Around this point, at Merv's insistence, contestants generally stop using "as in" when calling their letters (e.g. "N as in Nancy"), except when necessary if Pat does not hear them clearly.
The occasional practice of fee plugs being pre-recorded by their respective companies is discontinued, and does not return until Season 14.
The show is now credited as being "produced by Merv Griffin Enterprises", and the Griffin logo is altered accordingly. Also, the show now uses the same style of Griffin logo that the daytime series adopted in February 1984, with much smaller text in the Peignot font, and with the blinking animation removed from the griffin.
The King World credit is changed to the company's "star" logo, and is moved up to the center of the Wheel (itself changed to use the Round 3 layout).
At this point, and concurrent with the debut of Jeopardy!, episodes of Wheel are now transmitted by satellite to subscribed affiliates in markets with the hardware to receive and record the shows. Over the next five years, more and more stations begin airing the show in the same "pattern" now matching affiliates in major cities.
Reflecting the above, during Game Show Network reruns in both 1995-96 and 1998-99 the series is rerun in production order for the first time.
Probably at this point, and definitely by Spring 1985 (a "Gary Deeb on TV" article stated this around that time), a weekend feed is added consisting of repeats from the previous season. They typically air on Saturdays, though a few stations air them on Sundays.
September 1984[]
On an episode likely from the first week (Kersteen/Cinders/Jack):
No vowels are bought in Rounds 1 or 3.
Pat does not mention the hyphens in Round 3 until someone reminds him from offstage.
Jack sweeps the game but loses a diamond star pin in the Bonus Round.
The Wheel starts its automation as Pat throws to commercial after the Bonus Round.
On yet another episode likely from the first week (Bob/Ali/Debbie):
During the Bonus Round, before asking Debbie for her letter choices, Pat mentions that the episode is being taped on her birthday.
The bonus puzzle is a redundant answer of MENTAL TELEPATHY.
On yet another episode likely from the first week (Joe/Gloria/Lisa):
The Round 1 puzzle ALI BABA AND THE FORTY THIEVES is on the second through fourth rows, a practice normally done only if the first word is too long for the top row.
During the Bonus Round, Lisa's call of S is misheard as F, and the F is briefly put on the chyron.
On September 12 (Marsha/Leslie/Jerry):
Unusually, Pat mentions where every contestant was interviewed.
No vowels are bought in Rounds 1 or 2.
Rounds 2 and 3 are played entirely by the contestants who began them.
Five rounds are played, with two duplicate categories: Rounds 1, 2, and the Bonus Round are Phrase, while Rounds 4 and 5 are Thing.
Possibly on September 17 (known to be after at least five episodes), "Changing Keys" is re-orchestrated slightly to sound less "chirpy". A glissando is added to the beginning, and the theme now starts from the beginning during the opening sequence; previously, it would start one phrase before the bridge (around the 0:56 mark).
On an episode from this month, after "Changing Keys" is redone (Larry/Diane/Howard):
The money graphic and subsequent logo are much smaller than usual. The former only zooms in a bit, while the latter only zooms as it slides offscreen.
The letters on the puzzle board light up very quickly, much like they did in the 1974 pilots.
In a rare instance, the Round 2 Prize uses a shopping price tag to indicate its value, as opposed to Jack simply saying it. Also, its wedge (VIDEO) uses the smaller lettering.
Although Howard solves Round 2 for $1,050, Pat notes before the start of Round 3 that the flipper clicked over from $300 to $700 as he called the last consonant. The extra $400 is credited to Howard on a gift certificate.
Larry solves Round 3 without any money. Since the $200 house minimum is not enough to buy a prize, no shopping round is done and the $200 is put on a gift certificate. "Nightwalk" plays while Pat explains the situation, but is replaced with "Changing Keys" when he throws to commercial.
After Round 3, Howard's scoreboard reads $3,900 despite him only having $1,450, likely because his display was not cleared after Larry solved. Shortly after Pat throws to commercial, both score displays go blank.
At the beginning of the Bonus Round, the hazard lights are blinking on the Mazda that is being played for. During Jack's description, Pat leans into the shot to open and close the driver's-side door. After Jack finishes, Pat says that the car's door-ajar bell was ringing.
The winning total after the Bonus Round is in a larger font.
The overhead Wheel shot is not used during the credits.
On another episode from this period (Charmaine/Debbie/Janice):
Pat's Final Spin lands on Lose a Turn.
Round 4 (CHAPERON) is shorter than ten letters.
The Speed-Up has two rare instances of a contestant failing to solve with only vowels remaining. Janice calls the last consonant but remains silent, Charmaine calls I after Pat tells the contestants that only vowels remain, and Debbie then calls A and solves.
On yet another episode from this period (Debbie/Suzanne/Dan):
Before Round 3, the puzzle chimes accidentally sound as the camera cuts to the $5,000 wedge. They do not sound again when the puzzle is shown.
Suzanne's microphone falls off during one of her spins in Round 3, and Pat is shown asking her for a letter while trying to put it back on.
After Suzanne solves the Round 3 puzzle, her display briefly clears along with the others before coming back on.
Rounds 1, 4, and the Bonus Round are Phrase.
The footage for the Bonus Round prize (a camper) is likely edited in, as Vanna is shown modeling it from behind the puzzle board.
After the Bonus Round is solved, the board can be seen getting pulled off-camera to reveal the camper.
The sponsor list is not done over the spinning Wheel.
On yet another episode from this period (Eunita/Barbara/Keith):
No vowels are bought in Rounds 2 or 3.
Twelve turns are lost in Round 2, including seven wrong letters (of which five are consecutive), and a streak of eight consecutive lost turns.
There is a pause between Eunita solving the Bonus Round puzzle (RAILROAD TRACKS) and Pat ruling her a winner, with Pat repeating her guess before announcing the win.
Unusually, both Vanna's and Pat's wardrobe providers are displayed together in the credits.
On yet another episode from this period (Michelle/Emil/Linda):
Rounds 1, 4, and the Bonus Round are Thing.
Pat does not hear the Final Spin chimes in Round 4, and prompts the current contestant to spin again. The contestant takes another turn, and the chimes play again after the letter is called.
As Pat and Vanna sign off after the Bonus Round, the Wheel can be seen starting its automation.
On yet another episode from this period (Lynn/John/Pat):
Rounds 1, 2, and the Bonus Round are Phrase.
The Round 3 puzzle SLEDGE HAMMER is misspelled (it should be one word).
On yet another episode from this period (Bill/Brilla/Teddy), there is no inlaid contestant shot during the Round 1 shopping portion.
As of the above episode, rounds where $10,000 or more is won still have their shopping segments done immediately after the round.
On yet another episode from this period (Robbie/Dave/Dorothy):
The Prize wedge (SILVER) uses the smaller lettering.
Rounds 1 and 2 are played entirely by the contestants that began them.
No vowels are bought in Rounds 2 or 4.
On yet another episode from this period (Terry/Mitch/Georgia):
The Prize wedge (PIN) uses the smaller lettering.
Unusually, a very short puzzle is used in Round 2 (GRIZZLY BEAR).
In Round 3, Vanna turns the H in the puzzle SO CLEAN YOU COULD EAT OFF THE FLOOR too hard, causing the plastic letter sheet to slide partway off the trilon.
The bonus puzzle WHEELER-DEALER is the first known appearance of punctuation in the Bonus Round.
In the final segment, Pat and Vanna plug the Hyatt Regency in Phoenix, Arizona, at which they stayed (apparently during a contestant search).
On this episode, "HOTEL ACCOMODATIONS AND INTERVIEW FACILITIES FURNISHED FOR THE PHOENIX TRIP PROVIDED BY HYATT REGENCY PHOENIX" appears between the sponsor list and wardrobe plugs, using the monospaced font on six lines (with a gap between "PROVIDED BY" and "HYATT REGENCY PHOENIX") over the shot of Pat, Vanna, and the day's winner at Pat's part of the railing.
Unusually, both Vanna's and Pat's wardrobe providers are displayed together in the credits.
On yet another episode from this period (Tom/Beth/Joady):
All of the puzzles are very short, with Round 2 being the longest at only 15 letters.
After Tom buys a "Dessert of the Month Club" prize during the shopping portion of Round 2, Pat presents Tom with one of the desserts shown before throwing to commercial.
Unusually, the post-Bonus Round total display is in the center of the screen instead of at the bottom.
The sponsor list is not done over the spinning Wheel.
On yet another episode from this period (Paige/Scott/Donna):
The Prize wedge (SILVER) uses the smaller lettering
In a rarity for the shopping era, five rounds are played. Even more surprisingly, the game ends without the need for a Final Spin.
There are two sets of repeated categories: Thing in Rounds 1, 4, and the Bonus Round, Phrase in Rounds 3 and 5.
No vowels are bought in Rounds 2 or 5.
Vanna forgets to turn the first G in the Round 3 puzzle SINGING A DIFFERENT TUNE and is reminded by Pat.
On yet another episode from this period (Andy/Michael/Kathy):
There are two sets of repeated categories: Phrase in Rounds 1 and 3, Things in Round 2, and Thing in Round 4.
No vowels are bought in Round 2.
Vanna is not shown turning the I's in the Round 3 puzzle GETTING THERE IS HALF THE FUN.
In a rather rare occurrence, Andy spends all of his money in the Round 3 shopping segment.
In an extremely unusual occurrence, Pat has all three contestants with him at center stage immediately before the Bonus Round. First, Pat thanks the other two players for being there, before throwing to Jack for the Round 4 prize plugs (see below), before going immediately into the Bonus Round.
Michael calls A in the Bonus Round, a rare instance of a player calling a vowel other than E under the five-and-a-vowel rules. Incidentally, the A is the only letter his choices reveal in the puzzle BABE RUTH.
By the above episode, it becomes standard practice to go to a commercial, have the winning contestant do their shopping, then come back and announce what they purchased, in cases where a contestant wins $10,000 or more in a single round.
On September 28 (Lauraine/Nancy/Reggie):
Pat's Final Spin lands on Lose a Turn.
Nancy solves Round 3 with $250. Since this is not enough to buy a prize, no shopping round is done and the $250 is put on a gift certificate. "Nightwalk" plays while Pat explains the situation.
The top winner (Lauraine) leaves with only $600, the lowest winning total in the history of the nighttime version.
October 1984[]
On October 3 (Renee/Helena/Galen), Renee wins with only $950.
On October 10 (Lisa/Denise/Terry), Round 4 (SHORTSTOP) is shorter than ten letters and has only one vowel.
On October 11 (Amber/Kathy/Norm):
The Wheel spins very slowly during the intro.
All of the puzzles are very short, with Round 2 being the longest at only 17 letters.
After Round 1, in an unusual move, Jack plugs the gift certificate provider (American Express) before describing the purchased prizes.
When Kathie solves the Round 2 puzzle for $2,900, her scoreboard mistakenly reads $2,100, but is quickly changed to the correct amount.
After the first correct letter of the Speed-Up, Amber's scoreboard mistakenly reads $3,500 instead of the proper $4,500. This is not corrected by the time the puzzle is solved.
Round 4 (COAST TO COAST) has only three unique consonants.
Likely around this point (known to be after at least fourteen episodes with the second "Changing Keys"), the squared-off edges of the contestant backdrops become pointed. The outer edge is now dark brown, while the area immediately surrounding the player's color is changed to light brown.
On an episode from October or November (Father Rob/Betty/Marla):
Vanna wears a shirt and pants.
No vowels are bought in Rounds 1 or 2.
Coincidentally, Father Rob ends up solving the Round 1 puzzle THE NEW TESTAMENT, after which Pat points out that the puzzles are chosen at random.
The camera zooms out too far during the commercial outro following Round 2, accidentally showing a nearby camera in the process.
During Round 3, Marla's flipper briefly stops on Bankrupt, then barely clicks over to the adjacent $700. The slide whistle begins to sound, then cuts off halfway.
On another episode from the above period (Janice/Faye/Marvin) :
During Round 3, the trilon containing the first F in the puzzle FRANKFURTERS AND SAUERKRAUT accidentally lights up after the first letter (T) is called, and refuses to turn off. Pat repeatedly tells the contestants to disregard it until F is called later in the round.
Perhaps because of the above malfunction, the bonus puzzle RHINESTONE uses the third row instead of the second.
Pat can be heard talking during the credits.
On another episode from around this time (Sharon/Blake/Barbara):
The wheel squeaks loudly as it slows down.
Round 1's puzzle uses the third and fourth rows only likely due to the above malfunction.
Blake puts $34 on account after Round 1 but loses it to Bankrupt in Round 2.
On another episode from this period (Shirley/Dewey/Bonnie):
Dewey's microphone falls off during his first spin, and Pat can be seen walking over just before the shot changes.
The 1983 "Changing Keys" plays coming out of Round 1.
Pat stops Dewey before the first spin of Round 2 to state the "People does not always mean proper names" disclaimer.
On yet another episode around this time (Dave/Joan/Kathy):
No vowels are bought in Rounds 2 or 3.
Rounds 1, 2, and the Bonus Round are Phrase.
The Prize wedge (SILVER) uses the smaller lettering.
After Joan hits Bankrupt in Round 2, Pat walks over to remove the Prize wedge from her arrow himself, as opposed to asking her to pass it to him as usual.
Ten turns are lost in Round 2, including six wrong letters (of which three are consecutive, and one of those being a repeat), and a streak of eight consecutive lost turns.
Mark Corwin fills in as director.
On another episode from this timespan (Verna Dean/Steve/Sharon):
Vanna is wearing a blue dress, but the category strips are red during the main game.
Steve puts $45 on account after round 1 but cannot claim it.
The Prize wedge uses a much wider font than usual.
November 1984[]
On November 1, Rounds 1 and 2 are played entirely by the contestants who began them.
On November 2, there is a very rare occurrence of Quotation in the Bonus Round (ROW ROW ROW YOUR BOAT).
On November 5 (Michael/Sandy/Karen):
Round 1 (PORKY PIG) is shorter than ten letters.
Rounds 2 and 3 are played entirely by the contestants that began them, although a Free Spin is used in Round 3.
Karen guesses STRAWBERRY PIE in the Bonus Round, and the applause machine begins to sound before Pat tells her that she is incorrect. Later on, she says STRAWBERRY, pauses for about three seconds, and says JAM after the buzzer, which Pat rules as a win.
As of November 5, there is still a $150 next to $1,000 in Round 2.
On November 8 (Sharon/Cathy/Rich):
During Pat's intro, the Wheel's loud automation can be heard, so he asks the control booth to "Stop the Wheel!"
The category displays are white, although Vanna is wearing blue.
Round 1 (BILLY JOEL) is shorter than ten letters and has none of the five most common consonants.
It takes eleven turns to reveal any letters in the above round. Twelve turns are lost in this round including two Bankrupts and a repeated letter.
After Round 1, in an unusual move, Jack plugs the gift certificate provider (American Express) before describing the purchased prizes.
The 1983 "Changing Keys" plays after Round 1.
No vowels are bought in Rounds 1 or 2.
Rich sweeps the game, but loses a $24,000 boat in the Bonus Round.
All of the puzzles are very short, with Round 3 being the longest at only 17 letters.
As Pat and Vanna sign off, the Wheel can be seen starting its automation.
On November 19 (Marge/Bill/Patricia):
The 1983 "Changing Keys" plays after Round 1.
Rounds 2 and 3 are Phrase.
By November 19, the $150 next to $1,000 in Round 2 decreases to $100.
On an episode after the above change, but before the debut of the wide-font $1,000 and $5,000 spaces (Scott/Bus/Susie):
The Prize wedge (SILVER) uses the smaller lettering.
In the Round 2 puzzle THERE'S MORE WHERE THAT CAME FROM, Vanna turns the A in CAME too hard, causing the plastic letter sheet to slide partway off the trilon. She can later be seen adjusting it when she goes to turn the R's.
In an unusual occurrence for this era, the Final Spin bells sound only one turn into Round 3.
On November 22 (Nancy/Al/Nicki):
For unknown reasons, contestants Nancy and Al's last names are never stated on-air.
Round 1 (BILL COSBY) is shorter than ten letters.
The 1983 "Changing Keys" plays after Round 1.
In Round 2, Pat walks over to fix Al's microphone.
In the Speed-Up, Nancy incorrectly solves YOUR GOOSE IS COOKED as YOUR MOOSE IS COOKED, a wrong answer that has been recalled by many viewers over the years. She gives the right answer after the buzzer.
All of the puzzles are very short, with Round 2 and the Bonus Round being the longest at 19 letters each. This is the second known instance of the bonus puzzle being the longest.
Starting November 22, the green $1,000 wedge begins using a much wider font than usual, most noticeably the dollar sign and first zero. However, the normal font is used on November 23.
BIG money!
On November 23 (E.R./Casey/Stacey), Rounds 1, 3, and the Bonus Round are Phrase.
On at least two episodes after the wide-font $1,000 debuts (including Sharon/Dee Dee/Brent and Laura/Bob/Rochelle), the $5,000 space also uses a much wider font. The altered spaces likely debuted at the same time, with the latter removed shortly afterward.
On Sharon/Dee Dee/Brent:
During the intro, Jack describes a Parisian holiday in a mock French accent.
Vanna wears a suit.
The Round 1 puzzle SCUTTLEBUTT is a rare instance of a one-word Phrase.
On Dee Dee's last spin in Round 1, the Wheel noticeably wobbles and makes a grinding noise.
Rounds 1 and 2 are Phrase, while Round 3 and the Bonus Round are Person.
On Laura/Bob/Rochelle:
The bonus puzzle LEAVE WELL ENOUGH ALONE uses all four lines of the puzzle board, one of the few known instances of a bonus puzzle doing so.
The Bonus Round is played for a mink coat, which Vanna wears throughout.
The board malfunctions during the Bonus Round, as it takes several seconds for any trilons to light up, and several of them do not light up in sync with the dings.
The wardrobe plugs are shown over the spinning Round 1 layout.
On an episode from around this point, with the wide-font $1,000 and regular $5,000 (Jeannette/Tim/Colleen):
The Wheel spins very slowly during the intro.
"Changing Keys" is slightly slowed in the intro and "Nightwalk" warbles during the shopping rounds.
Jeanette gets four Free Spins in Round 1, the first three on consecutive spins, and uses three of them in Round 3.
The 1983 "Changing Keys" plays coming out of Round 1.
Pat runs up to the puzzle board to reveal the apostrophe in the Round 3 puzzle, for which he is applauded.
Later in Round 3, both the buzzer and ding sound on a correct letter.
Pat informs Jeanette that the bonus puzzle is both a Phrase and a Title, although the chyron only shows Phrase. This is one of only three known instances of Pat stating that a puzzle can fit in more than one category.
Jeanette calls A as her vowel, a very rare instance of a contestant picking any vowel other than E during the five-and-a-vowel era.
Jeanette reveals only the B in the bonus puzzle SIDE BY SIDE.
On another episode from around this point (James/Gale/Sharon):
The money graphic and subsequent logo do not have their white outlines.
The category display is white in Round 1 and the Bonus Round, but purple for the rest of the show.
Gale solves the Speed-Up puzzle CLEVELAND OHIO with just the N revealed for $5,000, a moment which appears in several retrospectives.
Gale sweeps the game and wins a classic car in the Bonus Round.
On November 28 (Jean/Anita/Julia, episode #S-253, taped September 22):
At the beginning of the contestant interviews, the red sunburst backdrop shows a reflection of the puzzle board being wheeled into place on the set.
The Prize wedge (WATCH) uses the smaller lettering.
At several points during Round 2, a rattling sound can be heard when Julia goes to spin the Wheel (presumably her necklace brushing against her microphone).
Following Round 2, Julie initially asks to put her remaining $36 on account, but changes her mind immediately afterward and ends up placing the money on a gift certificate.
During the Bonus Round, the trilon containing the I in the puzzle IT'S NOW OR NEVER accidentally lights up instead of the adjacent trilon containing the T (the letters called were L N R S T E), but shuts off immediately afterward, followed by the T lighting up.
As of November 28:
The Round 1 layout is still the same as it was near the beginning of Season 1, and the Round 2 layout is still the same as it was on November 23.
The King World logo still looks the same as it did at the beginning of the season.
On November 29 (Caren/Jodi/Marcia):
All of the puzzles are very short, with Round 2 (APPLES AND ORANGES) being the longest at only 16 letters.
The ding accidentally sounds on an incorrect B in Round 2.
Ten turns are lost in Round 3.
Unusually, the Bonus Round car also comes with a gold key ring, which Pat holds up as Jack describes it.
Caren picks A as her vowel, a rare instance of someone picking other than E under the five-and-a-vowel rules.
Caren solves the bonus puzzle I LOVE LUCY with only the L's showing.
None of the puzzles have a T in them.
December 1984[]
On December 5 (Evelyn/Liz/Don), Round 4 (NO PARKING) is shorter than ten letters.
On an episode from early in the month (Reiko/Ralph/Conrad):
For the only known time since late 1982, the money graphic and subsequent logo are white.
After Conrad purchases his prizes in Round 3, Pat gives one of them (a silver coffeepot) to him immediately.
The closing segment is not done at or near the Wheel; instead, it is done inside the boat that Conrad wins in the Bonus Round.
Mark Corwin fills in as director.
On another episode from early this month (Ken/Kathy/Bruce):
The Round 2 puzzle CATCH-AS-CATCH-CAN has three hyphens, tying the record for the most punctuation ever revealed on the trilon boards until 1994. It also has only one vowel.
Rounds 1, 4, and the Bonus Round are Thing.
The winning contestant has only $1,000 before the Bonus Round, and his two opponents both have $900.
By the above episode:
The walls introduced in February begin using their Winter decorations. It is uncertain whether they were used in Season 1.
The Wheel is altered again:
In Round 1, the tan $100 next to Free Spin becomes a light red-orange $700 and the sole $175 becomes a light orange $800.
The light-orange $100 next to $1,000 in Round 2 is increased to an orange $600.
As a result of the above changes, the minimum value is now increased to $150 for Rounds 1 & 2.
The red $200 next to the tan $250 in Rounds 2+ becomes a yellow $500, resulting in two spaces of the same color adjacent to each other in Round 3.
By the above episode, the aforementioned yellow $500 is moved to cover the red $300 next to Bankrupt instead.
On another episode from early in the month (Pam/Eddie/Claudia):
The money graphic and subsequent logo do not have their white outlines.
The Prize wedge (SILVER) uses the smaller lettering.
Bankrupt is hit four times in Round 2.
The sponsor list is not done over the spinning Wheel.
On December 19 (Kathe/Esther/Dennis):
Rounds 1-3 are Phrase.
In Round 2, the trilon containing the N in the puzzle SOUTHERN HOSPITALITY accidentally lights up after R is called, but quickly turns back off.
Contestant Dennis only spins once in the entire game, calling a wrong letter on $700 in Round 3.
By December 19, the set is decorated for Christmas with wreaths and bows.
By December 19, the Wheel is altered again:
Round 1 layout (1985) with $700, $800, $900, and regular $1,000.
In Round 1, the $200 near Lose a Turn becomes $900.
The outer frame of the Wheel becomes slightly misaligned.
On an episode that likely aired this month (Laverne/Michael/Suzanne):
Round 1 has a very rare instance of more than one contestant losing their turn with only vowels remaining: Suzanne missolves the puzzle MAKING A FEDERAL CASE OUT OF IT by leaving out the fifth word. Laverne then starts to solve but only gets four words in before stopping and getting buzzed out.
During the Bonus Round, Michael selects an M which is misheard as, and initially displayed on the chyron as an N.
Michael is asked to repeat his solve of FIRE ESCAPE due to him pronouncing it as "Fire Excape" due to his accent.
John/Larry/Peggy likely airs on December 24 or 25, as it has Christmas-themed puzzles. On this episode:
No vowels are bought in Round 2.
Round 2 also has a rare instance of a contestant losing their turn with only vowels remaining: Peggy accidentally reads the last word of the puzzle CAN'T LIVE WITHOUT IT as "you", after which John solves for $250.
On an episode possibly from December 31 (Angela/Diane/Roger):
Mark Corwin fills in as director.
$800 is placed over $750 by mistake, thus putting $175 back into play.
It is initially thought that the week of December 31 consisted of reruns, but this recollection is contradicted by the above. However, it is not impossible that either the above episode is mis-dated, or that the reruns were actually a week later.
January 1985[]
On an episode between January 7 and 18 (Dave/Melanie/Vicky):
$800 is placed over $750 by mistake, putting $175 back into play.
Rounds 1, 2, and 3 are Phrase.
Vicky solves Round 4 with $0, increased to the house minimum of $200. Since this is not enough to buy a prize, no shopping round is done and the $200 is put on a gift certificate.
After the Bonus Round, Dave's final total of $11,250 is displayed on screen (in the typical yellow Helvetica font). This is the first known time (on the nighttime show, at least) of a final total being shown for a player who did not win the Bonus Round.
On another episode from the above timeframe (Rita/Lynn/Jonas), $800 is placed over $750 by mistake, putting $175 back into play.
On another episode from the above timeframe (Mike/Renita/Laura):
The Wheel's outer frame is still misaligned, and it spins more tightly than is normal at this point. The misalignment causes Pat to claim that Renita landed on $400 in Round 2 despite the flipper clearly being over the $500 portion sticking into that section. This error does not affect the outcome.
One prize purchased after Round 1 is a pair of "Practically Perfect People" with Pat and Vanna's faces on them.
Renita sweeps the game and wins an $11,000 pair of diamond earrings in the Bonus Round. Among her winnings are two cars, both purchased in Round 3.
Landmark appears in the Bonus Round for the first known time.
On another episode from the above timeframe (Andrea/Doug/Sandy):
After Doug hits Bankrupt in Round 2, Pat walks over to remove the Prize wedge from his arrow himself, as opposed to asking him to pass it over as usual.
In a rather rare occurrence, Andrea spends all of her money in the Round 3 shopping segment.
On another episode from the above timeframe (Iola/Teri/Jim):
The Prize wedge (PIN) uses the smaller lettering.
The Round 2 puzzle COMPUTER SOFTWARE is inexplicably categorized as Things instead of Thing.
There are two sets of repeated categories: Phrase in Rounds 1 and 3, Things in Round 2 and the Bonus Round.
In the Bonus Round, there is a wider-than-usual gap between Jim's third and fourth consonants on the display. Furthermore, his last three consonants and vowel are not put on the display until after all of them have been called.
On another episode from the above timeframe (Judy/Jim/Kathy):
$175 is used for the last known time in Round 1, due to the orange $800 being put on the adjacent $750 instead. This same mistake had occurred on at least three other episodes previously (Dave/Melanie/Vicky, Angela/Diane/Roger, and Rita/Lynn/Jonas).
In a somewhat-unusual move, the platform for the chosen bonus prize (a $4,305 entertainment center and color TV) is placed in front of the puzzle board.
The board malfunctions during the Bonus Round, as it takes several seconds for any trilons to light up, and several of them do not light up in sync with the dings.
On another episode from the above timeframe (Regina/Jim/Gary):
The Prize wedge (CRUISE) uses the smaller lettering.
In Round 1, Pat accidentally says there is no M in the puzzle. At the same time, Vanna is turning the M around. The ding does not sound until after the letter is revealed.
Regina sweeps the game and wins a trip to Switzerland in the Bonus Round.
Landmark appears in the Bonus Round for the second known time.
Mark Corwin fills in as director.
Strangely, the credit roll is done over a blurred close-up of one of the spiral pillars (similar to the shots used for replacement sponsor lists in summer/weekend reruns). As the circulating copy of this episode comes from a GSN airing, this likely indicates this was aired from a master copy made for reruns.
On another episode from the above timeframe (Richard/Evvy/David):
The Round 1 puzzle WORDS OF WISDOM uses three lines, despite being small enough to fit on two.
David puts $256 on account following Round 1, which he is able to claim after Round 2. He then puts $517 on account following Round 2, but does not claim it.
During the Round 2 shopping portion, David tries to name his second purchase before the staff has had time to update his remaining total to spend, leading Pat to halt him momentarily so the staff can get caught up.
The close-up of the $5,000 wedge is zoomed in further than usual.
Round 4 begins as a Speed-Up. Because an extra prize plug segment took place before the start of the round, the puzzle is introduced normally before Pat does the Final Spin.
The Bonus Round is only the second known instance of Places, the first being on the December 6, 1984 daytime episode. This is also the only known appearance of Places in the Bonus Round until Season 29. The puzzle, MINNEAPOLIS-ST PAUL, is also hyphenated for no particular reason.
On January 17 (Cynthia/John/Susie): John solves the Round 2 puzzle LEMON MERINGUE PIE by putting an A in front of it, which is accepted. Afterward, Pat notes that "You can add an 'a' or 'an' at the beginning of solving", despite long-standing precedent that doing so is ruled incorrect.
By January 17, the King World logo is no longer shown over the Wheel.
By January 17, the Merv Griffin Enterprises logo has its bottom line changed to "Califon Production, Inc. 1985", dropping the "s" and making the name singular.
Possibly on January 21 (known to be after the above episodes and at least seven others), three graphical changes are made:
The logo used at the beginning of the show becomes a chyron with white borders and letters which are closer together than the previous logo. The transparent portions of the Wheel graphic are filled in, while the formerly-filled spaces become white.
Maryann/Linda/Joel.
Steve/Christina/Debra.
The logo shown after the money graphic is updated to an animated one with colored sections rotating in the center. The letters and dots flash in dark and light shades of yellow.
The colored sections vary by episode: Maryann/Linda/Joel uses a blue and black iteration with the rest of the logo being blue, while Steve/Christina/Debra, Judy/Tim/Iris, Bob/Kathy/Mike, and Melanie/Helene/Art use green and yellow; and Peg/Renee/Doc uses red, yellow, and green.
The category displays are changed to chyrons in a medium form of Helvetica. The Bonus Round totals and credits are also changed to Helvetica. Also, the value of the Prize now appears on a chyron as it is announced; previously, no graphic was used.
On Maryann/Linda/Joel:
The transparent logo is used at the beginning of the show.
The money graphic and subsequent logo do not have their white outlines.
For the first of only three known times after the font change, the category chyrons are white.
After Round 1, in an unusual move, Jack plugs the gift certificate provider (American Express) before describing the purchased prizes.
The Prize wedge (WATCH) uses the smaller lettering. Also, the closeup shot of its wedge does not zoom in.
Linda sweeps the game and wins a Mazda RX-7 coupe in the Bonus Round.
Before signing off, Pat mentions that he has a picture of him and Vanna at the Bond Court Hotel in Cleveland (where they were at for a contestant search, and where Linda auditioned at), which is then shown.
On Steve/Christina/Debra:
No letters are revealed in the Round 1 puzzle MICHELE LEE until the sixth turn.
In Round 1, Steve buys only one prize (a $1,299 refrigerator) and puts the remaining $1 on account. He loses that to Bankrupt in Round 2, then puts $12 on account following that round.
The Round 2 Prize is a Harley-Davidson motorcycle, whose wedge has "BIKE" in small letters on the top half of the wedge.
Bankrupt is hit five times in Round 2. Overall, fourteen turns are lost in the round, including eight wrong letters (of which four are consecutive), and a streak of six consecutive lost turns.
Surprisingly, no vowels are bought in the entire game.
All of the puzzles are very short, with the Bonus Round (CIRCUS OF THE STARS) being the longest at 16 letters. This is the third known instance of the bonus puzzle being the longest.
None of the puzzles have an N in them, and none of the maingame puzzles have R or T in them.
Steve's total.
Steve sweeps the game and wins an $11,700 set of gold chains in the Bonus Round. For no particular reason, the chyron for his winnings is in the Korinna font.
By the above episode, the Wheel's frame is fixed.
On Melanie/Helene/Art:
The category chyron is white in Round 1 (itself only the second known use of that color following the font change), but red for the rest of the show.
After Art lifts the prize wedge off the Wheel after landing on it, Pat comes over and pulls off a piece of masking tape that was stuck to the Wheel template.
The "only vowels remain" beeps do not sound in Round 2.
Fittingly, after solving the Round 3 puzzle SAN FRANCISCO FORTY-NINERS, Art purchases a trip to San Francisco.
On this episode, the graphics for the eligibility disclaimer and the wardrobe plugs are white.
Likely on January 24, the category chyrons get a shadow effect. After at least two more episodes (Judy/Tim/Iris and Bob/Kathy/Mike), the regular animated logo (with red, blue, green, and yellow sections) debuts, although at this point the credits are still white.
On Judy/Tim/Iris:
In an unusual move, Pat walks over to Vanna after her entrance, having noted her dress making a rustling sound, and shakes her sleeve.
After Round 1, in an unusual move, Jack plugs the gift certificate provider (American Express) before describing the purchased prizes.
Pat's Final Spin lands on Lose a Turn.
Pat and Vanna do not sign off, and the final segment begins with the fee plugs.
On Bob/Kathy/Mike:
No vowels are bought in Rounds 1 or 2.
After Round 1, in an unusual move, Jack plugs the gift certificate provider (American Express) before describing the purchased prizes.
Twelve turns are lost in Round 2, including eight wrong letters, and a streak of nine consecutive lost turns.
In a rather rare occurrence, Kathy spends all of her money in the Round 2 shopping segment.
Unusually, when the close-up of the $5,000 space is shown before Round 3, it is directly in front of Pat, instead of the normal shot of it being between the yellow and blue flippers.
After winning $12,050 in Round 3, Bob purchases 13 prizes. The resulting prize copy runs three minutes and twenty seconds.
The sponsor list is not done over the spinning Wheel.
On this episode, the graphics for the eligibility disclaimer and the wardrobe plugs are pink.
On Peg/Renee/Doc:
Vanna wears a sleeveless shirt and pants.
For the third of only three known times after the font change, the category chyrons are white.
Both the wrong letter buzzer and slide whistle sound after Doc hits Bankrupt in Round 1.
Doc begins to solve the bonus puzzle THE LOVE BOAT just before the buzzer, giving the last word just after the buzzer ends. Despite this being one guess, and against precedent, he is told that the buzzer beat him (with Pat stating that Doc had to say the full answer within the 15-second time limit). Afterward, Vanna gives him a set of keys which Pat claims are the keys to her apartment, but are actually the keys to a car he purchased during the game.
February 1985[]
On February 19 (Pat/Mike/Tammie), Round 1 (GENE KELLY) is shorter than ten letters and has only one vowel.
On another episode from the above period (Steve/Kelli/Jim):
Vanna wears a shirt and pants.
Pat begins to say the first half of the rules spiel but only gets as far as "$1,000... you know the rules, let's get on with it."
Kelli says the first word of the bonus puzzle THE NATIONAL ANTHEM just before the buzzer, with the rest immediately afterward. It is immediately ruled as a win.
On another episode from the above period (Milt/Fran/Stuart), Rounds 1 and 2 are played entirely by the person who began them. Also, Milt puts $654 on account following Round 1, while Fran puts $13 on account after Round 2.
On yet another episode from the above period (Joyce/Nancy/Mark):
The Round 2 Prize (JADE) uses much larger lettering than usual.
One of Mark's spins in Round 2 causes the Wheel to make a loud noise.
Nine consecutive turns are lost in Round 2, four of which are Bankrupts.
Joyce puts $1 on account following Round 2, but does not claim it.
Mark solves the bonus puzzle TRIAL LAWYER (Occupation) with only the T, R's, and E showing.
Following the sponsor list, Pat can be seen removing the first R from the bonus puzzle and slotting in an I; the first L is also pulled off its trilon.
On yet another episode around this point (Stacey/John/Kim):
The blue portions of the animated logo are present, but noticeably transparent.
Rounds 1, 2, and 3 are Thing.
John puts $76 on account following Round 1, but does not claim it.
During the Round 2 Prize plug (for a men's mink coat valued at $6,500), John models the coat.
Round 4 (JOHN WAYNE) is shorter than ten letters.
In Round 4, Vanna turns the second N too hard, causing the letter sheet to slide partway off the trilon.
On this episode, the graphics for the eligibility disclaimer and the wardrobe plugs are pink.
On another episode around this point, before the chyrons are changed to having a white outline (Mary/Dan/Marianne):
The Round 1 puzzle THREE-RING CIRCUS is inexplicably categorized as Phrase instead of Thing.
In Round 1, contestant Mary just barely avoids hitting Bankrupt, and her scoreboard briefly goes blank as a result.
Later in Round 1, Pat asks Mary to "follow through a little more" on her spins, due to her last spin only moving eight wedges.
In Round 2, Dan accidentally calls an O after spinning, but quickly changes to P. Pat rules it as an O, and Dan loses his turn. Against precedent, the buzzer sounds during this ruling.
Rounds 1 and 3 are played entirely by the contestants who began them.
By February 8, the money graphic font and all other chyrons are changed to a bolder form of Helvetica with no shadow and a white outline around the bottom of each letter. They again display in various colors, often matching Vanna's outfit (with the exception of neutral colors such as black, white, brown, and gray). At least 12 episodes used this design.
By about this point, the Winter decorations are again removed from the walls. This is uncertain, however, as three episodes with the shadowed chyrons (Bob/Kathy/Mike, John/Doreen/Janis, and Steve/Kelli/Jim) do not use the decorations while two from this period (Stacey/John/Kim and Mary Lou/Lee/Greg) do.
By about this point, the graphics for the eligibility disclaimer, wardrobe plugs, and full credit roll become blue.
One episode from this period (Marge/Eddie/Susie) does not use the blue portions of the animated logo.
On an episode around this point (Ann/Derek/Jerry):
Ann puts $107 on account in Round 1, and uses it in Round 3.
The Round 2 puzzle FORT KNOX is shorter than ten letters and has only one vowel. This is also one of only five known times that Round 2 is shorter than ten letters.
Eight wrong letters are called in Round 2, five of which are consecutive, and no vowels are bought.
Ann solves the bonus puzzle OUT TO LUNCH with only the T's and N showing.
On another episode around this point (Carol/Susan/Beverly):
No vowels are bought in Round 1.
Rounds 2-4 all have punctuation marks: hyphens in Rounds 2 and 4, and an apostrophe in Round 3.
On an episode sometime around this point (Ken/Irene/Gina):
Unusually, the shadowed Helvetica chyron is used for Round 1, but the white-outline-on-bottom chyrons are used in Rounds 2 and 3. Furthermore, the Bonus Round uses a variant which has the smaller size of the original Helvetica chyron, but the white-outline-on-bottom appearance of the second style.
The bonus puzzle SILVER WEDDING ANNIVERSARY is a rare instance of the bonus puzzle being the longest one. It is also the longest known bonus puzzle until March 2019.
On another episode around this point (Clayton/Carolyn/Laurie):
No vowels are bought in Round 2.
In a rare instance, the Round 2 Prize uses a shopping price tag to indicate its value, as opposed to Jack simply saying it.
It takes seven turns to reveal any letters in the Round 2 puzzle COMPANY PICNIC.
In Round 3, Laurie loses $11,450 to Bankrupt.
On another episode around this point (Howard/Bridgette/Derry):
It takes six turns to reveal any letters in the Round 1 puzzle BARRY MANILOW.
In an unusual occurrence, during the throw to commercial after Round 1, Pat plugs the Round 2 prize, saying "When we come back, we will find out what special prize we've put on the Wheel for Round 2 this time." After the break, Pat throws to Jack with "So Jack, what is the nice prize we have on our Wheel?"
There is no category chyron on screen for the first two shots of the Round 2 puzzle (Quotation).
After Bridgette hits Bankrupt in Round 2, Pat walks over to remove the Prize wedge from her arrow himself, as opposed to asking her to pass it to him as usual.
During Round 2, nine turns are lost, five of which are consecutive. Altogether, the round runs for 4 minutes and 25 seconds.
No vowels are bought in Round 3.
Pat and Vanna do not sign off, and the final segment begins with the fee plugs.
On another episode around this point (Maynard/Mary/Charlotte):
No vowels are bought in Round 2.
All of the puzzles are very short, with Round 1 being the longest at 17 letters.
On another episode from around this point (Kathy/Marty/Molly):
The blue portions of the animated logo are present, but noticeably transparent.
Pat does the opening spin before realizing he hasn't done the rules spiel. He covers for this by saying "I spun the Wheel, $1,000, you know that stuff".
No vowels are bought in Round 3.
Vanna forgets to turn the last T in the Round 1 puzzle STRAIGHT FROM THE HORSE'S MOUTH and is reminded by Pat.
The Bonus Round puzzle SWEAT SHIRT is misspelled (it should be one word).
March 1985[]
On March 7 (Mary/Dick/Chris):
Round 1 (BLIND DATE) is shorter than ten letters.
The 1983 "Changing Keys" plays coming out of the Bonus Round.
The puzzle board reads LEE RAWLS during the credits. This was done (most likely by Pat) by swapping out letters in the bonus puzzle LOU RAWLS, referencing the fact that Dick said "Lee Rawls" at the start of the Bonus Round and did not come up with the right answer until several seconds later.
On an episode around this point (Denise/Gloria/Ron), after the aforementioned graphics become blue:
No vowels are bought in Round 2.
Pat wears Denise's nametag during the Round 3 outro.
Nine wrong letters are called in Round 4, including seven in a row.
Neither Bankrupt nor Lose a Turn is hit.
Denise sweeps the game and wins an Oldsmobile Cutlass Ciera in the Bonus Round.
On another episode during this period (Hal/Chris/Rita):
After Round 1, in an unusual move, Jack plugs the gift certificate provider (American Express) before describing the purchased prizes.
After Hal calls D, his score display mistakenly reads $7,550 instead of the proper $750. When he then solves, the display briefly goes blank before coming back on and showing the correct score.
There are two sets of repeated categories: Phrase in Rounds 1 and 3, Thing in Round 2 and the Bonus Round.
By March 29, the category chyrons are altered again to have the white outline around the entirety of each letter, a style which remains until January 1993.
April 1985[]
Reruns air during the week of April 8.
On April 11 (Karen/Curt/Sally):
No vowels are bought in Rounds 1 or 2.
The bonus puzzle CARMEL CALIFORNIA is a very rare instance of an incomplete answer (the town is actually called Carmel-by-the-Sea).
On April 19, Round 4 (LIMA BEANS) is shorter than ten letters.
Jerry/Joan/Elaine, Deborah/Cheryl/Robin, Kim/Brad/Carla, Kathy Jo/Tom/Beth, and Ron/Margot/Elaine, and Pat/Mike/Tammie air around this point.
On Jerry/Joan/Elaine:
In a rather rare occurrence, Joan spends all of her money in the Round 1 shopping segment; despite this, Jack still plugs the gift certificate.
No vowels are bought in Rounds 1 or 2.
On Deborah/Cheryl/Robin:
Deborah gets two Free Spins in Round 1, while Robin gets one.
In Round 2, Deborah uses both Free Spins after hitting Lose a Turn twice in a row, but she hits it a third time. Overall, it is hit four times in the round.
On Kim/Brad/Carla:
The contestant overlay does not appear during Round 1's shopping round.
Kim wins with $4,000, earned entirely from a single spin landing on $1,000 in Round 2.
By Ron/Margot/Elaine (known to have been rerun on September 27, 1986), the King World logo becomes light blue and is again at the bottom of the screen.
On another episode during this period (Shannon/Larry/Meryl):
Meryl puts $279 on account following Round 2, then claims it in Round 4. As the latter is played for a gift certificate, the $279 is simply added onto that.
One prize bought after Round 2 is a $330 desk set, which includes a digital clock showing a time of 5:57.
Round 4 (WET PAINT) is shorter than ten letters.
In a somewhat-unusual move, the platform for the chosen bonus prize (a $7,850 Mediterranean cruise) is placed in front of the puzzle board.
Due to a longer-than-usual sponsor credit, the sponsor list zooms out partway through.
On another episode during this period (Jo Ann/Rusti/Fritz):
There are two sets of repeated categories: Rounds 1 and 3 are Person, while Round 2 is Things and the Bonus Round is Thing.
On another episode during this period (Karen/Kimberly/Mike):
Vanna drives one of the cars, an Oldsmobile Calais, to center stage as Jack is describing it during the Round 3 prize plugs.
On another episode during this period (Kathy/Richard/Dawn):
In Round 1, the category chyron does not appear until after Vanna reveals the apostrophe in the puzzle.
After Richard hits Bankrupt in Round 2, Pat walks over to remove the Prize wedge from his arrow himself, as opposed to asking him to pass it to him as usual.
The Round 4 puzzle FORTUNETELLER is misspelled (should be two words).
No vowels are bought in Round 4.
On another episode during this period (Susan/Beth/Ted):
When Ted lands on $800 in Round 2, Pat mistakenly tells him he has landed on $500, and is corrected from offstage.
Eleven turns are lost in Round 2, including seven wrong letters (of which four are consecutive) and one repeated letter, and a streak of five consecutive lost turns.
Susan sweeps the game, but loses an Isuzu Impulse coupe in the Bonus Round.
Pat and Vanna do not sign off, and the final segment begins with the fee plugs.
On another episode during this period (Tony/Bob/Kathy):
Rounds 1-3 are Phrase.
After Round 1, in an unusual move, Jack plugs the gift certificate provider (American Express) before describing the purchased prizes.
The Prize wedge (SILVER) uses the smaller lettering.
On another episode during this period (Jeanette/Lorraine/Randy):
The Prize wedge (WATCH) uses the smaller lettering.
Mark Corwin fills in as director.
On another episode during this period (Carolyn/Scott/Mawnna):
After Mawnna hits Bankrupt in Round 2, Pat walks over to remove the Prize wedge from her arrow himself, as opposed to asking her to pass it to him as usual.
In Round 3, with all the vowels in the puzzle revealed, Mawnna asks to buy another, but Pat stops her by telling her that no more remain, having not previously mentioned it until this point. As a result, the "purchase" is disregarded and Mawnna spins again.
On another episode during this period (Greg/Pamela/Kathy):
No vowels are bought in Round 2.
In an unusual occurrence for this era, the Final Spin bells sound only one turn into Round 3.
Greg wins the game despite failing to claim $289 put on account following Round 1. Interestingly, this leads to a win by only $61.
The Bonus Round puzzle SOLID AS A ROCK (Phrase) uses three rows of the puzzle board, even though it could have easily fit on two.
On another episode during this period (Ted/Greg/Karen):
During the interviews, when Karen mentions that she's pregnant and due in less than a week, Pat responds by immediately rushing into the rules spiel, reciting it fast enough to almost make it unintelligible, then saying "I'm not delivering a child!"
Rounds 2, 4, and the Bonus Round are Thing.
No vowels are bought in Round 1.
The value of the Round 2 prize is not displayed on screen when Jack says it, nor is a shopping price tag used.
Karen loses $19,250 to Bankrupt in Round 3.
Ten wrong letters are called in the Speed-Up.
Because of the Bonus Round segment beginning with the Round 4 prize plugs, Pat says goodbye to the other two contestants from his and the winner's usual spots in front of the Wheel, before getting into the Bonus Round proper.
Vanna wears one of the available Bonus Round prizes (a mink coat) throughout the round.
In an somewhat-unusual move, the chosen bonus prize (a $7,008 Schafer & Sons grand piano) is placed in front of the puzzle board. Also, the curtain is lowered during the round, but is up again for the credits.
On an episode around this point (Carol/Darrell/Debbie):
The Prize is a $14,053 Oldsmobile Cutlass Ciera station wagon.
Round 2's answer is PAT SAJAK AND VANNA WHITE.
May 1985[]
On May 2 (Diane/Linda/Ronda):
Rounds 2, 3, and the Bonus Round are Phrase.
Pat forgets to mention the category of the Round 1 puzzle (Things) until the third turn.
Linda buys a repeated A in Round 1, and the buzzer sounds before Pat mentions that there are no more vowels left. He apologizes for not mentioning it when she asked for the vowel, so her purchase is discarded and her turn continues.
When Linda solves the Round 1 puzzle WINDSHIELD WIPERS, she leaves off the S at the end, but is still credited with a correct answer.
In a rare instance, the Round 2 Prize uses a shopping price tag to indicate its value, as opposed to Jack simply saying it.
In an unusual occurrence for this era, the Final Spin bells sound only two turns into Round 3.
Pat's Final Spin lands on Bankrupt. His second attempt hits $5,000.
Vanna drives one of the cars, a Mazda RX-7, to center stage as Jack is describing it during the Round 3 prize plugs.
Ronda wins two cars: the aforementioned Mazda, and a Lincoln Town Car in the Bonus Round. Her final total for the day is $52,103.
As of May 2, the slide whistle is still used if Pat hits Bankrupt on the Final Spin.
By May 2, the border around the Merv Griffin Enterprises "griffin" logo has been removed.
On May 13 (Gina/Cindy/Mike):
There is no inlaid contestant shot during the Round 2 shopping portion.
Cindy solves the Speed-Up puzzle BUFFALO NEW YORK with only the N revealed.
In a somewhat unusual move, after Mike fails to solve the bonus puzzle FROM TOP TO BOTTOM, Pat asks Vanna to wait before revealing any more letters, and then asks if anyone in the audience knows the answer.
As of May 13, the wide-font $1,000 is still in use.
As of May 13, the Merv Griffin Enterprises logo still reads "Califon Production, Inc."
Sometime between May 14 and June 21, the green $1,000 returns to its normal appearance.
On May 20 (Terrie/Tom/Lynn), Round 4 (KID SISTER) is shorter than ten letters.
On May 21 (Susan/George/Chantal), Round 4 (FBI AGENT) is shorter than ten letters.
June 1985[]
On June 4 (Linda/Wayne/Cheryl), Round 4 (TEST PILOT) is shorter than ten letters.
On an episode from May or June, after the green $1,000 returns to normal (Lori/Peggy/David):
During the interviews, Lori presents a key to the city of Henderson, Nevada and a certificate that certifies Pat as an honorary member of Henderson, both provided by the city's then-mayor. In exchange, Pat gives Lori a set of keys, which he takes back after the interviews are done.
The Round 2 prize (a Harley-Davidson motorcycle) uses the same "BIKE" wedge with bunched-up letters from January.
The Speed-Up puzzle MORRIS THE CAT is inexplicably categorized as Thing instead of Fictional Character. Afterward, Pat says the puzzle is "difficult to categorize" because "he's sort of real".
During the fee plugs, Pat rearranges the letters in the bonus puzzle FRANK SINATRA to RANK RATS. He can be seen adjusting the S and walking away from the puzzle board after the fee plugs, causing Jack to laugh as he signs off.
On another episode from this period (Denise/Rob/Mary):
When Denise calls an incorrect T in Round 1, the Bankrupt slide whistle accidentally sounds instead of the buzzer.
In a rather rare occurrence, Mary spends all of her money in the Round 2 shopping segment.
There are two sets of repeated categories: Thing in Rounds 1 and 3, Phrase in Round 2 and the Bonus Round.
On another episode from this period (Terrie/Tom/Lynn):
No vowels are bought in Round 4.
Thanks to a $5,000 Final Spin, Tom ends up winning with $5,000.
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