Go back to Season 36, or forward to Season 38?
A timeline for Season 37 of Wheel of Fortune, which aired in first-run from September 9, 2019 through September 10, 2020.
Season Changes[]
- The opening sequence changes and is reused for Season 38. The wheel, with different-sized translucent wedges, is partially seen slowly spinning in front of a black background containing thin blue neon lights. The camera later pans out revealing more of the wheel, and the Wheel of Fortune logo appears from the bottom-right of the screen. The letters flash in the wedges' colors, and one by one the words become white as they're said in the audience chant. The blue neon lights blink with each word, and they flash counterclockwise when the audience says "Fortune!" Following the chant, a white flash reveals the set.
- The main theme is remixed to include an electric guitar track. The intro music before the chant now consists of electric guitars instead of saxophones and trumpets. While the first two taping sessions use the Season 36 opening track, it is replaced with the new cue in post-production.
- The Toss-Up wipe is changed to a rainbow-colored wheel. The font is changed from Cosmos (used since Season 24) to Delta Bold.
- The white "ripple" effect introduced for main game puzzle category strips since Season 33 is now used for Toss-Ups as well.
- The $3,000 Toss-Up is replaced with the Triple Toss-Up, in which there are three consecutive puzzles with the same category and a common theme, each valued at $2,000. Four high-pitched dings sound after each of the first two is solved. Its wipe also says "Triple" instead of "$3,000". The contestant who solves the third of the Triple Toss-Ups gets to start Round 4 as usual. If nobody solves either of the first two Triple Toss-Ups, the sequence of puzzles continues normally; if the third goes unsolved, the contestant who started Round 1 also starts Round 4, as was previously the case with the $3,000 Toss-Up.
- The Final Spin graphic is updated to match the new title card, and its accompanying sound effect is changed.
- The ½ Car tags are retired. Despite this, the Mystery Round opening graphic continues to display them.
- Wheel Changes Lives is renamed Winner's Circle.
- Prize wedges and Prize Puzzle trips are now worth a minimum of $7,000. As a result, trips worth over $10,000 have become frequent enough not to be noteworthy.
- For the first time since Season 21, the $100,000 prize is not won in an entire season.
- Starting this season, new SPIN IDs are drawn on weekday reruns (when applicable) for the first time since Season 34, rather than their drawings being edited out.
- Season 37 is the only confirmed season to run for fewer than 195 episodes (it is unlikely that a 195th episode aired at the end of Season 13).
September 2019[]
- At several points throughout the season, the Bonus Round is sponsored by Werther's Original.
- September 9 is Teacher's Week, taped July 25. During this week, no Retro Bonus Rounds are done.
- On September 9:
- In Round 2, the Gift Tag moves to the purple $500 between the $800 and pink $650 due to the Prize being claimed in Round 1. This does not affect the outcome; while the Gift Tag is hit, a wrong letter is called on it.
- On streaming services, Round 2 has the first and second shots of the board erroneously replaced with repetitions of the third shot (including the "letter circles" in the bottom-left corner from those turns), but the audio remains correct. This results in Vanna revealing two P's three times and an E twice, as well as the first three called letters being present before they are called. This is corrected on Game Show Network airings; as a result, this is the only episode from the Netflix packages that airs interlaced on Game Show Network.
- Before the Bonus Round, Pat forgets to ask Rachel who she has in the audience. He ends up introducing them after they come onstage to celebrate the Bonus Round win.
- On the Map is offered and played in the Bonus Round for the last time until September 29, 2022. It is won, resulting in the first instance of category having a perfect season record in the "category choice" era.
- On September 10:
- The Final Spin graphic from Seasons 31-36 can briefly be seen layered beneath the current one. This is because the previous graphic was still used in-studio in early tapings of this season.
- For only the third known time, Places is used in the Bonus Round.
- On September 12:
- Contestant Lauren solves the second Triple Toss-Up puzzle DICTIONARY with only the Y showing.
- The first "Winner's Circle" segment is done, on March 10, 2015 contestant Brian Peterson and his beekeeping project Bees in the D.
- September 16 is Spa Getaway, taped August 9. During this week, the Season 28 Wii avatar intro from World Class Spas Week intro is used.
- On September 16, the third Triple Toss-Up LOS ANGELES & SAN FRANCISCO is categorized as Places instead of On the Map.
- On the original, Pluto TV, and Game Show Network airings of the September 18 episode, for only the second known time, there is an attempt to cover up a "null" cycle: in Round 4, Pat says "Steph, try it again", but the last three words are edited out (although they still appear on the closed captioning). On the August 14, 2021 rerun of this episode, the words are not edited out.
- On September 19, the Retro Bonus Round is not done.
- On September 20:
- Contestant Joseph lands on Express on the first spin of Round 3 and fills in the entire puzzle THIS IS MY KIND OF PLACE by himself.
- Contestant Maurcia finishes second with $21,700, which is earned entirely in Round 4.
- September 23 is Big Money, taped July 26. During this week, no Retro Bonus Rounds are done (although they are known to have been shown in-studio).
- On September 26:
- Husband & Wife is used in a Toss-Up for the first time. It also uses an ampersand for the first time since February 17, 2012.
- Contestant Mark uses the Wild Card on $600 in Round 4.
- On September 27:
- Contestant Keniece asks to use the Wild Card without a prior spin on her first turn of Round 3, but gets buzzed out before doing so.
- In-studio, when contestant Mark hits Express, Pat immediately asks him if he would like to "hop on", which he does, although the "Express mode" does not begin until after his second letter. In post-production, Pat's spiel and Mark's decisions are moved in between his first and second letters in accordance with the normal rules.
- As the Triple Toss-Ups and Bonus Round are Phrase, this is the first time since the late 1990s that the same category has been used four times in one episode. The presence of Triple Toss-Ups causes this to become a more frequent occurrence.
- September 30 is California Coast, taped August 8.
October 2019[]
- On October 3:
- Contestant Roxie hits a Mystery Wedge, calls a letter that reveals the puzzle entirely, then flips the wedge to find a Bankrupt on the other side. Play passes to the next contestant, who solves the puzzle for $0.
- On the first spin of Round 4, the Lose a Turn graphic can be seen on the previous contestant's scoreboard, revealing that a "null" cycle was edited out.
- October 7 is Let's Eat!, taped August 29. During this week, the post-Round 1 bumper features Pat and Vanna at various restaurants.
- On October 7:
- The Prize copy includes a trailer for the DVD and Blu-ray release of Spider-Man: Far from Home.
- Pat and Vanna do the closing chat from outside the studio, with the Wheelmobile and Oscar Meyer Wienermobile parked behind them.
- On October 8:
- In an unusual move, the daily promo spoils the bonus puzzle and its outcome, although two letters are erased.
- At least two affiliates — WBFF in Baltimore, Maryland, and WBTW in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina — accidentally air the October 7 show again. WBFF properly airs the October 8 show on Saturday, October 12. The episode is also re-broadcast in the 2020-21 weekend feed on October 10, 2020. However, WBTW ends up pre-empting the episode a second time due to overrun from a college football game.
- On October 9:
- Round 3's answer of GRIZZLY BEARS is the shortest Prize Puzzle since February 2004 at only 12 letters.
- Two "null" cycles occur in Round 4, but only one of the two is edited out (the intact one is a wrong answer, an incorrect G, and a Bankrupt that does not take anything away). This may be due to Pat referencing the wrong answer during the closing chat.
- On October 10, nobody solves the first Triple Toss-Up, RADIANT RED.
- On October 11, Round 4 (SAY NO MORE) is shorter than ten letters.
- October 14 is Great Northwest, taped August 28. During this week, except on Friday, Pat and Vanna feature a Washington state landmark in the closing segment: the Space Needle on Monday and Tuesday, the University of Washington on Wednesday, Kubota Garden on Thursday.
- On October 14:
- Contestant Blair Davis goes viral for jokingly disparaging his family, contrasting the usual routine of contestants frequently using positive adjectives to describe their spouses and/or children.
- The closing segment on the Space Needle features an opening from one of the 1995 Seattle road shows. Unusually, the former road show opening theme "Maximum Drive" is left intact.
- On October 15, contestant Rob's Wild Card is not taken away after he hits Bankrupt in Round 4. This ends up not mattering, as the round goes to Speed-Up only two turns later and he does not win.
- On October 16:
- When the Round 4 puzzle (in the category What Are You Doing?) is revealed, the category strip for Phrase is put up by mistake.
- Contestant Jennifer finishes second with $24,640.
- On October 17, contestant Emily solves the third Triple Toss-Up THREE'S A CROWD with only the D showing.
- On October 18, there is a rare instance of a Same Letter puzzle being solved without the Same Letter being called.
- October 21 is Bed & Breakfast, taped September 27. During this week:
- Before the $2,000 Toss-Up, Pat, Vanna, and Jim promote the Home Sweet Home Giveaway, using footage from the previous season's giveaway.
- The Bonus Round is sponsored by Consumer Cellular. Except on Monday, Jim promotes this before the Bonus Round.
- On at least October 21, Wink Martindale is in the audience and appears on-camera, though no mention is made of his presence.
- On October 21:
- The closed captioning misspells contestant Faye's name as "Fay" through the entire episode.
- Though Bankrupt is hit three times, including one via the Mystery Wedge, nothing is lost to it.
- Contestant John finishes second with $23,030.
- On October 22, contestant Monique wins by $80.
- On October 23, the Winner's Circle segment is on May 9, 2018 contestant Brooke Johnson.
- On October 25, the Gift Tag is a $500 Pajamagram gift card and $500 cash.
- All five Bonus Rounds are lost on the week of October 21.
- October 28 is Home Sweet Home, taped September 26. During this week:
- The Home Sweet Home sweepstakes is held, in which home viewers may enter the show's bonus puzzle online for a chance to win a new house.
- There is a cold open featuring the previous season's Home Sweet Home winner Michael Corbett along with Pat and Vanna promoting the sweepstakes. When this week is rerun during the week of June 1, this is omitted.
- Pat's monitor displays the Latitude Margaritaville logo.
- Pat, Vanna, Jim, Jimmy Buffett, and Michael promote the sweepstakes in a clip before the $2,000 Toss-Up.
- All of the Prizes are to Margaritaville properties.
- Pat, Vanna, Jimmy Buffett, and Michael do a bumper after Round 1.
- The closing segment features Pat and Vanna at Latitude Margaritaville.
- Only two Crosswords are played this week.
- On October 28:
- Contestant Ted finishes second with $24,797, which is earned entirely in Round 2.
- Jim promotes Latitude Margaritaville after Round 2, accompanied by a snippet of "Margaritaville".
- On October 29:
- The bonus puzzle JOIN US is only the fourth one since November 3, 2009 to be shorter than seven letters.
- Pat and Vanna do the closing chat with Margaritaville "director of fun" Mona Ward.
- On October 30, the $1,000 Toss-up WHERE THE HEART IS is categorized as Phrase instead of Movie Title.
- On October 31, for no particular reason, Pat says "welcome back" before Round 1 and there appears to be an edit before the round begins.
November 2019[]
- On November 1:
- Same Name, Before & After, and Same Letter are not used despite no Crossword Round occurring.
- There are two sets of duplicate categories: the $1,000 Toss-Up and Round 2 are Phrase, and the $2,000 Toss-Up and Bonus Round are What Are You Doing? This, combined with the above, would suggest that Round 2 was a Crossword Round that had to be replaced.
- As the winning contestant does not have anyone in the audience, Pat sets the Million-Dollar Wedge on the Bonus Wheel after it is spun.
- The winning contestant, who wins the Bonus Round, misses the $1,000,000 by only one envelope.
- November 4 is Veterans Week, taped October 10.
- On November 4, contestant James solves the second Triple Toss-Up puzzle CHICKEN WINGS with only the first N showing.
- For no particular reason, the November 4 and 5 episodes are swapped at the last minute. This results in the first instance since 2013 of a Retro Bonus Round being done on a Monday.
- On November 6:
- There is a rare instance of a contestant solving the Speed-Up without any money.
- The Bonus Round puzzle (ABOUT TO FIND OUT) is categorized as Phrase instead of Rhyme Time and is the first use of a rhyming bonus puzzle since May 2, 2011.
- On November 7, the Retro Bonus Round is not done.
- November 11 is America's Game.
- On November 11:
- As it is the sixth episode of Teacher's Week, all three contestants are teachers.
- From this point through December 6, Pat promotes the upcoming Secret Santa Sweepstakes before the $2,000 Toss-Up.
- On November 12, the first Triple Toss-Up THE STATE OF ARIZONA is a rare instance of On the Map using a descriptive term.
- On November 13, Wheel is pre-empted on several ABC affiliates by live coverage of the Country Music Association Awards' red carpet arrivals. It is re-broadcast on September 9, 2020 and April 10, 2021.
- On November 14, Pat does not prompt contestant Lisa to use the Wild Card on $2,500 in Round 1. Though Lisa solves immediately afterward and loses the card to Bankrupt later, this does not affect the outcome.
- On November 15, the Prize Puzzle copy includes a trailer for the DVD and Blu-ray release of The Angry Birds Movie 2.
- November 18 is Great American Cities: Boston on Monday, Chicago on Tuesday, Denver on Wednesday, Nashville on Thursday, and San Diego on Friday, taped October 11. During this week, the Wild Card is placed too low, covering the 5 instead of the dollar sign on the green $500.
- On November 18:
- The Prize Puzzle copy includes a trailer for Charlie's Angels, and Elizabeth Banks, Kristen Stewart, Naomi Scott, and Ella Balinska read part of the copy.
- Pat and Vanna do the closing chat from Union Oyster House.
- On November 19, in the final segment, Pat and Vanna show a clip of Fred Rogers' cameo from the Pittsburgh episode of September 14, 1998. The two also mention the film A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood, and Vanna shows a signed trolley which he had given her on the episode in question.
- On November 18 and 19, the Wild Card is placed too low on the green $500, covering the 5 and first 0 instead of the dollar sign and 5.
- From November 19-30, Wheel is aired on a one-day delay in the Los Angeles market. This is due to local affiliate KABC-TV pre-empting the show for Monday Night Football on the 18th and 25th. This results in both weeks' Friday episodes airing on Saturdays, replacing the weekend repeats for the 23rd and 30th. Despite the delay, the station's social media promotes local contestants' episodes on the day they officially air.
- On November 20:
- The Gift Tag comes loose during Round 1, partially covering the orange $650. It is fixed before Round 2.
- Pat and Vanna do the closing chat from Dally Round Ranch in Boulder, Colorado.
- On November 21:
- In Round 1, contestant Kristen is penalized for adding "and" while solving a Crossword. Although this has happened four times before, the incident goes viral and causes controversy over whether adding "and" should be grounds for penalty. The show releases a statement to the media defending the "and" rule. Contestant Bryan, who solves correctly immediately afterwards, states to the media that he is willing to give the $3,550 he won from that round to Kristen. A short time later, a travel agency awards Kristen with a trip to Nashville, the same trip offered via the Prize Wedge that she lost due to her mistake.
- Pat and Vanna do the closing chat from FGL House in Nashville and then show footage of various honky-tonks in Nashville.
- On November 22:
- Contestant Gregory's name tag falls off at the start of Round 2 and remains on his arrow for the entire round.
- For unknown reasons, Pat does not do most of the Final Spin explanation.
- Pat and Vanna do the closing chat from Coasterra and talk to executive chef Deborah Scott.
- The week of November 25 is Shopping Spree, taped October 24. Although originally slated for the week of December 2, its theme is swapped with Safe Travels likely due to Friday's episode coinciding with Black Friday.
- On November 25, the Prize Puzzle copy includes a trailer for the DVD and Blu-ray release of Dora and the Lost City of Gold.
- On November 26, Jim does not say "From the Sony Pictures Studios, it's America's Game!" during the intro. Despite this, it still appears on the closed captioning. The rerun airing on January 2, 2021 instead shows a musical note in the closed captioning.
- On November 27:
- An incorrect A on Free Play appears to have been edited out of Round 1, as Pat tells contestant Judy that A has already been called despite the letter not having been called on any previously-aired turns.
- The first Triple Toss-Up OCTOBER & NOVEMBER is categorized as Things instead of Events.
- On November 28:
- The $1,000 Toss-Up DECISIONS DECISIONS is not themed. The $2,000 Toss-Up, however, is themed.
- The Gift Tag comes loose during the first spin of Round 1, causing it to become almost perfectly vertical when it is landed on.
- The first Triple Toss-Up is a factually incorrect answer of NATURAL RESERVOIR (bodies of water known as "reservoirs" are artificially made by definition, and the term "natural reservoir" is used solely in disease studies).
- There is a $100,000 loss.
- All five Bonus Rounds are lost on the week of November 25, part of a twelve-day losing streak beginning on the 20th.
December 2019[]
- December 2 is Safe Travels!, taped October 25.
- On December 2, the Winner's Circle segment is about November 9, 2018 contestant Jonathan Frick.
- On December 4:
- Round 2 is the first appearance of The 80's since Season 35, and the only use of a "decades" category this season.
- Pat references a "null" cycle in Round 2 by telling Katrina "back to you" on her first aired spin.
- In Round 3, Pat references an incorrect letter on Free Play which was edited out by saying that I has already been called.
- On December 5:
- The Retro Bonus Round is one not previously used on this feature, and a rare instance of one predating the "three more consonants and a vowel" rule.
- Dwayne Johnson, Jack Black, Karen Gillan, and Awkwafina promote the Prize Puzzle, which includes a trailer for Jumanji: The Next Level.
- December 9-20 is the Secret Santa Sweepstakes, taped November 8 and 11. During these weeks:
- Vanna fills in for Pat, due to him recovering from intestinal surgery at the time these episodes were taped.
- To help calm Vanna's nerves, no audience is present aside from the contestants and their guests. As a result, nearly all applause and other audience reaction sounds are added in post-production, and any audience shots are edited in from other episodes.
- During Bonus Rounds, if the contestant has any guests, they are shown in a post-production shot from behind the host's position. Despite this, the contestant and Vanna still look toward the audience when addressing them, and they still come onstage from the audience area if the Bonus Round is won.
- The Disney logo is on the floor at center stage.
- After each episode's three contestants introduce the theme, Mickey Mouse appears with Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck, Goofy, Pluto, and Vanna, saying "And this year we're here to celebrate!" Jim and Vanna then finish introducing the theme. An instrumental rendition of "O Christmas Tree" accompanies the entire intro.
- Jim's intro is "And now, here's our host, Vanna White!" Vanna is then escorted onstage by Disney characters.
- Mickey and Minnie Mouse alternate daily in Vanna's usual role. Despite standing at the puzzle board, the characters only motion at the board, which is otherwise operated automatically. On both Monday episodes, Vanna introduces each character before the $1,000 Toss-Up, at which point they are shown in front of the puzzle board with a sparkle effect.
- Against precedent, all Toss-Up puzzles begin by revealing the last letter of the puzzle, even if it is not in the space furthest right.
- Disney characters appear on top of the category strips when each maingame puzzle is revealed.
- During the interviews, the contestants state their own names and hometowns.
- All of the Prizes and Prize Puzzle trips are to Disney properties.
- Jim does the closed captioning plug.
- During Toss-Ups and Speed-Ups, the shot of the contestants is zoomed out further than usual, allowing Vanna to be seen in the host's position even on standard-definition screens.
- The Disney characters also appear with Vanna during the closing segment and the credits.
- Due to the tapings for the week of December 9 being cancelled, all of the potential contestants are sent home and will re-appear on future episodes. The week ends up taping four days later with all 15 contestants being from the Los Angeles area; most of them are last-minute recruits.
- On December 9, Vanna accidentally looks at the wrong arrow during the Final Spin but is corrected from offstage, after which she jokes "How do you do this show?"
- On December 10:
- Pat and Vanna read part of the Prize Puzzle copy.
- Vanna forgets to reveal the Bonus Round envelope until after Jim reads the Secret Santa Spin ID.
- In the closing segment, Vanna promotes the Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge attraction.
- On December 11:
- Once again, Vanna forgets to open the Bonus Round envelope until after Jim reads the Secret Santa SPIN ID.
- In the final segment, Jim promotes Disney Cruise Lines before cutting back to Vanna.
- On December 12:
- Pat and Vanna read part of the Prize Puzzle copy.
- When contestant Jay calls O in the Speed-Up, an audio clip of Vanna saying, "No money for vowels" is obviously dubbed in, as Vanna's mouth does not move.
- Courtney Watkinson, the senior design manager for Disney Store, does the closing segment and shows off some Disney merchandise.
- On December 13:
- In Round 2, the Mystery Wedge sound effect accidentally plays when contestant Paul hits the adjacent Free Play.
- Paul solves the Speed-Up puzzle THE MAD HATTER with only the T's showing.
- The week of December 16 was taped before the week of December 9, due to the original taping day having been moved back due to Pat's surgery.
- On December 16, the same promotion of Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge that aired on the 10th airs again during the closing chat.
- On December 17, Pat and Vanna read the Prize Puzzle copy.
- On December 18, Wheel is at least partially pre-empted in most markets in the Eastern, Central, and Mountain Time Zones due to the impeachment of President Donald Trump. Despite the preemptions, the episode is never rerun.
- On December 19:
- Two "null" cycles are edited out of Round 3.
- The same promotion of Disney Cruise Lines that aired on the 11th airs again during the closing chat.
- Reruns air during the week of December 23 (originally slated to have the theme "On Holiday") due to taping cancellations also caused by Pat's intestinal surgery. This is the first time since Season 15 that reruns have aired midseason. Specifically, the reruns consist of the previous season's Home for the Holidays week (December 24-28, 2018). Each is preceded by a clip in which Pat explains the circumstances, and a caption appears during the intro indicating the original airdate. Likely to have last season's Christmas Eve and Christmas Day episodes repeat on their appropriate days, the week is aired in the following order: the 27th on Monday, the 24th on Tuesday, the 25th on Wednesday (resulting in both airings of the episode being pre-empted on ABC affiliates by NBA), the 26th on Thursday, and the 28th on Friday. Despite the mixed order, TV listings list the episodes in their original order.
- Due to On Holiday being cancelled before production, episode numbers S-7096 through 7100 are not allocated to any existing episodes. As a result, there is a five-episode discrepancy in the show's episode count from this point forward.
- The weekend repeat for December 28 is originally scheduled as the December 28, 2018 episode. Due to this same episode rerunning only one day prior, it is changed to the January 23, 2019 episode.
- December 30 is America's Game. During this week, each episode is preceded by a clip in which Pat explains that the episodes were taped prior to his surgery. On any episodes from this week that appear in reruns or on streaming services, the clip is omitted.
- On December 30:
- Most of Wheel is pre-empted on several FOX affiliates due to overrun from the Redbox Bowl. The show does not begin airing on these affiliates until Round 4.
- The $1,000 Toss-Up THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI is a rare instance of On the Map using a descriptive term.
- On December 31, contestant Corrine solves the Round 5 puzzle HARRISON FORD with only the N showing. The puzzle in question is also only on one line.
- 2019 is the third calendar year in the show's history with no $100,000 wins.
January 2020[]
- Between November 29 and January 7, 23 Bonus Rounds in a row are played for $37,000.
- On January 3:
- Pat and Vanna read part of the Prize and Prize Puzzle copies.
- Likely to cover an edit, there is a full shot of Pat and the winning contestant as he reminds her of the Bonus Round category just before the timer starts. There is also an edit after contestant Barbara solves on the buzzer, likely due to her having to have her answer checked before she is declared a winner.
- January 3 was originally scheduled to be the sixth episode of On Holiday. Due to Pat's surgery resulting in no episodes being produced for that taping, it is replaced with the sixth episode of the upcoming British Landscapes. As a result, this is the first episode in airing order to be taped after Pat's return, but it is still preceded by the clip of him explaining that the episode was taped before his surgery.
- January 6 is Weekend Getaways, taped November 22. During this week:
- There is a pre-recorded intro from Pat, in which he acknowledges the taping schedule and presence of a guest hostess.
- Vanna once again fills in as host. As with the Secret Santa weeks, there is no audience other than the contestants' guests, contestants state their hometowns during the interviews, and the winning contestants' guests are introduced on stage instead of in the audience.
- The animated intro from the Season 28 Get Out of Town and Road Trip weeks is used; unusually for an animated intro, Jim still says "From the Sony Pictures Studios, it's America's Game!"
- The top half of the Speed-Up shot is again zoomed out further than usual.
- Pat's daughter, Maggie, is the guest hostess. Except on Monday, Jim introduces them as "Here are our hosts: Vanna White and Maggie Sajak!"
- On January 6:
- Jim introduces just Vanna, who walks out and then introduces Maggie. The two then chat, and Maggie then walks to the puzzle board as the opening theme plays. This is the first time since April 1, 1997 that the two co-hosts are introduced separately.
- Round 1 is only the third instance of a Crossword with a hyphenated word.
- In the final segment, a clip is shown from the 1996 Hawaii episode where Pat introduces Maggie.
- On January 7:
- ABC airings add multiple promotions for Jeopardy!: Greatest of All Time, which begins on this day. This includes a banner that appears during the contestant interviews, which is normally only displayed during ABC network programming.
- Against precedent, the buzzer sounds on a repated letter in Round 2.
- On January 8:
- Wheel is partially pre-empted in most East Coast markets due to breaking news coverage of the missile attack on the Al Asad Airbase in Iraq. 7:00 PM airings on CBS and NBC affiliates are pre-empted through Round 2; the latter network cuts in a second time during the Bonus Round of 7:30/6:30 Central airings.
- The Prize copy includes a trailer for Little Women.
- On January 9, in the final segment, Vanna and Maggie show the closing from September 25, 2000, where Maggie and Patrick did the closing chat in place of Pat and Vanna.
- January 13 is Great Escapes!, taped December 6. During this week:
- Before the $2,000 Toss-Up, Pat and Vanna promote the upcoming Collette promotion.
- All of the Prize Puzzle trips are over $10,000.
- January 13 is Pat's first taped episode since his surgery. During the opening, the audience is seen on-camera giving a standing ovation to honor his return.
- On January 15, in the final segment, Pat and Vanna do a tour of Highclere Castle with an unnamed tour guide.
- On January 16:
- The $1,000 Toss-Up DISAPPEARING ACT is not themed.
- Vanna reads part of the Prize copy.
- Before Round 1, Pat plugs the upcoming Great American Cities: Florida week.
- Before the Bonus Round, Pat, Vanna, and Harry do a bumper for "Behind the Wheel".
- On January 17, contestant Derek solves the third Triple Toss-Up BOY GEORGE with only the second E showing.
- January 20 is British Landscapes, sponsored by Collette, taped December 5. During this week:
- There is a cold open with Pat and Vanna:
- Monday: The two eat food at Bettys Café Tea Rooms in York, England.
- Tuesday: Vanna asks Pat if he wants to walk along Hadrian's Wall.
- Wednesday: Time-lapse footage of Pat and Vanna at Drakes Fish & Chips in York.
- Thursday: Pat and Vanna introduce the theme from Highclere Castle.
- Friday: Pat and Vanna converse at Market Cart Pub.
- The Prize is a tour of England, Scotland, and Wales. After the Prize copy, Pat and Vanna promote the Collette giveaway through footage of them in England.
- In the final segment, Pat and Vanna tour a British landmark: York on Monday, Edinburgh on Tuesday, Hadrian's Wall on Wednesday (featuring Collette representative Michelle Gammon Purvis), Highclere Castle (with the Countess of Carnavaron) on Thursday, and Shambles Market in York on Friday.
- There is a cold open with Pat and Vanna:
- On January 22:
- Wheel is pre-empted in some East Coast markets due to coverage of President Donald Trump's impeachment trial.
- The $1,000 Toss-Up AMONG THE FIELDS OF GOLD is not themed.
- On January 23, the Triple Toss-Ups are CROSSWORD CLUE, BEFORE & AFTER, and BONUS PUZZLE.
- On January 24, a "null" cycle is not edited out of Round 1 (an incorrect T, an incorrect C, and a Bankrupt that does not take anything away).
- January 27 is Rail Tour, taped January 9. During this week:
- There is an animated opening with the Pat and Vanna avatars waving from a train. For unknown reasons, this also uses the previous season's opening music.
- The Bonus Round is sponsored by Consumers Cellular.
- On January 28:
- The Gift Tag is a $500 Pajamagram gift card and $500 cash.
- The Retro Bonus Round is one not previously used on this feature.
- Four of the five Toss-Ups have a contestant ring in with a wrong or incomplete answer.
- On January 29:
- The $1,000 Toss-Up TURNING ON THE CHARM is not themed.
- Jim appears on-camera before Round 2.
- On January 30, Rounds 2, 4, and the Bonus Round are Phrase. This appears to be due to the original Round 2 being thrown out.
February 2020[]
- February 3 is Great American Cities: South Florida, taped December 12. During this week:
- Pat and Vanna promote the Collette World Tour giveaway before the $2,000 Toss-Up.
- The Gift Tag is $1,000 cash courtesy of the Florida State Lottery.
- Before the Bonus Round, Jim announces that the Bonus Round car is provided by Vera Cadillac of Pembroke Pines, Florida.
- Pat and Vanna do the closing chat from a Miami landmark: Betsy Hotel in Miami Beach on Monday, Biltmore Hotel on Tuesday, Joe's Stone Crab (featuring restaurant owner Steve Sawitz) on Wednesday, Big City Tavern in Fort Lauderdale on Thursday, and Café la Trova in Miami (featuring chefs Michelle Bernstein and Julio Cabrera) on Friday.
- On February 3, contestant Corain solves the second Triple Toss-Up TWO-WAY STREET with only the Y showing.
- On February 4:
- Round 2 is the last appearance to date of Title/Author.
- The Netflix and Pluto TV version omits Round 3 for unknown reasons. When aired on the latter, the ad breaks are longer to compensate for the shorter running time, and an additional break is added between the closing and credits. Game Show Network does not air this episode at all.
- On February 5, contestant Andres solves the $1,000 Toss-Up FORT LAUDERDALE with only the second E showing.
- On February 7, Wheel is moved to later time slots on West Coast ABC affiliates due to a Democratic candidates debate.
- February 10 is Collette World Tour, taped December 13. During this week:
- There is a cold open where Pat and Vanna promote the theme from Lucerne, Switzerland.
- Home viewers may submit each day's bonus puzzle on the show's website for a chance to win a trip to Switzerland.
- Pat and Vanna read the Prize copy and then promote the above contest.
- On February 10, neither Thing nor Phrase is used in the main game.
- On February 12:
- The Round 4 puzzle SAY CHEESE! is shorter than ten letters and uses only one line.
- Contestant Kirsten solves the above puzzle with only the S showing.
- On February 13, the Retro Bonus Round is not done.
- All five Bonus Rounds are lost on the week of February 10, part of a six-day losing streak beginning on the 7th.
- On February 15, the weekend repeat (of March 28, 2019) has a promo for the show's YouTube series Behind the Wheel edited in after Round 1.
- February 17 is Girlfriend Getaways, taped January 10. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent restrictions, this ends up being the last team week until February 2023.
- On February 17:
- Wheel is pre-empted on East Coast FOX affiliates due to the Daytona 500, which was postponed from Sunday the 16th due to rain. The episode is re-broadcast on June 8 and October 17, though the latter airing is pre-empted again on East Coast FOX affiliates due to PBA Bowling.
- Jim's intro changes to "And now, here are the stars of our show: Pat Sajak and Vanna White!"
- On February 18, after Round 1, Vanna does a Winners' Circle segment on Sunny Portugal sweepstakes winners Richard and Vicky Denis.
- The February 17 and 18 episodes are not available on Pluto TV and do not air on Game Show Network, despite previously being available on Netflix.
- On February 19:
- Wheel airs in primetime on NBC affiliates in the Pacific Time Zone due to a Democratic candidates debate.
- After Round 1, Pat and Vanna promote Behind the Wheel.
- On February 21, nobody solves the second Triple Toss-Up, AUDITIONING FOR A PART.
- February 24 is National Parks, taped January 23. During this week, various intros from Season 28 using the Pat and Vanna avatars are used.
- On February 25:
- Wheel is pre-empted on West Coast CBS affiliates by a Democratic Primary debate.
- The Retro Bonus Round is not done.
- On February 26:
- Contestant Taya solves the Prize Puzzle A PLACE LIKE NO OTHER with only the N and T showing.
- There is a $100,000 loss.
- This is the only episode to rerun on television (on July 10, 2021) while simultaneously being available to stream on Netflix (added on February 15, removed on August 25, 2021). It is also one of only four episodes that appeared on Netflix but not on Pluto TV or Game Show Network.
March 2020[]
- March 2 is Leave Winter Behind, taped February 7. During this week, Winners Circle segments are done on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday after Round 1: February 17, 2016 winners David & Keri Daily on Monday; Season 36 Sunny Portugal winners Linda and Jeff Arnold on Wednesday; and May 15, 2019 contestant Rex Hollaway on Friday.
- On March 3:
- Wheel is at least partially pre-empted in most markets by Super Tuesday election coverage. On most East Coast airings, the show begins in the middle of the contestant interviews. The show is fully pre-empted in several West Coast markets.
- The closing segment honors Harry Friedman getting a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, with Pat, Vanna, and Alex Trebek present.
- On March 4, the third Triple Toss-Up TENNIS RACKET AND WRISTBANDS ties the record for the longest answer to be used as a Toss-Up in terms of only letters, at 25 letters.
- On March 5:
- In an unusual move, the daily promo spoils the bonus puzzle (albeit with some of the letters obscured).
- Round 2 is the first Crossword to have an apostrophe in it.
- The Retro Bonus Round is one not previously used on this feature.
- March 9 is America's Game.
- On March 9:
- The second Triple Toss-Up THE CITY OF PITTSBURGH is categorized as Place instead of On the Map.
- For the first time since the introduction of the Triple Toss-Up, six rounds are played. Twelve puzzles are also played for the first time (five Toss-Ups, six rounds, and the Bonus Round).
- A "null" cycle is not edited out of the Speed-Up.
- On March 10:
- During the $2,000 Toss-Up, the top half of the split screen is noticeably panned too far to the left.
- The Retro Bonus Round is not done.
- When this episode is rerun on September 11, 2020, a Winners Circle segment on May 9, 2018 contestant Brooke Johnson is added during the final segment.
- On March 12, after Round 1, a Winners Circle segment is done on October 23, 2018 contestant Mark Karbowitz.
- On March 13:
- Unusually, the daily promo features a puzzle (SEVEN YEARS OF BAD LUCK) that was obviously faked for the promo, to tie into the episode airing on Friday the 13th: the letters are in the wrong font, the category strip is off-center and reads Phrase instead of Things, and the voice clip of the "contestant" solving was obviously recorded specifically for the promo.
- Nobody solves the $2,000 Toss-Up ENGINE ROOM.
- Jim is shown on-camera before the start of Round 2.
- None of Same Name, Before & After, Same Letter, or Crossword are used.
- March 16 is College Week Spring Break, taped February 6. During this week:
- The Prizes are provided by Collette.
- Consumer Cellular sponsors the Bonus Round.
- Pluto TV lists this week as "College Week - Spring".
- On March 16:
- Wheel suspends production due to the COVID-19 pandemic, at which point only 167 of the standard 195 episodes have been taped for the season.
- After Round 1, there is a Winners Circle segment on November 9, 2018 contestant Jonathan Frick.
- On March 17:
- In Round 5, Pat forgets to take away contestant Tallie's Million-Dollar Wedge after she hits Bankrupt. He can be seen doing this during the Final Spin.
- The daily promo spoils the Bonus Round outcome.
- For unknown reasons, this episode is the only one of the week that has never appeared on Netflix or Pluto TV, despite being the only one with a Bonus Round win. Inversely, it is the only episode of the week to rerun on television (on March 20, 2021).
- On March 19:
- For no particular reason, the Winners Circle segment is the same one from March 12.
- This episode is one of only three to leave the full Retro Bonus Round intact on Netflix and Pluto TV.
- On March 20, Jim is shown on-camera before the Prize copy.
- Starting March 21, several affiliates begin pre-empting the weekend repeats with infomercials, possibly in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic.
- March 23 is Gone Fishin', taped January 24. During this week:
- The Wii avatar intro from Season 28's Outdoor Adventure Week is used.
- The same intro is used as the pre-Mystery Round bumper, albeit with a sign reading "Gone Fishin'" flipping down from the top of the screen.
- The same "Gone Fishin'" sign is also used as the Speed-Up wipe.
- The Retro Bonus Rounds are not done.
- On March 23, Wheel is pre-empted in some East Coast markets due to an address from President Donald Trump.
- On March 24:
- The daily promo spoils the answer to Round 5.
- As the Prize Puzzle offers a cruise, the copy is accompanied by a caption reading, "This episode was taped prior to the national health emergency." This is removed in reruns.
- A "null" cycle is not edited out of the Speed-Up.
- Six consecutive incorrect answers are given during the Speed-Up.
- On March 26:
- Several portions of the interview segment are obviously edited out. Despite this, the daily promo shows a portion of the edited-out interview (contestant Cyndi making trumpet noises with her mouth).
- The Prize Puzzle includes a trailer for Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway.
- Contestant Mark solves the third Triple Toss-Up puzzle I'M HAVING A BALL with only the G showing.
- On March 27, Pat accidentally rules an incorrect Bonus Round answer as correct, though it does not matter as the contestant quickly gives the correct answer immediately afterwards.
- The week of March 30 was originally Week of Fun!, sponsored by Carnival Cruises, with a home viewer contest offering five cruises. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the contest is scrapped and the episodes delayed until the week of August 31, with reruns from the previous season's Spa Getaway week airing instead. During this week:
- Due to Wheel having repeats, all owned-and-operated ABC affiliates pre-empt the show with re-broadcasts of ABC World News Tonight with David Muir (which first airs only one hour before Wheel).
- As was the case during the week of December 23, the episodes' original air dates are displayed during the opening. However, they do not appear on Canada airings.
- Due to Carnival Week of Fun! being shelved and re-numbered when the episodes eventually air, episode numbers S-7166 through 7170 are not allocated to any existing episodes. As a result, there is a 10-episode discrepancy in the show's episode count from this point forward.
April 2020[]
- The April 3 rerun of the October 12, 2018 episode has a new SPIN ID for the Mystery Round giveaway.
- April 6 is America's Game. During this week, only one Crossword Round is done.
- On April 6:
- Contestant Tony makes a second appearance due to the bonus puzzle on his original episode (December 1, 2017) being placed in the wrong category.
- Two puzzles are thrown out: the original first Triple Toss-Up HAMSTER CAGE due to Pat accidentally accepting an incorrect answer from Tony, and the original Speed-Up round FLUFFY THROW PILLOWS due to Tony solving just after the buzzer and having to have his answer checked.
- The closing chat features the same Winners Circle segment that previously aired on February 18.
- On April 7, as it is the sixth show of College Week Spring Break, three college students play.
- On April 8:
- The episode is moved up from its originally-scheduled date of May 26 in order to replace the sixth episode of Carnival Week of Fun!, which is delayed to September 8.
- As it is the sixth episode of Great American Cities: San Francisco, there is no audience. As was the case during the episodes where Vanna guest-hosted, the contestants' guests are shown in a shot from behind the host's position.
- Likely due to the episode's rescheduling, an unfinished edit is initially sent to stations that does not include a SPIN ID nor any graphics after the $10,000 Mystery Prize is won. Although a revised version with the SPIN ID is made, several stations still air the unfinished version, which features a shot of Pat and the contestants standing idle as Jim pauses where the SPIN ID would be read.
- The original third Triple Toss-Up PILLOW IN A PILLOWCASE is thrown out after contestant Dave solves. This is because the puzzle had already been used earlier in the same taping session (specifically, the April 27 episode), in addition to it not fitting the Triple Toss-Up category In the Kitchen.
- Six rounds are played.
- Dave has $71,980 before the Bonus Round. He exceeds $100,000 without hitting that amount in the Bonus Round, which he solves for BMW X2 and a total of $113,055. Despite this episode featuring the highest winner of the season, it is never re-broadcast.
- On April 10:
- The sixth episode of UK Getaway airs on its originally-scheduled date, despite the sixth episode of Carnival Week of Fun! being delayed.
- This is the last taped episode to have an audience until Season 40.
- There is a cold open where Pat and Vanna drink tea in a restaurant in York, England, and the Prizes are Collette-sponsored trips for which Pat and Vanna read part of the copy.
- Contestant Jason fills in the entire Round 3 puzzle MOUTHWATERING MEALS by himself.
- Although two closings are taped, with one mentioning the upcoming UK Getaway sweepstakes and the other begin a "generic" conversation, the former closing is never used (including on the September 26 rerun of this episode) due to the sweepstakes being scrapped.
- The week of April 13 was originally UK Getaway, with a home viewer contest offering five trips. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the contest is scrapped and the episodes delayed until the week of August 3, with reruns from the previous season's Bed & Breakfast week airing instead. During this week, Wheel is once again pre-empted on owned-and-operated ABC affiliates with re-broadcasts of ABC World News Tonight with David Muir, this time with the exception of KABC-TV in Los Angeles and KGO-TV in San Francisco, which opt to air the Wheel reruns. Despite this, all of the affiliates air the April 11 weekend repeat at its normal time.
- Due to UK Getaway being shelved and re-numbered when the episodes eventually air, episode numbers S-7176 through 7180 are not allocated to any existing episodes. As a result, there is a 15-episode discrepancy in the show's episode count from this point forward.
- The weeks of April 20 and 27 are both taped without audiences, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. During these two weeks:
- Audience shots are edited in from other episodes, and all audience sound effects are dubbed in post-production.
- Contestants are urged not to make any physical contact with Pat or Vanna.
- Shots of the winning contestants' guests are handled in the same way that they were on the episodes where Vanna guest-hosted.
- No Retro Bonus Rounds are done.
- April 20 is Surfin' Safari, taped March 13. During this week, the animated opening features Pat building a sandcastle while Vanna builds the traditional logo out of sand. On Pluto TV, all five episodes have their original air date listed as April 20, 2020.
- On April 20:
- After Round 1, the Winners Circle segment from March 2 is aired again.
- In the final segment, Vanna announces that she will be wearing dresses from Bob Mackie next week. This announcement includes clips from various Vanna entrances over the years, and an appearance from show costumer Kathi Nishimoto. Unusually, this segment remains intact on the December 5, 2020 rerun of this episode, despite the references to "next week" no longer making sense. The segment is also left intact on Pluto TV, despite the following week's episodes not being available on the service.
- On April 21, Harry appears in the closing segment so that Pat can show a picture of Lesly Sajak and Harry's wife, Judy.
- On April 22, after Round 1, the Winners Circle segment from February 18 is shown again.
- On April 23:
- The cue for solving a main-game puzzle is accidentally used when the $1,000 Toss-Up is solved.
- The closing segment is the same one from April 20.
- Both the original airing and the September 11, 2021 rerun of the April 24 episode are pre-empted on ABC affiliates by Rounds 2 and 3 of the 2020 NFL Draft and college football, respectively. Although some affiliates delay the episode's first airing to Saturday the 25th, most of them schedule it immediately following Rounds 4-7 of the Draft (or subsequent local newscasts). On the 25th, the Draft overruns by about 15 minutes, resulting in the show starting in the middle of Round 3 in some markets. This episode later appears on Pluto TV in August 2022, along with the rest of this week, and airs on Game Show Network starting in February 2024.
- April 27 is Great American Cities: San Francisco, taped March 12.
- On April 27, after Round 2, there is a clip of Vanna thanking Bob Mackie for designing her dresses for the week, while the board reads THANK YOU BOB MACKIE.
- On April 28:
- Vanna wears a shirt and pants.
- There is a $100,000 loss.
- Before the closing chat, footage is shown of Pat and Vanna at House of Prime Rib with owner Joseph Betz and general manager Steven Betz.
- Pat and Vanna do the closing chat with Bob Mackie to promote a new line of clothing made by Mackie available at shopwheeloffortune.com. After this, Jim is shown on-camera modeling a necktie which is also available on the same site.
- On April 29:
- The $10,000 Mystery Prize SPIN ID draw is edited out. As Pat announces the prize, a caption appears reading, "Due to COVID-19, the My$tery Wedge $10K Giveaway could not be completed tonight. No potential winning SPIN ID number will be aired this evening." However, the SPIN ID draw, along with additional footage before and after it, is restored for the August 12 rerun of this episode. This is the first known time where an episode has a SPIN ID during a rerun but not during its original airing. Pluto TV uses the original airing with the disclaimer caption still intact.
- In the closing segment, Pat and Vanna show off various San Francisco landmarks. They then do the closing chat from the Palace of Fine Arts, and Pat mentions the 1996 episode where he and Vanna traded places.
- The April 3, 2021 rerun of the April 30 episode is ironically pre-empted in San Francisco (along with most other markets that air Wheel on ABC affiliates) due to ABC's traditional Easter Weekend airing of the film The Ten Commandments.
May 2020[]
- On May 1, Pat and Vanna do the closing chat from Filoli Historic House & Garden in Woodside, California. They also show footage of the estate's heiress Lurline Coonan, who died in 2018.
- May 1 is the last new episode until August.
- May 4 is the first of several consecutive weeks of reruns. During this period:
- Rather than consisting solely of episodes from the current season, episodes from as far back as Season 33 are featured, including all of the Great American Cities weeks to date. However, no episodes from Season 35 are featured.
- Unlike the Summer 2017 and 2017-18 weekend reruns, all cues from the 2007-16 music package are retained in the Season 33 episodes.
- The closed captioning is re-done on episodes from Seasons 33 and 34.
- Most Friday episodes add clips of Pat and Vanna promoting the following week at the end of the credits.
- Despite not being present on April 29, all reruns during this period (including one of the April 29 episode) add in new SPIN IDs when the $10,000 Mystery Prize is won, even on episodes that originally aired before this feature was added. However, episodes with Mystery Wedge wins rerun on Saturdays still have SPIN IDs edited out until they are no longer shown on the weekend repeats after the next season.
- May 4 was originally Aulani Resort Hawaii Vacation, to be taped March 25. During these shows, all contestants would have been mothers in honor of Mother's Day.
- Starting May 4, Canada airings begin showing the original airdate caption on reruns like in the US.
- The May 4 rerun of the November 5, 2018 episode is erroneously titled "Ken Jennings' 1st Show" and labeled with an original airdate of June 2, 2004 on most TV listings. This was actually the information for the same day's Jeopardy! rerun.
- May 11 was originally Passport to Adventure.
- May 18 was originally Margaritaville Resorts Family Week.
- May 25 was originally the fifth and final America's Game week. Only two episodes for this week were produced, with one moved up to April 8, and the other delayed to September 10.
- Starting May 25, the original air date captions during the opening are replaced with a caption that reads, "This episode was taped before the national health emergency." This is also present on weekend repeats, although the original air date captions used prior to this week were not.
- On May 26, the opening disclaimer caption changes the word "before" to "prior to", although the weekend repeat on May 30 retains the former.
June 2020 (Hiatus)[]
- June 1 was originally Wheel Around the World. Due to being scrapped, this is the first season since 24 to not have this theme.
- On June 1, a black outline is added to the opening disclaimer caption, and "prior to" reverts to "before".
- June 8 was originally Father's Day, to be taped March 27.
- On June 8, the opening disclaimer caption reverts to having no outline.
- Starting June 15, reruns no longer contain any original air date or disclaimer caption during the opening.
- The week of June 15 is a rerun of Great American Cities: Washington D.C week
- The June 16 rerun of the November 13, 2018 episode adds a Winners Circle segment on February 11, 2019 contestants Laura Beth and Philip Peters.
- On the June 24 rerun of the May 24, 2017 episode, a tribute is added for clearance coordinator Michael "Mike" Clark, who died from an autoimmune disease on May 28.
- The reruns for the week of June 29 were originally scheduled to be Great Northwest (October 14-18, 2019), but are replaced with Great American Cities: South Florida (February 3-7, 2020) likely due to the then-current violent protests in Seattle. Three episodes from Great Northwest later appear in the 2020-21 weekend run, and the full week airs on Pluto TV and Game Show Network.
July 2020 (Hiatus)[]
- From July 13 through August 14, the show adds a "$1K a Day" sweepstakes, where viewers can submit the bonus puzzle for a chance to win $1,000 plus a donation of the same amount to their local food bank. Reruns aired during this period add an additional still of the bonus puzzle as Jim encourages viewers to enter online.
- On the July 28 rerun airing of the May 10, 2016 episode, there is a video glitch during Round 2. When contestant Niket calls an incorrect E in Round 2, the shot of the puzzle board is instead of Vanna revealing the G in the Before & After puzzle CHOPPING BLOCK PARTY much later in the same round (although the audio remains correct). It is unknown what caused this error, as it did not occur in the original airing.
August 2020[]
- August 1 is the first weekend repeat of an episode with a Bonus Round win (February 25, 2019) since May 16 (September 13, 2018), eleven weekends prior.
- August 3 is UK Getaway, taped February 28, delayed from April 13. This is the first known time that new syndicated episodes have aired in August. Starting with this episode for the remainder of the season, the "national health emergency" disclaimer appears during both the opening and Prize footage of new episodes only.
- The week of August 3 is re-numbered S-7221 through 7225. As a result, episode numbers S-7191 through 7220 (except for 7207 and 7209) are not allocated to any existing episodes, and there is a 45-episode discrepancy in the show's episode count from this point forward.
- On August 3:
- Neither Bankrupt nor Lose a Turn is hit.
- The bonus puzzle is still on the board during the credits.
- On August 4, Round 1 (THERE'S NO BUSINESS LIKE SHOW BUSINESS) is categorized as Phrase instead of Rhyme Time, Song Title, or Song Lyrics.
- On August 5, there are four consecutive Bankrupts in Round 2, the first of which comes from the Mystery Wedge.
- On August 7, the Round 4 puzzle BY GEORGE SHE'S GOT IT has an extra space between the third and fourth words.
- During the weeks of August 10 through 24, previous Great American Cities episodes are rerun.
- On Saturday, August 15:
- For only the third known time, the weekend repeat is from the current season (March 24, 2020) instead of the previous one. Said episode is also rerun during the following season's weekend feed on May 22, 2021, resulting in the fifth known instance of an episode having two weekend repeats.
- On August 28, the website is revamped.
- August 31 is Week of Fun!, taped February 27, sponsored by Carnival Cruises and delayed from March 30. During this week:
- A contest is held where viewers can enter each night's bonus puzzle for a chance to win a Carnival cruise. Vanna announces this after the Prize copy.
- Vanna also reads part of the Prize copy.
- There is an additional promo for Carnival before the Triple Toss-Ups. These ads are set to "Little Girl" by Andrea Litkei and Ervin Litkei.
- The week of August 31 is re-numbered S-7226 through 7230, picking up from where the count left after the previous new episode on August 7.
- On August 31, the Round 4 puzzle ZIPPING DOWN A WATERSLIDE is misspelled ("water slide" should be two words).
September 2020[]
- On September 2, Round 4 (WHAT A GAME!) is shorter than ten letters and uses only one line.
- On September 3:
- Jim can be seen in the audience during the intro.
- The $1,000 Toss-Up A GREAT SENSE OF HUMOR is not themed.
- The theme of the week does not appear on the scoreboards during the Bonus Round.
- September 8 and 10 (Tuesday and Thursday) are the last two first-run episodes of the season, both America's Game shows. This is the second known time that a week is composed of both new episodes and reruns. Unlike the other rescheduled episodes this season, the two new episodes retain numbers S-7207 and 7209, in line with the week they were originally scheduled to air.
- On September 8:
- It is the sixth episode of Carnival Week of Fun!, delayed from its original airdate of April 8 and its rescheduled date of May 26. This is the first known episode to be rescheduled more than once.
- By airing order, this is the last episode to have an audience until Season 40.
- The daily promo is based on the episode that was originally scheduled for this day, though it already aired on April 8.
- Vanna reads the Prize copy.
- No Retro Bonus Round is done.
- On September 10:
- Wheel does not air on most NBC affiliates due to the NFL kickoff game. However, due to this episode being the season finale, several of them opt to air this episode on Friday the 11th or Saturday the 12th, replacing those days' respective repeats.
- It is the sixth episode of Surfin' Safari; as this was taped under COVID-19 restrictions, there is no audience and shots of them are edited in. Despite this, the "national health emergency" disclaimer still appears.
- Despite the out-of-order taping schedule and aforementioned restrictions, the last-taped episode also manages to be the last-aired.
- It is also Harry Friedman's last episode.
- The Prize is $7,000 credit to Care.com.
- Contestant Rosario manages to win every piece of cardboard (Prize, Gift Tag, Wild Card, and Million-Dollar Wedge) in Round 1. However, she loses the latter two to Bankrupt in Round 3.