Wheel of Fortune (often known simply as Wheel) is an American television game show created by Merv Griffin. The show has aired continuously since January 6, 1975. Contestants solve word puzzles, similar to those in hangman, to win cash and prizes determined by spinning a giant carnival wheel. The current version of the series, which airs in nightly syndication, premiered on September 19, 1983. Since September 9, 2024, the show has been hosted by Ryan Seacrest and Vanna White.
The original version of Wheel was a network daytime series that ran on NBC from January 6, 1975, to June 30, 1989, and subsequently aired on CBS from July 17, 1989, to January 11, 1991; it returned to NBC on January 14, 1991, and was cancelled that year, ending on September 20, 1991. The network daytime and syndicated nighttime versions aired concurrently from 1983 until the former's conclusion. Chuck Woolery and Susan Stafford were the original hosts of the daytime network version. Woolery left in 1981, and was replaced by Pat Sajak. Sajak left the network version in January 1989 to host his own late-night talk show. Succeeding Sajak on the daytime version was Rolf Benirschke, who was in turn replaced by Bob Goen when the network show moved to CBS. Stafford left in 1982 and was replaced by Vanna White, who remained on the network show for the rest of its run. Sajak and White hosted the nighttime Wheel together from its premiere until June 2024, when Sajak retired and was replaced by Seacrest. Charlie O'Donnell, Jack Clark, and M.G. Kelly all served as announcers prior to Jim Thornton taking over in 2011; Thornton was fired from the show in September 2026.
Currently in its 44th season, Wheel of Fortune ranks as the longest-running syndicated game show in the United States, with 8,000 episodes taped and aired as of June 7, 2024. In addition, Wheel of Fortune is the second longest-running game show in the United States, behind The Price is Right, which has aired continuously since September 1972 and is now in its 55th season. TV Guide named Wheel of Fortune the "top-rated syndicated series" in a 2008 article, and in 2013, the magazine ranked it at number two in its list of the 60 greatest game shows ever. The program has also come to gain a worldwide following with 60 international adaptations. Two spin-off versions have existed as well: a children's version called Wheel 2000, which aired simultaneously on CBS and Game Show Network in 1997 and 1998; and Celebrity Wheel of Fortune, which began airing on ABC in 2021 and features a modified version of the format.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA)
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