Wheel of Fortune timeline (syndicated)/Season 24

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A timeline for Season 24 of Wheel of Fortune, which aired in first-run from September 11, 2006 through June 8, 2007.

Season Changes

• Wheel and Jeopardy! abandon standard-definition (SD) broadcasting and become the first syndicated programs, as well as two of the first game shows, to transition to high-definition television (HDTV). The various HD improvements for the two shows represent a combined investment of approximately $4,000,000 plus 5,000 hours of labor and six miles of cable. Whereas on HD broadcasts, the shows are now displayed with an aspect ratio of 16:9, on SD broadcasts, they continue to be displayed with an aspect ratio of 4:3. However, many instances of Prize footage this season remain in standard definition.
• The opening is changed:
  • The logo features a golden two-row logo on a graphic of the Wheel, starting with a gold "center" dropping into the Wheel graphic, which contains a purple $500 in place of $550, a light purple $400 in place of $450, a dark purple $800 in place of $350, and a red $600 in place of $800. For the season premiere week (and its sixth show taping), there is a montage of flashback clips during Charlie's "Ladies and gentlemen..." announcement.
  • The opening shot now pans across the back of the audience, cuts to Pat and Vanna, and then cuts back to a head-on shot of the audience applauding. This lasts until the show stops having studio audiences in Season 37.
• "Happy Wheels" is given a new re-orchestration by Frankie Blue. The opening and closing music beds are changed accordingly; this season's opening music is used only for this season. The new closing music bed lacks the sample of the 1997 "Changing Keys". The new theme has more saxophones and trumpets and less electric guitar. And from this season continuing into the present, there is no timpani roll playing over the chant. For this season only, the introductory fanfare is altered to a jazz arrangement with trumpets and a bass guitar.
• From this point until Season 42, the closing theme is back-timed so that it always ends when the credits do. Previously, it would fade out at the end of the credits.
• Karen Griffith and Steve Schwartz become supervising producers.
• A "Presented in SONY HD" bug is added at the start of the program, in which the "Presented in" is displayed to look like the puzzle board, with the letters turning into view. Between the second week of the season and the end of season 25, the bug reads "Presented in Wheel of Fortune HD", with a gold two-row logo.
• Certain areas of the studio are upgraded to accommodate for the transition to HD: the staging area is extended to allow for a wider view of the set, with approximately 60 seats removed from the audience area in the process; the control room is rebuilt to support the new HD content; and the post-production facility is upgraded with new hardware and software to allow editing of the new HD video.
• The Wheel is also altered significantly to accommodate for the transition to HD:
  • The wedges now have sparkly outlines around the digits and lettering, instead of just solid white outlines.
  • The previous color scheme, used since Season 14, is altered in favor of a new scheme: the orange $900 becomes pink; the orange-yellow $300 becomes red; and the orange-yellow $500, red $600, and the pink $300 between $400 and Lose a Turn become blue. In addition, all of the green wedges are brightened. This is the first time that no wedges on the Wheel have been orange-yellow, the first use of blue since Season 14, and the first time that blue and green have been used simultaneously.
  • $2,500, $3,500 and $5,000 are given outlines and shadows on the numbers, and their colors are brightened.
  • The numbers on the reverse side of the $10,000 Wedge are now given shadows and outlines.
  • The lettering on the Free Spin token is now given a shadow, and "SPIN" is also given a sparkly outline.
  • The Mystery Wedges are given outlines, shadows, and sparkles as well, and their numbers are lightened.
  • After having been mismatched following the December 2002 redesign of the Wheel, both Bankrupt wedges are now identical again.
• The Toss-Up wipe changes to Cosmos Bold, and reverts to "flipping" into place. This style is kept through Season 26.

• The Toss-Up and main puzzle-solve cues introduced in Season 20, as well as some of the original music cues for the Bonus Round, are changed to the versions used until January 2017, written by Frankie Blue.
  • The new main puzzle-solve cue is a whole-step higher than the previous one; additionally, the final note is not extended, as was the case with the previous cue.
  • The Bonus Wheel spin music cue retains its original key and tempo, but it has a different piano melody accompanied by drums.
  • The Bonus Round win music is now a rock-based composition, similar in style to the opening theme introduced in Season 25; this version remains until shortly after the beginning of Season 27.
  • The Bonus Round lose music is a composition based on the opening version of the new theme. Previously the closing theme would play from the 0:12 mark after Bonus Round losses.
  • There are two different compositions for the Bonus Round prize spiel music: The first one is used for the first half of the season, in an upbeat jazz cue which utilizes trumpets and an electric piano. The other, used for the second half of the season, is based on the new closing theme.
• The logo bug in the bottom left-hand corner is changed from transparent to gold, and is only shown during the intro and shots of the board.
• The graphic of the traditional logo that occasionally appears as a bug as the show breaks to commercial is changed from the design used since Season 17: the Wheel in the center and the previous yellow outline are excluded; the general color scheme is changed from starry blue to rainbow; and the letters are changed from white to gold, except for the "of", which is now written on a gold disc in the center.
• The Round 1 prize plug begins and ends with a graphic of the Wheel dropping down from the top of the screen and briefly framing the trip graphics.
• The Jackpot graphic is given a red border with the gold word "JACKPOT" on the thick top of the border, and the triangle is changed to a gold star. Additionally, the Jackpot display is updated to match the new graphic design, and the rectangle is changed back to gold-bordered red with gold text. Both the graphic and display have the "JACKPOT" name switched to Cosmos Bold, and the amount in the display is changed to Arial. In addition, there is a chiming sound effect when the graphic is revealed.

• For the graphic of the Jackpot wedge positioning itself onto the Wheel, the wedge is updated to reflect the new design of the graphic used at the beginning of the round, as well as the new silver coloration of the wedge itself. Additionally, the shot of the Wheel is updated for the first time since Season 18.
• Letters called on the Jackpot wedge are now worth $500 each, plus $500 toward the Jackpot, regardless of whether or not it is won.
• The category strips are changed again, keeping the white-on-blue motif but adding a slight sunburst effect to the blue field; also, the font is changed to Cosmos. The Bonus Round category strip no longer has distinct ends, and it now reveals by sliding onto the screen (with the name already on the strip) while the letters RSTLNE move into place diagonally, one letter at a time.
• "Bonus" categories no longer appear in Round 1 with one exception.
• The "no more vowels" graphic changes to white curved text in Cosmos, with a rainbow background and an "exploding" sound.
• Starting this season, the Culver City studio audience no longer reacts regularly to notable spins such as the top dollar value.
• For the intro to the two sponsors after the first commercial break, "the following" is added after "brought to you by".
• The Prize Puzzle and Final Spin graphic wipes are now those words written in gold text in Cosmos Bold, with the same multicolored wheel background used for the Round 1 prize plug.

• The Prize Puzzle and SPIN ID also undergo multiple changes:
  • The bug is changed to match the new Prize Puzzle graphic wipe's text, and the SPIN ID bug is altered to show a teal disc with a spinning aquamarine border; "Have Your SPIN ID Ready" becomes "Get Your SPIN ID Ready" (albeit only for this season), and "SPIN ID" is written in gold Helvetica Condensed text while the rest of the phrase is positioned on the spinning border, written in black Arial text.
  • The Wheel Watchers Club's logo is changed. In the new logo, the background Wheel graphic is removed; the word "Club", which had previously been light blue, is changed to gold to match the "WHEEL WATCHERS" text, is no longer underlined, and the original proprietary script font is retired in favor of Brush Script MT; and the "WHEEL WATCHERS" text, which had previously used the unofficial "SF Fortune Wheel" font, is switched to Bauhaus.
  • The first line of the SPIN ID reveal is changed to "Hey, Wheel Watchers Club members, if this is your SPIN ID number, [SPIN ID number], you're a winner." The SPIN ID reveal plug also gains a new background, in which yellow is removed from the list of possible color schemes, leaving only green, blue, and purple; the "mini-board" showing SPIN IDs has the font changed to Lucida Sans for both the "SPIN I.D." text and the ID itself, the coloration of the border changed from blue and pink to orange-yellow, and the color of the empty panel changed to teal; and the "PRIZE PUZZLE" bug and accompanying disclaimer are removed from the plug.
  • The background for the Sony Card graphic wipe after SPIN ID draws is changed from dark blue with a transparent Wheel to bright blue with outlined wedge shapes representing the Wheel.
  • All new SPIN IDs issued from this point onward are now seven digits instead of five; however, five-digit ones continue to be drawn.
• After the first letter reveal in Round 3, a graphic now drops down from the top of the screen to show the contestants' names and scores at that point. The first graphic is a red-yellow-blue gradient with white text in Delta Bold. This graphic is sometimes used during Round 4 as well if it does not begin as a Speed-Up.
• The Bonus Wheel animation is retired, replaced before the last commercial break with a $100,000 graphic.
• The prize values and post-Bonus Round totals change to gold text in Cosmos.
• The number graphics for the Bonus Round envelope amounts are switched to Cosmos Bold, and become gold with rainbow backgrounds. The animation for the cash graphics reverts to "spinning" into place for the first time since Season 19, albeit slower than the previous.
• The Pat & Vanna talk backdrop is now purple with the show's logo at the top, and the star field is now less pronounced.
• The sponsor list, eligibility and editing disclaimers, Wheel Watchers Club rules summary, credits, and copyright notice are switched from Albertus MT (used since Season 18) to their current font, Delta Bold. Additionally, the position labels for all credits from Executive Producer to Associate Director are switched to uppercase, as is the "Created By" in Merv Griffin's credit; the names in the credits switch from white to light yellow, and the "All Rights Reserved" notice switches from white with mixed case to tan and uppercase.
• With only one exception, Bonus Round wins no longer include slow-motion replays.
• On early episodes of this season:
  • The video screen on the arch behind Pat features the same variant of the traditional logo seen during some commercial breaks, on a blue "starry sky" background similar to, but not the same as, that from Seasons 22-23. However, the screen is soon updated to the standard Season 24 main title design, and continues to be updated for each new season.
  • In the Bonus Round, RSTLNE and the contestant's letter choices are initially in Arial, but are soon switched to Cosmos Light.

    

  • The "$100,000" graphic at the beginning of the Bonus Round is green like its previous version (albeit in a lighter shade of that color than it was previously), and has a gold fireworks background. However, this is soon changed to match the color scheme of the new Bonus Round envelope amount graphics.
  • The prize values flip into place and the post-Bonus Round totals spin into place, but soon these animations are changed so that both zoom in. When the animations are changed, the font changes to Cosmos Bold.
  • The Season 22 graphic of the spinning Wheel remains in use as a transition graphic for Prize Puzzle plugs on much of this season's episodes. By Season 25, this graphic is retired for good.
• The transition to HD and all the aesthetic changes that come with it represent the most visual changes of any season in the nighttime show's history.
• This season's category strips, Bonus Round letter graphics, Prize wedge transition effect, prize values and post-Bonus Round totals, Jackpot graphics, and Final Spin graphic wipe all carry over into Season 25. The retaining of the Season 24 category strips for Season 25 ends the tradition started in Season 18 of changing the maingame category strip design at the start of each season.

September 2006

• For the first three weeks, the only Gift Tag present is the one on the green $700.
• September 11 is Fantastic Voyages. During this week, Vanna announces the Mystery Round Prize.
• On September 11:
  • On the Menu is renamed Food & Drink in Round 1.
  • The slide whistle does not sound when contestant Heather finds a Bankrupt on the reverse of a Mystery Wedge.
  • All of the cardboard is claimed.
  • The second-place contestant has $20,250.
• On September 13:
  • Contestant Amy is ruled correct on the $2,000 Toss-Up OPTICIAN despite adding "AN" to the answer.
  • After the first shot of the board in Round 1, the category strip accidentally changes from Phrase to Before & After and stays that way for the rest of the round.
  • Rounds 1 and 5 are played entirely by the contestants who began them.
  • The second-place contestant has $22,450.
  • Contestant Debbie solves the bonus puzzle WICHITA with only the T and A showing.
• On September 14:
  • As contestant Harry is a stage magician, he pulls a handkerchief out of Pat's sleeve during the chat, to which Pat responds by pulling a plastic fork out of the other sleeve.
  • Pat forgets to open the bonus envelope. He shows it in the final segment.
• On September 15, contestant Matt solves the bonus puzzle FUEL GAUGE despite getting no help from his extra letters.
• September 18 is TGIF. During this week, the Mystery Round Prize is $10,000 credit to pricegrabber.com.
• On September 18, Free Spin becomes much larger.
• On September 19, Round 5 and the Bonus Round are Place.
• On September 22, after contestant Mark solves the $3,000 Toss-Up SNAPPING TURTLE, Pat points out that Mark has one on his tie.
• September 25 is Great Outdoors. During this week:
  • Except on Tuesday, there is a cold open where Vanna announces the week's theme from an outdoors setting: "Discover the great outdoors inside! Wheel's on." on Monday and Thursday, and "Bring the great outdoors inside! Wheel's on." on Wednesday and Friday.
  • Pat announces the Mystery Round Prize over the same footage of a cardboard cutout of him at a trailhead previously used in Season 23's Great Outdoors week, although his voiceover line is changed to "Ah, I love it out here in nature. And now a chance for someone to win $10,000 cash!" on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday. The previous season's voiceover lines "I can talk without my lips even moving. $10,000 in our Mystery Round!" and "I come alive in the outdoors. And now the Mystery Round, a chance to win $10,000 cash!" are used on Wednesday and Friday, respectively.
• On September 25:
  • The Prize value chyrons are changed to a bolder font.
  • During the closing chat, Pat and Vanna reference the previous Friday's chat, where Vanna gave incorrect instructions on how to type a cent sign on the computer. Pat claimed the previous chat had a caption indicating the error, but this was not actually the case.
• On September 26:
  • There is an animated opening featuring Boog from Open Season watching the show in a garage and saying "come on, big money" after the title chant sounds. In addition, the Prize copy features a trailer for the movie.
  • No vowels are bought in Rounds 4 or 5.
  • The bonus puzzle FICUS is the first five-letter one since October 21, 2005.
  • Contestant Helen solves the above bonus puzzle before the timer can start.
• On September 27:
  • For the first time, a "decade" category (The 70s) is used as a Prize Puzzle. This is also the last time that The 70s is used until Season 30.
  • Again, Round 5 and the Bonus Round are Place.
  • The bonus puzzle has a redundant "the" at the beginning (THE FAIRWAY).
• On September 28:
  • Contestant Robin wins by $50.
  • The original bonus puzzle is thrown out after Robin calls her letters, apparently because it was realized that she did not spin the Bonus Wheel all the way around.
  • Robin leaves with $8,150, which appears to be the lowest total since Prize Puzzles began occurring daily until April 2010.

October 2006

• During the month of October, in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, AstraZeneca has a Gift Tag which offers $1,000 cash as well as a donation of the same amount to Men Against Breast Cancer. Vanna promotes this before the $3,000 Toss-Up.
• October 2 is Just for Fun. During this week:
  • The Mystery Round copy uses the Season 22 backdrop and prize value graphic. The reasoning for this is unknown, though it may be related to the copy being in standard definition.
  • The original-sized Free Spin is used.
  • The Gift Tag on the pink $300 returns.
• On October 2:
  • The inner frame of the puzzle board is magenta.
  • Rounds 1 and 3 are played entirely by the person who began them.
  • The third- and second-place contestants have $17,300 and $20,000.
• On October 3, no vowels are bought in Round 1.
• On October 4:
  • The buzzer does not sound on an incorrect letter (T) in Round 1.
  • Rounds 2, 3, and 4 are played entirely by the person who began them.
  • Neither Bankrupt nor Lose a Turn is hit.
• On October 5:
  • WBKB of Alpena, Michigan accidentally airs the October 6 episode a day early, and then airs the September 30 episode again on October 6.
  • For unknown reasons, the Jackpot wipe graphic is entirely black.
  • There is a $16,500 Jackpot win.
  • Contestant Zack's winning total is not shown after he loses the Bonus Round.
• On October 6, the Gift Tag on the pink $300 is once again not used.
• All five Bonus Rounds are lost on the week of October 2.
• October 9 is Going to the Game. During this week, the Prize is a VIP trip to a major league sports game, with merchandise and a hotel stay in the same town: Miami Heat on Monday, San Diego Chargers on Tuesday, San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday, New York Rangers on Thursday, and Chicago Bulls on Friday.
• On October 9:
  • The Prize copy appears to have been added in post-production, as unusually, Charlie does not respond to Pat's throw to him.
  • The bonus puzzle BASHFUL & DOPEY is a rare instance of an ampersand in the Bonus Round.
• On October 10:
  • There is an $8,200 Jackpot win.
  • There is a $100,000 loss.
• On October 12:
  • Rock On! is used as a Prize Puzzle (Round 1) for the third of four times.
  • Unusually, Round 4 goes to Speed-Up after only one spin.
  • Contestant Mandana solves the bonus puzzle HEAVE-HO before the timer can start.
• On October 13, the right-letter ding is accidentally used on the only turn of the Speed-Up.
• October 16 is Get Out of Town!
• On October 16:
  • As it is the sixth episode of the season premiere week, the original-sized Free Spin is used, and flashback clips appear in the intro.
  • No vowels are bought in Rounds 1 or 2.
• On October 17:
  • WBKB accidentally airs the October 19 episode two days early.
  • Food & Drink makes its first appearance in the Bonus Round.
  • Contestant Heather solves the puzzle HOT WINGS despite getting no help from her letters.
• On October 18, Bankrupt is hit five times in Round 3, with the last three being consecutive. The Bankrupt Mystery Wedge is also hit, but it is not flipped.
• On October 19, during the closing chat, Pat and Vanna show that contestant Dale missed the $100,000 by only one envelope.
• October 23 is College Week, sponsored by Capital One. During this week:
  • Despite being taped in Culver City, the episode still features college mascots.
  • The Mystery Prize is a $10,000 Capital One credit card. The copy for this shows all of said mascots in front of the board, holding a sign with the company's slogan "What's in your wallet?" while the board displays CAPITAL ONE on the top row.
• On October 23:
  • The audience seating is changed to blue.
  • Except for the week of November 20, the puzzle-solve cue now has a drumbeat at the beginning.
  • The Jackpot wedge changes to match the Jackpot graphic introduced at the beginning of the season.
  • The Prize is a trip to the Capital One Bowl in Orlando, Florida. The copy features all of the mascots in front of the puzzle board, which displays WHAT'S IN YOUR WALLET?
  • The Wild Card debuts on $700. For this week only, the Gift Tag formerly on that space moves back to the yellow $400. The card is explained to the viewers for all of its first ten shows, with a close-up shot of it edited in before Round 1 of each game.
  • For the remainder of Season 24, the Mystery Round again has an intro animation wipe, this time with "MYSTERY ROUND" in gold Cosmos text on a purple light background.
  • Excluding the week of October 30, the second Bankrupt is now removed if Round 4 begins as a Speed-Up.
  • Mike Zeller, then a chair member of the Pomona Valley branch of the Red Cross, appears during the closing chat to present Pat with an award honoring his donations to Hurricane Katrina relief funds.
• On October 24, the Wild Card is picked up for the first time.
• On October 25, in an unusual move, Round 4 goes to Speed-Up after only one spin.
• On October 26, Pat and Vanna show off the Wild Card during the closing chat.
• On October 27, Round 3 is the last appearance of Who Said It?
• The weeks of October 30-November 13 are taped at the Nokia (now Texas Trust CU) Theater at Grand Prairie in Dallas, Texas. During these weeks, if a contestant wins a car in the Bonus Round, Pat gives them the keys before they go to the car, and Charlie does not begin describing the car or announcing its value until the very end of the segment.
• October 30 is Best Friends Week. During this week, Vanna announces the Mystery Round prize.
• On October 30, Pat forgets to take contestants Mark and Stacy's Wild Card after they land on Bankrupt during Round 2. This is corrected before the beginning of Round 3.
• On October 31, the $3,000 Toss-Up LEAN ON ME uses only one line.

November 2006

• On November 1, although the yellow team claims the Wild Card in Round 2, it is absent from the start of Round 3 for unknown reasons. This ends up not mattering, as they hit Bankrupt early in Round 3.
• On November 2:
  • Before a taping session in Culver City, audience members are asked to "simulate reactions" for a promotional film made for pilots of Combination Lock and a revival of The Joker's Wild. Said film is shot after the November 3 taping session. Notably, the latter pilot uses the slot machine prop first seen on the Las Vegas episodes in February 2005. While planned for a Fall 2007 launch, neither show makes it to series.
  • Pat forgets to take the yellow team's Wild Card after they land on Bankrupt during Round 3. This is corrected by the end of the round via editing.
• On November 3:
  • Contestants Julie and Nancy solve the bonus puzzle JOB OFFER before the timer can start.
  • During the closing chat, Pat and Vanna talk to an audience member who was named after Vanna.
• November 6 is North Texas Week. During this week, the Mystery Round Prize is a $13,210 Toyota Yaris. This is the first time since March 2004 that the round offers a car or any prize other than $10,000 cash or credit.
• On November 6, the Prize is a $5,000 shopping spree at Galleria Dallas.
• On November 7, the Wild Card is placed too low, exposing part of the dollar sign on the green $700. This is fixed in Round 2.
• On November 8:
  • Nobody solves the $2,000 Toss-Up, STAR POWER.
  • A "decades" category appears for the last regular time until Season 30 (The 90s, in Round 3).
  • The bonus puzzle is JULY FOURTH; coincidentally, the episode is rerun on July 4, 2007.
• On November 10:
  • Vanna wears a suit.
  • No vowels are bought in Rounds 1 or 3.
• November 13 is Family Week. During this week:
  • There is a cold open where Vanna promotes the theme.
  • The Mystery Round offers $10,000 credit to pricegrabber.com.
• On November 13:
  • No vowels are bought in Round 2.
  • The winning team loses the Bonus Round and misses the $100,000 by only one envelope.
• November 10 and 13 feature a very rare occurrence of Family appearing on two consecutive shows. Interestingly, these are also this season's only two uses of that category.
• On November 14:
  • The Prize is a trip to the Bahamas and collection of James Bond DVDs, accompanied by a trailer for Casino Royale.
  • The bonus puzzle is Phrase, but the category strip says Thing by mistake.
• On November 15, the Wild Card is used in the Bonus Round for the first time; although the extra letter is not in the puzzle, it is solved. Interestingly, it is used in the Bonus Round again the next day.
• On November 17, there is a $7,200 Jackpot win.
• November 20 is Hawaii Week, taped in Culver City. During this week:
  • On Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday, there is a cold open where Vanna tries to teach a group of seals to do the title chant.
  • The Wild Card is positioned too low, revealing part of the dollar sign on $700.
• On November 20:
  • The Round 2 puzzle THE CROCODILE HUNTER (itself categorized as Show Biz instead of TV Title) is used as a Prize Puzzle for a trip to Australia. After the prize copy, Pat's recap of the scores and throw to commercial are replaced with a clip of him explaining that the episode was taped before the death of Steve Irwin on September 4.
  • The Wild Card is used in the main game for the first time; contestant Elizabeth uses it on $3,500 successfully in Round 3.
• On November 21:
  • No vowels are bought in Rounds 1, 4, or 5.
  • Unusually, Round 5 goes to Speed-Up after only one spin.
  • The $3,000 Toss-Up and the Bonus Round are On the Map.
• On November 23:
  • This episode is in 4:3 on Pluto TV.
  • Round 4 goes to Speed-Up with only one consonant remaining (the L in TUPELO MISSISSIPPI).
  • Neither Thing nor Phrase is used in the main game.
• On November 24, Round 3 and the Bonus Round are Food & Drink.
• November 27 is International Flavor. During this week, the Mystery Round cash is sponsored by lowermybills.com
• On November 27, contestant Todd uses the Free Spin after hitting Lose a Turn in Round 3 only to land on that wedge again.
• On November 28:
  • The $1,000 Toss-Up is Song Title and Round 3 is TV Title.
  • The overhead shot of Amanda's first spin in Round 3 is edited in, as the $10,000 Wedge is visible.
• On November 29, the bonus puzzle THE LONG JUMP is inexplicably categorized as Event instead of Fun & Games.
• On November 30:
  • There is an $8,900 Jackpot win.
  • The second-place contestant has $25,100.
  • Neither Bankrupt nor Lose a Turn is hit.

December 2006

• On December 1:
  • The category strip does not appear during the second shot of the board in Round 3.
  • Round 5 goes to Speed-Up after only one spin.
• All five Bonus Rounds are lost on the week of November 27. This is part of a nine-loss streak spanning from November 22 to December 4.
• December 4 is the first Holiday Movie Magic week. During this week:
  • Vanna announces the Mystery Round Prize over footage of her at her Hollywood Walk of Fame star.
  • Except on Tuesday, the Prize copy is preceded by a trailer for a movie whose title also appears on the wedge: The Pursuit of Happyness on Monday, Rocky Balboa on Wednesday, The Holiday on Thursday, and Charlotte's Web on Friday.
• On December 4:
  • The Prize is $5,000 cash courtesy of Columbia Pictures.
  • After contestant Suzanne hits Bankrupt in Round 3, contestant Rich begins to spin despite it not being his turn. Pat comments on this and then resets the Wheel so that contestant Edye can spin.
• On December 5:
  • The $1,000 Toss-Up and Round 2 are Event.
  • There is a $100,000 win.
• On December 6:
  • The Prize includes a DVD box set of the Rocky movies, which are seen sitting on the railing as Charlie announces them.
  • For the first time, the extra letter provided by the Wild Card is in the bonus puzzle.
• On December 7:
  • No vowels are bought in Round 2.
  • Round 3 is the fifth appearance of Who Are They?
• December 11 is Weekend in New England. During this week, the Mystery Round cash is sponsored by lowermybills.com.
• On December 11:
  • A "null" cycle is not edited out of Round 2 (an incorrect L, a Bankrupt from a contestant with no money or cardboard, and an incorrect N).
  • Round 4 goes to Speed-Up after only one spin.
• All five Bonus Rounds are lost on the week of December 11. This is part of a seven-loss streak spanning from the 8th to 18th.
• On December 12, after contestant Susan buys a repeated I, in an unusual move, a voice can be heard saying that it was already called. After this, Sarah begins to spin before Pat stops and resets the Wheel before asking if Susan wants to use her Free Spin, which she does.
• On December 13, for no particular reason, Pat prompts contestant Janet to use the Wild Card on $600, which she does; however, she calls a repeated letter.
• On December 15:
  • Round 5 goes to Speed-Up after only one spin.
  • The $3,000 Toss-Up and Bonus Round are Living Thing.
• December 18 is Route 66 Week.
• On December 18:
  • Tori Spelling reads the copy for the Prize, which is DVD sets of Beverly Hills, 90210 and Melrose Place along with a trip to Beverly Hills and $1,000 cash. While cash is typically included with trips anyway, this is a rare instance of it being explicitly mentioned in the copy.
  • The above Prize is accidentally placed on the yellow $400 two wedges counterclockwise from Lose a Turn. While the Prize is claimed in Round 2, it is not won.
  • The "drop down" graphic in Round 3 changes to red, yellow, and blue rectangles with rounded tops.
• On December 19, the second Bankrupt and Jackpot wedge are accidentally placed one wedge clockwise from their normal locations, putting them on the green $500 (where Jackpot should be) and orange $800, respectively. This does not affect the outcome.
• On December 20, Round 3 (THE ALOHA STATE) is categorized as Phrase instead of Place or On the Map.
• On December 21:
  • The Prize includes DVD and Blu-Ray copies of Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby, and the prize copy includes a trailer for that movie.
  • There is an $11,200 Jackpot win.
  • During the closing segment, associate director L. David Irete uses a hand-held camera to show the view from Pat's position at the Wheel. Several staffers are visible in the shot, including Harry Friedman, Steve Schwartz, and John Lauderdale. As a result of this, Pat and Vanna chat with the winning contestant at the contestant railing instead of at center stage.
• On December 22:
  • Round 1 (OH GIVE ME A HOME WHERE THE BUFFALO ROAM) is categorized as Rhyme Time instead of Song Lyrics, likely due to that category also being used in the Bonus Round.
  • After the Round 3 Where Are We? puzzle WASHINGTON TOUR GUIDES OVAL OFFICE & ROSE GARDEN, contestant Joanne gives a guess of Washington, D.C. and is asked to be more specific. She guesses "District of Columbia" and then gives the right answer of "the White House" on the buzzer; Pat ends up ruling against her and says "we gave you one shot".
  • Song Lyrics makes its second of only two appearances in the Bonus Round.
• The week of December 25 is Spirit of the Season, using the set from the previous season's Denver shows.
• On December 25:
  • Round 5 (MATT LAUER) is shorter than ten letters.
  • The King World closing logo introduced to the show on September 6, 1999 is replaced with the distributor's final logo. Changes from the 1999 logo are as follows: The backdrop changes color, from a golden sunset to sky blue; the clouds are gray instead of golden-brown; the "KING WORLD" text is now tilted up, is in a slightly brighter shade of blue, and gains a 3-D appearance with a silver trim; instead of scanning through the sky, the wordmark flies outward and settles itself in the center; the "DISTRIBUTED BY" byline is smaller and narrower than it was previously, and is now in italic text; and the booming thunderclap and musical backdrop are replaced by an ominous wind sound followed by another "rain" sound (although Jeopardy! continues to use the 1999 thunderclap and music with the new logo).
  • A unique piece of Christmas-themed music plays during the credits, as Pat and Vanna open Christmas gifts.
  • The copyright year now precedes the name of Califon Productions in the copyright notice. Previously, the year had followed the name.
• On December 26, there is a $9,000 Jackpot win.
• On December 27:
  • The Wheel Prize is a $5,000 gift card for The Home Depot.
  • The second-place contestant has $25,850, won entirely in Round 3.
• On December 28:
  • The crane is used to shoot the reveal of the P's in Round 2.
  • During the closing chat, Pat mentions that he began hosting 25 years ago.
• On December 29, Pat forgets to take away contestant Will's Wild Card in Round 2 after he hits Bankrupt. He corrects this later in the round.

January 2007

• January 1 is Las Vegas Week. During this week:
  • There is a cold open where Vanna announces the theme from Las Vegas.
  • The slot machine video wall from the 2005 Las Vegas shows is used.
  • Vanna announces the Mystery Round Prize via footage of her in Las Vegas.
• On January 1:
  • Vanna wears a sleeveless top and pants.
  • Unusually, both the $2,000 and $3,000 Toss-Ups (EDMONTON and ABRACADABRA) are both only one word; the latter is also a rare instance of a one-word Rhyme Time.
• On January 2:
  • The Prize is a trip to Las Vegas with tickets to a Jimmy Buffett concert and copy of his album Take the Weather with You.
  • Round 5 goes to Speed-Up after only one spin.
• On January 3:
  • The second-place contestant has $28,750.
  • According to a now-deleted YouTube comment, the original bonus puzzle is thrown out due to some sort of error in revealing the letters. Strangely, the Bonus Wheel spin is also reshot with a dummy envelope in place, but the contestant still plays for the prize that was picked on the original spin. Perhaps in reference to this, Pat can be seen playing with the envelope while Vanna reveals RSTLNE.
• On January 4:
  • There are two contestants named Jennifer. For most of the show, Pat differentiates them by the initials of their last name (Jennifer A. and Jennifer H.). Although he does not do so on the $1,000 Toss-Up, this ends up not mattering as Jennifer H. did not attempt to ring in anyway.
  • The Prize is a trip to Europe to see Il Divo at the "destination of your choice", along with a copy of their album Siempre. Il Divo reads the Prize copy in front of the puzzle board, which reads IL DIVO on the top row.
  • There is a $7,350 Jackpot win that comes with only vowels remaining.
  • During the closing segment, Pat and Vanna mention that everyone in the audience will receive a copy of Siempre. This is followed by footage of them performing "Somewhere" in front of the puzzle board.
• On January 5, the $2,000 Toss-Up LASER TAG uses only one line.
• January 8 is The Good Life, composed of sixth episodes. Except on Monday, there is a cold open where Vanna says "Enjoy the good life on..." at an outdoor setting.
• On January 8, six rounds are played.
• On January 9, as it is the sixth episode of College Road Trip, three college students play.
• On January 11, contestant Dena's scoreboard does not clear the $1,000 she got from solving the $1,000 Toss-Up until just before contestant Sunny rings in on the $2,000 Toss-Up.
• January 15 is AA Vacations, sponsored by American Airlines. During this week:
  • The Prize is $4,000 credit to a trip with American Airlines.
  • The outer frame of the puzzle board is pink.
• On January 15, Round 4 goes to Speed-Up after only one spin.
• On January 16:
  • A shot from behind the contestants' backs is used when the I is revealed in Round 2.
  • Four consecutive turns are lost in Round 2 with only the S missing from the Before & After puzzle ENGAGEMENT RING TOSS (three Bankrupts and a wrong answer).
  • The bonus puzzle WIT & WISDOM is a rare instance of an ampersand in the Bonus Round.
• On January 19, contestant Andy uses the Wild Card on $400, the lowest value for such use.
• January 22 is European Landmarks.
• On January 22:
  • Nobody solves the $2,000 Toss-Up SPAM FILTER.
  • Round 4 begins with three consecutive Bankrupts; these are not edited out due to the third one claiming the Wild Card.
  • Round 5 goes to Speed-Up after only one spin.
  • During the closing chat, Pat and Vanna show footage of the audience lining up outside Studio 11 at Sony Pictures Studios.
• On January 23, Round 4 goes to Speed-Up after only one spin.
• On January 24:
  • Contestant Anasa loses $29,950 to Bankrupt in Round 3.
  • The $1,000 Toss-Up and Bonus Round are Food & Drink.
• On January 25, contestant Tim has his fiancée Morgan spin the Wheel for him.
• On January 26, six rounds are played.
• January 29 is Teen Best Friends Week.
• On January 29, Pat forgets to take away contestants Diana and Kristina's Wild Card after they hit Bankrupt in Round 3. They end up taking it to the Bonus Round, although they still do not solve the bonus puzzle.
• On January 30, there is a rare instance of a team losing their turn with only vowels remaining: with only the O's missing from the Round 2 Prize Puzzle ALL-YOU-CAN-EAT TACO BAR, contestants Judith and Kamilah give a wrong answer. Against precedent at the time, the buzzer sounds.
• On January 31:
  • There are two contestants named Stephanie, but on different teams.
  • There is a $14,150 Jackpot win.
  • Contestants Jacob and Gonzalo solve the Speed-Up puzzle SOFTWARE UPDATES while it is still contestants Kimberly and Stephanie's turn, then call an F and solve again when control passes to them. Likely due to this not affecting the outcome, Pat announces during the score recap that Kimberly and Stephanie will be awarded the $3,800 they had accumulated in that round anyway.
  • Jacob and Gonzalo win by $50, while contestants Natasha and Stephanie finish second with $26,150.

February 2007

• On February 1:
  • Round 3 (PLAID PAJAMA PANTS) is categorized as Thing instead of Things.
  • Round 4 (RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS) is categorized as Show Biz instead of either Rock On! or Proper Name.
• The weeks of February 5-19 are taped at the Charleston Area Convention Center in Charleston, South Carolina.
• During the week of February 5, the Mystery Round cash is sponsored by freecreditreport.com.
• On February 5:
  • There is a cold open where Vanna says "From Charleston, South Carolina..." before the title chant.
  • More of Steve Kaplan's music compositions are retired in favor of new ones written by Frankie Blue:
    • The 1997 arrangement of "Maximum Drive" is replaced with a rock-based composition which is reused in Season 31.
    • The Toss-Up think music from Season 20 is replaced with a new melody in a lower key with a louder ticking sound.
    • The Final Spin cue changes from the synthesized sound used since Season 20 to a piano cue.
    • The first Speed-Up Round think music, used since Season 18, is replaced by a piano/guitar music cue.
    • The Bonus Wheel card ding, carried over from the W-H-E-E-L envelope era, is changed.
    • The Bonus Round music cues introduced in Seasons 19-20 are also changed, and the timer countdown changes from the Season 18 cue (a music cue mixed with the timer beeps used since Season 7) to a music cue with a ticking sound.
    • Except for the Speed-Up cue, all these music cues are kept in use until December 30, 2016.
  • The set lights go out after Round 2 is solved.
• On February 6:
  • Contestant Carlmichael's name tag just says "Carl" as his whole name is too large to fit on it. However, his whole name does appear on the graphics at the top of the screen during Round 3.
  • During the closing chat, Pat and Vanna sample local cuisine with chef Bob Waggoner.
• On February 7:
  • Contestant Becca ties the one-round record of $54,000 in the Speed-Up. She has $61,000 before the Bonus Round.
  • The third-place contestant has $15,800.
  • The combined pre-Bonus Round total of $92,900 is likely the highest pre-Bonus Round cumulative total in the show's history up to this point.
  • Becca exceeds $100,000 without hitting that amount: she wins a Winnebago in the Bonus Round, leaving with $128,177. This is also likely the highest total for a contestant who does not win the $100,000 since the introduction of the Bonus Wheel.
• On February 8:
  • Contestant Marcella rings in with a wrong answer on the $1,000 Toss-Up COBBLESTONE STREETS. The audience cheers and $1,000 briefly appears on her scoreboard before Pat hushes the crowd and the round continues.
  • Round 3 is the last appearance of Best Seller until April 22, 2011.
• On February 9, when the blanks for the Round 1 puzzle are revealed, the top-left blank fills in much later than the others.
• February 12 is the second and final Country Music Stars Week. During this week:
  • The stars are Eddie Montgomery, Steve Azar, and Trisha Yearwood on Monday; Dean Sams, Julie Roberts, and Troy Gentry on Tuesday; Richie McDonald, Josh Gracin, and Wynonna Judd on Wednesday; Michael Britt, Lorrie Morgan, and Mark Wills on Thursday; and Keech Rainwater, Terri Clark, and Trent Tomlinson on Friday.
  • The Blue Dogs serve as a house band.
  • During the intro, Charlie names each country singer against a picture of them on a brown background. A steel guitar cue plays as they walk out.
  • The singers' names appear on the contestant video wall during the interviews.
  • Several of the singers' name tags appear to have been made at the last minute, as the letters are thinner and not centered properly.
  • Vanna announces the Mystery Round prize.
  • On Monday-Thursday, Charlie announces the next day's singers after the Bonus Round, and all three of that day's singers join Pat and the winning contestant for the chat.
• On February 13:
  • The Prize is a Rockola touch-screen jukebox.
  • Before Round 3, Pat interviews the Blue Dogs' lead singer Bobby Houck.
  • There is a $100,000 win.
• On February 15, there is an $8,500 Jackpot win.
• On February 16, during the closing chat, Pat announces that the country music artists collectively won $402,380 for charity. That amount appears on-screen in the same graphic used for Bonus Round money wins.
• On February 12 and 16, the Prize is a trip to the Country Music Association awards ceremony in Nashville.
• February 19 is Vanna Comes Home. During this week:
  • There is a cold open where Vanna promotes the theme.
  • The Mystery Round Prize is a $13,924 Nissan Versa. This is the last time that the Mystery prize is anything other than $10,000 cash.
• On February 19:
  • After Round 1, there is a clip of Vanna at her childhood home with her father, Herbert.
  • In Round 3, for the only time between its first two uses in Season 23 and Season 26, Charlie announces the Rock On! category.
  • No vowels are bought in Round 3.
  • After Round 3, Vanna does a bumper with Marilyn Hatley, mayor of North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.
  • During the closing chat, Vanna shows pictures from a weekend she had in Myrtle Beach with her friends.
• On February 20:
  • The $1,000 Toss-Up and Round 1 are Thing, which may suggest that one of the two was a replacement puzzle.
  • Contestant Kristina wins by $50.
  • During the closing chat, Vanna shows childhood home movies and photos, followed by a clip of her visiting her father.
• On February 21:
  • Vanna wears a suit.
  • During the closing chat, Vanna shows clips of some of her favorite hangouts in Myrtle Beach.
  • On February 22, contestant Jodie wins the Nissan Versa in the Mystery Round. This is the last time a contestant wins a car in the main game until September 28, 2011.
• On February 23:
  • Contestant Keisha calls the last consonant on a Mystery Wedge. She flips it and finds a Bankrupt on the reverse, and the "only vowels left" beeps do not sound.
  • Round 4 (WHERE THE HEART IS) is categorized as Phrase instead of Title.
  • There is a $100,000 loss.
  • During the closing chat, Pat states that the show gave away $845,329 in the three weeks of South Carolina episodes, and that amount appears on-screen.
• Between February 26, 2007 and September 26, 2011 (excluding the week of April 11, 2011), cars are available solely through the Bonus Round.
• February 26 is Chill Out! During this week, there is a cold open where Vanna says, "Chill out! Wheel's on" from a beach.
• On February 27, nobody solves the $1,000 Toss-Up FROM SOUP TO NUTS.
• On February 28, Round 5 (NIGHTLINE) is shorter than ten letters.

March 2007

• March 5 is South Seas.
• On March 5, in Round 1, contestant Patrick calls M after buying a vowel but before spinning again. He is then told to spin again and credited with the M, which is not in the puzzle.
• On March 6, the bonus puzzle IN VOGUE uses only one line.
• On March 7:
  • With only the Y missing from the Round 2 puzzle BUSY RESTAURANT KITCHENS, contestant Crystal calls F, a moment which has been recalled by many fans.
  • The $3,000 Toss-Up MUNCHKINLAND is the second instance of Fictional Place being used in a Toss-Up.
  • During the closing chat, in response to the Round 1 puzzle HOMEMADE BIRTHDAY CAKE, Vanna brings out a birthday cake and wishes happy birthday to anyone whose birthday is that day.
• On March 8:
  • A total of $42,000 is unclaimed in the Speed-Up.
  • Contestant Joe wins $51,600 despite losing the Bonus Round.
• March 12 is Far East Adventures. During this week, the Mystery Round cash is sponsored by lowermybills.com.
• On March 12, the $2,000 Toss-Up BEST DRESSED is incorrectly categorized as Rhyme Time.
• On March 13, as the Prize is a trip to Japan, Pat repeatedly asks Charlie why Japan is called the "Land of the Rising Sun". During the closing chat, he is shown on-camera after giving the answer.
• On March 14:
  • The category strip does not appear when the Round 2 puzzle ALEXANDER THE GREAT is revealed. Later in the round, it accidentally changes from Proper Name to Proper Names.
  • Six rounds are played.
• On March 16, the Round 2 puzzle WORK SMARTER NOT HARDER is incorrectly categorized as Rhyme Time.
• March 19 is Take the Money and Run. During this week:
  • The intro has Charlie saying "Tonight, take the money and run!" over a graphic of a bank vault opening.
  • Vanna announces the Mystery Round Prize.
• On March 20, the Prize is $4,000 credit to newegg.com.
• On March 22:
  • The Prize is $5,000 credit to pricegrabber.com.
  • The original Round 5 (HE SAID SHE SAID) is thrown out and replaced due to Pat accidentally accepting an incorrect answer of HE SAYS SHE SAYS. All three contestants receive a $100 bonus (not counted toward their score) because of this. The edit for the replacement round results in a noticeable audio splice before Pat introduces the category of the replacement puzzle.
  • Six rounds are played.
• March 26 is Spring Break. During this week:
  • There is a cold open where Vanna promotes the theme.
  • The Mystery Round cash is sponosored by lowermybills.com.
• On March 27:
  • Round 4 and the Bonus Round are On the Map.
  • The Gift Tag is $1,000 credit to Cold Stone Creamery. In relation to this, employees from that chain appear during the closing segment and make ice cream treats for Pat and Vanna and then give gift cards to the audience.
• On March 28, Pat prompts contestant Chris to use the Wild Card on $3,500 in Round 2 after buying a vowel, which she does.
• On March 29:
  • The Prize is a trip to Las Vegas with VIP tickets to a George Strait concert, along with a copy of George Strait, Alan Jackson, and Jimmy Buffett's album Live at Texas Stadium and an acoustic guitar signed by all three singers.
  • No vowels are bought in Rounds 1 or 3.
  • Six rounds are played.
  • Round 6 (MUST-SEE TV) is shorter than ten letters.

April 2007

• April 2 is Fantasy Islands.
• On April 3, Round 3 is only the sixth appearance of Who Are They?
• On April 5:
  • Round 4 goes to Speed-Up with only one consonant remaining (the D in CONDUCTING AN ORCHESTRA).
  • There is a $100,000 loss.
• On April 6:
  • Pat does not prompt contestant Kellie to use her Wild Card on $5,000 in Round 5. She instead ends up using it in the Bonus Round, which she wins.
  • Six rounds are played.
  • Round 6 (AMSTERDAM) is shorter than ten letters.
  • Round 6 goes to Speed-Up with only one consonant remaining (the M's in the above puzzle).
• April 9 is R&R, a week of sixth episodes. During this week:
  • There is a cold open where Vanna promotes the theme.
  • Vanna announces the Mystery Round Prize.
• On April 9:
  • In an unusual move, an audience member can be heard shouting along to the title chant.
  • It is the sixth show of Happy Holidays, although the set decorations are removed. This is the first time that a sixth show taping has set alterations between the full set week and the sixth show taping, and the first sixth show taping of a holiday-themed week.
  • Contestant Dennis's winning total is not shown after he loses the Bonus Round.
• On April 11:
  • As it is the sixth episode of Las Vegas Week, the slot machine backdrop is used.
  • Nobody solves the $3,000 Toss-Up SKYWRITING.
  • As contestant Ben collects lunchboxes, Pat gives him a Wheel of Fortune lunchbox before the Bonus Round.
• On April 13, as it is the sixth episode of AA Vacations, the outer frame of the puzzle board is pink.
• All five Bonus Rounds are lost on the week of April 9, part of a nine-day losing streak.
• April 16 is Fun in the Sun, sponsored by Transitions lenses. During this week:
  • There is a cold open where Vanna says, "You could win a Hawaiian vacation and have fun in the sun, tonight on..." before the title chant. Steel guitar music plays under her voiceover, and a graphic of a dashboard hula dancer appears on the right. The two-row logo and "Fun in the Sun, sponsored by Transitions" appear on the left side.
  • The Prize copy includes a plug for Transitions.
  • The Gift Tag is $1,000 cash courtesy of Transitions.
  • Home viewers may submit each episode's bonus puzzle on the show's website for a chance to win a trip to Hawaii. There is a promotion for the sweepstakes before Round 3, read by an unknown female announcer.
  • Vanna announces the Mystery Round Prize.
• On April 16:
  • Contestant Susan finishes second with $20,140.
  • The $2,000 Toss-Up and Bonus Round are On the Map.
• On April 18, Round 5 (TATER TOTS) is shorter than ten letters and has only three unique consonants.
• On April 20:
  • Vanna wears a sleeveless top and pants.
  • There is an $8,200 Jackpot win.
  • In Round 4, Pat prompts contestant Greg to use his Wild Card on $900, which he does.
  • Contestant Sarah solves the bonus puzzle DON'T QUIT before the timer can start.
• April 23 is Choose Your Own Vacation. During this week:
  • The Prize is $4,000 credit to lastminutetravel.com.
  • The Mystery Round cash is sponsored by vegas.com.
• On April 23:
  • An audience member can be heard shouting along to the opening chant.
  • The Round 2 puzzle INTERNATIONAL WATERS is categorized as On the Map instead of Places. This also results in Round 2 and the $3,000 Toss-Up being On the Map, and may suggest that Round 2 is a replacement.
  • A gold "$50,000 Cash" graphic is added to the Sony Card announcement after SPIN ID draws.
• On April 24, contestant Ryan solves the bonus puzzle BACKSPLASH (In the Kitchen) then asks Pat what a backsplash is.
• On April 26:
  • Before introducing the $1,000 Toss-Up, Pat walks into the contestant area to shake all three contestants' hands.
  • Contestant Karen solves the bonus puzzle LUCKY YOU with only the L and O showing.
  • During the closing chat, Pat and Vanna show a time-lapse of the set being assembled for the Philadelphia episodes in November 2004.
• On April 27:
  • Contestant Jay wears a custom-made tie with the Wheel and a quote allegedly from Pat.
  • The category strip disappears for several turns during Round 1.
• All five Bonus Rounds are won on the week of April 23. This does not happen again until the week of March 7, 2011.
• The weeks of April 30-May 14 are taped at the San Diego Convention Center. During all three weeks:
  • There is a cold open where Vanna announces the theme.
  • Vanna announces the Mystery Round cash.
• April 30 is the last Mom & Me Week, even though Mother's Day is May 13.
• On April 30:
  • The category strip disappears partway through Round 2.
  • There is a $9,500 Jackpot win.

May 2007

• On May 2, contestants Debbie and Ryan solve the bonus puzzle AUTOGRAPH before the timer can start.
• On May 3:
  • The Prize copy includes a trailer for Spider-Man 3.
  • During the closing chat, Vanna shows a childhood picture of her and her mother.
• May 7 is Sunny San Diego Week. During this week:
  • The title card features an airplane spelling out "Sunny San Diego" in skywriting, followed by a shot of a parasail with the two-row logo.
  • The Gift Tag is $1,000 cash courtesy of Transitions.
• On May 7:
  • The Gift Tag is covering the dollar sign instead of the 3 on the pink $300 in Round 1. This is corrected in Round 2.
  • During one of contestant Cynthia's spins in Round 3, a bird's-eye view of the Wheel zooms in on her arrow as it comes to a stop.
  • A total of $60,000 is unclaimed in the Speed-Up.
• On May 9, contestant Kari buys an A in Round 1 despite having only the Gift Tag, and her call is disregarded.
• On May 10:
  • The $1,000 Toss-Up is a factually incorrect answer of THE BAJA PENINSULA (it is called the Baja California peninsula).
  • During the closing chat, Vanna shows off one of the sheets she uses to study the puzzle board.
• On May 11:
  • The buzzer does not sound on an incorrect B in Round 3.
  • Pat forgets to round contestant Angie's total up from $800 to $1,000 after she solves Round 3. In response to this, Pat takes out a prop phone and pretends to argue with the control room over it before introducing the $3,000 Toss-Up.
• May 14 is Armed Forces Week. During this week, the Navy Band Southwest plays music during the intro and going into commercials.
• On May 14, the second-place contestant has $21,050.
• On May 15, no vowels are bought in Round 1.
• On May 16, the Prize copy includes a trailer for Shrek the Third.
• On May 17:
  • The Prize is a Sony Bravia high-definition television, Blu-Ray player, and collection of Blu-Ray movies.
  • Contestant Ryan solves Round 3 for only the $10,000 Mystery Prize; he ends up winning with only that and $2,000 from the second Toss-Up.
• On May 18, contestant David's name tag falls onto the Wheel during his first spin in Round 3. Pat walks over to retrieve it and ends up wearing it for the rest of the round.
• May 21 is Broadway Week. During this week:
  • There is a cold open where Vanna promotes the theme from Times Square.
  • The backdrop of the set is black with white spots.
  • The Prize is a trip to New York City with tickets to a Broadway show: Wicked on Monday, Spamalot on Tuesday, The Color Purple on Wednesday, A Chorus Line on Thursday, and Mamma Mia! on Friday.
  • The Mystery Round cash is sponsored by freecreditreport.com.
• On May 23, Pat and Vanna mention during the closing chat that in September, they will celebrate the show's 25th season and record on-location in New York.
• On May 25:
  • Round 1 is the first appearance of Star & Role since May 29, 2006.
  • In Round 3, after contestant Anna solves on an un-flipped Mystery Wedge, Pat flips it over to show that it concealed the Bankrupt.
• All five Bonus Rounds are lost on the week of May 21, part of an eight-loss streak beginning on the 18th.
• May 28 is Teachers Week. During this week:
  • The post-Round 1 bumper is a quote about teaching or education displayed on a graphic of a chalkboard.
  • The Mystery Round cash is sponsored by lowermybills.com.
• Between May 22 and 28, five bonus puzzles in a row are Thing(s).
• On May 29:
  • Nobody solves the $2,000 Toss-Up PONDEROSA PINES.
  • No vowels are bought in Round 2.
  • There is a $6,900 Jackpot win.
  • Contestant Todd solves the $3,000 Toss-Up THE TAJ MAHAL with only the J revealed.
• On May 30:
  • The Prize is a Sony high-definition television and subscription to DirecTV's Sat-Go!
  • No vowels are bought in Round 4.
  • There is a $100,000 win.
• On May 31, all of the cardboard is claimed; however, contestant Heidi uses Free Spin in Round 2 to land on Bankrupt, forfeiting the Prize.

June 2007

• On June 1:
  • Contestant T.J. solves the Round 4 puzzle TARTAR CONTROL TOOTHPASTE with only the T's and E revealed.
  • Round 5 (BUS DRIVER) is shorter than ten letters.
• The May 29 and June 1 episodes are in 4:3 on Pluto TV.
• June 4 is I Need a Vacation!
• On June 4:
  • The $1,000 Toss-Up COFFEE-TABLE BOOK is incorrectly hyphenated.
  • For only the second time, a "null" cycle is edited out of the Speed-Up and masked by a jump cut to Pat.
• On June 6:
  • The Prize copy includes a trailer for Surf's Up.
  • Partway through Round 2, the category strip accidentally stays on-screen after the camera cuts from the board to a shot of the contestants.
• On June 7, there is a $6,850 Jackpot win.
• On June 8:
  • Contestant Dave impersonates Charlie during the interviews, specifically using his closing disclaimer from the shopping era.
  • Dave wins despite losing $22,800 ($15,550 cash and the Prize) to Bankrupt in Round 2.
• On June 4 and 8, the Season 18 Speed-Up cue is dubbed over with the cue introduced on February 5, due to both episodes being taped before the change.

Post-Season

• On August 12, Merv Griffin dies. At the end of the closest rerun to his death, the credits are interrupted by a flashback clip of Merv recounting the show's creation on the ceremonial 3,000th episode. After that, a black background appears with white text reading "In Loving Memory: MERV GRIFFIN" in Albertus MT, before the copyright notice and distribution/production company tags.
• On August 20, King World Productions is shut down. Beginning with the next television season, Wheel and all other shows previously distributed by King World or CBS-Paramount Television are now distributed by CBS Television Distribution.