User:Daniel Benfield/Nighttime Video Archive

Suggested by TPH, I began this page by focusing on Seasons 1-6 due to A) the preservation of my sanity and B) the lack of returning champions during that period. Since then, Guint and Gameshowguy2000 (and myself) have added episodes from afterward.

The timeline is here, and daytime videos here. (If any of these links don't work, remove or substitute as necessary.)

LEGAL STUFF SO I DON'T GET SUED: I'm only linking to these videos, none of which were uploaded by me, for the purposes of research and as a public record. Footage ©1983-2012 Califon Productions/Merv Griffin Entertainment and associated entities.

Season 1 (1983-84)
Distinguishable primarily by the first iteration of "Changing Keys" and the squared-off contestant backdrops. At least the premiere, and possibly the second and third shows as well, have $750 as the top value in Round 1. The original Merv Griffin Productions logo is replaced on November 28 by an animated one, whose griffin becomes static (along with a larger picture and smaller font) in February.

The trees behind Pat change from green to brown in late September or early October, then to light-up white ones by the end of October (no, seriously; the October 31 and November 9 daytime shows have them). By September 22, the outlines of the money graphic and subsequent logo become white, resulting in a brighter/cleaner appearance.

"Walls" replace the trees in February and remain until late 1986, although the trees still show up and the walls' decorations/foliage still help in dating. The Wheel flippers may become longer and thinner sometime between September 22 and October 31, but that could just be me going by some less-than-optimal video quality.

Summer repeats for this and the next few seasons can usually be determined by a sudden cut to another screen just after the fee plugs to show the replacement fee sponsors.

Repeat Weeks: December 26-30 or January 2-6, April 23-27.

1983


 * September 19, 1983 (#S-001/Premiere: Jeff/Leslie/Linda, with the puzzle board's original chase light sequence {counterclockwise on the left, clockwise on the right}; taped from GSN's first day, prefaced by a history dossier by Peter Tomarken but cuts off shortly after fee plugs {alternate copies: same day, no Tomarken intro, ends just before the above vid does; pristine copy from August 18, 2007})

$1,000 In R1, White-Outline Money Graphic/Logo


 * September 22, 1983 (#S-004: Lou/Cindy/Karen, with the original chase light sequence and a three-minute voiceover by Jack Clark...but several cuts {begins after Jack's first opening line, no Round 1 prize plugs, several other brief portions cut out, and no last segment})

Brown-Leaf Trees


 * September-October 1983 (Bob/Pearl/Carmen, with the original chase light sequence and a different shot of the King World logo; repeat from Summer 1984 {alternate copy, free registration required to watch})
 * September-October 1983 (Ed/Dawn/Ellen, with the original chase light sequence {taped 9/83, suggesting the latter end of this period; alternate copy})

Light-Up White Trees


 * October 1983-January 1984 (Rick/Joan/Cecelia, with the original chase light sequence and really small Prize wedge letters...but no last segment)

1984


 * January 1984 (Lloyd/Linda/Debbie, aka "And now, here's your litterer: Pat Sajak!" with the original chase light sequence and Vanna White spinning the Wheel at the end; repeat from August, begins just after opening chant)
 * January-February 1984 (Thelma/Sam/Lisa, with the curtain screwing up and the reversed chase light sequence {clockwise on the left, counterclockwise on the right}; repeat from June {most likely in a pre-9/19-debut market}, audio lags about 2-3 seconds behind video after Round 2 puzzle is shown {gets considerably better after Segment 2})
 * January-February 1984 (Tom/Cindi/Velma, with the reversed chase light sequence; repeat from Summer with commercials)

"Walls" Replace Trees, "Static" Griffin Logo


 * April 1984 (Virginia/Bob/Norma, with the reversed chase light sequence but no last segment; has commercials, one promoting the 1984 Olympic Games {taped 2/14/84; alternate copy by the original uploader})
 * May? 1984 (Mark/Carol/Debi, with the reversed chase light sequence {taped 4/84})

Season 2 (1984-85)
Distinguishable primarily by the second "Changing Keys", the second starburst backdrops, "Merv Griffin Productions" becoming "Merv Griffin Enterprises" (with a completely-static logo), and the King World logo adopting its familiar "star" motif.

By November 23, the $150 next to $1,000 in Round 2 decreases to $100; sometime between then and December 19, the green $1,000 gets a wider font (most noticeably the $ and first 0). Sometime after this change, and by December 19, Round 1 adds $700, $800, and $900; the aforementioned $100 is upped to $600; and the red $300 next to Bankrupt in Rounds 2+ becomes a yellow $500 (although a GSN-aired episode sometime afterward has said $500 next to Lose A Turn).

The wide-font $5,000 is used at least twice, both after the wide-font $1,000 debuts, and leaves by December 19. The Winter decorations return again in early or mid-December (definitely by the 19th, which is also clearly decorated for Christmas), and leave by February 1.

Episodes before January 1985 have the monospaced font (for the category strips and wardrobe plugs), no animated Wheel logo, and no Helvetica. The Helvetica chyrons are altered by February 1, and again sometime afterward; the regular $1,000 returns sometime between the debut of the third Helvetica chyrons and the season finale.

Beginning here, episodes that have the exact same "distinctions" (i.e., regular animated logo/wide-font $1,000/third Helvetica chyrons) and fall into the same timeframe (i.e., "February-June 1985") are ordered arbitrarily unless I know or have reason to suspect otherwise, in which case they're noted.

Repeat Weeks: December 24-28 or 31-January 4, April 8-12.

1984


 * September 1984 (Kersteen/Cinders {Cynthia}/Jack, with the reversed chase light sequence and full credit roll; uses the Enterprises logo, but otherwise has all the markings of Season 1 {I remember reading somewhere that S2 began taping before the changes were made})

Second "Changing Keys"/Starburst Backdrops


 * Fall 1984 (Dave/Joan/Kathy, with the reversed chase light sequence and shorter Prize wedge letters)
 * Fall 1984 (Janice/Faye/Marvin, with the reversed chase light sequence and $300 next to Bankrupt {alternate copies: Round 3/"FRANKFURTERS AND SAUERKRAUT", complete})
 * Fall 1984 (Father Rob/Betty/Maria, with the reversed chase light sequence {alternate copies: #1, #2})
 * Fall 1984 (Bill/Brilla/Teddy, with the reversed chase light sequence)

$150 in R2 (next to $1,000) becomes $100


 * November 23, 1984 (#S-250: E.R. {Elizabeth Renae}/Casey/Stacey, with the reversed chase light sequence {opening through Vanna's intro and full closing segment from original broadcast, with commercials})

Wide-Font $1,000


 * November-December 1984 (Sharon/DeeDee/Brent, with the wide-font $5,000, reversed chase light sequence, and smaller Prize wedge letters)
 * November-December 1984 (Jeannette/Tim/Colleen, with the regular $5,000, reversed chase light sequence, and smaller Prize wedge letters {alternate copies: Rounds 1 and 3; complete})

$700/$800/$900 in R1, $100 next to $1,000 in R2 becomes $600, $300 next to Bankrupt in R2+ becomes $500, Winter Decorations


 * December 19, 1984 (#S-268: Kathe/Esther/Dennis, with the regular $5,000, wreaths and bows on-set, and reversed chase light sequence)

1985


 * January 1985 (Mike/Renita/Laura, with the reversed chase light sequence; was listed as December 25, 1984 on the timeline)
 * January 1985 (Pam/Carmen/Michael, with the reversed chase light sequence; taped from GSN, with commercials {begins during opening spiel, albeit with some playback issues for the first two seconds})
 * January 1985 (Rita/Lynn/Jonas, with $800 on $750 in Round 1 and the reversed chase light sequence; beginning of Bonus Round segment cut out {begins during Jack's description}, cuts off during Griffin announcement)

Animated Logo; First Helvetica Chyrons (no Shadows)/Bonus Round totals/credits


 * January 1985 (Steve/Christina/Debra, with prototype{?} animated logo, original chase light sequence, and shorter Prize wedge letters)
 * January 1985 (Doc/?/?, tail end of Bonus Round)

Regular Animated Logo, Winter Decorations Removed, First Helvetica Chyrons (with Shadows)


 * January 1985 (Mary/Dick/Chris, with the reversed chase light sequence)

Second Helvetica Chyrons


 * February (or so) 1985 (Hal/Chris/Rita, with the reversed chase light sequence and shorter Prize wedge letters; audio/video seriously out of sync for the first four minutes {slightly off for the rest}, no last segment)

Third Helvetica Chyrons (white all around each letter)


 * February-June 1985 (Jerry/JoAn/Elaine, with an unknown chase light sequence; taped from GSN in 1999, rough video {especially at beginning})
 * February-June 1985 (Deborah/Cheryl/Robin, with the reversed chase light sequence; begins just before Jack's opening spiel)
 * February-June 1985 (Gina/Cindy/Mike, with the reversed chase light sequence)
 * February-June 1985 (Kim/Brad/Carla, with the reversed chase light sequence; GSN airing with no logos)

Regular $1,000 Returns


 * February-June 1985 (Lori/Peggy/David, with the reversed chase light sequence and shorter Prize wedge letters)

Season 3 (1985-86)
Distinguishable primarily by the green $1,000 becoming yellow, the nearby $800 becoming orange, and the Griffin logo using pacific-blue font instead of the previous silver. Charlie O'Donnell fills in from October 21-November 1.

GSN never reran this season, so any 1985 shows without a GSN logo or Columbia-Tristar Television announcement are likely Season 3.

Repeat Weeks: December 30-January 3, March 31-April 4.

1985


 * December 5, 1985 (#S-454: Nikki/Tony/Terry; the THRILL OF VICTORY episode, with the reversed chase light sequence and no Winter decorations {alternate copy})
 * Fall 1985-Spring 1986 (Darlene/Frank{?}/Marilyn; various clips aired during VH-1's I Love The 80s for 1986)

1986


 * March 14, 1986 (#S-525: Dick/Diane/Betty, with the reversed chase light sequence; has commercials {alternate copy})
 * May 5, 1986 (#S-561: Ken/John/Andra, with green $1,000 in Round 1{?!}, reversed chase light sequence, and AT MY CAT'S END mis-solve {alternate copy by the original uploader})

Season 4 (1986-87)
Distinguishable primarily by the new Wheel colors (notably the pink $1,000 in Round 1) and third starburst backdrops (introduced sometime between mid-October and November 13). Between November 13 and December 22, the Griffin logo changes to add "A unit of The Coca-Cola Company"; around Spring, the text "ALL RIGHTS RESERVED" is added below the copyright stamp. Sometime between mid-October and November 13, the walls introduced in February 1984 are removed.

GSN never reran this season, so any 1987 shopping episodes without said logo or Columbia-Tristar announcement are likely Season 4. The "Wheel of Misfortune" episode of 227 (using the third starburst backdrops, post-"walls" setup, and the tan/lime-green $900 wedges) airs October 4; an available copy of its press release has "AUG 26 1986" stamped on it.

Repeat Weeks: December 29-January 2, April 20-24.

1986


 * October 13-17, 1986 (Julie/David/Nita, with the original chase light sequence; has commercials, one mentioning the 18th {alternate copy without commercials})

Third Starbursts, post-"Walls" Backdrop


 * October 1986-June 1989 (? {female}/Paula{?}/? {male}...but other than the above, there's really nothing to date this; clip {possibly whole} of a round likely between 3 and 5, not sure about that...oh, and there's no sound {a comment says GSN reran this episode, suggesting Seasons 5-6})

1987


 * January 5-7, 1987 (Ann/Valerie/Helen, with the original chase light sequence; begins immediately before money graphic, ends a few seconds into the fee plugs, but includes commercials {alternate copy by the original uploader})
 * February 12, 1987 (#S-694: LeGrande/?/?, with the reversed chase light sequence; partial Bonus Round only {taped 1/18/87}, LeGrande later became an Oprah staffer/producer from 1990-97; by the way, if you're curious, the airdate is given here and the tapedate here)
 * March 30-April 3, 1987 (?/Nancy/Eleanor, Round 2 only)
 * May 1987 (Mark/Barbara/Susan; Round 4 through end of show, cuts off just before Griffin logo)
 * June 1987 (Martine/Jim/Gerri, begins just before player interviews; has commercials, two mentioning Father's Day as upcoming and a third plugging a car giveaway on the 18th; Griffin logo still has "A unit of The Coca-Cola Company")

Season 5 (1987-88)
Distinguishable primarily by the Big Month/Bonanza of Cash (October 5 through at least February 12); Free Spin is available in Rounds 1-2 until January, at which point it's replaced by an off-model $200. "A unit of The Coca-Cola Company" changes to "A unit of Coca-Cola TELEVISION" by November 10, then "A unit of Columbia Pictures Entertainment, Inc." on February 8.

Sometime in November, while "continue by popular demand" is used in the open, the tan $600 in Round 1 becomes $900. Also, the $250 and $500 between Lose A Turn and Bankrupt in Round 3 swap positions, the spin order going from $500-$400-$250 to $250-$400-$500. Sometime afterward, the opening is altered to replace those words with "present".

Jack leaves on May 6, with Charlie returning for at least the following week. Other than the different-looking fee credits, Summer repeats are distinguishable by the fee plugs being read by Pat and/or Vanna.

Repeat Weeks: December 28-January 1, April 4-8.

1987


 * October 5, 1987 (#S-796/Big Month of Cash, Day 1: John/Nancy/Peter, with the reversed chase light sequence; taped from GSN on August 18, 2007 {alternate copy})

"Big Bonanza of Cash", "Coca-Cola TELEVISION" replaces "The Coca-Cola Company"


 * November 1987 (Geri/Chip/Betsy, with the reversed chase light sequence; contestant interviews and fee plugs cut out {Jack's use of "continue by popular demand" suggests a very early post-BMOC show; the only other episode I'm aware of that uses it [Deb/Art/Amy, recorded 10/87] has the Rounds 1/3 changes})
 * November 10, 1987 (#S-822: Elliot/?/?, with the reversed chase light sequence; complete final segment, with Pat talking to a pair of mannequins on-set and full credit roll {albeit less "full" than usual due to an NBC technicians' strike})

"Present" replaces "continue by popular demand", $600 in R1 becomes $900, R3 spin order becomes $250-$400-$500


 * November-December 1987 (Sheila/Greg/Dick, with the reversed chase light sequence and Pat dropping his pants; repeat from February 18, 1989 with commercials and Pat reading the replacement fee plugs)
 * December 1987 (Rick/Julie/Gretchen, with the reversed chase light sequence and first known nighttime tie; taped from GSN circa 1995 {recorded 12/87})
 * December 17, 1987 (#S-849: Eileen/Peggy/Paul, with the reversed chase light sequence; has commercials, cuts off just before King World logo {alternate copy})
 * Late December 1987 (Marj/Paula/Denia, with Free Spin in Round 2, "squished" Prize wedge lettering, and a "WHA?!" moment in Round 4 when Pat says "Vanna will show you her hyphen."; has brief bits of commercials, but some portions are missing {begins as Jack says the value of the last item, no last segment})

1988


 * February 12, 1988 (#S-890: Hank/Nancy/Becky; begins at "-filled with glamorous prizes", no last segment)

"Big Bonanza of Cash" dropped


 * February-May 1988 (Gerri/Maria/Kevin, with the off-model $200 present through the opening spin, a thin-font $3,500, and Vanna getting her dress soaked; repeat from June 28, with Pat and Vanna reading the replacement fee plugs)

Jack Leaves


 * May-June 1988 (?/?/?, with a full credit roll; begins just after fee plugs {a comment says it's May due to the season ending May 27, which I doubt because that's the 37th week})

Season 6 (1988-89)
Distinguishable primarily by M. G. Kelly announcing and the more familiar $25,000 sign. The 10-second/three-and-a-vowel Bonus Round debuts October 3.

$2,500 becomes darker this season, while $3,500 adopts the same font. $5,000 does the same by October 3.

The New York Contest is held from September 5-26, with the winners attending a special series of episodes. M.G. leaves after February 17, with Charlie returning on the 20th.

New Categories: Same Name on September 6, Before & After on February 27.

Road Shows: Radio City Music Hall, New York City (November 14-25; Don Pardo announces).

Repeat Weeks: December 26-30, March 27-31.

1988


 * September 5, 1988 (#S-976/Season Premiere: Ann/Constance/Jan; taped from GSN, with commercials {alternate copies: #1a and #1b, #2a and #2b})
 * September 6, 1988 (#S-977: Sharon/Nathalie/Peter, with M.G.'s first nighttime appearance at the end)
 * September 8, 1988 (#S-979: Mitchell/Diana/Colin)
 * September 14?, 1988 (#S-983?: Terri/Debra/Mike, with the New York Contest)

"Three-and-a-Vowel" Bonus Round


 * October 3, 1988 (#S-996: Rick/Renee/Chris, the debut of the "new" Bonus Round)
 * October 1988 (Shari/Tom/David, with the bonus puzzle THE RED BADGE OF COURAGE {same week as below; alternate copy})
 * October 1988 (Diana/Judy/Dan {same week as above})
 * October 25, 1988 (#S-1012/Wipeout Week I, Day 2: Allan/Shirley/Peggy)
 * October-December 1988 (Emerald{?}/Chris/Janice, partial Round 3 and Bonus Round {WHICH OLD WITCH and CANADIAN BORDER}; video is accidentally slowed down slightly)

Radio City Music Hall


 * November 14, 1988 (#S-1026: Meg/Dave/Matt; taped from GSN on August 18, 2007 {alternate copy})
 * November 17, 1988 (#S-1029: Amy/Bill/Mary Lou, begins at newspaper graphic)
 * November 18, 1988 (#S-1030: Alan/Karl/Nikki)
 * November 25, 1988 (#S-1035: Martha/Linda/Willie)

Back to Burbank


 * December 23, 1988 (#S-1055: Jan/Don/Eric, with Pat singing an off-key "White Christmas")

1989

(All "January-February" episodes are before February 13/"Wipeout Week II".)
 * January-February 1989 (Bill/Gail/Carolyn, with the mispronunciation of MILAN ITALY; taped from GSN, with commercials)
 * January-February 1989 (Eileen/Irene/Ray {same week as below})
 * January-February 1989 (Joy/?/?, Bonus Round through sign-off {same week as above; possibly Hal/Joy/Sherrill})
 * January-February 1989 (Arnie/Judy/Valerie, with "I was getting ready to tell him about Vanna!"; taped from GSN in early 2004, small portion of Bonus Round cut out {possibly same week as above; the His-and-Hers signs are Hers-His})

Charlie Returns


 * February 20, 1989 (#S-1091: Renee/Carol/Damon, with Marla Gibbs making an appearance {taped 1/89?})
 * February 27, 1989 (#S-1096: Michelle/Bettye/Andy, debut of Before & After; montage of Rounds 1-3 and Bonus Round, prefaced by Andy's brother Jeff winning a car in October-December 1986 {third starburst backdrops, post-"walls" backdrop, late-1984 Griffin logo})
 * February-March 1989 (Donn/Rachel/Jackie, with some very audible Wheel automation in the opening chant and a detailed explanation of "our newest category" Before & After; taped from GSN, with commercials)


 * March-June 1989 (Yvonne/Stephanie/Joy; taped from GSN, with commercials)
 * March-June 1989 (Cynthia/Scott/Jeff; taped from GSN, with commercials)
 * March-June 1989 (Maxie/Penny/Steve, with a goofy hat contest; taped from GSN, with commercials)
 * March-June 1989 (Lori/Dianne/Teri; most of contestant interviews and small portion of Bonus Round cut out)
 * March-June 1989 (Callie/Semaj/Sterling, with the audience machine drowning out Charlie in the opening)
 * March-June 1989 (Liz/Victor/Leo {same week as below?}; taped from GSN, with commercials)
 * March-June 1989 (Robin/Franklin/Tom {same week as above?}, with a full credit roll; most of contestant interviews cut out)
 * March-June 1989 (Gina/Gordie/Rob {same week as below})
 * March-June 1989 (Arlene/Tina/Bill {same week as above; alternate copy})

Post-Season 6
Originally created by me for the episodes that contain a bunch of clips (now marked as "CLIPFEST"), Guint and Gameshowguy2000 (primarily, but I've also chipped in) started adding episodes from various seasons. Personally, my focus remains on Seasons 1-6.

Seasons 7-12 (1989-95)
So many episodes are available, we needed sub-subpages: 7, 8-11, 12.

Season 13 (1995-96)
The show moves to Stage 11 at Sony Pictures Studios, where it has taped ever since. The intro is adjusted so the Wheel spins clockwise, the letters zoom towards the sides and the center zooms back, and the opening theme is adjusted to end with the puzzle-solve cue adopted last year. The graphics show Pat, Vanna, the $25,000 sign, and related Wheel graphics in the letters of "WHEEL" before flying over a shot of the show's new home. Charlie's closing spiel is amended to close with him signing off with his name, and the Executive Producer to Associate Director credits are shown as chyrons until the last one scrolls up to reveal the rest.

The Bonus Round chime is low-pitched regardless of the locale. Also, the road-show board is used for the first few weeks, but the main board returns with another new border (somewhat of a cross between 1981 and '94 ones).

The category strips/prize values/totals/etc. are changed to a font similar to Times New Roman. The strips also now have an orange transparent background, and are revealed with the "rolling Wheel" wipe. Beginning with these strips, Fill In the Blank's name is spelled in full and the "decade" categories use numbers instead of being written out.

Gameplay-wise, the green $1,000 becomes sparkly green, Free Spin gets its first permanent position (over the purple $200), and the Double Play debuts for Round 2. In addition, bonus categories are now worth $1,000, and all questions are followed by the rolling chimes and the question (now asked by Pat), which is only available to the contestant who solves the puzzle.

Sometime in October, the $10,000 Wedge gets a full golden "$10,000" graphic on the back. Johnny Gilbert subs for Charlie from November 27-December 8.

New Categories: Who Is It? in late September or early October, $1,000 Slogan by February 9, Who Said It? by April 3.

Retired Categories: Person/Title around October 26.

Road Shows: Washington State Convention and Trade Center in Seattle (November 6-17); Waikaloa Village in Hawaii (February 12-23); Fox Theater in Atlanta, Georgia (April 22-May 3, July 15-19).

Repeat Weeks: December 25-29, April 8-12.

1995


 * September 4, 1995 (Season Premiere/Teen Week, Day 1 {alternate copy... thing})
 * September 5, 1995 (Teen Week, Day 2)
 * September-October 1995
 * October 24, 1995
 * October 27, 1995
 * November 20, 1995 (Celebrity Week, Day 1)


 * November 29, 1995
 * December 1, 1995 (Pat cuts Vanna's hair at the end)
 * December 11, 1995
 * December 15, 1995

1996


 * January 25, 1996
 * January 31, 1996
 * February 6, 1996 (Sweethearts Week, Day 2)
 * February 9, 1996 (Sweethearts Week, Finale)
 * February 1996 (Hawaii Week)
 * February 27, 1996
 * March 8, 1996
 * April 1996 (Atlanta, Day ?)
 * April 23, 1996 (Atlanta, Day 2)
 * April 24, 1996 (Atlanta, Day 3)

Season 14 (1996-97)
Many aesthetic changes are made: a very abbreviated intro which bypasses the opening bars and goes straight into the "Changing Keys" melody part of the theme and ends on the puzzle-solve cue. The graphics change to a CGI Sony Pictures Studios complex that includes a yellow two-row logo below the Columbia-TriStar logo, with each company's name next to its respective logo. When zoomed in, the circular concrete transforms into a Wheel graphic, and the complex changes to four gold squares with the two-row logo on the reverse showing Pat, Vanna, and a CGI version of the $25,000 sign using last season's graphics as a backdrop, with a zoom-in on the 4th (later slowed down and amended to put the zoom-in on the 3rd square). Other changes include a video wall at center stage, a $25,000 graphic replacing the beloved sign, Vanna showing off the $25,000 prize by using its envelope or a flashing battery-operated version, various new camera shots, every week being themed, brown prize wedges (which have glitter the first two weeks), new category strips, Surprise's final design, rotating music going into commercials, and rotating contestant backdrops. The burst backdrops are still used occasionally until January, while the post-main game and post-Bonus Round totals stop flashing by October.

Starting in October, the show ends with the copyright date, "Created by Merv Grffin" chyron credit, and King World/Columbia-TriStar logos (with no spiels for any; in addition, the King World music is dropped). Beginning September 30, closed-captioning plugs are done before the first commercial break (done by Vanna or Charlie), and some closing fee plugs are recorded by the company.

Gameplay-wise, several changes occur: the returning champion format is dropped in favor of the Friday Finals in which the Bonus Round winner wins an extra prize, the $10,000 Wedge moves to Round 2 only (over the lone Bankrupt), and the Round 4 Prize is removed.

On September 16, the Wheel adopts a single-template system based on that of Round 3: $150, $200, $750, and $1,500 are gone, with $250 the new minimum (and hence, no more working for vowels). The top dollar is placed over the yellow $1,000, the Round 2 Prize over $350, Surprise over the $400 between $500 and $250, the Free Spin over the green $300, the $10,000 Wedge over the golden $300, and the extra Bankrupt for Rounds 3+ (in Clarendon for its first few weeks) over the golden $300. In addition, the Jackpot Round debuts on this date in Round 3. Plus, should a round begin in Speed-Up, all remaining cardboard and the extra Bankrupt are removed, returning the golden $300 to play. Oh, and the center becomes teal.

On November 18, the Jackpot graphic adopts its familiar red semicircle. On December 9, a new Jackpot wedge debuts with solid-red coloring, yellow lettering in a simpler font, and a black curve on the top (which becomes brown on the 16th).

Also on December 16, the category strips become large blue ovals, which are altered on January 13 to match the length of the text. On January 6, the Wheel's automation is removed, and on February 7 the Jackpot minimum increases to $10,000 for Friday Finals.

The trilon-based puzzle boards appear for the last time in February: the 7th for the "home base" board, the 21st for the road-show board. On February 10, the W-H-E-E-L envelope holder adopts a turquoise/red zigzag pattern.

Many changes are made on February 24, including the new touch-screen puzzle board, the current contestant nametags (a blue oval design), and the envelope holder gets green letters and gold lights.

New Categories: Headline on September 3, Show Biz on September 9, Classic TV on September 16, Proper Name sometime in October.

Road Shows: Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco, California (November 11-22); Blockbuster Desert Sky Pavillion in Phoenix, Arizona (February 10-21); San Diego Convention Center in California (May 12-23).

Repeat Weeks: December 30-January 3 (October 7-11), March 24-28 (October 21-25).

1996


 * September 2, 1996 (Season Premiere)
 * September 12, 1996

Jackpot/"one-template" Wheel debuts, Pat no longer mentions top value until R4


 * September 16, 1996
 * September 24, 1996
 * October 7, 1996
 * October 11, 1996
 * October 29, 1996
 * November 19, 1996 (College Week, Day 2)
 * November 21, 1996 (College Week, Day 4; Pat has laryngitis {Alternate copy})
 * November 22, 1996 (College Week, Finale)
 * December 3, 1996 (Escape to Hawaii, Day 2 {alternate copy})

Oval Category Strips


 * December 18, 1996 (Family Week, Day 3)
 * December 27, 1996 (Happy Holidays Week, Finale {alternate copy})

1997


 * January 9, 1997 ($10,000 Wedge accidentally reversed for Round 2)

"New" Oval Category Strips


 * January 13, 1997
 * February 3, 1997 (Sweethearts Week, Day 1)
 * February 11, 1997 (Phoenix Week, Day 2)
 * February 18, 1997 (Phoenix Week, Day 7)
 * February 21, 1997 (Phoenix Week, Finale)

Set Overhaul


 * February 24, 1997 ({alternate copy... thing})
 * March 4, 1997
 * April 1, 1997 (Alex Trebek and Lesly Sajak host)

Pat finally stops saying "We're playing for cash."


 * April 30, 1997
 * May 1, 1997
 * May 5, 1997 (Celebrities and Moms, Day 1)
 * May 6, 1997 (Celebrities and Moms, Day 2)
 * May 8, 1997 (Celebrities and Moms, Day 4)
 * June 5, 1997
 * June 6, 1997

Season 16 (1998-99)
The $25,000 remains available in the Bonus Round all week, so no more figuring out the day just by looking at how many envelopes are left. The Puzzler becomes official on September 21, and its bells are removed sometime between October 12 and November 9.

Gameplay-wise, the pink $250s are all increased to $300; the ones between $400 and Lose a Turn as well as between $400 and $900 are pink, and the one next to the top value (now replaced by a blank white wedge) is yellow.

The King World logo's music returns until the entire logo is replaced by a new one that uses a ribbon to form the "star", and contains a thunderclap in the background.

Dick Carson's last episode airs May 21, although he and Pat say he became the show's director in 1982 (he joined in '78). No idea why he left two weeks before the season ended, though.

Finally, with one exception (the NFL Players Week of January 25-29), the Friday Finals are gone and the staff is free to tape and air episodes in whatever order they want. Surprise is gone as well, the second prize is now in Round 3, and the Jackpot always starts at $5,000. At least there's no more mid-season repeats.

New Categories: Rhyme Time at some point, On the Map on April 14.

Road Shows: Benedum Center in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (September 7-18); Las Vegas Hilton in Nevada (November 16-27); Apollo of Temple in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (May 3-14).

1998


 * September 7, 1998 (Season Premiere/"Working Families", Day 1)
 * September 14, 1998 (Pittsburgh Week, Day 1; Fred Rogers appears {alternate copy})
 * October 12, 1998

Bells removed from Puzzler


 * November 12, 1998 (#S-2974/Soap Stars Week, Day 4)
 * November 20, 1998 (#S-2980 {ceremonial #3,000} CLIPFEST)
 * December 3, 1998 (#S-2989/Cruise Week, Day 4)
 * December 25, 1998 (#S-3005/Christmas Week, Finale)

1999


 * May 3, 1999 (Philadelphia Week, Day 1)
 * May 4, 1999 (Philadelphia Week, Day 2)
 * May 5, 1999 (Philadelphia Week, Day 3)
 * May 6, 1999 (Philadelphia Week, Day 4 {alternate copy})
 * May 7, 1999 (Philadelphia Week, Finale)
 * May 1999 (College Week from Philadelphia, Day ? {alternate copy})
 * May 1999 (College Week from Philadelphia, Day ?)
 * May 21, 1999 (Dick Carson's final show)

Season 17 (1999-2000)
The Puzzler undergoes a couple of graphical improvements: the "spark" is replaced by a purple-on-purple banner sometime between September 23 and November 8, which becomes gold-on-pink between November 19 and December 27. Also, the "bonus" categories are now worth $3,000.

The Preview Puzzle debuts October 4, and really...who thought that was a good idea? Added zip to the game, wasted time... Probably Harry's idea, now that I think about it.

On a slightly better note, the Gift Tag debuts March 20. These days, it's pretty much the only place you'll actually see a variety of sponsors.

Road Shows: Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida (September 20-October 1); Madison Square Garden in New York (November 8-19); Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans (February 14-25).

1999


 * September 6, 1999 (Season Premiere)
 * September 23, 1999 (Universal Studios, Day 4: Mary/David/Jessica {alternate copy})

"Purple-on-Purple" Puzzler banner


 * November 8, 1999 (New York Week, Day 2)
 * November 11, 1999 (New York Week, Finale: David/Chandra/Joe {alternate copy})
 * November 16-19, 1999 (Best Friends Week, Day ?: Michelle & Scott/Kathleen & April/Charlie & Greg, begins at tail end of opening with a bunch of stuff edited out {most of the contestant interviews, for one, plus there's no last segment}; Pat mentions that the show is "getting close to the end of our two-week stay", and one envelope is missing from the W-H-E-E-L podium)

"Gold-on-Pink" Puzzler banner


 * December 27, 1999 (Retro Week I, Day 1 {CLIPFEST}: Jill/Brad/Ed)
 * December 28, 1999 (Retro Week I, Day 2 {CLIPFEST}: Natalie/Gary/Rachel {intro clip is of Bob/Pearl/Carmen, linked waaaaaaayyyyyyy above})

2000


 * May 15-19, 2000 (Wheel Goes to the Movies, Day ?: Don/Matt/Noel)

Season 18 (2000-01)
The Preview Puzzle and Puzzler are retired ("yay" and "boo", respectively), replaced by the Toss-Ups. The sequin-green $1,000 is also retired, resulting in a $2,500/$3,500/$3,500/$5,000 format, which Pat no longer reminds the players about.

Also retiring: Merv Griffin, leaving Friedman as the sole Executive Producer and ushering in an age of generic music because "Changing Keys" is gone as well. Bonus Round puzzles begin using redundant A's at the beginning, resulting in many instances of wasted vowel calls.

November 2 is inexplicably the last all-celebrity game, with Richard Simmons, Tara Lipinski, and Alex Trebek dressed in costume as part of a sweepstakes. The "Inner Tube" episode of The King of Queens (with Wheel in a brief appearance) airs February 26.

Road Shows: DAR Constitution Hall in Washington D.C. (November 6-10, January 22-26, February 5-9); Hilton Hawaiian Village in Hawaii (February 12-23); Dallas Convention Center in Texas (May 7-18).

2000


 * September 4, 2000 (Season Premiere: Karen/Joe/Cecelia {alternate copy})
 * September 22, 2000 (Sally/Deanna/Leonard Stone)
 * November 2, 2000 (Halloween Week, Finale {alternate copy}

2001


 * February 9, 2001 (College Week, Finale: Julia/David/Travis)
 * March 21, 2001 (Dia/Michael/Blythe)
 * April 13, 2001 (Retro Week II, Finale {CLIPFEST}: Dorothy/Cat/Greg)
 * May 2001 (Best Friends Week from Dallas, Day ?: Becky & Sherri/Kurt & Mike/Anelia & Kirk)

Season 19 (2001-02)
The current $1,000-$2,000-$3,000 Toss-Up structure is introduced. Also, the W-H-E-E-L envelopes remove anything that isn't a car or cash in favor of comprising three cars and two $25,000 all week.

October 22 brings the largest change, namely the Bonus Wheel, whose center changes by December 19 to a larger dome-ish light. The Big Money Week of February 18-22 introduces $30,000, $35,000, $40,000, $45,000, and $50,000, which become permanent the next season.

Road Shows: Knight International Center in Miami, Florida (November 5-23); Las Vegas Hilton in Nevada (February 11-March 1); Navy Pier in Chicago, Illinois (May 6-24).

2001


 * September 3, 2001 (Season Premiere {alternate copy})

Bonus Wheel debuts


 * October 22, 2001 (Big Money Week, Day 1 {alternate copy})

"Domed" Bonus Wheel center


 * December 19, 2001 (Douglas/Beckie/Mike, with the first $100,000 win {alternate copy})
 * December 20, 2001 (Danielle/Cori/Dave {alternate copies: #1 #2})

2002


 * February 5, 2002 (Hershey's Pot of Gold Sweepstakes, Day 4)
 * February 6, 2002 (Hershey's Pot of Gold Sweepstakes, Day 5 {alternate copy by the same uploader})
 * February 14, 2002 (Sweethearts Week, Day 4 {alternate copy})
 * April 25, 2002 (NASCAR Week, Day 4: Jim/Brian/Debbie {alternate copy})
 * May 2002 ("At the Movies", Day ?: Nicole/Randy/Peggy)

Season 21 (2003-04)
The puzzle board adds black carpeting and changes its border to a neon frame, the last changes until the current flat-screen LCDs debut in Season 25 (and subsequently, I would think, make the board easier to transport; certainly thinner, in any case). The Wheel's base also changes to neon.

The Prize Puzzle debuts September 11, and never really offers anything except trips (which kinda defeats the point of using "Prize" in the title). Also, this is the only season thus far with no $100,000 winners.

New Categories: On the Menu on September 10.

Retired Categories: Fill In the Number on April 28, oddly with two different numbers.

Road Shows: Radio City Music Hall in New York (November 3-21); Dodge Theatre in Phoenix, Arizona (February 9-27); Moscone Center in San Francisco (May 3-21).

2003


 * September 8, 2003 (#S-3901/Season Premiere {alternate copy})
 * September 22, 2003 (#S-3911 {alternate copy})
 * November 10, 2003 (#S-3946 {ceremonial #4,000} CLIPFEST, taped from GSN on August 18, 2007 {alternate copies: original/repeat #1, original/repeat #2, same-ish source/lower quality})
 * November 11, 2003 (#S-3947/New York Week, Day 2)

2004


 * January 5, 2004 (#S-3986/NFL Players, Day 1)
 * January 6, 2004 (#S-3987/NFL Players, Day 2)
 * January 7, 2004 (#S-3988/NFL Players, Day 3)
 * January 8, 2004 (#S-3989/NFL Players, Day 4)
 * January 12, 2004 (#S-3991/"Winter Sports", Day 1 {alternate copy})
 * January 19, 2004 (#S-3996/"Coast to Coast", Day 1)
 * May 3, 2004 ("Mom & Me" Week, Day 1; has commercials)
 * May 4, 2004 ("Mom & Me" Week, Day 2; has most commercials)