Wheel of Fortune timeline (syndicated)/Season 37

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A timeline for Season 37 of Wheel of Fortune, which will air in first-run from September 9, 2019 through June 5, 2020.

Season Changes

• The opening sequence is changed to rotating wheel wedges on a black background, with thin blue neon lights flashing counterclockwise in the background. The camera pans out, 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. 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.

• 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 maingame 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.

• 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.
• Wheel Changes Lives is renamed Winner's Circle.
• Prize wedges and Prize Puzzle trips are now worth a minimum of $7,000.
• The Bonus Round is now sponsored by Werther's Original.

September 2019

• September 9 is Teacher's Week. During this week:
  • Nearly all of the Wheel Prize and Prize Puzzle trips are over $10,000.
  • No Retro Bonus Rounds are done.
• On September 9:
  • The Gift Tag moves to the purple $500 between the $800 and pink $650 after contestant Rachel picks up the Prize wedge. This does not affect the outcome; while the Gift Tag is hit, a wrong letter is called on it.
  • 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 September 10, two males play.
• 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. During this week, the Season 28 Wii avatar intro from World Class Spas Week intro is used.
• On September 16:
  • The Wheel Prize is an $11,340 trip to Vietnam.
  • The third Triple Toss-Up LOS ANGELES & SAN FRANCISCO is categorized as Places instead of On the Map.
  • Round 4 is an unusually short answer of NOTHING TO IT, which is all the more unusual as a fifth round is played.
• On September 18, 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 September 19:
  • The Wheek Prize is a $10,908 trip to Fiji.
  • 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.
  • The second-place contestant has $21,700, won entirely in Round 4.

• September 23 is Big Money Week. 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" doesn't begin until after his second letter. In post-production, Pat's spiel and Mark's decision are moved in between his first and second letters in accordance with the normal rules.

• September 30 is California Coast.

October 2019

• On October 3:
  • The $1,000 Toss Up (YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK) is categorized as On the Map instead of Landmark.
  • 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. 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.
• On October 9:
  • Round 3's answer of GRIZZLY BEARS sets a new record for the shortest answer to be used as a Prize Puzzle.
  • Two "null" cycles occur in Round 4, but only one of the two is edited out (the intact one being 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.
  • The bonus puzzle OUTFOXING THE COMPETITION is the second-longest known bonus puzzle to be used on the show, and the longest under three-and-a-vowel rules, at 23 letters.
• On October 11:
  • Round 3 (HAPPY TOURIST) is a tie for the shortest answer to be used as a Prize Puzzle.
  • Round 4 is an unusually short answer of SAY NO MORE, which also uses only one line.

• October 14 is Great Northwest. 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:
  • Round 1 (CRATER LAKE NATIONAL PARK) is categorized as On The Map instead of Landmark.
  • The closing segment on the Space Needle features an opening from one of the 1995 Seattle road shows and footage of it being painted to resemble the Wheel.
• 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:
  • The Prize Puzzle is a $10,990 trip to Barbados.
  • When the Round 4 puzzle (in the category What Are You Doing?) is revealed, the category strip for Phrase is put up by mistake.
  • The second place contestant has $24,640.
• On October 17, contestant Emily solves the third Triple Toss-Up THREE'S A CROWD with only the D showing.

• October 21 is Bed & Breakfast. 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 Speed-Up (GOOD GOLLY MISS MOLLY) is categorized as Song Lyrics instead of Rhyme Time.
  • The second place contestant has $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. 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.
  • Pat's monitor displays the Latitude Margaritaville logo.
  • Before the $2,000 Toss-Up, Pat, Vanna, Jim, Jimmy Buffett, and Michael promote the sweepstakes.
  • All of the Prizes are to Margaritaville properties.
  • After Round 1, Pat, Vanna, Jimmy Buffett, and Michael do a bumper.
  • The closing segment features Pat and Vanna at Latitude Margaritaville.
• On October 28
  • The second-place contestant has $24,797, won 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 2009 to be shorter than seven letters.
  • Pat and Vanna do the closing chat with Margaritaville "director of fun" Mona Ward.

June 2020

• June 5 is Harry Friedman's last episode, having announced his retirement from both Wheel and Jeopardy! prior to the start of the season.