Wheel of Fortune timeline (syndicated)/Season 12

The "spiky" puzzle board, used only for this season.

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A timeline for Season 12 of Wheel of Fortune, which aired in first-run from September 5, 1994 through June 23, 1995.

Season Changes

• "Changing Keys" is rearranged yet again, with a big-band orchestration and a very different melody. This new version is performed by Mort Lindsey's orchestra. A variant using the "big band" orchestration but the original melody plays between Pat and Vanna's sign-off and the end of the fee plugs.
• Beginning with this season, there is a half-second pause between each word in the opening chant.

• Charlie's intro is changed to "From Hollywood, it's the Wheel of Fortune! America's most popular game show! And now, the world's! Here they are, soaring into your lives: Pat Sajak and Vanna White!"
  • The intro starts with the logo in gold letters over a graphic of the Wheel, which has undergone a few layout changes: the lone Bankrupt is replaced by a purple $300, and the pink $200 from Rounds 3-4+ and the $3,500 swap places. In addition, the "U"'s bottom is flat, and the "O" in "of" is a normal-looking O instead of Wheel-shaped, like the two-row logo. As the letters fly towards the screen, the Wheel graphic rotates towards its side to reveal hand-drawn animations of Pat and Vanna "riding" the middle of it, with various America-related graphics in the background (which are all from their previous road shows, except Walt Disney World). The words "SPIN THE WHEEL", written in white letters a semicircle, spin around at the end of the "riding" graphic and wipe to a shot of Vanna blowing a kiss while the words "America's Game" appear in cursive on gold squares next to an animated Statue of Liberty lowering and raising her torch; the square with the S flips to show another America graphic (Miami). Afterward, "Millions Won!" appears in orange at the bottom as the "riding" graphic returns, with a money figure ranging from $5,000,000 to $9,000,000 flying by, which Pat and Vanna swipe to reveal frames of international versions of the show in the background. The Wheel graphic then tilts again as Charlie says "soaring into your lives", and finally, it explodes into graphics of Pat and Vanna parachuting with their hands extended, along with a circular, white wipe to a shot of center stage.

• The puzzle board's border is changed to a "spiky" style.
• The turntables and rugs are removed.
• Charlie no longer describes the Round 4 Prize unless it is won. As a result, the overhead shot at the start of Round 4 alternates between zooming in on the Round 4 Prize wedge or $5,000.
• Columbia TriStar Television (owned by Sony) takes over production as part of Merv's "deal" he made in July that he would remain executive producer until 2000; thus Charlie's closing spiel is changed to "Wheel of Fortune is produced by..." (over copyright/title screen and drumroll) "...Columbia TriStar Television!" (accompanied by a slightly slower, rearranged version of the Columbia Pictures Television music), with the King World logo, music, and spiel playing out as usual.
• This is the last season in which the show's logo appears in the credits.
• Sometime this season, the shot of the $25,000 sign during wins is changed from it being lowered to an extreme close-up panning the length of the sign.
• Many episodes this season use shots of the puzzle board from behind the contestants' backs during spins; these shots are unique to this season.
• This season is the first of only three following Season 6 which does not have a College Week.
• Promos for this season refer to Wheel as America's Game and feature Aretha Franklin.
• Several Wheel Prizes this season are under $2,000; any known instances are noted.
• On several episodes early in the season, "Nightwalk" is used as a prize cue.
• On at least two episodes sometime this season, the Round 4 Prize are worth at least $10,000, but none are claimed. One known prize is a trip to Greece, and the other is a necklace.
• Very many games this season use puzzles that are abnormally short, have none of the five most common consonants, or both; combined with the introduction of Megaword, the continued frequency of Slang, and the disproportionately high usage of "bonus" categories, it is very likely that the show was making a short-lived attempt this season at raising the difficulty level.

September 1994

• September 5 is Teen Week.
• On September 5, the Round 2 Prize is a set of backpacks and a camera, worth $826. This is very likely the last Wheel prize under $1,000.
• On September 6:
  • The Round 1 puzzle YABBA-DABBA-DOO FAMILY is the longest known main-game puzzle with none of the five most common consonants. This record is known to have been tied on December 20, 2004.
  • Round 2 and the Bonus Round are Person, and Round 3 is People.
  • $3,500 is accidentally placed over $150, thus putting in play the red $300 it normally occupies; neither wedge is hit.
  • Round 4 is a rare instance of a Red-Letter Puzzle being used in a Speed-Up.
• On September 7, contestant Paul sweeps the game but loses an annuity in the Bonus Round.

• On September 14, Vanna shows off her newborn son, Nicholas (Niko).
• On September 15:
  • For the first known time outside a road show, the category chyrons are yellow with a black outline.
  • Contestant Lesley sets a new one-round record of $45,000 in the Speed-Up.
• On September 16:
  • Round 1 is the third known instance of an "old-style" Fill In the Blank having its question mark in the middle. The puzzle is HARRIET ? STOWE (with the question mark by itself on the second row), and none of the contestants correctly fill in the blank (Beecher).
  • Round 4 is the first known use of Events.

• On September 19, Pat's Final Spin lands on Surprise.
• On September 20:
  • Round 2 is the debut of Megaword; unlike other "bonus" categories, it does not use the High Rollers chimes.
  • Round 4 is Person, and the Bonus Round is People.
• On September 22:
  • Round 1 is the fourth and last known instance of an "old-style" Fill In the Blank having its question mark in the middle (JACK BE ? JACK BE QUICK). This is also a very rare main-game puzzle with none of the five most common consonants in it. After the first four turns are all wrong letters, contestant Denise apparently figures out the answer on the fifth turn, as she calls off all the consonants in the puzzle (starting with C) and does not buy any vowels.
  • Kevin spins $5,000 three times in a row in Round 4; he ends up winning the game with $24,500, all claimed in this round.
  • The Round 5 Speed-Up puzzle BUSY AS A BEE has only three unique consonants; no letters are added until the eighth turn.
• On September 23, contestant Kevin retires with $101,388.

• On September 26:
  • Contestant Roger's nametag uses a larger, wider font than usual.
  • Surprise is accidentally placed on the tan $200 next to the top dollar in Round 1. This is corrected in Round 2.
• On September 27:
  • For the first known time, a contestant fails to use a Megaword (HAPHAZARDLY) in a sentence.
  • In Round 4, the buzzer sounds on a correct letter.
• On September 28:
  • The Surprise is a $1,090 Vuarnet men's watch. This is the least expensive known Surprise.
  • The Round 3 puzzle ? -A-DEE-DO-DAH ? UP ? CODE has four hyphens; even without counting the question marks, this puzzle is very likely a record for the most punctuation ever revealed in a puzzle on the trilon board.

October 1994

• On October 3, the puzzle-solve cue is changed to a "big band" style, using the same three notes but a faster tempo. A new cue is also introduced for giving the right answer to a "bonus" question.
• On October 5:
  • Three males play.
  • Vanna wears a shirt and pants.
  • The Round 2 puzzle THE JUDGE & THE JURY has the ampersand by itself on the second line.
• On October 7:
  • The spikes on the puzzle board no longer blink.
  • The Round 1 puzzle BUSH HAMILTON BURNS & C SCOTT is inexplicably categorized as Clue, rather than using question marks and Fill In the Blank (the answer being "George").
  • After the above puzzle is solved, Pat asks Charlie to explain why the above puzzle was not categorized as Fill In the Blank, to which Charlie responds "You try to use it in a sentence", an obvious dig at the Megaword category.
  • Pat's Final Spin lands on Lose a Turn. His second attempt lands on $5,000.

• On October 11:
  • Bankrupt is hit six times in Round 3, tying the record for most known Bankrupts in a single round. Interestingly, no wrong letters are called during that round.
  • At the end of the show, Nancy Jones makes an off-camera appearance, telling Pat that nearly $7,000,000 was won last season.
• On October 13:
  • Round 4's puzzle FALL FOLIAGE is a very rare main-game puzzle with only three unique consonants and none of the five most common ones.
  • In an extremely rare instance, RSTLNE reveals every consonant in the bonus puzzle (TIARA).
• On October 14, Pat erroneously states that the Round 4 Prize is marked "Crystal" on the Wheel, which had been the Round 2 Prize. The actual Round 4 Prize is marked "Jewelry".

• On October 18, the Round 2 puzzle WOODSTOCK NINETY-FOUR (Event) is followed by a question asking for the year in which the first Woodstock was held. The contestant provides the right answer of 1969.

• On October 24:
  • Vanna wears a multicolored tie-dye blouse and purple leggings.
  • Surprise is accidentally placed on the red $300 in Round 1.
  • No vowels are bought in Round 1.
  • Contestant Danny retires with $53,092. He sweeps the game, but loses $25,000 in the Bonus Round.
• On October 25, the overhead camera accidentally focuses on the yellow arrow instead of the blue one during one of contestant Jacqueline's spins in Round 2.
• On October 27, there is a rare instance of a Red-Letter Puzzle being used in a Speed-Up round (specifically, Round 4).

• The week of October 31 is taped at the Coca-Cola Starplex Amphitheatre at Fair Park in Dallas. During all of the Dallas episodes:
  • The closing variation of "Changing Keys" is used during the intro.
  • The contestant's Bonus Round letter choices are green.
  • The traditional Wheel logo is altered in three different styles, all with horseshoes in place of the dots, a lasso rope in place of the Wheel, and flames within the letters themselves: the first with a Texas Ranger badge in place of the "o" and a cactus in place of the "f", the second with a normal "of" but with a longhorn in place of the "o", and the third with a normal "of" with a cowboy hat on it. These logos are also seen on the copyright cards after the credits.
  • After the audience chant is done over a panoramic shot of the set, Charlie's intro for this week is: "Traveling to the State Fair of Texas, it's America's favorite game! Yes, Wheel of Fortune is on location again, and comes to you from the spectacular Starplex theater in Dallas, Texas! And now, here are Pat Sajak and Vanna White!"
• On October 31:
  • A contestant fails to solve the bonus puzzle AWARD with only the W missing.
  • Merv Griffin appears in the final segment, and jokes that he only seems to make cameos when the Bonus Round is lost.

November 1994

• On November 2:
  • The Round 3 puzzle CLASSICAL JAZZ ROCK RAP & COUNTRY (Clue) has two blank spaces between JAZZ and ROCK.
  • The cameras cut to a shot of some audience members mouthing the answer when Dan solves Round 3.
  • As Dan calls L in the Speed-Up (which is not in the puzzle), the camera briefly switches from the usual split-screen to a closeup shot of him, then pans over to contestant Keri calling her letter before returning to the usual shot. It is very likely that these turns had to be re-shot due to a technical error.
• On November 3:
  • The Round 1 puzzle STOP EJECT PLAY REWIND & RECORD BUTTONS (Things) has two blank spaces between STOP and EJECT, and between PLAY and REWIND.
  • Round 3 is a Where Are We? puzzle with four clues.
  • The bonus puzzle, THE ALAMO, is only the third known use of Landmark in the Bonus Round.
• On November 4:
  • Round 3 is the last known appearance of an "old-style" Fill In the Blank.
  • Contestant Bree accidentally calls N in the Bonus Round, and it is briefly placed on the chyron.

    

    Ooh, it's a toughie. -Pat

• The weeks of November 7 and 14 are the Red, White & Blue Sweepstakes. Similar to the Red Letter Sweepstakes of Season 10 and the Gold Letter Sweepstakes of Season 11, each episode has a puzzle where some letters are red on top and blue on the bottom, which spell out the last name of a U.S. President when unscrambled. While the contest plugs are typically cut out of GSN reruns, at least one episode (November 15) has been shown with the sweepstakes address intact. 200 winners of the contest receive a trip on the MS Windward (now the SuperStar Aquarius) and a chance to audition for the show.
• On November 10:
  • The winning contestant has only $2,450 before the Bonus Round.
  • The bonus prize is a historic document signed by George Washington.
• On November 11, nobody correctly identifies what is described by the Clue puzzle MOUNT RUSHMORE STATE (South Dakota).

• On November 14:
  • The "bonus" for Round 2's Fill In the Blank puzzle ? EYES ? IN THE GRASS ? CHARMER (Snake) is thrown out after an audience member shouts out the answer. This does not affect the outcome.
  • The Bonus Round prize (which is won) is a painting worth $13,750. This is the last known Bonus Round prize to be under $15,000.
• On November 15, no letters are revealed in the Round 1 puzzle BIG BROUHAHA until the seventh turn.
• On November 18, the Round 2 prize is a $10,190 piano, which is won.

• November 21 is Dallas Week from Fair Park, with the same changes as the week of October 31. Charlie's intro for this week is: "Traveling to the dynamic city of Dallas, Texas, it's America's favorite game!" He then pauses as Vanna says a line about their venue, and then continues, "Yes, the Big Wheel has rolled into the Big D, Dallas/Fort Worth, and comes to you from the Starplex theater! And now, the stars of Wheel of Fortune, Pat Sajak and Vanna White!"
• On November 21:
  • There are two returning champions: Teresa from November 18, and Bree from November 4.
  • Surprise is accidentally placed on the blue $500 in Rounds 1 and 2.
  • Rounds 2 and 4 are Things, while the Bonus Round is Thing.
  • Against normal practice at the time, Charlie reads copy for the Round 4 Prize.
  • Teresa retires with $103,240.
• On November 22:
  • Round 2 is the first known appearance of The Nineties.
  • No vowels are bought in Round 2.
  • Rounds 1 and 5 are Before & After.
  • Contestant Denise spins $5,000 three times in a row in Round 4.
  • Denise's hands are visible in the shot of the board during the Bonus Round.
• On November 24, Denise retires with $99,026, a seemingly-rare instance of two consecutive undefeated champions.
• On November 25, at the end of the show, a dance performance is given by Anita N. Martinez Ballet Folklorico.

• On November 28:

  

  The original $10,000 wedge.

  • Three females play.
  • The applause machine is only used when the audience is clapping and when players spin the Wheel.
  • Round 1 is a Same Name puzzle with three "names".
  • The video for the Surprise shows Vanna walking with Fred Hayman.
  • The $10,000 Wedge debuts in Round 3. It is initially placed on the Bankrupt between $600 and $500.
    • Strangely, Pat's explanation of the $10,000 Wedge at the top of Round 3 appears to have been done in post-production, as the close-up shot of the wedge uses the normal $10,000 Wedge (with enlarged numbers and dollar sign), but the narrow-style wedge is used in gameplay.
• On November 29, a contestant sweeps the game but loses $25,000 in the Bonus Round.

December 1994

The regular $10,000 wedge.

• On December 5:
  • Three males play.
  • The applause machine is not used during prize descriptions.
  • The value for the Round 2 Prize has an "embossed" effect.
  • The numbers are enlarged on the $10,000 Wedge.
  • Round 3 has the longest known word to be concealed in a Red-Letter puzzle (PASSION, within the puzzle DON'T LOSE ANY SLEEP OVER IT).
  • Contestant Tom begins to hand in his Free Spin right before the Final Spin bells sound, but he is stopped by Pat. Pat asks Nancy whether Tom should still hand it in and call the first Speed-Up letter (while blue contestant John's arrow is blinking), and she tells him yes.
  • The bonus puzzle CHANGE OF HEART is the last known bonus puzzle to use more than two lines of the puzzle board. It is not known why this was done.
  • Rounds 2, 3, and the Bonus Round are Phrase.
• On December 9:
  • For the first known time, three different "bonus" categories are played: the debut of Next Line Please in Round 1, Fill In the Blank in Round 3, and Megaword in Round 4.
  • In Round 1, no one correctly provides the next line to ARE THE STARS OUT TONIGHT ("I don't know if it's cloudy or bright").
  • Round 4 is also a rare instance of a "bonus" category being used in a Speed-Up. It is also the only known instance of a Megaword sentence not being accepted ("The contestants did not know what the word PROLIFERATION meant").

• On December 14:
  • Rounds 1 and 4 are Phrase.
  • Round 3 is the second known appearance of The Nineties, and the last known use of that category until at least the early 2000s.
• On December 15:
  • The value of the Surprise uses an "embossed" effect.
  • "Nightwalk" is used as the cue for the Round 2 prize. This is the last known time that "Nightwalk" is heard on the show.
  • The Round 4 prize is accidentally placed on $700.
  • After the bonus puzzle ZORRO (Fictional Character) is not solved, Pat sings the theme to the 1957 Zorro TV series while making a Z in the air with the bonus envelope.
• On December 16:
  • Three females play.
  • In Round 2, a contestant incorrectly solves the fully-revealed Megaword puzzle PRISTINELY by mispronouncing it.
  • At least one of the Prize wedges has a shorter font.

• December 19 is Family Week, played identically to the ones in 1992 and 1993.
• On December 19:
  • Round 1 is the last known appearance of Nickname.
  • The Round 2 Prize is a pair of Yamaha motor scooters.
  • At the end of the episode, Pat and Vanna reveal a collage that they made for the top winner. It includes a replica of the $5,000 wedge, nametags reading Pat and Vanna, a $25,000 envelope, a Free Spin token, a red L, two logos, and a replica of a California license plate reading "WHEEL".
• On December 20:
  • Once again, the Round 4 prize is accidentally placed on $700.
  • In the final segment, Vanna brings in Nicholas a second time.
• On December 22:
  • In Round 2, the Megaword puzzle COPACETIC is a very rare main-game puzzle with only three unique consonants.
  • Round 2 also has a very rare instance of a contestant losing their turn with only vowels remaining; a team incorrectly solves with only the E missing, after which the next team solves for the house minimum. This is followed by only the second known instance of a contestant failing to use a Megaword in a sentence.
• On December 23:
  • A family pair solves the Speed-Up puzzle CHRISTMAS WREATH with only the C revealed.
  • Each family pair gets a box of Perugina chocolates after the Speed-Up round.
  • In a very rare occurrence, RSTLNE reveals more than half of the bonus puzzle (FRASIER).

• Reruns air during the week of December 26.

January 1995

• A second set of reruns airs during the week of January 2.
• On an episode sometime this month, footage is shown after the Bonus Round of Pat calling the winners of the Red, White & Blue Sweepstakes.

• On January 9:
  • Vanna wears a shirt and pants.
  • The Surprise is erroneously placed on $800 in Rounds 1 and 2.
  • The Free Spin (on the blue $300) comes loose during Round 1, partially exposing the 3. It is secured before Round 2.
  • The contestant calls her vowel first in the Bonus Round, but against precedent, the chyron displays the vowel last.
  • The Bonus Round prize won is a $7,198 pair of motorcycles plus $10,000 cash.
• On January 11, a contestant wins with only the Round 4 Prize (a $6,744 trip to Austria).
• On January 12:
  • The $10,000 Wedge is accidentally placed over the Bankrupt between $900 and $500 in Rounds 3 and 4; this ends up affecting the game, as contestant Paula hits the center of the Bankrupt between $600 and $500.
  • The Round 3 puzzle I WANT TO BE ALONE (Quotation) is followed by a question asking for who is famous for saying it. Contestant Melanie does not provide the correct answer of Greta Garbo.
  • Contestant Chris solves the bonus puzzle RODEO despite getting no help from his extra letters.
• On January 13, Rosanne Basile (the winner of a Vanna lookalike contest held by the show's newsletter) makes a cameo.

• January 16 is Best Friends Week, with the Friday Finals. All the Wheel Prizes and Surprises are either trips or prizes that come in pairs.
• On January 19, the bonus puzzle is JEOPARDY (Title).
• On January 20:
  • Cedric and Quintan only spin once in the entire game, calling an incorrect letter in Round 3.
  • The Speed-Up puzzle, SYNCOPATED (Megaword), is a rare instance of a "bonus" category being used in a Speed-Up.
  • Kristi and Shawna sweep the game. In an unusual move, Pat lets them pick between the two remaining bonus prizes (two cars or two pianos) instead of using the W-H-E-E-L envelopes. They choose the cars, but do not win them.

• On January 23, contestant Betty solves the bonus puzzle ROOF despite getting no help from her extra letters.
• On January 24:
  • Vanna wears a suit.
  • The Round 2 puzzle ED SULLIVAN THEATER IN NEW YORK (Place) is followed by a question asking whose show tapes there. Contestant Richard gives the correct answer of David Letterman just after the buzzer, at which point Pat says that they will check the tape during the commercial break. Pat forgets to mention the outcome until after Richard's first letter call in Round 3 is revealed, at which point he confirms that the buzzer beat him.
  • Pat's Final Spin lands on a Prize wedge.
• On January 25:
  • Three males play.
  • Paul wins a $46,000+ home décor package including $1,000 cash in the Bonus Round, the cash part of which is modeled by Vanna holding several bundles of money.
• On January 27:
  • Vanna wears a shirt and pants.
  • Round 3 is a "three question marks" Fill In the Blank with four question marks.
  • Contestant Paul retires with $122,075.

• On January 31:
  • Rounds 2, 4, and 5 are Phrase.
  • The bonus prize is a Wurlitzer piano with $5,000 cash.

February 1995

• On February 1:
  • Round 2 has a rare instance of a contestant losing their turn with only vowels remaining; with only the E missing from the puzzle EROTICISM (Megaword), a contestant buys A.
  • The winning contestant accidentally calls E in the Bonus Round, and the E is briefly put on the chyron.
• On February 3:
  • Three males play.
  • Round 3 is the last known Where Are We? puzzle to use four clues.
  • Vanna turns the B too far in the Bonus Round, causing the letter to slide partway off the trilon.
  • Contestant David says "the blah" among his Bonus Round guesses, stopping just shy of saying the full answer, THE BLAHS.

• The weeks of February 6-27 are taped at Walt Disney World. During these weeks:
  • The original $10,000 Wedge with skinnier numbers is used, suggesting that these episodes were taped before or immediately after the week of November 28.
  • For reasons unknown, the Surprise wedge's letters do not have sparkles on them during these episodes.
  • These episodes have the 1994 logo zooming up and then wiping away vertically in the intro.
  • Each show opens with Vanna saying, "From Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida; it's Wheel of Fortune!" The logo zooms up as Charlie says the show's name; as the logo vertically wipes, he continues, "America's favorite show is on location at America's favorite theme park! And now, your host and hostess: Pat Sajak and Vanna White!"
  • The taping location disclaimer is updated to "Production Facilities Provided by Disney-MGM Studios", complete with the theme park's logo and Charlie's spiel.
• February 6 is the last My Favorite Teacher Week. Teacher-themed weeks do not occur again until May 28, 2007.
• On February 7:
  • The Round 2 Prize is a $1,499 camcorder.
  • Round 4 is only the third known instance of Places, the first two being on the December 6, 1984 daytime episode and a January 1985 nighttime episode, respectively.
• On February 8:
  • Round 2 is the last known appearance of a Red-Letter Puzzle.
  • Contestants Alan and John sweep the game and win trips to Hawaii in the Bonus Round.
• On either February 6 or 9, contestants Noah and Martin sweep the game and win a pair of cars in the Bonus Round.
• On February 10:
  • Round 1 and the Bonus Round are Person, while Round 4 is People.
  • No vowels are bought in Round 2.
  • Neither Thing nor Phrase is used.
  • Contestants Luann and Rhonda perform a technical sweep, winning everything except the $500 bonus for the Clue (which goes to Alan and John).
  • In the Bonus Round, Pat lets Luann and Rhonda pick from the two remaining prizes (a New York trip or an annuity) instead of drawing from the envelopes. They pick the annuity and win it.

• As of February 15, Fill In the Blank is still shown as just "Blank" on the chyron, and Vanna still turns the question marks as she does with any other punctuation marks.
• On February 16:
  • The Round 1 puzzle TINA LANA TED & KATHLEEN is catgorized as Clue, instead of using four question marks and Fill In the Blank (the answer being "Turner").
  • Rounds 2 and 5 are Thing, while Round 4 and the Bonus Round are Phrase.
  • Surprise is erroneously placed on the blue $200.
  • Pat's Final Spin lands on Bankrupt.
• On February 17:
  • No vowels are bought in Round 1.
  • After the Round 1 puzzle FUNK & WAGNALLS (People), contestant Sandi is asked who they are, and she provides the correct answer of dictionary and encyclopedia publishers.
  • There are two sets of duplicate categories: Rounds 2 and 5 are Before & After, while Rounds 3 and 4 are Phrase.
  • Contestant Sandi retires with $91,748.

• February 20 is "Some of the Greats!", with 11 past winners competing for charity. During the interviews, clips are shown from some contestants' prior episode(s). Some other notes about this week:
  • After the chant and vertical logo wipe, Charlie's intro is "Remember [players' names]? They're back, playing for charity, as we present Some of the Greats from Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida! And now, the stars of our show: Pat Sajak and Vanna White!"
  • Contestants who finish with $0 are given $500 towards their charities.
  • The returning-champion rule remains in effect minus the three-day limit, which results in Kelly Vaught playing all five shows.
  • The only qualification appears to have been "zany, post-Season 6 nighttime", as totals range from about $39,000-$91,000 and the players consist of one each from Seasons 7-9, three from Season 10, and five from Season 11. Further, at least two (Robin and Nicole) did not retire undefeated.
• On February 20:
  • The contestants are Raymond Taylor ($81,665 in January 1994), Kelly Vaught ($75,498 on December 18 and 28-29, 1992), and Carol Terrana ($76,403 on December 3-4 and 7, 1992). They are playing for the Motion Picture and Television Foundation, the Orange County Red Cross, and the Northern Illinois Hospice Association respectively.
  • Vanna's dress is red, but the category chyrons are magenta.
  • In Round 2, nobody correctly identifies what is described by the Clue puzzle CERVANTES' ROMANTIC IMPRACTICAL KNIGHT (Don Quixote).
• On February 21, the new contestants are David ($71,534 in November 1990) and Monty Sternfeld ($76,451 in March 1993).
• On February 22:
  • The new contestants are Robin ($43,749 on March 10-11, 1994) and Alison ($77,109 on February 21-23, 1994).
  • Round 1 and 4 both begin with three consecutive lost turns: Round 1 begins with a Lose A Turn followed by two incorrect letters, while Round 4 begins with a wrong letter, Bankrupt, and another wrong letter.
  • 10 wrong letters are called in both Rounds 3 and 4.
  • No vowels are bought in Round 4.
• On February 23:
  • The new contestants are Maria Mason ($76,421 in November 1993) and Nicole ($91,530 on October 27 and 30-31, 1989).
  • After the Round 4 puzzle OF CABBAGES AND KINGS (Quotation), Kelly is asked for the source of the quotation, and he does not provide the correct response of Alice in Wonderland.
  • There is a very rare instance of a bonus puzzle without RSTLNE in it. The puzzle, VOODOO, is not solved.
• On February 24:
  • The new contestants are Gary ($39,400 in March 1992) and Angela Thompson-Murphy ($60,693 in October 1993).
  • Nobody gives a correct response to the Clue puzzle FOUND ON A WALL OR ON YOUR TEETH (Plaque). Angela and Gary both give their answers in the form of a question like Jeopardy!
  • In Round 3, with only the C missing from the puzzle INTERVIEW WITH THE VAMPIRE BY ANNE RICE, Angie hesitates on whether or not to spin again; she ultimately decides to spin, hits Bankrupt, and slumps over the railing, after which Kelly pats her to "console" her. After Gary calls D, Kelly calls the missing C and solves the puzzle in a Dracula voice, then pretends to bite Pat's neck during the throw to commercial.
  • For the second consecutive show, there is a bonus puzzle without RSTLNE in it: COWBOY, which is also not solved.
  • In the Bonus Round, Angie calls her vowel before her third consonant, but against precedent the chyron displays the vowel last and leaves a gap for the third consonant.
• By February 24, Charlie's closing spiel is changed to begin with "Created by Merv Griffin", and a separate chyron credit with said text is made to reflect this change.

• On February 27:
  • There is an undisclosed error with contestant Dan's spin when he calls Q in Round 1; what exactly happened is unknown, since the camera stays focused on the puzzle during the turn.
  • Seven consecutive turns are lost in Round 1 (six wrong letters and a Bankrupt).
  • Charlie appears on-camera in the final segment.

March 1995

• On March 1:
  • Contestant Renae offers "Being on Wheel of Fortune is a bombastic experience." as the sentence for her Megaword, BOMBASTIC. This results in a quip from Nancy Jones (in her last known appearance), who says "If she really feels that way!"
  • Renae retires with $28,000, having lost all three Bonus Rounds. This is the lowest known total for an undefeated champion.

• On March 6:
  • Three males play.
  • Round 1 is a non-sequitur answer of OFF THE BEAM (Slang).
  • Contestant Alan retires with $103,275. This is the only known instance of three consecutive undefeated champions.
• On March 8:
  • Rounds 1 and 3 are Before & After.
  • Vanna's dress is light blue, but the category chyrons are teal.
• On March 9, the Round 2 Prize is accidentally placed on the blue $500 between $700 and $800.
• On March 10:
  • All of the puzzles are unusually short, with Round 4 (TROPICAL RAIN FOREST) being the longest at only 17 letters.
  • Six rounds are played, with two sets of duplicate categories: Place in Round 4 and the Bonus Round, and Things in Rounds 5 and 6.
  • Round 6 is an extremely short answer of GLOVES.
  • Contestant Doreen retires with $113,559.

• On March 13, the winning contestant has only $2,300 before the Bonus Round.
• On March 15, the Megaword puzzle OXIDIZED is a very rare main-game puzzle with only three unique consonants and none of the five most common ones. It takes the contestants 11 spins to reveal any letters in the puzzle; 21 turns are lost in total, including three Bankrupts and an incorrect vowel. Every consonant is called except J, and the round lasts 5 minutes and 40 seconds (from the reveal of the puzzle to the end of the contestant's Megaword sentence).
• On March 16:
  • Contestant Patty hits Bankrupt in Round 1 and asks if she can keep the Free Spin. She then tries to spin again, but Pat quickly stops her and tells her that she "can't have it both ways", asking her if she was trying to scam him.
  • In Round 4, Pat mis-hears a contestant's call of A as E, but corrects himself and tells the contestant that there are four A's in the puzzle. He then corrects himself again when the buzzer sounds, as the puzzle actually has four E's but no A's.
• On March 17:
  • Unusually, both Rounds 4 (LEPRECHAUN) and 5 (CHUCK IT) are extremely short puzzles.
  • The buzzer does not sound on an incorrect letter in Round 5.
  • Contestant Joe retires with $63,845.

• On March 21, nobody correctly identifies what is described by the Clue puzzle PRESIDENT ON TWENTY-DOLLAR BILL (Andrew Jackson).
• On March 22, Vanna is wearing blue, but the category chyrons are purple.
• On March 23, three males play.
• On March 24:
  • Contestant Lucille solves the Round 2 puzzle JOHN TRAVOLTA IN PULP FICTION with only the N's and R revealed.
  • The Speed-Up puzzle, SCRAM, is a tie for the shortest known puzzle ever used in the main game. It is not known why so many games this month have extremely short puzzles, although it is possible that the ones in final rounds were originally loaded in as bonus puzzles until it was realized that enough time remained for another round.
  • Rounds 1, 3, and 5 are completely filled in before being solved.
  • Contestant Gene wins by $50.
  • Gene's letter choices reveal the bonus puzzle LOCKER completely.

• On March 28:
  • The Round 2 prize is a $1,184 set of Oneida Crystal stemware.
  • Interestingly, the place described by the Where Are We? puzzle is Africa, which was also described by a puzzle in that category on October 5.
  • The bonus prize is a home theater system, whose TV displays the opening segment while Charlie describes it.
• On March 29:
  • For what is likely the only time, the main game consists solely of "bonus" categories: Clue in Rounds 1 and 4, Megaword in Round 2, and Fill In the Blank in Round 3. This is the last known instance of a specific "bonus" category being used twice in one game, a rare instance of one being used in a Speed-Up, and the second (and last) known time that three are used.
  • Round 3 is also the last known instance of a "three question marks" Fill In the Blank using four question marks.
• On March 30:
  • Three males play.
  • The Speed-Up puzzle REVERBERATION (Megaword) is one of the few known instances of a "bonus" category being used in a Speed-Up.
• On March 31, a contestant solves the bonus puzzle WAY OFF BASE with only the O, S, and E showing.
• All five Bonus Rounds are won on the week of March 27, part of a winning streak comprising at least nine days.

April 1995

• On April 4, contestant Herb retires with over $118,000.
• On April 6:
  • Two bonuses are played: Round 1 is Megaword, and Round 3 is I CAME I SAW I CONQUERED (Quotation) followed by Charlie asking for the person famous for that quotation; contestant Richard provides the correct answer of Julius Caesar.
  • No vowels are bought in Round 3.
  • After Richard solves the Round 3 puzzle, Pat accidentally knocks a water glass onto him.
• On April 7:
  • Three males play.
  • Round 1 is the last known appearance of Megaword.
  • Contestant Lou wins by $50.
  • Pat and Vanna do their chat from the puzzle board, and Vanna uses the bonus puzzle to show how the trilons work.

• April 10 is Teen Week, using the Friday Finals.
• On April 10:
  • Charlie's opening spiel is shortened to remove "the" before the show's title and "soaring into your lives" before Pat and Vanna's intro; "Here they are" is now said in a more dramatic fashion.
  • The Round 2 Prize is a $1,499 AT&T computer, which is shown running a 1994 Windows video game version of Wheel as Charlie describes it.

• Reruns air during the week of April 17.

May 1995

• May 1 is Celebrity Award Winners week. The games are Richard Karn, Deidre Hall, and Louis Gossett Jr. on Monday; Paul Rodriguez, Chelsi Smith, and Jeffrey Tambor on Tuesday; LL Cool J, Garry Marshall, and Jess Walton on Wednesday; Kimberlin Brown, Janet Evans, and Al Michaels on Thursday; and Dave Barry, Justine Micelli, and Rita Moreno on Friday. During this week:
  • During the intro, all 15 stars are listed off in alphabetical order over the softer closing mix of the theme. Pat and Vanna then introduce each day's players as they walk onstage.
  • The $1,000/$3,500/$5,000 round structure is used.
• On May 1:
  • Free Spin is inexplicably placed on $1,000; Deidre wins despite calling three N's on the token in Round 1.
  • The Round 3 puzzle is not shown, nor do the category chimes sound, until after the first spin begins.
• On May 2:
  • Pat and Paul briefly discuss the series finale of The Pat Sajak Show, which Paul guest-hosted.
  • In Round 3, Chelsi decides to solve the puzzle, but Pat convinces her to spin instead. She hits Lose A Turn.
  • Following Round 3, a clip is shown from Paul's version of The Newlywed Game (1988-89).
• On May 3:
  • Jess accidentally asks for a 4 in Round 1. She corrects herself and says F, which is in the puzzle.
  • Jess also calls her vowel (O) first in the Bonus Round, but against precedent, the chyron displays the vowel last. Following a call of G, she has difficulty making her last two choices, likely because there are no other consonants in the puzzle (NOSTALGIA); after she picks C, Pat eventually suggests M.

• On May 10 (Patrick/Russ/Kathleen):
  • Pat accidentally goes straight to the bonus puzzle before the contestant picks an envelope. Vanna turns the RSTLNE letters while the camera is still focused on Pat.
  • Kathleen retires undefeated with around $60,000-$70,000.

• From possibly the above week, there is a rare instance of a bonus puzzle without RSTLNE in it. The puzzle, PUPPY, is solved.

  

• The weeks of May 15 and 22 are taped on the hangar deck of the United States Navy aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower, which is docked in Norfolk, Virginia at the time.
  • The intro for these episodes shows Pat and Vanna standing in front of the ship. Pat says, "We're at the naval base in Norfolk, Virginia, about to board the aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower for some very special shows." Vanna then says "Please join us as we celebrate Armed Forces Week right here on...", followed by everyone on-ship doing the "Wheel! Of! Fortune!" chant. Afterward, a marching band rendition of the original "Changing Keys" melody plays over footage of the Navy, with a flag background. The logo for the week then appears, followed by a timpani roll as Pat and Vanna are lowered onto the ship's deck. Charlie introduces them as "Here they are, Pat Sajak and Vanna White!"
  • The applause machine is not used.
  • Unlike all other road shows since at least the Disney episodes in April 1994, the chyrons are in Gill Sans.

    

    One of the shots likely from a hand-held camera (May 15).

  • Several shots of the board appear to be done with hand-held cameras very close to the blue contestant's arrow, as the shots are shaky and lack the chyron.

• May 15 is Armed Forces Week, with the Friday Finals.
• On May 15:
  • The trilons containing the first M and W in the Round 1 puzzle MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND are crooked until those letters are revealed.
  • The Round 2 prize is a $2,500 Service Merchandise gift certificate. Its wedge only uses "G.C." in large letters in the top half of the wedge.
  • On Billy's first spin in Round 2, his flipper barely passes $750 to land on Bankrupt, but he is still credited with a $750 spin. This mistake is never realized.
  • Round 2 also has a rare instance of a contestant losing their turn with only vowels remaining: with only the U and I missing from PORTRAIT ON THE U S DIME, Billy buys the I but is obviously unsure of the answer. Even though he has more than enough money to buy the U, he instead attempts to solve, but gets as far as THE before stopping. Against normal practice at the time, the buzzer sounds on his incomplete answer. While the next contestant (Arrah) solves for the house minimum, none of the three players identify the person described by the puzzle (Franklin Roosevelt).
  • A siren sounds shortly into Round 3. Billy's decision to buy a vowel is obviously hindered, and Pat sarcastically thanks the siren after the vowel is purchased.
  • Billy solves the bonus puzzle GAME PLAN despite getting no help from his extra letters.
• On May 19:
  • Vanna wears a suit.
  • The bonus puzzle GUY is an extremely rare three-letter answer without RSTLNE in it. It is not solved, and the audience boos after the puzzle is revealed.
• During the week of May 22, the intro begins with an outside shot of Vanna saying, "Welcome to beautiful historic Norfolk, Virginia, for a very special week on..." followed by all of the contestants shouting "Wheel! Of!" and a group of children shouting "Fortune!" A unique piece of music plays over footage of Norfolk, before Pat and Vanna are lowered onto the deck in the same fashion as the previous week.

• On May 25, the Round 2 Prize is a pair of Klein mountain bikes.
• By May 25, Fill In the Blank's name is now shown in full on the chyron, and the question marks are already turned when the puzzle is revealed.

  

• Sometime during the second Norfolk week, the $25,000 is won in the Bonus Round. Since there is no ceiling that could house the $25,000 sign, a hexagonal graphic is used instead.

• On May 30:
  • Vanna wears a sleeveless shirt and pants.
  • Round 4 (SHANGRI-LA) is the first known appearance of Fictional Place, although Pat's comments imply that it is not the first appearance of the category. According to one recollection, the category was present as early as 1985, although this has not yet been verified.
  • Pat's Final Spin lands on Lose A Turn.
  • The chyron for contestant Steve's two-day total after the Bonus Round reads $52,592 instead of his actual total, $51,592.
  • In the final segment, Charlie appears on-camera when Pat and Vanna ask him whether the stated two-day total or the total on the chyron was correct.
• On May 31, Steve solves the bonus puzzle GENIUS despite getting no help from his extra letters.

June 1995

• On June 1, the bonus puzzle is an extremely rare three-letter answer without RSTLNE in it: HUG, which is not solved.

• On June 9:
  • Two "bonuses" are played: Fill In the Blank in Round 2, and Clue in Round 3.
  • Nobody correctly identifies what is described by the Clue puzzle THE YEAR DISNEYLAND OPENED (1955).
  • Contestant Dave fails to solve the bonus puzzle MENU with only the U missing.
• June 12 is Alaskan Cruise Week. During this week:
  • In the intro, Vanna states the week's theme from Taku Glacier. A unique piece of piano and string music then plays over footage of the staff vacationing in Juneau, with the words "Alaskan Cruise Week" appearing. "Alaskan" is in a golden cursive font, and "Cruise Week" in a blue serif font.
  • The bumpers are footage of Alaska with the "Alaskan Cruise Week" logo.
  • All of the contestants, except for June 9's champion, are winners of the Red, White & Blue Sweepstakes.
  • Vanna models all of the prizes in Alaska, often with other members of the staff.

• On June 12:
  • The first two spins of Round 1 are both Bankrupt; the "ooh" applause machine track begins to sound on both, but switches to the "aww" partway through.
  • The Round 2 Prize is a $1,500 gift certificate for Cabela's, with which a pair of boots may be purchased.
  • In both Rounds 2 and 3, Pat forgets to ask contestant Anna if she wants to use her Free Spin.
  • Round 4 (SUPERMODEL ELLE MACPHERSON) is the longest puzzle.
  • A Prize is added for Round 4, despite it going to Speed-Up after only three turns; it is also accidentally placed on the pink $200.
  • Contestant Yvette tries to call two letters in the Speed-Up.
  • The Surprise is the same pair of Klein bicycles that was previously used as the Round 2 Prize on May 25.
  • Contestant Dave sweeps the game and wins a fishing boat in the Bonus Round.
  • "Buzzword" is used when Charlie describes the fishing boat, a rare instance of that cue being used for something other than a car.
  • None of the puzzles have a T in them.
  • In the final segment, Vanna shows footage of a trip that the crew took to Juneau.
• On June 14, Harry Friedman is announced as the new producer, replacing Nancy Jones. Strangely, Nancy is not mentioned in any contemporary articles or an October 2007 interview with Friedman about his hiring.
• On June 16:
  • The Round 2 Prize is the same as it was on Monday.
  • Neither Thing nor Phrase is used in the maingame.

• June 19 is Teen Week, using the Friday Finals.
  • On an episode this week, the Surprise is a $12,000+ trip to the Virgin Islands.
• On June 19:
  • Three females play.
  • Two contestants in a row call N in Round 1.
  • The Round 2 Prize is accidentally placed on the pink $200, and the Round 4 Prize on the red $300 (where the Round 2 Prize should be).
  • At least two spins are mis-identified, neither affecting the game. The first, from Erin in Round 2, is identified as $800 despite barely passing it for $750; although her score is never corrected, she would have won regardless. Pat later identifies one of Jennifer's spins in Round 4 as having landed on $5,000 despite it actually landing on $300, but the letter she calls on that turn is not in the puzzle.
• On June 21:
  • Three females play.
  • Slang makes its last known appearance.
  • In Round 2, nobody correctly identifies what is described by the Clue puzzle KRAMER'S FIRST NAME ON SEINFELD (Cosmo).
  • The first six turns of Speed-Up are all wrong letters; overall, 10 wrong letters (one of which is a vowel) are called.
• On June 22, Harry appears on-camera at the end of the show.
• On June 23:
  • It is the last episode taped at CBS Television City's Studio 33.
  • In Round 2, nobody correctly identifies what is described by the Clue puzzle BIBLE'S FIRST SIBLING RIVALRY (Cain and Abel).