Wheel of Fortune timeline (syndicated)/Season 18

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A timeline for Season 18 of Wheel of Fortune, which aired in first-run from September 4, 2000 through June 1, 2001.

Season Changes

• The opening starts with a shot of the applauding audience, then shows flashback clips within the outline of the Wheel, which then rotates to show a golden vertical version of the two-row logo on its side. After the chant, the Wheel graphic flips up and zooms into the center. The template used is the same one from the previous season.
• The Preview Puzzle and Puzzler rounds are eliminated.
• Toss-Ups are introduced, thus eliminating the "Just before the show we drew numbers to see who would start the game" spiel. For this season only, both are valued at $1,000: one at the start of the show determines who starts Round 1 (with the next two contestants clockwise respectively starting Rounds 2 and 3), and one before Round 4 determines who starts that round. The sets are now fitted with color-coded buzzers similar to those used on Jeopardy! A light music bed plays as the letters reveal, and the right-letter ding sounds upon ringing in. The first wipe for them is a golden coin that has the traditional logo along with "Toss-Up" written in light yellow Arial, which flips from the bottom to the top of the screen. For this season only, the puzzles are not split-screened.
• Both the totals of Bonus Round prizes and end-game totals are now golden numbers in Futura Extra Bold on a green rectangle. On some episodes this season, the end-game totals are in Brush Script.
• The Wheel's lights flash as Pat and Vanna are introduced. This lasts until the end of Season 20.
• The closed captioning plug is moved to the end of Round 3.
• Fourth rounds that begin as a Speed-Up now have the puzzle revealed as normal, with the Final Spin bell immediately following the puzzle reveal chimes; previously in such cases, Pat would begin with the Final Spin, and the puzzle and category would be revealed afterward, all with no sound. This would likely indicate by this point, all episodes now end in a Speed-Up, with only one exception.
• The Wheel is altered once more:
  • $1,000 is retired. $2,500 becomes the top dollar for Round 1, $3,500 for Rounds 2 and 3, and $5,000 thereafter. Also, Pat no longer mentions any of the top dollar values.
  • The Jackpot wedge and second Bankrupt move to Round 2, and the $10,000 Wedge back to Round 3. Unlike Seasons 12-13, the $10,000 Wedge is removed after Round 3, even if unclaimed.
• As of this season, most episodes tend to have two female contestants and one male. This pattern is often broken for road shows and Armed Forces Weeks.
• Merv Griffin retires, promoting Harry Friedman to sole executive producer.
• Likely as a result of the above, "Changing Keys" is replaced by a new theme called "Happy Wheels", composed by Steve Kaplan.
• The category strips are changed again, giving a three-dimensional appearance to the oval outline. The "rolling Wheel" effect is replaced with a slightly smaller rolling Wheel of Fortune logo, which rolls from right to left as the category "pops" out of it, on blue in a font similar to Arial. The unique category wipes for Show Biz, Headline, Around the House, and Classic TV are retired. The maingame category strips change at the start of each season through Season 24, and the Bonus Round category strip also changes at the start of each season through Season 21.
• The beeping timer in the Bonus Round has music added to it.
• The animated bumper following Round 3 is dropped.
• Between now and Season 20, many puzzles in grammatical singular begin including a redundant "A" or "AN" at the beginning, particularly in the Bonus Round and Toss-Ups.
• For this season only, the contestant's Bonus Round letter choices fade in.
• The sponsor list, eligibility disclaimer, credits, and copyright notice are switched to Albertus MT, which remains through Season 23.
• Several episodes' Bonus Rounds this season are sponsored by Coach USA; Charlie states this before the Bonus Round over footage of Vanna revealing COACH USA on the puzzle board.

September 2000

• During the week of September 4 (Fast Cars):
  • The Bonus Round prizes comprise four cars and the $25,000.
  • The Prize values have a graphic of a racecar next to them.
  • A new cue is used for both solving main-game puzzles and giving right answers on "bonus" categories. Toss-Ups use a different cue heard only during this week.
• On September 4:
  • In a very unorthodox move, Pat gives Karen help after Round 2's Clue puzzle IT'S THE FAMOUS CARTOON CALL OF THE ROAD RUNNER. After she says "I don't know", Pat elaborates by saying "What does the Road Runner say?" and she provides the correct answer of "Beep-Beep" (or Meep-Meep). This does not affect the outcome.
  • Rounds 1 and 2 are played entirely by the contestant who began them.
  • The Round 3 Prize is a Triumph Thunderbird motorcycle.
  • The second place contestant has $15,800.
• On September 5:
  • There is a $10,900 Jackpot win.
  • The second place contestant has $22,550.

• September 11 is Endless Summer: During this week:
  • The studio has a blue floor.
  • The Round 3 Prize value graphics have a smiling sun next to them.
• On September 11:
  • The 1997 main-game "puzzle solve" cue returns. The cue heard in the main game during the previous week is now used when Toss-Ups and the Bonus Round are solved.
  • The second-place contestant has $17,050.

• An episode from September 12 (with contestants Todd/Melissa/Chuck) is preserved on archive.org due to rerunning on September 15, 2001, the Saturday after the 9/11 attacks.
• During the week of September 18, the Round 2 Prize totals have relevant images next to the dollar sign while the Round 3 prizes have a picture of the sun.
• On September 18:
  • Rounds 2 and 3 are shot differently when they are solved: Round 2 shows the board at an angle, while Round 3 cuts to a shot of contestant Jon with the board seen from a distance.
  • A "null" cycle is edited out of Round 3, as referenced by Pat saying "Jon try again." despite it being his first turn.
• On September 19:
  • The category strip does not appear on the second shot of the board in Round 1.
  • Rounds 1-3 have ampersands while the first Toss-Up has the word "AND".
  • Contestant Max's score is accidentally shown as $8,100 after he solves Round 2. It is corrected to $6,500 before Round 3.
• On September 20, during the closing segment, Pat and Vanna discuss the Toss-Ups from the contestant area.
• On September 22:
  • Vanna wears a sleeveless shirt and pants.
  • Actor Leonard Stone (best known as Sam Beauregarde, Violet's father, in the 1971 film Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory) is a contestant.
  • The Round 1 puzzle BEAT THE HEAT has only three unique consonants.
  • No vowels are bought in Round 5.
  • Six rounds are played.

• On September 25:
  • Round 3 (JOHN RITTER AS JACK TRIPPER) is categorized as Classic TV instead of Star & Role.
  • The music does not play during the second Toss-Up.
  • The Round 4 puzzle TEX-MEX has only three unique consonants.
  • The second place contestant has $14,550.
  • Before the Bonus Round is played, Pat announces that due to a scheduling error, he and Vanna have to leave right after the Bonus Round and his children Patrick and Maggie have to do the closing segment. Both of them say that they were taught "don't be funnier than Daddy is", while Maggie says that Vanna taught her how to wave goodbye. A clip of this seen in Seasons 25 and 30.
  • The version of "Happy Wheels" used at the end of the Bonus Round plays during the closing credits.
• On an episode sometime during the week of September 25 (likely the 28th, as clips of this episode were used during a WPLG news report on the 29th), Round 2 is the second known instance of Slogan not using its bonus question due to the product name being part of the answer (YOU'RE IN GOOD HANDS WITH ALLSTATE).

October 2000

• On a Ships Ahoy Week episode on the week of October 2 (Nick/Michelle/Beverly):
  • The Round 2 Prize is a $2,500 gift certificate for ibeauty.com.
  • Contestant Michelle spins only once in the entire game, landing on Bankrupt in Round 2.
  • Before the final segment, Vanna models the consolation prize (a Bushnell telescope) while holding Giovanna.
• All five Bonus Rounds are lost on the week of October 2.
• On October 11, after the Round 1 puzzle PASSWORD (Classic TV), a clip is shown of Pat competing on Super Password.
• On October 12:
  • Three overhead shots in Round 2 are edited in from other episodes, as evidenced by the Free Spin and Prize disappearing in those shots.
  • The Round 2 puzzle THE BEST PART OF WAKIN' UP IS FOLGERS IN YOUR CUP is a rare instance of Slogan not using its bonus due to the product name being in the answer.
• On October 13, two contestants incorrectly solve the Round 3 puzzle STRAIT OF MAGELLAN by adding "the" to the beginning.
• During the week of October 30, due to the Halloween decorations, Pat and Vanna enter through a gate from stage left.

November 2000

• On November 2, celebrities play the game for charity while in Halloween costumes, with a minimum guarantee of $10,000, as part of an "unmask the stars" contest held on the show's website. It is also the last all-celebrity game.
  • The celebrities are Richard Simmons, Tara Lipinski, and Alex Trebek. They are respectively disguised as William Shakespeare, a genie, and a gnome named Osment, and referred to as such by Pat.
  • During the interviews, Alex presents Pat with a pair of boots, both left.
  • Both Alex and Richard throw Round 1's puzzle A HAUNTING MELODY by deliberately calling incorrect letters with only the E, O, and Y missing, then joking about their calls.

    

  • After Round 3, a gag tombstone reading "Shopping for prizes" is seen, next to a ceramic Dalmatian sporting its $154 price tag.
  • The second Toss-Up is not played.
  • Possibly due to taping order and/or the omission of the second Toss-Up, the Speed-Up at the start of Round 4 is revealed as it was before this season.
  • The bonus puzzle is IN DISGUISE, which Tara solves for $25,000.
  • In the final segment, Charlie reveals each celebrity's identity. All three appear with Pat and Vanna, as does Alex's son, Matt (also in a gnome costume).
• On November 3, Kristan Cummingham is a contestant; she would later appear in Season 25 on People Celebrity Week, thus becoming only the second known person to play as both a civilian and a celebrity.
• The week of November 6 is taped at DAR Constitution Hall in Washington, D.C. During this week:
  • The $25,000 prize in the Bonus Round is offered in golden dollars, which is indicated on the envelope.
  • There is a cold open in which Pat pretends to give a presidential campaign speech.
  • On all of the Washington D.C. episodes this season, the second Bankrupt and Jackpot wedge are accidentally placed one wedge clockwise from their normal locations, putting them on the green $500 (where Jackpot should be) and orange $800, respectively.
• On November 6:
  • The $10,000 Wedge is mistakenly placed on the Wheel for Round 2, where the second Bankrupt should be, and it is won. Pat comments on the error at the start of Round 3, and the wedge is used in that round as well.
  • The second Toss-Up A RENAISSANCE MAN is first of only five known instances of a Toss-Up using more than two lines.
  • Background music is added to the Speed-Up round.
  • The audience inexplicably applauds a wrong answer in the Bonus Round.
• On November 7:
  • The Round 3 Prize is an autographed and framed letter from Dwight D. Eisenhower.
  • In Round 3, contestant Raymond accidentally asks to buy a W, and then a zero, before calling an O. According to someone who was in the audience for this episode, the O is originally revealed normally, after which there is a 25-minute stopdown. After the stopdown, the reveal of the O's is re-shot, and Pat explains that he may either buy another vowel or spin again, but has to call W if he spins again. He does call W, which is in the puzzle, but later hits Lose a Turn.
  • The bonus puzzle WHICH IS WHICH? is the first of only two known uses of a question mark in the Bonus Round.
  • The Speed-Up cue accidentally plays during the Bonus Round countdown instead of the timer beeps.
• On November 10:
  • Vanna helps model the Round 2 Prize, an Epson digital camera.
  • There is an $8,250 Jackpot win.
  • Although contestant Will loses the Bonus Round, Pat has his family come onstage anyway.
• The week of November 13 is the Hershey's Pot of Gold Sweepstakes. The grand prize is five years of vacations for a family of four in Hawaii, plus a Lexus and $25,000 cash (promoted with a $25,000 envelope, with the Hershey's Pot of Gold logo on the top half). Ten first-prize winners get to sit in the audience during the Hawaii episodes in February. Other prizes include $500 Sony Card shopping sprees and Hershey's chocolate gift packages. Home viewers may submit an entry form from the November 12 newspaper and include at least three of the bonus puzzles from that week.
• During the week of November 13, the "Hershey's Pot of Gold Sweepstakes" logo is projected into the center of the Wheel.
• On November 14:
  • There is a $10,100 Jackpot win.
  • The Round 3 puzzle is FIVE-TIME UNDEFEATED CHAMPION.
  • All three contestants hit Bankrupt consecutively in Round 3.
  • The buzzer sounds on a wrong answer in the second Toss-Up.
• On November 15, the second-place contestant has $27,300.
• On November 27:
  • The Round 2 puzzle MICHAEL DOUGLAS AND CATHERINE ZETA-JONES is categorized as Show Biz instead of Proper Names; interestingly, the puzzle airs only nine days after their marriage.
  • Contestant Mica wins Round 3 with only the $10,000 Prize and the Prize, an $8,995 Thunderbird motorcycle. He finishes in second place with the $19,995 total including the first Toss-Up.
  • All of the cardboard is removed from the Wheel by Round 4, as contestant Felicia picks up the Gift Tag and the other Prize.
  • Felicia asks to solve just as the Speed-Up bells sound, and is allowed to do so. After she solves, Pat initially says that they are going to play another round before consulting the staff, who tell him to wrap up the game and recap the scores instead, most likely because not enough time remained for even a shorter fifth round. As a result, this is the last known game not to end in a Speed-Up.

December 2000

• For a few weeks around this point, the background of the set changes before the Bonus Round.
• The week of December 11th is Wheel Across America, which is now moved from May to December.
• During the week of December 25, one of the bonus prizes is a "mystery prize" which is mentioned as being worth over $42,000.
• On December 25:
  • The Round 3 Prize is a Triumph Thunderbird motorcycle.
  • The second Toss-Up THE WINNER'S CIRCLE is second of only five known instances of a Toss-Up using more than two lines.
  • During the credits, each staff member appears on-screen at their credit. At the end, Charlie appears on-camera to wish viewers a happy holiday.

January 2001

• On an episode sometime this year, the bonus puzzle PIKACHU is both a tie for the longest known bonus puzzle without RSTLNE, and the last known instance of such a puzzle.
• January 1 is Las Vegas Week, taped in Culver City.
• On January 2, there is a Jackpot win.
• On January 4, the Bonus Round category and the letter choices are much smaller than usual.
• On January 5, the winning contestant (Julie) leaves with only $4,750. This is the lowest known total since both the retirement of the Friday Finals format and the introduction of Toss-Ups.
• All five Bonus Rounds are lost on the week of January 1.
• January 8 is French & Italian Riviera Week.
• On a French & Italian Riviera Week episode from the week of January 8:
  • No vowels are bought in Round 4.
  • Pat almost forgets to open the bonus envelope after the round is lost.

• On January 15:
  • The second Toss-Up, THE SUPER BOWL is third of only five known instances of a Toss-Up using more than two lines.
  • Round 5 (which begins as a Speed-Up) is the first known appearance of The 60's since Retro Week in 1999.
  • Contestant Frantz is credited with $1,200 instead of $1,450 in Round 4. This would suggest that a cycle of lost turns including an incorrect vowel was edited out.
  • The contestant displays do not turn off until after the first turn of Round 5.
  • 10 wrong letters are called during the Speed-Up, including 8 in a row.
  • The second place contestant has $20,250.

• On January 17:
  • There is a $9,750 Jackpot win.
  • Contestant Eric's display doesn't turn off until after the first turn of Round 5.
• On January 19:
  • There is a $7,700 Jackpot win.
  • Coincidentally, the bonus puzzle is JACKPOT.
• January 22 is NFL Players Week, taped at DAR Constitution Hall. This is the first time since the Olympics episodes in 1996 that a road show runs for more than two weeks, and it is the first time since then that episodes from the same venue do not air contiguously.

• January 29 is San Francisco Week, taped in Culver City.
• On January 29, Vanna wears a sleeveless shirt and pants.

February 2001

• February 5 is College Week, taped at DAR Constitution Hall.
• On February 5, contestant James solves the bonus puzzle GOPHER despite getting no help from his extra letters, after which Pat pretends to frisk him. This was seen in several retrospectives, although the "frisking" was cut out of the episode as aired.
• On February 6, for what is likely the first time, a Toss-Up is not solved. The correct answer is SHE ACED IT, and two contestants ring in with wrong answers with only the C missing.
• On February 9:
  • There a $12,650 Jackpot win.
  • The Round 3 puzzle WHY DON'T YOU SLEEP ON IT? is the first known use of a question mark outside Fill In the Blank.
  • The second Toss-Up, THE DELAWARE BAY, is fourth of only five known Toss-Ups to use more than two lines of the puzzle board. It is not known why this was done, as the answer could easily have fit on two.
  • Contestant David sets a main-game winnings record of $65,250 and wins $25,000 in the Bonus Round. His total of $90,250 is likely the highest winning total between the retirement of the Friday Finals format and the introduction of the Bonus Wheel.
  • David solves the bonus puzzle I'M SO HAPPY with only the I, M, and S revealed.
• The weeks of February 12 and 19 are taped outdoors, in front of the Hilton Hawaiian Village in Hawaii. February 12 is Family Week, and the week of February 19 has all Hawaiian contestants. During these weeks, Pat wears Hawaiian-themed short-sleeved shirts.
• Sometime during the week of February 12 (but not the 15 or 16):
  • After interviewing contestants Arnold and Edward, Pat asks Edward "What was that noise you made earlier?" then Edward asks, "Noise?" and looks behind himself; the cameras cut to Pat, who says "Good night everybody. Thank you for coming!" and pretends to walk off-set. This was seen in many retro clips.
  • In the post-game chat, Pat, Vanna, and contestants Arnold and Edward hula dance with the hula dancers.
• On February 20 or 23, after contestant Lourdes solves the Round 1 puzzle THE DREW CAREY SHOW, she hugs Pat excitedly and causes him to say "I just discovered the meaning of the aloha spirit". This was seen in several retrospectives.
• On February 26:
  • 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 Sarah, as evidenced by her score being off by $250 for the rest of the round. Pat references the cycle by telling contestant Rishi "That's more like it." after his first aired spin lands on $300.
  • Contestant Kathryn finishes in third place with $650, the last known three-digit score not counting those who receive the $500 house minimum in Seasons 20-22.

March 2001

• On March 4, Microsoft announces that it is pulling the WebTV interactive elements from Wheel and Jeopardy! due to a financial dispute with Sony.
• On March 5, a transparent Wheel of Fortune bug is added in the bottom left-hand corner of the screen, written in the same font as the two-row logo. It is seen during the intro, and whenever the contestant area or puzzle board is on-screen.
• March 12 is Fast Cars Week, also the theme of the season premiere week. This is the first known "regular" theme, other than Big Money and America's Game, to occur more than once in one season, the second not happening until Season 32.
• On March 14, Living Thing debuts.
• On March 21:
  • The Round 2 Prize is a Panasonic television and ShowStopper, the former of which displays the opening to a Hawaii episode from February 1999 when Charlie describes it.
  • Both Rounds 1 and 2 are completely filled in before being solved.
  • The 1997 puzzle-solve cue is accidentally used on both Toss-Ups.
• On March 22:
  • The 1997 puzzle-solve cue is accidentally used on the first Toss-Up, with the usual cue returning for the second.
  • Contestant Blythe's last spin in Round 1 lands on the orange $800, but only $550 is added to her score. The credits mention that a portion of the show had to be re-produced, so is possible that she actually landed on the adjacent $550 and the spin was reshot after the round, as Pat never announces the dollar amount during that turn. Her arrow is sitting on the green $500 after she solves, suggesting that more than one reshoot may have been done. The incorrect scoring does not affect the outcome.
• On March 30, nobody solves the second Toss-Up.

April 2001

• On April 2:
  • Vanna wears a sleeveless shirt and pants.
  • There is a $9,200 Jackpot win.
  • WHEEL OF FORTUNE is the second Toss-Up. After it is solved, Pat jokes that "we have officially run out of puzzles, apparently."
  • The first Toss-Up and Round 4 are Thing, while Round 1 and the Bonus Round are Phrase.
• On April 6, Living Thing makes its first known appearance in the Bonus Round.

• April 9 is the second and final Retro Week. Besides the presence of Toss-Ups, differences from the one in 1999 include:
  • There is no chant during the opening, as was the case prior to the first nighttime tapings in July 1983.
  • The opening uses the then-current theme.
  • The 1980s clip on at least the 13th is from between February and September 1984, and "Changing Keys" is poorly dubbed over: several seconds are audible after Pat's introduction, while the first note of the bridge is audible when Vanna is introduced (replaced by a slightly different version of the first Retro Week's opening cue).
  • The contestant video wall shows a set of unique backdrops, using the bases of the 1992-96 ones with the traditional logo on top. From Round 1 through the end of the game, the logos are replaced by illustrations of the 1992-96 design.
  • On at least April 13, Pat introduces the three "shopping" prizes.
  • On at least April 13, the classic clips shown before Round 3 use a cue that somewhat resembles the 1984-89 version of "Changing Keys".
• On April 13:
  • No vowels are bought in Round 1.
  • Greg hits the purple $600 next to $3,500 twice in a row in Round 3, but on both spins, the same shot of that wedge from another episode's Round 1 is dubbed in, as evidenced by $2,500 being visible.
  • Although a repeated S is called in Round 3, it is not acknowledged as such.
  • The second place contestant has $18,114.
  • The last segment includes a montage of Vanna's outfits.

• April 16 is the second Big Money Week of the season.
• April 23 is San Diego Week, taped in Culver City.
• On April 27, the Speed-Up puzzle FOUNTAIN AND BULL PEN is the first known instance of Same Name using AND since the end of Season 6.
• April 30 is Soap City Week. During this week:
  • For the first known time, the Bonus Round cars are not on-set during a Culver City episode.
  • Celebrities enter from a staircase at stage left.

May 2001

• On May 2:
  • Round 3 is a Before & After of FREE SPIN THE BOTTLE. It is solved by Adrienne Frantz and her teammate Anna, who incidentally use the Free Spin in that round.
  • Rounds 2 and 3 are are played entirely by the contestants who played them.
  • The Final Spin chimes sound after Michelle Stafford and her teammate Jenna call an R. They are allowed to finish their turn, and end up buying an E before Pat does the Final Spin.
  • The Final Spin bells sound twice in Round 4.
  • The right letter ding does not sound when the E is called in Round 4.
• The weeks of May 7 and 14 are taped at the Dallas Convention Center. During these weeks:
  • The 1997 Bonus Round cue is used whenever someone solves the puzzle, and the 2000 cue is used after Pat opens the bonus envelope.
  • The Round 2 Prize is placed on the $400 between $600 and $300.
• May 14 is Best Friends Week. During this week:
  • The post-Round 3 bumper includes a spinning version of the traditional logo; underneath, a star leaves a sparkling wipe to reveal the words "Dallas Week", then rotates to form an outline of Texas. On at least the 18th, this logo is done next to a shot of a cowboy riding a horse.
  • One Bonus Round prize is 1,000,000 Advantage Miles from American Airlines.
• On May 16:
  • The first Toss-Up LITTLE BOY BLUE is the fifth of only five known instances of a Toss-Up using more than two lines.
  • The second Bankrupt comes loose in Round 2 revealing part of the orange-yellow $300, but is fixed on the next spin.
  • No vowels are bought in Round 3.
• On May 18:
  • After Round 1, Pat slumps over the railing upon realizing that his pants zipper is open.
  • The Round 2 puzzle A FRIEND IN NEED IS A FRIEND INDEED is categorized as Phrase instead of Rhyme Time, possibly because Round 4 is also Rhyme Time.
  • Pat mentions before the second Toss-Up that it is the 3,500th episode.
• On May 29 (taped April 19), one round has a Star & Role puzzle of ROBERT BLAKE AS BARETTA. Between the episode's taping and airing, Blake is accused of shooting his wife. After the round is solved, a clip is dubbed in of Pat explaining the situation.
• On May 31, after contestant Lou wins Round 1, Pat notices that he and Lou are wearing the same outfit, a moment which has been seen in several retrospectives.

June 2001

• On June 1:
  • Two males play.
  • Vanna wears a sleeveless top and pants.
  • The bonus puzzle is a redundant answer of BABY CRIB.