Wheel of Fortune timeline (syndicated)/Season 19

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A timeline for Season 19 of Wheel of Fortune, which aired in first-run from September 3, 2001 through May 31, 2002.

Season Changes

• The opening still shows flashbacks, but the graphics surrounding the clip are changed, and they now appear just before a golden version of the two-row logo appears. Until about January, a clip of contestant Gretchen (from February 17, 2000) jumping up and down is briefly visible just before the logo appears. The Wheel graphic used is the Speed-Up template, and the logo and graphic are accompanied with searchlights on a starry light blue background. Each word in the logo appears as said during the chant, and after "Fortune!", the logo zooms into the Wheel's center to cut to the studio.
• Charlie's intro is changed to "Ladies and gentlemen, Pat Sajak and Vanna White!"
• The electronic $25,000 envelope is retired.
• Multiple changes are made to the Toss-Ups:
  • There are now three Toss-Ups. The first, still valued at $1,000, now determines only who is interviewed first. A Toss-Up worth $2,000 is added before Round 1 to determine who starts that round, and the one before Round 4 is upgraded to $3,000. If the first one is not solved, then the red contestant is interviewed first; if the second one is not solved, then the red contestant starts Round 1; if the third one is not solved, then the contestant who started Round 1 also starts Round 4.
  • Toss-Ups are now split-screened in the same fashion as Speed-Up rounds, allowing home viewers to see who has rung in. The scoreboard of the contestant who rang in now lights up; it is not known if this was the case in Season 18.
  • The wipe changes to a purple disc with "Toss-Up" written on it in Helvetica Condensed, with "TOSS" written both right-side-up and upside-down on the edges.
• The category strips are changed to white letters in Kabel Bold on a purple, rectangular background which fades at the ends. The "rolling Wheel" effect is replaced with a white "burst" effect, and the letters themselves zoom out into place, one letter at a time.
• For this season only, the Prize wipe usually appears on the center stage monitor. However, some episodes still use the late-Season 18 wipe.
• Gill Sans is reinstated as a font for the prize values and post-Bonus Round totals, but this time, it appears in its regular version instead of the bold version that had been used for both purposes in Seasons 10-12 and for the values of certain prizes in Season 18; also, the text is now accompanied by a cyan light background. The prize values have white outlines and use a variety of colors, such as red or silver, while the post-Bonus Round totals are white. This remains through Season 21.
• The Jackpot Round now has an opening wipe. The first one features a red semicircle with a gold border and the gold "JACKPOT" name in Helvetica Condensed, accompanied by a gold-bordered red rectangle with five gold dollar signs on it. The "JACKPOT" name and dollar signs zoom out onto their respective shapes as these zoom into the screen, and then the entire graphic tilts to the left to reveal the Jackpot sponsor's plug.
• The Jackpot wedge no longer has the sponsor's logo on it. Instead, the sponsor's logo is shown above the Jackpot total. Additionally, the Jackpot display has its size decreased, and the amount is switched to Impact, which remains in use through Season 22.
• The numbers for the $25,000 graphic are changed to a white 3-D form of Helvetica Condensed and spin into place. While they spin into place, a blue background appears.
• Road shows now last for three weeks instead of two.
• Pat's wardrobe provider is removed from the closing credits.
• Culver City tapings begin to last for six episodes instead of five. Typically, the Monday-Friday episodes of a given week are taped first, with the sixth episodes of each session being compiled into new weeks throughout the season.
• This season's Toss-Up wipes, Jackpot graphics, and $25,000 graphic carry over into Season 20.
• For most of this season, at least one letter reveal in Round 1 is shot with either a bird's-eye view or a pan from the contestant area to the puzzle board, as opposed to the usual practice of a cut between cameras. While the bird's-eye views are retired by the end of September, the pans are used sporadically for the rest of the season.
• From this point onward, the show largely stops offering anything other than cars or cash in the Bonus Round.
• The "only vowels remain" beeps usually sound immediately if the last consonant is called in the Speed-Up.
• From now until Season 26, the trend of mostly using Thing or Phrase in the Bonus Round becomes much less common than in prior seasons.

September 2001

• For the first few weeks of the season, one of the consolation prizes is cleaning products from Libman. This is represented by a cutout of a maid holding cleaning products and a bundle of dollar bills, previously used to represent a Prize from Libman on January 21, 1999.
• September 3 is Desert Southwest Week. During this week, the zig-zag shaped PHOENIX ARIZONA signs from the Arizona episodes in February 1997 are used to frame the video screen, although the letters are absent.
• From September 3-10, Charlie promotes American Airlines before the $3,000 Toss-Up. As he does, the footage of Vanna modeling from inside a Volkswagen New Beetle (from the Dallas episode airing May 17, 2001) is reused.
• On September 3:
  • Pat forgets to say the category for the $1,000 Toss-Up until just before it is solved.
  • This is a rare instance of a contestant losing their turn with only vowels remaining; with the only the A and E's missing from the Round 3 puzzle IF I KNEW THEN WHAT I KNOW NOW, contestant Marva gives a wrong answer.
  • Pat accidentally says that the category for the Speed-Up is Rhyme Time (the category of the $3,000 Toss-Up), but Marva corrects him.
  • There is a very rare instance of a contestant solving the Speed-Up puzzle without any money.
  • Contestant Brian wins by $100.
  • The contents of the W-H-E-E-L envelopes change to three cars and two $25,000 envelopes, with all five remaining in play all week.
• On September 4:
  • Contestant Billy spins over the Final Spin bells. He is allowed to complete his turn, after which Pat does the Final Spin.
  • Round 4 goes to Speed-Up with only one consonant remaining (the H's in SHENANDOAH RIVER).
• On September 5:
  • The $1,000 Toss-Up BY APPOINTMENT ONLY uses the second through fourth rows of the puzzle board, even though it could fit on the second and third. As a result, it is the only Toss-Up answer to use the bottom row, and the shot of the puzzle board is zoomed out further than usual.
  • The camera showing the contestant area during the $1,000 Toss-Up is zoomed in too close until just before contestant Brian rings in. After this, the shot cuts to a full view of him ringing in before returning to the split-screen.
• On September 6:
  • The $1,000 and $2,000 Toss-Ups are Phrase.
  • Pat does not notice the Speed-Up bells in Round 4 until contestant Chris asks to spin, at which point they sound a second time.
  • Chris solves the bonus puzzle JAWS despite getting no help from her extra letters.
• On September 7:
  • Round 2's Where Are We? puzzle uses three clues.
  • The $3,000 Toss-Up and Bonus Round are Around the House.
• September 10 is Orient Escape Week.
• On September 10, Round 1 and the Bonus Round are Living Thing, the first duplication of this category.
• Between September 11-14, many markets air Wheel and Jeopardy! in early-morning hours (or not at all) due to continuous coverage of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. None of the affected episodes are known to have been rerun during Summer 2002 or the 2002-03 weekend feed, although all contestants on both shows did receive their winnings. The Jeopardy! episodes were eventually rerun by September 17, 2001 on ABC affiliate WJLA in Washington, D.C., and later nationwide on GSN in 2005. The September 11-13 episodes of Wheel are known to have aired on WJLA consecutively on the night of Saturday, September 15 from 11:30 PM-1:00 AM, although other programming was listed (the September 14 episode was not affected in this market). It is also believed that the episodes were shown on MediaCorp Channel 5 in Singapore, a station known to have aired at least some Season 19 episodes well after their American airdates. These episodes, along with the weekend repeat from September 15 (from Season 18's Endless Summer week) and many other TV shows originally to have aired on these days, are also preserved at archive.org.
• On September 12:
  • Round 5 (CAT TREATS) is shorter than ten letters.
  • Contestant Elizabeth solves the bonus puzzle GIVE ME A HUG before the timer can start.
• On September 13, Round 5 (SYNAGOGUE) is shorter than ten letters.
• On September 14:
  • Vanna wears a suit.
  • Rhyme Time makes its third of nine appearances in the Bonus Round.
  • Contestant Frank accidentally calls L in the Bonus Round, but Pat does not acknowledge this or ask for another consonant until after he calls his vowel. After this, an offstage voice can be heard asking for him to confirm his letter choices.
• September 17 is San Francisco Salute. During this week, Pat, Vanna, and Charlie promote the upcoming Italian Festival Sweepstakes before Round 3.
• On September 17:
  • Once again, Vanna wears a suit.
  • Contestant Amy fills in the entire Round 2 puzzle MARTIN SHEEN AS PRESIDENT BARTLET by herself.
  • A bumper is introduced before the $3,000 Toss-Up, featuring Pat and Vanna on a set designed to resemble a living room, with Pat on a couch and Vanna in an armchair. Pat says, "A lot of people think that hosting a show like Wheel of Fortune is nothing but fun and games" while footage of January 1999 contestants appears in a gray circle. The shot then cuts back to Vanna as she says, "It's a tough job but someone's gotta do it". A purple swirl effect reveals the Season 17 opening logo and a brass sting sounds, after which a white spark wipes to Pat introducing the $3,000 Toss-Up.
  • Round 5 (TOY CHEST) is shorter than ten letters.
• On September 18:
  • The $1,000 Toss-Up CREATING A WEB SITE is misspelled ("website" should be one word).
  • The Round 2 Prize is $2,500 credit to ticketsnow.com.
  • The bonus puzzle THAI FOOD uses only one line.
• On September 17 and 18, for the first of only two times under the W-H-E-E-L envelope rules, the same Bonus Round Prize other than the $25,000 (a Toyota 4Runner) is won twice in the same week.
• On September 19:
  • Vanna wears a suit.
  • Round 4 (GARBAGE CAN YOU FORGIVE ME?) is the longest puzzle and the only Before & After to use a question mark.
  • Round 3 and the Bonus Round are Around the House.
• On September 20:
  • During the interviews, Pat mentions that contestant Tammie is from Vanna's hometown of Myrtle Beach and asks Vanna if she has heard of that town. She can be heard shouting "yes" in response.
  • The Round 2 Prize is $3,000 credit to Macy's.
  • The shot of the contestant area between the Round 2 Prize copy and puzzle reveal appears to be a reshoot, as the Round 3 template (with $10,000 and the Round 3 Prize) is visible.
  • Contestant Erin elides the T when solving the Round 4 puzzle CRYSTAL CANDLEHOLDERS but is still credited with a correct response. As this error causes Erin to win, contestant Tammie is brought back in Season 20.
  • Proper Name appears in the Bonus Round for the first time since Season 14.
  • Erin solves the bonus puzzle GARTH BROOKS before the timer can start.
  • The $1,000 Toss-Up and the Bonus Round are Proper Name.
  • During the post-game chat, Vanna shows one of the sheets she uses to study each puzzle answer.
• On September 21:
  • A shot of contestant Leroy solving the $2,000 Toss-Up SHOUT IT OUT later appears on the ceremonial 4,000th episode.
  • Round 2 is the only Where Are We? puzzle to use two clues (NEW ENGLAND GREEN MOUNTAIN STATE {Vermont}).
  • The Round 3 Prize is a Mercury Water Mouse boat.
• September 24 is the Italian Festival Sweepstakes, sponsored by Ragú spaghetti sauce and Wish-Bone salad dressing. During this week:
  • Home viewers may submit at least three of this week's bonus puzzles via postcard, an entry form in September 23's newspaper, or a form on the show's website. Prizes include a top prize of $100,000 cash, ten trips to the then-upcoming Wheel tapings in Las Vegas, and 100 instances of $10,000 in groceries.
  • There is a cold open in which Pat and Vanna promote the theme from a graphic of a kitchen while a rendition of "Funiculì, Funiculà" plays on an accordion. A second promo also featuring Charlie airs before Round 3.
  • The Jackpot Round is sponsored by Wish-Bone.
  • The Round 2 Prize is a trip to Italy provided by italiatour!
  • The Round 3 Prize is $5,000 in groceries courtesy of Ragú.
• On September 24:
  • There is a rare instance of a "bonus" category (Next Line Please) in Round 1. After solving the puzzle (TWINKLE TWINKLE LITTLE STAR), contestant Chad gives a guess of "how I wonder where you are" instead of "how I wonder what you are" when asked to provide the next line. Although this is initially ruled incorrect, Pat states before the $3,000 Toss-Up that since the line "how I wonder where you are" occurs in the song "Little Star" by The Elegants, Chad will be credited with the $3,000. This is only the second known instance of a "bonus" question response being overturned.
  • Rounds 1 and 3 are played entirely by the contestants who began them.
  • The Round 2 and 3 Prizes are still on the Wheel when Round 4 begins as a Speed-Up.
  • Contestant Rebecca only spins twice in the entire game.
  • Chad picks C H A D in the Bonus Round.
  • The $1,000 Toss-Up and the Bonus Round are Around the House.
• On September 25:
  • Vanna wears a sleeveless top and pants.
  • The yellow contestant is referred to as Charlie P., which is also on his name tag. This is the only known instance of a contestant having an initial on their name tag.
  • There is an unclaimed Jackpot of $21,050.
  • There is a rare instance of a contestant losing their turn in the Speed-Up with only vowels remaining.
  • Round 3 and the Bonus Round are On the Map.
• On September 27:
  • Vanna wears a suit.
  • The $1,000 Toss-Up THE LINCOLN CENTER is a rare instance of an incomplete answer (the building is known as the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts).
  • One contestant (David) wins all three Toss-Ups, and another (Laura) wins all other rounds.
  • Contestant Laura solves the bonus puzzle PHOENIX before the timer can start.
• On September 28, during the post-game chat, Pat and Vanna sit at a table and eat, while Vanna acknowledges Meals on Wheels receiving $15,000 courtesy of Wish-Bone and Ragú.

October 2001

• October 1 is South of the Border Week. During this week, the Round 3 Prize is a trip to Mexico.
• On October 1:
  • The Round 2 Prize is $2,500 credit to Maui Jim.
  • Round 4 (MELLOW YELLOW) has none of the five main consonants.
  • Round 4 goes to Speed-Up with only one consonant remaining after contestant Phill gives a wrong answer (the M in the above puzzle).
  • There is a bumper after the Speed-Up featuring Vanna and Charlie promoting a newly added section of wheeloffortune.com which offers home viewers information on how to become a contestant. Vanna reads her portion of the copy in front of the puzzle board as it displays WHEELOFFORTUNE.COM center-aligned, while Charlie reads his portion over footage of the website.
  • The category chime accidentally sounds in the Bonus Round.
  • The bonus puzzle HOOK IT UP uses only one line.
  • During the post-game chat, Pat reads an article from a North Myrtle Beach newspaper about Vanna's 6th birthday party.
• October 2:
  • During contestant Harry's interview, he refers to himself as a stripper before clarifying that he strips and refinishes furniture. A clip of this was seen in the ceremonial 4,000th episode.
  • The "only vowels remain" beeps fail to sound in Round 1.
  • The Round 2 Prize is a shopping spree at Mall of America.
  • The category chime accidentally sounds in the Bonus Round.
• October 3:
  • Pat forgets to ask contestant Raul if he wants to use his Free Spin in Round 3 after Raul hits Bankrupt and Pat takes his prize away.
  • The $3,000 Toss-Up A BACK-UP PLAN is improperly hyphenated.
• On October 4:
  • In Round 1, the "only vowels remain" beeps fail to sound until after contestant Michele starts to solve.
  • There is a $6,600 Jackpot win.
  • No vowels are bought in Round 5.
  • Six rounds are played.
  • The second Bankrupt and Prizes are removed as Round 6 goes right into a Speed-Up Round.
  • Rounds 5 and 6 are Thing, while Round 2 and the Bonus Round are Phrase.
  • The letters provided by the three more consonants and a vowel in the Bonus Round reveal much more slowly than usual.
• On October 5:
  • Rounds 3 and 4 both have rare instances of contestants losing their turns with only vowels remaining. Contestant Debbie gives a wrong answer to the Round 3 puzzle DAVID DUCHOVNY & TEA LEONI with only the U missing, while Kristin gives a wrong answer to the Round 4 puzzle BULL PEN AND PENCIL SET also with only the U missing.
  • The Round 4 puzzle is also misspelled, as "bullpen" is one word.
  • Also in Round 4, contestant Derrick gives the same wrong answer on two consecutive turns.
  • For the last time, Staples is listed as "the official office superstore of Wheel of Fortune" during the credits.
• October 8 is Safari Adventures Week.
• On October 8:
  • Contestant Ola begins to call A after a spin in Round 4, but quickly corrects it to H. Against precedent, Pat ignores the A and tells her to call a consonant; she sticks with H, which is not in the puzzle.
  • Although a repeated H is called in Round 4, it is not acknowledged as such.
  • After Ola calls the last consonant in the Speed-Up puzzle DRY ERASE BOARD, no acknowledgement is made that only vowels remain until after contestants Joe and Corine continue to call consonants, after which John Lauderdale can be heard saying "Only vowels, vowels only". Pat asks if they must credit Corine with the incorrect consonant, which they do. Ola then calls O but does not solve, after which Joe calls E and solves for $0. This is also the only time this season that the "only vowels remain" beeps do not sound in the Speed-Up.
  • While neither Ola's incorrectly-accepted H nor Corine's accepted vowel call affects the outcome, Corine is brought back in March.
  • After Joe solves, Pat does not acknowledge the house minimum and announces his final total as $500 less than what his scoreboard reads. He corrects himself before the Bonus Round.
  • Ola solves the bonus puzzle PRAIRIE before the timer can start.
• On October 9:
  • According to a comment on this Wiki, the original Round 2 (A FRIEND IN NEED IS A FRIEND INDEED) is thrown out due to Pat accidentally accepting a wrong answer; this recollection is likely misdated, as the same puzzle was used less than five months earlier on May 18.
  • After contestant Sara solves Round 3, Pat exclaims "No more caffeine before the show!" This clip appears on the ceremonial 4,000th episode.
• On October 10:
  • The Round 1 puzzle AM/FM SHOWER RADIO is the second of only four uses of a slash.
  • The Round 2 Prize is $2,500 credit to Banana Republic.
  • Pat forgets to take away contestant Jannice's Gift Tag after Round 1. This is corrected before the start of Round 2.
  • Round 3 is a Before & After of A WHEEL OF FORTUNE FAN BELT.
  • The $1,000 Toss-Up and the Bonus Round are Event.
• On October 11:
  • The Round 3 Prize is a Thunderbird motorcycle.
  • No vowels are bought in Round 4.
  • An overhead shot of one of contestant Laura's spins in Round 5 is dubbed in from another episode, as it shows the red $600 even though she actually landed on the purple one next to the Bankrupt.
  • Round 5 (BETTY BOOP) is shorter than ten letters.
  • Six rounds are played.
  • The second Bankrupt and Prizes are removed as Round 6 goes right into a Speed-Up Round.
  • The $2,000 Toss-Up is Thing, and Round 6 is Things.
  • Twelve wrong letters are called in the Speed-Up.
  • Contestant Harriet solves the bonus puzzle FLY-FISHING before the timer can start.
• On October 8 and 11, for only the third and last time under the W-H-E-E-L envelope rules, the $25,000 is won more than once in a week.
• On October 12:
  • The Round 2 Prize is $2,500 credit to Clava.
  • Contestant Arnold high-fives Pat after he hits $5,000 in the Speed-Up.
  • Contestant Ray solves the bonus puzzle POTPOURRI before the timer can start.
  • Ray's guests are shown on camera before Pat opens the envelope.
  • During the post-game chat, Pat shows Vanna how much money was given away during the week on his cue card.
• On October 9, 10 and 12, for the only time under the W-H-E-E-L envelope rules, the same Bonus Round Prize is won three times in the same week (a Land Rover).
• All five Bonus Rounds are won on the week of October 8.
• October 15 (Wheel Around the World) is the first week of sixth episodes. During this week, there is a bumper hinting at the then-upcoming addition of the $100,000 Bonus Round prize. The phrase 100,000 REASONS TO WATCH WHEEL appears on screen in the style of the puzzle board, with several letters filling in individually as the "ding" sounds and the opening theme plays underneath. Once this phrase is filled in, the shot cuts to the traditional logo and the text "starting October 22" on a blue background as the "Wheel! Of! Fortune!" chant and a timpani roll are heard. This bumper appears after the Speed-Up on October 15, 17, and 19, and after Round 2 on October 16 and 18.
• On October 15:
  • There is a rare instance of a "bonus" category (Slogan) in Round 1.
  • The category strip disappears near the end of Round 1.
  • In reference to the Slogan puzzle RELAX GO NUTS (Planters), Pat and Vanna eat some Planters peanuts during the post-game chat.
• On October 16:
  • Contestant Melissa calls an O after spinning the Wheel in Round 2. An offstage voice can be heard telling Pat she must call a consonant, after which she calls an incorrect W.
  • Round 1 and the Bonus Round are Event.
  • In reference to the Round 4 puzzle GERMAN POTATO SALAD, Pat and Vanna look at a recipe for one during the post-game chat.
• On October 17:
  • The Round 2 Prize is a Dragster motor scooter.
  • As it is the sixth episode of Italian Festival Week, the background of the Round 2 Prize resembles the Italian flag and the Round 3 Prize is a trip to Italy.
  • In Round 3, contestant Chris accidentally asks to buy an H. Against precedent, this is disregarded and he is allowed to buy a vowel.
  • The "couch" bumper before the $3,000 Toss-Up is not done.
  • No vowels are bought in Round 4.
• On October 18:
  • Vanna wears a suit.
  • The shot of contestant Joel hitting Bankrupt in Round 4 appears to be in edited in, as the $2,500 wedge is visible.
  • The Round 3 Prize comes loose as Pat does the Final Spin.
  • Round 4 goes to Speed-Up with only one consonant remaining (the C in COLORADO SPRINGS).
  • Contestant Tobriah's guests run up on stage before Pat opens the envelope.
• On October 19:
  • Round 1 and 3 are played entirely by the contestants who began them.
  • The $3,000 Toss-Up and the Bonus Round are On the Map.
  • The Round 4 puzzle HAND-HELD VACUUM is improperly hyphenated.
  • The Round 5 puzzle TICKETBUYERS is misspelled (it should be two words).
  • The W-H-E-E-L envelope holder is used for the last time.
• October 22 is Big Money. During this week, there is a cold open. A graphic of a bank vault opens while dollar bills fly around, revealing Pat and Vanna on a green, white, and blue circular background with dollar bills and stars circling around them. Pat says "It's Big Money Week..." and Vanna continues "...and we've got something really big in the new Bonus Round." Pat then says "$100,000 in cash" while a graphic of that amount appears underneath him, and Vanna finishes with "Now that's big money. Starting right now!"
• On October 22:
  • The "couch" bumper before the $3,000 Toss-Up is retired.
  • The Round 2 prize is a $2,500 Blockbuster gift certificate.
  • The Round 3 puzzle EBERT & ROEPER AND THE MOVIES is the second of only two known puzzles to have both the word AND and an ampersand. This is also the only known instance of a puzzle becoming outdated between taping and airing, as the show in question was renamed Ebert & Roeper in September.
  • The category strip disappears after the second turn of Round 4 and does not reappear until after the round goes to Speed-Up.
  • The Final Spin bells sound twice in Round 4.
  • The $3,000 Toss-Up and Bonus Round are On the Map.

    

  • The W-H-E-E-L envelopes are replaced with a 24-space Bonus Wheel. Its wedges originally spell out "WIN $100,000 CASH BONUS", with a blue space after "WIN", an orange space after "$100,000", a green space after "CASH", and a red space after "BONUS". The original envelope distribution consists of twelve car envelopes (four per car if three are offered; six per car if two are offered), eleven $25,000 envelopes, and one $100,000 envelope. The traditional logo (with colors on its "wedges") is on the center, which itself does not spin. A special piece of music plays whenever the Wheel is spun. The first prize landed on, a Honda Accord, is not won. The $100,000 envelope was under the A in CASH on this episode.
    • As with the W-H-E-E-L envelopes, Charlie announces one of several rotating lines whenever the cash prizes are won; he also begins drawing out the word "thousand".
    • The original pre-commercial Bonus Round spiel is "The Wheel of Fortune $100,000 Bonus Round is coming up next! Stay tuned." The first Bonus Wheel animation graphic is introduced, set on a blue background.
    • For at least the first week, Pat reveals the location of the $100,000 envelope.
    • The $100,000 envelope has a modern Wheel of Fortune logo on the top.
  • In the final segment, Vanna spins the Bonus Wheel and lands on the comma, whose envelope contains $25,000.
• October 23:
  • After the Round 2 puzzle MEL BROOKS AND ANNE BANCROFT, Pat asks researcher Cheryl Jacobs how long they have been married. She can clearly be heard saying "almost 40 years."
  • The Round 3 Prize is a $10,000 billiards table.
  • No vowels are bought in Round 5.
  • Round 5 (HONG KONG) is shorter than ten letters, has only one vowel and is also categorized as Rhyme Time instead of On the Map.
• October 24:
  • Round 1 (MRS. FIELDS) is shorter than ten letters.
  • The Round 2 Prize is a trip to Las Vegas and collection of DVDs including Honeymoon in Vegas, a trailer of which is then shown.
  • The Round 3 Prize is a $3,000 Greenleaf & Crosby shopping spree.
  • Round 2 and 3 are played entirely by the contestants who began them.
  • After the Speed-Up, Vanna and Charlie promote the "I want to be a contestant" section of wheeloffortune.com. Unlike the previous use of the plug, the website URL is not shown on the puzzle board.
  • The bonus puzzle THE FAIRWAY has a redundant THE at the beginning.
• On October 25:
  • The Round 2 Prize is a $3,000 gift certificate for The Franklin Mint.
  • The Round 4 puzzle BAZOOKA JOE has none of the five most common consonants.
  • The camera shot is much lower than usual when the J is revealed in the above puzzle.
  • The "only vowels remain" beeps fail to sound in Round 4.
  • The Round 5 puzzle is already on the puzzle board when it is revealed.
• On October 26:
  • The Round 3 Prize is $5,000 credit to Neiman Marcus which is modeled by Vanna.
  • Contestant Jeremy jokingly pins his name tag over contestant Kim's during the score recaps after Round 3.
  • Contestant Carole solves the bonus puzzle PENGUIN before the timer can start.
  • Carole's guests are shown on camera before Pat opens the envelope.
• October 29 is Halloween Week. During this week, a picture of a jack-o'-lantern is projected onto the center of the wheel.
• On October 29:
  • Coincidentally given the upcoming road shows, the Round 2 Prize is a trip to Miami.
  • The Round 3 Prize is a trip to North Carolina and collection of DVDs including Hannibal, a trailer of which is then shown.
  • The following changes are made to the Bonus Wheel:
    • The Bonus Wheel is altered to replace the traditional logo with a larger domed light, and the red wedge between "BONUS" and "WIN" becomes purple.

      

    • The music for the Bonus Round timer is modified.
    • Pat no longer reveals the location of the $100,000 envelope.
• On October 30:
  • There is a rare instance of a "bonus" category (Next Line Please) being used in Round 1. The puzzle PETER PETER PUMPKIN-EATER ("Had a wife and couldn't keep her") is also improperly hyphenated.
  • No vowels are bought in Round 1.
  • The Round 2 Prize is $3,500 credit to Macy's.
  • Contestant Larry finishes in third place with $600, the last three-digit total not counting those who receive the $500 house minimum in Seasons 20-22.
  • There are two set of duplicate categories: the $2,000 Toss-Up is Things, while Round 4 is Thing and the $3,000 Toss-Up and the Bonus Round are Phrase.
• On October 31:
  • There is a rare instance of a "bonus" category (Slogan) being used in Round 1.
  • No vowels are bought in Round 4.
  • Round 4 and the Bonus Round are Fictional Character.

November 2001

• On November 1:
  • The Round 1 puzzle DEBRA MESSING AS TV'S GRACE is one of only three known instances of Star & Role using a descriptive term.
  • The score displays accidentally turn off briefly during the score recap after Round 2.
  • Coincidentally given the upcoming road shows, the Round 3 Prize is a trip to the Miami Film Festival.
  • During the post-game chat, Pat shows off a 24-hour watch he got from the Soviet Union before it collapsed.
• On November 2:
  • Vanna wears a sleeveless top and pants.
  • The $2,000 Toss-Up is a factually incorrect answer of THE TETON MOUNTAINS (they are called the Teton Range).
  • The Round 2 Prize is a Philips home entertainment package and a DVD of Shrek, a trailer of which is then shown.
  • Contestant Shane gives a wrong answer of MUSTARD-FILLED CHOCOLATE ECLAIR on the Round 2 puzzle CUSTARD-FILLED CHOCOLATE ECLAIR. This clip has been shown in many retrospectives and blooper specials.
  • Round 4 (ABRACADABRA) is a very rare instance of a one-word Rhyme Time and has only one vowel.
  • Round 4 goes to Speed-Up with only one consonant remaining (the B's in the above puzzle).
  • No vowels are bought in Round 4.
• All five Bonus Rounds are lost on the week of October 29, part of a six-day streak through to November 5th.
• For the weeks of November 5-26, the combined winnings of each episode are matched and donated to charity for the World Trade Center relief.
• The weeks of November 5-19 are taped at the James L. Knight Center in Miami on September 11 and 12. November 12 is Cruise Week, and November 19 is Family Week. During these weeks:
  • Because of 9/11, Charlie is unable to fly to Miami, so his announcing is added in post-production. Contestant coordinator Gary O'Brien handles audience warm-ups.
  • There is a frame around the center-stage video wall which spells out "MIAMI", with the wall itself serving as the bottom of the A.
  • The floor is blue.
  • There is a cold open with Vanna digitally inserted against a graphic. On Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, she says "Welcome to Miami!" against a black background with the words "Miami" in several fonts and colors; on Tuesday and Thursday, she says "Havin' a ball in Miami!" against pictures of palm trees.
  • A unique piece of Latin-sounding trumpet music plays during the intro.
  • Also at this point, Pat starts wearing an American flag lapel pin on his jacket; this lasts until the end of Season 24.
  • Vanna and Lesly do some of the Prize modeling and bumpers.
• On November 5:
  • Vanna wears a shirt and pants.
  • The wide shot of the first spin in Round 1 is obviously a reshoot done at the start of Round 2, as the Jackpot wedge, Prize, and $3,500 are all visible.
  • The Round 2 Prize is a Vespa scooter.
  • After contestant Marie lands on the $400 between the $550 and the pink $300, that amount is not added to the Jackpot.
  • The yellow arrow flashes throughout the Bonus Round.
• On November 6:
  • The camera zooms in too far during the $1,000 Toss-Up.
  • The Round 2 Prize is a $3,000 shopping spree at Bayside Marketplace in Miami.
  • There is an $8,400 Jackpot win.
  • After contestant Les wins the Jackpot, Pat climbs on top of the Wheel frame and remains there until the commercial break.
  • Before Round 3, Vanna does a bumper from downtown Miami.
  • Nobody solves the $3,000 Toss-Up A DOUBLE DATE.
  • The second Bankrupt and Prizes are still on the Wheel despite Round 4 starting as a Speed-Up.
  • Sergeant Mike Bryant of the Miami Police is shown on camera before the Bonus Round.
  • Les solves the bonus puzzle CHICKEN WINGS before Vanna can finish revealing his letters. The board does not display the full answer or flash until after she finishes doing so, and the first I lights up noticeably later than the rest of the letters. As Les runs out of the contestant window shot to hug Vanna at the board, the window cuts to his mother's reaction from the audience.
  • Round 2 is Thing, while the $2,000 Toss-Up and the Bonus Round are Things.
  • Pat and Vanna do not sign off.
• On November 7:
  • Contestant Julianne is picked from the audience.
  • There is a rare instance of a "bonus" category (Fill In the Number) being used in Round 1.
  • The Round 2 Prize is a $2,500 BrandsMart U.S.A. shopping spree.
  • The $3,000 Toss-Up A BIG WIG is misspelled ("bigwig" should be only one word).
  • Round 4 (DISCO DUCK) is shorter than ten letters.
  • During the post-chat, clips of South Beach are shown.
• On November 8:
  • Comic book writer Barry Dutter is a contestant.
  • The Round 3 Prize is a GEM golf cart.
  • Against normal practice, the buzzer sounds on a wrong letter in the Speed-Up.
• On November 9:
  • During her interview, contestant Alina holds up a plush mosquito (the mascot of the school at which she teaches).
  • The close-up shot shows the Round 2 Prize on the yellow $400 near the Lose a Turn.
  • All three contestants hit Bankrupt consecutively in Round 2.
  • Before Round 3, Vanna does a bumper driving in Miami.
  • The Round 3 Before & After puzzle THE LION KING AND I is one of only two known instances of a word being omitted to make a Before & After puzzle work (in this case, "the" from The King and I).
  • The $2,000 Toss-Up and the Bonus Round are Thing, while Round 2 is Things.
  • During the post-chat, clips of South Beach are shown.
• November 12 is Cruise Week. During this week:
  • There is a cold open:
    • Monday, Wednesday, and Friday: Vanna stands next to the cruise ship Grand Princess and says, "I'm next to Grand Princess. It's Cruise Week on Wheel of Fortune!"
    • Tuesday and Thursday: Vanna stands on a balcony at Atlantis Paradise Island and says, "I'm in Atlantis Paradise Island resort in the Bahamas, and it's Cruise Week on Wheel of Fortune!"
  • The Round 3 Prize is a cruise (except on Monday, where it is the Round 2 Prize instead).
  • Vanna does a bumper after Round 3: from the deck of Grand Princess on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, from Nassau on Tuesday and an unknown ship on Thursday.
  • The Bonus Round window in the shape of a life preserver.
• On November 12, the Round 2 Before & After puzzle CANNED PEACHES-AND-CREAM COMPLEXION is improperly hyphenated.
• On November 13:
  • The Round 2 Prize is $2,500 credit to BrandsMart U.S.A.
  • There is an $8,500 Jackpot win.
• On November 14:
  • Contestant Henry's arrow flashes after Round 3 and before the $3,000 Toss-Up.
  • Round 3 is Living Things, while the Bonus Round is Living Thing.
  • Contestant Hope loses the Bonus Round and misses the $100,000 by only one envelope.
  • During the post-game chat, clips of Vanna onboard the Grand Princess ship are shown.
• On November 15:
  • The Round 1 puzzle WEB SITE DESIGNER is misspelled ("website" should be one word).
  • The Round 2 Prize is $2,500 credit to Bed Bath & Beyond.
  • The Round 3 Prize is a $13,600 Mediterranean cruise.
  • Before the $3,000 Toss-Up, Pat states that he may have misstated contestant John's Round 3 total of $2,200, even though he did not. In response to this, Pat picks up a cell phone and pretends to call the control room.
  • During the post-game chat, clips of Vanna visiting the Bahamas are shown.
• On November 16:
  • Contestants Ellen and Mikalia are picked from the audience.
  • The Round 2 Prize is $3,000 credit to RAVE Sports.
  • Against normal practice, the buzzer sounds on a wrong answer in Round 2.
• November 19 is Family Week. During this week, the wipe for the Bonus Round contestant window is a graphic of an alligator opening and closing its mouth.
• On November 19:
  • There is a rare instance of a "bonus" category (Who Said It?) being used in Round 1.
  • Rounds 1 and 3 are played entirely by the teams who began them.
  • The Round 3 Prize is a $13,164 trip to Hakai, British Columbia, Canada.
  • No vowels are bought in Round 5.
• On November 20:
  • The Round 2 Prize is a $6,000 shopping spree at Bal Harbour Shops in Miami.
  • Contestant Joseph and Jason's score display does not light up after they pick their first letter in Round 2.
  • Before Round 3, Vanna does a bumper driving in Miami.
  • The Round 3 Prize is an $11,976 trip to Cancún, Mexico.
  • Contestants Mercedes and Rosie solve the bonus puzzle BLABBERMOUTH before the timer can start.
• On November 21:
  • There are two contestants named Eric, but on different teams.
  • No vowels are bought in Round 1.
  • Round 1 (MR. BILL) is shorter than ten letters and has only one vowel.
  • Before Round 3, Vanna does a bumper driving in Miami.
  • The Round 3 Prize is a $10,060 golf package.
  • Contestants Eric and Marjorie solve the bonus puzzle BANK VAULT before the timer can start.
• On November 22:
  • Contestant Nick's name tag falls off in the beginning of the show. Pat retrieves during the contestant interviews.
  • The Round 2 Prize is $5,000 credit to BrandsMart U.S.A.
  • Before Round 3, Vanna does a bumper from an unknown location.
  • The shot of the puzzle board is zoomed out too far during the $3,000 Toss-Up.
• On November 23:
  • There is a rare instance of a "bonus" category (Next Line Please) in Round 1.
  • The Round 2 Prize is $7,000 credit to Macy's.
  • Before Round 3, Vanna does a bumper driving in Miami.
  • During the post-game chat, Pat shows a cue card with how much money was given away during the week.
• All five Bonus Rounds are won on the week of November 19, part of a six-day streak through to the 26th.
• November 26 is Home for the Holidays. During this week, the Round 2 Prize is a $2,500 QVC shopping spree.
• On November 26:
  • There is a jump cut to a bird's-eye view of the set when Pat calls on contestant Barret during the $1,000 Toss-Up, suggesting that a reshoot was done.
  • The puzzle board lights fail to flash after contestant Phillip solves the $2,000 Toss-Up.
  • After the Round 2 Fill In the Number puzzle is revealed, Pat asks for the "official" name of the #, and an offstage voice (possibly Karen Griffith) can be heard saying "pound sign".
  • Barret mispronounces the last word when solving the Round 2 Fill In the Number puzzle ## CRAYOLAS INTRODUCED A BUILT-IN SHARPENER (64), but this is never noticed.
  • There is no cut to the board after Barret calls R in Round 4.
• On November 27:
  • Contestant Tamara mispronounces the Speed-Up puzzle THE GALAPAGOS ISLANDS, but is still accepted.
  • The bonus puzzle is already on the board at the start of that round.
  • In reference to the previous day's Fill In the Number puzzle, Pat and Vanna looks at some of the new Crayola colors during the post-game chat.
• On November 28:
  • The Round 4 puzzle GLACIER NATIONAL PARK is categorized as Place instead of Landmark or On the Map.
  • In reference to the bonus puzzle, Pat and Vanna eat some Chex Mix during the post-game chat.
• On November 29:
  • For the last time this season, a letter reveal in Round 1 is shot with a pan from the Wheel to the puzzle board.
  • There is a rare instance of a "bonus" in Round 1. After the puzzle I'M THE KING OF THE WORLD (Quotation) is solved, contestant Jennifer is asked who said those famous words in the movie Titanic. She provides the right answer of Leonardo DiCaprio. It is not known why this was done instead of categorizing the puzzle as Who Said It?
  • Pat tosses Jennifer's prize onto the Wheel; it stays there during the Bonus Round.
  • The bonus puzzle ARE YOU AWAKE? is the third of only four bonus puzzles with a question mark in it.
• On November 30, Vanna wears a sleeveless top and pants.

December 2001

• December 3 is Fast Cars Week. During this week:
  • The Bonus Round window is formed by a speedometer redlining and making an engine revving sound.
  • Before Round 3, there is a bumper for the following week's Hawaiian Vacation sweepstakes which uses the lap steel guitar rendition of "Changing Keys" from the 1996 Hawaii episodes.
  • Due to this week being taped right after Big Money Week, the original Bonus Wheel design is retained.
• On December 3:
  • Contestant Jeff who competed on May 22, 2001 is brought back. Strangely, this is not commented on until the Bonus Round.
  • The Round 2 Prize is $3,000 credit to HSN.com.
  • Round 2 is a very rare instance of a "bonus" category being multiple-choice: after the Who Is It? puzzle HE WAS THE FIRST AMERICAN IN SPACE, Pat offers Jeff a choice of John Glenn, Alan Shepard, or Neil Armstrong. He provides the correct answer of Alan Shepard. In addition, the High Rollers chimes do not sound.
  • No vowels are bought in Rounds 4 or 5.
  • Pat forgets to take away contestant Heather's prize in Round 5. This is corrected at the end of the round.
  • Round 5 (NANNY GOAT) is shorter than ten letters.
  • Six rounds are played.
  • The second Bankrupt and Prizes are removed as Round 6 goes right into a Speed-Up Round.
  • Jeff's total is $20,550 after the Speed-Up. Before the start of the Bonus Round, Pat acknowledges that there was an error in his score and says he now has $22,250.
  • Pat appears briefly in the Bonus Round window.
  • Jeff solves the bonus puzzle BALI despite getting no help from his extra letters. This is the last four-letter bonus puzzle until FAWN in May 2005, as the long-standing trend of very short bonus puzzles (first established in Season 7) is gradually reversed over the next several seasons.
  • Jeff's guests are shown on camera before Pat opens the envelope.
  • Round 4 and the Bonus Round are On the Map.
• On December 4:
  • No vowels are bought in Round 4.
  • Round 4 (BY HOOK OR BY CROOK) has only one vowel.
  • Contestant Susie solves the bonus puzzle JUNK FOOD with only the N and K revealed. A clip of this appears on the ceremonial 4,000th episode.
  • In reference to the bonus puzzle, Pat and Vanna have a whole stash of junk food during the post-game chat and hand out some to the audience during the closing credits.
• On December 5:
  • Vanna wears a sleeveless top and pants.
  • Round 1 (THE SCORE) is shorter than ten letters.
  • The "only vowels remain" beeps fail to sound in Round 3.
  • Neither Bankrupt nor Lose a Turn is hit.
• On December 6:
  • Vanna wears a sleeveless top and pants.
  • The first overhead shot in Round 2 is clearly added in post-production, as the second Bankrupt and Jackpot wedge are missing.
  • The Round 3 Prize is a Kawasaki all-terrain vehicle.
  • The $2,000 Toss-Up is People, while the Bonus Round is Person.
• On December 7:
  • The Round 2 Prize is an EBIKE electric bicycle.
  • Round 5 (GLAMOUR) is shorter than ten letters.
  • Contestant Peter, who does not solve his bonus puzzle for $25,000, misses the $100,000 by only two envelopes
  • Columbia TriStar Television and Columbia TriStar Television Distribution merge to become Columbia TriStar Domestic Television. This lasts until November 8, 2002.
• December 10 is Hawaii Week. During this week:
  • As part of the Hawaiian Vacation Sweepstakes, viewers may submit each day's bonus puzzle for a chance to win a vacation to Hawaii. There is a frame that "pops up" during the interviews to inform viewers of this.
  • Charlie's opening spiel is "It's Hawaiian Vacation Week on..."
  • The Round 3 Prize is a trip to Hawaii (except on Tuesday, where it is the Round 2 Prize instead).
  • Clips are shown during the closing chat:
    • Monday: Pat "island hopping" on a map of Hawaii on February 12, 1996
    • Tuesday: Vanna touring Hawaii with Niko and Gigi during the February 2001 episodes
    • Wednesday: Vanna at various spots in Hawaii, also during the February 2001 episodes
    • Thursday: Various shots from around the island of Hawaii
    • Friday: A blooper reel with Vanna
• On December 10:
  • The Round 2 Prize is $2,500 credit to ScubaPro.
  • No vowels are bought in Round 3.
  • Round 1 and 4 are played entirely by the contestants who began them.
  • Six rounds are played.
  • The puzzle blanks are already on the board at the start of Round 6.
  • The second Bankrupt and Prizes are removed as Round 6 goes right into a Speed-Up Round.
  • Contestant Alex solves the bonus puzzle FINISH UP before the timer can start.
  • There are two set of duplicate categories: Round 1 and 6 are Place, while the $3,000 Toss-Up and the Bonus Round are Phrase.
• On December 11:
  • Round 1 (ELLEN DEGENERES) has only one vowel.
  • A cycle of lost turns is edited out of Round 1 despite not being "null"; the first lost turn is an incorrect vowel from contestant Christopher, as his score is off by $250 for the rest of the round, which he ultimately wins. Pat references the cycle by telling him "An R, we have" despite no prior lost turns being aired.
  • The Round 2 puzzle A FATHER-TO-BE PACING BACK AND FORTH is categorized as Event instead of Person; it also has the A by itself on the top row.
  • Round 3 is only the second appearance of Song Lyrics, despite it having debuted in February 2001.
  • Contestant Katie's name tag falls off during her first spin in Round 2.
• On December 12:
  • There is a rare instance of a "bonus" category (Who Said It?) being used in Round 1.
  • The Round 2 Prize is $2,500 hawaiianshirts.com shopping spree.
  • Pat walks contestant Murray to center stage after Round 2 to show off his pants.
• On December 13:
  • The Round 2 Prize is $3,500 credit to Macy's.
  • The camera zooms out when the Round 3 puzzle is solved.
  • No vowels are bought in Round 5.
  • Both Prizes and the Gift Tag are won.
• On December 14:
  • The Round 2 Prize is a pair of pedal boats.
  • After the Round 2 Headline puzzle MISS OREGON CROWNED THE NEW MISS AMERICA, Pat asks Cheryl for the name of the woman in question, and she can be heard giving the answer of Katie Harman.
  • Round 5 (RAZZMATAZZ) has only one vowel, four Z's and is also a rare instance of a one-word Rhyme Time.
  • Six rounds are played.
  • The second Bankrupt and Prizes are removed as Round 6 goes right into a Speed-Up Round.
  • Contestant Scott solves the bonus puzzle NAOMI JUDD before the timer can start.
  • There are two set of duplicate categories: Round 1 and the Bonus Round are Proper Name, while the $3,000 Toss-Up and Round 6 are Thing.
• December 17 is Great Outdoors.
• On December 17:
  • Vanna wears a suit.
  • No vowels are bought in Rounds 2, 5, or 6.
  • Six rounds are played.
  • There are two set of duplicate categories: the $1,000 Toss-Up and Round 6 are Event, while the $2,000 Toss-Up and Bonus Round are Phrase.
• On December 18:
  • The Round 2 Prize is $2,500 credit to Coleman.
  • There is a $10,100 Jackpot win.
• On December 19:
  • Vanna wears a sweater and pants.
  • Round 2 and the Bonus Round are Thing, while the $3,000 Toss-Up is Things.
  • Douglas Ross becomes the show’s first $100,000 winner.
    • The $100,000 graphic is similar to the $25,000 win graphic of that time, but its background is green instead of blue. On this episode, it appears at the top of the screen instead of the bottom.
• On December 20:
  • Vanna wears a jacket when she walks out, but takes it off before Round 2.
  • All three contestants hit Bankrupt consecutively in Round 2.
  • The Round 3 Prize is a snowmobile plus a collection of James Bond DVDs and film soundtracks.
  • Round 5 and the Bonus Round are Around the House.
  • Contestant Dave, who does not solve his bonus puzzle for $25,000, misses the $100,000 by only one envelope.
• On December 21:
  • Vanna wears a sleeveless top and pants.
  • Contestant Michele has trouble taking the Free Spin in Round 1 off the Wheel, so Pat comes over and helps her.
  • The Round 2 Prize is a VéloSoleX moped.
  • Michele also has trouble putting her Prize on her arrow in Round 2, so Pat reaches over to help her.
  • There is an $8,750 Jackpot win.
  • Round 2 is a very rare instance of a "bonus" category being multiple-choice: after the Clue puzzle IT'S THE LONGEST-RUNNING TV SHOW, Pat offers contestant Ryan a choice of Meet the Press, The Tonight Show, or 60 Minutes. He does not provide the correct answer of Meet the Press.
  • No vowels are bought in Round 4.
  • Round 4 (HANDY-DANDY) has only one vowel.
• December 24 is Christmas Week. During this week:
  • All of the contestants' winnings are matched and donated to American Red Cross disaster relief funds to help support the 9/11 victims.
  • Pat wears an American Red Cross logo pin on his jacket.
  • A picture of a snowflake is projected onto the center of the Wheel.
• On December 24, the Round 2 Prize is a $2,500 QVC shopping spree.
• On December 25:
  • Contestant Spencer wins despite failing to claim $40,150 in Round 2. This is very likely the most lost to a wrong letter since 1985, and very likely the largest amount lost by a contestant who still wins until Season 31.
  • Spencer solves the bonus puzzle RICE PILAF before the timer can start.
• On December 26:
  • There is a rare instance of a "bonus" in Round 1. After the puzzle THE PILLSBURY DOUGHBOY (Fictional Character) is solved, it is followed by a trivia question asking what does he do when you touch his belly. Contestant Miguel does not provide the correct answer of "he giggles".
  • Nobody solves the $3,000 Toss-Up A PAIR OF SHOETREES; this puzzle is also misspelled, as "shoe trees" is two words.
• On December 27, the Round 2 Prize is $2,500 credit to Ghurka.
• On December 28:
  • There is a rare instance of a "bonus" in Round 1. After the puzzle MERRY CHRISTMAS DARLING (Title) is solved, it is followed by a trivia question asking who sang the song. Contestant Julia does not provide the correct answer of Karen Carpenter.
  • The Round 2 Prize is $2,500 credit to IKEA.
• December 31 is I Love NY Week. During this week:
  • George Pataki, then-Governor of New York, does some of the intros.
  • The Round 2 Prize is a shopping spree: Cellini Jewelry on Monday, Tourneau on Tuesday, FAO Schwarz on Wednesday, Michael C. Fina on Thursday, and Bliss Spa on Friday.
  • The Round 3 Prize is a trip to New York.
  • The Bonus Round window is in the shape of an apple.
• On December 31:
  • For only the second known time, Vanna wears gloves.
  • Contestant Helen, who does not solve her bonus puzzle for the Audi TT, misses the $100,000 by only one envelope.
  • Round 2 is Proper Names, while the $3,000 Toss-Up is Proper Name.
  • In the final segment, fashion designer Jeremy Scott makes an appearance.

January 2002

• On January 1:
  • Vanna wears a dress with a dollar bill pattern.
  • There is rare instance of a contestant losing their turn with only vowels remaining: with only the O missing from the Round 4 Before & After puzzle MAGNUM P.I.O.U., contestant Eileen calls a repeated A, after which contestant Heather buys the O and solves.
  • Against normal practice at the time, the buzzer sounds on an incomplete answer in Round 2, and again after the repeated A in Round 4.
  • The bonus puzzle PAIL & SHOVEL is a rare instance of an ampersand in the Bonus Round.
  • During the post-game chat, clips of Vanna rehearsing for Cabaret are shown.
• On January 2:
  • Rounds 1 and 5 are played entirely by the contestants who began them.
  • The Round 2 puzzle THERE’S NO WRONG WAY TO EAT A REESE’S is a rare instance of Slogan not using its bonus question due to the product name being part of the answer.
  • No vowels are bought in Round 3.
  • Contestant Sandra wins Round 3 with only the $10,000 prize and Gift Tag.
  • Round 5 (ITSY-BITSY) is shorter than ten letters and has only one vowel.
  • Six rounds are played.
  • The $3,000 Toss-Up is People, while the Bonus Round is Person.
  • Pat and Vanna replay a clip of the "A GROUP OF PILL-PUSHERS" incident during the closing chat, albeit with the "Good night, everybody!" comment and audience applause edited out. This is how the clip is shown in nearly all subsequent airings (including television blooper specials), unless noted otherwise.
• On January 3:
  • For the first of only two known times, Vanna wears jeans.
  • Against normal practice, the buzzer sounds on a repeated letter already on the board in Round 1.
  • Round 2 is the only appearance of Phrases.
• On January 4:
  • The Round 2 puzzle's full solution is not shown on screen.
  • Contestant Brian has trouble flipping the $10,000 wedge in Round 3, so the other contestants and Pat help him.
  • Both Rounds 1 and 3 are completely filled in before being solved.
  • Contestant Lena gives two wrong answers to the Speed-Up puzzle TUBA PLAYER with only vowels remaining. Altogether, four wrong answers are given in the round.
  • After Vanna reveals only an S in the bonus puzzle A BUSYBODY, Pat requests Vanna to walk all the way to the other side of the puzzle board.
  • Round 5 and the Bonus Round are Person.
• January 7 is NFL Players Week. This is also the only such week to not be rerun during the Summer. During this week:
  • The NFL players are: Jerome Berris, Tiki Barber and Kurt Warner on Monday; Howie Long, Emmitt Smith, and Edgerrin James on Tuesday; Brian Urlacher, Dana Stubblefield, and Mark Brunell on Wednesday; Doug Flutie, Tim Brown and Shannon Sharpe on Thursday; and Ahman Green, John Riggins and Ron Dayne on Friday.
  • The contestants wear football jerseys corresponding to the team of their respective NFL players.
  • Instead of playing as teams, the contestants play by themselves and are shown footage of their corresponding players wishing them good luck during the interviews. This was likely done due to post-9/11 travel restrictions.
  • The NFL stars introduce themselves at the top of the show, each one appearing in a golden-colored box in the lower left-hand corner, against a background of them in their past football games. The Wheel of Fortune logo spins counterclockwise in the lower right-hand corner.
  • The highest-scoring contestant wins a $19,370 prize package consisting of a five-day trip to New Orleans to attend Super Bowl XXXVI, clothing from Players Inc., and a PlayStation 2.
  • Home viewers may enter a contest on the show's website for a chance to win tickets to the Pro Bowl. Kurt Warner of the St. Louis Rams and Shannon Sharpe of the Baltimore Ravens promote this after the Bonus Round on Monday and Thursday.
• On January 7:
  • The Round 2 Prize is a $2,500 NFL.com shopping spree.
  • Contestant Bob only spins twice the entire game, landing on Lose a Turn in Rounds 1 and 2.
• On January 8, the Round 3 Prize is a football fan’s dinner with their favorite player from their home team courtesy of Players Inc.
• On January 9:
  • In the $2,000 Toss-Up, Vanna accidentally touches the period in the puzzle WILE E. COYOTE but the board starts going anyway.
  • The Round 2 Prize is the same Prize offered in Round 3 on the 8th.
• On January 10:
  • The Round 2 Prize is $2,500 towards a purchase from TicketsNow.com.
  • The Round 3 Prize is a set of tickets to the Pro Bowl in Hawaii.
  • The $25,000 graphic does not appear after Contestant Mazi wins that amount in the Bonus Round.
• On January 11:
  • The bonus puzzle DOC & BASHFUL is a rare instance of an ampersand in the Bonus Round.
  • In the final segment, Pat and Vanna reveal the highest contestant of the week (contestant Nicole from this episode).
• Between January 8 and 11, four contestants in a row solve their bonus puzzles before the timer can start.
• January 14 is New Orleans Week. During this week:
  • Appropriately, the Jackpot sponsor is Zatarain's.
  • The Round 2 Prize is a $3,500 Yahoo! Travel trip to New Orleans.
  • Before Round 3, Pat and Vanna promote the upcoming Hershey's Hugs and Kisses sweepstakes.
• On January 14:
  • The shot of Gretchen is removed from the opening graphics.
  • During the opening, Pat and Vanna drive onstage from behind the board in a golf cart which has a Mardi Gras mask and the traditional logo on its sides, and the cart bumps into the steps at the front of the puzzle board. After they climb out, they throw beads into the audience. In the final segment, they replay a clip of the golf cart bumping into the board. This later shows up in various retrospectives.
  • Vanna wears a sleeveless shirt and pants.
  • The $2,000 Toss-Up ON-LINE SHOPPING is improperly hyphenated.
  • The Round 2 puzzle LIGHTWEIGHTS WELTERWEIGHTS MIDDLEWEIGHTS does not connect the last two words with AND or an ampersand, as such an arrangement could not have fit on the board.
  • No vowels are bought in Rounds 1 or 4.
  • Round 5 (TUTTI-FRUTTI) has only three unique consonants.
  • Round 5 goes to Speed-Up with only one consonant (the F in the above puzzle) missing.
  • For the first time, there is a $100,000 loss.
• On January 15:
  • According to a comment left on this Wiki, the original Round 3 (EATIN' GOOD IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD) is thrown out due to a contestant not having $250 deducted after buying an incorrect U. The accuracy of this recollection is uncertain, as no "bonus" categories were used after Round 2 between Seasons 14 and 20.
  • The ding is accidentally used on the only letter called during the Speed-Up.
  • No vowels are bought in Round 5.
  • Round 5 (LIMA PERU) is shorter than ten letters.
  • Ironically, contestant Jessica fails to solve the bonus puzzle YOU WIN.
  • During the post-game chat, clips of Pat dancing with Rockin' Dopsie Jr. and the Zydeco Twisters from the February 2000 New Orleans episodes are shown.
• On January 16:
  • Rounds 1 and 3 are played entirely by the contestants who began them.
  • There is a $12,250 Jackpot win. In a rather rare occurrence, it comes with only vowels remaining.
  • During the closing chat, Pat and Vanna show the opening of one of the February 2000 New Orleans episodes. The shot then cuts back to Pat and Vanna eating beignets; Vanna shoves one in Pat's face, getting powdered sugar all over his face and clothes and causing Charlie to laugh. A clip of this has been seen in several retrospectives.
• On January 17:
  • Round 3 (THE ISLANDS TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO) is a rare instance of On the Map using a descriptive term.
  • Contestant Cary solves the bonus puzzle CRUMB CAKE before the timer can start.
• On January 18:
  • No vowels are bought in Round 1.
  • The Round 2 puzzle RONALD REAGAN WAS OUR ##TH PRESIDENT is one of only two Fill In the Number puzzles to have the number contained within a word. It is also a very rare instance of a "bonus" category being multiple-choice. Pat offers contestant Teresa a choice of 38th, 39th, or 40th. She does not provide the right answer of 40th.
  • Against normal practice at the time, the buzzer sounds on a wrong answer in Round 2.
  • During the closing chat, in reference to the Round 4 puzzle FLANNEL PAJAMAS, Pat asks Cheryl whether the second syllable of the word "pajamas" is pronounced "æ" (as in "cat") or "ä" (as in "father"), and she can be heard saying "they're both correct".
• During the week of January 14, all five shows play five rounds in the main game.
• January 21 is European Holiday. During this week:
  • The Round 2 Prize is a $4,500 Yahoo! Travel European trip.
  • Pat and Vanna promote the Hershey's Hugs & Kisses Sweepstakes before Round 3. Vanna promotes it again after the Speed-Up, in front of the puzzle board while it displays HERSHEY'S HUGS & KISSES SWEEPSTAKES.
• On January 21:
  • The $1,000 and $2,000 Toss-Ups (THE WEST WING and NUTS & BOLTS) both use only one line.
  • There is a $100,000 loss.
• On January 22:
  • Rounds 1 and 3 are Event.
  • The Bonus Round chyron does not disappear until after the cameras cut to Pat.
• On January 23, contestant April wins by $50.
• On January 24:
  • There is a now-rare instance of a "bonus" category (Slogan) in Round 1.
  • The lights on the puzzle board glitch throughout Rounds 1-3.
  • The Speed-Up bells sound twice due to Pat not hearing them the first time.
• On January 25, contestant John loses the Bonus Round and misses the $100,000 by only one envelope.
• Due to the Hershey's Sweepstakes (see below), only January 28-30 use the week's theme name, Romantic Destinations.
• On January 29:
  • Round 1 is a Before & After of VANNA WHITE GOLD.
  • Contestant Rhett's clip-on microphone comes loose during Round 2.
  • Round 5 (DVD PLAYER) is shorter than ten letters.
  • The "ding" sounds when the R is revealed in the aforementioned Speed-Up round.
  • Contestant Alexis solves the bonus puzzle A TEACUP before the timer can start.
• January 31-February 6 is the Hershey's Pot of Gold Sweepstakes, with no theme name seen for those shows. The respective weeks' sets are retained as per usual. During this sweepstakes:
  • Viewers must submit either a form (from the Sunday, January 27 newspaper) or a postcard, with three of the five Bonus Round solutions from these episodes.
  • The bonus puzzle is shown again after the Bonus Round, at which point Charlie tells home viewers about the sweepstakes.
  • home viewers may win a pair of Ford Thunderbirds, $10,000 shopping sprees, $25,000 cash, a Princess cruise, a $500 Sony gift card, or Hershey's Kisses.
• On January 31:
  • Hershey's kisses mascots walk out with Pat and Vanna.
  • Both Rounds 1 and 2 are completely filled in before being solved.
  • During the post-game chat, one of the Hershey's kisses mascots is in the audience.

February 2002

• On February 1:
  • The Round 1 Before & After puzzle PASS THE BUCK-NAKED is improperly hyphenated.
  • The buzzer does not sound a wrong letter in Round 2.
  • The $3,000 Toss-Up (WINE & CHEESE) uses only one line.
  • Round 5 (CHICK FLICK) has only one vowel.
  • Contestant Mary fills in the bonus puzzle THE JOKER completely.
  • During the post-game chat, clips of Hershey's kisses being made are shown.
• During the week of February 4, the main video wall shows the Hershey's contest as the "Hershey's Hugs & Kisses" sweepstakes. Also, the contestant video wall uses the Season 17 logo which is also used on January 31 & February 1.
• During the weeks of January 14-February 4, the Round 3 Prize is not used.
• On February 4:
  • Contestant Kareem guesses MINERS & HOES on the $2,000 Toss-Up FINGERS & TOES, a moment which has been seen on several retrospectives and blooper shows.
  • There are two set of duplicate categories: the $2,000 Toss-Up is Things, while $3,000 Toss-Up is Thing, and Round 4 and the Bonus Round are On the Map.
  • During the post-game chat, Pat has a bunch of roses made out of Hershey's Kisses.
• On February 5:
  • Pat forgets to mention the category (Before & After) in Round 1 until after the first spin.
  • The Wheel Prize is $5,000 in Sacagawea dollars courtesy of Hershey's.
  • Neither Bankrupt nor Lose a Turn is hit.
  • All of the puzzles are very short, with Rounds 2 and 3 (a Clue puzzle of IT'S WHAT CNN STANDS FOR {Cable News Network} and BUYING YOUR FIRST HOME) both tied for the longest at only 19 letters.
  • During the post-game chat, Vanna has a bowl of Hershey's Hugs, while Pat has a giant Hershey's Kiss and a conch shell. They then distribute Hershey's products to the audience during the credits.
• On February 6:
  • There is a rare instance of a "bonus" category (Slogan) being used in Round 1.
  • The Wheel Prize is a Panasonic gift card sponsored by Hershey's. The wedge features a Hershey's Kiss on it.
  • During the post-game chat, clips of Hershey's Kissmobile are shown.
• Due to the Hershey's Sweepstakes, only February 7 and 8 use the week's theme name, Island Fever.
• On February 7:
  • There is rare instance of a contestant losing their turn with only vowels remaining: with only the A missing from the Round 1 puzzle THIS IS WHERE I CAME IN, contestant Jeanine gives a wrong answer and the audience begins to applaud until Pat calls for them to stop. Contestant Ben then buys the A and solves.
  • The Round 2 puzzle STAR WARS BROUGHT US THE CHARACTER R#-D# (R2-D2) is one of only two Fill In the Number puzzles to have the number contained within a word. It is also the only one to have the same number in it twice.
• On February 8:
  • The $1,000 Toss-Up LOOK WHO'S TALKING is categorized as Phrase instead of Title.
  • The bonus envelope chime accidentally sounds as contestant Allen spins the Bonus Wheel.
  • The bonus puzzle A BIRDHOUSE has the A by itself on the second row, even though the entire answer could fit on the second row.
  • Allen solves the above bonus puzzle before the timer can start.
• The weeks of February 11-25 are taped at the Las Vegas Hilton. During these weeks:
  • The Gift Tag is $1,000 courtesy of Southwest Airlines.
  • Except on February 22, there is a cold open where Vanna announces the theme while images of Las Vegas are superimposed behind her.
• February 11 is Sweethearts Week. During this week, the Bonus Round window is shaped like a heart.
• On February 11:
  • The logo bug now has the location name during road shows.
  • Contestants Elsie and Jason, who do not solve their bonus puzzle for $25,000, miss the $100,000 by only one envelope.
• On February 12, during the closing chat, Pat shows footage of winning contestants Britt and Wendy kissing backstage. This was shown on the ceremonial 4,000th episode and in Season 25.
• On February 13:
  • The Round 2 Prize is $2,500 credit to IKEA.
  • After Round 2 is solved, contestant Miki's microphone falls off and Pat retrieves it.
  • The score displays glitch during the Speed-Up round. This ends up affecting contestants Jason and Jeni's score as they are not credited with an extra $1,900 for finding a letter in the Speed-Up round.
• On February 14:
  • Contestants Karen and Steve give a wrong answer of STRAWBERRY LIP GIRLS on the Toss-Up STRAWBERRY LIP GLOSS. This has been seen on several blooper specials.
  • Rounds 1 and 2 are played entirely by the teams who began them.
  • Contestants Patricia and Alexander solve the bonus puzzle I FIGURED before the timer can start.
• On February 15:
  • Vanna wears a suit.
  • Both Round 1 and 3 (REGIS AND JOY PHILBIN and a Before & After of HOTEL MAID OF HONOR) have a word that has no letters in common with any other word in the puzzle.
  • The $3,000 Toss-Up SEA OF LOVE uses only one line.
  • Contestants Randy and Dawn solve the bonus puzzle A DAIQUIRI before the timer can start.
  • During the post-game chat, a photo of Vanna sitting in an Bell X-16 jet is shown.
• Between January 22 and February 15, nineteen Bonus Rounds are played for $25,000.
• February 18 is Big Money Week, another case of that week occurring twice in one season. During this week:
  • Cash amounts of $30,000, $35,000, $40,000, $45,000, and $50,000 are added to the Bonus Wheel. Of these, only the $30,000 is hit (on Tuesday).
  • After the interviews, Pat mentions these amounts as a graphic of them is shown in the bottom-right corner.
  • Before the Bonus Round, Vanna models a collage of the lower portions of the envelopes.
• On February 18:
  • Vanna wears a suit.
  • Round 1 (FANCY-SHMANCY) has only one vowel.
  • No vowels are bought in Round 1.
  • All three contestants hit Bankrupt consecutively in Round 2. It is hit six times overall, tying the record for the most known hits in one round.
  • There is an $11,650 Jackpot win. In a rather rare occurrence, it comes with only vowels remaining.
  • The bonus puzzle PEAK HOURS uses only one line.
  • Contestant John, who does not solve his bonus puzzle for the Chrysler PT Cruiser, misses the $100,000 by only one envelope.
• On February 19:
  • The $1,000 Toss-Up is SPIN THE WHEEL.
  • The $2,000 Toss-Up a A DON JUAN uses only one line.
  • The Round 3 Prize is a $10,000 billiards table.
  • Contestant Carol-Lyn begins to spin before the Round 4 puzzle is revealed.
  • Round 4 goes to Speed-Up with only one consonant remaining (the C in CARL & ROB REINER).
  • The overhead shot of the Final Spin is obviously edited in from another episode's Round 1, as $2,500 is visible. Furthermore, the shot shows the orange-yellow $300 even though after the round is solved, the red arrow can be seen having landed on the orange $300.
  • During the post-game chat, Pat reveals that he mistakenly said that Carol-Lyn lost $25,000 instead of $30,000. He then shows proof with the $30,000 envelope in his hand.
• On February 20:
  • Vanna wears a suit.
  • Contestant Debra is selected from the audience.
  • Rounds 1, 3, and 4 all have a "null" cycle occur. The Round 1 one is left intact while the other two are edited out. Also, a fourth cycle is edited out of Round 4 despite not being "null", as it includes an incorrect A from Debra, evidenced by a $250 discrepancy in her score before she calls a wrong letter on the next turn.
  • The Round 3 Prize is a $5,000 Neiman Marcus shopping spree.
  • Round 5 (BLACKJACK) is shorter than ten letters, has only one vowel, none of the five main consonants and is also a rare instance of a one-word Rhyme Time.
• On February 21:
  • Although a repeated S is called in Round 3, it is not acknowledged as such.
  • The Round 3 puzzle MAZATLAN IN MEXICO has the word "in" for no particular reason.
• On February 22:
  • There is a cold open where Vanna reacts in shock as two men haul an oversized poker chip behind her.
  • Vanna wears a suit.
  • The $1,000 and $2,000 Toss-Ups and Bonus Round (VIVA LAS VEGAS, A NIGHT OWL, and A BIG WIN) use only one line.
  • No vowels are bought in Round 1.
  • Round 1 (RICHIE RICH) has only three unique consonants.
  • The Round 2 Prize is $2,500 credit to Blockbuster.
  • During the post-game chat, clips of Vanna visiting Nellis Air Force Base are shown.
• All five Bonus Rounds are lost on the week of February 18.
• February 25 is Best Friends Week. During this week, Vanna does a bumper after Round 2 at a casino, and except on Friday, at a different locale before Round 3: from a cake shop inside the Las Vegas Hilton on Monday, at Nellis Air Force on Tuesday, being carried on a litter in front of Caesars Palace on Wednesday, in front of the Flamingo on Thursday. The bumper before Round 3 on Friday is a still shot of Paris Las Vegas.
• On February 25:
  • The $2,000 Toss-Up JUST IN TIME uses only one line.
  • The Round 2 Prize is a $5,000 shopping spree at The Forum Shops at Caesars.
  • Contestant Tiffany and Josephine solve the bonus puzzle I'M BLUSHING before the timer can start.
• On February 26, contestants Marissa and Abby's score is incorrectly shown as $22,600 instead of $27,450 after Round 4, due to the $4,850 they won in Round 4 not being added. Although they win anyway, this is never corrected or acknowledged on-camera.
• On February 27:
  • Free Spin comes loose in Rounds 1 and 2.
  • The Round 2 Prize is $5,000 credit to Banana Republic.
• On February 28:
  • The $1,000 Toss-Up FELIX & OSCAR uses only one line.
  • No vowels are bought in Round 2.
  • There is a $5,900 Jackpot win.
  • The bonus puzzle is A PUZZLE.
  • There are two set of duplicate categories: Round 1 and 4 are Phrase, the $3,000 Toss-Up is Things, while Round 5 and the Bonus Round are Thing.
  • All of the puzzles are very short, with Round 2 (a Before & After of VANNA AND PAT OF BUTTER) being the longest at only 19 letters.
  • Charlie joins Pat and Vanna during the closing segment.

March 2002

• On March 1:
  • The Round 2 Prize is a $6,000 gift certificate to Cellini Jewelers.
  • The category strip does not appear during the fourth shot of the board in Round 3.
  • No vowels are bought in Round 4.
  • During the post-game chat, Pat shows a cue card with how much money was given away during the week.
• March 4 is Desert Oasis.
• On March 4:
  • The scores after Round 1 are still shown on the displays before the start of Round 2.
  • The Round 3 Prize is a trip to Las Vegas, where the show just came back from on the road after three weeks.
  • Six rounds are played.
  • The second Bankrupt and Prizes are removed as Round 6 goes right into a Speed-Up Round.
  • Twelve wrong letters are called in the Speed-Up Round.
  • Round 6 (PEACH FUZZ) is shorter than then letters.
  • There are two set of duplicate categories: the $1,000 Toss-Up and Round 5 are Title, the $3,000 Toss-Up is Things, while Round 6 is Thing.
• On March 5:
  • The Toss-Up puzzle solve cue accidentally starts to sound after contestant Debi gives a wrong answer to the $2,000 Toss-Up.
  • Round 1 (JEEPERS CREEPERS) has only one vowel.
  • The Round 2 Prize is $2,500 credit to Exofficio.
  • The shot of Vanna touching the O in Round 4 is accidentally replayed when contestant Cleve calls a C.
  • Pat forgets to take away Cleve's Prize after Round 4.
  • Contestant Min Hee, who does not solve her bonus puzzle for $25,000, misses the $100,000 by only two envelopes.
  • The $3,000 Toss-Up and the Bonus Round are On the Map.
• On March 6:
  • During the contestant interviews, Vanna goes behind the puzzle board.
  • During the post-game chat, Vanna shows the puzzle cards she reads before each round.
• On March 7:
  • The Round 2 Prize is $2,500 credit to Novica.
  • There is a $9,600 Jackpot win.
• On March 8:
  • Against normal practice, the buzzer sounds on a wrong answer to the $2,000 Toss-Up.
  • Nobody solves the $2,000 Toss-Up A KIND WORD.
  • There is a rare instance of a "bonus" category (Slogan) being used in Round 1.
  • Contestant Chris solves the Round 5 puzzle BASSET HOUND with only the S's and T revealed.
  • After the Speed-Up, Pat shows off photos that contestants Chris and Maria were carrying as good-luck charms: Chris's shows him atop a submarine at the North Pole, while Maria's shows off her infant daughter.
• All five Bonus Rounds are lost on the week of March 4, part of an eight-day streak through to the 13th.
• March 11 is Spring Fling. During this week, the Round 2 Prize $3,500 credit to Yahoo! Travel (except Monday, where it is the Round 3 Prize instead).
• On March 11:
  • The Round 2 Prize is $3,000 credit to RAVE Sports.
  • No vowels are bought in Round 5.
  • Round 5 (THE PANTRY) is shorter than ten letters.
• On March 12:
  • The Round 3 Prize is a GEM golf cart.
  • Round 5 (MR. BUBBLE) is shorter than ten letters.
• On March 13:
  • The $1,000 Toss-Up SAVED BY THE BELL is categorized as Phrase instead of Title.
  • There is a very rare instance of a contestant solving the Speed-Up puzzle without any money.
  • During the post-game chat, Pat reveals that contestant Greg (who does not solve the bonus puzzle) was only three spaces away from the $100,000 envelope.
• On March 14:
  • Round 4 goes to Speed-Up with only one consonant remaining (the D in the Before & After puzzle A DIAL TONE OF VOICE).
  • Contestant Jason solves the bonus puzzle KOBE BRYANT before Vanna can reveal the letters that he called.
  • Jason's post-game total is not shown on screen.
• On March 15:
  • The Round 2 puzzle SEVEN EIGHT LAY THEM STRAIGHT (Quotation) is followed by a trivia question asking for the previous line. Contestant Daniel does not provide the right answer of "five, six, pick up sticks".
  • Rounds 2 and 3 are played entirely by the contestants who began them.
  • Daniel solves the bonus puzzle SPARK PLUGS before the timer can start.
  • During the post-game chat, Pat and Vanna lounge on some beach chairs on set.
• March 18 is Washington, D.C. Week. During the week, the Round 3 Prize is a trip to the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area.
• On March 18:
  • The $1,000 Toss-Up ADAM AND EVE uses only one line.
  • The Round 2 Prize is an Italjet Torpedo motor scooter.
  • Six rounds are played.
  • Pat forgets to remove contestant Doug's Prize after Round 5.
  • Round 6 (A CARPORT) is shorter than ten letters.
  • Rhyme Time makes its fourth of nine appearances in the Bonus Round.
• On March 19:
  • No vowels are bought in Round 4.
  • Round 5 (A CHIA PET) is shorter than ten letters.
  • For the first time since the introduction of Toss-Ups, seven rounds are played.
  • Contestant Kyle guesses PLASTIC STRAPS on the Round 7 puzzle PLASTIC STRAWS, a moment which has been seen on the 4000th episode.
• On March 20:
  • The $2,000 Toss-Up NICK AT NITE uses only one line.
  • The Round 2 Prize is a HanaHo arcade game.
  • The Round 3 Prize is a stay at the Hilton McLean Tysons Corner in McLean, Virginia, plus a $1,000 shopping spree at Tysons Corner Center.
  • Pat takes contestant Beverly's Prize away before doing the Final Spin.
• On March 21:
  • There is a shot behind the contestants backs during Round 3.
  • Rounds 5 and 6 (TAP WATER and STAGEHAND) are both shorter than ten letters.
  • Six rounds are played.
  • Contestant Denton's watch falls off after the Speed-Up Round.
• On March 22:
  • The Round 2 Prize is $2,500 credit to Kathy Ireland Home.
  • No vowels are bought in Round 5.
  • The $2,000 Toss-Up and the Bonus Round are Event.
• During the week of March 18, for the first of only two known times, a sixth round is played three times in the same week.
• March 25 is San Diego Week, taped February 6. During the week:
  • There is a cold open of Vanna promoting the week from San Diego.
  • The Round 3 Prize is a trip to San Diego (except Monday, where it is the Round 2 Prize instead).
• On March 25, the $2,000 Toss-Up COUNT ME IN uses only one line.
• On March 26:
  • The Round 2 Prize is $2,500 credit to ScubaPro.
  • Rounds 1 and 2 are played entirely by the contestants who began them.
  • Before Round 3, Pat asks Cheryl about the chambers of the human heart in reference to Round 2's Fill In the Number puzzle.
  • The $3,000 Toss-Up is the first appearance of Fictional Place since 1998, and the only one this season.
• On March 27:
  • Round 1 (HURRY-SCURRY) has only one vowel.
  • The Round 2 Prize is $2,500 credit to Bed Bath & Beyond.
  • The Round 3 Prize is a $3,500 Yahoo! Travel trip to San Diego.
  • The $3,000 Toss-Up and the Bonus Round are On the Map.
• On March 28:
  • During the contestant interviews, Pat tells contestant David to lick his dog Lucy for him and then cracks up over that comment. A clip of this has been seen in various retrospectives, although typically these retrospectives edit in Pat's earlier comment of "I've snapped" (in regards to another joke earlier in the interview segment) after his cracking up.
  • For only the second known time, a contestant calls Z in the Bonus Round.
  • The bonus puzzle SOAK IT UP uses only one line.
  • There are two set of duplicate categories: the $1,000 Toss-Up is Things, while Round 1 is Thing and the $3,000 Toss-Up and the Bonus Round are Phrase.
• On March 29:
  • Contestant Corine returns due to the aforementioned errors on her original episode in October.
  • In Round 1, the Gift Tag is over the dollar sign instead of the 9 on the red $900, and is positioned too far to the left. This is fixed in Round 2.
  • The Round 2 Prize is $2,500 credit to Coleman.
  • No vowels are bought in Round 4.
  • The bonus puzzle PEACH & PLUM is a rare instance of an ampersand there.

April 2002

• During the weeks of April 1 and 8, the Round 3 Prize is not used.
• April 1 is Southern Hospitality. During this week, Pat, Vanna, and Charlie promote the upcoming Wheelapalooza week in a bumper before Round 3. This is also the first known instance of audition footage being shown on the show itself.
• On April 1:
  • The $2,000 Toss-Up QUICK PICK uses only one line.
  • Contestant Fred catches his ring on the Wheel in Round 3 and develops a blood blister; he can be briefly seen with a cloth over his left hand at the end of the round. In response to this, Fred is brought back on October 14, 2003, and the contestant dress code is later altered to disallow contestants from wearing rings.
• On April 2, Rounds 2 and 3 are played entirely by the contestants who began them.
• On April 3:
  • Contestant Jeff fails to claim $45,900 in Round 4. This would have set a new one-round record had it been won.
  • Round 4 inexplicably goes to Speed-Up with only one consonant (the H) missing from the puzzle THAT'S ENTERTAINMENT.
  • The Final Spin bells sound twice in Round 4.
• On April 4:
  • The $1,000 Toss-Up HICKORY DICKORY DOCK is the last one to date to use more than two rows of the puzzle board.
  • Contestant Danielle guesses MUSIC & PIZZA BOY on the Speed-Up puzzle MUSIC & PIZZA BOX. This clip was shown on the 4000th episode.
• On April 5:
  • Contestant Jane solves the $2,000 Toss-Up DR. DOLITTLE with only the E revealed. This is the first instance of a Toss-Up being solved with only one letter.
  • After Christine solves Round 1, she shows pictures of her cats and dogs to Pat.
  • Contestant Ted fills in the entire Round 2 puzzle CLASSICAL SINGER CHARLOTTE CHURCH by himself.
• The week of April 8 is the Wheelapalooza Sweepstakes. During this week:
  • Home viewers may submit each day's bonus puzzle on the show's website. The grand prize is a VIP trip for two to Los Angeles with a chance to audition. Other prizes available include a ceramic Dalmatian, a Wheel-themed collage (which includes a Free Spin and a Prize wedge), a basket with various Wheel video games and clothing, and the outfits worn by Vanna that week.
  • There is a cold open showing Vanna modeling that day's dress in a photo studio. On Monday-Thursday, she says "It's the Wheelapalooza Sweepstakes. You could win the gown I'm wearing and much, much more!" via voiceover, while on Friday, she instead says "It's the Wheelapalooza Sweepstakes. You could win the gown I'm wearing. Gotta go; it starts right now!" in real-time. A unique piece of electric guitar and synthesizer music plays underneath her voice. The logo for "Wheelapalooza" then appears at the bottom of the screen in animated red letters; while the W is similar in style to the show's logo, the remaining letters are stylized to vaguely resemble the Wheel or its wedges.
  • The center stage video wall is replaced by a frame with the "Wheelapalooza" logo. This is accompanied by photos of Vanna modeling the dresses she wears that week and three ceramic Dalmatians. A spinning Wheel is also projected onto the wall behind Pat, and the aforementioned collage is mounted next to it.
  • The Prize is a trip to see Wheel tape at Navy Pier in Chicago later in the season and Seattle and Nashville next season.
  • After Round 2, there is a bumper where Vanna promotes the theme from the puzzle board, which reveals the answer WHEELAPALOOZA SWEEPSTAKES. Vanna, Pat, and Charlie do another bumper before Round 3.
  • During main game rounds, the contestant video wall displays the replicas of the 1992-96 contestant backdrops which were previously seen in Season 18's Retro Week. It displays the Wheelapalooza logo on a tie-dye styled background for the rest of the show.
  • The Bonus Round letter wipe is a miniature Wheel with blank colored wedges.
• On April 8:
  • After Pat walks out, he has Charlie say "Wheelapalooza Week".
  • The $1,000 Toss-Up FROM A TO Z uses only one line.
• On April 9:
  • The bonus puzzle HAVE FAITH uses only one line.
  • Contestant Rose solves the above bonus puzzle before the timer can start.
• On April 11:
  • After contestant Linda lands on the orange $800, that amount is not added to the Jackpot.
  • There is a $13,300 Jackpot win. The above-mentioned scoring error does not affect the outcome.
  • Nobody solves the $3,000 Toss-Up, AN ONLY CHILD. Linda makes an incorrect guess of AN UGLY CHILD to the amusement of the other contestants and Pat, a moment which has been seen in several retrospectives.
  • Round 4 and the Bonus Round are Proper Name.
• On April 12, during the post-game chat, Vanna shows pictures of her new cat Sophie.
• April 15 is Travel USA. This week is composed of sixth episodes.
• On April 15:
  • Contestant Greg gives a wrong answer of AN ACE OF KIDNEYS on the $1,000 Toss-Up AN ACT OF KINDNESS, and Sarah gives a wrong answer of ARMADILLO & LAREDO TEXAS on the Round 3 puzzle AMARILLO & LAREDO TEXAS. Both of these have been seen on various retrospectives and blooper shows.
  • There is a $9,800 Jackpot win. In a rather rare occurrence, it comes when the puzzle is filled in completely, and is the only money won by the contestant in that round. As a result, Sarah becomes the second of only two known contestants whose winnings came entirely from the Jackpot.
  • The High Rollers chimes sound twice on the Clue puzzle in Round 2, possibly due to Pat not hearing them the first time around.
• On April 16:
  • There is a rare instance of a contestant losing their turn with only vowels remaining: with only the A's missing from the Round 1 puzzle THEY WENT THATAWAY, contestant Alicia gives a wrong answer.
  • The Round 3 Prize is a Kawasaki jet ski.
• On April 17:
  • The Round 2 puzzle CANBERRA AUSTRALIA'S CAPITAL CITY is a rare instance of On the Map using a descriptive term.
  • No vowels are bought in Rounds 4 or 5.
  • Round 5 (TIE RACK) is shorter than ten letters.
• On April 18:
  • The Round 2 Prize is $2,500 credit to Clava.
  • Contestant Jennifer's score display accidentally turns off after she solves Round 2.
  • Pat walks over and takes Jennifer's Gift Tag away just as Round 5 starts.
  • The Round 5 puzzle TOOTSY-WOOTSY has only one vowel.
  • Six rounds are played.
  • No vowels are bought in Round 6.
  • The $1,000 Toss-Up, $3,000 Toss-Up, and Bonus Round are Thing(s).
• On April 19:
  • The Round 3 Prize is a Kawasaki all-terrain vehicle.
  • Round 3 is a Before & After of SHINY CHROME WHEEL OF FORTUNE.
  • The Round 5 puzzle I AM SAM is shorter than ten letters and has only two unique consonants, tying the record for the fewest known.
• Between April 16 and 19, four bonus puzzles in a row have A at the beginning.
• During the week of April 15, all five Bonus Rounds are played for $25,000.
• April 22 is NASCAR Week. During this week:
  • The intro features various NASCAR drivers promoting the theme.
  • A NASCAR racecar is on set.
  • NASCAR drivers promote the Wheel Prizes.
  • On Monday, Wednesday and Friday, the Gift Tag is free gas for a year from 76, valued at $1,200; this is the only Gift Tag not to be $1,000. Said Gift Tag features a raised replica of that company's globe-shaped logo.
  • The Bonus Round window wipe is a red racecar and a pair of checkered flags, and the window itself is designed to resemble a checkered flag.
  • One of the bonus prizes is a lifetime supply of gasoline from 76 valued at $60,000, the only prize since the introduction of the Bonus Wheel that is not a car or cash until Season 38. Charlie promotes this before Round 3.
• On April 22:
  • Unusually, both Prize wedges have the same graphic (albeit with different logos at the bottom).
  • Charlie plugs the Bonus Round car, a Ford F-150, before Round 4.
  • During the post-game chat, clips of Vanna with NASCAR driver Bobby LaBonte at Las Vegas Motor Speedway are shown.
• On April 23:
  • Contestant Julie solves the Round 5 Speed-Up puzzle ROGER RABBIT with only the R's showing.
  • During the post-game chat, clips of Vanna at the driver's garage are shown.
• On April 24:
  • Vanna wears a suit.
  • Once again, both Prize wedges have the same graphic (albeit with different logos at the bottom).
  • There is a rare instance of a contestant losing his turn with only vowels remaining in the Speed-Up.
  • Contestant Chris solves both the Round 4 Speed-Up BELLY & PANIC BUTTON (Same Name) and the bonus puzzle A BIRDBATH just after the buzzer. In both instances, Pat rules as if the buzzer beat him, and his answer is checked before Pat upholds that ruling. This is the only known instance of more than one answer having to be checked in the same episode.
  • During the post-game chat, clips of Vanna meeting NASCAR drivers are shown.
• On April 25:
  • Round 1 (PAULA ZAHN) is shorter than ten letters.
  • The Round 4 puzzle AN ON/OFF SWITCH is the third of only four uses of a slash, although Harry Friedman tells Pat that it is their first slash upon being asked. Before the Bonus Round, Pat says the research department has found that the show has used that punctuation mark before.
  • Neither Bankrupt nor Lose a Turn is hit.
  • After failing to solve the bonus puzzle HOCKEY FANS, contestant Brian misreads the fully-revealed answer as "hokey fans" to Pat's amusement.
  • The $1,000 Toss-Up is Person, while the Bonus Round is People.
  • During Pat and Vanna's chat, sped-up footage is shown of the stagehands dressed as a pit crew while adding the $3,500 and second Bankrupt to the Wheel.
• On April 26:
  • Contestant Jeannette makes an incorrect guess of The $2,000 Toss-Up LAST-MINUTE DETAILS as LAST-MINUTE COCKTAILS, a moment which has been seen in the 4,000th episode on November 10, 2003.
  • Both Rounds 2 and 3 are completely filled in before being solved.
  • The Round 3 Prize is a Polaris GEM golf cart.
  • Jeannette solves the bonus puzzle FAMILY FEUD before the timer can start.
  • Interestingly, Jeannette wins both the Gift Tag of gas for a year and the lifetime supply of gasoline.
• April 29 is the first Teen Best Friends Week. During this week, two-person teams consisting of teenagers play. This is the first time since Teen Week in Season 13 that teenagers have competed on the show.
• On April 29:
  • Contestants Caitlin and Abby are credited with a correct response on the $1,000 Toss-Up FREDDIE PRINZE JR. despite mispronouncing the second word. This ruling does not affect the outcome.
  • The $2,000 Toss-Up DALLAS TEXAS uses only one line.
  • There is a now-rare instance of a "bonus" category (Who Is It?) in Round 1.
  • For the second of only three known times until the 2010s, both Prizes are over $10,000: a $12,100 trip to Hawaii in Round 2 and a $12,552 trip to Dodgers Stadium in Round 3.
  • In Round 3, after contestants Jody and Joe hit Lose a Turn, Pat accidentally begins to walk over and take away their Prize until an offstage voice can be heard correcting him.
  • No vowels are bought in Round 4.
  • Contestants Skie and Poonam solve the bonus puzzle I'M TICKLISH before the timer can start.
• On April 30:
  • The Round 1 puzzle A JANET JACKSON CONCERT has the A on the top row by itself.
  • The Round 2 Prize is $5,000 credit to CompUSA.
  • Pat forgets to take away contestant Lauren and Ashley's prize away after they hit Bankrupt in Round 2.
  • After Round 2, Vanna does a plug for Verizon Reads, which appears on the puzzle board before the commercial break.
  • The Round 3 Prize is a $15,580 trip to the Bahamas.
  • The Bonus Round envelope contains a spelling error ("pair of Jeep Liberties"; should be "Libertys", as Y does not change to IE when pluralizing a proper noun).

May 2002

• On May 1:
  • For the third of only three known times until the 2010s, both Prizes are over $10,000: a $10,800 trip to Universal Studios Orlando in Round 2 and an $11,870 game room in Round 3.
  • Contestants Sarah and Erica call a C in Round 2, but it does not appear on the board until their next spin. This would suggest the shot of the board on this turn was added in post-production.
  • The Round 2 puzzle BARRY BONDS SETS NEW HOME RUN RECORD (Headline) is followed by a trivia question asking how many runs did he hit. Sarah and Erica do not provide the right answer of 73.
  • During the post-game chat, Pat asks Charlie if he had good teen years to which he responds "I did Pat, I was a wonderful teenager".
• On May 2:
  • The $2,000 Toss-Up LAKE ONTARIO uses only one line.
  • There is a now-rare instance of a "bonus" category (Clue) in Round 1.
  • The Round 2 Prize is a Panasonic TV which displays clips from the 1999 New York episodes as Charlie describes it. This is the last time a television offered as a Prize displays footage of the show, as Prizes other than trips become increasingly rare over the next several seasons.
  • The Round 3 Prize is a $12,100 trip to Hawaii.
  • No vowels are bought in Round 4.
  • Contestants Jena and Haley win by $100.
  • Jena and Haley solve the bonus puzzle ELIJAH WOOD before the timer can start.
  • Round 4 and the Bonus Round are Proper Name.
• On May 1 and 2, for the only time, two Bonus Rounds in a row are Proper Name.
• On May 3:
  • Contestant Christina rings in on the $1,000 Toss-Up and says CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE. Her teammate Shayna quickly adds an S to form the right answer, and it is accepted.
  • The Round 3 Prize is a $15,580 trip to the Bahamas.
  • The $1,000 Toss-Up is Things, while Round 4 and the Bonus Round are Thing.
• The weeks of May 6-20 are taped at Navy Pier in Chicago. During these weeks:
  • Only two cars are available in the Bonus Round.
  • All of the trips offered as Prizes are provided by Yahoo! Travel.
  • The Gift Tag is $1,000 courtesy of American Airlines.
  • There is a monitor above center stage which occasionally shows shots of the Wheel in mid-spin (similarly to what was previously done with the video wall).
  • During the credit roll on at least some episodes, some of the staff names are shown on an animated marquee at the entrance of the Chicago Theatre.
• On May 6:
  • The Round 2 is $3,000 credit to HSN.com.
  • Contestant Maggie spins only once the entire game, landing on Lose a Turn in Round 3.
  • During the post-game chat, clips of Pat's old neighborhood where he grew up are shown.
• On May 7:

  

  • After solving the $2,000 Toss-Up PETER PIPER, contestant Demetra quickly recites the first verse of the poem of the same name. While this is edited out of the episode, a clip of it appears during the ceremonial 4,000th episode in November 10, 2003.
  • The Round 2 puzzle A CLOCK CHIMING ON THE HALF-HOUR is categorized as Event instead of Thing.
  • During the post-game chat, a spiel shows Vanna at Eli's Cheesecake where a staff member brings out a small cheesecake for her with a Wheel layout on top and a two-row puzzle board look-alike around the rim with the words WELCOME VANNA. Another cheesecake is brought out for Pat (who is not present in the spiel) with gooseberries on top. Back in the studio, she gives Pat the gooseberry cheesecake and soon after, a cheesecake which is similar to the one Vanna received, only much larger at 517 pounds, is rolled out for the staff. The four-row puzzle board rim reads ELI'S CHEESECAKE WELCOMES WHEEL OF FORTUNE TO CHICAGO. The Wheel layout on this cake has 23 wedges including two $250 spaces, despite that value having been retired three years earlier.
• On May 8:
  • Pat accidentally conducts the interviews counterclockwise (blue-yellow-red).
  • Contestant Terrence is selected from the audience.
  • The Round 2 Prize is $3,000 credit to Michael C. Fina.
  • The original Round 3 puzzle is discarded due to a letter lighting up that had not been called.
  • During the post-game chat, clips of some of Pat's schools he attended are shown.
• On May 9:
  • No vowels are bought in Round 1.
  • Round 1 is HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY, even though Mother's Day did not occur until the 12th.
  • The Round 2 Prize is shopping spree at Marshall Field's.
  • An extra $250 is accidentally deducted from contestant Mable's score after she buys her first vowel in Round 3. This does not affect the outcome as she does not solve that round.
  • During the post-game chat, clips of some of the places Pat used to work are shown.
• On May 10:
  • The Round 2 Prize is $2,500 credit to ticketsnow.com.
  • The overhead shot of one of contestant Michael's spin in Round 2 is obviously edited in as the Jackpot wedge is seen next to the other Bankrupt beside the orange $900.
  • Contestant Margaret solves the bonus puzzle WIND CHIMES before the timer can start.
• May 13 is College Week. During this week:
  • The contestants introduce themselves from the contestant area, while Northwestern University's cheerleading team introduces Pat and Vanna.
  • The University of Illinois-Champaign marching band plays music bumpers.
• On May 13:
  • Vanna wears a shirt and pants.
  • No vowels are bought in Round 1.
  • Three repeated letters are called in the Jackpot round.
  • Round 4 is a Before & After puzzle of VANNA WHITE SOX.
  • During the closing chat, Pat acknowledges the aforementioned marching band and their director, Dr. Tom Caneva.
• On May 14:
  • The $1,000 Toss-Up AN ART FAIR uses only one line.
  • Round 2 and 4 are played entirely by the contestant who began them.
  • Contestant Benson solves the bonus puzzle I'M CURIOUS before the timer can start.
  • Neither Bankrupt nor Lose a Turn is hit.
  • There are two duplicate sets of categories: Round 3 and the Bonus Round are Phrase, while the $3,000 Toss-Up is Things, and Round 5 is Thing.
• On May 15:
  • The Round 2 Prize is $3,000 credit to laptopmania.com.
  • There is a $13,400 Jackpot win.
  • Contestant Jennifer, who does not solve her bonus puzzle for $25,000, miss the $100,000 by only one envelope.
  • During the post-game chat, Pat and Vanna eat Chicago-style deep-dish pizza.
• On May 16:
  • The Round 2 Prize is a $3,000 shopping spree at Marshall Field's.
  • The top lights on the puzzle board do not flash when the Round 2 puzzle is revealed.
  • Contestant Jacklynn solves the bonus puzzle HAPPY TO HELP before the timer can start.
  • During the closing chat, Pat acknowledges the aforementioned marching band and their director, Dr. Tom Caneva and the aforementioned cheerleading team.
• On May 17:
  • The $1,000 Toss-Up is GIVE IT A SPIN.
  • After the Round 2 Prize description, Pat encourages the audience to do the Yahoo! jingle.
  • The $3,000 Toss-Up is People, while the Bonus Round is Person.
• May 20 is Sports Fans Week. During this week:
  • The opening graphic features a blue background with the names of various cities and the word "Sports" scrolling in gray; several gray ovals are then seen which themselves have smaller red ovals containing the two-row logo, and the camera zooms up through these before the last one flips around and reveals "SPORTS FANS WEEK" in light blue text resembling an eggcrate score display.
  • Vanna reads the first line of the Round 3 Prize copy from a Chicago landmark.
  • There are bumpers themed around the week. Most of these are framed in the ending of the opening animation.
    • Monday: Pat at Wrigley Field after Round 2; Vanna at Wrigley Field before Round 3
    • Tuesday: No bumper after Round 2; Pat at Wrigley Field before Round 3
    • Wednesday: Pat at Wrigley Field after Round 2 (shown on a video screen over the audience); Sammy Sosa introducing himself before Round 3
    • Thursday: Sammy Sosa throwing to commercial after Round 2; Vanna at Wrigley Field before Round 3
    • Friday: Sammy Sosa throwing to commercial after Round 2; no bumper before Round 3
• On May 20:
  • There is an $11,900 Jackpot win.
  • The Round 3 Prize is 18 tickets to a Chicago Blackhawks hockey game at the United Center’s executive suites.
  • There is a rare instance of the bonus puzzle being themed to the week (DUGOUT).
  • There is a $100,000 loss.
• On May 21:
  • When the Round 3 puzzle is revealed, the blank spaces immediately disappear one line at a time and the board's frame flashes before the blanks are put back up.
  • In the closing segment, Pat points out that his mother is in the audience.
  • During the credits, footage of Vanna singing "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" at Wrigley Field airs in place of the closing theme.
• On May 22:
  • The $1,000 Toss-Up THE STARTING LINE-UP is improperly hyphenated.
  • The Round 3 Prize is 20 tickets to a Chicago White Sox game at Comiskey Park (now Guaranteed Rate Field) executive suites.
  • The Round 5 puzzle KNOCK KNOCK JOKES should be hyphenated.
  • Contestant Dawn solves the bonus puzzle A GOLF BAG on the buzzer. Pat asks for the answer to be revealed (and it lights up as if the puzzle were solved) and does not open the envelope, stating that her answer will be checked during the commercial. During the closing chat, he opens the envelope (with $25,000 inside) and states that she has been ruled a winner. Unusually, Vanna is not present during this segment.
  • Round 2 and the $3,000 Toss-Up are Phrase, while the $2,000 Toss-Up, Round 5, and Bonus Round are Thing(s).
• On May 23:
  • The Round 1 and 5 puzzles (SPORTS BAR and NEAR BEER) are both shorter than ten letters; this is the last episode to have more than one such puzzle. The latter also has only three unique consonants.
  • The Round 3 Prize is a $10,000 billiards table.
  • Round 1 and the Bonus Round are Place.
• On May 24:
  • The Round 1 Before & After puzzle BRAIN WAVE BYE-BYE is misspelled ("brainwave" is one word).
  • The Round 3 Prize is 19 tickets to a Chicago Bulls basketball game from a personal suite at United Center.
  • Pat forgets to remove contestant Althea's Prize after Round 4.
  • Contestant Tom fails to solve the bonus puzzle HUMIDITY, repeatedly guessing "humditty". After time expires, he misreads the fully-revealed answer as "humditty", after which Pat corrects him.
• May 27 is Wheel Goes to the Movies. During this week, one of the Prizes is preceded by a movie trailer: Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron on Monday, Legally Blonde on Tuesday, The Tuxedo on Wednesday, Life as a House on Thursday, and Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood on Friday. The trailers are before the Round 2 Prize copy on Monday and Thursday, and the Round 3 Prize copy on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday.
• On May 27:
  • The Round 4 puzzle A WELL-DESERVED PROMOTION has the A on the top row by itself.
  • No wrong letters are called.
  • Contestant Douglas is the last contestant who finishes with $0 to receive parting gifts.
• On May 28:
  • There is a now-rare instance of a "bonus" category (Slogan) in Round 1.
  • There are two set of duplicate categories: the $1,000 Toss-Up is Thing, while the $3,000 Toss-Up is Thing and Round 2 and the Bonus Round are Event.
• On May 29:
  • The Round 2 Prize is $2,500 to Trish McEvoy Cosmetics.
  • The bonus puzzle A FISH BOWL is misspelled ("fishbowl" is one word).
• On May 30:
  • The puzzle board's border accidentally starts flashing after the D is revealed in the Round 4 puzzle COSTUME DESIGNER. This is fixed one turn later after the Final Spin.
  • Contestant Randy solves the bonus puzzle JUST FOR KICKS before the timer can start.
• On May 31:
  • The eggcrate scoreboards are used for the last time.
  • The Round 3 puzzle BUYING MOVIE TICKETS ON-LINE is improperly hyphenated.
  • The $2,000 Toss-Up and Bonus Round are Thing, while Round 4 is Things.
  • Contestant Deanna solves the bonus puzzle SHAVED ICE before the timer can start.