Wheel of Fortune timeline (syndicated)/Season 28

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A timeline for Season 28 of Wheel of Fortune, which aired in first-run from September 13, 2010 through June 10, 2011.

Season Changes[]

Most Culver City episodes use animated intros featuring the Pat and Vanna avatars from the show's Wii game, which is released in November. The intros themselves are created by Pipeworks Software.
Starting this season, the $1,000 Toss-Up almost always ties into the week's theme in some fashion. This continues until the practice of having a theme to every week is dropped in Season 39.
The Pat & Vanna talk backdrop is a dark blue "starry sky" motif.
The Speed-Up music is remixed.
Vehicles won in the Bonus Round now come with a $5,000 cash bonus. The vehicle plug ends with "...plus $5,000 cash. Your grand prize total: [amount]!".
The lowest cash amount on the Bonus Wheel increased from $25,000 to $30,000.
Prize Puzzles no longer occur in the Jackpot Round.
The Wheel logo returns to a variant of the traditional style almost entirely discontinued after Season 11. After the chant, the logo zooms into the O in "of".
On several episodes this season, the closed captioning misspells the Show Biz category as "Showbiz".
Only two of the five "sixth show" taping weeks are called America's Game. The rest, like Seasons 21-24 and the last of Season 25, have names.
Wheel Deals (part of the Wheel Watchers Club) now has a sponsor, which is announced at varying points in the show.
For this season only, an arrow is now projected onto the center of the Wheel at the start of each round, due to constant problems with contestants forgetting that it is their turn. While normally seen only by the contestants, it is sometimes briefly visible at the start of a round.
Starting this season, contestants are no longer penalized for accidentally calling a vowel after spinning.
Some episodes this season use a different Wild Card, which has a slightly darker color and less rounded corners.
This season ties the record set in Season 26 of 14 top prize hits in the Bonus Round.
The Mystery Round announcement graphic is several $100 bills on a green background.
From this point onward, "null" cycles are typically cut from Speed-Up rounds as well. They are usually masked by a jump cut to Pat.

September 2010[]

The weeks of September 13 and 20 are taped in Las Vegas: the 13th at the Venetian, and the 20th at the Palazzo.
On all of the Las Vegas episodes this season:
- The category wipe has poker chips falling into place on the left side.
- In the Bonus Round, a slot machine is used as the wipe for RSTLNE.
On September 15:
- Same Letter debuts in Round 1.
- Contestant Young solves the Speed-Up puzzle CHERRY BLOSSOMS with only the S's revealed.
On September 16:
- There is an $8,950 Jackpot win.
- What's That Song? debuts in Round 2. Contestant Shavontae calls a single consonant on $550, buys all the vowels in the puzzle, then solves the puzzle KNOW WHEN TO HOLD 'EM KNOW WHEN TO FOLD 'EM. After she is unable to provide the correct song ("The Gambler"), Pat has the audience shout it out. Unlike with previously-used "bonus" categories, the High Rollers chimes do not sound and the correct answer is not displayed on the category strip.
- For the first time since April 12, 2010 (and second since October 9, 2009), neither Same Name nor Before & After is used.
On September 17, during the post-game chat, Pat and Vanna pay tribute to the $25,000 envelope.
For the week of September 13, every Prize Puzzle is categorized What Are You Doing?
On September 21:
- By coincidence, the Prize Puzzle prize (a trip to Maui) is awarded to a Wheel Watchers Club member from Hawaii.
- There is a $100,000 loss. The puzzle, QUALITY TIME, previously resulted in a $100,000 loss on February 18, 2005.
On September 22:
- Same Letter is used in a Toss-Up (the $1,000) for the first time.
- The $2,000 Toss Up THE A-TEAM is categorized as Movie Title instead of Title, going against the precedent of using only Title for a title that exists in more than one medium.
- Contestant Katie solves the above Toss-Up with only the M showing.
- A "null" cycle is not edited out of Round 2 (an incorrect S, a Bankrupt by a contestant with no money or cardboard, and an incorrect M).
- When the Round 4 puzzle is revealed, the category strip says TV Title (not used on this episode) instead of the correct category, Person. The round goes into Speed-Up immediately afterward, and the strip is correct for the rest of the round.
On September 23:
- Pat grabs the wrong envelope from the Bonus Wheel and has to be corrected from offstage.
- For the first time, a contestant (LaNieta) who brings the Wild Card to the Bonus Round calls their extra consonant before the vowel. The onscreen graphic displays the fourth consonant in its normal position, and leaves a gap for the vowel, contradicting the precedent of showing the letters in the order that they were called.
- Perhaps in relation to the above, the chyron disappears just before the contestant solves. The puzzle then reveals like one that is not solved: the letters fill in one at a time instead of all at once, and the board's border does not flash.
- LaNieta wins a Lexus IS 250, the first vehicle win under the new "$5,000 bonus" rules.
On September 24, a cycle of three lost turns is edited out of Round 2 despite not being "null": The first lost turn is a Bankrupt from contestant Stu that takes away $1,200 and the Wild Card, as his score goes from $1,200 to $0 to $1,200, and the Wild Card can later be seen sitting near Pat. He hits Bankrupt again later in the same round.
The week of September 27 is World Class Spas Week. During this week, the opening graphic features the Pat and Vanna avatars walking into spa rooms; Pat draws a smiley face in the steam on the window, while Vanna draws the traditional logo on hers.
On September 29, there is a $6,100 Jackpot win.
On September 29 and 30, two contestants in a row take the Million-Dollar Wedge to the Bonus Round. The contestant on the 29th fails to solve the puzzle, and is only one envelope away from the $1,000,000.

October 2010[]

On October 1:
- Contestant Bevin says that her mother competed on the show in 1983 while pregnant with her.
- Round 1 starts with a "null" cycle that is edited out, as the first spin passes the Jackpot wedge in both the wide and overhead shots. Pat references this twice: first by saying "There we go" after Bevin "starts" the game with a correct call of N, then before the Bonus Round by mentioning that contestant Chris hit Bankrupt a total of four times despite only three airing, indicating that one of the edited-out turns was a Bankrupt from him.
- Bankrupt is hit at least nine times: at least once as part of the cut "null" cycle in Round 1, three times each in Rounds 2 and 3, and twice in Round 4.
October 4 is Cruise Week. During this week, the animated opening features the Pat and Vanna avatars throwing confetti from the deck of a cruise ship; the Final Spin bells then sound as the animation zooms in to the traditional logo on a life preserver.
On October 4:
- Contestant Kelly accidentally removes the backing from a Gift Tag when trying to pick it up in Round 1.
- All three contestants hit Bankrupt in Round 1, and again in Round 3.
- Neither Same Name nor Before & After is used.
On October 7, there is a $100,000 win.
On October 8, for the only time, a contestant (Elizabeth) gets buzzed out on Free Play. She hits it again on her next turn.
On October 13, the show runs an ad hinting at a $1,000,000 win during the next week, using footage from the October 19 episode. The contestant in question picks up the Million-Dollar Wedge in Round 1 but loses it to Bankrupt in Round 4.
During the week of October 11, all five contestants land on the car (Mercedes-Benz C-300) in the Bonus Round. It is won on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.
During the week of October 18 (Get Out of Town), the logo used in the opening is the two-row version, with the logo zooming up into the "O" in "Fortune" before cutting into the studio. This is possibly the only time any part of the logo (in this case, "WHEEL" and "FORTUNE") is displayed in the unofficial font "SF Fortune Wheel", rather than the undisclosed font that is normally used for the logo.
On October 18, there is a $100,000 loss.
On October 20, there is a $6,100 Jackpot win.
On October 21:
- Lose a Turn is hit four times in Round 1.
- The Million-Dollar Wedge is mistakenly placed over $550 in Rounds 1 and 2. This ends up affecting Round 2, as one contestant hits one of the Bankrupts on the wedge, while another hits one edge of the orange $800.
The Halloween episodes start on October 22. As a result, the last two episodes from Get Out of Town (which started October 18) air during the same "sixth episode" week. This is the first time since February 2002 that a theme lasts less than a full week.
On all six Halloween episodes:
- The "Wheel! Of! Fortune!" chant is distorted to sound deep and scary.
- The opening animation is the Pat and Vanna avatars as zombies rising from their graves, rendered in black-and-white with film scratches.
- The category strips are orange with a pumpkin on the left side, and the logo bug has slime dripping from it.
On October 22:
- The Wheel Prize is an entertainment package including a Wii, a Sony home theater system with an HDTV, and a Kmart shopping spree.
- During the post-game chat, Pat brings out a laptop and opens his Twitter account on-air. Both it and his website close on January 16, 2011, although his Twitter account later reopens.
On October 27:
- The Wheel Prize is $5,000 from Ally Bank.
- There is a $100,000 loss.
On October 28:
- The Wheel Prize is the same package as October 22.
- Contestant Adam solves the What's That Song? puzzle THEY'RE CREEPY AND THEY'RE KOOKY (Round 3) with only the T's and E's showing. A unique fanfare is used when he provides the right answer of The Addams Family. This is also the only time What's That Song? is used for anything other than a commercial single.
- After Adam calls his Bonus Round letters, two letters are lit up (but not touched) before Pat realizes that he has a Wild Card. He then asks Adam for his fourth consonant, which is not in the puzzle, and the lit letters are revealed.
On October 29:
- Charlie is heard on a first-run episode for the last time. He dies the morning of November 1.
- During the closing chat, Vanna models her Halloween costume, a full-body giraffe suit. Pat does not realize what she is supposed to be until he notices her hood.

November 2010[]

Johnny Gilbert announces the weeks of November 1-15. It is apparent that Charlie had fallen ill in October, and Johnny was called in as a last-minute replacement, as the weeks of November 1 and 15 were taped when Charlie was still alive. Coincidentally, Johnny also filled in for Charlie in late 1995, the only other time that someone filled in for him on the nighttime show. According to one account, Randy West held off-air auditions during this point, so it is likely that other announcers did as well.
November 1 is Wheel Loves LA Week. During this week, the category wipe is a graphic of a person surfing. Unlike most of the graphic wipes used in the surrounding seasons, this one wipes left-to-right instead of right-to-left.
On November 5:
- Contestant Caitlin solves the Round 3 Prize Puzzle I'VE GOT A GOOD FEELING ABOUT THIS with only the L revealed. She later makes several media appearances relevant to this round.
- The credits run quickly during the Bonus Round segment, and the original closing is replaced with Pat and Vanna giving a short tribute to Charlie which was recorded earlier in the week. It includes a montage of photos of all of his work (including one of a young Charlie with Dick Clark on American Bandstand) and ends with a black-and-white portrait of him on a black background, with the caption "Charlie O'Donnell: 1932-2010", which quickly fades in and slowly fades out. The copyright date and "Created by Merv Griffin" credit are displayed on the black background.
Although Charlie announced eight weeks of episodes that would not air until after his death, his voice is dubbed over on them by guest announcers, and any direct references to him by Pat are dubbed over or removed. However, this is not consistent: he is retained on weekend reruns, with Vanna doing new SPIN IDs. Guest announcers also fill in for him in-studio until April.
The week of November 8 is Big Money Week, taped at the Venetian in Las Vegas. During this week, Johnny is dubbed over Charlie.
On November 8, Same Letter is used as a Toss-Up (the $2,000) for the second time.
On November 9:
- Pat accidentally rules a contestant's answer wrong on the $1,000 Toss-Up MILLIONS & BILLIONS because he was looking at the wrong answer on his card. The board briefly re-activates before Pat realizes his mistake and the contestant is ruled correct.
- Neither Same Name nor Before & After is used.
On November 11, Pat's comment of "All right, Charlie, thanks" after the Prize copy is not edited.
On November 12:
- There is a $9,550 Jackpot win.
- For the first of only three known times, the linking term in a Before & After puzzle is two words instead of one (KISS AND MAKE UP A STORY, in Round 2).
The week of November 15 is Military Week sponsored by Sears. During this week:
- The answer for the Round 1 puzzle is something that might be found at Sears. Unlike last year, where all such puzzles were Around the House or In the Kitchen, Friday's Sears puzzle is a Place (RECENTLY REMODELED KITCHEN).
- The Prize is a $5,000 Sears shopping spree. The wedge is placed over the green $300 instead of $350, most likely to keep the red wedge from being next to the red $800.
On November 16:
- In a very rare occurrence, all of the cardboard is removed from the Wheel in Round 1.
- For the only known time since May 2004, Pat and Vanna do not sign off. This is very likely due to the episode running overtime.
On November 18, contestant Sarah wins $42,000 in the Speed-Up.
Rich Fields announces the weeks of November 22-December 13, doing the first two weeks in post-production.
November 22 is Great Outdoors.
On November 24:
- In Round 2, contestant Rhonda solves (correctly) on Free Play without calling a letter first, the only time that a contestant has done so.
- Rhonda wins despite failing to claim $36,000 in the Speed-Up.
- In the final segment, Pat and Vanna share a letter from Jackie Caputo and Lorna Lorenzo, who won on November 17, 2008.
On November 26, there is a $10,200 Jackpot win.
The week of November 29 (Wheel Around the World) includes greetings from the hosts of various international versions of the show.

December 2010[]

On December 1:
- For the first known time, a contestant (Leslie) calls Q in the Bonus Round.
- Pat and Vanna do the closing chat from the blue contestant's arrow, due to both of them talking about an image of Trevi Fountain on the video wall.
On December 2, contestant Tim jokingly calls 7 as his vowel in the Bonus Round.
On December 3, Charlie's call of "Rock On!" in Round 1 is dubbed over with Pat saying the category name.
During the week of December 6 (Wheel Was Here), What Are You Doing? is not used all week.
On December 6, the arches are removed from the set. There is now a series of blue-tinted transparent panels behind Pat, one of which has the traditional logo on it. This set was first seen during the Charlie tribute in November.
On December 7:
- Rounds 1 and 2 are Phrase, suggesting that Round 1 may have been thrown out and replaced.
- During the closing chat, Pat and Vanna show clips of the military shows taped aboard the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1995.
On December 8, the $1,000 Toss-Up HAWAII ties the record for the shortest answer to be used as a Toss-Up until 2021.
From November 29-December 9, the $1,000 Toss-Ups are all On the Map.
Between December 2 and 10, seven consecutive Bonus Rounds are played for $30,000.
On December 13, What Are You Doing? makes its first appearance in the Bonus Round since January 17, 2008, and only its third overall.
On December 14, the split-screen during Pat & Vanna's post-game chat does not have any text.
On December 16, there is a $100,000 win. The puzzle, BRAINS AND BRAWN, previously resulted in a $100,000 win on January 24, 2006. Coincidentally, both were also followed by nearly-identical bonus puzzles the next day: OLD RIVALRY on January 25, 2006, and AGE-OLD RIVALRY on December 17, 2010.
On December 17, Before & After appears in Round 1 for the first time this season.
Jim Thornton announces the weeks of December 20-January 3 in post-production. During these episodes, Vanna reads the SPIN IDs and Wheel Deals plugs.
During the week of December 20:
- The puzzle reveal chime is replaced with chimes playing a Christmas song, except during Toss-Ups.
- There is a promo sung to the tune of the "12 Days of Christmas".
On December 21, the winning contestant is John Sly, co-owner of The Price Is Right fan site Golden-Road.net.
The week of December 27 is taped at the Palazzo in Las Vegas.
On December 24, Round 4 and the Bonus Round are What Are You Doing?
On December 27, Same Letter is used as a Toss-Up (the $3,000) for the third time.
On December 29, there is a $100,000 loss.
On December 31:
- Rounds 1 and 3 are played entirely by the contestants that began them.
- No wrong letters are called.

January 2011[]

January 3 is America's Game, and the last week of Culver City episodes originally announced by Charlie. During this week:
- The opening graphic is the Pat avatar failing to light up a letter on the board, with the buzzer sounding repeatedly, followed by the Vanna avatar touching the same letter and the board revealing the answer WHEEL OF FORTUNE.
- The Wheel Prize is $5,000 cash courtesy of Ally Bank.
- The category strips reveal with a "spark" effect.
On January 3:
- The yellow contestant, whose actual first name is Victor Trey, is referred to as Funklove throughout the show. Also, his hometown is never mentioned on-air.
- The category strip disappears twice during the Jackpot round.
On January 4:
- For the only time this season, Same Name appears in Round 1.
- There is a $100,000 loss. The bonus puzzle is A KNOWN FACT, and the contestant says AN UNKNOWN FACT twice.
January 5-18 is the Vanna for a Day contest, allowing home viewers to submit audition videos for a chance to take Vanna's place for one episode. The videos are then voted on through the show's website to determine the eventual winner.
On January 7:
- The board refuses to activate for several seconds during the $2,000 Toss-Up.
- The category strip does not appear during the $3,000 Toss-Up.
- Round 4 and the Bonus Round are What Are You Doing?
- The bonus puzzle WASHING UP is entirely on one line, which may have been an accident since Vanna backs up after the blanks appear.
- There is a $100,000 loss. The contestant asks Pat to "show me something small", prompting Pat to drop the envelope and start walking offstage as the contestant opens the envelope himself.
Lora Cain announces the week of January 10. Even though she is not announcing in post-production, Vanna reads this week's SPIN ID, Jackpot, and Mystery plugs.
On January 11, there is a $100,000 loss. As a result, 2011 has started off with seven straight Bonus Round losses, three of which were $100,000.
On January 13, contestant Eliot solves the bonus puzzle KAYAKING with only the A's and N revealed before the timer can start.
On January 14:
- All three contestants hit both Bankrupt and Lose A Turn in Round 2.
- Contestant Nichelle finishes with only $8,050.
Jim Thornton announces the weeks of January 17 and 24. The former is his first week announcing from the studio.
On January 20, the winning contestant (who does not solve the bonus puzzle) misses the $1,000,000 by only one envelope.
On January 21, contestant Anna lands on the Mystery Wedge next to the orange $800, and does not risk $50 and the Prize on it. Later in the round, she hits the other Mystery Wedge, risks $2,800 and the Prize on it, and flips it over to find $10,000. She ultimately solves the puzzle for $23,000.
All five Bonus Rounds are lost on the week of January 17, part of a six-day losing streak beginning on the 14th.
On January 24, the blue contestant's podium can be briefly seen lit after the Speed-Up wipe despite the red contestant being in control when the Speed-Up bells rang, indicating that Speed-Up began with a "null" cycle. The obvious edit results in the Final Spin music briefly playing over itself in a different spot.
January 31 is Teacher's Week. During this week:
- Rich Fields announces.
- The opening graphic features the Pat avatar writing the words "Teacher's Week" on a chalkboard while the Vanna avatar sits at a desk.
- The category wipe is a school bus.
On January 31, Rounds 2, 3, and 4 are played entirely by the contestants who began them.

February 2011[]

On February 2, six rounds are played.
On February 3, the Prize copy includes a trailer for Just Go with It.

February 7 is Sweethearts Week, taped at the Venetian in Las Vegas. During this week:
- Jim Thornton announces in post-production.
- The category wipe is Cupid shooting an arrow on a background of clouds.
On February 7, contestant Chris lifts up half of the Wheel template when picking up the Wild Card in Round 3.
On February 8:
- Against precedent at the time, the buzzer sounds on a wrong answer in Round 2.
- Round 3 is the last appearance of What's That Song? until September.
- Neither Before & After nor Same Name is used.
On February 9, Round 3 is the last appearance of Rock On! This is also the fourth and final time it is used as a Prize Puzzle; the answer SOAK UP THE SUN BY SHERYL CROW in the same category was previously used in this capacity on October 12, 2006. As with its appearance on December 3, Charlie's "Rock On!" call is dubbed over by Pat saying the category name.
On February 10, contestants Dan and Kristi finish with only $8,700.
February 14 is Teen Best Friends Week. During this week:
- Lora Cain announces.
- All of the week's contestants are shown in a clip at the beginning, making this the first week from Culver City not to have a Wii intro.
On February 14:
- The Prize is a gaming package including a TV.
- The $3,000 Toss-Up STUDY HALL uses only one line.
- The yellow team misses out on $18,000 in the Speed-Up by starting to give the correct answer but stopping upon hearing the buzzer.
Jim Thornton announces the weeks of February 21 and 28.
On February 21, nobody solves the $1,000 Toss-Up, STARBOARD SIDE.
On February 23, against normal practice, the "only vowels remain" beeps sound in the Speed-Up. This is probably due to a contestant giving a wrong answer with only the U missing from the puzzle AUCKLAND NEW ZEALAND. From this point until Season 38, if a contestant fails to solve the Speed-Up after calling the last consonant, the beeps do not sound until the next contestant's turn.
Same Name is not used at all during the week of February 28. However, all five episodes have Before & After.

March 2011[]

On March 1:
- Contestant Dulce finishes second with $28,450.
- There is a $100,000 loss.
On March 2, Rounds 1-3 are played entirely by the contestants who began them.
On March 3, there is a $100,000 loss.
All five Bonus Rounds are lost on the week of February 28, part of a six-day losing streak beginning on the 25th.
During the week of March 7:
- Joe Cipriano announces.
- All of the Wheel Prizes are trips to Hilton-owned hotels.
On March 7, while revealing the location of the $1,000,000 envelope, Pat accidentally opens the one to its right, revealing $40,000.
On March 8:
- Round 1 (THE GREEN HORNET) uses three lines even though it can fit on two.
- The original Round 3 (a Before & After of VINEGAR AND OIL TANKER) is discarded, apparently because a contestant (Sandy) accidentally called a letter before spinning but the letter lit up anyway. As a result, she is given back the Wild Card that she had used on $3,500 in the discarded round, which she takes to the Bonus Round.
- The Used Letter Board malfunctions during the replacement Round 3, requiring a temporary pause in recording while it is fixed. When Patrick lands on a Mystery Wedge in this round, Sandy can be seen trying to notify Pat of the issue.
On March 11, contestant Alicia finishes with only $7,450 before the Bonus Round.
All five Bonus Rounds are won on the week of March 7, part of a six-win streak. This is also the first all-win week since April 23-27, 2007.
March 14 is Pet Lovers' Week. During this week:
- The Wii intro features the Pat avatar playing fetch with a dog, using a tennis ball that has the traditional logo.
- Natural Balance Pet Foods has a $1,000 Gift Tag on the Wheel and, every time the tag is picked up, the company donates $1,000 to the American Kennel Club Fund. It is picked up three times.
- John Cramer announces. Although he does not announce in post-production, Vanna does the Jackpot plugs and SPIN IDs.
On March 14:
- Tillman, a skateboarding bulldog, comes out with Pat and Vanna at the top of the show, with Pat chasing him around the set. This intro is shown in Season 30, albeit with John's voice dubbed over by Jim.
- The Prize is $5,000 cash courtesy of Natural Balance Pet Foods.
- On Pluto TV, the Prize copy is edited out, despite all other plugs for Natural Balance Pet Foods remaining intact.
- In the final segment, everyone in the audience receives a goodie bag of pet treats.
On March 15, Ron Horetski of the Los Angeles County Fire Department appears at the end of the show with a rescue dog named Pearl.
March 15 begins a streak of seven consecutive Bonus Round losses, spread over two weeks.
On March 18, Round 4 inexplicably goes to Speed-Up with only one consonant (K) missing from the puzzle CARPENTER'S WORKSHOP.
Jim Thornton announces the weeks of March 21 and 28.
During the week of March 21, the Final Spin is framed through the viewfinder of a Sony camera, with a camera flash as the transition to the split-screen.
On March 21, Pat nearly forgets to open the bonus envelope.
On March 23:
- A cycle of three lost turns is edited out of Round 1 despite not being "null": the first lost turn is an incorrect vowel from the blue contestant, evidenced by her score instantly changing from $3,000 to $2,750.
- $100,000 is lost for the tenth time this season, setting a record.
On March 24:
- The $1,000 Toss Up (SIMPLY THE BEST) is incorrectly categorized as Song Title instead of Song Lyrics (the Tina Turner song is titled "The Best").
- Vanna for a Day contest winner Katie Cantrell takes Vanna's place for Rounds 2 and 3. Portions of her audition video are shown after Round 1, and she models a car during the post-Round 4 bumper. The other four contest finalists are shown in the audience just before the Bonus Round.
- Contestant Tony only spins once in the entire game, calling a wrong letter on the Wild Card in Round 2.
- Round 3, the $3,000 Toss-Up, and the Bonus Round are Phrase, the first time since 2003 that a category has been used three times in one show.
The week of March 28, taped at the Palazzo in Las Vegas, is the last week originally announced by Charlie. Unlike all the other weeks with dubbed-in announcers, Jim also reads the Mystery Round plug and SPIN IDs.
On March 28:
- Most 7:30 Eastern airings of Wheel are mostly or entirely pre-empted due to a speech from President Obama regarding the military intervention in Libya. Some airings manage to show the $1,000 Toss-Up before being interrupted. The episode is re-broadcast on August 15.
- Same Letter is used in a Toss-Up (the $3,000) for the fourth and final time.
On March 29, contestant Eubert is credited with a correct response on the $1,000 Toss-Up CSI: MIAMI despite mispronouncing the second word. This does not affect the outcome, as he finishes in third place.

April 2011[]

On April 1:
- As an April Fool's Day gag, every puzzle except the Bonus Round has some form of the word "fool" in it. This results in the first of only two occurrence of Song Title and Song Lyrics in the same game, the first of three instances prior to Season 41 of a Prize Puzzle (WHY DO FOOLS FALL IN LOVE?) not being themed to the prize, and one of the few games this season to have neither Same Name nor Before & After. Interestingly, the contestants never catch on.
- Contestant Alana finishes second with $22,650.
- Pat does not say the Bonus Round category until after the contestant has picked her letters.
April 4 is Going Green. During this week:
- John Cramer announces.
- There is no animated intro. Instead, Vanna promotes the week's car, a Chevrolet Volt, at the top of the show.
- The category wipe is flowers.
- Vanna also announces the Mystery Round prize.
On April 4:
- The Mystery Round sponsor is permanently removed. Some episodes before then did not have a sponsor.
- Contestant Ben hits a Mystery Wedge, calls a letter that reveals the puzzle entirely, then flips the wedge to find a Bankrupt on the other side. Play passes to the next contestant (Monica), who solves the puzzle.
On April 5:
- Contestant Ayumi hits Bankrupt four times over the course of three rounds.
- The answer to Round 4 reveals like an unsolved bonus puzzle: the letters fill in one at a time in a zig-zag pattern instead of all at once, and the board's border does not flash.
- Contestant Lauren sweeps the game and wins $30,000 in the Bonus Round. This is the first sweep since January 28, 2009, and the last with a Bonus Round win until March 2015.
- The sequence of Pat revealing the $1,000,000 envelope is obviously done in post-production.
On April 6:
- Pat informs the contestants that each puzzle is "recycled" from a previous episode, in honor of Going Green Week. To indicate that, each puzzle reveal (besides the Toss-Ups) is a clip from an older episode: Round 1 is from September 21, 1992 (erroneously identified as 1996), Round 2 from November 15, 1996, Round 3 from 1990, and Round 4 from March 17, 1998.
- Strangely, the September 21, 1992 clip is altered so the category chyron reads "Headline", despite that category not existing in 1992. The puzzle, NEIL ARMSTRONG'S MOON LANDING, was categorized as The Sixties on the original episode.
- Round 2 is the only appearance of The 60's since 2001, which is all the more unusual given the above change. This is also the only appearance of any "decade" category between Seasons 24 and 30.
On April 7:
- Vanna reads most of the Prize Puzzle copy on location, but John announces the prize's value and ad-libs "Vanna not included".
- There is a $100,000 loss.
From April 11-May 15, Wendy's offers five Wheel-themed toys in its kids' meals, with puzzle answers on game pieces in the toy packaging.
The week of April 11 is Road Trip. During this week:
- Joe Cipriano announces.
- Two special ½ Car wedges are added. One is placed over the orange $300, and the other over the blue $500 next to the red $900. The first car offered by the wedges is a Hyundai Accent. Only two of the wedges are hit all week, and one of the two is lost to Bankrupt.
- As a result of the ½ Car wedges, two other changes are made for this week only: the red $900 is changed to blue until Round 4 to avoid two adjacent wedges of the same color, and Wild Card moves to the pink $900. The latter change becomes permanent at the start of Season 29, which also introduces a modified version of the ½ Car tags.
- The Wii animation is the same one used on Get Out of Town week, with only the title changed, except on April 12 and 14, where the "Get Out of Town" title is accidentally left in.
On April 12:
- Contestant Ruth mispronounces the last word of the Round 3 puzzle IT'S THE LITTLE OLD LADY FROM PASADENA, but is still credited with a correct response.
- Round 5 and the Bonus Round are What Are You Doing?
On April 14, after contestant Jana calls her Bonus Round letters, some letters are lit up (but not touched) before Pat realizes that she has a Wild Card. He then asks her for a fourth consonant, which is not in the puzzle, and the lit letters are revealed.
All five Bonus Rounds are won on the week of April 11. Incidentally, these episodes were taped in the same session as the week of March 7, in which all five Bonus Rounds were also won.
On April 18:
- Jim announces for the rest of the season, but is not yet declared the new announcer.
- The changes made to the Wheel during the week of April 11 are reverted.
- Bankrupt is hit eight times, including five in Round 3.
- Maxwell House Coffee begins donating $2,500 to Rebuilding Together every time the Bonus Round is won, with a cap of $200,000 (i.e., 80 wins). Once again, this is promoted before the Bonus Round, a Maxwell House logo is put in the upper left-hand corner during the round, and reruns from before this point are edited to include both.
On April 21:
- Contestant Erin mentions that her mother was on the show in 1978.
- Rounds 4 and 5 are played entirely by the contestants who began them.
- Six rounds are played.
On April 22, Round 3 is the only appearance of Best Seller between February 8, 2007 and March 10, 2017.
April 25 is Desert Oasis.
On April 27, a spin from the 28th is dubbed into Round 3, as evidenced by that episode's Prize wedge being visible despite the Prize having been picked up in Round 2.

May 2011[]

From May 2-June 3, the Wii avatar animations are not used.
The weeks of May 2-16 are taped at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans. During these episodes, Jim's announcing is pre-recorded.
- For the weeks of May 2 and 16, the puzzle chimes are replaced with a saxophone riff, except in the Toss-Up rounds. The category wipe is a saxophone with music notes coming out of its bell.
- During the week of May 2, Rockin' Dopsie Jr. and the Zydeco Twisters appear as a house band. They play zydeco music as the show goes in and out of commercial, and over the credits.
On May 2:
- Most 7:00 PM Eastern airings of Wheel are pre-empted due to extended news coverage on the death of Osama bin Laden.
- The "fireworks" effect for a Jackpot win is accidentally used when Round 1 is solved, despite the contestant not winning the Jackpot.
- For reasons unknown, the Million-Dollar Wedge is not present. Contestant Chris hits the orange $800 in Round 2, although due to a cut from the Wheel to the contestant, it is not known if the spin landed on its center or an edge. This affects the outcome regardless, as he wins by only $400. Possibly as a result of this mistake, this is the only New Orleans episode that is never rerun.
- Chris fills in the entire Round 2 puzzle TASTING THE LOCAL RUM PUNCH by himself.
- Rhyme Time makes its ninth and final appearance in the Bonus Round.
On May 3:
- A spin from another episode is obviously edited into Round 1. The contestant lands on the red $800, but the post-production clip shows the orange $800. Also, part of the $5,000 wedge is visible in the widescreen format.
- There is an $8,800 Jackpot win.
- The $3,000 Toss-Up THE NEVILLE BROTHERS is both the second of three known uses of Family as a Toss-Up, and the third known instance of it naming a specific family instead of the individual members.
- Pat, Vanna, and the winning contestant dance to zydeco music during the credits.
On May 4:
- There is a $10,150 Jackpot win.
- Show Biz makes its first appearance in the Bonus Round since May 15, 2009.
On May 5:
- All three contestants ring in but do not solve the $2,000 Toss-Up, FRIENDLY FACES. The third contestant to ring in (Josh) gives an incorrect answer with only the C missing, then says the right answer (although it is edited out because it would not have mattered).
- Contestant Cristy only spins twice in the entire game, landing on Bankrupt both times. However, she solves the $1,000 and $3,000 Toss-Up.
- Josh spins $3,500 three times in a row in Round 3.
On May 6, Pat joins Rockin' Dopsie onstage during the closing segment, and plays the washboard while the band plays "When the Saints Go Marching In".
May 9 is College Week. During this week, the Tulane University marching band plays music going into and out of commercial, and during the credits. The university's cheerleading squad and mascot, Riptide the Pelican, are also present.
On May 10, contestant Dominic spins only once in the entire game, landing on Lose a Turn in Round 3. However, he solves the $3,000 Toss-Up.
On May 11:
- There is a $9,800 Jackpot win.
- Pat pretends to frisk contestant Ryan after he solves the bonus puzzle INGENIOUS DEVICE.
May 16 is Fabulous Food. During this week:
- An instrumental version of "When the Saints Go Marching In" plays in place of the opening music. A special piece of zydeco music also plays over the credits.
- Pat, Vanna, and the winning contestant eat various New Orleans-themed foods during the credits: bananas foster on Monday, pecan-crusted gulf fish on Tuesday, sake-glazed sea bass (with Japanese noodles and lobster/crab broth) on Wednesday, trout Pontchartrain on Thursday, and beignets on Friday. A local chef also describes each dish.
On May 17, there is a $100,000 win.
On May 19, contestant Michael solves the Speed-Up puzzle ELECTRIC CAN OPENER with only the N's revealed.
On May 20, Round 1 is the last appearance of Star & Role until April 1, 2013. It is also the second and final instance of it being used for a voice-acting role (JOHNNY DEPP AS RANGO).
All five Bonus Rounds are won on the week of May 16. This does not happen again until the week of June 1, 2015.
May 23 is Family Week, sponsored by Wendy's. Before the $3,000 Toss-Up, a promotional puzzle is shown. If it matches a game piece acquired from a Wendy's kids' meal (see April), the home viewer may submit the game piece to win a prize.
- Wendy's also sponsors the Wheel prize each day, which is only given a generic description of being a trip to the Caribbean.
- The neon frames around the Wheel, contestant scoreboards, and video wall are a yellowish-pink, possibly to match the fast-food chain's yellow-and-red logo.
- Despite Wendy's promoting the week through its kids' meals, there are no child contestants this week.
On May 24:
- Wheel is pre-empted on owned-and-operated ABC affiliates by a special titled Oprah Looks Back: 25 Years of the Oprah Winfrey Show, in anticipation of said show's finale the next day. Because of this, the Wendy's puzzle is also shown the next day for viewers who may have missed it.
- Vanna forgets to touch a W in Round 1, and does not notice until an offstage voice points it out to her on the next turn.
Between May 5 and 25, fifteen bonus puzzles in a row are Thing(s). This is believed to be the longest such streak, and it is all the more unusual as the month began with two categories which had not been used in the Bonus Round in several years.
On May 26:
- For the second known time, a "designated spinner" occurs during a team week, as one team consists of a mother and her wheelchair-bound son.
- The Wendy's puzzle is the chain's slogan, QUALITY IS OUR RECIPE.
All five Bonus Rounds are lost on the week of May 23, part of a six-day losing streak.
May 30 is Tennis Week, sponsored by the Tennis Channel. Each episode this week opens with a pre-recorded intro by one or more tennis stars: Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, and Novak Djokovic on Monday; Caroline Wozniacki on Tuesday; Bob and Mike Bryan on Wednesday; Billie Jean King on Thursday; and Samantha Stosur on Friday.
During the weeks of May 30 and June 6, Vanna announces the Mystery Round prize.
On May 30:
- When contestant Lisa lands on the Mystery Wedge between Free Play and Lose a Turn, an overhead shot of the other Mystery Wedge (obviously edited in from another episode) is shown instead. Just before she flips it over, the overhead shot goes back to showing the correct wedge.
- Tracy Austin, a tennis commentator and retired tennis player, makes a guest appearance during the closing chat.

June 2011[]

On June 2, contestant David jokingly asks Pat who he has in the audience at the start of the Bonus Round.
On June 3, the Wheel Prize is a $16,400 trip to Istanbul, which is not won. This is the most expensive known trip offered through the Prize wedge, and the most expensive Prize known to be offered in the 2000s until March 10, 2014.

June 6 is the final America's Game week of the season. The Wii animation used this week is the same one used during the week of January 3.
On June 7:
- Contestant Sam spins just as the Speed-Up bells sound. He is allowed to complete his turn, and Pat does the Final Spin immediately afterward.
- One contestant (Melissa) wins all three Toss-Ups, and another (Andi) wins all other rounds.
On June 8, Same Name is used in Round 3 for the last time.
On June 9:
- Before & After appears in Round 1 for only the second time this season.
- Although it is the sixth episode from the Family Week of May 23, the neon frames on-set use their normal colors.
On June 10:
- Jim and Vanna both read portions of the Prize Puzzle copy.
- Neither Same Name nor Before & After is used.
All five Bonus Rounds are lost on the week of June 6. The losing streak extends to the first four games of the next season.
Between February 21 and the season finale on June 10, only nine bonus puzzles are in categories other than Thing(s) or Phrase.

Post-Season[]

On June 13, Jim is confirmed as the permanent announcer.
On July 25, the Sony Card graphic used during SPIN ID draws is updated to reflect its new, black design.

Summer reruns[]

Most of the summertime reruns air considerably out of order, with Jim being dubbed in over the guest announcers. He also reads the SPIN ID, Maxwell House, and Mystery Round plugs. Despite this, Charlie is retained on episodes aired before his death, as well as weekend reruns of Season 27.

The Summer reruns are as follows:
- Week of June 13: September 13-16 on Monday-Thursday, January 3 on Friday.
- Week of June 20: December 13-14 on Monday-Tuesday, December 16-17 on Wednesday-Thursday, January 5 on Friday.
- Week of June 27: November 8 on Monday, November 10-12 on Tuesday-Thursday, January 6 on Friday.
- Week of July 4: January 24-27 on Monday-Thursday, January 7 on Friday. (Coincidentally, January 7 is the sixth-episode taping from the week of January 24.)
- Week of July 11: September 27-October 1.
- Week of July 18: September 20-23 on Monday-Thursday, March 3 on Friday.
- Week of July 25: March 21 on Monday, March 23-25 on Tuesday-Thursday, March 4 on Friday.
- Week of August 1: November 29-December 2 on Monday-Thursday, June 7 on Friday.
- Week of August 8: April 11-13 on Monday-Wednesday, April 15 on Thursday, June 8 on Friday.
- Week of August 15: March 28-31 on Monday-Thursday, June 9 on Friday.
- Week of August 22: May 9-13.
- Week of August 29: May 30-June 3.
- Week of September 5: May 16-20.
- Week of September 12: November 1-3 on Monday-Wednesday, November 5 on Thursday, June 10 on Friday. (November 5 retains Pat and Vanna's tribute to Charlie.)
On reruns of September and October episodes, an unknown female announces the newly-recorded SPIN ID and Maxwell House segments while another announces the Mystery Round sponsor. The closed captioning alternates between erroneously crediting these announcements to Jim, Charlie, Vanna, and simply "woman"; it is believed that these women are Kelly Miyahara and Sarah Whitcomb (Foss), then of the Jeopardy! Clue Crew.