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A timeline for Season 34 of Wheel of Fortune, which aired in first-run from September 12, 2016 through June 9, 2017.

Season Changes[]

  • The opening animation is slightly altered version of the one from Season 31. A graphic showing the week's theme now appears over the show's logo.
  • The Crossword category becomes a regular feature, no longer limited to Round 2. Except where noted, it occurs three times a week.
    • Crossword Rounds now have "CROSSWORD" written in squares above the category strip when the puzzle is revealed, changing to "CLUE" when the round is in progress.
  • The Express graphic on the left side of the category strip is now horizontal and placed above the strip instead of in front of it. If the round is also a Crossword Round, the "CLUE" graphic moves down to be in front of the strip.
  • The Prize copy is now read only if the Prize has a sponsor, or if it is cash or a shopping spree.
  • The "pop-up" score displays at the top of the screen in Round 3 now zoom onto the screen, as opposed to simply sliding downwards.
  • Car envelopes in the Bonus Round return to showing the name of the car's model and the manufacturer's logo.
  • The SPIN ID feature is discontinued for the first half of the season due to many local pre-emptions by national election debates and Thursday Night Football.
  • The theme of the week now appears on the scoreboards during the Bonus Round and closing credits.
  • The Wheel is now wrapped in plastic when not in use, most likely to prevent tourists from trying to spin or tamper with it. A sign is placed on a nearby stand and on the Wheel itself, showing the traditional logo and a message reading "DO NOT UNCOVER OR TOUCH THE WHEEL UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES".
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  • Most of the Bonus Round cars are now significantly cheaper than the lowest cash prize ($34,000). Presumably because of this and their increased frequency of being landed on during the first half of the season, there seem to be more car envelopes in the Bonus Wheel than prior seasons.
  • With only two exceptions, every instance of a puzzle that is a song title this season is categorized as Song Lyrics instead.
  • Until March, if the ½ Car is won, an image of the car's make is shown on a blue background while Jim announces the car.

September 2016[]

  • September 12 is Teacher's Week, taped July 14. This is also the first taped week of the season. During this week, the post-Round 1 bumper is a famous quotation pertaining to teaching or education, on a blue background with a picture of that person.
  • On September 12:
    • Before the $1,000 Toss-Up, Harry Friedman is heard when Pat asks what season it is.
    • The Gift Tag is $1,000 cash from Pilot Pens.
    • Jim is shown on-camera before Round 2.
    • Pat forgets about the Prize Puzzle after Matt solves and begins to round his score of $500 to $1,000 before Harry can be heard correcting him.
  • On September 13:
    • The wide shot of the Final Spin is a reshoot, as the Wheel can be seen starting where the actual spin ended.
    • Contestant Nick wins two cars: the ½ Car in Round 2, and a Ford Escape in the Bonus Round.
    • There are noticeable edits during both the ½ Car copy and Nick's reaction after winning the Bonus Round.
  • On both September 12 and 13, a Crossword Round is also used as a Prize Puzzle.
  • On September 14, contestant Jade wins the ½ Car.
  • On September 15:
    • Contestant Darren lands on a ½ Car tag in Round 3 after the round's other tag has been picked up, although this is not commented on.
    • Round 5 and the Bonus Round are What Are You Doing?
  • On September 16, contestant Kendall mentions that her grandfather was on the show 27 years ago, and that he "won all three episodes".
  • September 19 is National Parks, taped July 28. During this week, only two Crossword Rounds are done.
  • On September 19:
    • For the first time since the introduction of the Crosswords (barring the week of June 6-10 in the previous season), Same Name, Before & After, and Same Letter are not used, despite no Crosswords being played. This, combined with only two being played during the week, would suggest that one was used in this episode but thrown out.
    • The bonus puzzle UPBEAT PERSONALITY is a rare bonus puzzle under three-and-a-vowel rules to have at least one each of R, S, T, L, N, and E.
    • For only the sixth known time, a contestant calls Q in the Bonus Round. However, it is not in the puzzle.
    • Pat promotes various national parks in the final segment.
  • On September 20, five consecutive wrong letters are called in the Speed-Up, none of which are edited out.
  • All five Bonus Rounds are lost on the week of September 19. This is part of an eight-loss streak starting on the 16th.
  • September 26 is the first Disney Grand Adventures Week, taped August 25. During this week:
    • Each show features a cold open:
      • Monday: Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, and Donald exiting a van and entering the studio.
      • Tuesday: Pat stealing a Mickey Mouse ice cream treat from Vanna.
      • Wednesday: Vanna and Minnie coming out of their dressing rooms and realizing that they are wearing the same dress.
      • Thursday: Vanna encouraging Pat to ride a carousel.
      • Friday: A stagehand talking with Goofy about props which need to be taken down and tied onto the truck, after which Donald is revealed to be tied up in the truck as well.
    • The characters also appear in the intro:
      • Monday: Mickey and Minnie introduce Pat and Vanna from the back of the audience, while Donald and Goofy escort them onstage.
      • Tuesday: Goofy introduces Pat and Vanna from the audience railing (unlike all previous instances, this uses an angled shot), while Mickey, Minnie, and Donald escort them onstage while in safari gear.
      • Wednesday: Minnie introduces Pat and Vanna from in front of the puzzle board, while Goofy, Mickey, and Donald escort them onstage in pink and green suits.
      • Thursday: Goofy and Donald introduce Pat and Vanna from the audience railing, and Mickey and Minnie escort them onstage.
      • Friday: Mickey introduces Pat and Vanna from in front of the Wheel, while Minnie, Goofy, and Donald escort them onstage, the latter two in tuxedos.
    • The category strips are teal with green floating Mickey Mouse heads.
    • Even though married couples are competing, the ½ Car tags are not used.
    • Unusually for a team week, the Prizes and Prize Puzzle trips are all under $10,000.
  • On September 26:
    • Round 2 is the first instance of a Crossword Round having five words.
    • After one of his opponents solves Round 2, contestant Bill pretends to run offstage with the Million-Dollar Wedge and Mystery Wedge that he and his wife Amy failed to claim.
    • In the final segment, Pat and Vanna show a piece of the Peter Pan's Flight ride.
  • On September 27-30, the Prize is a trip to all four Disney theme parks, with Pat and Vanna reading part of the copy.
  • On September 28, in the final segment, Pat and Vanna eat an ice cream cake prepared by the Boathouse Orlando.
  • On September 30, in the final segment, Walt Disney World ambassador Caitlin Buscher presents Pat and Vanna with honorary Disney cast member name tags.

October 2016[]

  • October 3 is Shopping Spree, taped July 15. During this week, the Prize is a shopping spree: creditcards.com on Monday, Novica on Tuesday, Furniture of America on Thursday, and bradsdeals.com on Friday. (The Prize is not won on Wednesday.)
  • On October 3:
    • The closed captioning displays every contestant's response in quotation marks.
    • The $1,000 Toss-Up is re-shot, due to the music not playing the first time around.
    • After the other two contestants ring in with wrong answers on the $1,000 Toss-Up, contestant Matt is instantly ruled correct for saying the correct response despite not ringing in. This goes against precedent, where Pat will usually prompt the last contestant to ring in anyway before all the letters come up. All of this is likely due to the above, and it does not affect the outcome.
    • For only the third time, more than one contestant or team hops on Express.
  • On October 4:
    • A Crossword Round is used for the Prize Puzzle.
    • There is a $100,000 loss.
    • PlutoTV's listings incorrectly list this episode's original broadcast year as 2013 instead of 2016.
  • On October 6, the Gift Tag is a $1,000 debit card from CreditCards.com.
  • On October 7, the Round 1 puzzle CONFESSIONS OF A SHOPAHOLIC is inexplicably categorized as Title instead of Movie Title.
  • October 10 is Pacific Northwest, taped July 29.
  • On October 10:
    • A Crossword Round is used for the Prize Puzzle.
    • For the first time, the Crossword is an arrangement of all horizontal words, resulting in a hidden word spelled vertically down the middle. When contestant Rachel solves listing all the words, there is a long pause before Pat rules her correct, likely being thrown off by the hidden vertical word.
  • On October 11:
    • The opening is reshot after Round 1, due to the logo not appearing on the center-stage monitor the first time around. This can be discerned by the Wheel being in the position that it was at the end of Round 1 during the shot of all three contestants, even though it was correctly positioned for the actual first spin.
    • Contestant Peggy only spins twice in the entire game, landing on Bankrupt both times, although she wins $5,400 in the Speed-Up.
    • Round 4 and the Bonus Round are What Are You Doing?
  • October 17 is Bed & Breakfast, taped August 11.
  • On October 18:
    • Against precedent, the reverse of the Mystery Wedge is not shown when contestant Tina declines to flip it.
    • The $2,000 Toss-Up is this season's only appearance of Movie Quote.
    • There is a ½ Car win.
  • On October 20, neither Bankrupt nor Lose a Turn is hit.
  • On October 21, six rounds are played.
  • Between October 23 and December 9, the Sears smartphone app features a "Wheel of Fortune Holiday Puzzler". This is a game in which the user may guess up to five letters in a holiday-themed puzzle. Solving after the fifth turn gives the user five entries in the sweepstakes, and failing to solve the puzzle at that point awards one entry, with a limit of one game per person per day. 480 Sears gift cards valued at $100 each are awarded.
  • October 24 is the Wyndham Rewards Sweepstakes (Great Escapes), taped August 12. During this week, the Prize is a trip to a Wyndham-owned hotel, for which Jim reads the copy.
  • On October 24:
    • A Crossword Round is used for the Prize Puzzle.
    • As the winning contestant does not have anyone in the audience, Vanna holds the Million-Dollar Wedge at the start of the Bonus Round.
    • Unusually, there are two plugs between the Bonus Round and closing chat.
  • On October 25:
    • The Prize Puzzle trip is a $10,500 trip to Thailand.
    • The $2,000 Toss-Up is Movie Title, and the $3,000 Toss-Up is Title.
  • On October 26:
    • The board reads HAPPY BIRTHDAY PAT! during the intro, and Pat and Vanna discuss his birthday after walking out.
    • The Round 5 puzzle RAZZLE-DAZZLE is a rare instance of a puzzle with four Z's in it.
    • Jim is shown on-camera before reading the Prize copy, and again after he is done.
  • On October 27:
    • There is a ½ Car win.
    • A "null" cycle is not edited out of the Speed-Up.
    • Contestant Bonnie finishes with only the Prize Puzzle package, and no other cash or prizes.
  • On October 28, 7:00 PM Eastern airings on ABC and CBS affiliates are partially pre-empted by Hillary Clinton addressing the controversy regarding her Email communications. On these airings, Wheel does not begin until Round 3.
  • October 31 is College Week, taped September 8. During this week, the Bonus Round is sponsored by the Wheel of Fortune Slots app. This is also the first time since Season 25 that Halloween Week is not done, possibly due to Halloween falling on a Monday.
  • On October 31:
    • The intro from Season 28's Halloween Week is used, spooky organ music is played coming out of every round, and a spooky sound effect plays in place of the Bonus Round envelope chime, although no Halloween-related puzzles are used.
    • The $1,000 Toss Up (STUDYING FOR FINALS) is categorized as What Are You Doing? instead of College Life.
    • Due to the $1,000 Toss Up being What Are You Doing?, a Crossword Round uses an existing category (specifically, College Life) for the first time.
    • Vanna reads the Prize Puzzle copy.

November 2016[]

  • On November 1, the Prize is $6,000 cash and a DVD/Blu-Ray combo pack of Star Trek: Beyond, for which Jim reads the copy.
  • On November 2, the Prize is an $11,200 trip to Maui.
  • On November 3:
    • The Prize is $10,000 cash courtesy of the Wheel of Fortune Slots app.
    • The Gift Tag is $500 cash and two solar backpacks from BirkSun.
    • The Retro Bonus Round is one that has not already been used on this feature.
  • November 7 is Veterans Week, taped September 6. During this week, the Prize is a $7,500 Sears shopping spree.
  • On November 7, after Round 2, Jim promotes Craftsman, who provided hats to the studio audience.
  • On November 8:
    • Wheel is pre-empted in most of the United States due to presidential election coverage. Sometime after this week's shows were taped, it was decided to reschedule the week's weekend repeat (originally aired November 23, 2015) for Tuesday the 8th for markets that still opt to air Wheel. As a result, the rest of this week's first-run shows are delayed by one day, with the November 11 show airing on the 12th. This is the first time on the syndicated version where a single episode is replaced with a rerun, as well as the first time a new episode is nationally scheduled to air on a Saturday. Canada airs the full week and the repeat in their originally-scheduled order. Most TV listings and still list this week's episodes in their original order, with Tuesday's episode (if aired) listed as new and Saturday's listed as a repeat. When this week's episodes are added to PlutoTV in August 2022, listings use their originally-scheduled air dates. This Wiki will refer to the episodes according to the dates they actually aired in the United States.
    • The show's Bonus Round puzzle page has the puzzle from the episode originally meant to air this day (MY HAPPY PLACE) instead of that of the repeat that actually airs (PHILANTHROPY). The former remains in place when the episode properly airs the next day.
  • On November 11:
    • The $2,000 Toss-Up, Round 1, and Bonus Round are Phrase. This is due to Pat accidentally accepting an incorrect answer in the original Round 1, which was a Crossword Round. As a result, only two Crossword Rounds are done this week.
    • Contestant Tennia wins despite failing to claim $30,000 in the Speed-Up.
  • On November 12:
    • The show's Bonus Round Puzzle page still has the puzzle from the 11th, likely because of no staff being in the office to update the page on a Saturday.
    • Due to being scheduled on a Saturday during football season, very few markets air this episode in its entirety and/or at its regular time, mainly due to various college football games on all of the "Big Four" networks, most of which are scheduled until 7:00 PM Eastern and run long, pre-empting Wheel in part or in full. Despite most of the country not seeing this episode, it is never re-broadcast on television, but later appears on PlutoTV.
      • On ABC affiliates, 7:00 Eastern airings are pre-empted entirely, along with some 7:30 airings that were scheduled to follow local newscasts at 7:00 (including WABC-TV in New York and WLS-TV in Chicago), which end up running until 8:00 PM. Other 7:30 airings are joined in progress around Round 2. West Coast airings are mostly moved to primetime slots following another game, or overnight, though some are joined in progress during Round 3 due to that game running long as well. It is known that KABC-TV in Los Angeles aired this episode at 3:07 AM Pacific early Saturday morning.
      • On CBS affiliates, 7:00 Eastern airings and some 7:30 airings following local newscasts are joined in progress by Round 3. West Coast airings are not impacted.
      • On FOX affiliates, the show is directly impacted due to college football beginning at 7:00 Eastern, although some affiliates air the show slightly early before the game. It is known that New Orleans affiliate WVUE aired this episode at 4:30 PM Central, two hours earlier than usual.
      • NBC airings are mostly not impacted, although due to many affiliates still running commercials at 7:00 following the network's signoff, some East Coast airings are likely joined in progress one or two minutes in.
  • November 14 is Wheel Across America, taped September 7.
  • On November 14, the Gift Tag is a $1,000 Visa card courtesy of Hunter Fan.
  • On November 15:
    • The Round 3 puzzle AN UNDISCOVERED JEWEL is inexplicably categorized as Place instead of Thing.
    • For the only time, the same contestant hops on Express twice.
  • On November 17, the Prize is $10,000 cash courtesy of the Wheel of Fortune Slots app.
  • On November 18:
    • The $1,000 Toss-Up HONEY-ROASTED PEANUTS is not themed to the week.
    • The Gift Tag is a $1,000 Visa card courtesy of Hunter Fan.
    • The daily promo shows a portion edited out of the actual show (contestant Sylvia explaining that her SPIN ID has only three digits).
  • During the week of November 14, all five Bonus Rounds are played for the $34,000.
  • November 21 is America's Game.
  • On November 21:
    • A Crossword Round is used as the Prize Puzzle for the fifth time, and the last until December 2017.
    • Six rounds are played.
  • On November 22, the Prize is $10,000 cash courtesy of the Wheel of Fortune Slots app.
  • On November 24, while the retro Bonus Round is a Title from November 20, 1996 (BAYWATCH), the closed captioning claims it is a Phrase from 2000.
  • On November 25, contestant Lindsay calls the last consonant on a Mystery Wedge, and flips it to find a Bankrupt on the reverse. As a result, the completely filled-in puzzle gets passed to the next contestant, who solves.
  • November 28-December 9 are the Sears Secret Santa Sweepstakes, taped September 22 and 23 respectively. During these weeks:
    • The SPIN ID drawings return.
    • As with prior Secret Santa weeks, the show begins with Pat, Vanna, Jim, and the day's contestants promoting the Sweepstakes. As Jim announces "Our Secret Santas have given away over $1,000,000 in cash and prizes to lucky Wheel watchers", clips are shown of the Wheel landing on the top dollar, Million-Dollar Wedge, or Prize wedges.
    • The Prize is a $7,500 Sears shopping spree. It is placed on the red $800 due to the wedge being red, but still awards only $500 per letter if claimed.
    • The Gift Tag is a $1,000 Sears shopping spree.
    • The Speed-Up wipe is a Wheel of Fortune ornament.
  • November 28 is also Family Week. During this week, the category strips have Christmas lights along the top and bottom when the puzzle is revealed, and the usual chime is followed by sleigh bells.
  • On November 28, contestants Shelia and Rebekah finish second with $23,300.
  • On November 29, contestants Otto and Olivia sweep the game but lose $34,000 in the Bonus Round. This is also the first time that a team has swept the game since February 13, 2003.
  • On November 30:
    • Contestants Debby and Ray mention that their mother was on the daytime version "about thirty years ago".
    • The ornament wipe does not appear in the Speed-Up. Instead, a dissolve is used.
    • Contestants Heather and Joetta finish third with $15,050.
    • There is a $100,000 loss.

December 2016[]

  • On December 1:
    • Rounds 3 and 4 are Thing, while Round 2 and the Bonus Round are Phrase. This may suggest one puzzle was thrown out and replaced.
    • There is a $100,000 win, the only one in the season, resulting in the second instance of that envelope being hit on consecutive shows. This is the only grand prize win to date that is never re-broadcast, due to being a Secret Santa episode.
  • On December 2:
    • Contestants Charles and Rick finish second with $22,050.
    • Contestants Maggie and Louise finish with $65,224 before the Bonus Round.
  • During the week of November 28, a high total of $469,570 is given away.
  • During the week of December 5, the category wipe is the Pat avatar driving a sleigh.
  • On December 5:
    • There is a $100,000 loss.
    • Pat promotes Rebuilding Together in the final segment.
  • On December 7, Round 3 is PLEASE TELL ME WHERE I'M GOING PAT.
  • On December 8, the Round 4 puzzle PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARIES is only the fourth known appearance of Landmarks. It is not known why that category was used instead of Places.
  • On December 9:
    • The Wheel is not preset at the start of the show, as the yellow arrow is on the pink $600 instead of $2,500.
    • Round 2 is a Same Name that spells out AND, the first such occurrence this season.
    • Once again, a dissolve is used in place of the Speed-Up wipe.
  • December 12 is Fabulous Food, taped November 11.
  • On December 12:
    • A post-Round 2 Orbitz plug is introduced, which includes a shot of the spinning Wheel modified so that every wedge is either a Prize or an Orbitz logo. This is used for the rest of the season.
    • The Bonus Round begins to be sponsored by V8, a promo for which is shown before the Bonus Round. This continues for the rest of the season.
    • Two ads are done between the Bonus Round and closing chat.
  • On December 13:
    • The $1,000 Toss-Up (FORGET-ME-NOTS) is is not themed.
    • For the second time, a Crossword Round (Round 1) uses an existing category (In the Kitchen).
    • Unusually, the audience does not shout out suggestions when contestant Lori decides to flip a Mystery Wedge.
    • The Prize Puzzle package includes a DVD and Blu-Ray combo pack of the 2016 film Ben-Hur.
  • On December 14, On the Map makes its first appearance in the Bonus Round since December 18, 2014.
  • On December 15:
    • There is a ½ Car win.
    • While a retro Bonus Round is done in-studio (BRAN MUFFIN from 1991, which was previously used in this feature on January 17, 2013), it is edited from the episode as aired.
  • December 19 is Home for the Holidays, taped November 10. During this week:
    • The staff gives holiday wishes after Round 1 and before Round 3:
      • Monday: producers and marketing/promotions departments
      • Tuesday: production department and contestant department
      • Wednesday: stage crew and Jim Thornton, Robert Ennis, and control room
      • Thursday: production staff and post-production department
      • Friday: art department, licensing and clearance department
    • The category strip includes a candy cane with a bow on it when the puzzle is revealed, and sleigh bells accompany the chime.
    • The Prize is a shopping spree.
    • The retro Bonus Rounds are not done.
  • On December 20, contestant Jona begins to solve the $1,000 Toss-Up just before getting locked out. As a result, the board begins to activate again before her answer is accepted.
  • On December 21:
    • Pat and Vanna read the Prize Puzzle copy.
    • The V8 promo before the Bonus Round is not done.
  • On December 22:
    • There is a jump cut to Pat when contestant Christine solves the Speed-Up, due to her solving on the buzzer. While Pat does announce that her answer will be checked, the outcome is not clarified before the Bonus Round.
    • During the closing chat, Pat shows a replay of winning contestant Adam's family rushing onstage after he wins the Bonus Round, to show Pat catching Adam's wife after she nearly falls over.
  • On December 23, contestant Immani's buzzer malfunctions on the $3,000 Toss-Up, and she ends up losing by $3,550. She appeals to the show and is brought back in Season 36.
  • December 26 is America's Game.
  • On December 27:
    • Contestant Ashley asks to solve in Round 1 but changes her mind, although the buzzer sounds while Pat asks her whether she wants to spin or buy a vowel instead. A voice is then heard saying "Oh, the buzzer" before control passes to the next contestant.
    • Round 1 and the Bonus Round are What Are You Doing?
  • On December 28:
    • Jim is shown on-camera during the contestant interviews.
    • Round 5 (BLUE WHALE) is shorter than ten letters.
    • In Round 5, the first six turns are all lost. The first three are edited out, but the next three are not due to one of them being a Bankrupt that claims a Wild Card.
    • Six rounds are played.
  • On December 29:
    • The retro Bonus Round (YAKETY-YAK from 2005) is once again mis-identified as 2004.
    • In Round 3, contestants Leo hits Express on his first spin, and uses it to fill in the entire puzzle WILD ORCHIDS & GIANT FERNS by himself.
    • Round 4 and the Bonus Round are What Are You Doing?
    • For the only known time, there is an additional scene after the credits: as a call-back to Vanna doing push-ups during the closing chat with the audience counting along, Pat has Vanna do more push-ups while the audience counts up from 115.
  • On December 30:
    • The 2006-16 music package is used for the last time.
    • Unusually for a sixth episode, a puzzle is themed to the airdate (the Round 4 puzzle WHAT A GREAT YEAR).
    • The V8 promo before the Bonus Round is not done.

January 2017[]

  • On January 2, the opening/closing theme and all other music cues such as the Toss-Up, commercial outros, Express, Speed-Up, Bonus Wheel spin cue, Bonus Round envelope ding, Bonus Round timer, Bonus Round win/lose cue, and puzzle-solve cue are changed to new compositions by John Hoke.
    • Any Season 33 reruns that air on Saturdays for the remainder of this season, and all Season 34 episodes that originally aired in 2016, whether as summer reruns, or Saturday reruns during Season 35, have the new soundtrack dubbed over the old one. However, episodes in the then-current rerun rotation on Game Show Network are not affected, and any 2007-16 clips or episodes shown in reruns or on streaming starting in 2020 retain the original music.
    • This soundtrack remains in use until the end of Season 38.
  • January 2 is Weekend Getaways, taped December 1. During this week, a promo for the V8 Sweepstakes is shown before Round 3.
  • On January 3:
    • The Retro Bonus Round is one not previously used on this feature.
    • For the first time, Song/Artist is used as a Toss-Up (the $3,000).
    • The $3,000 Toss-Up is reshot, due to contestant Laura's buzzer not working the first time around.
  • January 9 is "Always Great! Wheel & V8", taped December 2. During this week:
    • The Prize is $7,500 cash courtesy of V8. As with prior V8 weeks, the wedge is placed on the red $800.
    • After the Bonus Round, a special V8 puzzle is shown. Home viewers may submit the puzzle on the show's website for a chance to win $1,000 cash. As usual, the puzzle contains a V which is in the same font as the V8 logo.
    • On Monday and Wednesday, Jim reads a fact about V8 as the post-Round 2 bumper.
  • On January 9, during the closing chat, Pat and Vanna announce that they will give bottles of V8 to everyone in the audience. Pat can also be seen drinking a bottle during the credits.
  • On January 10 and 12, instead of a Retro Bonus Round, a short clip is shown after Round 2 of the control room being directed to focus the cameras on a bottle of V8. After this, Jim announces "V8: the official beverage of Wheel of Fortune" over a shot of the crew drinking from bottles of V8 in the break room, followed by a shot of the puzzle board reading "V8 THE OFFICIAL BEVERAGE" (center-aligned with the "V8" portion rendered in the same font as the logo).
  • On January 11, Round 3 is this season's only appearance of TV Quote.
  • On January 13, contestant Ashley finishes with only $7,000, likely the lowest winning total since Season 23 (when Prize Puzzles began occurring daily).
  • All five Bonus Rounds are lost on the week of January 9, part of a seven-loss streak through to the 17th.
  • January 16 is California Coast, taped December 15.
  • On January 16:
    • Contestant Nicoletta solves the $1,000 Toss-Up FISHERMAN'S WHARF with only the second S revealed.
    • $5K Every Day returns.
    • Round 1 is the last Crossword Round to have five words.
    • Six rounds are played.
    • A "null" cycle is not edited out of Round 6 (an incorrect T, an incorrect N, and Lose a Turn).
  • On January 17:
    • The Gift Tag is two solar-powered backpacks and $500 cash courtesy of BirkSun.
    • The retro Bonus Round is one not previously used on this feature.
    • Both Rounds 2 and 3 are completely filled in before being solved.
    • In Round 3, contestant John buys all five vowels, but one of them is not deducted from his score, as his total is stated as $2,200 instead of $1,950 before the value of the trip is added. This does not affect the outcome.
  • On January 18:
    • The Round 4 puzzle FROCKS SMOCKS & SOCKS has only one vowel.
    • Contestant Irene's son Joel, who appears on stage after she wins the Bonus Round, later appears as a contestant on February 21, 2023.
  • On January 19, the Retro Bonus Round is one not previously used on this feature.
  • On January 20:
    • The Round 2 puzzle FANTASTIC BEASTS AND WHERE TO FIND THEM is categorized as Movie Title, going against the precedent of using only Title for a title that exists in more than one medium.
    • Neither Thing nor Phrase is used in the main game.
  • January 23 is Show You the World, taped December 16. During this week:
    • All of the Prizes and Prize Puzzle trips are sponsored by Collette, many of which are over $10,000.
    • On Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, the closing segment focuses on a contestant who won a Collette vacation on a previous show, including clips from their respective games. Vanna narrates the one on Monday, while Pat narrates the ones on Wednesday and Friday.
  • On January 23:
    • After contestant Carlos solves Round 3, his total is incorrectly shown as $14,300. Pat announces the correct total of $18,758 before the $3,000 Toss-Up.
    • There is a $100,000 loss.
  • On January 24:
    • The $1,000 Toss-Up is Things, and Round 3 is Thing. The former, FAMILIAR FACES, is inexplicably in that category instead of People, and results in a rare instance of a Toss-Up not being themed to the week. This is because the original $1,000 Toss-Up, PARAGUAY & URUGUAY, is thrown out due to contestant K.A.J. being credited with a correct response despite mispronouncing it.
    • Rounds 1 and 3 are played entirely by the contestants who began them.
    • Contestant Janna finishes in second place with $24,998, after failing to claim $42,000 in the Speed-Up.
    • A total of $54,000 is unclaimed in the Speed-Up.
  • On January 25, contestant Don fills in the entire Prize Puzzle DISCOVERING CENTRAL AMERICA by himself, using Express for the last five letters.
  • On January 26, the "pop-up" score display at the start of Round 3 incorrectly displays Jimmy's score as $13,000 instead of $3,000, due to the operator accidentally adding the $10,000 he had when he gave an incorrect answer in Round 2. His actual score is not affected.
  • On January 27:
    • Round 3, ICE FIELDS WATERFALLS GLACIERS, is inexplicably missing an ampersand or AND.
    • There is an ad for the Free Play iOS app after Round 3, which uses the 2007-16 opening theme.
  • All five Bonus Rounds are lost on the week of January 23, part of a nine-day losing streak beginning on the 19th. This is also part of a five-week span beginning on January 9 where only three Bonus Rounds are won.
  • January 30 is Leave Winter Behind, taped January 6.
  • On January 30, six rounds are played.
  • On January 31, no vowels are bought in Round 4.

February 2017[]

  • On February 1, Pat and Vanna read the Prize Puzzle copy.
  • On February 2:
    • The Retro Bonus Round is one not previously used in this feature.
    • Jim is shown on-camera after he reads the Prize Puzzle copy.
    • Vanna does the closing chat with contestant Bob instead of with Pat.
  • On February 3, a "null" cycle is not edited out of the Speed-Up.
  • February 6 is Big Money, taped January 19. During this week:
    • The category strip has a golden dollar sign on its left when the puzzle is revealed. The strips themselves are changed to have a green/brown pattern resembling money.
    • The Prize is $10,000 cash courtesy of Wheel of Fortune Slots, and the Gift Tag is $1,000 cash courtesy of Bicycle playing cards.
  • On February 6, the $3,000 Toss-Up and Bonus Round are Show Biz. This is also the category's first appearance in the Bonus Round since December 29, 2014.
  • On February 7, the $2,000 Toss-Up and Bonus Round are Thing, while Round 3 is Things.
  • On February 8:
    • Contestant Kyle fails to claim $20,950 in Round 1, and finishes with a $1,000 consolation prize.
    • After Kyle decides not to flip a Mystery Wedge in Round 2, its reverse is not shown.
  • On February 10:
    • The $2,000 Toss-Up WINDOW-SHOPPING uses an unnecessary hyphen, as it had when it was used in the Bonus Round on March 4, 2014, and in Round 4 on the February 1, 1985 daytime show.
    • In Round 1, the first O in the puzzle I'VE GOT THE BRAINS YOU'VE GOT THE LOOKS fails to reveal after Vanna touches it. She can be seen running to fix it before the camera cuts away.
    • Once again, the reverse of a Mystery Wedge is not shown when a contestant declines to flip it.
  • February 13 is Disney Sea & Shore, taped January 5. During this week:
    • Pat and Vanna promote the theme during the intro.
    • The $5K Every Day SPIN ID appears during the contestant interviews.
    • The category strip has seashells on its left side when the puzzle is revealed.
    • Married couples compete, but the ½ Car tags are not used.
  • On February 13:
    • Unusually for a team week, the Prize is worth less than $10,000.
    • Pat and Vanna read part of the Prize Puzzle copy.
    • Round 4 is SOLVING THIS PUZZLE.
    • Jim promotes Disney Cruise Lines in the final segment.
  • On February 15:
    • All of the contestants' name tags are repurposed from the style used from 1997-2013. This is because the original batch of nametags had contestant Jamie's name misspelled as "Jaime", and new tags were made to match the replacement one for Jamie.
    • Pat and Vanna promote Aulani Resort before Round 3.
  • On February 16, contestants Mo and Michelle win with $30,000, all claimed in the Speed-Up.
  • On February 17:
    • The bonus puzzle refuses to reveal for a few seconds.
    • Vanna promotes Disney Cruise Lines in the final segment.
  • February 20 is Great American Cities: San Diego, taped February 2. During this week:
    • Pat and Vanna promote a San Diego landmark in the final segment: San Diego Zoo on Monday, Hotel del Coronado on Tuesday, Safari Park on Wednesday, Coasterra on Thursday, and the U.S.S. Midway on Friday.
    • On Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, the Gift Tag is $1,000 cash courtesy of Firehouse Subs. The tag is positioned too high all three days, covering the dollar sign and half of the 5 on the purple $500.
  • On February 20:
    • Round 4, PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY, is categorized as Place, even though PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARIES on December 8 was categorized as Landmarks.
    • Round 4 and the Bonus Round are Place.
  • On February 21:
    • The $1,000 Toss-Up GRAY WHALES uses only one line.
    • The cut to the $2,000 Toss-Up is executed too soon. As a result, the chimes sound before the wipe is done.
    • Contestant Tracy rips the Mystery Wedge between Free Play and Lose a Turn when trying to take it off the Wheel.
    • The Prize Puzzle is an $11,000 tour of Africa.
  • On February 22:
    • The $2,000 Toss-Up COFFEE-TABLE BOOK is improperly hyphenated.
    • Before Round 3, Pat mentions that all contestants this week receive complimentary tickets to the San Diego Zoo.
    • The Prize is $6,000 credit to BedAndBreakfast.com.
  • On February 23, the Prize Puzzle copy includes a trailer for the DVD and Blu-Ray release of Allied, a combo pack of which is included with the prize package.
  • On February 24, the Prize is an $11,248 tour of Alaska.
  • February 27 is Teen Best Friends, taped January 20.
  • On February 27:
    • Rounds 1 and 2 are played entirely by the teams who began them.
    • Contestants Tiara and Melanie finish second with $20,292, while contestants Adam and Tyler finish third with $20,050.
    • Round 1 and the Bonus Round are What Are You Doing?
  • On February 28, Star & Role is used as a Toss-Up for the first time (the $3,000).

March 2017[]

  • On March 2, there is a $100,000 loss.
  • March 6 is Bella Italia, taped February 3. During this week:
    • All of the Prizes are trips to Italy sponsored by Collette. Except on Wednesday, they valued over $10,000.
    • Except on Tuesday, Collette representatives present travel tips on Italy after Round 1 and before Round 3.
  • On March 6:
    • Jim is shown on-camera after Round 2.
    • Against normal practice, the "only vowels remain" beeps sound in the Speed-Up. This is followed by the blue contestant guessing an O and staying silent, after which the red contestant solves without guessing a letter.
  • On March 7:
    • The Round 2 puzzle MACARONI RIGATONI PEPPERONI is inexplicably missing an ampersand or AND.
    • Round 3 is a factually incorrect answer of HAWAII'S GARDEN ISLAND (should be "Garden Isle").
    • There is a ½ Car win.
    • Contestant Kelly wins two cars: the ½ Car in Round 3, and a Fiat Spider in the Bonus Round.
  • On March 9, contestant Troy fills in the entire Round 2 Crossword puzzle HEN HUBBARD NATURE DEAR by himself.
  • On March 10, the $1,000 Toss-Up is the first appearance of Best Seller since April 22, 2011. The puzzle (THE DA VINCI CODE) is also the only puzzle in this category to be used twice.
  • March 13 is America's Game.
  • On March 13:
    • The Gift Tag is $1,000 cash courtesy of Lumosity.
    • Neither Bankrupt nor Lose a Turn is hit.
  • On March 14:
    • The Retro Bonus Round is one not previously used on this feature.
    • The $3,000 Toss-Up is only the first appearance of Song Title this season, due to several previous puzzles involving song titles being categorized as Song Lyrics instead.
  • On March 15:
    • The Prize is a $6,000 Novica shopping spree.
    • All of the cardboard is removed from the Wheel by Round 3. However, neither the ½ Car nor Gift Tag is won, and the Wild Card is lost to Bankrupt.
  • On March 16:
    • The Retro Bonus Round is one not previously used on this feature.
    • Neither Thing nor Phrase is used in the main game.
    • A "null" cycle is not edited out of the Speed-Up.
    • After the winning contestant says that she has nobody in the audience, Pat quips that the audience is "all here for her". The applauding audience is then shown on-screen.
  • On March 17:
    • The $1,000 Toss-Up THE STATE OF VERMONT is a rare instance of On the Map containing a descriptive term.
    • Round 1 (I'M LOOKING OVER A FOUR-LEAF CLOVER) is a very rare instance of an America's Game show having a puzzle themed to the airdate. It is also categorized as Rhyme Time instead of Song Title, and incorrectly hyphenated.
    • Nobody solves the $3,000 Toss-Up, ROVING REPORTER.
  • March 20 is Southern Charm, taped February 23. During this week:
    • The Gift Tag is $1,000 cash courtesy of Southern Living magazine.
    • On Thursday and Friday, the $1,000 Toss-Up is not themed to the week, although in both cases, Round 1 is.
  • On March 20, six rounds are played.
  • On March 21:
    • With only the M missing in the Round 1 puzzle A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE, contestant Kevin calls a K causing the audience to groan and Pat to say "No" firmly. A clip of this round goes viral on YouTube.
    • The puzzle YACHTING FISHING GOLFING is inexplicably missing an ampersand or AND.
    • Contestant Lisa solves the Round 4 puzzle THE THREE LITTLE PIGS with only the T's showing.
  • On March 22:
    • The $2,000 Toss-Up is SPIN AND WIN.
    • A "null" cycle is not edited out of the Speed-Up.
    • There is a rare instance of a contestant solving the Speed-Up without any money.
  • On March 24:
    • There is a ½ Car win. Starting with this episode, the ½ Car copy is accompanied by a stock shot of the car on the show's set.
    • Pat and Vanna read the Prize Puzzle copy.
    • There is a $100,000 loss.
  • March 27 is Wheel Loves NY, taped February 24.
  • On March 27, the Round 1 puzzle MIRACLE ON THE HUDSON is the last Headline puzzle to date that does not involve astronomy or a sporting event victory. It is also a rare instance of such a puzzle that is not a recent event; the event in question happened eight years before this episode.
  • On March 28:
    • There is a ½ Car win.
    • Nic fills in the entire Prize Puzzle WHAT AIRPORT SHOULD WE FLY INTO? by himself.
    • Rounds 1-3 are played entirely by the contestants who began them.
    • Neither Bankrupt nor Lose a Turn is hit.
    • Contestant Kathleen finishes second with $20,340, while contestant Cassie finishes third with $16,448.
    • Nic wins a Volkswagen Passat in the Bonus Round, resulting in a very rare instance of two contestants winning cars in a single episode.
    • The final segment is a montage of footage that the show has shot for past New York road shows.
  • On March 29:
    • The Round 2 puzzle ICE-SKATING AT ROCKEFELLER CENTER is improperly hyphenated.
    • The closing segment features footage from several of the show's past remotes to New York, including the first one in 1988, along with clips of several contestant interviews, New York-themed puzzles, and Bonus Round wins.

April 2017[]

  • April 3 is the second Disney Grand Adventures Week, taped August 26. During this week:
    • There is a cold open:
      • Monday: Pat selling Mickey Mouse balloons to a crowd.
      • Tuesday: An a cappella group sings "Let Me Call You Sweetheart" to Vanna.
      • Wednesday: Pat and Vanna ride an Amphicar at the Boathouse.
      • Thursday: Donald Duck rings in on a Toss-Up and repeatedly gives unintelligible answers, which turns out to be a dream that Pat is having in his dressing room before he is awakened by Donald.
      • Friday: Snow White passes by and looks at Pat thinking he's her Prince Charming.
    • Disney characters are present in the opening:
      • Monday: Mickey and Minnie introduce Pat and Vanna from the back of the audience, while Goofy and Donald escort them.
      • Tuesday: Goofy in safari gear introduces Pat and Vanna from the front of the audience, while Mickey, Minnie, and Donald also in safari gear escort them.
      • Wednesday: Minnie introduces Pat and Vanna from in front of the puzzle board, while Goofy, Mickey, and Donald escort them.
      • Thursday: Goofy and Donald introduce Pat and Vanna from the front of the audience, while Mickey and Minnie escort them.
      • Friday: Mickey introduces Pat and Vanna front of the wheel, while Minnie, Donald, and Goofy escort them.
    • The category wipe is Tinker Bell tapping the strip with her wand, and the strips are teal with green Mickey Mouse heads.
    • The $5K Every Day SPIN ID is shown during the contestant interviews.
    • Due to the previous music package still being in use at the time of taping, all of the music beds are replaced in post-production with the cues introduced in January 2017. However, these five episodes are done very sloppily and inconsistently: there are several instances throughout the week where the old music "bleeds through" or is entirely unchanged.
    • During this week only, the new Toss-Up cue uses a slightly different arrangement than the version used on new episodes for the rest of the season. However, the version used on this week becomes permanent in Season 35.
    • The Prizes and Prize Puzzles are all to Disney-owned properties, with Pat and Vanna reading part of the copy. Unusually for a team week, most of these are under $10,000.
    • Despite married couples competing, the ½ Car tags are not used.
  • On April 4:
    • Contestants Melinda and Larry use the Wild Card on $600 in Round 1. Despite this, they solve for the house minimum one turn later.
    • Melinda makes an incorrect guess of POPSICLE BIKE on the $3,000 Toss-Up HONEYSUCKLE BUSH. This moment goes viral across social media.
  • On April 7:
    • The blue team's scoreboard glitches out in Round 4, as their score "swivels" twice but does not add the $1,500 for the letter called on that turn until the third attempt.
    • Mickey Mouse and his friends appear in the post-game chat.
  • During the week of April 3, all five Bonus Rounds are played for $34,000. This is part of a seven-day streak.
  • April 10 is America's Game. During this week, the Prize is $10,000 courtesy of Wheel of Fortune Slots.
  • April 10 is the sixth episode of Great American Cities: San Diego.
  • On April 10, contestant Meagan fills in the entire Prize Puzzle I'LL BE BACK IN A WEEK OR TWO by herself.
  • April 11 is the sixth episode of Bella Italia.
  • On April 11:
    • Contestant Ray fills in the Prize Puzzle THEY HAVE THE BEST FOOD IN THE WORLD by himself.
    • Against precedent, after Ray's opponents give wrong answers to the $3,000 Toss-Up, Ray is immediately ruled correct for answering despite not ringing in.
    • A "null" cycle is not edited out of the Speed-Up.
  • On April 13, Round 4 (THE MUPPETS) uses only one line. It is not known why such a short puzzle is used, as Rounds 1-3 did not run abnormally long, and a fifth round is played.
  • April 17 is Wheel Around the World, taped March 1.
    • The Prize is presented by the hosts of an international version: Slovakia on Monday, Spain on Tuesday, Romania on Wednesday, Germany on Thursday, Greece on Friday.
    • There is a bumper done by an international host's version after Round 1: the Netherlands on Monday, Romania on Tuesday, Spain on Wednesday, Slovakia on Thursday, Germany on Friday.
    • After Round 2, Pat does a bumper on an international version: Spain on Monday, Germany on Tuesday, Greece on Wednesday, the Netherlands on Thursday, Romania on Friday.
    • The closing segment focuses on an international version: Germany on Monday, Slovakia on Tuesday, the Netherlands on Wednesday, Romania on Thursday, Spain on Friday.
    • On Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, the opening graphic shows a clip of the Romanian version of the show dissolving into a globe, which then forms the logo.
    • Several Toss-Ups this week use only one line.
  • On April 17:
    • The $1,000 Toss-Up (CHARGERS & ADAPTERS) is not themed.
    • There appears to be an edit when contestant Jessi rings in on the $2,000 Toss-Up, as her podium begins flashing before she rings in.
    • When the set is shown before the Mystery Round wipe, a spinning globe is added to the set's floor.
    • Rounds 1, 2, and 4 are solved for less than the house minimum.
    • There is a $100,000 loss.
  • On April 18, Vanna wears a sleeveless top and pants.
  • On April 19, contestant Deanna mentions that her grandmother and two uncles appeared during the shopping era.
  • On April 20:
    • The red contestant's arrow has a piece chipped off.
    • The $3,000 Toss-Up and Bonus Round are Person.
    • For only the eighth known time, a contestant calls Q in the Bonus Round. However, it is not in the puzzle.
    • Contestant Larnia, who does not solve her bonus puzzle, misses the $1,000,000 by only one envelope.
  • On April 21:
    • Pat does not say the category for the $1,000 Toss-Up.
    • Neither Bankrupt nor Lose a Turn is hit.
    • There is a $100,000 loss.
  • All five Bonus Rounds are lost on the week of April 17, part of a seven-loss streak through to the 25th.
  • April 24 is Fabulous Florida, taped March 9. During this week:
    • There is a cold open where Pat watches Vanna make a list of things that are fabulous about Florida.
    • After Round 2, a flashback clip is shown from a previous Florida episode.
    • The Prize is a Florida vacation of the contestant's choice.
  • On April 24:
    • The $1,000 and $2,000 Toss-Ups (MIAMI VICE and SHOWER GEL, respectively) use only one line.
    • A cycle of three lost turns is edited out of the start of Round 3 despite not being "null". The cycle includes a Bankrupt from contestant Eric, who had earned the Wild Card during Round 2. After the edit, Eric is no longer holding the card and it can instead be seen sitting in front of Pat.
  • On April 25, the $1,000 Toss-Up TERRIFIC TALLAHASSEE is inexplicably categorized as Place instead of On the Map.
  • On April 26:
    • The $1,000 Toss-Up HOME SWEET HOME is not themed.
    • Round 2 is the first instance of a Same Letter puzzle having five words.
  • On April 27, a shot from behind the Wheel is used at the start of the Bonus Round.

May 2017[]

  • May 1 is Hawaii Week, taped March 10.
  • On May 3:
    • The Prize Puzzle ANCIENT MAYAN RUINS is inexplicably categorized as Things instead of Places.
    • All three contestants hit Bankrupt consecutively in Round 3.
  • On May 4, six consecutive turns are lost in Round 3 (a Lose a Turn, four Bankrupts, and another Lose a Turn). None of these are edited out due to the second and third Bankrupts claiming money.
  • All five Bonus Rounds are lost on the week of May 1, this is part of a seven-loss streak beginning on April 28.
  • May 8 is Spa Getaway, taped March 24. During this week:
    • Due to airing the week before Mother's Day, all contestants are mothers. Against precedent, no equivalent week is done with fathers for Father's Day.
    • It is also the Mother's Day Sweepstakes. After the Bonus Round, a special puzzle is shown, which home viewers may submit to the show's website for a chance to win $1,000.
  • On May 8, a "null" cycle is not edited out of the Speed-Up.
  • On May 9, the Prize Puzzle offers a $10,000 trip to Maui.
  • On May 10:
    • For the first time, a contestant adds the word "and" when solving a Crossword.
    • A "null" cycle is not edited out of Round 1 (an incorrect K, the aforementioned wrong answer, and an incorrect H).
  • On May 11, the reverse of a Mystery Wedge is not shown when contestant Latoya declines to flip it.
  • On May 12, six rounds are played.
  • May 15 is Great American Cities: Chicago, taped March 23.
  • On May 15, the reverse of a Mystery Wedge is not shown when contestant Willie declines to flip it, likely due to him spinning again before the Wheel can be seen.
  • On May 16:
    • The Prize is a $12,998 tour of Italy.
    • For the second time, the Crossword is an arrangement of all horizontal words, resulting in a hidden word spelled vertically down the middle. Contestant Jasmine does not include the vertical word when solving and is penalized. This type of arrangement is not used after this episode.
  • On May 18, for only the fourth time, more than one contestant or team hops on Express.
  • May 22 is Great American Cities: Boston, taped April 6.
  • On May 22:
    • The $2,000 Toss-Up MATT DAMON AS JASON BOURNE is only the second use of Star & Role as a Toss-Up.
    • The Round 1 puzzle INCREDIBLE OVERTIME VICTORY is inexplicably categorized as Headline instead of Event or Fun & Games. This is the first time a Headline puzzle refers to a generic type of event, rather than a specific one.
    • Wheel is at least partially pre-empted in several markets by breaking news coverage of the Manchester Arena bombing. 7:30 Eastern airings on ABC affiliates are cut off during the closing segment. The episode is re-broadcast on August 28, 2017 and June 22, 2020.
  • On May 23, contestant Aimee picks up a ½ Car tag in Round 3 after the round's other tag has been claimed; Pat immediately asks her to hand the tag over, which she does.
  • On May 22 and 23, two consecutive bonus puzzles are only one word; the latter, BOUQUET, is the first one-word bonus puzzle since December 1, 2015 that is not a compound word or a word ending in "-ing".
  • The June 26, 2020 rerun of the May 26 episode is ironically pre-empted in Boston with WBZ-TV's local program Patriots All Access.
  • May 29 is America's Game. For no particular reason, only one Crossword Round is done this week.
  • On May 29:
    • The $2,000 Toss-Up HUGH JACKMAN AS LOGAN is only the third use of Star & Role as a Toss-Up. It is also the last appearance of the category until September 2019.
    • Round 4 and the Bonus Round are What Are You Doing?
    • Contestant Liz finishes second with $22,250.
    • For the second time this season, the bonus puzzle (OVERCOMING OBSTACLES) is a rare instance of one under three-and-a-vowel rules to have at least one each of R, S, T, L, N, and E.
    • In the closing segment, a Changing Lives segment is done on November 15, 2000 contestant Donna, a rare instance of this feature being done on a contestant who did not win their game.
  • May 30 is the sixth episode of Fabulous Florida Week; as a result, that week's cold open is retained, the Prize is a Florida trip of the contestant's choice, and a flashback clip from a previous Florida show is shown after Round 2.
  • On May 31, the Prize is $6,000 cash and a DVD/Blu-Ray combo pack of the 40th anniversary director's cut of Saturday Night Fever, a trailer of which is also shown. After this, Pat announces that everyone in the audience will also receive a voucher for the film; the audience is then shown on camera.

June 2017[]

  • On June 1, the Speed-Up begins with a "null" cycle that is not edited out.
  • On June 2:
    • The Prize is a $6,000 shopping spree at the Americana at Brand in Glendale, California.
    • Contestant Darralyn finishes second with $22,450.
    • There is an unusual occurrence in the Bonus Round: after contestant Tami calls C, P, M, and O, Pat asks her to verify her second letter; after she confirms it as P, Pat asks for that letter to light up, since it is in the puzzle (JUICY PEACH).
  • June 5 is Summer Vacation, taped April 6.
  • On June 6, the Prize copy includes a trailer for Spider-Man: Homecoming.
  • On June 7, the Prize Puzzle chimes do not sound in Round 3.
  • On June 8, rapper Spider Loc is a contestant (albeit under his real name, Curtis).
  • On June 9:
    • As contestant Kris has nobody in the audience, Pat hands the Million-Dollar Wedge to Vanna at the start of the round.
    • When Pat goes to reveal the location of the $1,000,000 envelope, he accidentally opens the one star, and then the S in AMERICA'S (both of them had the Jeep Wrangler), before realizing that it is actually at the S in SPIN.

Post-Season[]

  • On Thursday, June 15, in the midst of reruns of Southern Charm week from March 20-24, controversy arises on social media over the image displayed behind Pat and Vanna during the closing segments throughout the week, which appears to show "slaves" standing in front of a plantation. Harry Friedman states to the media that the image would be edited out in any rebroadcasts. Because of this controversy, the March 24 show is pulled and results in two consecutive airings of the week's weekend repeat (originally aired March 2, 2016 from Season 33's Wish You Were Here! week) on Friday the 16th and Saturday the 17th. This is only the case for the United States; Canada still airs the March 24 episode on June 16.

Second Chance Lottery Promotion[]

  • On March 3, 84 winners of a lottery promotion are present in the studio. They are divided into 12 teams of seven, and each team is designated with a number and color with matching polo shirts. One person from each team is chosen to play one of four games of Wheel as a contestant, in which they keep any winnings and also have those winnings matched to split among the other six team members. The contestants from Teams 1, 2, and 3 are positioned from left to right for Show #1, and so on with the other teams across the other three shows. The slates are done in the same style as regular episodes and denote the shows as "Show #x, Linked Game Second Chance Promotion". On these episodes:
    • The America's Game theme graphic is used in the opening animation.
    • The video wall uses scrolling logos of state lotteries and that of Wheel itself.
    • The Prize Wedge, Gift Tag, ½ Car tags, Crossword Puzzles, and Prize Puzzle are not used.
    • Before & After, Same Name, and Same Letter are not used.
    • There is no car available in the Bonus Round.
    • Instead of the winner introducing their family or friends before spinning the Bonus Wheel, Pat introduces the winner's teammates.
    • The episodes are not edited for time in the same fashion as normal episodes, as Wheel spins are not shortened and "null" cycles are not edited out of Speed-Up rounds (but are still edited out of regular rounds).
    • Round 4 always starts with the Final Spin.
    • As was the case on the similar 2011 lottery episodes, all puzzles are lifted directly from episodes of then-recent seasons (mostly Season 30).
  • On Show #1 (Ron/Prakash/Bill):
    • All three contestants' nametags have their legal names (Ronald/Prakashkumar/William). Despite this, they are referred to throughout the episode by the above nicknames, including on the "drop down" score graphic.
    • In Round 1, Prakash tries to buy a vowel after spinning, then gets buzzed out when prompted for a consonant.
    • In the Speed-Up, Prakash tries to spin, but Pat stops him.
    • Nine wrong letters are called in the Speed-Up, including a streak of five and two repeated letters.
  • On Show #2 (Reinaldo/Gwen/Polly):
    • Reinaldo accidentally says the answer to the $1,000 Toss-Up without ringing in.
    • There is a tie, which as usual is broken with a fourth Toss-Up. As was the case in May 2016, it is valued at $1,000.
    • Partially due to the absence of the Prize Puzzle, the winner only has $8,000 before the Bonus Round.
    • Bankrupt is not hit.
  • On Show #3 (Jamie/John/Marisa):
    • Marisa plays as a proxy for her frail mother. As a result, her name tag is done on the fly in the style used from 1997-2014.
    • Bankrupt is hit six times in Round 3, a tie for the most known Bankrupts in one round.
    • John accidentally says an incorrect answer to the $3,000 Toss-Up without ringing in.
    • Although there is a jump cut to Pat in the Speed-Up, it does not appear to cover a "null" cycle.
  • On Show #4 (Eileen/Linda/Leah):
    • In Round 2, Linda gives a wrong answer with only vowels remaining.
    • Leah's daughter Bethany later appears on the show in October 2019.
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