Wheel of Fortune (American game show)

Wheel of Fortune
Also known as	Wheel
Genre	Game show
Created by	Merv Griffin
Directed by	Jeff Goldstein Dick Carson Mark Corwin Bob Cisneros Robert Ennis Alex Van Wagner
Presented by	Chuck Woolery Pat Sajak Rolf Benirschke Bob Goen Susan Stafford Vanna White Ryan Seacrest
Narrated by	Charlie O'Donnell Jack Clark M. G. Kelly Jim Thornton
Theme music composer	Alan Thicke Merv Griffin Steve Kaplan Frankie Blue John Hoke Bleeding Fingers Music
Opening theme	"Changing Keys"
Ending theme	"Changing Keys"
Country of origin	United States
Original language	English
No. of seasons	41 (syndicated)
No. of episodes	Syndicated: over 8,000 (as of May 20, 2024[update])
Production
Executive producers	Merv Griffin Harry Friedman Mike Richards Bellamie Blackstone Steve Schwartz
Producers	John Rhinehart Nancy Jones Harry Friedman[1] Karen Griffith Steve Schwartz
Production locations	NBC Studios, Burbank, California Television City, Los Angeles, California Sony Pictures Studios, Culver City, California
Running time	approx. 22 minutes
Production companies	Merv Griffin Productions/Enterprises Columbia TriStar (Domestic) Television Sony Pictures Television[a] Califon Productions, Inc.
Original release
Network	NBC
Release	January 6, 1975 (1975-01-06) – June 30, 1989 (1989-06-30)
Network	Syndication
Release	September 19, 1983 (1983-09-19) – present
Network	CBS
Release	July 17, 1989 (1989-07-17) – January 11, 1991 (1991-01-11)
Network	NBC
Release	January 14 (1991-01-14) – September 20, 1991 (1991-09-20)
Network	ABC (Celebrity Wheel of Fortune)
Release	January 7, 2021 (2021-01-07) – present
Related
Wheel 2000 Celebrity Wheel of Fortune
Infobox instructions (only shown in preview)

Wheel of Fortune (often known simply as Wheel^[b]) is an American television game show created by Merv Griffin. The show has aired continuously since January 1975. It features a competition in which 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. It stars Pat Sajak and Vanna White as hosts, who have hosted the nighttime version since its inception. 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.)

The network version was originally hosted by Chuck Woolery and Susan Stafford. Woolery left in 1981, and was replaced by Sajak. Sajak left the network version in January 1989 to host his own late-night talk show, while remaining as host of the nighttime Wheel. Sajak was replaced in the daytime by Rolf Benirschke, who was in turn replaced by Bob Goen when the network show moved to CBS. Goen remained as host for the second NBC run. Stafford left in 1982 and was replaced by White, who remained on the network show for the rest of its run. The show has also had four announcers in its history: Charlie O'Donnell, Jack Clark, M. G. Kelly, and Jim Thornton.

Two spin-off versions exist as well. The first was Wheel 2000, a version featuring child contestants which aired simultaneously on CBS and Game Show Network between 1997 and 1998. This version's hosts were David Sidoni and Tanika Ray, the latter in the role of a CGI hostess named "Cyber Lucy". The second, Celebrity Wheel of Fortune, began airing on ABC on January 7, 2021, and features celebrities playing a modified version of the game with winnings donated to charity.

Wheel of Fortune ranks as the longest-running syndicated game show in the United States, with 7,000 episodes taped and aired as of May 10, 2019.^[2] TV Guide named it the "top-rated syndicated series" in a 2008 article,^[3] and in 2013, the magazine ranked it at No. 2 in its list of the 60 greatest game shows ever.^[4] The program has also come to gain a worldwide following with 60 international adaptations. The syndicated series' 41st season premiered on September 11, 2023. With the show's 36th season in 2018, Sajak became the longest-running host of any game show, surpassing Bob Barker, who hosted The Price Is Right from 1972 to 2007.^[5]

In June 2023, Sajak announced his retirement from the show after the 41st season, which began in September 2023, with Ryan Seacrest confirmed to replace him in 2024.^[6][7] It has been confirmed that Vanna White will remain on the show, despite Sajak's upcoming departure.^[8][9]

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