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The Game Show Forum => The Big Board => Topic started by: knagl on September 10, 2020, 01:18:14 AM

Title: Wheel of Fortune season 38 debuts 9/14/2020
Post by: knagl on September 10, 2020, 01:18:14 AM
Wheel of Fortune is poised to make its debut for season 38 next Monday, September 14, 2020.

Some small changes have been made to accommodate COVID-19, including a personal "spinning cap" for contestants to use to avoid directly touching the spokes of the wheel. Article (and photo below) from TVLine.com:

Wheel of Fortune Returning With Original Episodes Following Extended Hiatus — See the New COVID-Safe Set (https://tvline.com/2020/09/09/wheel-of-fortune-returns-original-episodes-new-set/)

(https://i.postimg.cc/J7jGKKks/u4rsurrq.jpg)
Title: Re: Wheel of Fortune season 38 debuts 9/14/2020
Post by: nowhammies10 on September 10, 2020, 10:54:20 AM
CONDOMS, ROSE! CONDOMS! CONDOMS! CONDOMS!
Title: Re: Wheel of Fortune season 38 debuts 9/14/2020
Post by: JMFabiano on September 10, 2020, 11:16:58 AM
CONDOMS, ROSE! CONDOMS! CONDOMS! CONDOMS!

You know what they say about big wheels....
Title: Re: Wheel of Fortune season 38 debuts 9/14/2020
Post by: Mr. Armadillo on September 10, 2020, 02:01:08 PM
Doesn't look like there's any changes to the wheel layout, not that I was expecting any.
Title: Re: Wheel of Fortune season 38 debuts 9/14/2020
Post by: Loogaroo on September 10, 2020, 05:19:23 PM
Doesn't look like there's any changes to the wheel layout, not that I was expecting any.

They're all $650 spaces now.
Title: Re: Wheel of Fortune season 38 debuts 9/14/2020
Post by: DoItRockapella on September 11, 2020, 05:40:44 PM
Worth noting - Sony is now claiming that "Something happens within the first two weeks of shows that has never happened before in the history of the show."

https://www.viacomcbspressexpress.com/cbs-television-distribution/releases/view?id=55898

Any guesses?
Title: Re: Wheel of Fortune season 38 debuts 9/14/2020
Post by: SuperMatch93 on September 11, 2020, 05:43:25 PM
Worth noting - Sony is now claiming that "Something happens within the first two weeks of shows that has never happened before in the history of the show."

https://www.viacomcbspressexpress.com/cbs-television-distribution/releases/view?id=55898

Any guesses?

Puzzle solved with no letters on the board?
Title: Re: Wheel of Fortune season 38 debuts 9/14/2020
Post by: aaron sica on September 11, 2020, 06:06:07 PM
Worth noting - Sony is now claiming that "Something happens within the first two weeks of shows that has never happened before in the history of the show."

https://www.viacomcbspressexpress.com/cbs-television-distribution/releases/view?id=55898

Any guesses?

Puzzle solved with no letters on the board?

I was going to say that the word "condom" is uttered on the show for the first time by a contestant when referring to the "white thing", but I think this guess is a lot more plausible. I'm not sure that's ever happened before.
Title: Re: Wheel of Fortune season 38 debuts 9/14/2020
Post by: rebelwrest on September 12, 2020, 03:37:37 AM
Worth noting - Sony is now claiming that "Something happens within the first two weeks of shows that has never happened before in the history of the show."

https://www.viacomcbspressexpress.com/cbs-television-distribution/releases/view?id=55898

Any guesses?

Puzzle solved with no letters on the board?

Considering the triple toss-up puzzles have something in common in addition to the category, that the most likely place that could happen.
Title: Re: Wheel of Fortune season 38 debuts 9/14/2020
Post by: Bryce L. on September 12, 2020, 03:57:51 AM
Worth noting - Sony is now claiming that "Something happens within the first two weeks of shows that has never happened before in the history of the show."

https://www.viacomcbspressexpress.com/cbs-television-distribution/releases/view?id=55898

Any guesses?

Puzzle solved with no letters on the board?

Considering the triple toss-up puzzles have something in common in addition to the category, that the most likely place that could happen.
Can't recall the source, but I've read that the signaling devices aren't activated until the first letter goes on the board, thus "no-lettering" a Toss-Up would be impossible. Soonest they could be solved is on the first letter (which has been done).
Title: Re: Wheel of Fortune season 38 debuts 9/14/2020
Post by: chrisholland03 on September 12, 2020, 09:21:25 AM
A George Carlin puzzle

Title: Re: Wheel of Fortune season 38 debuts 9/14/2020
Post by: PYLdude on September 12, 2020, 02:17:05 PM
Somebody wins the front game with over $100,000?
Title: Re: Wheel of Fortune season 38 debuts 9/14/2020
Post by: Robbo on September 12, 2020, 02:48:55 PM
The prize puzzle is NOT a trip???
Title: Re: Wheel of Fortune season 38 debuts 9/14/2020
Post by: SuperMatch93 on September 12, 2020, 03:40:37 PM
The prize puzzle is NOT a trip???

I remember one early prize puzzle was CHECK YOUR LOCAL LISTINGS and the prize was a Sony home theater package.
Title: Re: Wheel of Fortune season 38 debuts 9/14/2020
Post by: TimK2003 on September 12, 2020, 07:44:06 PM
Worth noting - Sony is now claiming that "Something happens within the first two weeks of shows that has never happened before in the history of the show."

https://www.viacomcbspressexpress.com/cbs-television-distribution/releases/view?id=55898

Any guesses?

The first person to win the new $38,000 minimum cash prize in the Bonus Round?
Title: Re: Wheel of Fortune season 38 debuts 9/14/2020
Post by: MSTieScott on September 12, 2020, 09:36:31 PM
I'mma go with something not gameplay related. Like a marriage proposal.

Or maybe it has something to do with the middle picture at the end of the TVLine article. Pat doesn't usually look that engrossed in the middle of a round.
Title: Re: Wheel of Fortune season 38 debuts 9/14/2020
Post by: Otm Shank on September 13, 2020, 01:24:17 AM
It finally has come to this...

https://entertainment.theonion.com/desperate-wheel-of-fortune-receives-approval-to-use-swe-1819564986
Title: Re: Wheel of Fortune season 38 debuts 9/14/2020
Post by: Mr. Armadillo on September 13, 2020, 02:54:13 AM
Worth noting - Sony is now claiming that "Something happens within the first two weeks of shows that has never happened before in the history of the show."

https://www.viacomcbspressexpress.com/cbs-television-distribution/releases/view?id=55898

Any guesses?

Puzzle solved with no letters on the board?

Considering the triple toss-up puzzles have something in common in addition to the category, that the most likely place that could happen.
Can't recall the source, but I've read that the signaling devices aren't activated until the first letter goes on the board, thus "no-lettering" a Toss-Up would be impossible. Soonest they could be solved is on the first letter (which has been done).
Yeah, a Toss-Up doesn't begin until Vanna touches the letter closest to her.
Title: Re: Wheel of Fortune season 38 debuts 9/14/2020
Post by: cmjb13 on September 13, 2020, 07:52:30 AM
Pat doesn’t phone it in for any part of the show?
Title: Re: Wheel of Fortune season 38 debuts 9/14/2020
Post by: Loogaroo on September 13, 2020, 02:34:01 PM
I'mma go with something not gameplay related. Like a marriage proposal.

Seems like that would be a strange thing to do when you don't have a studio audience to hijack.
Title: Re: Wheel of Fortune season 38 debuts 9/14/2020
Post by: PYLdude on September 13, 2020, 03:50:13 PM
I'mma go with something not gameplay related. Like a marriage proposal.

Seems like that would be a strange thing to do when you don't have a studio audience to hijack.

You know, bringing that up...how many times, in the long and storied history of the game show, has a proposal in fact happened?

I can only think of one example and I was in the building when it happened; wondered what happened after.
Title: Re: Wheel of Fortune season 38 debuts 9/14/2020
Post by: Fedya on September 13, 2020, 06:57:36 PM
I hope the proposee said to ask them in private later, because putting them on the spot in front of a whole bunch of people like that is really bad form.
Title: Re: Wheel of Fortune season 38 debuts 9/14/2020
Post by: MSTieScott on September 13, 2020, 08:16:11 PM
Seems like that would be a strange thing to do when you don't have a studio audience to hijack.

I'd think the "national television" aspect would be the grander gesture.

Although now it occurs to me to wonder whether Wheel is even letting each contestant bring a supporter onto the restricted set. That's a lot of extra bodies to potentially spread the virus, especially when only one-third of them will be seen on television.

You know, bringing that up...how many times, in the long and storied history of the game show, has a proposal in fact happened?

On Jeopardy!, it's happened on at least three (http://j-archive.com/showplayer.php?player_id=1421) different (https://youtu.be/mvrLW-a20lQ?t=0) occasions (https://youtu.be/wEBvi3rztAM?t=0).

At The Price Is Right, it's already happened more (https://youtu.be/gx6v7zoZFRQ?t=102) than (https://youtu.be/GirViU1tsDw?t=0) enough (https://youtu.be/dsnYcLIzZdw?t=0) times (https://youtu.be/UJbAnUm7JMw?t=88).

Then on a whim, I searched YouTube for proposals on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? and got two (https://youtu.be/aUMaK7Fvlx4?t=0) results (https://youtu.be/uW-VlGfhjzE?t=0) from the U.S. and one from the Philippines (https://youtu.be/w-AILmJQNOI?t=2403).

I'm going to assume there have been others (Let's Make a Deal, I'm looking at you).
Title: Re: Wheel of Fortune season 38 debuts 9/14/2020
Post by: SuperMatch93 on September 13, 2020, 09:57:24 PM
You know, bringing that up...how many times, in the long and storied history of the game show, has a proposal in fact happened?

There were at least one each on the US and UK Deal or No Deals. I remember the former because the camera took a close shot of the Kay® Jewelers box before it opened.
Title: Re: Wheel of Fortune season 38 debuts 9/14/2020
Post by: Allstar87 on September 13, 2020, 10:43:02 PM
I'm aware of two from Family Feud; once on an O'Hurley Big Money Tournament episode (https://youtu.be/ZKZYlquvToM?t=0), and once on a general Harvey episode (https://youtu.be/ra8TlhYYUrE?t=0).

One first season episode of Winsanity had a really quick one at the end; a contestant went for the $10K and car because he wanted to use the money to get married to his girlfriend. He ended up getting it right, and proposed during the ending celebrations.
Title: Re: Wheel of Fortune season 38 debuts 9/14/2020
Post by: Kevin Prather on September 14, 2020, 10:04:22 PM
Non-spoiler observation of the first show so far:

They redesign the whole set for social distancing, and the first thing we see is Pat and Vanna walking in arm-in-arm.
Title: Re: Wheel of Fortune season 38 debuts 9/14/2020
Post by: SuperMatch93 on September 14, 2020, 10:38:44 PM
And with a Prize Puzzle of AMAZING LOCATION, they seem to have finally run out of ideas.
Title: Re: Wheel of Fortune season 38 debuts 9/14/2020
Post by: PYLdude on September 14, 2020, 10:55:05 PM
Since I don’t wanna quote Scott’s post in its entirety, I’ll just simply say thank you and state that apparently I underestimated the frequency of such events.

The one thing I remember about the first Millionaire example you cited was the buildup. We knew what he was gonna do, and we all wished him well. I was just glad he got to tape his episode when he was able to; he would’ve had to wait a couple days otherwise and I don’t know if he woulda been able to pull it off.
Title: Re: Wheel of Fortune season 38 debuts 9/14/2020
Post by: Joe Mello on September 14, 2020, 11:14:33 PM
Is it just me not watching for a while or was the category graphic on the very bottom of the screen a new thing?
they seem to have finally run out of ideas.
If I had a nickel every time someone says this I could buy a vowel.

/My guess on the "never been done before" is Pat eats a hot dog with ketchup on it.
Title: Re: Wheel of Fortune season 38 debuts 9/14/2020
Post by: jjman920 on September 15, 2020, 09:36:55 AM
Non-spoiler observation of the first show so far:

They redesign the whole set for social distancing, and the first thing we see is Pat and Vanna walking in arm-in-arm.
I mean, the two of them have been working together so long, they're basically seen as America's Platonic Couple. I'm sure they're tested often and both trust each other like members of their immediate families. Meanwhile, I'm not sure (and I doubt given how long results could take) that contestants are tested day of taping, and there's no true way to know if contestants have been responsible between the most recent time they were tested and taping other than trust.
Title: Re: Wheel of Fortune season 38 debuts 9/14/2020
Post by: nowhammies10 on September 15, 2020, 01:26:11 PM
Is it just me not watching for a while or was the category graphic on the very bottom of the screen a new thing?

Certainly seemed lower than ever before. Isn't it usually on or about the steps of the puzzleboard?
Title: Re: Wheel of Fortune season 38 debuts 9/14/2020
Post by: Kevin Prather on September 15, 2020, 01:44:15 PM
I mean, the two of them have been working together so long, they're basically seen as America's Platonic Couple. I'm sure they're tested often and both trust each other like members of their immediate families.

It just seems to me that keeping them socially distant would have been the easiest part of the whole thing. Have Pat enter from behind the wheel, Vanna enter from behind the puzzleboard, they greet each other six feet apart center stage, then go to their stations. Even if they're both safe, appearances are important too.
Title: Re: Wheel of Fortune season 38 debuts 9/14/2020
Post by: nowhammies10 on September 15, 2020, 05:11:24 PM
I think appearances went out the window when they awarded a trip to a foreign country.
Title: Re: Wheel of Fortune season 38 debuts 9/14/2020
Post by: Allstar87 on September 15, 2020, 09:03:14 PM
I think appearances went out the window when they awarded a trip to a foreign country.

To be fair, I think the Wheel staff has forgotten that Prize Puzzles don't necessarily have to be played for a trip. :P
Title: Re: Wheel of Fortune season 38 debuts 9/14/2020
Post by: Unrealtor on September 15, 2020, 10:10:13 PM
Is it just me not watching for a while or was the category graphic on the very bottom of the screen a new thing?

Certainly seemed lower than ever before. Isn't it usually on or about the steps of the puzzleboard?

That's where I usually think of it unless they've zoomed way in because it's a small puzzle.

The change I noticed was the shot of the puzzleboard on the toss-ups was a lot tighter, and it seemed like the contestants got more space as well. On one of them, the first row of screens wasn't visible at all. Shifting the category down would have allowed both.
Title: Re: Wheel of Fortune season 38 debuts 9/14/2020
Post by: nowhammies10 on September 16, 2020, 09:46:32 AM
Here's (https://i.imgur.com/Hi23vZm.png) a collection of shots from last season and Monday's game (spoilers in photos).  The white lines are the 4:3 safe area.

Direct comparisons show that the shot of the puzzleboard is zoomed in a little tighter in all cases, the category strip is lower, and the contestant insert in the Bonus Round is slightly larger.
Title: Re: Wheel of Fortune season 38 debuts 9/14/2020
Post by: Joe Mello on September 16, 2020, 11:00:03 AM
I wonder how much of the new blocking is due to distancing guidelines and how much is wanting to make the things bigger so old folks can see them better.
Title: Re: Wheel of Fortune season 38 debuts 9/14/2020
Post by: PYLdude on September 19, 2020, 04:58:46 PM
Wheel tweeted yesterday that the big first thing is supposed to happen this Wednesday, saying there was a hint dropped in last night’s episode.

Take from that what you will.
Title: Re: Wheel of Fortune season 38 debuts 9/14/2020
Post by: Loogaroo on September 19, 2020, 05:06:18 PM
Remember when you were encouraged to watch a show every day because you never knew when a big moment would happen?

I remember.
Title: Re: Wheel of Fortune season 38 debuts 9/14/2020
Post by: Joe Mello on September 19, 2020, 09:45:12 PM
Wheel tweeted yesterday that the big first thing is supposed to happen this Wednesday, saying there was a hint dropped in last night’s episode.
I had started to think that it was from this week and all 5 winners might've played the Bonus Round for the car but real life got in the way of confirming that in my market.
Title: Re: Wheel of Fortune season 38 debuts 9/14/2020
Post by: PYLdude on September 19, 2020, 10:28:12 PM
Remember when you were encouraged to watch a show every day because you never knew when a big moment would happen?

I remember.

Yeah, but don’t forget the landscape of television circa 2020 is much different than the one circa when Wheel was at its peak. You didn’t have as many viewing options.

Nowadays they’re just about forced to do that, just to get some extra eyeballs on the product for a given day so they can look at Alex and Steve and Judge Judy and Sheldon Cooper and say “ha”.
Title: Re: Wheel of Fortune season 38 debuts 9/14/2020
Post by: Allstar87 on September 19, 2020, 11:58:27 PM
I had started to think that it was from this week and all 5 winners might've played the Bonus Round for the car but real life got in the way of confirming that in my market.

As it turns out, the Friday show blew that streak. It was played for $45,000 instead.
Title: Re: Wheel of Fortune season 38 debuts 9/14/2020
Post by: chrisholland03 on September 20, 2020, 11:45:12 AM
What if they never tell us what 'it' is and this is just a (successful) ploy?
Title: Re: Wheel of Fortune season 38 debuts 9/14/2020
Post by: PYLdude on September 20, 2020, 04:07:16 PM
What if they never tell us what 'it' is and this is just a (successful) ploy?

I’m pretty sure the FCC doesn’t take kindly to baits and switches.
Title: Re: Wheel of Fortune season 38 debuts 9/14/2020
Post by: SamJ93 on September 20, 2020, 05:00:12 PM
I’m pretty sure the FCC doesn’t take kindly to baits and switches.

Geraldo Rivera has entered the chat
Title: Re: Wheel of Fortune season 38 debuts 9/14/2020
Post by: WarioBarker on September 20, 2020, 05:09:10 PM
I’m pretty sure the FCC doesn’t take kindly to baits and switches.
They don't.

Unless it's from a telecom company, in which case they take it constantly.
Title: Re: Wheel of Fortune season 38 debuts 9/14/2020
Post by: PYLdude on September 20, 2020, 05:46:54 PM
I’m pretty sure the FCC doesn’t take kindly to baits and switches.

Geraldo Rivera has entered the chat

That wasn’t a bait and switch; that was just dumb luck.
Title: Re: Wheel of Fortune season 38 debuts 9/14/2020
Post by: rebelwrest on September 20, 2020, 06:50:41 PM
I’m pretty sure the FCC doesn’t take kindly to baits and switches.

Geraldo Rivera has entered the chat

That wasn’t a bait and switch; that was just dumb luck.

Although it was entertaining (in a more schadenfreude sense) to see Geraldo try to keep the hype alive by saying some of the found loose bottles was for "moonshine bathtub gin".

/My favorite line about Geraldo came from the now defunct Business 2.0 magazine's list of the 101 Dumbest Moments in Business for 2001
//19. CNN 1, Fox News 1: The Fox News Channel hires Geraldo Rivera. And sends him to Afghanistan. With a camera crew. And a return ticket.
Title: Re: Wheel of Fortune season 38 debuts 9/14/2020
Post by: WarioBarker on September 20, 2020, 10:18:48 PM
Geraldo Rivera has entered the chat
That wasn’t a bait and switch; that was just dumb luck.
Agreed. There's a difference between legitly not knowing what you'll find (but going in prepared given Capone's history) and coming up empty, and (for example, and this is probably a lousy one but it's the only one coming to mind) something akin to a "Tonight, somebody dies!" promo that only shows the main cast but the episode itself ends up killing off some random person.
Title: Re: Wheel of Fortune season 38 debuts 9/14/2020
Post by: pds319 on September 21, 2020, 12:34:22 AM
Looking at nowhammies10's comparison shots, they seem to be pushing the graphics to the bottom edge of title safety, but still protecting for 4:3. My guess is they didn't want to go too crazy adjusting shots, so they went with a slight graphics adjustment.

If there's anyone still watching the show on a tube TV, there's a high chance the standard definition feed is letterboxed. Or if they're my wife's grandparents, they're watching the SD feed zoomed in so the sides are cut off. Really, my guess for why they're still protecting for 4:3 is because that's the "look" of the show, but the graphics push make me think they'll eventually start filling out more of the screen in the (probably distant) future.
Title: Re: Wheel of Fortune season 38 debuts 9/14/2020
Post by: Ian Wallis on September 23, 2020, 08:41:06 PM
It must have been something small (like everyone eating a cookie at the end of the show) because I didn't notice anything.  Anyone want to enlighten me?
Title: Re: Wheel of Fortune season 38 debuts 9/14/2020
Post by: Marc412 on September 23, 2020, 09:02:10 PM
It must have been something small (like everyone eating a cookie at the end of the show) because I didn't notice anything.  Anyone want to enlighten me?
Apparently it was just Vanna wearing the same dress twice.
Title: Re: Wheel of Fortune season 38 debuts 9/14/2020
Post by: Kevin Prather on September 23, 2020, 10:36:19 PM
It must have been something small (like everyone eating a cookie at the end of the show) because I didn't notice anything.  Anyone want to enlighten me?

All I could think of is Julie (center contestant) referenced her wife. I haven't been a faithful viewer the last year. Have other LGBT+ contestants in the past been allowed to use "husband" and "wife" rather than "partner" or some other phrase?

(Not spoiler blocking because it's not gameplay, and I'm speculating out my ass.)

EDIT: I thought Marc was joking. Looking at WoF's Instagram, it looks like he's right.
Title: Re: Wheel of Fortune season 38 debuts 9/14/2020
Post by: Blanquepage on September 23, 2020, 11:04:27 PM
It must have been something small (like everyone eating a cookie at the end of the show) because I didn't notice anything.  Anyone want to enlighten me?

All I could think of is Julie (center contestant) referenced her wife. I haven't been a faithful viewer the last year. Have other LGBT+ contestants in the past been allowed to use "husband" and "wife" rather than "partner" or some other phrase?

(Not spoiler blocking because it's not gameplay, and I'm speculating out my ass.)

EDIT: I thought Marc was joking. Looking at WoF's Instagram, it looks like he's right.
Kinda frustrating that I don't have the episode on hand and being blessed with the gift of retaining game show minautae, but I know that this has happened before. I recall it was shortly after the music changed in 2017 and thinking "wow, that's a first"

EDIT: I don't have the disc with the full episode on hand as it's in storage, but I believe it was the contestant Michael in this posted closing from 1/6/17.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ActbZufjosc
Title: Re: Wheel of Fortune season 38 debuts 9/14/2020
Post by: Mr. Armadillo on September 24, 2020, 12:15:51 AM
All I could think of is Julie (center contestant) referenced her wife. I haven't been a faithful viewer the last year. Have other LGBT+ contestants in the past been allowed to use "husband" and "wife" rather than "partner" or some other phrase?
This has happened with a decent amount of regularity over the last 2-3 years.
Title: Re: Wheel of Fortune season 38 debuts 9/14/2020
Post by: Allstar87 on September 24, 2020, 01:46:59 AM
Apparently it was just Vanna wearing the same dress twice.

Funny that they hyped it up as the "first time in Wheel history" when that's happened many, MANY times before.

Heck, some dresses she wore thrice.
Title: Re: Wheel of Fortune season 38 debuts 9/14/2020
Post by: PYLdude on September 24, 2020, 03:34:49 PM
Heck, some dresses she wore thrice.

Approves (http://images.app.goo.gl/11CWoCHjkw5cZ93FA)
Title: Re: Wheel of Fortune season 38 debuts 9/14/2020
Post by: Kevin Prather on September 30, 2020, 06:01:23 PM
With almost every round 4 starting in Speed-Up, and the wheel being set up 20 spaces from the $5000, I'm starting to think we may have seen the last $6000 speed-up. Pat's spin is pretty consistently 12 spaces.
Title: Re: Wheel of Fortune season 38 debuts 9/14/2020
Post by: jjman920 on September 30, 2020, 11:58:41 PM
Yeah, I have to imagine both his age and an abdominal surgery haven't helped to stregnthen his spin power. I will say the only hope for a $5,000 speed up is if there's time and players have a chance to spin in the 4th round. Which isn't a completely lost hope since I believe one show so far has had enough time to allow for round four spinning.