Wheel of Fortune timeline (syndicated)/Season 30

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A timeline for Season 30 of Wheel of Fortune, which aired in first-run from September 17, 2012 through June 14, 2013.

Season Changes

 * Wheel and Jeopardy! are dropped from CBC's schedule. In Ontario, they move to CHCH. In British Columbia, they move to CHEK.
 * Wheel and Jeopardy! are also dropped from stations owned by The E.W. Scripps Company in favor of its new shows Let's Ask America and The List, moving to other stations in the same markets.
 * With the above moves, there are no longer any stations in the United States that air Wheel before 7:00 PM Eastern, with CBC and New York station WLNY being the last to do so, the latter dropping it in March 2012 due to syndex laws.
 * Due to a partnership with Closed Captioning Services, VITAC now provides closed-captioning for Wheel and Jeopardy!, resulting in slight stylistic changes. On weekend repeats of Season 29, the captioning is at least partially redone by this company, but in most cases retains the style of Closed Captioning Services.
 * The traditional logo is replaced by the two-row style. Above this logo is a cursive "30th Anniversary", while underneath is a Wheel with raised values in the Clarendon font, similar to that of the Season 26 opening. Behind the logo are vertical strings of lights reminiscent of the 1975-76 curtain. In the opening, the Wheel is first seen face-up as a cursive "30" is written in the center. It then vanishes as the Wheel rotates onto its side as a classic clip plays. Once the clip ends, the logo continues as normal until after the chant, at which point it slants and zooms forward to cut to the studio.
 * Retro clips generally replace all past music cues with their respective current-day counterparts, except for most uses of the 1994-97 puzzle-solve cue and the 1975-83 theme "Big Wheels", and one use of the 2000 Toss-Up cue. As early as December, repeated clips begin appearing.
 * The ½ Kia tags are changed to ½ Car tags, which now offer either a $15,090 Ford Fiesta, $14,660 Chevy Sonic, or $14,330 Smart Car, except where noted. As a result, the tags revert to the blue "½ Car" design used during October 24-28 and 31, 2011. Also, Jim no longer promotes the car before the fee plugs if it is not won.
 * The Wheel is altered again, presumably to adapt to a new rule regarding tokens and the Prize wedge (see below):
 * $350 is upped to $500, the blue $300 becomes $700, the purple $600 is changed to $650 (its first use as a cash value in gameplay since 1979 and first overall since Wheel 2000 ended in 1998), the green $300 is changed to $500, the blue $500 (between $900 and $300) drops to $350, the red $900 drops to $600, the pink $300 becomes $500, the blue $500 (between $300 and $800) becomes $300, the red $300 becomes $700, the yellow $500 becomes $900, and the green $600 decreases to $500.
 * The ½ Car tag on the blue $500 (now $350) is moved to the green $500 next to the space it previously inhabited (formerly $300).
 * The Wild Card moves to the green $500 (formerly $600) next to the top dollar.
 * The Prize wedge, Gift Tag, and Wild Card now award $500 per consonant (plus $500 towards the Jackpot in Round 1).
 * The contestant scoreboards are altered: 7557459296_515015a4af_b.jpg
 * The neon housings are removed, making the displays and contestant arrows touch each other. Despite this, the font for the scores is made narrower.
 * The blinking turn indicator arrows are changed to bars.
 * The week's theme is now displayed across the entire area during the intro. As before, the final segment (Bonus Round, post-game chat, and closing credits) displays the words of the logo over the three displays: "WHEEL" on the red, "of" on the yellow, "FORTUNE" on the blue.
 * There are new Bankrupt and Lose A Turn graphics.
 * Pat's area now has a similar monitor which displays a logo against a background fitting the theme. During Toss-Ups and Speed-Up rounds, the logo either disappears or is replaced with the purple background (including the light strings) used in the title card.
 * The yellow light strips along the Wheel's border are changed to blue.
 * The blue rings on the base of the Bonus Wheel now flash as it spins. 30th_Anniversary_Bug.png
 * The logo bug is replaced with a "30th Anniversary" graphic during the contestant interviews, which uses the Season 25 Round 4 Wheel layout.
 * The contestant window in the Bonus Round now has a visual timer, the first time one has been used since the Star Bonus Round in 1978 (not counting the Lottery Experience shows taped between Seasons 29 and 30). The timer begins as a light blue circle divided into 20 segments. For each second, two segments turn red to denote how much time is left, starting at the top of the circle and going down either side until they meet at the bottom when time expires.
 * A "$5K Every Day" Cash Giveaway is held throughout the season, albeit given more attention than it had in Season 26: rather than an "aside" during the contestant interviews, the SPIN ID drawing replaces the plugs after the Bonus Round. Only the SPIN ID is announced, with no name.
 * Going into the commercial break after Round 2, a Bonus Round from an older episode is shown, accompanied by a voiceover from Vanna saying, "Can you solve this puzzle from [year]? The category is [category]. We'll give you the answer when we come back, right after this." Most clips are slowed down or paused if the puzzle was solved quickly. A short plug is shown, followed by the reveal of the answer. During the first few weeks, Vanna's voiceover for the reveal is "Here's the correct puzzle solution. Did you solve it?" These are not used during sponsored weeks.
 * An "Ask Pat & Vanna" segment is introduced, with Pat and Vanna answering questions submitted on the show's website. Despite this, only three questions are asked throughout the whole season.
 * Various graphics are altered:
 * The wipe of the Jackpot wedge dropping into place on the Wheel is updated to reflect the changes in the Wheel layout, albeit with a pink $500 underneath Jackpot. However, the similar wipe for the Mystery Round still has the Season 24 wedge design dropping onto the orange $800 of the Season 25 Round 3 template.
 * The wipe coming out of the Prize copy is now a blue explosion.
 * The category strips now shimmer more across the border.
 * The Jackpot readout is now two glowing blue lines with the amount written in white numerals in between.
 * The "drop down" graphic in Round 3 is slightly changed to have a more "shiny" appearance.
 * The prize value graphics and post-Bonus Round totals become gold and use the Contax Sans font.
 * Prize Puzzle prizes are no longer awarded to home viewers, and the round no longer uses a wipe or bug. Despite this, weekend repeats of Season 29 still have new SPIN IDs and still announce the names.
 * The backdrop for the post-game chat uses the golden wheels from last season, but the background is now purple with shiny silver beads.
 * The 70's, The 80's, and The 90's return, and all three begin appearing in Toss-Ups more frequently than they did in the early 2000s. Unlike their past incarnations, they are predominantly used for movie- and television-themed puzzles. Despite this, no new categories are introduced.
 * This is the first season since Season 12 not to have a College Week. Further, no episodes from last season's College Week are rerun on the weekend feed.
 * On "America's Game" episodes, Vanna does a bumper from an American landmark after Round 1, and announces the Mystery prize.
 * Throughout the season, Sheldon is hidden somewhere on-set.
 * Likely starting this season, full credit rolls no longer put a gag credit over Pat's name.
 * Wheel Deals Wednesdays is retired.
 * This season sets a new record for the most top prize wins in the Bonus Round, with six instances of either $100,000 or the Million being landed on.
 * Starting this season, the first week taped is also the first week aired.
 * Contestants are no longer penalized for declaring a consonant after asking to buy a vowel.

September 2012

 * September 17 is Spa Getaway, taped July 12. During this week:
 * Except on Tuesday, Pat's monitor displays the two-row logo bug (the same one used on the category strip) against a sky background. On Tuesday, the animated Season 28 logo is used there.
 * The category strip has a purple flowered pattern when it reveals, and its wipe is a pink flower.
 * On September 17:
 * The retro clip in the opening is Vanna's first entrance as permanent hostess on December 13, 1982 (complete with "Big Wheels"), despite the fact it happened prior to the nighttime debut. This was likely used to commemorate Vanna's 30th year as hostess.
 * Contestant Matt is not given $500 for the letter he calls on the Prize wedge in Round 1, although it is still added to the Jackpot. His score is corrected at the start of Round 2.
 * There is no graphic showing what is on the reverse of a Mystery Wedge.
 * Pat references a "null" cycle cut from the start of the Speed-Up by saying "R's we have." on the first aired turn.
 * On September 18:
 * The retro clip in the opening (Pat and Vanna discussing a 1999 Bonus Round of NIGHTGOWN) retains the first few notes of the 1997 "Changing Keys".
 * Rounds 1-3 all appear to have at least one "null" cycle edited out.
 * The Prize Puzzle copy includes a trailer for Titanic and a trailer for its Blu-Ray release, as the trip includes a visit to "Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition" in Vegas.
 * Round 4 reintroduces The 90's.
 * On September 19:
 * Contestant Mary Beth is accidentally given an extra $50 in Round 3. Pat also notes that her score may be incorrect. Though her total is never corrected, this does not affect the outcome.
 * Mary Beth takes the Million-Dollar Wedge to the Bonus Round. She wins $30,000 and is only two envelopes away from the $1,000,000.
 * On September 20:
 * There is once again no graphic showing what is on the reverse of a Mystery wedge, possibly due to the wedge being turned over too quickly.
 * The Round 2 puzzle is the first of only two Same Names this season (out of 23) to use an ampersand.
 * The $3,000 Toss-Up reintroduces The 80's.
 * On September 21, the $3,000 Toss-Up (YELLOW BRICK ROAD) is both the fourth known instance of Fictional Place as a Toss-Up and the last appearance of the category.
 * September 24 is Wheel Around the World, taped August 9. For this week:
 * The closed captioning style reverts to that of Closed Captioning Services, though VITAC is still credited as the provider.
 * The logo on Pat's podium is just "WHEEL" in red letters, in the style of the "Wheel Around the World" logo. When not in use, the contestants' scoreboards display the "Around the World" part.
 * The ½ Car is shown on the set, behind where Pat stands.
 * Instead of classic clips, the hosts of foreign adaptations are seen in the intro.
 * On Monday, the hosts of the Estonian, Spanish, and Romanian versions promote the theme.
 * On Tuesday, the hosts of the Romanian, Egyptian, and Spanish versions promote the theme.
 * On Wednesday, the hosts of the Spanish version wish the show a happy 30th Anniversary.
 * On Thursday, the hosts of the Estonian version wish the show a happy 30th Anniversary.
 * On Friday, the hosts of the Romanian version wish the show a happy 30th Anniversary.
 * The hosts of a foreign version also throw the show to commercial after Round 1: Spain on Monday and Friday, Romania on Tuesday, Estonia on Wednesday, and Egypt (in subtitled Arabic) on Thursday.
 * The category wipe is a globe, and the Speed-Up wipe is a differently-colored one.
 * The Prize wedge has the "Wheel Around the World" logo.
 * On September 24:
 * The hosts of the Spanish adaptation help present the Wheel Prize, a trip to Spain.
 * Contestant Joe buys all five vowels in succession in Round 3, but only $1,000 is deducted from his score. This does not affect the game, as he later loses $27,100 (or $26,850 if his score had been corrected) to Bankrupt.
 * A total of $39,850 in cash and prizes (or $40,100 counting the aforementioned scoring error) is lost to Bankrupt.
 * On September 25:
 * The Wheel Prize is accidentally placed over the red $800. This does not affect the game, as neither it nor the purple $500 is hit in the first two rounds.
 * There is a $7,350 Jackpot win.
 * Contestant John misplaces his ½ Car tag after picking it up in Round 2. It is recovered before Round 3.
 * John wins the ½ Car.
 * On September 26:
 * The $1,000 Toss-Up EUROPEAN VACATION (Movie Title) is an unusual instance of an incomplete answer, as the movie is actually titled National Lampoon's European Vacation.
 * Strangely, every time the green $500 next to the top dollar value is hit (after the Wild Card is claimed), a spin filmed in post-production landing on the green $500 between $350 and $900 is edited in. This happens three times, using the same dubbed-in shot every time. This is more obvious as the ½ Car tag that should be covering the wedge and Gift Tag are missing in each dubbed-in shot. Also, the ½ Car tag sitting on the wedge is hit right after one of these spins.
 * On September 28:
 * After solving the $2,000 Toss-Up, Nancy insists that Pat call her "Nancy Maria" (second name pronounced like "Mariah"), which he does for the rest of the show.
 * The hosts of the Romanian version help present the Wheel Prize, a trip to Romania.
 * A teaser for the "Ask Pat & Vanna" segment airs before the Prize Puzzle. In it, Vanna says that she does not get to keep her clothes, and Pat says that she is just as nice off-camera. These ones were likely put into the teaser to help prevent viewers from asking them. This teaser is also shown during a few subsequent episodes.
 * Neither Bankrupt nor Lose A Turn is hit.
 * The bonus puzzle CAN I HAVE A HUG? is the only known use of a question mark in the Bonus Round.

October 2012

 * October 1 is Fun & Fit, taped July 13. During this week:
 * The captioning reverts to the VITAC style.
 * Pat's monitor displays the two-row logo bug when the scoreboards are not in use, and the animated Season 28 logo against a blue background with a pink flower otherwise.
 * The category wipe is a personal watercraft, and the Speed-Up wipe is a beach ball.
 * Strangely, this week's contestant blog on the show's website features a third-place contestant (Sherdena from Monday). The blog almost-always features winners and on rare occasions, second-place contestants.
 * On October 1:
 * The Wheel is not in its proper position before Round 1, as the yellow contestant's flipper is on the orange $300 instead of $2,500.
 * After contestant Brandon lands on Free Play in Round 1 and calls E, Pat accidentally tells him that he must choose a consonant before calling himself an idiot. On the next turn, he jokes "Yes. There is no T." He does the same for an incorrect E on Free Play in Round 4, fooling the audience into applauding before the buzzer sounds.
 * In Round 2, when contestant Missie calls B on $3,500, she is accidentally credited with $42,000 instead of $7,000. After she solves, her scoreboard very briefly displays $43,850 instead of the correct total ($8,850 not counting the Mystery Wedge) before going blank, leaving Pat unable to announce her total. The correct total is announced before Round 3, and is displayed along with the other contestants' totals before that puzzle is revealed.
 * For unknown reasons, the overhead shot of the Final Spin is added in post-production, as the dubbed-in spin (possibly taken from another episode) is shown landing on the green $500 next to $5,000, even though it actually landed on the one between $350 and $900, as seen after the puzzle is solved. Also, the shot shows Pat's monitor displaying the "30th Anniversary" logo used during the Southern Hospitality and Bed & Breakfast weeks.
 * The third-place contestant has $12,900.
 * On October 2:
 * Against precedent, the retro clip in the opening is not dated, although Jack Clark is heard (and mentioned by Pat as he walks out). The presence of the Helvetica chyrons and 1984 walls (with no snowflakes) dates it to between February 1985 and November 1986. Also, the prize's music cue ("Frisco Disco") is mostly edited out despite being untouched when the clip was shown during Season 25, likely to avoid paying royalties to Merv Griffin's estate.
 * In the Speed-Up Round, Michele tries to solve right away, but Pat stops her and suggests calling a letter first. She does so, then solves. Pat claims that she would have lost had she not called a letter, though she actually would have won by $30.
 * On October 4:
 * The Wheel Prize is a $5,000 shopping spree at Dick's Sporting Goods. It uses the same "Shopping Spree" design seen several times in the latter half of Season 29.
 * A cycle of three lost turns is edited out of Round 1 despite not being "null". The first lost turn is an incorrect vowel from contestant Jashawn, as her score is off by $250 for the rest of the round. Pat references this edit twice: first by saying "There we go" after Jashawn buys a correct E (the first aired turn after the edit), then by mentioning that the Jackpot is nearly $10,000 despite the graphic displaying only $8,800.
 * October 8 is Home Sweet Home, taped August 24, although unlike last season it is not a Family Week. During this week:
 * The logo on Pat's monitor is a brown two-row logo on a white background with a brown floral border, styled like a cross-stitch wall hanging.
 * The category wipe is butterflies.
 * The Prize is $7,500 cash courtesy of Maxwell House.
 * The Gift Tag is $1,000 cash from Homes.com.
 * The Wheel is set before Round 1 so that the yellow contestant's flipper is on the right edge of the Prize wedge rather than the center of $2,500.
 * On October 8:
 * The retro clip in the opening is Pat's first entrance and monologue from December 28, 1981 (despite the fact it happened nearly two years prior to the nighttime debut), albeit in lower quality than when it was shown during Season 25. Like the 1982 clip, "Big Wheels" is retained.
 * The Prize Puzzle copy includes a trailer for The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel.
 * In the final segment, Vanna promotes the Maxwell House and Changing Lives sponsorship. Footage is shown of her at the Carmen Flores Recreation Center in Oakland, California.
 * On October 10:
 * The retro clip in the opening (Pat and Vanna in a hot tub, likely from the early 1990s) is not dated. A posting of this clip on the show's Facebook page erroneously states that it is from the early 1980s.
 * There is a $9,950 Jackpot win.
 * Round 3 is Things, and the $3,000 Toss-Up is Thing.
 * Contestant Jerry wins two cars: the ½ Car in Round 2, and a Honda CRV in the Bonus Round.
 * On October 11:
 * After Pat tells contestant Jeff the destination of the Prize Puzzle trip he wins, he exclaims "Holy crap!", though "crap" is censored (likely to maintain the show's TV-G rating). After the copy, Pat pretends to punch him to "calm him down", with a punching sound effect dubbed in.
 * Pat and Vanna promote the Maxwell House sponsorship in the final segment, and give out cans of Maxwell House coffee to everyone in the audience.
 * On October 12:
 * There is an $8,650 Jackpot win.
 * Round 2 reintroduces The 70's.
 * In the final segment, Pat and Vanna show off Sheldon the ceramic Dalmatian.
 * October 15 is Southern Hospitality, taped July 26. During this week:
 * The category wipe is a white flower, and the Bonus Round window wipe is a mint julep glass.
 * The Gift Tag is $1,000 cash from Southern Living magazine.
 * Vanna announces the Mystery Prize.
 * On October 15:
 * Pat's monitor displays the Season 28 logo.
 * There is a $7,750 Jackpot win.
 * For the first time, the retro Bonus Round predates the three-and-a-vowel format (specifically, 1983).
 * Bill wins the ½ Car in Round 3.
 * After Bill solves Round 3, his score is erroneously stated as being $29,600 due to $15,000 being added for the car instead of its correct value of $14,660. Before the $3,000 Toss-Up, Pat points out that it is actually $29,260.
 * Vanna reads all but the first line of the Prize Puzzle copy.
 * There is a brief jump cut to Pat after the second turn of the Speed-Up. It is not known what happened, as two people present at the taping confirmed that a "null" cycle was not edited out.
 * On October 16, there is a very rare instance of RSTLNE revealing more than half of the bonus puzzle (QUITE AN EVENT). Contestant Adam solves it despite getting no help from his extra letters.
 * On October 17:
 * Pat's monitor alternates between the Season 28 logo and the two-row one.
 * There is a $100,000 win.
 * On October 19:
 * A "null" cycle is not edited out of the Speed-Up.
 * The second place contestant has $24,400.
 * October 22 is Teachers Week, taped August 10. For this week:
 * The ½ Car is once again behind Pat.
 * Pat's monitor is a white two-row logo against a dark green background, styled like a chalkboard. Unlike other weeks, the logo remains during Toss-Ups and Speed-Up rounds.
 * The category wipe is a school bus.
 * On Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, the Gift Tag is $1,000 cash from Pilot pens.
 * During the opening, the video wall displays a modification of the Wii avatar opening from Season 28's Teachers' Week. This graphic is also used as the Mystery wipe.
 * On October 22:
 * The retro clip in the opening (a school counselor giving an incorrect Toss-Up guess of "AN UGLY CHILD" on April 11, 2002) is not dated.
 * The $2,000 Toss-Up THE ILIAD AND THE ODYSSEY is only the fourth known instance of Titles.
 * The Jackpot is tallied incorrectly. The first spin of the round is $350, though only $300 is added. Later, when the orange $300 is hit, nothing is added. The round ends with the unclaimed Jackpot displayed as $7,200 instead of the correct value of $7,550.
 * For unknown reasons, the overhead shot of the first spin of Round 4 is added in post-production, as the dubbed-in spin is shown landing on the green $500 between $350 and $900 (using the same shot dubbed in three times on September 26), even though it actually landed on the one between $450 and $300.
 * The final segment is a Wheel Changes Lives profile on 2010 contestant Gentry.
 * On October 23, Drew Lachey wishes the show a happy 30th Anniversary before the Prize Puzzle.
 * On October 24:
 * The Wheel Prize is a Sony electronics package including DVD and Blu-Ray copies of Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted. A short trailer for the film is also shown.
 * In Round 3, contestant Daydra tries to pull Free Play off the Wheel.
 * The board refuses to activate for a few seconds during the $3,000 Toss-Up.
 * In Round 4, Pat tells contestant Lindsay "This time there is a T." despite no prior aired T calls being wrong, indicating that a "null" cycle including a T from Lindsay was edited out during Round 3, the only main puzzle with no T.
 * On October 25:
 * The Wheel is not in its proper position before Round 1, as the yellow contestant's flipper is on the Bankrupt between $900 and $650 instead of $2,500.
 * Vanna's voiceover is absent when the retro Bonus Round answer is revealed.
 * On October 26, the Round 2 puzzle is the second of only two Same Names this season to use an ampersand.
 * All five Bonus Rounds are lost on the week of October 22, part of a seven-day losing streak beginning on the 18th. Interestingly, all five of them are Thing.
 * October 29 is Halloween Week, taped August 23. For this week:
 * Pat's monitor has bones spelling out the show's name.
 * The Mystery Round wipe is a spooky forest background.
 * A moan accompanies the Mystery Round chord.
 * The category wipes are the same as last season's Halloween Week.
 * The pre-Round 2 sponsor bumper uses the Wii opening from Season 28.
 * The Speed-Up wipe is a jack-o'-lantern that wipes from the far left of the screen, stops in the center, then wipes to the far right.
 * A "Tweetstakes" is held via the show's official Twitter account to promote The Amazing Spider-Man. During the interviews, a partially-revealed puzzle and category are shown, and viewers have 24 hours to tweet the answer to enter a drawing for a prize package.
 * On October 29:
 * Wheel is pre-empted in most Eastern and Central markets airing the show at 7:00 PM due to extended news coverage on Hurricane Sandy.
 * The Round 2 puzzle JACK BLACK CAT is an extremely rare occurrence of a puzzle with only one vowel.
 * On October 30:
 * There is a $10,350 Jackpot win.
 * The closing chat contains the first "Ask Pat & Vanna" question, though it is not known if it is legitimate, as the website was not yet taking questions at the time this week was taped.

November 2012

 * On November 1:
 * The Wheel Prize is the Sony electronics package offered on October 24, albeit with DVD and Blu-Ray copies of The Amazing Spider-Man instead.
 * What Are You Doing? makes its first appearance in the Bonus Round since April 12, 2011, and only its seventh overall. For the rest of the season, the category is used in the Bonus Round at least one a month, except January 2013.
 * ABC broadcasts feature an alternate closing segment where Tom Bergeron promotes the new season of Dancing with the Stars.
 * On November 2:
 * All three contestants ring in with wrong answers on the $1,000 Toss-Up, RUBBER MASK. The wrong-letter buzzer sounds after the third wrong answer.
 * Pat initially forgets that contestant Janet is not penalized after calling a wrong letter on Free Play, though it is edited out.
 * Rachael Taylor wishes the show a happy 30th Anniversary before the Prize Puzzle.
 * Neither Bankrupt nor Lose A Turn is hit.
 * November 5-8 are America's Game, the first time a sixth-show week consists of something other than the standard five shows.
 * On November 5, contestant Jeremy fills in the bonus puzzle ON THE PHONE completely.
 * On November 6:
 * Wheel and Jeopardy! are pre-empted in many markets of the United States due to Presidential election coverage.
 * The Wheel is not in its proper position before Round 2, as the yellow contestant's flipper is on $600 instead of $3,500.
 * Contestant Lindsay gives Pat her Wild Card at the end of the Round 2 segment, and it remains absent for the rest of the show. According to Lindsay, Pat motioned for the Wild Card while talking to another player, and she did not know that she was not supposed to give it to him. This does not affect the outcome.
 * On November 7:
 * Vanna and Jim both read portions of the Prize copy.
 * Bankrupt is hit four times in Round 1, the first three of which claim no money or cardboard.
 * After contestant Robbie declines to flip a Mystery Wedge and solves, Pat shows its reverse ($10,000), though it is edited out for time. The wedge can be seen lying on the Wheel during the outro.
 * On November 8, for the second time this season, the retro Bonus Round predates the three-and-a-vowel format (specifically, 1984).
 * November 9 and 12-16 are Military Families, taped October 17. During this week:
 * The ½ Car tags are not present.
 * The intro does not feature retro clips. Instead, it starts with footage of soldiers and their families displayed over top the Season 29 logo, with "Military Families" written off to the side. After this, more military footage is shown over the road-show opening music.
 * The category wipes alternate between the red-white-and-blue banners used last season and a trio of airplanes flying across the screen.
 * Vanna announces the Mystery prize.
 * On November 9:
 * For the first time since September 2010, a "null" cycle is not edited out of a regular round (incorrect calls of R, L, and H in Round 2). They are also the only lost turns of the round.
 * When the retro Bonus Round answer is revealed, the last sentence of Vanna's voice-over is changed from "Did you solve it?" to "Watch tomorrow night for another classic puzzle", despite "tomorrow" being a Saturday. Given that November 12 does not feature one, it is possible that the puzzle originally intended for use on the 12th was simply moved up without changing the voice-over.
 * In Round 3, Pat prompts the red team to use their Wild Card on $900, which they do.
 * The Prize Puzzle copy includes a trailer for Skyfall.
 * There is a $100,000 loss.
 * On November 12:
 * The intro is cut down so that it goes directly from the title card to Jim's introduction of Pat and Vanna.
 * A team solves the $1,000 Toss-Up A FEW GOOD MEN with only the N showing.
 * The Prize is a Sony home entertainment package, whose copy is preceded by a trailer for Arthur Christmas. Jim's copy does not suggest that copies of the movie are included in the package, although they are seen in the shots.
 * The retro Bonus Round is not done after Round 2. This and the shortened intro may result from the game running overtime and having no turns to edit out.
 * On November 13, all three teams consecutively guess SITTING ON THE HOT SEAT on the Speed-Up puzzle SITTING IN THE HOT SEAT. The third team then manages to give the right answer before time expires. Overall, six wrong answers are given among the last three turns of the round.
 * On November 14, Pat and Vanna once again show off Sheldon in the final segment. They state that he has been hidden somewhere on the set every day this season.
 * On November 15, the Wheel Prize is $7,500 credit for RetailMeNot.com.
 * On November 16:
 * Vanna's voice-over for the answer reveal to the retro Bonus Round reverts to "Did you solve it?"
 * The Wheel Prize is a $7,500 Sears shopping spree. The wedge is placed over $650 instead of the purple $500, most likely to keep the red wedge from being next to the red $800.
 * November 19-30 are the second Secret Santa Sweepstakes, taped September 6-7. During these episodes:
 * All three contestants, along with Jim, Vanna, and Pat, promote the theme at the top of the show.
 * The Wheel Prize is a $5,000 Sears shopping spree. Except for Round 1 on the 19th, it is on $650. This also establishes the precedent that even if the Prize is placed on a wedge with a value other than $500, it still awards only $500 per letter if picked up.
 * The category strips have Christmas lights on the top and bottom when the blank puzzle is revealed. During the second week, these strips are used only in odd-numbered rounds, while even-numbered rounds use a second wipe that includes the Wii avatars of Pat and Vanna driving Santa's sleigh.
 * The Speed-Up wipe is an ornament with the Season 28 logo.
 * The retro opening clips, retro Bonus Rounds, and $5K Every Day drawings are not done.
 * The backdrop for the Mystery Round announcement is silver dollar signs falling on a snowy field.
 * Sleigh bells replace the usual chime when an envelope is selected from the Bonus Wheel.
 * On November 19:
 * The Prize wedge is accidentally placed on the blue $700 in Round 1. It moves to $650 in Round 2 to make way for one of the Mystery Wedges. This does not affect the outcome, as neither the misplaced Prize nor $650 is not hit in Round 1.
 * Six rounds are played.
 * On November 20:
 * Hélio Castroneves wishes the show a happy 30th Anniversary before the Prize Puzzle.
 * Event makes its last appearance in the Bonus Round until March 2014.
 * On November 21:
 * There is a $10,200 Jackpot win.
 * No vowels are bought in Round 2.
 * There is a $100,000 win. Against precedent, the winner does not write the contestant blog.
 * On November 22, there is a $100,000 loss, resulting in the first instance of that envelope being hit on consecutive shows.
 * On November 26, after Round 2, Dave Annable wishes the show a happy 30th Anniversary.
 * On November 27, the Jackpot is not adjusted in post-production after a "null" cycle, as it suddenly jumps from $11,100 to $12,150 before the last spin of the round is added.
 * On November 28:
 * Contestant Steve spins right as the Speed-Up bells ring at the start of Round 5, but he is quickly stopped, and there is a 10-minute stopdown as the Wheel is reset for Pat to do the Final Spin. According to one of the day's contestants, a staff member (unnamed, but most likely either John Lauderdale or Harry Friedman) gets angry at Pat during the stopdown for not hearing the bells. These events go against precedent, as several other contestants who have spun during the Speed-Up bells have been allowed to complete their turn, and doing so in this case would have taken considerably less time.
 * When the bonus puzzle HIGH VOLUME is solved, the U does not appear until about two seconds after the rest of the answer fills in.
 * On November 29:
 * The $1,000 Toss-Up (BORDER COLLIE) is not themed. Coincidentally, it is solved by a contestant named Collie.
 * There is a rare instance of RSTLNE revealing more than half of the bonus puzzle (EXPERT IN THE FIELD).

December 2012

 * December 3 is Bed & Breakfast, taped July 27. During this week:
 * The category wipe is chirping birds carrying the strip in their beaks.
 * The retro opening clips, retro Bonus Rounds, and $5K Every Day return.
 * The Mystery Round announcement is a graphic of a bedroom, which then zooms out of the window to show the outside scenery.
 * On December 3, the footage of the retro Bonus Round pauses instead of slowing down.
 * On December 4:
 * There is a ½ Car win in Round 2.
 * Tom Bergeron and Brooke Burke Charvet wish the show a happy 30th Anniversary before the Prize Puzzle.
 * Not counting the retro Bonus Round, neither Thing nor Phrase is used.
 * On December 5:
 * When contestant Casey hits Bankrupt in Round 2, his scoreboard displays only $650 before being covered with the graphic, instead of his actual total of $700.
 * Contestant Pat gives two wrong answers to the Round 2 puzzle DOZING OFF THE BEATEN PATH. Strangely, the buzzer does not sound after the first one, but does after the second.
 * The show fades in mid-sentence before the Bonus Round, suggesting that some banter between Pat and the winning contestant was cut for time constraints.
 * On December 6, for the first time, the retro clip in the opening is not from the show itself: rather, it is a set of outtakes from a 2003 promo for Medford, Oregon affiliate KDRV.
 * On December 7:
 * The retro clip in the opening (a contestant solving a Rhyme Time puzzle of TEENY-WEENY) is mis-dated, as the graphic claims it to be 1997 even though Rhyme Time did not debut until November 12, 1998.
 * Contestant Toni claims a ½ Car tag in Round 3 right after Alex loses the round's other tag to Bankrupt. As a ½ Car win is now impossible, Pat immediately asks Toni and Jenna (who claimed one tag in Round 2) to hand in their tags, which they do.
 * December 10 is American Heritage, taped October 18. During this week:
 * The category wipe is the same set of banners used on Military Week.
 * For no particular reason, every retro clip except for Wednesday's is one that had already been used earlier in the season.
 * On December 10:
 * Vanna's voiceover for the answer reveal to the retro Bonus Round changes back to "Watch tomorrow night for another classic puzzle".
 * The reveal of the retro Bonus Round's answer jump-cuts over Vanna turning the remaining letters, and goes straight into a shot of the fully-revealed answer.
 * Just before the $3,000 Toss-Up, there is a shot of the contestants holding their buzzers with their totals displayed, which is obviously added in post-production.
 * In the final segment, Vanna promotes Maxwell House's Drops of Good project before Pat announces that the company has donated $165,000 through its association with Wheel.
 * On December 11:
 * The Wild Card graphic in the Bonus Round fades out instead of turning.
 * The Bonus Round timer graphic does not appear.
 * On December 12, Pat does a Changing Lives segment on Season 29 winners Karen and Ryan Buchanan.
 * On December 13:
 * The retro clip in the opening (a contestant picking up a Wild Card on a 2008 Hawaii episode) is mis-identified as being from 2009, even though the first airing of this clip on October 5 had the correct date.
 * For no particular reason, "We'll give you the answer when we come back, right after this." is absent from Vanna's voiceover of the retro Bonus Round, resulting in several seconds of only the background music before the Sony Rewards plug appears.
 * There is a ½ Car win in Round 3.
 * The second-place contestant has $22,200.
 * Rounds 2, 3, and the Bonus Round are Place, resulting in only the second known instance since 2003 of a category being used three times. (Interestingly, the retro Bonus Round is also Place.)
 * On December 14:
 * Wheel is pre-empted in most Eastern and Central markets due to extended news coverage on the shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut.
 * After Round 1, Jeff Probst wishes the show a happy 30th Anniversary from the set of The Jeff Probst Show, complete with a cheering audience.
 * Vanna's voiceover for the retro Bonus Round is now "Did you solve it?" on Fridays only. The closed captioning on this episode still says "Watch tomorrow night for another classic puzzle", suggesting that this was a last-minute change.
 * Retro Bonus Round clips begin pausing instead of slowing down.
 * The bonus puzzle JACK BE QUICK is the fifth known appearance of Quotation in the Bonus Round, and its first known appearance there since November 1991.
 * December 17 is Home for the Holidays, taped September 21.
 * For the weeks of December 17-24:
 * Various members of the staff wish viewers a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays after Round 1: the production staff on Monday and Thursday, the post-production staff on Tuesday, the promotion and marketing departments on Wednesday, and the control room staff on Friday of the first week. On the second week, the greetings are done by the producers on Monday, the art department on Tuesday, the contestant department on Wednesday, the camera and audio department on Thursday, and the stage crew on Friday.
 * Various instrumental versions of Christmas songs are played as bumpers.
 * The Mystery Round announcement has a rock version of "God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen" and a graphic of a reclining snowman.
 * The category wipe for odd-numbered rounds is the same wipe of Pat and Vanna driving Santa's sleigh that was used during the second half of the Secret Santa Sweepstakes, and even-numbered rounds use a snowman sliding across the screen.
 * The Speed-Up wipe is a Christmas ornament with the Season 28 logo.
 * From December 17 through January 4, the logo on Pat's monitor is the two-row logo with ice-style letters topped with snow.
 * The car envelope is hit every day between December 17-20. It is won on Monday and Wednesday, and lost on Tuesday and Thursday.
 * On December 18:
 * The Wheel Prize is a $5,000 shopping spree from Beyond the Rack.
 * The licensing and clearing department also wishes viewers a Merry Christmas before Round 3.
 * Contestant Shannon solves the Speed-Up puzzle ALBUQUERQUE NEW MEXICO with only the N showing.
 * On December 19, contestant Renee is ruled incorrect for leaving off the G when solving the Round 4 puzzle SEVEN SWANS A-SWIMMING (categorized as Living Things instead of Song Lyrics, as was also the case when it was previously used on December 23, 2004), which sparks controversy across various media outlets as well as on YouTube videos featuring the puzzle and results in several demands for the show to compensate Renee. The show never comments on the incident.
 * On December 20:
 * The retro clip in the opening (the $100,000 win of October 24, 2008) is mis-identified as being from 2006.
 * Contestant Michael Rufus is referred to by his last name (also displayed on his nametag) throughout the show.
 * Rufus leaves off the D when solving the Round 1 puzzle HICKORY-SMOKED COUNTRY HAM, though it is never noticed. This mistake is given very little attention compared to the previous day's incident, although it does not affect the outcome.
 * After the $3,000 Toss-Up is solved, there is a post-production shot of the contestants applauding with their scores all displayed. This shot was obviously made after the Speed-Up, as the Wheel can be seen in the same position as it was after the Final Spin.
 * The Final Spin wipe does not appear.
 * On December 21:
 * Reba McEntire wishes the show a happy 30th Anniversary before the Prize Puzzle.
 * Contestant Leanne sets a new main-game winnings record of $69,300, despite failing to solve the bonus puzzle for $30,000.
 * December 24 is Happy Holidays, taped September 20.
 * On December 24, the same type of post-production shot used after the $3,000 Toss-Up on the 20th is used again.
 * On December 25, there is a ½ Car win in Round 3.
 * On December 26, the Prize is $5,000 cash courtesy of Yowza!!
 * On December 27:
 * The retro clip in the opening (a screaming contestant from a Seattle episode in November 2002) simply mutes the 2002 puzzle-solve cue instead of dubbing it over with its current counterpart.
 * After Round 3, the wrong total for the Prize Puzzle trip ($6,070 instead of $8,640) is added to contestant Beth's score. The error is acknowledged and corrected before the $3,000 Toss-Up.
 * Pat and Vanna promote the Maxwell House and Rebuilding Together sponsorship in a "Changing Lives" segment, which shows the Rebuilding Together team renovating the Center for Urban Youth & Family Development in Detroit.
 * On December 28:
 * Contestant Cindy is the mother of December 27, 2002 contestant Dave Kling, although this is not mentioned on-air.
 * The Round 3 puzzle LET'S GO ON A MOONLIGHT SWIM is inexplicably categorized as Phrase instead of Song Lyrics.
 * Cindy wins $42,000 in the Speed-Up.
 * The second-place contestant has $24,272.
 * Cindy wins the $100,000. Her total of $147,000 breaks the overall record for highest non-millionaire as well as highest all-cash winner. Against precedent, she does not write the week's contestant blog.
 * Unusually, footage of the $100,000 win (and Pat and Vanna commenting on the confetti) is shown in the weekly promo video.
 * The video also features a clip of Pat saying "No one will know we screwed up unless you go home and blab", suggesting that this episode may have had a discarded or re-shot puzzle.
 * December 31 is Winter Expeditions, taped October 4. During this week:
 * The category wipe is the Pat and Vanna avatars driving a snowmobile, and leaving a trail of snow across the top of the strip.
 * The pre-Round 2 bumper is the Wii opening from Season 28's Christmas week, featuring the Pat and Vanna avatars ice-skating around the traditional logo.
 * On December 31:
 * The retro clip in the opening is Merv Griffin's recollection of choosing Vanna, as seen on the ceremonial 3,000th episode in 1998, making for only the second clip that does not involve an "actual" episode in any way.
 * Round 2 is Christmas-themed (CHESTNUTS ROASTING ON AN OPEN FIRE) despite airing after Christmas.

January 2013

 * On January 1:
 * The retro clip in the opening (contestant Bill guessing STYROFOAM HAT in a Speed-Up) is not dated, although it is believed to have happened in 1988. The clip also has several noticeable jump cuts to replace the 1983 puzzle-solve cue with the current one.
 * Contestant Keely solves the Round 1 puzzle OUT WITH THE OLD IN WITH THE NEW with only the T's and H's showing. Interestingly, her two spins earn her the Prize and Gift Tag.
 * Keely wins the ½ Car in Round 2.
 * Neither Bankrupt nor Lose A Turn is hit.
 * Six rounds are played, and for the first time since April 21, 2011, Round 6 does not begin as a Speed-Up.
 * On January 2:
 * Round 4 is a rare What Are You Doing? puzzle without an "-ING" suffix (RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT).
 * The final segment is the first "official" Ask Pat & Vanna question.
 * On January 3, contestant Rossalene wins two cars: the ½ Car in Round 1, and a Ford Edge in the Bonus Round.
 * On January 4:
 * All three contestants are teachers.
 * The retro Bonus Round (YAKETY-YAK from September 14, 2005) is mis-identified as being from 2004.
 * Reba McEntire once again wishes the show a happy 30th Anniversary before the Prize Puzzle.
 * January 7 is America's Game. The only noticeable inconsistency besides the set change is that on January 8-11, the retro Bonus Round clips slow down again.
 * On January 7:
 * Despite being a sixth episode from Christmas Week, the Christmas decorations are still present. This episode was originally scheduled for January 10, but it and the episode originally scheduled for that day were swapped, so as to put the Christmas-themed week as close to Christmas as possible.
 * The Wheel is not in its proper position at the start of the show, as the yellow arrow is on the blue $700. It is fixed after the Prize copy.
 * There is a $7,550 Jackpot win.
 * Contestant Kristie, upon being told that Round 3 is a Prize Puzzle, exclaims "Oh, crap, I forgot!" with "crap" censored by the wrong-letter buzzer. (The closed captioning shows Jenna to whisper the same word in the Bonus Round, but she actually did not.)
 * Airings on ABC affiliates feature an alternate closing segment promoting the new season of Shark Tank, with a cameo from its cast.
 * On January 9:
 * The retro clip is a set of outtakes from a San Francisco bumper, in which Vanna repeatedly flubs the line "highlight your nightlife". It is also mis-dated to 2008 instead of 2004.
 * The $3,000 Toss-Up, THE TWILIGHT ZONE, is the only appearance of Classic TV since April 2010.
 * Rounds 1 and 4 are played entirely by the contestants who began them.
 * On January 10:
 * The Prize is a $5,000 shopping spree courtesy of CreditCards.com, with the "Shopping Spree" wedge representing it.
 * In Round 1, Pat does not prompt contestant Ryan to use his Wild Card on $2,500 despite earning it only one turn earlier. This does not end up mattering, as he hits Bankrupt two spins later.
 * Contestant Natasha solves incorrectly on the Jackpot wedge.
 * On January 11:
 * The Prize is a $5,000 HomeGoods shopping spree.
 * The ½ Car tag between $450 and $300 is noticeably crooked in Round 1.
 * On the third aired turn of Round 1, Pat says "There we go. One S." despite no prior lost turns airing, indicating that a "null" cycle was edited out.
 * Before the Prize Puzzle, Lily Tomlin wishes the show a happy 30th Anniversary.
 * There is a ½ Car win in Round 3.
 * January 14 is Great Adventures, taped October 5. During this week:
 * The category wipe is an ATV driving across the screen.
 * Sheldon is at center stage, between two chairs that face a fake fireplace.
 * On January 14:
 * The retro clip in the opening is the "A GROUP OF PILL-PUSHERS" incident from 1999. Unlike its last two known appearances (January 2, 2002 and November 10, 2003), the audience's reaction and Pat's comment of "Good night, everyone!" are not edited out.
 * A total of no more than nine wrong letters is called in Round 4, with five airing and a "null" cycle edited out, made obvious by Pat sounding noticeably exasperated afterwards. Also, this cycle may have included a wrong letter on Free Play followed by another lost turn from the same contestant.
 * On January 15:
 * The $1,000 Toss-Up UP UP AND AWAY! is inexplicably categorized as Quotation instead of Phrase.
 * Round 2 is the last appearance of Husband & Wife.
 * Contestant Christina wins the ½ Car in Round 3. Her total of $35,760 is possibly the most won in a non-Speed-Up round (until November 29) since a $44,300 Round 3 win in November 1986.
 * Round 4 is a very short answer of PASTRY CHEF, suggesting that Rounds 1-3 ran abnormally long.
 * On January 16, Bankrupt is hit at least eight times, with at least the first one edited out as part of a "null" cycle at the start of Round 1 (the first spin is headed for the one next to $2,500, but ends up on $650 after a jump cut).
 * On January 17:
 * The retro clip in the opening (Vanna not being in place before a Toss-Up) is mis-dated to 2005 instead of 2006. Interestingly, the clip appears to be taken from a pre-production master, likely so the music beds could easily be changed, as the Toss-Up wipe and category strip are not present.
 * The $1,000 Toss-Up is revealed too soon. As a result, the chimes sound before the wipe appears instead of after, and the blanks are already on the board when the camera cuts to it.
 * After Round 1, Kristen's total is mis-stated as being $10,350 instead of $13,694, due to the value of the previous day's Prize being added by mistake. It is corrected before Round 2.
 * There is a ½ Car win in Round 2.
 * The second-place contestant has $21,794.
 * January 21 is Weekend Getaways, taped November 16. During this week, the category wipe is a yellow sports car.
 * For the weeks of January 21 and 28, the floor is blue.
 * On January 21:
 * The Round 1 puzzle FRIDAY SATURDAY AND SUNDAY is inexplicably categorized as Things instead of Events.
 * In Round 2, Pat begins to prompt contestant Rodney to use the Wild Card on $3,500, but he is interrupted by Rodney asking to solve.
 * The retro Bonus Round is not done. This may result from the game running overtime and having no turns to edit out.
 * Contestant Audra wins the ½ Car in Round 3, and the copy is cut down to "Your road trip awaits, from Star Ford", again due to the episode running overtime. After the copy, Pat recaps her total (minus the Prize Puzzle trip) and starts to throw to commercial before remembering that it is a Prize Puzzle.
 * A new scoreboard graphic debuts for ½ Car wins: the background turns pink and two tags fly towards each other to form one "CAR" tag, which folds down to reveal a compact car driving off.
 * Audra takes the Million-Dollar Wedge to the Bonus Round. She loses $30,000 and is only two envelopes away from the $1,000,000.
 * On January 22: Characters.png
 * Fictional Character(s) is renamed Character(s). Its category strip is also now in Arial instead of Gotham, except where noted.
 * On the third aired turn of Round 3, Pat tells contestant David "We do have an F." despite no prior lost turns airing in that round, indicating a "null" cycle was edited out.
 * The buzzer does not sound after an incorrect letter (C) in Round 3.
 * Four wrong letters are called in a row (with the last three edited out) for the Speed-Up puzzle FASHION STATEMENT with only the F, H, and O missing.
 * On January 23, after contestant Jeana hits Lose A Turn in Round 2, the camera does not zoom out to show her scoreboard displaying the Lose A Turn graphic. Likely in relation, the wide shot of the immediate next turn appears to be a reshoot, as the Wheel appears to have started from its preset position for Round 3.
 * On January 24:
 * The reveal of the Round 1 puzzle is replaced with a shot of Vanna clapping and the blanks already present, obviously dubbed in post-production for unknown reasons.
 * Rounds 1, 2, and 5 each have a "null" cycle edited out.
 * On January 25:
 * A cycle of three lost turns is edited out of Round 1 despite not being "null". The first lost turn is an incorrect vowel from contestant Brooke, as her score instantly drops from $3,000 to $2,750 after she picks up a ½ Car tag. Pat references the above cycle by telling Brooke that that the Jackpot is at $7,650, although the display says only $7,000. She ends up solving incorrectly on the Jackpot wedge.
 * The wide shot of the first spin of Round 3 is obviously a reshoot.
 * Joe calls P, V, and C as his Bonus Round consonants, but the captioning displays the V as B. Pat then questions whether the second letter was B. Joe first thinks that Pat is asking about the first letter, which he confirms as P, then accidentally confirms that the second letter was B before changing it to V. The chyron correctly displays his calls of P, V, and C.
 * All five Bonus Rounds are lost on the week of January 21, part of a ten-day losing streak beginning on the 16th.
 * Between January 28-February 15, the retro clips and retro Bonus Round are not done.
 * January 28 is Making Disney Memories Week, taped December 13. During this week:
 * Although the week is promoted as a Family Week, all teams are married couples. During the interviews, pictures of their children are shown where applicable.
 * There is a sweepstakes where viewers can enter each show's bonus puzzle online. Ten winners receive a vacation for four to their choice of Disneyland or Walt Disney World.
 * Goofy, Donald Duck, Mickey, and Minnie are onstage throughout, also announcing Pat and Vanna and escorting them onstage. Goofy (from the middle of the audience, accompanied by Donald Duck) on Monday, Mickey (from behind the Wheel, accompanied by Minnie) on Tuesday, Donald Duck (from the middle of the audience, accompanied by Goofy) on Wednesday, Goofy (from behind the Wheel, accompanied by Donald Duck) on Thursday, and Minnie (from the middle of the audience, accompanied by Mickey) on Friday. Whichever pairing does not introduce them escorts them onstage.
 * On Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday, the set is themed after the Disney parks, including pieces from actual Disneyland attractions. On Wednesday and Friday, it is themed after the Disney Cruise Line.
 * Everyone in the audience wears Mickey Mouse ear hats.
 * The ½ Car is a Chevy Spark on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, and a Honda Fit on Tuesday and Thursday.
 * Although a car is available in the Bonus Round, it is not on set.
 * Vanna reads the Mystery Round copy from a Disney property.
 * All of the Wheel Prizes and Prize Puzzle trips are to Disney properties or cruises, with both Vanna and Jim reading the copy.
 * Except on Tuesday, Vanna does a bumper from a Disney landmark before the $3,000 Toss-Up.
 * The category strips are light blue and have small Mickey Mouse heads instead of the usual spotted pattern.
 * The main-game category wipe is Tinker Bell tapping the screen with her wand.
 * In the final segment, Vanna promotes another Disney landmark.
 * All uses of Character(s) this week have the category strip in Gotham.
 * On January 28:
 * The Wheel prize is a trip to its winners' choice of either Walt Disney World or Disneyland.
 * There is a $9,500 Jackpot win.
 * Giovanna is seen in the bumpers before the $3,000 Toss-Up and after the Bonus Round.
 * On January 31, a team solves the Prize Puzzle BE OUR GUEST PUT OUR SERVICE TO THE TEST with only the S's and E's showing.

February 2013

 * February 4 is NBA Week, taped November 1 and replacing the previously-scheduled Music Week. During this week:
 * There is a hoop and a rack of Spalding basketballs near the puzzle board. In addition, the NBA logo is seen on the floor, and the neon lights and arches are red, white, and blue to match the logo.
 * For the first time since Season 20, the contestant video wall is a single pattern: specifically, all of the NBA teams' logos on a blue background.
 * Three NBA stars promote the theme at the top of the show: Dirk Nowitzki, Tim Duncan, and Dwyane Wade on Monday; Pau Gasol, Carmelo Anthony, and Derrick Rose on Tuesday; Chris Paul, Kevin Durant, and Dwight Howard on Wednesday; Lebron James, Kobe Bryant, and Amar'e Stoudemire on Thursday; and Deron Williams, Kevin Garnett, and Blake Griffin on Friday.
 * An NBA star promotes the theme in a pre-recorded clip after Round 1: Andre Iguodala on Monday, Dirk Nowitzki on Tuesday, Kevin Garnett on Wednesday, Steve Nash on Thursday, and Chris Bosh on Friday.
 * An NBA star wishes the show a happy 30th Anniversary before the Prize Puzzle: Dwight Howard on Monday, Lebron James on Tuesday, Carmelo Anthony on Wednesday, Paul Pierce on Thursday, and Kyrie Irving on Friday.
 * Except on February 5, an NBA star makes a walk-on cameo in the final segment: James Worthy on Monday, DeAndre Jordan on Wednesday, Chris Paul on Thursday, and Grant Hill on Friday.
 * For the only time since early Season 24, there is a second Gift Tag, for Under Armour on the purple $500. As a result, the Prize is on $650, but as with the Secret Santa Sweepstakes, it still awards only $500 per letter if claimed.
 * The ½ Car is a $15,290 Kia Soul.
 * The Prize is VIP tickets to an NBA game, partially promoted by a player on the corresponding team, and an NBA Store.com shopping spree.
 * On February 4, a contestant solves incorrectly on the Jackpot wedge.
 * On February 5, contestant Elle wins the ½ Car in Round 3 after picking up three tags: one in Round 1, and two in Round 3.
 * On February 6:
 * On the second aired turn of Round 1, Pat says "We do have some N's" despite no prior lost turns airing, signifying that a "null" cycle was edited out.
 * When Alletta picks up a ½ Car tag in Round 2, the Gift Tag over the pink $500 is noticeably crooked in the first overhead shot. By the time she picks the tag up, the Gift Tag is fixed.
 * On February 7:
 * Contestant Jim solves the $2,000 Toss-Up THE DREAM TEAM with only the first M showing.
 * Six rounds are played.
 * All five Bonus Rounds are lost on the week of February 4. This is part of a five-week span beginning on January 14 where only three Bonus Rounds are won, and an eleven-loss streak running from January 31 to February 14.
 * February 11 is Sandals Resorts Romance Week, taped January 10. As the name indicates, it is also a Couples Week. During this week:
 * The floor is blue with the Sandals logo at center stage.
 * Pat and Vanna read the Prize copy from a Sandals property.
 * Vanna announces the Mystery prize.
 * The category wipe is the Wii avatar of Pat dressed as Cupid, shooting an arrow which leaves a trail of hearts and makes a harp sound.
 * The final segments are done from a Sandals property.
 * Some of the Sandals clips feature Lesly.
 * On February 11:
 * The overhead shot of the first spin of Round 3 is a spin from Round 4 on February 15th dubbed in. Further, the dubbed shot shows the pink $900 getting hit even though the actual spin landed on the yellow one.
 * After the red team solves the Round 3 puzzle, their score of $1,650 is incorrectly raised to the house minimum. The scoreboards appear to be reset in order to correct this mistake, as after the Prize Puzzle copy, their cash score is still displayed and does the win animation with the trip's value added too late.
 * After the $3,000 Toss-Up, there is a post-production shot of the contestants with their totals displayed.
 * The letter dings are accidentally used on the first turn of the Speed-Up, albeit quietly. This would suggest that their audio track was erased, but that the dings were still picked up faintly by a mic.
 * On February 12:
 * Pat and Vanna read the Prize Puzzle copy.
 * Interestingly, only a one-third span of the entire Wheel is hit all game (the eight wedges from the red $800 to the green $500 next to the top dollar value).
 * On February 13, the category strip for Characters (in this case, the $3,000 Toss-Up) is once again in Arial.
 * On February 15, Round 1 and the Bonus Round are What Are You Doing?
 * February 18 is Pet Lovers Week, taped November 2. During this week:
 * The retro clips are still not done. Instead, the opening is the Wii avatar opening for this theme from Season 28.
 * The retro Bonus Rounds return.
 * Pat's monitor displays an animated fish tank, with no logo.
 * The Gift Tag is $1,000 cash from Veterinary Pet Insurance. Every time it is picked up, that company donates $1,000 to Companions for Heroes.
 * The category wipe is the Pat and Vanna avatars walking a dog across the screen.
 * On Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, the Prize is $5,000 cash courtesy of Natural Balance pet foods.
 * The generic set is used, with Sheldon to the viewer's right of the center-stage video wall.
 * On February 18:
 * Norman, a dog who rides a scooter, comes out onstage with Pat and Vanna.
 * Before Round 1, Pat tells Jim to come onstage, then jokingly berates him for a pun ("I recently bought a U {ewe}") that he made before the Jackpot sponsor copy.
 * In the final segment, Pat and Vanna (with Norman in between) announce that they will distribute Natural Balance goodie bags to the audience.
 * On February 19:
 * For no particular reason, the closed captioning displays the answers to Round 4 and the Bonus Round in quotation marks.
 * The Round 4 puzzle STUNNING TURN OF EVENTS is the longest puzzle in the entire game. Coincidentally, contestant Curt manages to win the main game despite his only two spins landing on Bankrupt, by solving the aforementioned puzzle at a Final Spin value of only $1,550, the lowest possible amount that would give him the win.
 * In the final segment, Vanna shares a story about an assistance dog named Tatiana.
 * On February 20:
 * For the only confirmed time, the retro Bonus Round is from the daytime show: specifically, and surprisingly, Rolf Benirschke's first episode (January 10, 1989). This is only the second known reference to Rolf or his tenure by Wheel since his departure in mid-1989, the first being a December 1989 daytime episode celebrating the two versions reaching a combined total of 5,000 shows.
 * Before Round 3, Jami Gertz recounts receiving a hand-knit blanket from Vanna, then wishes the show a happy 30th Anniversary.
 * The $3,000 Toss-Up is the last appearance of Fictional Character(s) under its original name, as this was the last week taped before the category was changed.
 * On February 22:
 * The Million-Dollar Wedge is accidentally placed on $550 in Round 1. This does not affect the game, despite the first spin of the round (from contestant Wes) landing on the orange $800: his spin lands in its center, he does not buy any vowels until after his next spin, and he does not solve the puzzle. The wedge is moved to its proper location in Round 2, and no part of it is hit for the rest of the show.
 * In a rather rare occurrence, the only Bankrupts in the game take away no money or cardboard.
 * February 25 is California Coast, taped November 15. During this week:
 * The retro clips permanently return.
 * The floor is blue.
 * The category wipe is a red biplane in odd-numbered rounds, and a loaded station wagon in even-numbered rounds.
 * On February 25:
 * For the fourth known time, a contestant wins the Mystery Round with only the Mystery prize.
 * The retro Bonus Round predates the three-and-a-vowel format (specifically, 1984).
 * The third "Ask Pat & Vanna" question is done.
 * On February 26:
 * The retro clip in the opening is the same one used on October 25 (a remark made after the puzzle GERMAN OCCUPATION OF PARIS on November 14, 1994), but unlike its last airing, the 1994 puzzle-solve cue is dubbed over with the current one.
 * The $1,000 Toss-Up is reshot due to the video wall flickering after contestant Chelsea solves. According to one of the contestants at this taping session, the staff deliberates for 10 minutes about where they should pick up, during which Pat mimes putting a gun to his head.
 * After Round 1, Wayne Brady wishes the show a happy 30th Anniversary from the set of Let's Make A Deal, with a cheering audience.
 * In Round 5 (which begins as a Speed-Up), the category strip for Character is in Gotham when the puzzle is revealed, but changes to Arial after the Final Spin.
 * The wide shot of the Final Spin is obviously a reshoot done with the Round 1 template. According to the aforementioned contestant, the retake has Pat saying "Vowels worth nothing, consonants worth $800 billion, and we're finally done with this."
 * On February 27, the retro clip in the opening (an outtake from the intro of March 14, 2011, involving Tillman the skateboarding bulldog) dubs over that week's guest announcer, John Cramer, with Jim. This was very likely done to avoid paying royalties to John, as no episodes from that week had been rerun in Summer 2011.

March 2013

 * On March 1:
 * There is a $9,000 Jackpot win.
 * Julie Chen appears during the closing to promote The Talk and Big Brother, and to congratulate the show on its 30th Anniversary. While only meant to be aired on CBS affiliates, with a "generic" closing for all other affiliates, this version accidentally airs on all stations. However, the weekend rerun on May 3, 2014 restores the "generic" closing.
 * March 4 is Shopping Spree, taped December 14. During this week:
 * All of the retro clips are ones that had been used earlier in the season.
 * The generic set is used, but with a dark blue backdrop instead of the starry, black one.
 * The category wipe is a shopping cart (with a narrower font than usual on the reveal), and the Final Spin wipe is a series of dollar bills.
 * The Wheel Prize is a $5,000 shopping spree: HayNeedle.com on Monday, RetaiMeNot.com on Tuesday, CreditCards.com on Wednesday, Beyond the Rack on Thursday, and Dick's Sporting Goods on Friday. A new "Shopping Spree" wedge is created for this week.
 * On March 4, Round 1 and the Bonus Round are What Are You Doing?
 * Between March 4 and April 12, the Mystery Round once again has a sponsor: specifically, a casino under the ownership of Caesars Entertainment Corporation (typically a Harrah's or Horseshoe property) and the casinos' Millionaire Maker rewards program.
 * On March 5:
 * Unlike its last use on October 22, the retro clip in the opening (the "AN UGLY CHILD" Toss-Up from April 2002) has its original year of airing given.
 * Bankrupt is hit five times in Round 1, three of which are consecutive.
 * On March 8:
 * During the Prize Puzzle, the closed captioning misspells Riu Montego Bay as "Real".
 * A button falls off Pat's jacket during the Final Spin, so as a joke, he wears stage manager John Lauderdale's jacket throughout the Bonus Round and closing segment.
 * A "null" cycle is not edited out of the Speed-Up.
 * In a rather unusual streak, seven one-word bonus puzzles are used between February 15 and March 8, including three during the week of March 4. Of these seven, only three are compound words.
 * During the week of March 4, all five bonus rounds are played for $30,000.
 * March 11 is Sandals Resorts Week, taped January 11.
 * During this week, the retro clips and retro Bonus Round are not used. Instead, Vanna promotes the theme at the top of the show.
 * Clips of Pat and Vanna at Sandals properties are also shown as bumpers.
 * On Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, the Prize is a trip to a Sandals property of the contestant's choice. On Tuesday and Thursday, it is a choice of a trip to Beaches resort in Jamaica or Turks and Caicos. All Prizes have Pat and Vanna reading the copy.
 * All of the Prize Puzzle trips are also to Sandals properties, typically with Vanna reading some of the copy.
 * There is a What Are You Doing? puzzle for each episode, with two on March 15.
 * On March 11:
 * Vanna reads part of the Prize Puzzle copy.
 * The second-place contestant has $23,850.
 * In the final segment, Pat and Vanna promote the Sandals Foundation, with guest appearances from program director Heidi Clarke and Beverley Rose, principal of Parry Town School.
 * On March 13:
 * A cycle of three lost turns is edited out of Round 1 despite not being "null". The first lost turn is an incorrect vowel from contestant Stephen, evidenced by his score instantly changing from $1,300 to $1,050. Interestingly, Pat later states the Jackpot to be $8,400, which is consistent with both the graphic and the round's aired spins, suggesting that the other two cut turns were penalty spaces.
 * The Million-Dollar Wedge is hit twice in Round 2, but not picked up.
 * On March 14, for no particular reason, some audience members applaud when control passes to contestant Shawn in Round 1 despite him not spinning. There is also scattered applause after Shawn asks to solve the Prize Puzzle.
 * March 18 is America's Game. During this week, the retro opening clips on the 20th and 21st are ones already used earlier in the season. Interestingly, the ones on the 18th, 19th, and 22nd are not from the show proper: respectively, these are a very brief clip of Pat kissing a dolphin while on location in Hawaii (2008), outtakes of Vanna trying to catch a fish at a market in Seattle (2002), and an outtake from a prize shoot in which Vanna sits on a bale of hay and asks, "Where's Pat? He told me he'd be here. I'm lonely!" (2004).
 * On March 18, the $2,000 Toss-Up SWEET GEORGIA BROWN is inexplicably categorized as Song Lyrics instead of Song Title.
 * On March 19, two contestants hit ½ Car tags in Round 3, thus rendering a car win impossible.
 * On March 21, contestant Susanna leaves with only the Prize Puzzle package and no other cash or prizes.
 * On March 22:
 * It is the sixth episode from Pet Lovers' Week. Unlike past instances of such episodes, the contestants still show off pictures of their pets, and Rounds 1, 4, and 5 are themed (though the $1,000 Toss-Up is still American-themed).
 * The second-place contestant has $21,150.
 * In the final segment, Pat and Vanna show the retro opening clip a second time due to Pat's curiosity over its origins, and Vanna explains.
 * March 25 is Pure Paradise, taped January 24. During this week, the ½ Car is a Chevy Spark.
 * On March 26, a Bankrupt hit from March 25 is dubbed into Round 1 due to the overhead camera accidentally focusing on the yellow podium after the red contestant calls a wrong letter on Free Play on the previous turn. Further, the dubbed spin shows the Bankrupt between $900 and $650 being hit, even though it was actually the one next to the top dollar. The dubbed-in spin is more obvious as the previous day's Prize can be seen.
 * On March 27:
 * There is a very rare occurrence of a contestant solving the Speed-Up without any money.
 * There is a $100,000 loss.
 * On March 28, a "null" cycle cut out of Round 1 is referred to three times: Pat says "There we go" on the first aired turn after the cycle, tells contestant Robyn that S has already been called even though the first call was part of the cycle, and mentions the repeated call again in the closing chat.
 * On March 29, the Speed-Up begins with a "null" cycle that is not edited out, possibly because the round ends only one turn later.

April 2013

 * April 1 is Spring Break, taped November 29. Unlike the last time this theme was done in Season 26, this week is not a College Week.
 * On April 1:
 * Round 2 is the first appearance of Star & Role since May 20, 2011.
 * In the final segment, Pat and Vanna re-air a clip of Pat's bald wig prank from April Fools' Day 2008.
 * On April 2:
 * In the Bonus Round, Pat forgets to ask the contestant for a vowel until he is reminded from offstage.
 * There is a $100,000 win, although against precedent the winner does not write the week's contestant blog. The confetti fails to come down at first, and does not fall until later in the celebration. Coincidentally, the bonus puzzle is A PAUSE IN THE ACTION.
 * The weekly promo video indirectly reveals the $100,000 win by showing footage of Pat and Vanna playing with streamers and Pat saying "Time to clean up."
 * On April 4, for no particular reason, the Prize Puzzle is a very short answer of MAN OF LA MANCHA. It is not known why this was done, as the episode did not run overly long, and comparatively longer answers were used in Rounds 4 and 5.
 * On April 5, all three contestants hit Lose A Turn in Round 1.
 * April 8 is Island Hopping, taped November 30.
 * On April 8:
 * In Round 1, contestant Tameka lands on the Prize wedge and calls a right letter, but does not pick it up until after buying an E. The shot of her picking up the wedge appears to be added in post-production.
 * In Round 5, Pat prompts Austin to use his Wild Card on $500, which he does.
 * Neither Bankrupt nor Lose A Turn is hit on-air, although a Final Spin landing on Bankrupt is edited out.
 * On April 9:
 * Bankrupt is hit five times in Round 1, three of which are consecutive.
 * There is an $11,450 Jackpot win.
 * Round 4 and the Bonus Round are What Are You Doing?
 * From April 8 to April 22, ten of eleven shows have a What Are You Doing? puzzle.
 * On April 10:
 * The retro clip in the opening is the same one from October 10. Once again, it is not dated.
 * There is a $7,300 Jackpot win.
 * There is a ½ Car win in Round 2.
 * The retro Bonus Round is not done.
 * On April 11:
 * The $2,000 Toss-Up is a rare What Are You Doing? puzzle without an "-ING" suffix (MY TAX RETURN).
 * There is a ½ Car win in Round 2.
 * On April 12, the winning contestant leaves with only $8,200.
 * All five Bonus Rounds are lost on the week of April 8, part of an eleven-day losing streak beginning on the 3rd.
 * April 15 is Sightseeing Week, taped January 25. During this week:
 * The floor is blue.
 * Vanna announces the Mystery prize.
 * The Final Spin is framed through the viewfinder of a camera.
 * On April 15 and 19, Wheel is at least partially pre-empted on many affiliates due to extended news coverage of the explosions at the Boston Marathon and manhunt for the second suspect, respectively.
 * On April 16:
 * The retro Bonus Round is not done.
 * Before spinning the Bonus Wheel, contestant Sarah remarks that she likes the ding that sounds when the bonus envelope is selected. The sound effects booth then plays the ding a second time at Pat's request.
 * On April 18:
 * The retro Bonus Round is not done.
 * The Prize Puzzle STUNNING SURROUNDINGS is inexplicably categorized as Phrase instead of Same Letter.
 * On April 19:
 * The retro clip in the opening (Pat reading a letter from a woman who gave birth while watching Wheel in the hospital, just after solving the puzzle DOBERMAN PINSCHER) is a very rare appearance of a post-December 13, 1982 daytime clip: specifically, between mid-February and August 5, 1983 (whereas the episode mentioned in the letter aired no earlier than January 3). "Big Wheels" begins playing near the end of the clip, but against precedent it appears to be mostly edited out. The clip is known to have aired in Season 25.
 * Contestant Zoee hits the Million-Dollar Wedge twice. She picks it up after the second one, but loses it to Bankrupt on the next spin.
 * The second-place contestant has $23,648.
 * April 22 is America's Game.
 * On April 22:
 * As it is the sixth episode of Sandals Resorts Romance Week, three couples play and both trips are to Sandals properties.
 * The category wipe for America's Game episodes is changed to a flying eagle against a sky backdrop.
 * On the second shot of the board in Round 3, the category strip accidentally reads Proper Name (not used on this episode) instead of the puzzle's actual category of Place.
 * On April 23:
 * The overhead shot of the second spin in Round 2 is obviously dubbed in from another episode, as all of the cardboard is absent and the Wild Card can be seen on the railing even though no one had picked it up yet.
 * A total of $27,700 goes unclaimed in Round 3.
 * The retro Bonus Round is not done.
 * On April 24:
 * As it is the sixth episode from the Sandals week of March 11, the Prize is a trip to the Sandals resorts in Jamaica or Turks and Caicos, and the Prize Puzzle is to a Sandals property. Unlike the rest of the week, Vanna does not promote the theme at the top of the show, nor are any Sandals-related bumpers done.
 * The retro clip in the opening is the same one used on December 27, and once again, the music is simply muted instead of dubbed over.
 * Contestant Brenda wins the ½ Car in Round 2.
 * The closed captioning on the retro Bonus Round once again says "Did you solve it?"
 * Brenda finishes in second place with $24,380, thus becoming the first ½ Car winner not to win the game. Contestant Matt manages to win by $90 despite a Final Spin of only $1,300.
 * Matt wins a Mini Cooper Roadster in the Bonus Round, resulting in a very rare instance of two contestants winning cars in a single episode.
 * On April 26:
 * Although Vanna's voiceover after the retro Bonus Round is "Did you solve it?", the captioning displays "Watch tomorrow night for another classic puzzle", suggesting that today's puzzle and yesterday's may have been accidentally switched.
 * Six rounds are played.
 * Instead of the usual closing segment, Pat and Vanna promote the New York City weeks in a pre-recorded segment from behind the yellow contestant's arrow.
 * The weeks of April 29-May 20 are taped at Madison Square Garden in New York City. During these weeks:
 * The retro clips and retro Bonus Rounds are not done.
 * No cars are available in the Bonus Round.
 * The weeks are promoted with the letters N, Y, and C in circles similar to what is seen at the subway stations.
 * No Same Name puzzles are used.
 * April 29 is NYC, taped March 15. During this week, the category wipe is a New York taxi and the Speed-Up wipe is a subway speeding by and opening its doors to reveal the players and puzzle.
 * On April 29:
 * Contestant Joe solves the $1,000 Toss-Up STATUE OF LIBERTY with only the F showing.
 * Before the $3,000 Toss-Up, Matt Bogart, John Lloyd Young, Quinn VanAntwerp, and Andy Karl of the Broadway musical Jersey Boys wish Wheel a happy 30th Anniversary.
 * In the final segment, Pat and Vanna announce that members of FDNY are in the audience. They are then shown on-camera with "FDNY" appearing on a category strip.
 * On April 29 and 30, for the first time, two consecutive Bonus Rounds are What Are You Doing?

May 2013
tying with January 2018 for the longest known losing streak in the show's history.
 * On May 1:
 * In Round 2, contestant Sandy accidentally calls T before a spin. During the spin, Pat asks Harry if she is still held to the call of T. She is, and ends up losing her turn as that letter had already been called.
 * After the same round, Jake Epstein is seen in the audience, wishing the show a happy 30th Anniversary while dressed as Spider-Man (whom he plays in Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark).
 * On May 2, a cycle of turns is mistakenly edited out of Round 1 despite not being "null": an incorrect E, followed by a Bankrupt by a contestant with no money or cardboard and a Lose A Turn. The next spin after the cycle is also Lose A Turn, so it appears that the Bankrupt-Lose A Turn-Lose A Turn cycle was meant to be edited out instead. The cut E results in Laura's score instantly changing from $1,400 to $1,150.
 * On May 3:
 * The Gift Tag is a VIP showing of Matilda the Musical.
 * In Round 2, the "No more vowels" graphic accidentally shows up a second time after the R's are revealed.
 * There is a ½ Car win in Round 3.
 * In the final segment, Pat and Vanna show the "A GROUP OF PILL-PUSHERS" clip from 1999, again in edited form.
 * May 6 is Mom's Week, taped March 16. During this week:
 * All contestants are mothers.
 * Every Prize Puzzle trip includes a Sony NEX-5R camera.
 * The Speed-Up wipe is a red heart with a pink banner with the word "MOM" in black text.
 * On May 6:
 * The $1,000 Toss-Up is Song Title, Round 1 is Movie Title, and Round 3 and the Bonus Round are Place.
 * The Prize is a $5,000 shopping spree from CreditCards.com.
 * During Round 1, the contestant area's monitors flicker due to a dirty cable. Eventually, there is a stopdown to fix the issue, during which Pat pretends to sleep on the railing. After the round, a shot of the Bankrupt graphic is reshot due to noticeable flickering during the original shot.
 * After Round 2, Jake Epstein (as Spider-Man) does a bumper from the audience.
 * In a rather rare occurrence, the only Bankrupts in the game take away no money or cardboard.
 * On May 7:
 * The Jersey Boys cast does a bumper from the audience before the $3,000 Toss-Up.
 * In the final segment, clips are shown of Vanna's first audition episode (November 1982) with a voiceover from Pat.
 * On May 8:
 * The Prize is a HomeGoods shopping spree.
 * All of the cardboard is removed from the Wheel by Round 3: contestant Patricia wins the Prize in Round 2, Valerie picks up both ½ Car tags and the Gift Tag, while Laura picks up the Million-Dollar Wedge and Wild Card. Valerie does not solve the puzzle, and Laura does not win the game.
 * Against normal practice, the "only vowels remain" beeps sound in the Speed-Up, albeit added in post-production. This is possibly due to a contestant giving two wrong answers after calling the last consonant. The closed captioning indicates the beeps one turn before they actually sound.
 * On May 10:
 * The $1,000 Toss-Up refuses to reveal for several seconds.
 * The Wheel Prize is a Beyond the Rack shopping spree.
 * Contestant Clori wins the ½ Car in Round 2 after picking up three tags.
 * The second-place contestant has $27,000.
 * May 13-24 is the Millionaire Maker Sweepstakes. Home viewers get game pieces from any participating Total Rewards "destination" or online between April 7 and May 19. Before Round 1 and the Bonus Round, special puzzles are shown as graphics. If a home viewer has a game piece matching a puzzle, that viewer can submit it to enter the sweepstakes. Prizes include 20 trips to Caesars Palace with $50,000 cash each, and a grand prize of $1,000,000. The grand prize ceremony is hosted by Marty Lublin, also the traveling host at Wheelmobile events.
 * May 13 is Best Friends Week, taped March 18. During this week, the category wipe is the Pat and Vanna avatars riding in a horse-drawn hansom cab, and the Speed-Up wipe is signs for 5th Avenue and West 33rd Street.
 * Beginning May 13, weeks with two-player teams do not always mention the players' hometowns and/or last names on-air.
 * On May 13:
 * In Round 2, one member of the red team tries to stop her teammate from spinning again, but he does anyway. He hits the Prize, which they end up winning.
 * Jake Epstein does another bumper as Spider-Man after Round 2.
 * On May 14, there is a $100,000 loss.
 * On May 15:
 * The Prize is a $7,500 shopping spree from RetailMeNot.com.
 * The Prize Puzzle trip is worth $13,720, the highest value for one since March 2010 and the second-highest overall.
 * In the final segment, Pat and Vanna show a clip from Pat's first episode.
 * On May 16, the $3,000 Toss-Up and Bonus Round are Occupation. This is both the second known duplication of that category, and its first appearance in the Bonus Round since September 2009.
 * On May 17, the Jersey Boys cast does a bumper after Round 2.
 * Between April 29 and May 17, every Round 2 puzzle except May 8 and May 15 is Before & After.
 * May 20 is Fabulous Food, taped March 19. During this week:
 * The category wipe is the Pat avatar tossing a pizza dough into the air, and the Speed-Up wipe is a blue plate, knife, and fork on a red-and-white checkered tablecloth.
 * The episodes originally slated for airing on May 20 and 21 are swapped.
 * On May 20, Michael Symon, Carla Hall, and Daphne Oz of The Chew do a bumper after Round 2. They reappear in the final segment to provide Pat and Vanna with pork sliders, Mediterranean potato salad, and coconut pecan pound cake. During both appearances, their names appear on a category strip.
 * On May 21:
 * Wheel is pre-empted on many affiliates in the Eastern and Central time zones due to extended news coverage on the tornado that struck Moore, Oklahoma.
 * The Round 2 puzzle PAC-MAN AND MS. PAC-MAN is an extremely rare instance of a puzzle with only one vowel.
 * There is a ½ Car win in Round 2.
 * The second-place contestant has $20,090, resulting in the second instance of a ½ Car winner not winning the game.
 * On May 22:
 * Two contestants hit ½ Car tags in Round 3, thus rendering a car win impossible.
 * After the Speed-Up, contestant Lindsay's score is incorrectly shown as $13,130. It is corrected to $13,170 before the Bonus Round.
 * In the final segment, Pat promotes Eataly, an Italian food market, over footage of it. At the end of the segment, the market's website appears onscreen on a category strip.
 * On May 23:
 * Jake Epstein does a bumper as Spider-Man before the $3,000 Toss-Up. Unlike the last appearances, his face is shown on-camera.
 * In the final segment, Pat and Vanna show a separate closing segment in which Amar'e Stoudemire makes a cameo. This was likely presented as a separate clip due to scheduling conflicts.
 * On May 24:
 * The Jersey Boys cast does a bumper before the $3,000 Toss-Up.
 * The original Speed-Up round (THAT'S IT IN A NUTSHELL) is thrown out due to contestant Jim giving the answer with just the T's showing so close to the buzzer that it cannot be determined by ear whether it was valid. The answer is checked during a stopdown, after which it is determined that Jim was beaten by the buzzer. Taping resumes with a replacement puzzle starting from the first turn of Speed-Up with the same Final Spin value. As a result, the reveal of the replacement puzzle is shot during the stopdown, and has to be shot twice due to Pat accidentally walking into the shot the first time.
 * In the final segment, Guinness Book of World Records representative Kimberly Patrick presents Vanna with an award honoring her Guinness record for the most frequent clapper (a record that only counts the nighttime show, and then only through January 31 of this season). She stays with Pat and Vanna through the final segment, during which the board reads GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS.
 * All ten Bonus Rounds are lost on the weeks of May 13 and 20, part of a 14-day losing streak beginning on the 7th. This is the fourth losing streak to reach ten days since January 15, and
 * May 27 is "Celebrating 30", taped February 7. During this week:
 * All of the contestants have some aspect related to the number 30 (e.g., 30 years of age, married 30 years, etc.)
 * The spots in the category strips are replaced with 30's.
 * Certain puzzles are related to the number 30, the 1980s, or age.
 * The daily promo commercial for the show states that a $1,000,000 win will happen during this week.
 * On May 27:
 * Against precedent, the Round 2 puzzle NO DEPOSIT NO RETURN OF THE JEDI does not have the connecting word on its own line, even though such an arrangement could have fit.
 * In Round 3, contestant Jonathan hits a ½ Car tag immediately after Antonia loses that round's other tag to Bankrupt.
 * On May 28: Chariots.png
 * For no reason, the Round 2 puzzle CHARIOTS OF FIRE EXTINGUISHERS has two spaces between the first two words instead of one.
 * In the final segment, Pat and Vanna do a "Changing Lives" segment on contestant Robyn, who finished in third place on December 28. This is the first known instance of such a segment being on a contestant from the same season, and a rare instance of the segment being done for a contestant who did not win the game.
 * On May 30:
 * The Round 1 puzzle APRIL JUNE SEPTEMBER AND NOVEMBER is categorized as Things instead of Events.
 * The retro Bonus Round is not done.
 * Contestant Autumn takes both the Wild Card and Million-Dollar Wedge to the Bonus Round.
 * Autumn Erhard becomes the second $1,000,000 winner, solving TOUGH WORKOUT with only the T's, G, and R showing, and sets a new winnings record of $1,030,340. Prior to this episode's broadcast, the weekly promo shows her landing on the Million-Dollar Wedge in Round 2 and winning the million.
 * Unlike the last win, which used a unique graphic with spotlights, the normal winnings font is used when Jim announces the $1,000,000 win.
 * Strangely, Jim announces Autumn's grand total rather than Pat, and no mention is ever made about her being the all-time winner.
 * During the final segment, at least some of the other bonus envelopes are on the Bonus Wheel, opened. The "One Million" envelope sits on top of the center.
 * Likely to keep with the "30" theme, this episode is moved up from its originally intended air date of the 31st.
 * On May 31:
 * The daily promo commercial hinting at Autumn's win airs, likely as a result of the last-minute rescheduling.
 * After Round 2, there is a shot from behind the contestant railing, to show the platforms under each contestant that can be raised or lowered.
 * The retro Bonus Round predates the three-and-a-vowel format (specifically, September 14, 1988). The closed-captioning of the reveal still says "Watch tomorrow night for another classic puzzle", likely indicative of the last-minute rescheduling.
 * The "No More Vowels" graphic does not come up in Round 4, due to the Final Spin wipe occurring immediately afterward.

June 2013

 * June 3 is Dad's Week, taped February 8. During this week:
 * All contestants are fathers.
 * The Prize is a $5,000 Sony Store shopping spree.
 * The category wipe is the same one used on the Sandals Golf Getaway week of Season 29.
 * On June 4:
 * The opening clip (a Toss-Up guess of MINERS & HOES on February 4, 2002) is a repeat from October 30. While that airing replaced both the Toss-Up music bed and solve cue, this airing keeps the original music bed.
 * In a very rare event, neither regular Bankrupt is hit, with all four Bankrupts coming from the Million-Dollar Wedge.
 * The second-place contestant has $19,850.
 * On June 5, the $3,000 Toss-Up and Bonus Round are What Are You Doing? The latter, THE LIMBO, is the last instance to date of that category not using an "-ING" suffix.
 * On June 6, the opening clip is the same one used on December 7, but unlike the last airing, it is correctly dated to 1999.
 * On June 7, there is a ½ Car win.
 * June 10 is America's Game.
 * On June 10:
 * Contestant Gina has her cousin Annmarie spin the Wheel for her.
 * The Jackpot is won for the last time, at $7,600.
 * After a "null" cycle is cut from the start of Round 4, the first overhead shot following said cycle is noticeably crooked. Also, Pat later references the cycle by telling Valerie "back to you".
 * Neither Bankrupt nor Lose A Turn is hit on-air, although a Lose A Turn is edited out of the aforementioned "null" cycle.
 * In the final segment, Vanna shows footage of herself at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in Memphis, presenting a check for $1,000,000.
 * On June 11:
 * As it is the sixth episode from the week of May 27 (Celebrating 30), several puzzles are themed to that week.
 * Despite the above, the contestants' 30-related aspects (and by extension the reason they were present for this taping session) are never mentioned.
 * Contestant Tasha wins despite failing to claim $26,195 in the Mystery Round (the $10,000 Mystery Wedge and two ½ Car tags).
 * There is a $100,000 win. Pat states during the closing that dropping the confetti is "always exciting no matter how often it happens", indirectly referring to the $1,000,000 win which had immediately preceded this episode's taping. While most of the confetti is cleaned up prior to the next day's taping, a few stray pieces are visible during the week of June 3.
 * Against precedent, the winner does not write the contestant blog.
 * On June 12:
 * Contestant Rick lands on a ½ Car tag immediately after both of his opponents lose tags to Bankrupt on consecutive turns, with one having been picked up that same round, thus rendering a car win impossible.
 * Unusually, there is no reaction from the contestants or audience when Pat's Final Spin lands on $5,000 (though applause is added in post-production), and Pat's tone is noticeably subdued.
 * All of the retro Bonus Rounds from June 3 through 12 are from 1992 or 1993.
 * On June 13:
 * The retro clip in the opening is the same outtake used on January 9, but unlike the last airing, it is correctly dated to 2004.
 * In Round 1, Pat does not prompt contestant Mark to use his Wild Card on $2,500 despite having picked it up only one turn prior. It ends up not mattering, as Mark hits Bankrupt on his next spin.
 * Pat forgets to take away contestant Caitlyn's Mystery Wedge after she hits Bankrupt.
 * The $3,000 Toss-Up TAP DANCING uses one row of the board instead of two.
 * Round 1 and the Bonus Round are What Are You Doing?
 * On June 14:
 * As it is the sixth taping from Dad's Week, three males play.
 * There is a ½ Car win.
 * Round 4 is an unusually short answer of SOCCER MOMS, suggesting that Rounds 1-3 ran abnormally long.
 * The second-place contestant has $26,000.

Post-Season

 * On June 17, $5K Every Day is renamed "$5K Every Day Plus". While the drawing is done the same way, the award is doubled to $10,000 if the SPIN ID belongs to an active Sony Card holder.
 * On July 25, director Mark Corwin dies due to cancer. A tribute to him is edited into the September 4 rerun (from May 29), replacing the original end segment. The tribute begins with Pat and Vanna mentioning his death from the control room, followed by pictures of him set to "For Good" from the musical Wicked. It ends with "In loving memory: Mark Corwin" on white text on a black background, surrounding a picture of him.
 * On August 1, Pat's Twitter account re-opens.