The Prize Wedge is one of the gameplay elements on Wheel of Fortune.
History[]
First version[]
The concept of a Prize wedge was first tried on the hour-long episodes in late 1975 and January 1976, used only in the Head-To-Head All-Cash Showdown that determined the day's champion. Unlike the current ones, these were claimed immediately upon being hit and apparently did not require solving the puzzle to be won. In addition, if a contestant lost it to Bankrupt, it was apparently placed back on the Wheel immediately. As with most elements of the early daytime episodes, what is known about this version is largely sourced to personal anecdotes.
Regular version[]
Prize wedge of $500 cash (1983).
Prize wedges were introduced permanently on the first nighttime episode in September 1983, and on daytime in July 1989. Like all other winnings, they are held if the contestant solves that round's puzzle without hitting Bankrupt. Initially, contestants who hit a Prize wedge claimed it automatically, then called a letter for the dollar value underneath; the current rule, where players must call a right letter before claiming the wedge, was introduced on both versions between September 11 and December 24, 1990. In September 2012, the wedge began awarding $500 per consonant.
It also appears that for at least the first few weeks of the nighttime version, Prize wedges were not forfeited if the contestant hit Bankrupt; this was changed before the end of the season.
Up until around 1991, prizes were available only in the round that they were introduced (for example, if the prize introduced in Round 2 went unclaimed, it was removed for Rounds 3+; likewise, if the prize introduced in Round 4 went unclaimed, it was removed if a fifth round was played).
From the retirement of shopping until the late 1990s, Wheel prizes were introduced in Rounds 2 and 4, obviously unless Round 4 began as a Speed-Up. Originally, the Round 2 Prize was on the blue $150 two wedges counterclockwise from Lose a Turn (where it also was in the era of shopping); it moved to the other blue $150 between $250 and $400 in Season 7, but some episodes reversed this change. When the second Prize was introduced, it was originally on the purple $150 if Rounds 3 and 4 are in the same segment and on the red $300 if Round 3 is in its own segment. This stopped in Season 10 for two reasons: the introduction of Surprise and the change of the show's pacing to make Round 3 always its own segment.
From 1992-95, in the event that neither the Surprise nor Round 2 Prize were claimed by Round 4, the Round 4 Prize was placed on the blue $200. In Season 13, the Round 2 Prize and the Round 4 Prize stayed on the red $300 and the blue $200 respectively, regardless if the former was claimed. In Season 14, perhaps due to increasing time constraints, the second one was moved to Round 3 but only present if the Surprise was absent during gameplay. For a short time after the retirement of Surprise, the second Wheel Prize was fully reinstated for Round 3, but it was retired again following Season 19. From then until June 2005, it was in Round 2, and moved to its current position of Round 1 that September.
During the week of December 21, 1998, the second prize wedge had a small gift box in the center, suggesting that it is the Surprise wedge on the week of December 22, 1997.
While Bob Goen was host, the daytime show generally introduced a new prize starting in Round 2; each time a prize was claimed, it was replaced with a new prize (up to two), which often presented the scenario of having three prizes on the Wheel for Rounds 4+. Upon the show's return to NBC in January 1991, the first prize was moved to Round 1 and a flashing chyron was added showing a prize's value if it was picked up.
Until the late 1990s, Prize wedges often offered a variety of items beyond just trips, such as gift certificates, jewelry, household goods, or small vehicles (e.g., boats, off-road vehicles, motorized bicycles). Some of the more esoteric choices were autographed memorabilia, framed art, jewelry, or even cars. Since around 2000, it is extremely rare for the prize to be something other than a trip, or occasionally a gift card or cash provided by a sponsor. From about 2008 onward, the Prize copy may also be accompanied by a trailer for an upcoming film, particularly if a copy of said film is included as part of the bundle and/or distributed by Sony.
The current Prize wedge is on the purple $500 ($350 before Season 30, also the position of the Round 2 prize after the single Wheel template was introduced on September 16, 1996). If the Prize wedge is red, it typically moves to another wedge to prevent it from being adjacent to the red $800. Since late 2011, with the permanent placement of the Prize Puzzle in Round 3, the Prize is removed before then.
From 1983-89, Prize wedges were lime green with black text. By 1989, they became light yellow. Partway through Season 12, a bright green color was introduced. For Season 14, they were greenish-brown with dark green text in the Clarendon font (with sparkles for the first two weeks). Since October 1997, they have generally featured artwork representing the prize in question, although some between October 1997-June 1998 used white Clarendon on a gradient background.
Starting in Season 33, the announcer only describes the prize if it is won, unless the copy also includes a promotional plug or trailer; a similar method had been done during Season 12 with the Round 4 Prize.