, Vanna and the winning contestant dance to zydeco music during the credits.
 * May 3 and 4 both have Jackpot wins.
 * May 4 is the only appearance of Show Biz in the Bonus Round since May 15, 2009.
 * On May 5:
 * The camera pointed at the contestants is positioned too low and too far back when the $1,000 Toss-Up begins; it slowly zooms into its proper position until just before someone rings in.
 * No one gives a correct answer to the $2,000 Toss-Up, FRIENDLY FACES. The second contestant to ring in gives an incorrect answer with only the C missing, so the third contestant does not have a chance to ring in. (The second contestant actually said the right answer after time expired, but it was edited out since it would not have been taken anyway.)
 * The same contestant spins $3,500 three times in a row in Round 3.
 * Between May 5 and 25, fifteen bonus puzzles in a row are Thing(s). This is believed to be the longest such streak, and it is all the more unusual as the month began with two categories which had not been used in the Bonus Round in several years.
 * At the end of the May 6 episode, Pat joins Rockin' Dopsie onstage and plays the washboard while the band plays "When the Saints Go Marching In".
 * May 9 is College Week.
 * During the week of May 9, the Tulane University marching band plays music going into and out of commercial, and during the credits. The university's cheerleading squad and mascot, Riptide the Pelican, are also present.
 * May 10 has a very unusual non-sequitur puzzle, CARDINALS & CANARIES, as the $2,000 Toss-Up. Besides being completely unrelated birds not associated together (similarly to the SPARROWS & PARAKEETS puzzle seen on two separate occasions), cardinal is a family of birds and canaries are a species.
 * On May 11:
 * College Life makes its first known appearance as a Toss-Up.
 * There is a Jackpot win.
 * Pat pretends to frisk the winning contestant after he solves the bonus puzzle.
 * May 12 has two males and one female contestant.
 * On May 13, a Same Name puzzle spells out AND instead of using an ampersand.
 * May 13's bonus puzzle QUALIFICATIONS is only the second known answer to take up the entire second row of the current puzzle board. Obviously, the camera is zoomed out further than usual, so that the ends of the puzzle board are not cut off on standard-definition televisions.
 * During the week of May 16, an instrumental version of "When the Saints Go Marching In" plays in place of the opening music. A special piece of zydeco music also plays over the credits.
 * During the week of May 16, Pat, Vanna and the winning contestant eat various New Orleans-themed foods during the credits: bananas foster on Monday, pecan-crusted gulf fish on Tuesday, sake-glazed sea bass (with Japanese noodles and lobster/crab broth) on Wednesday, trout Pontchartrain on Thursday, and beignets on Friday. Before the credits, a local chef describes the food.
 * May 17 is a $100,000 win.
 * May 18 and 19 are the only two appearances this season of In the Kitchen since December 27, 2010.
 * On May 19, a contestant solves the Speed-Up puzzle ELECTRIC CAN OPENER with only the N's revealed.
 * All five Bonus Rounds are won on the week of May 16.
 * The week of May 23 is Family Week, sponsored by Wendy's. Between April 11 and May 15, Wendy's offers five Wheel-themed toys in its kids' meals, with puzzle answers on game pieces in the toy packaging. Before the $3,000 Toss-Up, a promotional puzzle is shown. If it matches a game piece, the home viewer may submit the game piece to win a prize. Wendy's also sponsors the Wheel prize each week; strangely, it is only given a generic description of being a trip to the Caribbean.
 * During the week of May 23, the neon frames around the Wheel, contestant scoreboards and video wall are a yellowish pink, possibly to match the Wendy's yellow-and-red logo.
 * On May 24, Vanna forgets to touch one of the W's in the Round 1 puzzle. She doesn't notice until a stagehand points it out to her on the next turn.
 * On May 24, the contestants accidentally call an E in the Bonus Round. Pat doesn't notice this at first, and begins to ask the contestants for their Wild Card letter before he is corrected.
 * On May 25, the previous day's Wendy's puzzle is shown again after that day's. This was done most likely because the May 24 episode was pre-empted in some markets by the series finale of The Oprah Winfrey Show.
 * On May 26, one of the family teams includes a wheelchair-bound contestant who barely speaks throughout the entire game: he only says "yes" during Pat's interview, does not call any letters or touch the Wheel, and otherwise says only part of the Round 1 answer in unison with his teammate.
 * On May 27, Bankrupt is hit four times in Round 2, including one which claims $22,000. Overall, it is hit six times.
 * All five Bonus Rounds are lost on the week of May 23.
 * May 30 is Tennis Week, sponsored by the Tennis Channel. Three different tennis players appear at the top of each show, with the third saying "it's Tennis Week on Wheel of Fortune".
 * During the weeks of May 30 and June 6, Vanna announces the Mystery Round prize.
 * On May 30:
 * Contestant Lisa accidentally asks to buy a T in Round 2 immediately after calling T. She loses her turn, but does not have $250 deducted from her score; however, it is known that on at least one other occasion when a contestant accidentally asked to buy a consonant, the $250 was still deducted.
 * Lisa lands on the Mystery Wedge between Free Play and Lose A Turn. After she hits it, an overhead shot of the other Mystery Wedge, obviously edited in from another episode, is shown instead. Just before she flips it over, the overhead shot goes back to showing the correct wedge.
 * Tracy Austin, a tennis commentator and retired tennis player, makes a guest appearance during the Pat and Vanna chat.

June 2011 : (season ends June 10)
 * On June 2, the winning contestant jokingly asks Pat who he has in the audience at the start of the Bonus Round.
 * June 3 has what may be the second-most expensive Wheel prize ever offered: a trip to Istanbul worth $16,400, which is not won.
 * The week of June 6 is America's Game. The Wii animation is the same one used during the week of January 3.
 * On June 6, a projected arrow is once again visible on the center of the Wheel during the first spin.
 * On June 7, the Speed-Up bells sound just as a contestant starts to spin. He is allowed to complete the turn, and Pat makes the Final Spin immediately afterward. This incident goes against precedent, as contestants who try to spin over the Speed-Up bells are usually stopped.
 * On June 8, a Same Name puzzle spells out AND instead of using an ampersand.
 * June 9 is only the second time this season that Before & After appears in Round 1.
 * June 9 is the sixth episode from the Family Week of May 25. The neon frames on the set are back to their normal colors.
 * On June 10:
 * A contestant calls an E after spinning, then corrects herself and says T. She is credited with the T, which is not in the puzzle, although precedent suggests that she should have been credited with the E (which obviously would also mean losing her turn).
 * Jim and Vanna both read portions of the Prize Puzzle copy.
 * Neither Same Name nor Before & After is used.
 * All five Bonus Rounds are lost on the week of June 6.
 * Between February 24 and the season finale on June 10, only seven bonus puzzles are in categories other than Thing(s) or Phrase.

Summer Reruns : {C (Note: While this Wiki does not generally keep track of these, an exception was made for Season 28 due to Charlie's death and the subsequent tryouts.)
 * On June 13, Jim Thornton is confirmed as the permanent announcer.
 * Jim is dubbed over any of the guest announcers during the Summer reruns, reading the new SPIN ID, Maxwell House, and Mystery Round plugs. Charlie is retained on episodes that originally aired before his death.


 * The Summer reruns are as follows:
 * Week of June 13: September 13-16 on Monday-Thursday, January 3 on Friday.
 * Week of June 20: December 13-14 on Monday-Tuesday, December 16-17 on Wednesday-Thursday, January 5 on Friday.
 * Week of June 27: November 8 on Monday, November 10-12 on Tuesday-Thursday, January 6 on Friday.
 * Week of July 4: January 24-27 on Monday-Thursday, January 7 on Friday. Coincidentally, January 7 was the sixth episode taping from the week of January 24.
 * Week of July 11: September 27-October 1.
 * Week of July 18: September 20-23 on Monday-Thursday, March 3 on Friday.
 * Week of July 25: March 21 on Monday, March 23-25 on Tuesday-Thursday, March 4 on Friday.
 * Week of August 1: November 29-December 2 on Monday-Thursday, June 7 on Friday.
 * Week of August 8: April 11-13 on Monday-Wednesday, April 15 on Thursday, June 8 on Friday.
 * Week of August 15: March 28-31 on Monday-Thursday, June 9 on Friday.
 * Week of August 22: May 9-13.
 * Week of August 29: May 30-June 3.
 * Week of September 5: May 16-20.
 * Week of September 12: November 1-3 on Monday-Wednesday, November 5 on Thursday, June 10 on Friday. Oddly, November 5 retains Pat and Vanna's tribute to Charlie.
 * On reruns of September and October episodes, an unknown female announces the newly-recorded SPIN ID and Maxwell House segments while another announces the Mystery Round sponsor. The closed captioning alternates between erroneously crediting these announcements to Jim, Charlie, Vanna, or simply "woman"; it is believed that these women are Kelly Miyahara and Sarah Whitcomb of the Jeopardy! Clue Crew.
 * On July 25, the Sony Card graphic used during SPIN ID draws is updated to reflect its new, black design.

Season 29 (2011-12)
Season Changes :
 * The Wii intros are retired. The title card is the same as last season's, but it starts with the colored strips flying into place, and the words "Wheel of Fortune" appearing on the gold center of the logo as they are chanted. Also, the camera now zooms in between the O and F.
 * The relatively consistent pattern of having a Same Name or Before & After in every game is reverted.
 * Each week's theme is now shown on the scoreboards when they are not in use.
 * SPIN ID draws no longer award $50,000 to winners who have an active Sony Card.
 * The Prize Puzzle and Final Spin graphics are updated to use the color scheme from the Season 28 logo. The former now includes a graphic of a navigational compass, and the latter features two graphics of the Wheel with the words "Final Spin" on two rows in between.
 * The backdrop for Pat and Vanna's post-game chat is two spinning golden Wheels, one at the top and one at the bottom.
 * The green $700 is reduced to $500, and Wild Card moves from it to the pink $900.
 * Some Prize Puzzles are less obviously themed to the corresponding prize.
 * A lottery promotion runs during this season and through January 11, 2012, with the winners flown to Culver City to spin the Wheel for cash or a prize; at least three of these winners will be randomly chosen to play a special Lottery Winners episode (or Week) with Pat, Vanna, Jim, and the same rules as normal episodes (minus the trips). For reasons unknown, the Lottery Winners show(s) will be recorded but not aired, with strict internet guidelines put on the contestants.
 * All sixth-episode weeks are once again called "America's Game". As the Portland weeks have already been announced and Culver City tapings are the only ones which produce sixth-episode weeks, this leaves five weeks which may be from a locale or two (November 7-21, December 12, February 13); the November shows are uncertain, however (see below).
 * The map for the SPIN ID draws now always shows Alaska and Hawaii. Previously, those states were only shown if the SPIN ID owner was from one of those states.
 * The buzzer now sounds after incorrect attempts at solving.

September 2011 : (season begins September 19)
 * September 19 is Family Week. During this week, the Wheel Prize is $7,500 cash courtesy of Maxwell House Coffee.
 * On September 19, Pat briefly mentions that Jim Thornton is the permanent announcer.
 * At the end of the September 19 episode, footage is shown of Vanna at the Gary Center (a social service agency in La Habra, California), promoting the Maxwell House sponsorship.
 * On September 20:
 * What's That Song? makes its first appearance since February 8.
 * A new "vault" graphic is introduced for the Mystery Round intro. The show alternates between this and the existing graphic consisting of $100 bills on a green background.
 * Bankrupt is hit four times in Round 3. During the second one (by the blue team), their scoreboard does not show "Bankrupt".
 * On September 19 and 20, two teams in a row solve the bonus puzzle just after the buzzer.
 * September 21 is the first $100,000 loss of the season.
 * At the end of the September 21 episode, everyone in the audience receives a can of Maxwell House Coffee.
 * On September 22:
 * During Round 1, a contestant on the yellow team starts to call R, which has already been called, but catches herself and says S. She is credited with the S, which is in the puzzle.
 * Vanna reads the second line of the Prize Puzzle copy.
 * Before the Bonus Round, one of the winning team's mothers is shown off to the side of the audience in a wheelchair.
 * At the end of the episode, Pat shows off his Lifetime Achievement Award.
 * On September 23, the red team starts Round 2 with a $3,500 spin, but Pat does not remind them of their Wild Card from Round 1, nor is it in their presence. It is evident that the round began with an edited-out "null" cycle that included a Bankrupt from at least the red team. Pat tells the yellow team that everyone has hit Bankrupt this round, so it is obvious that one of the edited-out turns was also a Bankrupt from the blue team.
 * On September 23, Jim appears onstage with Pat and Vanna at the end of the show, as they introduce him as the permanent announcer. He does the "promotional consideration provided by..." tag from center stage.
 * Starting September 23, Same Name permanently reverts to spelling out AND.
 * September 26 introduces the new ½ Kia tags, which offer a $15,000 Kia Soul. One is still over the blue $500 next to the red $900, but the other is now over the green $500. From this point onward, Jim plugs the car after the "promotional consideration provided by…" tag if it is not won.
 * The category wipe for the week of September 26 is a red flower, which floats from right to left. Strangely, the font is far narrower than usual when the strip reveals.
 * On September 26, a cycle of three "null" turns is likely edited out at the start of Round 3.
 * On September 27, a contestant is credited with $2,250 after solving a puzzle when he should have won only $1,750. This is most likely because of the contestants is erroneously credited with five consonants at $500 each instead of four. The mistake is never acknowledged or corrected on camera, nor is there a disclaimer in the credits.
 * September 27 and 29 have two males and one female contestant.
 * Beginning September 28, $500 per consonant is now awarded with the ½ Car tag.
 * September 28 is the first Kia win.
 * September 29 is the debut of Movie Quote. Strangely, Pat makes no mention of it being a new category.
 * On September 29, a graphic related to the Prize Puzzle's prize is briefly visible on the contestant video wall.

October 2011 :
 * During the week of October 3, the category wipe is a driving boat.
 * During the week of October 3, Vanna promotes the Mystery Round prize.
 * On October 3:
 * TV Quote debuts. Once again, Pat makes no mention of it being a new category.
 * The ½ Kia graphic displayed on contestants' scoreboards is changed to match the tags.
 * At the end of the episode, footage is shown of Vanna presenting Pat with his Lifetime Achievement Award (which is also the answer to Round 1).
 * On October 4, Bankrupt is hit 6 times in Round 2, a tie for the most known Bankrupts in one round; interestingly, 5 of them are on the Million-Dollar Wedge. All three contestants hit Bankrupt again in Round 3. Also, there is likely an edit during Round 1, due to one contestant's spin being inconsistent in strength in comparison to her other spins, meaning that there could have been at least one more Bankrupt.
 * October 5 and 6 have Kia wins. The former is achieved by a contestant holding three tags; when the third tag is picked up, the graphic of the second tag disappears from the contestant's scoreboard and its animation is replayed.
 * At the end of the October 5 episode, a Changing Lives segment is shown for a contestant who won on Soap Stars Week in February 2006.
 * On October 7, the Prize Puzzle trip is worth $11,500, the highest known value for one on a non-team episode.
 * On October 7, the third-place contestant has $18,000, the highest known third-place total.
 * During the week of October 10, the category wipe is a flying bird, and the Final Spin wipe is butterflies flying diagonally across the screen.
 * On October 13, Vanna reads all but the first line and prize value of the Prize Puzzle copy.
 * October 13 is the first appearance of Food & Drink in the Bonus Round since September 20, 2010.
 * All five Bonus Rounds are lost on the week of October 10. This is part of an eight-loss streak starting on the 5th.
 * During the week of October 17, the category wipe includes a strip of sand and a tree, with the sand dissolving to form the strip.
 * During the week of October 17, the Wii intro previously used for Desert Oasis week in Season 28 is seen before the pre-Round 2 promotional plugs.
 * During the week of October 17, a separate red $300 wedge, which is slightly larger in size compared to other wedges, is placed over the normal red $300.
 * On October 17, the Mystery Round moves to Round 2 and the Prize Puzzle permanently moves to Round 3. No mention is made on-air of either change.
 * On October 18, the scoreboards briefly shut off after the Prize Puzzle is solved. There is also an edit after the wide shot showing all three contestants and Pat, though they are still off afterward. They are back on after the trip description, but the winning contestant's round score disappears instead of swiveling out.
 * On October 18, neither Bankrupt nor Lose A Turn is ever hit.
 * On October 18, a contestant solves the bonus puzzle 2/10 of a second ahead of the buzzer.
 * At the end of the October 18 episode, a Changing Lives segment is shown honoring Maxwell House's donations to a farmers' market in Denver called the Grow Haus.
 * On October 19, the audience does not shout suggestions when two contestants decide whether to flip the Mystery Wedge.
 * On October 20, Pat jokes about the end of Wheel of Fortune during the credits.
 * October 24-31 is Halloween Week. It is also the first taped week of Season 29, recorded on July 14.

November 2011 :
 * November 7-22 is the Secret Santa Sweepstakes, done in partnership with Sears; the contest, claimed by the show to be "the biggest sweepstakes in [its] history", offers home viewers a chance to win up to $1,000,000 each night.

December 2011 :
 * December 5 is a sixth-episode week.
 * December 12 is Sandals Golf Getaway; it is known that a sweepstakes will be held this week for luxury vacations at Sandals properties.
 * The week of December 26 is "Best of the Best". It is not known what the week will consist of, as the term can represent returning players (i.e., "Some of the Greats" in Season 12), clip montages, the best prizes of 2011, or simply a reference to Wheel itself. It may also be related to Pat's 30th year with the show, as the 28th is on the Wednesday of this week.

January 2012 :
 * January 9 is a sixth-episode week.
 * January 23 is Wheel Around the World Week.

February 2012 :
 * February 13 is Sandals Romance Week, which will use a contest similar to that of December 12-16 and will likely be taped alongside it.

March 2012 :
 * March 5 is a sixth-episode week.
 * March 12 is Military Spouses Week.

April 2012 :
 * April 23 is a sixth-episode week.
 * The weeks of April 30-May 21 will be taped in Portland, Oregon during late March and early April, the first time since Season 12 that four consecutive weeks will be done from the same locale, and the first time Wheel has taped there (although the week of September 21, 1981 had contestants flown in from Portland).
 * April 30 is Going Green Week.

May 2012 :
 * May 7 is Portland Week.
 * May 14 is College Week.
 * May 21 is Great Outdoors.

June 2012 : (season ends June 15)
 * June 4 is Newlyweds Week.
 * June 11 is a sixth-episode week.