Wheel of Fortunedebuted back in January 1975. Almost 50 years later, the game show has remained integral toAmerican pop culture. One might think thatafter over 8,000 episodes,even the most loyal fans of the show would want a break. But that doesn’t hold true forWheel of Fortune.If anything, the show’s continued success has only shown that itssimple premise has withstood the test of time.
As the years go by,Wheel of Fortunehas evolved in many directions, but the core format of the show has always remained the same. It’s safe to say that consistency has been one of the many reasons whyWheel of Fortuneis still on air. But as familiar as the show has become to a global audience, not everyone knowswhat really goes on behind the scenes.
Wheel of Fortune
10The Game Is Based on Hangman
Merv Griffin Wanted To Elevate the Common Word Game
Most people might not know this, butWheel of FortunecreatorMerv Griffinfound inspiration for thesuccessful game showinHangman.Of course, the rules of the classic word game are different from the format of the iconic show. But that’s where Griffin’s genius came into play. Turns out thatGriffin was a huge fan ofHangmanand would often play the game with his sister during family road trips. However, when he decided to turn it into a TV show, he knew thatthe stakes had to be a little higher,and the gameplay, a little more exciting. Not to mention that Brazil had already aired a game show based directly on the game in the 1960s. So Griffin had to think of something out of the box.
This led to Griffin coming up with the idea ofthe iconic spinning wheelthat we know and love today. The producer thought of combining theworld puzzle conceptwith the element of luck toadd some unpredictability to the game.He pitched the idea to this team at Merv Griffin Enterprises and decided that the wheel would be made up of different sections to offer the contestants a variety of prizes. This way,they would never really know what they would be playing for. And if they were really unlucky, they’d land on the “Lose a Turn” wedge. Without Griffin bringing in this element of tension, I doubtWheel of Fortunewould have become the TV staple it is today.
9Pat Sajak Wasn’t the Original Host
It Took a While for Him To Find His Footing
Imagine a weatherman with zero hosting experience going on to become one of themost famous TV personalitiesof all time. Well, that’sPat Sajakfor you! I mean, his retirement in 2024 nearly caused a nationwide panic as fans wondered who could possibly fill his shoes. The truth is that Sajak’s name is pretty much synonymous withWheel of Fortune,to the point where new viewers of the show might not even know that he wasn’t always the host. WhenWheel of Fortunefirst premiered,Chuck WooleryofLove Connectionfame took the helm. He had a popular tenure, but it didn’t last very long.Woolery ran into some trouble with the producersover contract negotiations and ended up leavingWheel of Fortunein 1981. He was then replaced by Sajak, who was an unlikely choice at first. With hison-screen charm and wit, though, he quickly won over the audience, and it was like Woolery was never even there!
The host did leave the show temporarily in 1989 to hostThe Pat Sajak Show.But when thelate-night talk show went off-air in 1990,Sajak returned toWheel of Fortuneand picked up right where he left off. His signature hosting style went on to define the game show for decades. In fact, Sajak has been so important toWheel of Fortunethat fans are still debating whetherRyan Seacrest,who took over as the host in 2024, isa worthy successor. Even I have to admit, as entertaining as Seacrest is, he can’t come quite close to themagic Sajak brought to the screen.
8Vanna White Beat 200 Other Candidates for the Job
It’s All in the Little Details
Sajak might be the face ofWheel of Fortune,butVanna Whiteis the show’s soul! White took over as the co-host fromSusan Staffordin 1982, and since then, she has been a consistent face on the show. Through her years onWheel of Fortune,White has evolved frommore than just a letter-turnerto an integral part of the show’s success. Hernatural chemistry with Sajakand Seacrest, along withher warmth toward the contestants, adds so much personality to the game show. Let’s face it, if Sajak and Seacrest didn’t have White to bounce their jokes off of,Wheel of Fortunewouldn’t be half as entertaining as it is.
But she didn’t just magically land the role of a lifetime on the iconic game show. White was actuallycompeting with 200 other candidates for the role. In an interview withE! News, she revealed that she was one of the three finalists, alongsideSummer Bartholomewand Playboy modelVicki McCarthy.But what made her stand out was the way sheactivated the puzzle boardthat’s used in the show. After seeing how effortless White was in doing so, Griffin knew that she was going to makethe perfect co-host, and the rest was history.
7Pat Sajak and Vanna White Have Broken World Records on the Show
The Co-Hosts Are Basically Game Show Royalty
It’s safe to say that Sajak and White have gone down inTV game show historyas one of the most iconic duos, and that isn’t just a figure of speech. I mean it quite literally. Not only are these two one of themostbeloved on-screen duos, but they have also cemented their legacy by making world records of their own. Sajak holds theGuinness World Recordforthe longest career as a game show host for the same program. After joiningWheel of Fortunein 1983, Sajak’s tenure lasted nearly 41 years. In 2019, the host wasofficially recognized for his accomplishment.
White isn’t too far behind, either. In fact, she earned her world record before Sajak in 2013. During the July 05, 2025, episode ofWheel of Fortune,White officially made theGuinness World Recordfor being the “Most Frequent Clapper.”The TV star reached the milestone after clapping more than 3.4 million times over her 30 years on the show at the time, and she hasdefinitely surpassed that number since then.These records are yet another testament to White and Sajak’s brilliant on-screen partnership. They may have earned these records, but they only scratch the surface of theimpact these two have had on the entertainment industry.If you ask me, there’s no way to ever quantify that.
6The Cost of a Vowel Has Never Changed
Consistency Is Key
The world might be bearing the brunt of economic inflation, but notWheel of Fortune.It’s been decades since the show’s premiere, and yet, the price of a vowel still remains the same. If I’m being honest,it wasn’t all that cheap to begin with. But the fact that vowels still cost $250 on the game show isn’t just random trivia. It’s a way for the show to maintain consistency in the gameplay and make a statement, so thecontestants can always expect the same set of rules.
Anyone familiar withWheel of Fortunewill know that buying the right vowel at the right time cancompletely turn a contestant’s luck around.So, this fixed price is a key component of the player’s strategy. The entirety ofWheel of Fortuneis as unpredictable as it gets. You never know where you’ll land on the wheel, and that makes all the difference in the world. So, maintaining consistency in certain elements of the game is a way tosubtly anchor the contestantsand give them that push they need to think strategically.
5Vanna White Doesn’t Repeat Outfits
Her Wardrobe Is Integral to the Show
While the mainhost ofWheel of Fortuneusually dominates the conversation, White’s presence on the show holds an unsaid importance. I mean, ifshe suddenly decides not to show up in one episode, there’s no way the fans will be okay with it, right? Once again, the key is consistency, and White brings that to the show. The fact that she has a multi-step process when it comes to her wardrobe choices on the show proves how seriously she takes her job.
You might think that White’s wardrobe on the show tends to go unnoticed. But when shewore the same dress twice in a week back in 2020,the internet went into a frenzy. Trust me when I say that White has a pretty impressive track record of never repeating an outfit onWheel of Fortune,except for this one unfortunate incident. In a 2017 interview with ABC, the co-host revealed thatshe has worn more than 7,000 different outfitson the show since her debut without ever repeating any. This is becausethe reality startries over 50 dresses each week before making her final costume decisions. Once she’s done filming, the dresses go back to the designers, but not before the production team adds them to anongoing log of White’s outfitsalong with their pictures. Considering this, it’s beyond me how her team ever made that slip-up in 2020.
4Filming the Early Episodes of ‘Wheel of Fortune’ Was Pretty Tedious
It Wasn’t All Smooth Sailing
All good things take time, and that was certainly the case withWheel of Fortune.Back in the show’s early days, filming an episode wasn’t as easy as it is today. In fact,Harry Friedman, who joinedWheel of Fortuneas the producer in 1995, was extremely frustrated by how long it took to tape each episode. As perVariety,filming a 30-minute episode required an hourbecause of the manual letter board system. After every puzzle, the production team had tomanually reset the board,which took 10 minutes on a good day. This added a lot of extra time to each taping session and disrupted the flow of the game. Thankfully, all of this changed in 1997 whenWheel of Fortunestarted using an electronic letterboard with touch screens to speed up the process.
That wasn’t all, though, because the early days of the show alsosaw constant network shifts.Wheel of Fortunewas initially filmed at NBC Studios in California. In 1989, the show moved to CBS Television City in Los Angeles. Then, in 1995,Wheel of Fortunereturned to NBC but relocated toSony Pictures Studiosin Culver City, California. All this back and forth proved to be a huge obstacle when it came to filming. Honestly, it’s a miracle that, with so many changes, the show still managed to retain its audience and continued to perform well. However, through all theseset redesigns and shifting gameplay elements,Wheel of Fortunehas proved that if a show is entertaining enough,it will never really lose its fan baseand push through.
3The Wheel Is Actually Really Heavy
‘The Price is Right’ Has Nothing on ‘Wheel of Fortune’
Let’s be real,Wheel of Fortunewould be nothing without its iconic titular wheel. As flashy and over-the-top as it is, the wheel obviously serves a primary purpose in the gameplay. Butspinning it requires some serious muscle power. According toTV Insider, the actual Wheel of Fortune weighs a total of 2,400 pounds. This makes it 400 pounds heavier thanThe Price is Right’sBig Wheel, which only comes up to 2,000 pounds. But because of its position,The Price is Rightwheel is actually more dangerous than its competitor.
A lot of people have actually fallen down while trying to spin the wheel on the show. EvenThe Price is Righthost,Drew Carey,was once injured on set while he was showing a contestant how to play the Grocery Game, as reported byTODAY. The Fortune Wheel, on the other hand,ishorizontally positioned, which makes it easier to spin, despite its heavier weight. But what’s impressive is that this wheel has beenspecially designed to create the unique soundit makes as it spins. This signature sound comes from 73 stainless steel pins hitting three rubber flippers as the wheel turns and is instantly recognizable to anyone familiar with the show.
2Multiple Episodes Are Filmed on the Same Day
The Co-Hosts Only Get 15-Minute Breaks
FilmingWheel of Fortunemight have gotten easier compared to the show’s early days thanks to technology, but it’s still quite a task. Sinceeach season of the show has around 200 episodes, you’d imagine that filming them takes up a huge chunk of the year. But in an interview onElvis Duran & The Morning Show,White revealed that the show is actually filmed over the course of just 34 days. According to White,they film six episodes per day,which means that a single day on set requires a lot of outfit changes and context switching.
While speaking withWPXI-TV News, Seacrest shared what a day on set looks like for him and White. According to theWheel of Fortunehost,they get 15-minute breaks in between games,and if they don’t stick to the schedule, filming all six episodes in a day would be impossible. What we don’t know is whether these 34 days of intense filming take place consecutively or if they are a little more spaced out. In any case, though, theWheel of Fortuneco-hostsget about 331 days off per year. If you ask me, that’s a pretty great bargain for all their hard work.
1The Birth of the Toss-Up Puzzles
Pat Sajak Has Contributed to the Show in More Than One Way
I have to admit I love the Toss-Up puzzles onWheel of Fortune.As a longtime fan of the show, sometimesthe regular rounds are a bit too slow for my liking. That’s when you really appreciate the sudden burst of energy the Toss-Up puzzles inject into the game. When the contestants have tomake immediate guesses,the tension is through the roof. Not to mention the$1,000 prize that’s on the line,which only raises the stakes even more. Now, what most people don’t know is that Sajak was the one who came up with the format back in 2000.
During a conversation about the show’s history withMaggie Sajack,the former host revealed that the Toss-Ups were born due to theaudience’s demand for more content. Sajak noted that he and the producers wanted to give the fans what they wanted without extending the length of the episodes. This led them to brainstorm these quick puzzles thatdidn’t require any spinningand were a good break from the show’s usual structure. Obviously, the decision paid off and added a new element to the game, which increased the audience’s engagement almost immediately. Since then, the Toss-Up puzzles have been an integral part of theWheel of Fortunegameplay.
