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January 1990[]
- Wheel does not air on January 1 due to the Tournament of Roses parade.
- Sometime this year, CBS airs a promo of Bob in the show's office, using his last name in several puns. The nighttime 1987 Round 1 template is used as a wiping graphic (similar to one of the nighttime Disney World intros) and in the background on a physical prop.
- On January 4 (Mike/Marcia/Don):
- During Round 1, eleven turns are lost, five of which are consecutive.
- During the post-game chat, Bob shows a picture of a puppy which he had recently gotten.
- January 4 is the last time Nancy Jones is listed first on full credit rolls. Beginning the following week, Merv's credit of Executive Producer is added to the list, above Nancy.
- On January 29 (Mark/Jeff/Kristin), Rounds 1, 3, 4, and 5 are Phrase.
- On January 30 (Jeff/Steve/Jim):
- Bob introduces Vanna as "the Goddess of Love", referencing the infamous 1988 NBC TV-movie of the same name where Vanna played the title role.
- Bob's Final Spin lands on a Prize wedge; his second attempt lands on $200.
- Two sets of repeated categories are used: Phrase in Rounds 1 and 3, Thing in Round 4 and the Bonus Round.
- On January 31 (Abby/Jeff/James), Jeff retires undefeated with $40,886. Notably, he wins all three Bonus Rounds with the same set of letters (CDHA).
February 1990[]
- From February 7-9, contestant Peter Lamberton competes for three shows, winning $22,818.
- February 12 is Soap Opera Week. As with the October 1989 week, the Bonus Round is played for $5,000 each day.
- It is believed that this week has cast members from The Young and the Restless (Jess Walton/Doug Davidson/Lauralee Bell), The Bold and the Beautiful (Daniel McVicar/Lauren Koslow/John McCook), Guiding Light (Kimberley Simms/James Goodwin/Jay Hammer), and As the World Turns (Michael Swan/Margaret Reed/Gregory Beecroft). Based on this and a print ad, it likely used the Friday Finals format with each soap getting its own episode.
- An article from March 7, 1990 notes that Hammer donated his winnings to his alma mater: the University of the Pacific in Stockton, California.
March 1990[]
- Assuming that the daytime show offered fur coats after the move to CBS, they are dropped from the prize rotation late this month at the insistence of PETA.
April 1990[]
- On April 2, a champion retires with over $42,000, which is stated by Bob to be a record.
- On April 3 (Ken/Raphael/Julie):
- Five consecutive turns are lost in Round 1.
- There are two sets of repeated categories: Title in Rounds 1 and 4, and Phrase in Rounds 2 and 3.
- For the first known time, Augustus provides Bob's wardrobe.
- As of April 3, vowels still cost $200.
- April 9 is Teen Week.
- All five Bonus Rounds are won during the week of April 16.
May 1990[]
June 1990[]
- June 18 is Teen Week.
July 1990[]
- July 2 is Armed Forces Week, where contestants are called from the audience to play (the first three by Bob, all subsequent names by Vanna) from a fishbowl sitting on the host's railing. During this week:
- Several gameplay elements are slightly altered:
- The players do not draw numbers to determine position, instead taking the spots from left to right in the order they were called. After each round, the two players who do not solve the puzzle are eliminated, and two new contestants are called to replace them; if one new player wins and the other does not get a turn, s/he is not eliminated and only one new contestant is called.
- $500 is the top value in Round 1, $1,000 in Round 2, and $1,250 in Rounds 3+. In relation to this, the first Wheel Prize is added before Round 1, a practice that becomes the norm when Wheel returns to NBC in January.
- Rounds 2+ begin with the next position clockwise from the one that won the previous round (i.e., if the yellow player wins Round 1 then the blue player begins Round 2, etc.).
- The player with the most winnings (not necessarily the winner of the final round) plays the Bonus Round.
- After the logo flies into place, an American flag graphic wipes by from left to right during Charlie's opening spiel, replacing the second half of the logo animation.
- The set is decorated: an American flag is present behind the host's area, a large Armed Forces emblem is attached to the top-center of the puzzle board, and various Armed Forces-related symbols and flags are placed around the audience area.
- Several gameplay elements are slightly altered:
- By July 5, the cost of buying a vowel is reduced to $100.
- On July 5:
- The first Wheel Prize is a $500 necklace. This is very likely the least expensive Wheel Prize ever offered on the daytime show, and known to be one of the least expensive Wheel Prizes overall.
- As the signoffs and credits take place near the car won by the day's champion, the car turntable is not active.
- Around this point (known to not be July 5 or 23), a contestant solves NICK NOLTE STARRING IN Q&A with only one letter (most likely the N's) revealed. According to one recollection, this was done by Hal Warning on July 11.
- On July 23 (Rochelle/Tammy/Hury):
- The Round 1 puzzle HALLELUJAH is a rare instance of both a one-word Phrase and a main-game puzzle with only three unique consonants.
- Ten wrong letters are called in this round, including the first five turns, and no vowels are bought.
- Hury retires with $20,213.
- During the final segment, Bob mentions that a staff member named Karen is leaving at the end of this week. The staffer in question is shown briefly, but the only Karen listed in the full credit roll is Karen Griffith, who did not leave the show and became co-producer in Season 14; this would suggest that she only left daytime, and then only for a brief period, as she is listed in the full credit roll of January 11, 1991.
- A crane shot of the $5,000 sign is used during the credits.
- As of July 23, the contestant area still looks the same as it did on July 17, 1989.
- According to both a press kit and a Kansas City Star news article both from 1995, an episode sometime this month has a round with the answer of BUTTINSKY which runs for 3 minutes and 38 seconds. Both sources claim this to be the longest round in the show's history, despite several confirmed instances of rounds running longer by this point. While a nighttime episode in 1993 with the same answer became notorious for the contestants struggling with it, the quoted figures of July 1990 and 3 minutes, 38 seconds (the 1993 round ran for exactly three minutes) would suggest this was not merely a mis-dating or typographical error in reference to the 1993 episode.
August 1990[]
- August 6 is Teen Week.
- By about August 17, several changes are made:
- The score displays are extended to allow for seven digits, with the dollar sign now "adjusting" to the scores instead of remaining at the far left. The new displays are also connected to each other, removing the solid brown space that was previously there.
- The lights surrounding the Wheel become much brighter. The bottom layer of lights, which previously flashed counterclockwise, now flash clockwise as the Wheel is spinning (much like the other layers).
- The Wheel is noticeably tighter and louder.
- The chevron contestant backdrops become darker.
- Following the last puzzle of the game, the cumulative total of an outgoing or returning champion is shown flashing in a similar manner to the post-Bonus Round totals.
- On an episode from the week of August 13 (Melissa/Benny/Kristin), likely Tuesday to Thursday based on Bob's comments:
- Melissa fills in the entire Round 1 puzzle STICK TO THE BASICS by herself.
- After Charlie reads the copy for the Round 3 Prize (a reclining chair modeled by Vanna), Bob responds with "Vanna not included."
- Five rounds are played. Unusually, a Prize is added to the Wheel for Round 5.
- Bob's Final Spin lands on Bankrupt.
- Kristin wins $10,245 in the main game.
- Two sets of repeated categories are used: Phrase in Rounds 1, 3, and 5, Person in Round 2 and the Bonus Round.
- During the final segment, Bob shows a picture of himself and Carol Smillie (then-hostess of the British version). Bob and Vanna's comments suggest this was done for the entire week.
- As of the above episode, the original rules for picking up Prize wedges and the Free Spin are still in use (picking them up automatically and calling a letter for the value underneath).
September 1990[]
- The week of September 3 is a three-day week. Wheel was pre-empted on September 3 and 7 due to CBS coverage of the US Open.
October 1990[]
- Clue debuts around this point, with the bonus worth $250.
- Johnny Gilbert announces for the week of October 15, the only known instance of a sub-announcer during the Goen era.
November 1990[]
- Dennis/Claire/Rob airs on November 1.
- By the above episode, the rules for picking up Prizes and the Free Spin are altered to require a correct letter call before picking up the wedge/token.
- A Chicago Tribune article from March 17, 1991 mentions a play-by-phone contest being held for 21 days this month. The article notes that "a record 4.7 million people played, as well as watched, Wheel of Fortune in a one-shot promotion".
- Episode #4,000 likely airs around November 7.
- The week of November 12 is a four-day week.
- The week of November 19 is a three-day week. Wheel does not air on November 22-23 due to the All-American Thanksgiving Day Parade and special showings of CBS' Saturday-morning programming, respectively.
- Reruns air during the week of November 26.
December 1990[]
- Reruns air during the week of December 17.
- December 25 is Christmas-themed, with a decorated set: lights that flash during the open and close, miniature golden bows on the puzzle board, and a large golden bow on the $9,995 Geo Metro onstage that also has gift boxes on each side. Also, the chyrons are displayed in red and green for the holidays. On this episode:
- After his entrance, Bob wishes the viewers a Merry Christmas and tells them that if they aren't spending the day with their own family, to let him, Charlie, Vanna, and the contestants be the "surrogate family" for the day.
- After the Bonus Round, Vanna gives Bob a piece of crochet with his last name inscribed in capital letters.
- After the CBS Television City chyron is shown, the Enterprises logo is revealed via a trilon effect just as Charlie's spiel begins.