Wheel of Fortune timeline (syndicated)/Season 31

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A timeline for Season 31 of Wheel of Fortune, which aired in first-run from September 16, 2013 through June 13, 2014.

Season Changes

• The logo again returns to the traditional style, although the Wheel inside the logo is removed. Rather, the words "WHEEL OF FORTUNE" are placed on a Wheel consisting of colored wedges (in orange, purple, green, red, yellow, and blue) with "OF" in the center and the dots on the sides.

  

• On various weekly promos, the aforementioned Wheel has its colored wedges in a true pattern of yellow, red, orange, purple, blue, and green. The wedges are also darker in hue.
• The intro is changed to a cityscape with an amusement park that includes such rides as a Ferris wheel and a roller coaster, with searchlights crisscrossing in the background. As the camera travels, the lights of the buildings turn on. During this part of the intro, Jim says "From the Sony Pictures Studios, it's America's Game...", then the graphics fade into a CGI Sony Pictures Studios complex and through the open gates, with a photo of Pat, Vanna, and the two-row logo on both sides. The complex's lights turn on as before, as the camera travels in on a video screen showing the logo in the back. After the "Wheel! Of! Fortune!" chant (in which each word shines as said), the logo zooms in on the "O" in "of", as Jim continues with "Ladies and gentlemen, here are the stars of our show: Pat Sajak and Vanna White!" (as was the case from 1996-2001).
• During America's Game weeks, the animated intro from Season 23 featuring the African-American family cleaning up after dinner is used, coming complete with the last bar of the then-current introductory fanfare. The ending, however, is updated: the console television is replaced with an HDTV showing the Season 31 title card, and Jim's "It's America's Game!" announcement is edited in. Additionally, the Season 31 logo, unlike the Season 23 wordmark before it, does not zoom towards the camera on the television: instead, it zooms out of the television to reveal the set, so the final shot of the family applauding is omitted.
• The Wheel is altered again:
  • The purple $550 is dropped to $500, retiring the former.
  • The Million-Dollar Wedge moves to the pink $500, with the Gift Tag moving from there to the aforementioned purple $500. Despite this change, the wedge still does not award any money.
  • The Jackpot Wedge is retired.

    

  • The Express Wedge is introduced, placed on the red $700 in Round 3. If a contestant opts to "hop aboard the Express", the shot of that player shrinks down to a square window insert, with the same border color as the player's display/arrow, in the bottom-right corner with the puzzle board on the rest of the screen (similarly to the Bonus Round). The player's current score is displayed below the window (using the same text graphic used for Jackpot in Season 30), and the logo-bug on the category strip is replaced with an "Express" graphic identical to the one on the wedge.
• By this point, the Wild Card can now be used after buying a vowel for the amount on the previous spin.
• The graphic showing what is on the reverse of a Mystery Wedge is only used when the player declines to flip it, barring instances where the contestant solves immediately after declining and Pat has them flip the wedge anyway.
• The Bonus Wheel wedges are now light blue, dark blue, and purple, with the characters changed to yellow, and the three-star space is changed to have its stars in a triangle instead of a straight line. Additionally, the wedges can change color according to a theme, such as red, white, and blue for America's Game. Also, the envelopes are now straight instead of slanted upward, and the corresponding wedge lights up whenever an envelope is pulled from it.
• The Mystery Round once again has a sponsor, albeit the same one as the Jackpot Round in prior seasons. The weekly sponsor's ad appears before the wipe of the wedge's $10,000 side dropping down onto the Season 25 Round 3 Wheel as usual. As a result, the Mystery backgrounds seen in the past two seasons are retired.

  

• The font for prize values is changed to Chantilly.
• The Final Spin and host chat graphics are recolored to match the style of the new logo.

• The post-Bonus Round totals now use a thinner font.
• The Prize Puzzle now includes a Sony camera. On the Vegas episodes (except New Year's Week and Valentine's Day Week), the camera is a PJ380 Handycam. On all other episodes until December 16, it is an Alpha NEX-5R. Except where noted, the camera alternates between the NEX-5R and NEX-5T until February 21.
• The retro Bonus Round is retained on Tuesdays and Thursdays only, barring the Vegas episodes, Secret Santa Sweepstakes, specially-sponsored weeks, and any other episodes as noted. Vanna's voiceover on the reveal changes again to "Keep watching Wheel for more classic puzzles." All of them until December are ones that had been used last season, and most of the ones from February onward are from 1991.
• Character(s) continues to use Arial on its category strip, except as noted.
• Toss-Ups using proper names generally appear on only one line when possible.
• Until May, "null" cycles are edited out of Speed-Ups much less frequently.
• Early this season, ampersands are more frequent in use, particularly in Same Name during this period. Beginning around mid-March, they are usually used only in Same Letter when necessary or for more aesthetic formatting elsewhere (such as if using AND would result in the word having to be on its own line).
• A trademark notice for the slogan "America's Game" is added to accompany the eligibility and editing disclaimers.
• This season, many Song Title puzzles are inexplicably categorized as Song Lyrics instead.
• The cars available via the ½ Car tags rotate among a $14,795 Ford Fiesta, a $15,000 Chevy Sonic, and a $14,305 Chevy Spark, except where noted.
• This season has by far the highest number of team episodes (33: six weeks plus three sixth episodes).
• Starting this season, the final America's Game week is now aired as the penultimate week rather than the final week.

September 2013

• September 16 is Season Premiere from The Venetian, taped July 27. During all of the Vegas shows:
  • The regular video wall behind the contestants is replaced by a much larger one.
  • Kevin McCarthy fills in as director.
  • Same Letter is not used, despite multiple puzzles used throughout the locale fitting its criteria. Because of its absence, some of these puzzles spell out "AND" instead of using an ampersand when applicable.
  • The RSTLNE chyron in the Bonus Round is replaced by slot machine tumblers showing those letters.
• During the weeks of September 16 and 23:
  • When Pat explains the Express Wedge in Round 3, a post-production shot is added which shows the yellow arrow in that wedge's center. The actual round has the yellow arrow start in the center of $3,500 as usual. The post-production shot is more obvious in that the Wild Card and Gift Tag are absent from it.
  • The category wipe is a pair of rolling red dice that come up 7.
• On September 16:
  • Contestant Portia's last name and hometown are never mentioned on-air.
  • After Round 1, Vanna announces that AutoNation is sponsoring the week's Bonus Round car, a Chevrolet Camaro.
  • Neither Bankrupt nor Lose A Turn is hit.
  • When the episode is rerun on the weekend feed on April 25, 2015, Pat's explanation of the Express Wedge is edited out. Despite this, all other references to the episode being the Season 31 premiere are left intact. On GSN repeats, the explanation is intact.
• On September 17:
  • The Round 1 puzzle CORNER CURIO CABINET is categorized as Thing instead of Same Letter.
  • Contestant Paul mispronounces the above puzzle as CORNO CURRO CABINET, after which Luis solves correctly for the house minimum. Pat notes that Luis' score is tentative, and that Paul's answer will be checked during the break. After returning from commercial, Pat notes that Paul's answer was indeed incorrect and that Luis will receive the $1,000.
    • Video of Paul's mistake goes viral and sparks controversy across the media due to him picking up the Million-Dollar Wedge one turn prior. Many outlets incorrectly state or imply that Paul would have won $1,000,000 had he solved correctly, which causes some to suggest that the show intentionally penalized him in order to avoid such a payout. The ruling becomes the subject of several news and talk programs, some of which Paul appears on. Regardless, this ruling does not affect the outcome as he would not have made it to the Bonus Round.
  • All four of Paul's spins in Round 2 land on the green $500 next to the orange $300, the first of which earns him the ½ Car tag on that wedge.
  • In Round 3, contestant Luis lands on Express on his first spin, then uses it to fill in the entire puzzle DIVING NEAR CORAL REEFS by himself.
  • Rounds 2, 3, and 4 are played entirely by the contestant who began them.
  • Once again, neither Bankrupt nor Lose A Turn is hit.
• On both September 17 and 18, Jim does not mention the $5,000 cash bonus when the Camaro is won in the Bonus Round.
• On September 19:
  • Once again, Vanna promotes AutoNation and the Camaro after Round 1.
  • Human Nature makes a cameo in the final segment. Jim promotes this cameo after Round 2.
• On September 20, Rounds 1 and 2 are played entirely by the person who began them, while Rounds 3 and 4 begin with a lost turn followed by the next contestant playing for the rest of the round. This results in an extremely rare instance of all money accumulated from the Wheel that is not spent on vowels, and all cardboard picked up, being claimed. However, this includes two contestants claiming only one ½ Car tag each, and one taking the Million-Dollar Wedge to the Bonus Round but not hitting the $1,000,000 envelope.
• September 23 is Palazzo Week, taped July 28.
• On September 23:
  • Round 1 is the first appearance of Headline since September 29, 2011.
  • A cycle of lost turns is edited out of Round 1 despite not being "null". The cycle includes a Bankrupt from contestant Jennifer, as she hits Lose A Turn with $400 but has $0 on her next aired turn. Pat references the cycle by saying, "Well, we're making a little more progress" after the next correct letter.
• On September 24:
  • As shown in an amateur video from an audience member uploaded to YouTube the day after this episode's taping, a video about the Palazzo is shown before Round 3, but is removed from the episode as-aired. This is likely due to the game running overtime.
  • After the aforementioned video is shown, Pat jokes that "You've probably seen the 12-part HBO miniseries about the new addition to our Wheel, the Express wedge." The subsequent laughter is known to have been dubbed in.
  • In Round 3, contestant Sheila fills in the entire puzzle GLIMMERING TURQUOISE WATER by herself, using Express from her fourth turn onward.
• On September 26, neither Bankrupt nor Lose A Turn is hit.
• In every episode on the week of September 23, the Mystery Wedge with $10,000 on the reverse is flipped over.
• September 30 is Teacher's Week, taped July 11 (the first of only two weeks this season directed by Mark Corwin before his death). During this week:
  • The generic set is used.
  • The category wipe is the Pat avatar driving a school bus which screeches its tires.
  • The Express Wedge makes its first taped appearance. Strangely, instead of explaining how it works, Pat only mentions its presence. The same post-production shot of it is used at the start of the round as usual.
  • The ½ Car is a Mazda2. Also, the tags are altered to have a black frame around them with the Mazda logo on top, and the camera zooms in closer than usual as contestants pick them up.
• On September 30:
  • For the first time, a contestant goes Bankrupt on Express.
  • After contestant Daniel wins the game, his score is erroneously displayed as $19,950. Before the Bonus Round, Pat notes that his score is actually $20,600. This is due to the value of the Prize Puzzle trip being added as $6,000 instead of $6,650.
  • After the Speed-Up, Jim plugs the week's Bonus Round car, a Mazda6.

October 2013

• Starting around this point, the trend of predominantly using Thing(s) and Phrase in the Bonus Round, which began in Season 26, becomes somewhat less prominent.
• On October 1:
  • Three females play.
  • Rounds 1 and 2 are played entirely by the contestants who began them.
  • The retro Bonus Round is the same one from September 24, 2012 (HOME MOVIES from October 31, 2003).
  • Contestant Caroline solves the $3,000 Toss-Up MR. HOLLAND'S OPUS with only the first S revealed.
• On October 2:
  • Once again, three females play.
  • There is a ½ Car win in Round 2.
  • Rounds 2 and 3 are played entirely by the contestants who began them, although the latter includes a wrong vowel on Free Play.
  • The Prize Puzzle package is worth $10,150, a rare instance of a Prize Puzzle worth more than $10,000 on a non-team episode.
  • The second-place contestant has $23,745.
  • In the final segment, Pat asks to see the category wipe again, and it displays at the bottom of the screen without sound.
• On October 3:
  • Round 1 and the Bonus Round are Food & Drink.
  • The retro Bonus Round is the same one that was used on September 20, 2012 (BAYWATCH from November 20, 1996). Unlike its last use, the clip is edited to jump-cut over most of the answer being revealed, and portions of the clip are slowed down.
• On October 4:
  • The Prize is a $5,000 shopping spree from Beyond the Rack.com.
  • The Round 1 puzzle PROGRAMMABLE COFFEEMAKER is the first appearance of In the Kitchen that is not a Toss-Up or Round 4+ puzzle since November 17, 2010.
  • The wide shot of the Final Spin appears to be a reshoot, as it shows the Wheel starting where the "official" spin had landed.
  • The second-place contestant has $22,950.
• October 7 is Southern Hospitality, taped August 23. During this week:
  • Pat continues to explain how the Express Wedge works.
  • Associate director Bob Cisneros fills in as director.
  • The ½ Car tags revert to their Season 30 design.
  • The category wipe is a white flower.
• On October 7:
  • Round 1 is a Same Name that uses an ampersand, while the $3,000 Toss-Up is a Things puzzle that spells out AND.
  • The $5K Every Day Plus announcement is changed so that Vanna reads everything but the SPIN ID portion.
• On October 8:
  • The Gift Tag is $1,000 cash from Zatarain's.
  • The Round 1 puzzle DALLAS COWBOYS CHEERLEADERS is erroneously categorized as People instead of Proper Name.
  • The retro Bonus Round is the same one that was used on December 12, 2012 (PAGER from September 4, 1996).
  • In the final segment, footage of Autumn Erhard's $1,000,000 win is played. She then appears onstage, but unlike Michelle Loewenstein's return, Autumn is not presented with a replica check.
• On October 9, there is a ½ Car win.
• On October 11:
  • The Gift Tag is $1,000 cash from Southern Living magazine.
  • The Round 2 puzzle SUMMERTIME SUMMERTIME SUM SUM SUMMERTIME sets a new record for the most instances of a single consonant in a puzzle, with 11 M's. M is called on the Mystery Wedge, resulting in the only instance of its per-letter value exceeding the value of the prize.
    • The weekly promo erases the T's, three of the five S's, four of the six E's, and the first I from the puzzle when it shows Vanna revealing the M's, perhaps in an attempt to avoid spoiling the puzzle.
  • Contestant Jesse manages to call five wrong letters and no correct ones, but he still solves the $1,000 Toss-Up.
• October 14 is Weekend Getaways, taped July 12 (the last week directed by Mark Corwin prior to his death). During this week:
  • Vanna promotes the theme before the opening animation.
  • The category wipe is a sports car peeling out.
  • Pat does not explain how the Express wedge works, except when it is hit on the 14th.
• On October 14:
  • Vanna accidentally stands closer to the puzzle board during the $1,000 Toss-Up, and backs up suddenly when the blanks are revealed. After that, the puzzle refuses to reveal for a few seconds.
  • The post-production shot of the Express wedge is not used at the start of that round.
  • Contestant David fills in the entire puzzle ALL MY BAGS ARE PACKED I'M READY TO GO by himself, using Express from the third turn onward.
• On October 15:
  • A cycle of lost turns is edited out of Round 2 despite not being "null". The cycle includes an incorrect A from Carol, as evidenced by her scoreboard displaying $950 instead of $1,200 when she picks up the Million-Dollar Wedge. Pat references the cycle at the end of the round by saying that Carol had "two choices" by buying an incorrect O at a point when I was the only unrevealed vowel in the puzzle CRISP CHILLED CUCUMBERS, even though A was never bought on-air.
  • Carol wins despite failing to claim $24,200 in Round 2 (counting both the Mystery prize and the edited-out vowel purchase).
  • On the Map makes its first appearance in the Bonus Round since January 2, 2009.
• On October 16, contestant Susan wins two cars: the ½ Car in Round 3, and a Mini Cooper Convertible in the Bonus Round.
• On October 17:
  • Contestant Alex risks the Prize, a ½ Car tag, and $1,500 on a Mystery Wedge, and finds a Bankrupt on the reverse.
  • The Prize Puzzle package is worth $10,350, a rare instance of a prize over $10,000 on a non-team episode.
• On October 18, contestant Karen picks up both ½ Car tags in Round 2, but loses them (as well as $7,700 and the Wild Card) to Bankrupt, after which Cindy flips over the $10,000 Mystery Wedge only to lose it to Bankrupt on her next turn. Overall, $33,945 (counting the value of the car) is lost to Bankrupt.
• October 21 is Las Vegas Vacation, taped July 30 at The Venetian. During this week:
  • The category wipe is the Pat avatar rowing a gondola.
  • Pat does not explain how the Express Wedge works, and the post-production close-up of it is not used.
  • It is also the Las Vegas Vacation Sweepstakes. Home viewers may submit each day's bonus puzzle to the show's website for a chance to win a Las Vegas vacation and $5,000 cash.
• On October 21:
  • The Round 1 puzzle MYSTERIOUS MASTER MAGICIAN is categorized as Person instead of Same Letter.
  • Round 1 starts with a "null" cycle, which is likely three consecutive Bankrupts, as evidenced by contestant Steven's first spin heading for the one next to $2,500 before a jump cut, and the puzzle having most of the common consonants. Furthermore, Pat says "We'd like to make the Bankrupts disappear, right?" at the end of the round, even though none of the aired turns was a Bankrupt.
  • Lose A Turn is hit four times in Round 1, tying the record for most known hits. This also happened in Round 1 exactly three years prior.
  • In Round 2, for only the second time since 2008, Author/Title is used instead of Title/Author.
  • During the Speed-Up, the yellow scoreboard and contestant housing remain lit after Steven loses his turn.
  • Later in the Speed-Up, Crystal's score does not change from $6,000 to $7,500 after she calls a correct letter and solves. This causes her final score to be mis-stated by Pat as $12,000 instead of $13,500. Her total is corrected at the start of the Bonus Round.
• On October 22:
  • The $1,000 Toss-Up YOU WEAR IT WELL is categorized as Song Lyrics instead of Song Title.
  • The closed-captioning does not display the category names in quotation marks until the $3,000 Toss-Up.
  • Contestant Katey begins to solve the bonus puzzle IT'S OUT OF THE WAY, but pauses for nearly two seconds and does not say WAY until after the buzzer. Following a stopdown, Pat states that her answer is unacceptable due to the pause. Unusually for a road show, stock audience groans are dubbed in during Pat's explanation.
• On October 23, the Prize is a $5,000 shopping spree from NoMoreRack.com.
• On October 24:
  • The Round 3 puzzle CRISPY COCONUT CHICKEN is categorized as Food & Drink instead of Same Letter.
  • The second-place contestant has $20,077.
  • The bonus puzzle is not solved, but after time expires, the winning music is briefly heard in the background. This would suggest that it sounded by mistake and its audio track was removed, but that it was still picked up faintly by a mic.
  • In the final segment, Pat and Vanna show footage from the musical Rock of Ages, then chat with four of its stars: Troy Burgess, Justin Mortelliti, Carrie St. Louis, and Mark Shunock. ROCK OF AGES appears on the board, and a snippet of their cover of Journey's "Don't Stop Believin'" plays briefly before the cut to the promotional consideration plugs. Jim promotes this cameo after Round 2.
• On October 25:
  • Bankrupt is hit four times in Round 2, one of which comes from the Mystery Wedge and is the only one that takes away any money.
  • The $2,000 Toss-Up is People, and the Bonus Round is Person.
• From October 23-25, the usual opening graphics of Las Vegas after the title card are edited out for time. The editing on the 24th is likely because of the Rock of Ages guest appearances.
• Every Bonus Round during the week of October 21 is in a different category.
• October 28 is Halloween Week, taped August 22. During this week:
  • Bob Cisneros directs.
  • The pre-Round 2 promotional consideration plug is read by an unknown person in a spooky voice, using the Season 28 Halloween Week opening animation.
  • A moan accompanies the Mystery Round chord.
  • The category strips are orange with black bats, and during maingame rounds, they reveal with a sliding pumpkin.
  • The Speed-Up wipe alternates between a flying bat and a jack-o'-lantern.
• On October 28, in the final segment, the staff members' children appear in Halloween costumes so Pat can hand out candy to them. This continues to occur during the Monday episode of every subsequent Halloween week (except Season 34, which did not have such a week).
• On October 29:
  • Contestant Jennifer solves the $1,000 Toss-Up TRICK-OR-TREATING with only the second R revealed. She tries to back out of solving, but barely gets in the answer before Pat can rule against her.
  • Contestant Jonathan wins the ½ Car in Round 2.
  • Contestant Hannah tries twice to spin during the Speed-Up.
• Between October 25 and 29, in a rather unusual streak, three Bonus Rounds in a row are Person. This is also part of an eight-day streak between October 23 and November 1 in which neither Thing(s) nor Phrase is used in the Bonus Round, and it results in the week of October 28 being the first known week in the show's history where neither category is used there.
• On October 30, for only the first time this season, a "null" cycle is edited out of the Speed-Up.

November 2013

• On November 1, the $1,000 Toss-Up HERE'S JOHNNY is categorized as Quotation, possibly to avoid using Movie Quote and Movie Title for consecutive puzzles.
• On October 31 and November 1, the category strip for Character is in Gotham. This is likely a result of the strips being altered for the week.
• November 4 is America's Game. During this week:
  • The category wipe for maingame rounds is a bald eagle flying in a blue sky.
  • Starting this week, some of the daily promos aired by affiliates feature a voiceover saying "Can you solve this puzzle?", followed by a previous episode's answer being revealed in the manner of a Toss-Up (even if the actual puzzle was not a Toss-Up), then a sound clip of that puzzle being solved.
• On November 4:
  • As the sixth episode from Halloween Week, the set and lightning effects are retained, but the spooky sound effects are removed.
  • The Prize copy is preceded by a trailer for Last Vegas.
  • Contestant Josh solves the Speed-Up puzzle FINISHING IN FIRST PLACE on the buzzer. Although the win music plays and the answer is revealed, Pat immediately tells him that they will have to stop tape to check his answer. Just before the Bonus Round, Pat tells him that he solved the puzzle just in time.
• For unknown reasons, the November 4 episode does not air on GSN.
• On November 5:
  • As it is the sixth episode from Teachers Week, that week's altered ½ Car tags are used, all three contestants are teachers, and Mark Corwin directs.
  • Contestant Andy leaves with only the Prize Puzzle package and no other cash or prizes.
  • The Bonus Wheel lighting is altered so that the wedges are red, white, and blue.
• On November 6, the bonus puzzle BOUNTIFUL HARVEST is only the third known one under three-and-a-vowel rules to have at least one each of R, S, T, L, N, and E.
• November 7 is the sixth episode from Weekend Getaways, and is hence the last episode directed by Mark Corwin. On this episode:
  • The Round 1 puzzle ANOTHER ONE BITES THE DUST is categorized as Song Lyrics instead of Song Title, possibly due to the $3,000 Toss-Up being TV Title.
  • Rounds 1 and 2 are played entirely by the person who began them.
  • Once again, the Bonus Wheel lighting is altered so that the wedges are red, white, and blue.
• November 8 is the sixth taping of Secret Santa Sweepstakes week, the second half of which becomes "Home for the Holidays" with no sweepstakes (see below). On this episode:
  • The set is decorated for Christmas.
  • Robert Ennis Jr., technical director of Wheel and Jeopardy!, begins filling in as director. During his run as director, there are several obvious directing errors, one of the more noticeable being that every overhead shot of the red and yellow arrows is crooked.
  • A cycle of three lost turns is edited out of Round 2 despite not being "null". The first lost turn is an incorrect vowel from contestant Trisha, evidenced by her score instantly changing from $1,500 to $1,250.
  • In Round 2, contestant Renee nearly lifts up part of the Wheel template when picking up the Wild Card.
  • Round 4, KNOCK KNOCK WHO'S THERE?, is inexplicably categorized as Quotation instead of Phrases. However, the $3,000 Toss-Up is Phrase.
  • In Round 4, Pat prompts Renee to use her Wild Card on $900, but she declines and solves the puzzle instead.
  • The Bonus Round envelope noticeably rips when Pat opens it.
  • In the final segment, Vanna promotes the Millionaire Maker contest held last season, with clips shown of the event held on August 24. On GSN repeats, the clips are omitted, though Pat and Vanna's comments afterwards are left intact.
• November 11-27 are the third Secret Santa Sweepstakes, taped September 19-20 and October 3. During these weeks:
  • The Gift Tag and Prize are $1,000 and $7,500 Walmart shopping sprees, respectively.
  • The frame around the Wheel is red and green at the start of the show.
  • The Bonus Wheel flashes red and green in two-wedge increments when it is spun, then changes back to blue when an envelope is selected.
  • The retro Bonus Rounds are not done.
• The week of November 11 is also Walmart Family Week. During this week, the category strips have Christmas lights when the puzzle is revealed.
• On November 11:
  • Three sets of female identical twins play.
  • The board's border continues to flash through the third turn of Round 1, likely suggesting that it was not stopped after the $2,000 Toss-Up was solved.
  • The wide shot of the first spin in Round 5 is a re-shoot.
• On November 12, the first letter of the last Secret Santa SPIN ID (after the Bonus Round) does not match the name announced with it.
• On November 13:
  • A "null" cycle edited out of Round 1 is referenced by Pat saying "There you go" when Sandra and Alissa call M, despite no lost turns having aired at that point.
  • The category strip for Character in Round 4 is in Gotham when the puzzle is revealed, but changes to Arial after the round goes to Speed-Up.
  • Pat almost forgets to ask Jim to read the Secret Santa SPIN IDs after the Speed-Up is solved.
  • The Bonus Wheel remains blue and purple.
• On November 14:
  • The shot of the three teams clapping during the intro is obviously a re-shoot, as the Wheel has the yellow arrow on $650 instead of $2,500, though it can be seen in the proper position before Pat and Vanna's entrance.
  • The board's border is red and green during the Bonus Round.
• On November 15:
  • There is a jump cut to Vanna after contestants Yvonne and Pamela flip over a Mystery Wedge to find $10,000 on the reverse.
  • Once again, the board's border is red and green during the Bonus Round.
  • The bonus puzzle OVERWHELMING SUPPORT is a rare instance of one under three-and-a-vowel rules (and the second in only two weeks) to have at least one each of R, S, T, L, N, and E.
• During the week of November 18:
  • The category wipe is the Pat avatar driving Santa's sleigh.
  • On November 18-20, before Round 3, Vanna narrates a segment in which some staff members share their Christmas memories. This segment is titled "Wheel Family Memories" and is sponsored by Walmart.
• On November 18:
  • The first spin of Round 2 appears to be dubbed, as the Mystery Wedge is not shown in the overhead shot.
  • Contestant Kenny begins to spin the Wheel in Round 4, but Pat stops him just as the Final Spin bells sound.
  • The Bonus Wheel's light sequence is not adjusted for Kenny to spin, nor does it change to blue just as he grabs the envelope.
  • Kenny solves the bonus puzzle FOREVER YOUNG at the last second despite getting no help from his extra letters.
• On November 19:
  • Pat does not say the Bonus Round category until after the contestant has picked her letters.
  • In the final segment, Pat and Vanna do an additional "Wheel Family Memories" segment on contestant Trina, who placed second on September 18. The segment features Trina and her family watching and playing along with the May 23, 2012 episode, which reran in the weekend feed on September 7, 2013, suggesting that the segment was taped that day.
  • Bob Cisneros is confirmed as the permanent director, although Robert Ennis Jr. appears to direct for the rest of the Sweepstakes.
• On November 20:
  • The $2,000 Toss-Up THE BALDWIN BROTHERS is the first of only two appearances of Family since November 16, 2011, the third of three known uses of that category as a Toss-Up, the fourth known instance of it naming a specific family instead of the individual members, and its last appearance until June 2018.
  • In Round 3, Pat prompts contestant Meg to use her Wild Card on $3,500. She declines, solves the puzzle, and ends up taking the Wild Card to the Bonus Round.
  • The board's border is red and green during the Bonus Round.
  • At the end of the show, everyone in the audience receives a $25 Walmart gift card.
• On November 21:
  • In the intro segment, Rebecca mentions that her dog reacts to the right-letter ding, so Pat asks for the ding to sound three times over the course of the interview, and again before the $2,000 Toss-Up is revealed.
  • There is a noticeable editing error in Round 1 (KEEPING MY FINGERS CROSSED), as immediately after contestant Rebecca buys an I, control passes to Jessica. The edited-out turn was an incorrect vowel, most likely a repeated A, as Rebecca's scoreboard can be seen reading $500 after the edit even though her two aired turns (two G's on a ½ Car tag, then the purchase of I) amounted to $750.
  • In Round 3, contestant Jessica hits a ½ Car tag immediately after that round's other tag is lost to Bankrupt. She tries to pass the tag to Pat. He tells her to toss it aside instead, which she does.
  • The Wheel Family Memories segment is done before the $3,000 Toss-Up instead of before Round 3.
  • All three contestants ring in with wrong answers on the $3,000 Toss-Up GIRL SCOUT TROOP. As was the case with RUBBER MASK on November 2, 2012, the wrong-letter buzzer sounds after the third incorrect answer, and the remaining letters fill in one-by-one. The "time's up" buzzer also sounds after the last letter comes up.
• On November 22:
  • The Wheel Family Memories segment is not done.
  • The Bonus Wheel is red and green at the beginning of the Bonus Round segment, but changes to its normal blue just before the contestant spins.
  • Two males play.
• November 23 is the last weekend repeat to have a SPIN ID drawing. Following this, it is replaced with various show-related plugs. On new episodes, the credits are updated to reflect this change, noting that SPIN IDs are drawn "Mon-Fri" instead of the previous "Mon-Sat".
• On November 25:
  • Contestant Donna spins the Wheel just as the Final Spin bells sound. She is allowed to complete her turn, but hits Bankrupt. The camera over the Wheel is zoomed out too far during this spin.
  • The cash awarded with Bonus Round cars is reduced to $3,000.
• On November 26:
  • The Round 1 puzzle HE'S MAKING A LIST AND CHECKING IT TWICE inexplicably has two spaces between the last two words instead of one.
  • Seven turns in a row are lost during Round 2, three of which are edited out as a "null" cycle.
  • Although Bob Cisneros is listed as director in the credits, it is very likely that Robert Ennis Jr. actually directed the episode as he did with the rest of the Secret Santa episodes. Neither the 25th nor 27th lists a director in the credits.
• On November 27:
  • There are two sets of duplicate categories: the $2,000 Toss-Up and Round 3 are Fun & Games, while the $3,000 Toss-Up is Things and the Bonus Round is Thing. Round 3's puzzle, LEARNING TO PLAY THE UKULELE, could have been categorized as What Are You Doing? to avoid the duplicate category.
  • For only the second time this season, a "null" cycle is edited out of the Speed-Up.
• November 28-29 is Home For the Holidays, also taped October 3. During these two episodes, the set uses its normal colors.
• On November 28:
  • Bob Cisneros becomes the permanent director.
  • The Wheel Prize is $5,000 credit for RetailMeNot.com.
  • All three contestants hit Lose A Turn in Round 3.
  • All three contestants hit Bankrupt consecutively in Round 3. It is hit six times in this round (tying the record for most known hits in one round) and nine times overall, one of which is from the Mystery Wedge. The total of nine penalty wedge hits in Round 3 is very likely a record.
  • Round 3 and the Bonus Round are What Are You Doing?
  • Unusually, Pat does not call RSTLNE after announcing the category for the Bonus Round.
  • The bonus puzzle BABYPROOFING is misspelled (it should be hyphenated).
• On November 29:
  • The Wheel Prize is $5,000 credit for Cooking.com.
  • Contestant Michael wins the ½ Car in Round 3. His total of $36,248 is possibly the most won in a non-Speed-Up round since a $44,300 Round 3 win in November 1986.
  • No vowels are bought in Round 4.
  • In the final segment, a Changing Lives segment is done on Stephanie Burns, who competed with her brother on a Family Week episode on March 24, 2010.

December 2013

• December 2 is Wheel Salutes Our Military, taped October 4. During this week:
  • The frame around the Wheel is red, white, and blue.
  • The Bonus Wheel uses the same colors as the earliest America's Game tapings of this season, although the rings change to red instead of blue.
• On December 2:
  • The first spin of Round 2 is clearly dubbed in from another episode's Round 1, as it shows contestant Dan landing on the blue $300 (which is covered by a Mystery Wedge in this round), when he actually landed on the orange one. This can be discerned as $2,500 is briefly visible in the dubbed-in shot.
  • Contestant Shanita calls an incorrect vowel on Express, and the $250 is deducted just as the Bankrupt graphic appears.
  • Strangely, a stock audience groan is dubbed in after Shanita gives an incorrect answer to the $3,000 Toss-Up.
  • The Round 4 puzzle THE FAST AND THE FURIOUS is aired only two days after the death of actor Paul Walker. While no comment is made of the puzzle on-air, at least four affiliates run a crawl mentioning that the episode was taped before his death. The show also comments about the circumstances on Facebook, as does Pat on Twitter.
  • The third-place contestant has $14,200.
• Starting December 3, retro Bonus Rounds are no longer those used in Season 30.
• On December 3:
  • Contestant Sean does not wear a nametag.
  • The Wheel Prize is a $5,000 credit for Creditcards.com.
  • The Million-Dollar Wedge is picked up on the first turn of the game, then lost to Bankrupt immediately after. This is also the only thing lost to Bankrupt in the entire game.
  • A spin in Round 1 is dubbed in post-production, as it shows contestant Sean landing on the orange $800 even though he actually landed on the red one. The dubbed-in spin is evidenced by the Gift Tag being absent but the Million-Dollar Wedge appearing. Pat can also be heard groaning, suggesting that the actual spin just barely avoided clicking over to Lose A Turn.
  • Rounds 2 and 3 are played entirely by the contestants who began them.
  • A "null" cycle is not edited out of a regular round (incorrect calls of S, Y, and R in Round 4).
• On December 4, the winning contestant, whose real name is Kevin, is referred to as Flash on the show.
• On December 5:
  • Wheel is pre-empted on many ABC and NBC affiliates airing the show at 7:00 PM Eastern due to special hour-long editions of their nightly news programs covering the death of Nelson Mandela.
  • For only the third time this season, a "null" cycle is edited out of the Speed-Up.
  • One contestant (Darcie) wins all three Toss-Ups, and another (Brian) wins all other rounds.
  • There is a noticeable edit right before Brian spins the Bonus Wheel, suggesting either that the spin was reshot, or that some banter between him and Pat was edited out for time constraints.
• On December 6:
  • Contestant Jordon does not wear a nametag.
  • There is a ½ Car win.
  • The second-place contestant has $21,545.
  • Contestant Joe wins a Buick Encore in the Bonus Round, resulting in a very rare instance of two contestants winning cars in a single episode.
• Between November 22 and December 6, eleven winners in a row are male.
• December 9 is Disney Cruise Line Week, taped October 17. During this week:
  • The floor is blue.
  • Every episode features a cold open with various Disney characters, some of which have canned laughter. After the cold open, Tinker Bell taps the screen, which transitions to a graphic of a cruise ship as Jim says "It's America's Game!" Except on Thursday, various Disney characters introduce Pat and Vanna instead of Jim.
    • Monday: Mickey, Minnie, Pluto, Goofy, Chip, and Dale talking to a crew member of a Disney cruise ship.
    • Tuesday: Goofy struggling to spin the Wheel, before the camera pans over to show Chip and Dale restraining it with a rope.
    • Wednesday: Minnie and Vanna in the dressing room getting ready for the show.
    • Thursday: Mickey, Goofy, and Donald having difficulties preparing to shoot an introduction to the show.
    • Friday: Pat with Goofy, Donald, Chip, Dale, and Mickey, preparing themselves backstage.
  • Disney characters also escort Pat and Vanna onstage:
    • Monday: Mickey and Minnie introduce Pat and Vanna from center stage, while Pluto, Goofy, Chip, and Dale escort them.
    • Tuesday: Goofy and Donald Duck introduce Pat and Vanna from the back of the audience, while Mickey and Minnie escort them onstage.
    • Wednesday: Mickey introduces Pat and Vanna from center stage.
    • Thursday: Jim introduces Pat and Vanna as normal, and Chip and Dale escort them.
    • Friday: Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Goofy, Chip, and Dale all appear onstage, with Minnie introducing Pat and Vanna.
  • The category strips are the same as last season's Disney Week. During maingame rounds, Tinker Bell taps the strip when the puzzle is revealed.
  • The Prize is a Disney Cruise Lines cruise in the Bahamas worth $7,328. Tinker Bell taps the screen as a wipe.
  • All of the Prize Puzzles offer trips on Disney Cruise Lines in other locations.
  • A sweepstakes is held in which home viewers may submit each day's bonus puzzle for a chance to win a Disney cruise.
  • No cars are available in the Bonus Round.
  • On Monday-Wednesday, Vanna promotes Disney Cruise Lines in the final segment, before cutting back to her and Pat in the studio. Thursday and Friday feature conventional closing segments with the various Disney characters present.
  • The Prize Puzzle camera is promoted during the credits instead of within the Prize copy, with Jim saying that "some contestants may receive" it.
• On December 9:
  • Round 2 is only the second appearance of Star & Role since May 20, 2011.
  • Round 3 is an unusually short answer of CULINARY DELIGHTS.
  • For the first time, more than one contestant or team hops aboard the Express.
• On December 10:
  • None of the contestants' hometowns are mentioned.
  • During the post-game chat, as a call-back to the cold open, Pat and Vanna allow Goofy to spin the Wheel.
• On December 11:
  • There is a noticeable edit in Round 2: after the blue team buys O, the shot changes to the board with all three O's already revealed before the dings have finished sounding.
  • Mary Jo solves the bonus puzzle GROUNDHOG immediately after Vanna reveals the second O, but Pat jokingly tells them to wait until the timer starts, after which John says the answer.
  • Donald Duck appears with Pat and Vanna during the closing chat.
• Both December 10 and 11 have a contestant named Mary Jo who has been married 41 years.
• On December 12:
  • During the Speed-Up, no acknowledgement is given in-stuido that only vowels remain after the yellow team calls the last consonant in the puzzle HYSTERICAL COMEDY DUO (although the "only vowels remain" beeps are added in post-production). The blue and red teams all consonants before the yellow team calls O and solves. This does not affect the outcome.
  • The right-letter ding appears to sound very faintly when the second O in the Speed-Up is revealed.
• On December 11 and 12, Movie Quote is used on consecutive shows for the first time. Notably, the latter puzzle ends with Pat referencing the long-since-discarded $3,000 bonus questions.
• From December 5-13, neither Before & After nor Same Name is used for seven consecutive shows.
• December 16 is Wheel Around the World, taped November 7. During this week:
  • Except on the 18th, the hosts of a foreign version help present each night's Wheel Prize: Hungary on Monday, Romania on Tuesday, Vietnam (in subtitled Vietnamese) on Thursday, and Spain on Friday.
  • The category wipe is a spinning globe.
  • The hosts of foreign versions do bumpers after Round 1 and/or before Round 3.
  • From Monday to Wednesday, a clip of another foreign version is shown before the post-game chat: Spain on Monday, Georgia on Tuesday, and Romania on Wednesday. After Pat and Vanna sign off, there is another clip of the hosts of that version doing the same.

• On December 16:
  • The Prize Puzzle camera is a Sony Alpha NEX-5T. Until February, it alternates between the NEX-5T and NEX-5R, except where noted.
  • The hosts of the Estonian, Hungarian, Romanian, and Spanish versions are seen in the intro.
  • Pat does not prompt contestant John to use his Wild Card on $3,500, despite earning it only one spin earlier. This does not end up mattering, as he hits Bankrupt on his next spin.
  • The scoreboards now display "PRIZE PUZZLE", in the same style as the Final Spin wipe, at the start of that round.
  • The overhead shot of the Final Spin is added in post-production (likely taken from the next day's Final Spin), as it shows the red arrow landing on the purple $500 next to $400, even though the actual Final Spin landed on the one next to $450.
  • Five consecutive wrong letters are called in the Speed-Up, none of which are edited out.
• On December 17, the intro is the Pat and Vanna avatars carrying luggage through a desert.
• On December 18:
  • The hosts of the Georgian, Vietnamese (in subtitled Vietnamese), Spanish, and Romanian versions are seen in the intro.
  • Vanna reads the first line of the Prize Puzzle copy from Sandals Whitehouse in Jamaica.
  • For only the first time this season, a decades category is used (specifically, The 80's in Round 4).
  • Neither Bankrupt nor Lose A Turn is hit.
  • The bonus puzzle QUIRKY PERSONALITY is a rare instance of one under three-and-a-vowel rules (and the third this season) to have at least one each of R, S, T, L, N, and E.
• On December 19, the intro features the Pat and Vanna avatars in China, with Pat striking a gong that has the show's logo on it.
• On December 20:
  • The hosts of the Spanish, Georgian, Brazilian, and Hungarian versions are seen in the intro.
  • 12 wrong letters are called in the Speed-Up, including two "null" cycles that are not edited out. The former is the second instance this week of five consecutive wrong letters.
• All five Bonus Rounds are lost on the week of December 16.
• From December 12-20, What Are You Doing? is not used for seven consecutive shows.
• December 23 is Outdoor Adventures, taped November 21. This is only the second time that the week of Christmas is not Christmas-themed, although Christmas-themed puzzles are still used on Monday-Wednesday. During this week:
  • The set is decorated for the holidays, despite the theme.
  • The Prizes are all tours courtesy of G Adventures.
  • The category wipe is the Pat and Vanna avatars riding a snowmobile.
  • The staff wishes viewers happy holidays in bumpers after Round 1 and before Round 3. On Tuesday and Thursday, a third bumper is done before the $3,000 Toss-Up. The greetings are from:
    • Monday: Contestant department, post-production team.
    • Tuesday: Producers, control room, licensing and clearance team.
    • Wednesday: Marketing and promotions team, art department.
    • Thursday: Camera and audio department, production department, stage crew.
    • Friday: Production department again, "announcing department" (done by Jim at center stage).
• On December 23:
  • The Round 1 puzzle ROCKY MOUNTAIN HIGH is categorized as Song Lyrics instead of Song Title.
  • Contestant Andrew spins $3,500 three times in a row in Round 2.
  • The Round 5 puzzle BERT & ERNIE is a now-rare maingame puzzle that is shorter than 10 letters.
  • In Round 5, contestant Crystal uses the Wild Card on $500 without Pat prompting her first.
  • Rounds 2, 4, and 5 are played entirely by the contestant who began them.
  • Six rounds are played, and for the second time since April 21, 2011, the sixth round does not begin as a Speed-Up.
• On December 24:
  • Rounds 3 and 4 are played entirely by the contestant who began them.
  • In Round 5, the buzzer accidentally sounds on a correct letter (T), but it is edited out and the T's are revealed as normal.
  • Contestant Whitney wins despite failing to claim $22,550 in Round 5 (which ends as a Speed-Up).
• On December 25:
  • The $1,000 Toss-Up is themed to the airdate (A HOLLY JOLLY CHRISTMAS) instead of the week's theme.
  • The "only vowels remain" beeps do not sound in Round 2 when the last consonant is revealed in the puzzle CUPCAKES COBBLERS & COOKIES.
  • Contestant Lillian fills in the entire Round 3 puzzle THE HOTTEST SHOW IN TOWN by herself. On her last turn, she calls N before spinning. Against normal practice, she is asked after her next spin if she still wants to call N, instead of being held to that letter.
  • The "no more vowels" graphic does not come up when the last vowel is revealed in Round 4 due to the Final Spin wipe, although Pat still mentions the "vowels are worth nothing" part of the Final Spin spiel.
• On December 26:
  • For the first time, a contestant (Makida) uses the Wild Card immediately after picking it up for $500 and uses it after buying a vowel, per Pat's advice, after she tried to use the card for an A.
  • Rounds 2 and 3 are played entirely by the contestant who began them.
• On December 27:
  • The TV-G parental guidelines graphic appears upon returning from every commercial, instead of appearing only at the top of the show.
  • One of contestant Dave's spins in Round 1 is obviously dubbed in from Round 4, as all of the cardboard is missing from the Wheel in that shot, and the Wild Card is sitting on the railing even though no one had picked it up yet.
  • The Final Spin appears to have been reshot, as most of Pat's Final Spin spiel is absent, although the closed captioning still displays "ask you to give me a letter".
• On December 26 and 27, two contestants in a row win the maingame with $12,099.
• December 30 is New Year's from Las Vegas, taped July 31. During this week:
  • The Prize Puzzle camera is once again a Sony Alpha NEX-5R.
  • On Monday and Wednesday, Vanna promotes AutoNation, the provider of the week's Bonus Round car, after Round 1.
  • The category wipe is an assortment of party hats and noisemakers.
  • The scoreboards display "Happy New Year" at the start of Rounds 1 and 3.
• On December 30:
  • Contestant Luisa says "bringing" when solving the $1,000 Toss-Up RINGING IN THE NEW YEAR, but this mistake is not realized. The error does not affect the outcome.
  • Pat and Vanna read part of the Prize Puzzle copy from Sandals Grande Riviera Resort.
  • $250 is not deducted when contestant Joanthan buys an A in Round 4. Although he solves the puzzle, this also does not affect the outcome.
• On December 31:
  • The Round 1 puzzle I FEEL THE NEED THE NEED FOR SPEED ties the record for the most known instances of one vowel in a puzzle, with 10 E's.
  • The car horn does not sound when contestant Julie lands on the ½ Car tag between $350 and $900 in Round 1.
  • Julie wins the ½ Car after picking up both tags on the only two spins of the same round.

January 2014

• On January 1, Jim does not mention the $5,000 cash bonus when the Camaro is won in the Bonus Round.
• On January 2:
  • Contestant Patrick hesitantly gives the correct answer to the $3,000 Toss-Up, but Pat initially starts to rule him wrong before crediting him with a right answer. Also, the $3,000 appears on his scoreboard before the answer is revealed.
  • The Round 4 puzzle is DON'T GET BUZZED OUT, a phrase sometimes said by Pat when a player is taking too long to make a decision.
  • At least two "null" cycles are edited out of the Speed-Up. Counting these edits, no fewer than 10 wrong letters are called.
• January 6 is America's Game. During this week:
  • On Monday and Friday, the category strip includes a graphic of the Statue of Liberty when the puzzle is revealed. From Tuesday to Thursday, the category wipe is the bald eagle that was used on the week of November 4.
  • On Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, the Gift Tag is a $1,000 debit card from Beef Bucks. On Tuesday and Thursday, it is $1,000 cash from Kit-Cat Clocks. The latter is oriented vertically instead of horizontally.
  • On Monday, Thursday, and Friday, the $1,000 Toss-Up is not American-themed.
• On January 6:
  • During the interviews, contestant Bryan mentions that his son likes it when contestants hit Bankrupt. The sound effects booth then sounds the slide whistle at Pat's request. The closed captioning displays the sound as "[ WHIR! ]".
  • Contestant Bryan fills in the entire Round 3 puzzle A WEALTH OF FUN THINGS TO DO by himself.
  • Rounds 1 and 3 are played entirely by the contestant who began them.
  • Round 4 has two cycles of three lost turns edited out. While the first one is "null" (and referenced by Pat telling Bryan "back to you" despite being his first aired turn), the second is not, as it includes contestant Veronica buying either a repeated vowel or incorrect O, the only vowel not in the puzzle (BEAUTIFUL SMILE), which is evidenced by her scoreboard reading $800 despite her aired turns amounting to $1,050. The latter cycle also affects the final score (but not the outcome) as Veronica solves the puzzle without hitting Bankrupt.
  • In Round 4, Pat prompts Veronica to use her Wild Card on $450, which she does, making this the lowest value that the card has been used on since a use on $400 in January 2007.
  • In the post-game chat, Pat and Vanna mention that the 6,000th nighttime episode is coming up this April.
• On January 7, as it is the sixth episode from Wheel Salutes Our Military, the set uses the same colors as the rest of that week.
• On January 8:
  • After interviewing the red contestant, Pat accidentally begins interviewing the blue contestant.
  • The Prize is $5,000 cash courtesy of Yowza!!
  • Contestant Cathy wins the Mystery Prize, Gift Tag, and Prize Wedge in Round 2.
• On January 9:
  • The Prize is $5,000 credit for RetailMeNot.com.
  • A light on-set audibly explodes during the Bonus Wheel spin.
• On January 10:
  • Vanna wears a suit.
  • In Round 3, the wide shot of the second turn appears to be a reshoot, as the red and yellow scoreboards are still displaying those contestants' post-Round 2 scores, and the yellow arrow is blinking despite it being the blue contestant's turn. The close-up of the same spin also appears to be a reshoot, as it is missing both the Million-Dollar Wedge and the ½ Car tag between $350 and $900. This is made more obvious in that the blue contestant (Seneca) picks up the Million-Dollar Wedge on the very next turn.
  • Also in Round 3, Seneca calls a repeated R, but it is not acknowledged as such.
  • Later in the same round, contestant Lynn tries to pick up a ½ Car tag before calling a letter, but Pat stops her.
• January 13 is "Always Great! Wheel & V8". TV listings initially displayed this week as "College Week". During this week:
  • The category strip is green, and a bottle of V8 reveals it during maingame rounds.
  • The Gift Tag and Wheel Prize are $1,000 and $7,500 respectively, courtesy of V8. While the latter is placed on the usual Prize position on Monday (where it is won), it moves to the red $800 on Tuesday due to the wedge also being red (but still awards $500 per letter).
  • Starting this week, the Bonus Round is sponsored by V8. The sponsorship is plugged before the segment only if it is lost, but after if it is won.
  • A sweepstakes is held. After the Bonus Round, a "V8 Puzzle of the Day" is shown, and home viewers may enter the answer on the show's website for a chance to win $1,000. Each answer contains a V which is in the same font as the V8 logo.
  • On Monday and Friday, Pat does a bumper consisting of V8 trivia before Round 3.
• On January 13:
  • In Round 1, the ½ Car tag between $450 and $300 is placed higher on the wedge than usual.

    

  • The Mystery Wedge on the blue $300 comes loose after contestant Sean's first spin, and Pat interrupts Sean so he can fix it, albeit by placing it on the adjacent red $700. This affects the round, but not the outcome, as Sean's spin on that turn lands on the partially-exposed $300 and is treated as a $300 spin, though his score does not change until just as Pat "fixes" the wedge.
  • During the post-game chat, Pat and Vanna announce that everybody in the audience will receive a bottle of V8.
• On January 14, the retro Bonus Round is not done.
• On January 15, there is a very rare occurrence of a contestant solving the Speed-Up without any money.
• On January 16, a "null" cycle is edited out of Round 5 before Speed-Up, while one is left intact during it.
• On January 17, the first overhead shot in Round 1 is dubbed in, as the Million-Dollar Wedge is missing.
• During the week of January 13, all five winners are male.
• January 20 is Leave Winter Behind, taped October 18. During this week:
  • The intro is the Pat and Vanna avatars hopping from a Winter setting to a Summer setting.
  • The category strip wipe includes butterflies flying in front of it.
• On January 20:
  • In Round 2, the "no more vowels" sound effect is heard, but the graphic is not shown due to a shot of the Wheel being used.
  • All of the puzzles are very short, with the $3,000 Toss-Up THE NORTHERN HEMISPHERE being the longest at only 21 letters.
  • The winning contestant leaves with only $8,712.
• On January 21, during the closing, Pat "tweets" from the stage, "Doesn't Vanna look hot tonight?". Pat posts the tweet shortly before 7:30 PM Eastern as the episode airs as if the tweet was done live, then does it again before 8:00, 10:30, and 11:00 in time with broadcasts on other stations and the West Coast, deleting the previous one each time.
• Between December 20 and January 20, only four Bonus Rounds are not played for $30,000.
• Between December 23 and January 21, Round 4 does not begin as a Speed-Up for 22 consecutive episodes. This is the longest known streak of such episodes since the practice of always having a Final Spin began in Season 18.
• On January 23:
  • After the Round 3 puzzle is solved, Pat begins to throw to commercial before being reminded from offstage that it is a Prize Puzzle. After Jim announces the prize, stage manager John Lauderdale makes an appearance at the contestant area.
  • The Round 4 puzzle SUNSHINE ON MY SHOULDERS is categorized as Song Lyrics instead of Song Title.
• On January 24, the V8 Bonus Round plug is not done.
• January 27 is Winter Hideaways, taped November 22. During this week, the category wipe is the same one used for the week of December 23.
• On January 27:
  • The $1,000 Toss-Up WIND-CHILL FACTOR is improperly hyphenated.
  • Bankrupt is hit five times in Round 3, and seven times overall. Three of the hits take away no money or cardboard, and one takes away only a ½ Car tag. Also, four hits come from the same contestant (Julia).
  • The Round 4 puzzle MONEY MONEY MONEY is a rare maingame puzzle with only three unique consonants.
• Starting January 29, the V8 pre-Bonus Round plug appears sporadically regardless of whether it is won.
• On January 29:
  • Vanna wears a shirt and pants.
  • The bonus puzzle JUNE JULY AND AUGUST is inexplicably categorized as Things instead of Events.
• On January 30, after contestant Katie calls the first letter in the Speed-Up, her scoreboard briefly displays $1,500 before changing to the correct total of $3,000.

February 2014

• February 3 is Sandals Resorts Romance Week, taped December 12. During this week:
  • In the opening, Pat and Vanna mention the theme of the week from a Sandals Resort, which is followed by a montage of resort clips before cutting to the studio.
  • The Prize is a trip to Sandals Royal Bahamian Resort in Nassau, with Pat and Vanna reading the copy on-location.
  • The category wipe is the Pat avatar shooting an arrow of hearts from right to left.
  • Pat and Vanna do a bumper for Sandals Resort before Round 3.
  • The Prize Puzzle trip is to a Sandals resort, and its camera is a Sony Action Cam.
  • Sandals is plugged before the $3,000 Toss-Up.
  • The Speed-Up wipe is a pink heart.
  • The contestant window in the Bonus Round is formed by two Sweethearts candies.
  • The post-game chat is also done from a Sandals Resort.
• On February 3:
  • Before Round 2, Pat lets contestants Harold and Quinzola name their children, since they did not do so in the interviews.
  • In a rather rare occurrence, the only Bankrupts in the game take away no money or cardboard.
• On February 5:
  • The $2,000 Toss-Up is a non-sequitur answer of PELICANS & PEACOCKS.
  • The red team accidentally spills water on a ½ Car tag they win in Round 1, causing part of the black outline to bleed.
• On February 6, contestants Mark and Stephanie say "Calvary" when solving the Speed-Up puzzle THE CAVALRY TO THE RESCUE, but their answer is accepted. Before the Bonus Round, Pat says that their answer is an acceptable alternate pronunciation.
• On February 7:
  • A "null" cycle is not edited out of Round 1 (an incorrect R, and incorrect S, and a Bankrupt by a team with no money or cardboard).
  • Rounds 2 and 3 are played entirely by the teams that began them.
• February 10 is Venetian Valentine's Day Week from The Venetian, taped August 2. This is the last team week to use the ½ Car tags until Season 36.
• On February 10:
  • Six rounds are played. This is both the first known instance since September 6, 1991 of this happening on a road show, and the only known instance of this happening on a two-player team week.
  • Neither Bankrupt nor Lose A Turn is hit, although a team goes Bankrupt on Express.
• On February 11:
  • All three contestants hit Bankrupt consecutively in Round 1.
  • In Round 3, the board's border flashes when the last letter in the puzzle is revealed, but several seconds before the team solves it.
• On February 12:
  • The right-letter ding accidentally sounds a second time in Round 1 after the R in WHISPERING SWEET NOTHINGS is revealed.
  • No vowels are bought in Round 3.
  • For the third time, a contestant solves on Express even though one consonant remains.
  • Two ads are shown between the SPIN ID and post-game chat.
• On February 13:
  • There is a ½ Car win in Round 1.
  • The first spin of Round 3 is dubbed in from another episode, as a Prize wedge can briefly be seen in the overhead shot.
  • The yellow team's scoreboard does not change from $1,900 to $5,700 after they call L in the Speed-Up. After they solve, Pat acknowledges that their final score may be incorrect while their score from that round changes from $1,900 to the minimum of $2,000. Before the Bonus Round, Pat announces the yellow team's actual score.
  • The second-place team, after correction, has $23,849.
• On February 14:
  • The $1,000 Toss-Up FEBRUARY FOURTEENTH is inexplicably categorized as Thing instead of Event.
  • In Round 3, the red team calls M on $3,500 (which captioning also displays), but they are credited with N, of which there are three as opposed to two M's. While they solve the puzzle immediately after, this does not affect the outcome.
  • Rounds 3 and 4 are played entirely by the team that began them.
  • The third- and second-place teams have $14,300 and $20,299 (or $16,799 had they been credited with M in the above situation), respectively.
• February 17 is "Taste of the Good Life", taped August 3 at the Palazzo. During this week, the category wipe is the Pat avatar in a limousine.
• On February 17:
  • The Round 2 puzzle CAVIAR CAPERS AND CRACKERS is categorized as Food & Drink, instead of using an ampersand and Same Letter.
  • Round 3 and the Bonus Round are What Are You Doing?
• On February 18, Same Name permanently reverts to spelling out AND.
• On February 20:
  • Round 2 begins with a cut "null" cycle which Pat references by later telling contestant Sonia "back to you" despite it being her first aired turn.
  • Two Final Spins landing on Bankrupt are edited out.
• During the week of February 17, three bonus puzzles are only one word, and none of them are compound words.
• February 24 is Spa Getaway, taped January 16. From this point onward, the Prize Puzzle camera is the Sony Alpha NEX-5T.
• On February 24:
  • A new scoreboard wipe is added for the Mystery Round, consisting of "MYSTERY" in yellow text on a purple background, with a Season 24 Mystery Wedge on either side.

    

  • There is a ½ Car win in Round 3.
  • In a rather rare occurrence, the only Bankrupts in the game take away no money or cardboard.
  • The show's website changes. Most notably, the Wheel Watchers Club is no longer a separate site (and as a result, the 25th Anniversary Moments page and its archive are removed). The 404 page is updated with the same "PAGE NOT FOUND" puzzle, but with the "Spin Again!" category replaced with a "Back to Home" button. Also, the background is changed to match the current set, as is Vanna's appearance as she is no longer standing next to the puzzle board.
• On February 25, contestant Michele solves the Round 4 Speed-Up puzzle THOUGHTFULNESS with only the T's showing. Interestingly, she does this after Pat jokingly dares her to solve.
• On February 26, twice in Round 2, contestant Kathy calls a letter before spinning again. On both occasions, a female voice (possibly producer Karen Griffith) can be heard saying that she has to spin again, but on neither spin is she held to the letter that she called. This ruling ends up not mattering, as she sticks to her original letter call both times.

March 2014

• March 3 is European Vacation, taped January 17. During this week:
  • The Prizes and Prize Puzzle trips are all tours provided by Collette.
  • The category wipe is the Pat avatar being chased by bulls.
  • The center-stage video wall includes the Pat avatar rowing a gondola, which is also used as the pre-Round 2 bumper.
• On March 3:
  • For the first known time on a non-team episode, both trips are over $10,000. The Prize Puzzle trip is worth $12,557, the highest value for one on such an episode.
  • When contestant Kamiko hits a ½ Car tag in Round 2, the Bankrupt slide whistle accidentally starts to sound instead of the car horn, but cuts off halfway through. The closed captioning displays it as "'Bankrupt' siren wails". It is possible that the sound was cued up due to Kamiko landing on the Bankrupt Mystery Wedge on her previous spin, which she does not flip.
• On March 4:
  • Round 1 begins with two "null" cycles that are edited out. No letters are revealed in the puzzle until the seventh played (but only first aired) turn. This is also the only known instance until Season 37 of Pat trying to cover up such an edit, as he tells contestant Jim "That's the way to start" when he lands on a ½ Car tag on the first aired spin. Reportedly, Pat informed the contestants that the lost turns would be edited out "as if it never happened".
  • The final segment begins with Pat and Vanna promoting Collette.
• On March 5:
  • Vanna wears a shirt and pants.
  • The Prize is a $10,430 tour of Austria, Germany, and Switzerland.
  • Contestant Ryan loses $2,450, the Wild Card, and the Prize to Bankrupt in Round 2.
  • Contestant Solmaz wins the ½ Car in Round 2 after picking up three tags.
  • Nine wrong letters are called in the Speed-Up, including a streak of five from which three are edited out.
• On March 6:
  • Both of the prizes are over $10,000: the Prize is a $10,018 tour of Italy, and the Prize Puzzle trip is a $11,327 tour of Iceland plus the camera.
  • Six turns in a row are lost during Round 4, all of which are edited out despite no "null" cycles taking place. The first and fourth turns are incorrect vowels from contestant Dan, resulting in a $500 discrepancy in his score before he hits Bankrupt later in the round. The edit is also evident by contestant Brook saying "Third time's a charm" despite it being her first aired turn.
  • In the final segment, Vanna shares photos taken by her daughter, Giovanna, in Iceland, with the caption "Photos by Gigi San Pietro". One of the photos is reshown over the "Created by Merv Griffin" credit.
• On March 7:
  • The closed captioning inexplicably misspells contestant Deanna's first name as "Deana" for the entire show despite her name tag bearing the correct spelling.
  • After Deanna calls a correct letter on a now out-of-play Mystery Wedge, Pat asks her what she would like to do, which Deanna perceives as whether she would like to flip the wedge or not (even though the other wedge had already been flipped at this point). The confusion is mostly edited out, though it is referenced by Pat joking "Part of my job is to confuse the players as much as possible." after she solves.
  • The $2,000 Toss-Up and Bonus Round are Person.
• March 10 is Beaches Family Week, taped December 13. During this week:
  • A piece of tropical-sounding music is used in place of the usual opening theme.
  • All teams are composed of family members.
  • The Prize is a $16,640 trip to the Beaches Resort in Turks and Caicos, the most expensive trip offered via the Prize wedge and the most expensive Wheel Prize in the 21st century. Also, Pat and Vanna read the copy on-location. It is won on the sixth episode, which airs April 21.
  • All Prize Puzzle trips are to various Beaches Resorts, all worth $13,698. This is the third-highest Prize Puzzle trip ever known to be offered.
  • The category wipe is tropical fish.
  • The Prize Puzzle camera is a Sony Action Cam.
  • The retro Bonus Round is not done.
  • A sweepstakes is held in which viewers can submit each episode's bonus puzzle on the show's website for a chance to win a vacation to a Beaches resort.
  • For unknown reasons, this week does not air on GSN, although its sixth episode (which aired April 21) does.
• On March 10:
  • Pat references a cut "null" cycle in Round 2 by telling the blue team "There you go" despite being their first aired turn.
  • The Bonus Round sponsor is changed to Harrah's casinos.
• On March 11:
  • Rounds 1 and 2 are played entirely by the teams that began them.
  • The Round 4 puzzle ROW ROW ROW YOUR BOAT is categorized as Quotation instead of the more logical Song Lyrics, although Song Lyrics was also used in Round 1.
  • The same team wins the Bonus Round and misses the $1,000,000 by only one envelope.
• On March 12:
  • The $2,000 Toss-Up (OLDER BROTHER) is themed to the week, instead of the $1,000 Toss-Up.
  • The Prize Puzzle is an abnormally short answer of TANTALIZING BUFFET. It is not known why this was done, as the game did not run overly long. This answer is even shorter than the bonus puzzle, A NUGGET OF INFORMATION.
• On March 14:
  • For unknown reasons, there is no overhead shot during the third spin of Round 1.
  • The blue team loses $1,750, the Prize, and the Million-Dollar Wedge to Bankrupt in Round 1. At $16,640, the Prize is very likely the highest non-spendable bonus prize to ever be lost to a Bankrupt.
  • The linking word in Round 2's Before & After (TO HAVE AND TO HOLD A GRUDGE) is not on its own line, even though it would fit.
  • The Prize Puzzle copy erroneously lists the price of the Prize Puzzle trip as $6,849 (half the value of the actual trip), which the graphic also displays. Possibly to hide the mistake, the total scores are never shown on-camera from this point until the end of the game.
• March 17 is America's Game.
• On March 17:
  • Contestant A.J. solves Round 2 for only the Mystery Prize.
  • Round 3 is TELL ME WHERE I'M GOING PAT, a derivative of various phrases commonly said by contestants after they solve the Prize Puzzle.
  • There is a ½ Car win in Round 3.
  • The Final Spin bells initially fail to sound at the start of Round 5.
  • A.J. wins $57,744 despite failing to solve the bonus puzzle.
• On March 18:
  • Three females play.
  • There are five Bankrupts in Round 3, one of which comes from the Express.
• On March 19:
  • The $1,000 Toss-Up refuses to activate for a few seconds.
  • Rounds 1 and 2 are played entirely by the contestants that began them.
  • Rounds 3-5 do not have E in them.
  • Contestant Emil solves the bonus puzzle NEW BABY BUGGY despite getting no help from his extra letters. His answer is not ruled correct until about two seconds after he says it, and after it is solved, Pat pretends to frisk him. Footage of this Bonus Round quickly goes viral.
  • Emil appears again during the post-game chat to explain how he solved the puzzle. He states that he used the Used Letter Board to figure out the answer, which leads to it being shown on-camera for only the second known time.
• On March 20:
  • As it is the sixth episode of Sandals Resorts Romance Week, couples play, the prizes are trips to Sandals resorts, and the Prize Puzzle camera is a Sony Action Cam. Unlike the rest of the week, the retro Bonus Round is done.
  • The $1,000 Toss-Up TEXTING A SMILEY FACE is inexplicably categorized as Fun & Games instead of What Are You Doing? However, the latter category is also used in Round 3.
• On March 21, there is a ½ Car win.
• March 24 is Girlfriend Getaways, taped January 30. During this week:
  • For the first time, all-female teams play.
  • The category wipe is a pair of drinking glasses clinking.
  • The contestant window in the Bonus Round is stretched to an oval shape.
• On March 25:
  • In Round 2, contestants Elizabeth and Deb are credited for only one N on $350 despite the puzzle having two, as evidenced by their score being $100 instead of $450 after they buy a vowel. This does not affect the outcome.
  • Round 2 and the Bonus Round are What Are You Doing?
• Between March 4 and 25, What Are You Doing? makes four appearances in the Bonus Round, and three of them are one-word answers.
• On March 26:
  • The $1,000 Toss-Up WHAT TO WEAR? uses only one line.
  • Round 2 and the Bonus Round are Event. This is the category's first appearance in the Bonus Round since November 2012.
• All five Bonus Rounds are lost on the week of March 24.
• March 31 is Wheel Across America, taped January 31. During this week:
  • The intro is the same animation used on Get Out of Town and Road Trip weeks in Season 28 (the Pat and Vanna avatars driving a car).
  • Before & After appears on all five shows.
  • The weekly contestant blog features contestant Ryan from Thursday, but accidentally shows a picture of a different Ryan from Monday's episode.
• On March 31, the original $1,000 Toss-Up REST AREA is thrown out due to no one ringing in. The replacement puzzle THE SKY'S THE LIMIT is not explicitly themed.

April 2014

• On April 2:
  • Coincidentally, a contestant wins the Prize wedge, which is a trip to San Francisco, after solving the Round 1 puzzle CROSSING THE GOLDEN GATE BRIDGE.
  • Bankrupt is hit five times in Round 2.
• On April 3:
  • The $1,000 Toss-Up ROAD TRIPPING uses only one line.
  • A "null" cycle is not edited out of the Speed-Up.
• On April 4, the Gift Tag is unusually described as "two $500 gift cards" for Conoco, 76, and Phillips 66 gas stations.
• April 7 is College Week, taped February 14. During this week:
  • All of the Prizes are tours from Lonely Planet, valued at $7,500.
  • The retro Bonus Rounds are recycled from Season 30.
• On April 8:
  • Round 1 is the first appearance of College Life since May 12, 2011 that is not a Toss-Up.
  • Round 3 and the Bonus Round are Event.
• On April 9, in the final segment, Pat and Vanna show how the Used Letter Board works.
• On April 10, a "null" cycle is not edited out of Round 2 (an incorrect R, a repeated N, and an incorrect G).
• On April 11:
  • Pat acknowledges that it is the 6,000th episode and announces that the milestone will be celebrated on the week of the 28th.
  • Contestant Julian mispronounces the fully-revealed Round 1 puzzle MYTHOLOGICAL HERO ACHILLES. As he is holding the Million-Dollar Wedge, his answer goes viral with assumptions that he lost $1,000,000, similarly to the CORNER CURIO CABINET round on September 17.
  • Against normal practice, the "only vowels remain" beeps sound in the Speed-Up. This is followed by Julian giving a wrong answer and Shelby giving the right answer, both without calling a vowel first.
  • Despite failing to claim $51,050 (counting the Prize and both ½ Car tags) plus the Million-Dollar Wedge over the course of Rounds 1, 3, and 4, Julian wins the game.
  • Round 3 and the Bonus Round are Person.
  • After the Bonus Round is lost, Pat accidentally holds the envelope toward himself instead of the camera, but later reopens it and shows it to the camera.
  • During the closing segment, the sign-off from the 3,000th episode is shown.
• All five Bonus Rounds are lost on the week of April 7, part of a seven-loss streak starting on the 4th.
• April 14 is Sandals Resorts Week, taped February 13. During this week:
  • Except on Friday, the $1,000 Toss-Up is a place where a Sandals resort is located.
  • The Prize is a trip to the Sandals property of the contestant's choice on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, and to the Beaches resorts in Jamaica or Turks and Caicos on Tuesday and Thursday.
  • The Prize Puzzle trip is to a Sandals property, for which Vanna and/or Pat read all copy except for the camera.
  • Jim does a plug for Sandals before the $3,000 Toss-Up.
• On April 15, the $1,000 and $3,000 Toss-Ups (MONTEGO BAY and PRETTY IN PINK) both use only one line.
• On April 16, a "null" cycle is edited out of the Speed-Up.
• On April 18, all three contestants ring in with wrong answers on the $1,000 Toss-Up GETTING WARMED UP, itself being themed to the game rather than the week.
• April 21-May 2 is the second Millionaire Maker Sweepstakes. Gameplay is identical to the first one.
• April 21 is America's Game. During this week, the retro Bonus Round is not done.
• On April 21:
  • As it is the sixth episode of Beaches Family Week, family teams play and the Wheel Prize is the $16,640 trip.
  • Rounds 1 and 3 are played entirely by the teams that began them.
  • Round 1, BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER, is categorized as Title instead of TV Title, likely due to Round 2 being TV Quote.
  • The second-place team has $25,948.
  • In the final segment, Pat shows a graphic honoring the anniversary of Lesly Sajak and Harry Friedman's wife, Judy, which consists of their names written in cursive against a black background with fireworks.
• On April 22:
  • As it is the sixth show of Girlfriend Getaways, three teams of females play.
  • All three teams hit Bankrupt consecutively in Round 2.
• On April 23:
  • It is the sixth episode of College Week, so some puzzles are themed to that week.
  • A "null" cycle is not edited out of Round 1 (an incorrect answer, a Bankrupt from a contestant with no money or cardboard, and an incorrect Y).
• On April 24, the $1,000 Toss-Up (OFF TO A FLYING START) is themed to the game instead of having an American theme (although the Round 2 puzzle AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS is American-themed).
• On April 25:
  • Contestant Jen's hometown is never mentioned on-air.
  • The Wheel Prize is $7,500, and its copy includes a trailer for The Amazing Spider-Man 2.
  • The players' totals are still displayed during the start of the $3,000 Toss-Up. The scoreboards are cleared when the puzzle is revealed.
  • Round 4 and the Bonus Round are Person.
  • For the first known time, a contestant who takes the Million-Dollar Wedge to the Bonus Round does not have anyone in the audience to hold it, so Pat holds the wedge through the entire segment.
• April 28 is Wheel 6000, taped February 27. During this week:
  • The generic set is used.
  • The retro Bonus Round is not done.
  • The opening sequence is a remake of the Season 25 intro, with various newer moments added. The title logo is shown as a two-row "WHEEL 6000" logo, featuring the "WHEEL" from the standard two-bar wordmark in orange, accompanied by a green "6000" in Impact.
  • The category strips replace their usual spots with "6000" text elements, and stay green instead of cycling among the colors.
  • The Prize is a trip to Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, including a dinner at Old Homestead Steakhouse and show tickets, valued at $7,500.
  • The Gift Tag is $1,000 cash courtesy of Caesars Palace.
  • $5K Every Day is increased to $6K Twice a Day, and is awarded to two viewers per episode. Two SPIN IDs are drawn instead of one. During the draws, Vanna says "To celebrate Wheel's 6,000th episode, we're giving away $6K twice each day." Jim then reads the SPIN IDs and says "Congratulations, you've each won $6,000 just for watching Wheel. You have 24 hours to log on to wheeloffortune.com to claim your $6,000. Thank you, Wheel watchers, for inviting us into your home 6,000 times."
  • A $6,000 wedge is present in Rounds 4+, replacing $5,000. The wedge has "WHEEL $6000" in two rows on top and written horizontally, and colored dots and stars against a dark blue background, bearing resemblance to both the 25 Wedge and this week's title sequence. It is never hit, due in part to Round 4 beginning as a Speed-Up on Monday-Wednesday.
  • For these tapings only, a new method is used for grouping contestants: all contestants draw from a bucket with three balls each of numbers 1-6 (1-5 if no sixth episode is being taped). The three who each draw the same number are grouped for the corresponding episode, which can result in groups that are not the typical composition of one male and two females, or have two contestants with the same first name. Normally, players are grouped deliberately and one person from each group draws a ball numbered from 1-6 (or 1-5) to determine their group's show. It is possible that this method was retired due to it producing two episodes where two contestants have the same first name.
  • Except on Monday, Pat and Vanna show clips from previous milestone shows, and mention pop culture events from the year in which it aired: #1,000 on Tuesday, #3,000 on Wednesday, #2,000 on Thursday, and #4,000 on Friday. Each montage is accompanied by the main theme used by the show in its corresponding era, and each montage ends with Pat stating that the cost of a vowel was $250.
    • The aforementioned themes result in the first uses of "Changing Keys" (specifically, the 1984, 1992, and 1997 versions) since its replacement in 2000, as well as the only known use of Steve Kaplan's cues (including the 1997 "Changing Keys" and 2002 "Happy Wheels") since their gradual ousting in Season 24.
    • Despite the retrospective on #2,000 airing after the one for #3,000, this week's episodes do in fact air in taping order. It is not known why #2,000 was not brought up until after #3,000, nor why #5,000 was ignored entirely.
• On April 28:
  • The episode begins with a clip of one of Pat and Vanna's narrations from the ceremonial 3,000th episode.
  • For the first known time since December 1997 (not counting team episodes), two contestants have the same first name (Josh). To avoid confusion, they are referred to by their first name and last initial during Toss-Ups, on the "drop down" score graphic, and in the closed captioning.
  • The $1,000 Toss-Up is SIX THOUSAND SHOWS!
  • The bonus puzzle has a redundant A at the beginning (A SOPHOMORE).
  • During the post-game chat, Pat notes that the daytime version dropped the price of vowels from $250 to $200 when the Wheel became cheaper, indirectly referencing the Bob Goen era.
• The Bonus Round on April 24 is People, while the ones on the 25th and 28th are Person.
• On April 29:
  • Round 3 is the first known appearance of Landmarks, despite the singular category being present since 1975.
  • The Prize Puzzle package is worth $11,197, a rare instance of it exceeding $10,000 on a non-team episode.
• On April 30:
  • There are once again two contestants with the same first name (Joann).
  • Contestant Trent gains national media attention for being the show's first known special-needs contestant, and a Twitter hashtag of #TeamTrent becomes a trending topic.
  • During his contestant interview, Pat notes that Trent is a huge Wheel fan and asks him to name a category the show no longer uses. Trent responds with Megaword, after which Pat briefly explains the category and remarks, "and I hated every moment of it."
  • In the closing segment, Pat and Vanna discuss categories that the show no longer uses, specifically naming Megaword and Foreign Phrase. Vanna also mentions "Fill In the Word", presumably thinking of Fill In the Blank.

May 2014

• On May 1:
  • The $2,000 Toss-Up (CERAMIC DALMATIAN) is themed to the week, instead of the $1,000 Toss-Up.
  • The third-place contestant has $15,850.
  • For only the fifth known time, a contestant calls Z in the Bonus Round. He only does this because he already called the other two consonants in the puzzle (VALIANT EFFORT).
• On May 2:
  • For the first known time since December 11, 1995 (not counting Armed Forces Weeks or Dad's Weeks), three males play.
  • The $1,000 Toss-Up is AMERICA'S GAME.
  • The $2,000 Toss-Up, I WILL ALWAYS LOVE YOU, is categorized as Song Lyrics instead of Song Title.
  • Contestant Brian solves the Round 1 puzzle ROBIN WILLIAMS AS MRS. DOUBTFIRE with only the R's showing.
  • Rounds 1 and 4 are played entirely by the contestant who began them.
  • During the credits, the entire staff can be seen on the set, and Pat and Vanna are seen with a "Wheel 6000" cake modeled after the Season 28 logo.
• May 5 is Happy Mother's Day, taped February 28. During this week:
  • Like last season's Mom's Week, the mothers play by themselves. Pictures of their children are still shown during the interview.
  • The category strip has a bouquet of flowers on the left side when the puzzle is revealed.
  • The Prize is a $5,000 shopping spree: Beyond the Rack on Monday, CreditCards.com on Tuesday, zulily.com on Wednesday, cooking.com on Thursday, and RetailMeNot on Friday.
• On May 5:
  • Vanna wears a red dress to raise awareness of heart disease in women, and plugs the American Heart Association's Go Red for Women program in the final segment. The link for their website appears on a red category strip.
  • Five ½ Car tags are picked up and a sixth one hit, but none are won.
  • For the first known time, a Song/Artist puzzle is a song that was not released as a single (THE BEST DAY BY TAYLOR SWIFT).
  • A "null" cycle is not edited out of the Speed-Up.
• May 2 and 5 have somewhat similar answers being used on consecutive episodes: PERSONALIZED PLUSH PILLOWS in Round 2 on the 2nd, and DESIGNER THROW PILLOWS as the $1,000 Toss-Up on the 5th.
• On May 6:
  • Rounds 1-3 all have the word AND spelled out.
  • The retro Bonus Round is not done.
  • The Round 3 puzzle GARDENS WATERFALLS AND BEACHES is categorized as Things instead of Places.
• On May 8:
  • The Gift Tag is $1,000 cash from StyleWatch.com.
  • A "null" cycle is edited out of Round 1 improperly: one of contestant Pretina's spins is shown landing on $350 (the first spin of the cycle, which should have been edited out), but after she calls L, her arrow is suddenly sitting on the Wild Card, which she picks up.
  • Later in Round 1, contestant Debra has difficulty picking up a ½ Car tag, so Pat walks over and helps her. She moves the Wheel one peg counterclockwise, so Pat resets it after she buys an O on her next turn.
• Between April 23 and May 8, eleven out of twelve Bonus Rounds are played for $30,000.
• Starting May 8, "null" cycles are once again edited out of Speed-Up rounds consistently. This includes three in a row between May 8 and 12, with the ones on the 8th and 12th also comprising the only wrong letters of their respective rounds.
• May 12 is Hawaii Week, taped March 13. During this week:
  • Most of the contestants and teams in the blue podium are viewed from a different angle than normal during contestant interviews, a trend that would continue on Hawaiian episodes the following season.
  • The category strips are purple with a floral pattern. During maingame rounds, the wipe is a yellow flower.
  • The Prize is a trip to Hilton Waikoloa Village.
  • It is also the Take Me to Hawaii sweepstakes. After the Bonus Round, a special puzzle is shown, which home viewers may enter on the show's website for a chance to win a trip to Hawaii. Pat and Vanna promote this at the top of the show.
  • The retro Bonus Round is not done.
• On May 13, a cycle of lost turns is edited out of Round 3 despite not being "null". The cycle includes an incorrect O from Elliot, as his score reads $950 when he should have had $1,200. Pat references the cycle by telling Gabrielle "Try it again" on her first aired spin.
• On May 14:
  • Round 4 and the Bonus Round are Food & Drink.
  • The bonus puzzle is still on the board during the credits.
• On May 15:
  • Contestant Sili mentions that her husband, Mase, was on the show as well (December 6, 2010).
  • All three contestants hit Bankrupt consecutively in Round 1.
  • Sili calls her Wild Card consonant before her vowel. The fourth consonant appears at the end as usual, with a gap for the vowel, contradicting the precedent of always showing letters in the order that they are called.
• May 19 is Shop Your Way Week, taped March 27. During this week:
  • The Prize and Gift Tag are $7,500 and $1,000, respectively, toward purchases from Shop Your Way.
  • Due to the Prize wedge being dark orange, it is placed on the red $800.
  • Jim promotes Shop Your Way before Round 3.
  • A sweepstakes is held in which Shop Your Way members may enter for a chance to win $5,000 and a chance to audition.
  • A second ad for Shop Your Way is done between the $5K Every Day draw and closing segment.
• On May 19, neither Bankrupt nor Lose A Turn is hit.
• Between March 5 and May 19, the $5,000 wedge is not hit for 54 consecutive episodes, including the Final Spin and counting the $6,000 wedge used for Wheel 6000 Week.
• On May 20:
  • The retro Bonus Round is not done.
  • For the first known time, RSTLNE reveals an entire word in a bonus puzzle (BACKYARD SWING SET).
• On May 21, a "null" cycle is not edited out of Round 3 (incorrect calls of M, P, and Y).
• Between June 12, 2013 and May 22, the $100,000 envelope is not hit for 182 consecutive episodes, breaking the previous 131-episode record set between July 16, 2009 and March 15, 2010 for the longest gap between hits. This also breaks the record for the most episodes in a season before such a hit.
• On May 22, the bonus puzzle DON'T QUIBBLE is the last instance to date of an apostrophe in the Bonus Round.
• On May 23:
  • Round 1 is a puzzle that uses an ampersand even though using AND still could have fit on the board (KING ARTHUR & THE KNIGHTS OF THE ROUND TABLE), while Round 2 is a Same Name that spells out AND.
  • There is a $100,000 loss. Against 99.95% odds, the $100,000 is hit for the first time this season.
• May 26 is Here Comes Summer, taped March 14. During this week:
  • The opening features the Pat and Vanna avatars: Pat builds a sandcastle and Vanna builds a Wheel of Fortune logo, which the camera then zooms in on while a wave wipes out Pat's sandcastle.
  • The category wipe is Pat and Vanna driving a personal watercraft and splashing water onto the category strip.
• On May 26:
  • After contestant Joe solves the Prize Puzzle for $950, Pat begins to round his score up to the house minimum of $1,000 before being told that it is a Prize Puzzle. He then asks if Joe's score is to be rounded up anyway, and is told no.
  • Contestant Wendy solves the Speed-Up puzzle SLOWLY BUT SURELY just ahead of the buzzer. After an edit, Pat rules her correct but tells her that her score is tentative. Before the Bonus Round, Pat informs viewers that Wendy did beat the buzzer.
• On May 27, the retro Bonus Round is the same one that was used on March 25, 2013 (HOLD THE MAYO from the NFL week of January 19, 1998).
• On May 28:
  • Contestant Jeffrey mentions that his mother was on the show in the 1970s. In reference to this, Jim calls Pat "Chuck" before reading the Prize copy.
  • Pat almost rules contestant LaTasha wrong on the $2,000 Toss-Up FORMAL INVITATION due to him looking at the wrong answer card.
  • In Round 3, Vanna starts to walk to the left side of the board when LaTasha calls an incorrect V, presumably having misheard it as C.
  • The Gift Tag is hit three times, but not claimed.
• On May 29:
  • The retro Bonus Round is the same one from October 22, 2012 (FLY-FISHING from October 11, 2001).
  • Contestant Ambar wins the Mystery Round with only the $10,000 prize.
  • Pat references a cut "null" cycle in Round 3 by telling Ambar "back to you" on her first aired turn.
• On May 30:
  • The audience inexplicably applauds a wrong letter (M) in Round 2.
  • For the first time, a "decades" category (The 80's) is used as a Prize Puzzle.

June 2014

• June 2 is America's Game. Against normal practice for such a week, the $1,000 Toss-Ups on June 3, 4, and 6 are themed to their corresponding taping weeks instead of having an American theme. June 4 still uses an American-themed puzzle in Round 4, and June 6 uses ones in Rounds 1 and 5, while June 3 does not use one at all.
• On June 2, Pat forgets to say the category for Round 5 (Landmark) until after the Final Spin.
• On June 3:
  • The close-up shot of the contestants during the opening is clearly a reshoot taken after Round 2, as the Mystery wedges are visible, and the blue contestant's arrow is on the orange $300, which was her last spin of that round.
  • As it is the sixth episode of Happy Mother's Day, three females play, and they show off pictures of their children during the interviews.
  • Contestant Kelly wins by $3, the smallest known margin of victory in the show's history.
• On June 4:
  • In Round 3, contestant Zlata claims a ½ Car tag after that round's other tag is lost to Bankrupt, so Pat takes it after she picks it up.
  • There is a $100,000 win, the only one of the season. Against precedent, the winner does not write the contestant blog.
• On June 5:
  • Once again, the close-up shot of the contestants during the opening appears to be a reshoot, as the yellow arrow is on the red $700.
  • As it is the sixth episode of Happy Father's Day, three males play, and they show off pictures of their children during the interviews.
  • Nobody solves the $2,000 Toss-Up, PASSING THE BATON.
  • The retro Bonus Round is not done.
  • Round 1 and the Bonus Round are Place.
• On June 6:
  • Vanna wears a sleeveless shirt and pants.
  • Rounds 1 and 2 are played entirely by the contestants who began them.
  • Nobody solves the $3,000 Toss-Up, A REAL CHARMER.
  • The $3,000 Toss-Up and Bonus Round are Person.
• Strangely, the June 6 show is rerun twice on the 2014-15 weekend feed – on November 1, 2014 and July 4, 2015. This is the first known time where an episode has two weekend repeats.
• June 9 is Happy Father's Day, taped March 28. During this week:
  • The category wipe is the same one used on the Sandals Golf Getaway week of December 12, 2011.
  • The Speed-Up wipe is a Wheel made out of ties.
• On June 9:
  • Six rounds are played.
  • The second-place contestant has $20,980.
• Between May 29 and June 9, Before & After is used in Round 2 for eight consecutive shows.
• On June 10:
  • The $1,000 Toss-Up THREE MEN AND A BABY is the last appearance of a "decade" category (in this case, The 80's) until February 19, 2015.
  • The Prize is a $5,000 shopping spree at Dick's Sporting Goods.
  • The retro Bonus Round is the same one that was used on March 25 (PLUG IT IN from a 1991 episode). This is the first instance of a retro Bonus Round being repeated within the same season.
  • A "null" cycle is not edited out of Round 4 (an incorrect C, an incorrect I on Free Play followed by an incorrect R from the same contestant, and a Bankrupt by a contestant with no money or cardboard).
  • There is a rare instance of a contestant solving the Speed-Up without any money.
• On June 11:
  • The Prize is a $10,018 tour of Italy.
  • Round 1 (WATERPROOF WRISTWATCH) is categorized as Same Letter instead of Thing.
  • Rounds 1 and 3 are played entirely by the contestants who began them.
• On June 12:
  • The Prize is a $5,000 shopping spree from creditcards.com.
  • The Prize Puzzle package is worth $10,299, a rare instance of it exceeding $10,000 on a non-team episode.
  • Shawn wins the game entirely from the first two Toss-Ups and Round 1.
• On June 13:
  • Contestant Pete rings in on the $1,000 Toss-Up and says BASEBALL PLAYER, pauses, then adds an S to form the correct answer. He is ruled incorrect.
  • Against precedent, the connecting word in Round 2's Before & After (SHALLOW END OF THE POOL TABLE) is not on its own line, even though such an arrangement could have fit.
  • Not counting the Final Spin, only an 11-wedge span of the Wheel is hit all game (from the orange $300 to the pink $500).

Post-Season

• Beginning on August 5, Wheel Watchers Club members can no longer earn points for solving the bonus puzzle.
• August 11-15 is the Hula Moola Sweepstakes. During this week, a special puzzle (not related to gameplay) is edited into each rerun, and home viewers can submit the puzzle on the show's website for a chance at 25 $1,000 prizes (five per day).
• On the August 30 rerun airing of the October 23, 2012 episode, before the closing segment, Jim narrates a segment that shows vacation photos from November 27, 2013 winner Brandon, as well as footage of him solving the Prize Puzzle.
• During the week of September 8, when the Wheel 6000 week of April 28 is rerun, the May 2 episode is replaced with the June 4 episode. This is done to keep the puzzle ROBIN WILLIAMS AS MRS. DOUBTFIRE from airing after Williams' suicide in August.