Changes: Wheel of Fortune timeline (syndicated)/Seasons 21-28

Revision as of 14:41, 17 May 2015

Go back to Seasons 13-20, or forward to Seasons 29-31?

A timeline for Seasons 21-28 of the nighttime Wheel of Fortune which will likely never be complete, as many episodes do not circulate or have not been aired by Game Show Network.

Season 21 (2003-04)

Season Changes:

For the first time since Season 5, the season does not begin on Labor Day.
At this point, Wheel and Jeopardy! begin to be shot using high-definition cameras, commencing a transition to HD which is completed in 2006.
This season's opening sequence features the logo forming (first the Wheel representing the O in "of", then the rest of it), on a white background with aquamarine and light blue streaks. It is slightly changed after only the second week of the season. The template used has an orange $500 in place of Lose A Turn and a green $700 in place of the lone Bankrupt. The Wheel's spaces are seen landing on the Wheel-shaped O of the two-row logo.
The gold borders around the puzzle board are replaced with the current LED borders; the outer and inner frames of the new board are cyan and blue, respectively, unless otherwise specified. Additionally, the steps in front of the board, which had previously been white, now have black carpet on them.
The video wall behind the contestants now has moving pictures instead of a singular pattern.
Once again, the Wheel is altered:
- The gold borders around the Wheel are replaced with the current metal borders.
- The Wheel's base, previously blue and gold, is rebuilt to have its current LED and Plexiglas appearance.
- The Jackpot wedge design that had been in use since Season 16 is retired in favor of a new design which remains until October 24, 2005. The wedge itself remains red, but it now shows a new Jackpot logo featuring a star in a golden triangle, with the golden text "JACKPOT" on the triangle; the "JACKPOT" name itself has its font changed from Impact to Tahoma.
The Toss-Up wipe is changed to a ring saying "Toss-Up" on the top and bottom, and for the first time, the amount is written on a blue bar in the middle. The font is changed from Helvetica Condensed to Tahoma, and the color from bluish-purple with white text to teal with cyan text for both instances of "Toss-Up" and white for the amount.
The category strips still use white text in Alternate Gothic, as they did in Season 20, but their coloration is changed from green-bordered blue to dark blue-violet, and the animation positioning them onto the screen is changed to a series of multicolored lines joining, after which the letters of the category name turn into place. Also, the left and right sides of the maingame strips now fade. However, the Bonus Round strips still continue to have distinct ends, and they reveal by "unfolding" onto the screen with the letters of the category name spinning into place.
- Even though the maingame category strips are changed in Season 22, the Season 21 Bonus Round strip design remains in place until October 24, 2005; thus, it becomes the first Bonus Round strip design since Season 18 not to be changed at the start of a new season.
As of this season, the apostrophes are removed from the "decade" categories (e.g. "The 80s").
On some episodes through at least December, spins are once again displayed on the center stage video wall.
The Jackpot logo graphic at the beginning of the round is changed to match the new design of the wedge itself, as is the post-plug graphic showing the wedge positioning itself onto the Wheel. The Jackpot display is also updated to match the new design, and the rectangle showing the amount changes color from gold-bordered red with gold text to gold with red text. It should be noted, however, that the shot of the Wheel when the Jackpot wedge positions itself is not updated to reflect the Wheel's new border and base; instead, it remains the same as it was at the beginning of Season 18 (it was not updated when the wedge fonts were altered around January 2003).
The Mystery Round intro is changed: the "spinning Wheel" animation at the beginning is removed so the Wheel is already stopped, the spiel changes from "If you land on a Mystery Wedge, what would you do? One of the wedges - you're Bankrupt." to simply "In tonight's Mystery Round, a player could go Bankrupt...". The question mark wipe that reveals the prize copy is changed from a silver question mark in Arial to a bright blue one in Clarendon, while the prize is revealed by the yellow-orange question mark from the Mystery Wedge itself, which spins towards and through the camera.
The number graphics for the envelope amounts in the Bonus Round have their font changed from Helvetica Condensed to Clarendon, and the numbers now zoom out and spread into place. The light backgrounds that briefly surround the text when the amount graphics appear on-screen continue to be green for the $100,000 and blue for other amounts, but the text itself, which had previously been white with gold borders, has its color changed to orange-tinted gold for the $100,000 and silver for other amounts. Additionally, the background for the $100,000 has a few splashes of blue added to it, and after the background disappears several stars fly around the text, while the background for other amounts is changed to a deeper shade of blue.
The Bonus Wheel is re-colored: the letters change from red to blue, the orange space after "$100,000" becomes green, the green space after "CASH" becomes purple, and the purple space after "BONUS" becomes pink.
The Bonus Wheel animations displayed before and after the second-to-last commercial break are changed as well. The blue background from Season 20 is removed, and the wheel itself gains an orange tint to its gold coloration, with yellow lettering and a cyan center. Also, the colored wedges are in different colors from the design of the Bonus Wheel itself: the space after "$100,000" continues to be orange, the space after "CASH" continues to be green (but, in these graphics, is more specifically chartreuse), the space after "BONUS" is teal, and the space after "WIN" is pink. Additionally, the envelopes that fly out of the Wheel in the post-commercial Bonus Wheel animation, which had previously been blue-bordered gray, now use different colors for all of them: vermilion for $25,000 and $50,000, chartreuse for $30,000, teal for $35,000 and $45,000, and pink for $40,000.
In the Bonus Round, the letters in RSTLNE now turn into place, and the contestant's letter choices no longer fade in as they had in Season 20. This remains through Season 23.
This is the only season in which the $100,000 prize is not won.
On some episodes this season, Charlie O'Donnell misreads "omega-3s" as "omega three ess" instead of "omega threes" on some of the Eggland's Best plugs before the Jackpot round; this inconsistently carries over into at least the next season.
Like the two from Season 19, weeks composed of sixth shows now have their own names.
Oddly, no Family Weeks are done this season.

September 2003: (season begins September 8)

September 8 is Big Money Week. During this week:
- The Prize wedge says "Big Money" on it. Also, the wipe for the Prize footage is a safe opening and closing.
- The Gift Tag is $1,000 cash in the form of then newly-redesigned $20 bills, which Pat Sajak promotes before the first Toss-Up on the 8th. The Gift Tag is also shaped like these bills, resulting in a smaller-than-usual tag which does not completely obscure the 7 or overlap the adjacent wedges.
On September 8:
- There is a $14,900 Jackpot win.
- The second Bankrupt in Round 3 is accidentally placed on the yellow $300; neither it nor the purple $600 next to $3,500 is hit.
- The 2000 closing theme plays during the credits.
On September 10:
- On the Menu debuts.
- Pat and Vanna White go into the audience area during the closing chat, so that Vanna can sign a girl's cast. Pat then outdoes her by signing an audience member's leg.
- Again, the 2000 closing theme plays during the credits.
On September 11, the Prize Puzzle is reintroduced. Unlike the previous short-lived incarnation in 1997, the current version now uses puzzles related to the prize, rather than directly describing it. The first Prize Puzzle is GENTLE TRADE WINDS AND WARM BLUE WATERS, which awards a trip to the Caribbean.
- Unlike Prize Puzzles of the previous incarnation which had no audio or visual indication whatsoever, the current-era Prize Puzzles are indicated by a higher-pitched version of the puzzle chimes following the usual chime, the text "PRIZE PUZZLE" appearing on the Used Letter Board alongside the category, and a special bug in the lower left-hand corner.
- The original Prize Puzzle bug reads "PRIZE PUZZLE" in left-justified white Alternate Gothic text, with five colored sparks above it (which from left to right are colored yellow, green, cyan, white, and red). For Season 21, when the prize is revealed, the graphic transitioning to and from footage of the prize is three Wheel wedges (orange, yellow, and green) with four dollar signs apiece on them flying across the screen, flanked by confetti.
- For the first two seasons of its existence, the Prize Puzzle occurs weekly.
On September 12, after Round 3's Headline puzzle QUEEN ELIZABETH CELEBRATES MILESTONE, Pat asks whether the puzzle refers to Queen Elizabeth's 40th, 50th, or 60th anniversary of coronation, and the contestant provides the right answer of 50th. This is the fourth and final known instance of a "bonus" question being multiple-choice.
During the week of September 15, the inner frame of the board is yellow.
On September 16, a contestant spins $3,500 at least five times in Round 2, resulting in an unclaimed Jackpot of over $18,000.
On September 19:
- The $1,000 Toss-Up TONIGHT'S THE NIGHT is incorrectly categorized as Rhyme Time.
- The Prize is a shopping spree at Mall of America with accommodations at Le Meridien Minneapolis.
- The Mystery Round prize is a $10,000 Bloomingdale's gift card.
- Although a repeated T is called in Round 3, it is not acknowledged as such.
The week of September 22 is Resort Week. During this week, Pat and Vanna enter onstage from separate entrances; Pat's is on the right of the video wall while Vanna's is on the left.
On September 22, Pat jokes before the $3,000 Toss-Up that "there are shows on Game Show Network that don't give that away in a month!"
On September 24, a contestant guesses I'M BUSH on the bonus puzzle I'M BUSY, resulting in wild laughter from the audience.
On September 25, the audience reacts in similar fashion at a contestant's attempts to solve the bonus puzzle QUICK AS A WINK after the buzzer.
On September 29, the winning contestant leaves with only $5,400.

October 2003:

On October 3, Pat and Vanna's post-game chat is about the changes to the puzzle board.
During the week of October 6, the Mystery prize is a $10,000 Diners Club gift card.
During the week of October 20 (Living in Style):
- Pat and Vanna enter from a fake staircase at stage left.
- The inner frame of the puzzle board is yellow-orange.
On October 20:
- The reveal of the Round 1 puzzle is shot differently than usual. Instead of a closeup of the board, the camera pans over from the contestant area before zooming in on the board; also, the chimes do not sound until about two seconds after the blanks appear, and the category strip flies on-screen before the camera has stopped moving.
- No vowels are bought in Round 2.
- There is a $14,850 Jackpot win.
- Round 4 and the Bonus Round are Event.
On October 21, a contestant is given the bonus puzzle HICCUPS with only the P and S showing, and Pat jokes that he will retire if she solves it. She does; he doesn't.
During the week of October 27:
- A jack-o'-lantern is projected onto the center of the Wheel.
- Again, the inner frame of the puzzle board is yellow-orange.
On October 27:
- Although a repeated R is called in Round 1, it is not acknowledged as such.
- Contestant Kristi loses $20,215 (including a New Orleans trip) to Bankrupt in Round 3; despite this, she wins the game due to a $6,000 Final Spin.
- Vanna's son and daughter, Niko and Giovanna, appear in their Halloween costumes at the end of the show. They are respectively disguised as a "cool kid" and an injured cat.
On October 31:
- For the first known time, a "decades" category is used in a Toss-Up: the $2,000 Toss-Up BELL-BOTTOM JEANS (The 70s).
- For no particular reason, all five maingame puzzles are unusually short (19 letters or fewer).
- The winning contestant has only $6,950 before the Bonus Round. Oddly, this is due to the shorter puzzles and multiple landings on the $300 wedges; neither Bankrupt nor Lose A Turn is hit in the first four rounds, and the only Bankrupt of the entire game comes right before the Final Spin.
- As mentioned during the closing chat, a monitor on the board breaks down for the first time.

November 2003:

The weeks of November 3-17 are taped at Radio City Music Hall. On all of these episodes:
- The set is decorated with miniatures of three NYC landmarks (the Brooklyn Bridge, the Statue of Liberty, and the Music Hall) with Broadway posters above the puzzle board, a video wall decorated with replicas of high-rise building façades, and a black floor featuring white outlined "NEW YORK" text in the Broadway font.
- The Jackpot display is inexplicably in the lower left-hand corner instead of the upper left-hand corner.
During the week of November 3, the Mystery Round prize is a $10,000 Diners Club card.
On November 4, contestant Lori sweeps the game and wins a Ford Expedition in the Bonus Round.
On November 7:
- The original Round 1 is thrown out because a contestant is inadvertently allowed to buy a vowel despite having only $50 and the $10,000 Wedge.
- Pat pretends to wrestle the same contestant after he wins the Bonus Round.
November 10 is the ceremonial 4,000th episode, although it is actually #3,946. This, like the ceremonial #3,000, is composed entirely of clips with commentary by Pat and Vanna.
- The title card is a CGI two-row logo in red (with a plain-looking "O" in "of"), which spins into place along with a shiny, silver-blue "4000" text element in Impact, against a transparent monochrome Wheel on a sparkly rainbow background. The picture then zooms through the first zero to show footage of Radio City Music Hall ― first the exterior of the hall, then the audience members making their way into the stage room as Charlie gives his intro, "And now from Radio City Music Hall, celebrating 4,000 shows together, here are the stars of Wheel of Fortune: Pat Sajak and Vanna White!" When Pat and Vanna walk out, they do so from different sides of the set, Pat from the right and Vanna from the left.
- The logo seen in the intro is also shown on the center-stage video wall.
- After Pat and Vanna give their opening monologue, a screen with a purple border featuring a white "4000" text element on one side flips towards the camera, showing the intro from one of the earlier episodes of Season 21. With a "whooshing" sound effect the video slows to a stop, and then "rewinds" through various clips, which, oddly, seem to not show up in chronological order from latest to earliest. The rewind ends with the January 18, 1978 opening that began the ceremonial #3,000, which is inexplicably identified as 1983. This then cuts to an opening from between September 1986 and November 1987 (likely that of episode #S-1000), with a timpani roll dubbed in.
- The first montage features many clips from the show's first decade in syndication, set to "You Spin Me Round (Like a Record)" by Dead or Alive. It starts with video of Pat's entrance from a shopping-era episode; then proceeds to one of Vanna's outfits from that era; a late-1980s shot of the puzzle board reading BE A WHEEL WATCHER, center-aligned, most likely from a promo; a shot of the ceramic Dalmatian from the shopping era; Pat and Vanna's kiss from his last daytime episode; Pat and Vanna pieing each other on a 1991 episode; Pat and Vanna sitting in a hot tub together; Pat's interaction with a Bonus Round winner; a close-up of the 1986-96 Round 4 Wheel layout; Pat and Vanna holding humorous poses; Pat removing a wig from a mannequin; Pat and Vanna playing rock-paper-scissors; and a "Charlie, put down that _____!" Jackpot intro.
- The second montage is set to "We Got the Beat" by The Go-Go's. Its clips are a Final Spin from around 1995; a contestant circa 2003 celebrating while Pat holds the $10,000 Wedge; an answer of WINNER TAKES ALL being revealed on the trilon board; a red station wagon on a turntable; numerous contestants celebrating moments of success, including an African-American male contestant celebrating a $25,000 win circa 1997; Pat and Vanna exposing the skin on part of their abdomens; and finally a shot of Pat taking off his jacket on a late-1990s episode.
- The third montage, set to "I Get Around" by the Beach Boys, includes footage of the Wheel painted atop the Seattle Space Needle in 1995, followed by several intros on road shows: a Seattle week, followed by San Diego (April-May 2003), Nashville (February 2003), Chicago (1991), Las Vegas (1998), Hawaii (1996, including Pat's "twin"), and College Week from New Orleans (2000). At the end, a San Francisco trolley is shown decorated with a row of six 1997-99 traditional logos on a black background, followed by Pat saying "I'm just in the mood. I dunno, call me wacky." to a circa-1997 contestant.
- The fourth montage, set to "Round Round" by Sugababes, showcases some of Pat's quirky behaviors, including wearing a frog hat on March 17, 1987 (daytime), carrying out a giant fake hot dog with Vanna on a Wheel Goes to the Movies week, dancing with another circa-1997 contestant, and eating a banana while telling a joke to a stuffed gorilla on-set.
- The fifth montage, set to "Upside Down" by Diana Ross, includes a Final Spin from around 2003, followed by more humorous behaviors from Pat: fainting next to his-and-hers cars in Season 5 or 6, sticking a coffee cup into Vanna's dress in the early 1990s, cutting her hair in December 1995, and hugging her on a Euro Tour week in the early 2000s. It ends with a female contestant from November 1986 solving AN AMERICAN SUCCESS STORY for $44,300.
- The bumper features the "Wheel of Fortune 4000" logo, set over a shot of the audience in which the video screens display the standard Season 21 title card. The logo zooms through the first zero to show Vanna in front of the Music Hall in the daytime.
- The first montage in the second segment consists of humorously incorrect attempts at solving: a Speed-Up of STYROFOAM CUP missolved as STYROFOAM HAT circa 1988, followed by three from Season 19 (a Toss-Up of LAST-MINUTE DETAILS as LAST-MINUTE COCKTAILS, a Speed-Up of MUSIC & PIZZA BOX as MUSIC & PIZZA BOY, and a Speed-Up of PLASTIC STRAWS as PLASTIC STRAPS), the bonus puzzle AT MY WIT'S END as AT MY CAT'S END from May 5, 1986 (albeit with the 1975-89 buzzer dubbed in), and the Toss-Up AN ONLY CHILD as AN UGLY CHILD from April 11, 2002 (with the clip edited so that the rest of the puzzle fills in while contestant Linda is still talking), a Toss-Up of SLEEPING BEAUTY as SLEEPING DOPEY in Season 20 (edited so that the answer reveals right after the red contestant guesses), and a Toss-Up of FINGERS & TOES as MINERS & HOES on February 4, 2002. All of these have audience laughter dubbed in.
- In the next montage, Vanna says that "Through the years, the puzzles have always reflected what's hip, hot, and happening", while footage is shown of various puzzles related to pop culture: SARAH JESSICA PARKER from Season 18, BRITNEY & ASPARAGUS SPEARS from Season 19, three puzzles from Season 20 (TENNIS PRO ANDRE AGASSI, TRADING SPACES, and AMERICAN IDOL from the College Week of May 12, 2003, the last of which is oddly missing its category strip), and FINDING NEMO and OPRAH'S BOOK CLUB from Season 21. After that, Vanna says that "Right or wrong, our puzzle solves are always entertaining", after which a 1998 contestant is shown solving TEENY-WEENY, followed by a contestant on May 7, 2002 who solves a Toss-Up of PETER PIPER and then recites the poem.
- The next montage includes contestants who solve their puzzles very loudly, including a shot of Pat putting in earplugs on a Christmas episode (late 1990s), and male contestant in November 1999 solving the Speed-Up THE STRING SECTION and subsequently complimenting Pat, followed by random shots of other screaming contestants (three of which feature Pat screaming with the player as well).
- After that, footage is shown of some bonus puzzles that were solved with little to no help from the extra letters: JUNK FOOD with just the N and K in Season 19 (with the reveal of the K sped up), HICCUPS from October 21, YUGOSLAVIA with the S, L, and A's from Season 20, WAKE UP with the E and P from November 12, 2002, and GOPHER with the E and R from February 2001. It ends with the November 11, 1999 missolve of the Speed-Up puzzle A GROUP OF WELL-WISHERS as A GROUP OF PILL-PUSHERS, which, like the last time the clip was shown in January 2002, edits out the audience's reaction and Pat's comment of "Good night, everyone!"; oddly, the latter is dubbed in at the very end of the clip.
- Pat and Vanna introduce the third segment's first montage from behind the red scoreboard. The first montage consists of screaming contestants from various episodes, set to "Shout" by the Isley Brothers (including a brief shot of the answer SHOUT IT OUT from Season 19). This transitions to various Bonus Round wins, including a late-1990s contestant who breakdances and then hugs Vanna; the $100,000 wins from April 24 and May 21, 2003 are both shown as well, with the former also including the contestant solving the puzzle in question.
- The next segment includes a combination of Bonus Round winners' families running onstage (including a clip from around 1999 where Pat tells Vanna, "16 years on the show, and you've never jumped on me like that.") and celebrating contestants on family team weeks, set to "We Are Family" by Sister Sledge. It ends with Sarah from May talking about her mother's 1977 appearance.
- Afterward, Vanna says over footage of a contestant spin that "every year, over 1 million people inquire about being on Wheel of Fortune," which is followed by a Halloween week closing segment where Pat asks a skeleton prop on the set how long "he" has been waiting to be a contestant on Wheel. Also included in the third segment is a montage of entertaining contestants, who include a female contestant singing "I love playing Wheel of Fortune!" opera-style; a male contestant complaining about being on the show in an impersonation of Christopher Walken; contestant Kevin from Season 16 singing "Changing Keys" in chicken clucks; another episode from that season in which blue contestant Mike impersonates Forrest Gump, yellow contestant Nancy impersonates the Road Runner, and Mike later does "Forrest Gump as the Road Runner"; the stripper/refinisher Harry from around 2002-03; the clown/mortician Frank from 1998; deaf contestant George from November 1997; contestant Suzette from yet another 1998 episode humming "Changing Keys" through her nose to Pat and Vanna's amusement; and auctioneer Ray from around Season 19.
- After this is shown sped-up footage of a May 1998 contestant from College Week in Houston chasing Pat across the stage after winning the Bonus Round and footage of another contestant picking Pat up, both set to a piece of circus-esque music. This is followed by a montage of entertaining Bonus Round winners from various eras (including a May 1999 contestant kissing Pat's shoes, and the winner from November 7), followed by a number of entertaining main game contestants, including a contestant kissing a cardboard cut-out of Pat, and another slapping his butt after a win; this montage is set to "Can't Get Enough of You Baby" by Smash Mouth.
- The fourth segment begins with Pat briefly mentioning the daytime version, and Vanna discussing her audition while footage of both it and her first official episode are shown. Afterward, "She's a Lady" by Tom Jones plays over a montage of her outfits, which includes (among others) several outfit clips that were previously shown in the ceremonial 3,000th episode, a circa-2000 clip where Vanna wears a Dior dress and Pat spins her around while calling her "a revolving Dior", and footage of Vanna in a promo shoot. "I'm Too Sexy" by Right Said Fred then plays over a humorous montage of Pat's wardrobe (including him revealing a hanger from inside his jacket during the shopping era, dropping his pants at the end of a late-1987 show, and wearing a mullet during a New York City road show). This montage ends with the cold open from January 13, 1997 in which Vanna announces that she is pregnant; footage of Vanna showing off Niko; and her pregnancy with, and on-air introduction of, Giovanna.
- The next segment consists of even more funny moments of Pat's, set to "Born to Be Wild" by Steppenwolf. Among the clips are Pat's reaction to the broken Toss-Up buzzer in May, a series of four "Charlie, put down that ______!" Jackpot intros, and standing to make cattle horns on a floor-mounted "U" in "HOUSTON" come up out of his head during a road show in that city.
- Afterward, a blooper reel is shown for a Season 21 promo made for KDRV in Medford, Oregon, in which Vanna repeatedly stumbles over the phrase "What's with all the exclamation points?"
- The next montage consists of Pat and Vanna sampling local cuisine during road shows, set to "Eat It" by "Weird Al" Yankovic. It is followed by another road show montage set to "On the Road Again" by Willie Nelson. This montage features more road show intros, including those from the Nashville show and a Dallas show; outtakes of Vanna trying to catch a fish at the Seattle Pike Place Market in 2002; Vanna in racing gear at the Texas Motor Speedway shouting "Gentlemen, start your engines!" while waving a green flag as Pat drives an early Wheelmobile down the racetrack; footage of a Wheel-branded slot machine in a Las Vegas casino followed by Vanna playing poker at said casino; and finally, three clips from Hawaii episodes aired in February 2001: an intro where a naked Pat rafts; a closing segment where Vanna dances with hula girls; and a contestant reacting to Pat's comment of "What was that noise you made earlier?" with Pat himself responding with a comment of "Good night, everybody!"
- The next montage consists of various Pat and Vanna clips set to "I Got You Babe" by Sonny & Cher, including another shot of Vanna pieing Pat, Pat throwing fake snow at Vanna, Pat nearly crashing a golf cart into the puzzle board on Januay 14, 2002, Vanna waving a checkered flag in front of Pat on one episode and drawing a mustache on his face on another, the two of them sticking their tongues out after eating blue candies, Pat inhaling helium from a balloon during a New Year's week and subsequently singing Mighty Mouse's theme song, both of them cleaning up after a $100,000 Bonus Round win during a Wheel Goes to the Movies week, and finally slow-motion clips of them huddling next to (and even kissing) one another.
- In the final segment, Pat and Vanna are onstage (the puzzle board reading AMERICA'S GAME) with most of the show's staff, including executive producer Harry Friedman, producers Karen Griffith and Steve Schwartz, and Charlie. Director Mark Corwin is shown in the booth. Various credits are timed to show those staff members, while a Home Puzzle Contest outtake from October 31, 1983 (daytime) appears at Merv's credit.
- Strangely, reruns during the week of July 12, 2004 consist of November 10 followed by November 3-6.
November 11-14 is Best Friends Week. During these four episodes, the Mystery Round prize is a $10,000 Macy's gift card.
On a Best Friends episode (possibly the 11th), a Toss-Up is thrown out because the lockouts are not activated on the buzzers, allowing one team to accidentally ring in twice. The discarded puzzle, PURRING KITTENS, later appears in the Speed-Up on April 28, 2004.
On November 14:
- For the first known time, a team exceeds $100,000 without hitting that amount: just under $20,000 cash, plus an $80,000+ pair of Lexuses, totaling $102,701.
- The bonus puzzle is the grammatically-incorrect PIECE OF MIND, a conflation of "peace of mind" and "a piece of your mind".
November 17 is NBA Week.
Starting November 24, there is now a split-screen during the Pat and Vanna chat; the right side displays the show's disclaimers and the company that provided Vanna's wardrobe. The first one is a multi-colored swirl with white fireworks; road shows use ones with themed graphics.
On November 26, there is a $100,000 loss.

December 2003:

Around this point, one of the cars available in the Mystery Round is a Chevy Aveo. While all other Mystery Round cars are described over footage of them being driven, the Aveo is described over a stock image of it on a white background.
Starting December 8, Charlie now announces two sponsors after the first commercial break with "Tonight's show brought to you by..." Reruns of episodes before this point are edited to include the sponsors.
December 8-19 is the Blue Cash Sweepstakes. This is a special "blue"-themed sweepstakes sponsored by American Express Blue Card. Home viewers may submit each episode's bonus puzzle on the show's website to enter a drawing which offers "blue"-themed prizes, such as tickets to Blue Man Group or a blue car. A promotional clip for this sweepstakes shows a Bonus Round win from earlier in the season, edited so that the board says BLUE CASH in the wrong font.
On December 10, two contestants in a row give wrong answers to the Where Are We? puzzle BROTHERLY LOVE CREAM CHEESE THE LIBERTY BELL.
December 15 is Blue Cash Week. During this week:
- All cars in the Bonus Round are blue.
- Both the neon parts of the set and the category strips are darker blue than usual.
- The Mystery Round prize is $10,000 towards purchases from Sony Style.
On December 15, the Round 1 puzzle WHO SHOT J.R.? is a now-rare maingame puzzle that is shorter than 10 letters. It is also a rare maingame puzzle with only one vowel.
On December 16, music director Steve Kaplan dies in a plane crash. He remains in the full credit roll until the last of his compositions are retired from the show in 2007.
On December 17:
- All three contestants hit Bankrupt consecutively in Round 3 (the second by way of a Mystery Wedge).
- The Final Spin is shot differently than usual: it uses a bird's-eye view of the contestant area, which then zooms in on the red arrow as the Wheel comes to a stop.
During the week of December 22, snowflakes are projected into the center of the Wheel.
On December 22:
- Contestant Khalilah mentions that her mother competed on the show 17 years prior.
- The Mystery prize is a $9,726 Kia Rio, the last known car under $10,000 to be offered by the show.
- The buzzer does not sound on the first wrong letter (T) of Round 4.
- Six rounds are played.
On December 23, there is a $100,000 loss.
On December 24, for the first of only three known times, a Prize Puzzle offers something other than a trip: in this case, the Round 2 puzzle GIZMOS AND GADGETS offers a home entertainment package.
On December 26, Wayne Brady makes a cameo after the Round 2 puzzle EMMY AWARD-WINNING TALK SHOW HOST.
During the week of December 29, the Jackpot display is again in the lower left-hand corner for no particular reason.
On December 29:
- The Mystery Round copy is shortened to "And in tonight's Mystery Round, one of our players could win this [name of prize] — [amount]!", removing both Pat's opening for the round and the mention of contestants potentially going Bankrupt. The blue question mark wipe that previously opened the copy itself now reveals the prize as the wedges are animating on-screen.
- The Bonus Round graphics now disappear with a different effect: instead of simply dissolving from the left, they dissolve all at once.
- Both Wheel and Jeopardy! show a black-and-white picture of Steve Kaplan after the credits.

January 2004:

On January 2:
- Round 3 is the second known instance since the early 1990s of Family spelling out AND (FRANCIS FORD AND SOFIA COPPOLA).
- Contestant Jamie incorrectly solves the fully-revealed Round 3 puzzle by mispronouncing "Coppola"; the next contestant, Alicia, solves without any money.
- Alicia accidentally calls C twice in the Bonus Round.
- "Happy Wheels" continues to play under the first fee plug.
January 5 is NFL Week. During this week:
- The NFL players now compete in teams with the contestants, as opposed to the contestants playing on their behalf. The NFL players are distinguished from their teammates with football-shaped nametags.
- The set features football-themed decorations in places, and the floor features the Players Inc. logo.
- The top winner receives a prize package consisting of a trip to Houston for an NFL Players Party and Super Bowl XXXVIII, autographed merchandise from Players Inc., a flat-screen TV with DirecTV's NFL Sunday Ticket, and a Reebok home gym.
On January 5:
- The Prize is a $3,500 Visa gift card.
- Dan Hampton and his teammate Kara give the right answer to the $1,000 Toss-Up, but are not awarded the money because they took too long to respond after ringing in; this allows Dan Fouts and his teammate Donna to ring in with the answer right away as soon as they are called on.
On January 6:
- The $1,000 Toss-Up is a redundant answer of STAR CONSTELLATION.
- The Round 1 puzzle, TIME AND NEWSWEEK, is an extremely rare occurrence of Titles. Pat's comments suggest that it is not the first.
On January 7, Moe Williams and his teammate Angela give the right answer to the $1,000 Toss-Up but they do not ring in fast enough, as Trent Green and his teammate Darnell ring in just before Moe and Angela do.
On January 8, the Round 1 puzzle PETER FALK AS COLUMBO is inexplicably categorized as Classic TV instead of Star & Role.
On January 9:
- There is a $7,100 Jackpot win.
- Neither Bankrupt nor Lose A Turn is hit.
On January 12, the Final Spin is shot the same way that it was on December 17. It is not known how many other episodes used this shot, if any; it is known that at least December 22, January 2-9, and January 13 use the normal shot.
On January 13:
- Bankrupt is hit five times in Round 2.
- The Mystery prize is $10,000 towards purchases from Amazon.com.
On January 14:
- Pat forgets to mention that Round 1 is a Prize Puzzle. The Prize Puzzle chimes sound again after the first spin, and Pat acknowledges them.
- The first half of the Final Spin is shot normally, but the shot of the Wheel coming to a stop is the same bird's-eye view used on the 12th.
During the week of January 19 (Cruise Week):
- Vanna promotes the show's theme aboard a cruise ship before the opening.
- Viewers may submit each episode's bonus puzzle to the show's website for a chance to win a cruise provided by Princess Cruises.
Likely on January 19, the Final Spin shot reverts to normal.
On January 20:
- The Mystery Prize is a $10,000 Macy's gift certificate.
- The Gift Tag is crooked throughout the entire game.
- There are two duplicate categories: Rounds 1 and 4 are Phrase, the $1,000 Toss-Up is Things, and the Bonus Round is Thing.
On January 21:
- The $1,000 Toss-Up, L'EGGO MY EGGO, is the first of four known instances of Slogan being used as a Toss-Up, and the third known instance of said category not using its bonus question due to the product being part of the answer.
- Round 2 is Title/Author, even though an Author/Title puzzle was used in Round 2 on January 1.
January 23 is the real 4,000th episode.
The week of January 26, likely due to being taped before the December 29 episode, uses the Mystery Round copy from the beginning of Season 21.
On January 28:
- The $2,000 Toss-Up PURPLE LILACS (itself a redundant answer) is inexplicably categorized as Things instead of Living Things.
- Contestant Kathy makes an extremely close incorrect guess in the Bonus Round. The puzzle is BACK TO BASICS, but she adds "the" between the second and third words.

February 2004:

February 2 is Aloha Week, a Hawaii-themed week taped in Culver City. It is also the Aloha Sweepstakes, in which home viewers may submit each episode's bonus puzzle to the show's website for a chance to win a vacation to Hawaii.
On February 3, six rounds are played.
On February 5, one of the older cues (likely the one introduced in late September 2000) accidentally plays after the $3,000 Toss-Up is solved.
On February 6:
- Six rounds are played.
- The bonus puzzle A NEW JOB is inexplicably categorized as Phrase instead of Thing.
The weeks of February 9-23 are taped at the Dodge Theatre in Phoenix, Arizona. The "PHOENIX" and "ARIZONA" signs from the February 1997 shows are re-used.
February 9 is Sweethearts Week.
Unusually for a road show, February 9 appears not to have been the first taped episode from that week, as Pat makes no mention of it being their first week in Phoenix.
On February 9, there is a $100,000 loss.
On February 10:
- Round 4 is the first of only seven known instances of Occupations (MANICURIST & PEDICURIST).
- In the final segment, Pat and Vanna show a Family Circus strip mentioning Vanna, in reference to the Round 1 puzzle THE FAMILY CIRCUS CARTOON.
On February 13:
- For the first known time, all three teams ring in but do not solve a Toss-Up (specifically, the $1,000 Toss-Up, CORNER BARBERSHOP).
- A couple technically sweeps the game (disregarding the unsolved $1,000 Toss-Up) and wins $25,000 in the Bonus Round. Their letters fill in the bonus puzzle A CLEAN SHAVE entirely. Interestingly, a sweep during Sweethearts Week happened exactly one year prior.
On February 18, one of the contestants is picked out of the audience. She makes it to the Bonus Round, where she tries to call four of the six letters that are already given (T, N, S, R), even with an R already in the answer.
On February 20:
- After the Round 2 Slogan puzzle OUTWIT OUTPLAY OUTLAST, an audience member shouts out the right answer of Survivor before the contestant gets a chance to identify the slogan.
- Pat stands over the Bonus Wheel and makes bizarre, pseudo-Indian chants before the contestant spins it.
During the week of February 16, all five winners are female.
February 23 is Teen Best Friends Week.
On February 26, one team tries to call two letters during their Speed-Up turn for three turns in a row.

March 2004:

March 1 is Aruba Week, with a sweepstakes sponsored by the Aruba Tourism Authority. During this week, home viewers may submit each episode's bonus puzzle to the show's website for a chance to win a vacation to Aruba.
On March 4, after the Song Lyrics puzzle WHO'S AFRAID OF THE BIG BAD WOLF?, Pat asks for the characters that the song is referring to (The Three Little Pigs).
During the week of March 1, at least three contestants get no help from their letters in the Bonus Round.
On March 9, after the Round 4 puzzle SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS (Fictional Character) is solved, Pat says, "What do you mean, 'Fictional Character'?" and quotes the entire SpongeBob SquarePants theme song.
On March 12, On the Menu appears in the Bonus Round for the first time.
On March 15:
- Several clear arches are added to the back of the set. The arch behind Pat has a smaller video screen which displays an identifying animation, which resembles the Season 17 main title animation in that it features the wordmark in gold with a normal-looking "O" in "of", atop a graphic of a spinning Wheel. However, unlike the Season 17 logo, this animation presents the Wheel accurately.
- Wheel Watchers Club members now have a chance to win the prize offered in a Prize Puzzle with an assigned SPIN ID number. After Charlie finishes the prize plug, he reads a randomly-drawn SPIN ID. Home viewers who see their SPIN ID on the show may go to the show's website to confirm their ID and claim the prize. New SPIN IDs are edited into reruns.
  - The original SPIN ID reveal plug features a background with a transparent, bare Wheel template and several stars in random places, which comes in one of four different color schemes: yellow, green, blue, or purple. After the Prize Puzzle prize is revealed, Charlie congratulates the contestant and says, "If you're a Wheel Watchers Club member and your personal SPIN ID is [SPIN ID number], you're a winner. You have 24 hours from now to log on to wheeloffortune.com and claim your [prize description]!" The plug reveals as follows: a "spark" turns the screen white; this then fades into a couple of colored bare Wheel templates which reveal the wipe itself. The Wheel drawing in the background is already in place, and the words in the club's name zoom onto place, along with a "mini-board" displaying the SPIN ID, designed like a miniature puzzle board with a cyan inner frame and a purple outer one. "SPIN I.D." is displayed in Impact, with a green "blank screen" representing the space. At the bottom of the screen is the Prize Puzzle bug and an eligibility disclaimer. The SPIN ID itself is revealed with the words "SPIN ID" backing up away, and the spaces spinning like slots reels and stopping, one at a time, to reveal the ID in Rockwell Condensed, the font of the trilon-based board, but in the regular unbolded version.
- Following Round 3's Clue puzzle A ROMAN GOD OR THE PLANET NEAREST THE SUN, the contestant gives an incorrect guess of Pluto. With the bonus out of play, Pat lets her guess again: she proceeds to say the Moon, Mars, and Saturn before finally getting the right response of Mercury.
- The bonus puzzle A GROUP HUG is categorized as Event. The next two times this answer appears (February 27, 2006 and January 12, 2010), it is categorized as Thing and doesn't have the A.
- During the post-game chat, Pat reminds Vanna that during a chat in November, she wished that Thanksgiving could be at another time, such as March. He then reminds her it is now March, and surprises her with a turkey dinner.
On March 17, contestant Yolanda sweeps the game and wins a Chrysler PT Cruiser in the Bonus Round. At $19,715, this is the least-expensive bonus prize known to be offered since the introduction of the Bonus Wheel.
On March 18, the second-place contestant has $26,900.
On March 19, after the Headline puzzle FORMER E.T. CHILD ACTRESS GETS WALK OF FAME STAR, Pat asks who the puzzle is referring to (Drew Barrymore).
On March 25, there is a $100,000 loss.
During the week of March 29, Pat and Vanna read letters from past winners in the final segment, which is dubbed "Wheel Changes Lives".
On March 29:
- Round 3 has a very rare instance of a contestant losing their turn with only vowels remaining: with only the A's missing in the Next Line Please puzzle I DO NOT LIKE THEM SAM-I-AM, a contestant buys U.
- After the next contestant solves (presumably for the house minimum), Pat tells her that the line is followed by "I do not like green eggs and ham" when she does not guess the next line. The fact that these lines are far more commonly used and quoted in the reverse order ("green eggs and ham/Sam-I-Am") may have misled the contestant, as the book itself only uses the "Sam-I-Am/green eggs and ham" order once.
On March 31, a contestant mispronounces the second word of THICK PLUSH BEACH TOWELS as "plus". Against precedent, she is asked to say the answer again, and pronounces it correctly the second time. Pat then explains that she was allowed a second chance because the puzzle is a tongue twister.

April 2004:

On April 1, a contestant incorrectly solves the fully-revealed Round 3 Clue puzzle OVERHAND SQUARE & SHEEPSHANK ARE TYPES (knots) by mispronouncing "sheepshank" as "sheep's hank".
On April 2, contestant Heather makes a second appearance because of an error on her first episode. She finishes this episode in third place with $2,050.
All five Bonus Rounds are lost on the week of March 29, part of an eight-day losing streak.
Between January 17 and April 5, Fictional Place appears four times, when it normally appears no more than once or twice in an entire season.
On April 8, the $1,000 Toss-Up is a non-sequitur answer of SPARROWS & PARAKEETS.
April 12 is Wheel Around the World Week.
On April 12, the theme to the Australian version is used as a cue for the Prize, a trip to Australia.
On April 13, there is a $13,600 Jackpot win.
All five Bonus Rounds are lost on the week of April 12, three of which have the players getting no help from their letters. The losing streak extends to the 20th.
During the week of April 19, the Mystery Round prize is $10,000 toward purchases from Sony Style.
On April 19, I'D LIKE TO BUY A VOWEL is the Round 1 puzzle.
On April 22, in an unusual move, Vanna walks over to help console the contestant after he loses the Bonus Round.
On April 26, a contestant (who does not solve the bonus puzzle) misses the $100,000 by one envelope.
On April 28, Round 2 is the last appearance of Fill In the Number. It is also the other of only two known Fill In the Number puzzles to have two different numbers in it (# SCORE AND # YEARS AGO).
The month of April has three five-letter bonus puzzles: MYTHS on the 9th (itself a very rare instance of a bonus puzzle without A, E, I, O, or U), VOGUE on the 12th, and FIBER on the 20th.

May 2004:

The weeks of May 3-17 are taped at Moscone Center in San Francisco. These episodes are the source of a frequently re-aired outtakes reel, where Vanna repeatedly flubs the line "highlight your nightlife" while shooting a bumper.
May 3 is the first Mom & Me Week, with mother/son and mother/daughter teams.
On May 3:
- The $1,000 Toss-Up, CHOOSY MOMS CHOOSE JIF, is the second of four known instances of Slogan being used as a Toss-Up, and the fourth known instance of said category not using its bonus question due to the product being part of the answer.
- Willie Mays makes a guest appearance after the Round 2 puzzle BASEBALL HALL OF FAME.
On May 4, Classic TV makes its first of only two known appearances in the Bonus Round.
On May 10:
- The lights briefly go out during a round. Gameplay is simply picked up from where it left off, and the show is edited.
- The Bonus Wheel spin is reshot because it did not go all the way around the first time, with the original spin edited out.
On May 13:
- The Round 2 puzzle SEARCH ENGINES GOOGLE AND YAHOO! is the first known use of an exclamation point.
- Round 3 is the last known appearance of Clue.
May 17 is College Week. During this week:
- University of California's marching band plays music bumpers.
- All of the Wheel Prizes are trips sponsored by Contiki Holidays.
- The Mystery Round prize is $10,000 towards purchases from Sony Style.
On May 17:
- There is an $11,550 Jackpot win. In a rather rare occurrence, it comes with only vowels remaining.
- Round 3 is only the second known instance of a Prize Puzzle offering something other than a trip: specifically, the puzzle AN EVENING YOU'LL NEVER FORGET offers $3,500 towards purchases from TicketsNow.com.
On May 18, a contestant solves the bonus puzzle MY GIFT TO YOU at the last second with only the T's and O's revealed.
On May 20, there is a $7,200 Jackpot win.
On May 21, a contestant wins by $50.
The weeks of May 24 and 31 have themed backdrops for the split-screen during Pat and Vanna's talk, despite these weeks being taped in Culver City.
On May 25, a contestant makes an extremely close incorrect guess on the bonus puzzle KODIAK BEAR by saying "KODAK BEAR".
On May 28, a contestant sweeps the game but loses $25,000 in the Bonus Round.

June 2004: (season ends June 4)

On June 2:
- Seven rounds are played.
- The scoreboards glitch out at the end of the Speed-Up.
On June 3:
- There is a $9,300 Jackpot win.
- The Bonus Round contestant says the words "boiling" and "point" at various times among his guesses, but bizarrely never says the right answer of BOILING POINT.

Season 22 (2004-05)

Season Changes:

This season is the last to begin on Labor Day.
This season's opening sequence begins with a "swishing" sound added, at which point the title is displayed in outlined orange neon Arial Black lettering on two bars, with a light that flashes many different colors; the title is written in lowercase on one bar and uppercase on the other. As the introductory fanfare starts, a very low-pitched whoosh plays as the two bars combine to form the edge of a Wheel graphic with many different colors of lights reflecting off its wedges, on a starry dark blue background where bright blue streaks of light appear at random intervals. The Wheel graphic then tilts to form the O in "OF", and the rest of the letters (all silver) spin into place. After the audience chants, the camera zooms onto the Wheel graphic, and a white light comes out of the hole replacing the proper center and reveals the show's set.
- The Wheel graphic is extremely inaccurate in numerous ways. It has 30 wedges (all cash), which are as follows: four red wedges (one of which is $350); two orange wedges (both using the same shade of that color, even though the then-current Wheel layout used two different shades of orange); four yellow wedges (two of which are $1,500); five green wedges ($500, $600, $700, $800, and $2,000); five blue wedges and two light blue ones (the then-current Wheel layout did not have blue on any standard cash wedges); and three purple wedges and four pink ones (which are in darker shades of those colors than on the actual Wheel). The inclusion of $1,500 and $2,000 is odd, as the former had been retired in 1996 and the latter has never been used on the nighttime show.
- For Seasons 22-23, the animation transitioning to and from the Prize Puzzle plug footage is changed to feature the Wheel graphic from the Season 22 title sequence zooming towards the camera from the top-right corner, tilting to the left, as it reveals the footage of the prize.
- For some reason, this opening sequence is sweetened with pre-recorded applause over the introductory fanfare and the "Wheel! Of! Fortune!" chant.
The show begins "sweetening" audience applause with a pre-recorded applause track at certain points during the show, such as the intro and Bonus Round wins. This same track can also be heard in at least the last few episodes of Hollywood Squares.
The Wheel is changed slightly:

A second-era Mystery Wedge.
- A second Gift Tag is added, on the pink $300 next to the red $900.
- The face value of the Mystery Wedges is increased from $500 to $1,000. Their color scheme is also changed: the wedges are now blue, with a black circle around an orange-yellow question mark, and dark blue number. Meanwhile, the text used for the Bankrupt on the reverse changes color from orange-yellow to dark blue. Also, the prize offered is sometimes $10,000 cash instead of a prize worth roughly $10,000.
The Toss-Up wipe keeps the same overall shape, but now uses Futura Extra Bold with golden lettering, and the pieces of the wipe "fly" into place quickly. Also, the circle changes to blue.
The maingame category strips are still white on dark blue, but darker than those in Season 21, and the edges of the blue field are more pronounced. The category name remains in Alternate Gothic, but the text is slightly taller and bolder. Also, the strips now reveal with a white "spark" effect. However, the Bonus Round category strips remain unchanged from Season 21.
The prize values and post-Bonus Round totals switch from Gill Sans (which they had used since Season 19) to Futura Extra Bold, with silver lettering, and the outlines are changed from white to black and become thinner than they were previously. The prize values are revealed by a white-gold comet which travels from the right side of the screen, and the post-Bonus Round totals turn into place with the same cyan light background that had been used since Season 19.
A small graphic now informs home viewers if there are no more vowels left in the puzzle. The first one features "NO MORE VOWELS" written in black Futura Condensed Extra Bold Oblique text on a yellow rectangle, which "pops" out of the category strip and makes a popping noise.
The Jackpot graphic at the beginning of the round is changed to a red outlined triangle with a yellow star and silver "JACKPOT" text in Futura Extra Bold. Also, the graphic showing the wedge "positioning" itself onto the Wheel is changed to have more of a CGI look to it, with a more pronounced gold border and a curved "JACKPOT" name in silver Futura Heavy text on a gold strip; this graphic features a larger gold star than the actual wedge, and also lacks the triangle.
The Jackpot display is changed to match the new graphic, except that the triangle appears there in silver, and the "JACKPOT" name is in yellow Futura Bold text on a silver rectangle; additionally, the rectangle showing the amount is changed to yellow-bordered silver, while the amount itself remains red.
The fireworks graphic for a Jackpot win is changed to a group of multi-colored fireworks which explode at the top of the screen.
The Mystery Round animation changes to the words "Mystery Round" written in Futura Bold on the same blue "starry sky" backdrop used for the main title animation and host chat, with spinning blue $1,000 wedges on either side and a blue question mark in the center of the screen.
The Final Spin now has a graphic wipe. The first one is similar to the first part of the Season 22 main title animation, in that it uses orange neon lettering with a light flashing many different colors and has the words "FINAL SPIN" written in lowercase on one bar and uppercase on the other; however, instead of using Arial Black, the Final Spin wipe has the lettering in Futura Extra Bold.
Likely by this point, "null" cycles are now edited out of Speed-Ups. They are typically masked by a jump cut to Pat.
The Bonus Wheel is redone in neon colors to match the set, and the solid-color wedges are changed to stars. The animations displayed before and after the second-to-last commercial break are updated to reflect the new design, and the colors for the envelopes flying out of the wheel in the post-commercial Bonus Wheel animation change as well - to orange for $25,000, teal for $30,000, blue for $35,000, purple for $40,000, yellow for $45,000, and red for $50,000.
A sound now plays when the Bonus Round puzzle is revealed.
The number graphics for the Bonus Round envelope amounts, which appear after their respective cash values have been won, are switched to Impact. Their colors are changed to green for the $100,000 prize and blue for all the others, but they still use gold on their borders. The $100,000 graphic, also seen after the post-commercial Bonus Wheel animation, now also has a fireworks background.
The Pat & Vanna talk backdrop is changed to the same blue "starry sky" used for the main title card.
This season's Toss-Up wipe, prize values and post-Bonus Round totals, "no more vowels" graphic, Jackpot graphics, Final Spin graphic wipe, and host chat backdrop all carry over into Season 23.

September 2004: (season begins September 6)

September 6 is American Adventures Week. During this week:
- The "swishing" sound is not present in the intro.
- There is a cylindrical prop with the Season 17 logo positioned to the viewer's right of the blue contestant. On the season premiere, Pat jokingly refers to it as a soft drink machine. This prop is only present during this week.
- The Prize Puzzle still does not have a graphic wipe, and the bug is still the same as in Season 21.
- The Mystery Prize offers a year's worth of travel courtesy of Southwest Airlines, for $10,000.
On September 6:
- A LivePlay logo appears during the intro, representing compatibility with a Tiger Electronics interactive home game which is ultimately never released.
- Fun & Games debuts, interestingly as the $2,000 Toss-Up.
- One "good" turn is edited out of Round 1. With one Gift Tag and the Free Spin, contestant Lindsey spins and calls a C, which is not in the puzzle. She hands in the Free Spin, and a P is showing in the puzzle LATHER RINSE REPEAT, despite not being present before she called the C. Also, she is holding both Gift Tags at the end of the round, although one of them is never seen being hit. It is not known why this was done, as the first three rounds did not run abnormally long.
On September 8, Best Seller debuts in Round 5.
On September 9, in a rather unusual move, the first Prize Puzzle of the season is a Before & After of LET THE GOOD TIMES ROLL WITH BUTTER, which awards a trip to New Orleans.
On September 10, a contestant solves the bonus puzzle GUITAR PICK with only the T, A, and R showing.
For the week of September 13, the Mystery prize is a $10,000 Sony gift card.
By the week of September 13, a wipe is added for the Prize Puzzle. The first one features three-dimensional silver letters on a "starry sky" blue background, just like the main title card, but the "PRIZE PUZZLE" name, written in center-aligned Futura Heavy, has gold edges on the lettering, and the letters quickly rise onto the screen from the bottom right-hand corner, one at a time, instead of spinning into place; also, the background has exploding fireworks in various colors (red, green, cyan, and white). The Prize Puzzle bug is updated to have the new text of the "PRIZE PUZZLE" name in light cyan lettering with light reflecting off it in many pastel colors; the new bug sometimes shifts to an alternate bug reading "Have Your SPIN ID Ready", where the "SPIN ID" text is represented by a miniature puzzle board similar to that found in the SPIN ID reveal plugs but with the same light background behind it, and the rest of the phrase is written in two curved, all-caps Futura Bold text elements, one above the mini-board and one below it. Like all the graphics listed in the "Season Changes" section above, this first Prize Puzzle wipe and its accompanying bugs remain in use throughout Season 23.
On September 13:
- For the only known time since early Season 20, Same Name is used in Round 4.
- There is a rare instance of a contestant referring to a previous episode's puzzle: after failing to solve her bonus puzzle, she says "I couldn't get HIPBONE either" (in reference to the February 17, 2004 show).
On September 15, the A in the bonus puzzle WAX FRUIT takes an extremely long time to reveal after Vanna touches it.
On September 20, a contestant solves the bonus puzzle MATH WHIZ with only the M and T showing.

October 2004:

On October 4, after the Round 3 puzzle FICTIONAL KING WITH THE GOLDEN TOUCH (Who Is It?), the "bonus" is thrown out when an audience member shouts out the answer of King Midas.
On October 5, the Round 3 puzzle SWIMMING AGAINST THE TIDE WITH BLEACH is only the second known Prize Puzzle to be categorized as Before & After.
On October 6, Fun & Games appears in the Bonus Round for the first time.
On October 7, there is a $6,400 Jackpot win.
October 11 is Going In Style Week. During this week, the Season 20 title card (without the "20th Anniversary" byline) is used on some monitors offstage.
On October 12:
- The $1,000 Toss-Up is only the second known instance of Occupations.
- All three contestants hit $2,500 consecutively in Round 1, the first two calling incorrect letters.
- Pat accidentally begins to throw to commercial after Round 1.
- Contestant Carolyn solves the bonus puzzle WISHY-WASHY with only the I and S's showing.
- During the closing, a montage of Vanna's outfits from various shows over the years is shown. Many of the outfit clips used in the montage were previously shown in the ceremonial 3,000th and 4,000th episodes; in addition, the rock-based music cue used resembles the music of the Robert Palmer song "Simply Irresistible", which played over the montage of Vanna's outfits in the 3,000th episode.
On October 16, for the first known time, Living Thing(s) is used twice: in Round 4 and the Bonus Round.
On October 18, a contestant sweeps the game but loses $25,000 in the Bonus Round.
October 25 is the last Halloween Week until Season 26.
On October 25, there is a $100,000 loss.
On October 27, for only the second known time, a contestant is asked to be more specific when answering a bonus question. After the Round 2 Slogan puzzle THE SOUP THAT EATS LIKE A MEAL, the contestant guesses Campbell's; upon being asked to be more specific, they do not provide the right answer of Campbell's Chunky.
On October 29:
- Nobody solves the $1,000 Toss-Up, RIGHT OFF THE BAT. The first contestant to ring in gives an incorrect answer with only the R missing, so neither of the other contestants get an opportunity to ring in.
- There is an $8,550 Jackpot win.
- Before Round 3, Pat acknowledges a group of Marines in the audience, who are then shown on-camera.
- The bonus puzzle ALMOND JOY is very misleadingly categorized as Around the House, perhaps due to being a Halloween episode. This may have been one of the reasons behind renaming On the Menu to Food & Drink in Season 24.
- In keeping with the Halloween theme of the episode, a special effect makes Pat and Vanna "disappear" during their closing chat.

November 2004:

On November 1, for only the third known time, a Before & After puzzle is used as a Prize Puzzle: specifically, IT'S NOT THE END OF THE WORLD SERIES OF POKER, which offers a trip to Las Vegas.
On November 4:
- There is a Jackpot win.
- Round 3 is a very non-sequitur puzzle of FLAMINGOS KOALAS & GIANT PANDAS, three animals which are not only extremely unrelated, but also native to completely different continents.
On November 5, during the Bonus Round Pat accidentally asks the winning contestant if he has any friends or family members in the audience, even though he was told during the commercial break that the contestant did not. Pat then blames his gaffe on "that damn ventriloquist" who was one of the other contestants.
The weeks of November 8 and 15 are taped at the Wachovia (now Wells Fargo) Center in Philadelphia; November 15 is Family Week. During these weeks:
- The Prize Puzzles inexplicably use the original Prize Puzzle bug; however, the wipe is still used, and the bug still shifts to "Have Your SPIN ID Ready".
- The Bonus Round graphics use a different disappearing effect, in which they fade out through gray with stars accompanying them. They use this effect on all later road shows of the season, and during the first six weeks of Season 23.
On November 16:
- Though the Round 1 puzzle is Living Things and is announced by Pat as such, the category strip accidentally says Living Thing for the entire round.
- Rounds 1 and 3 are played entirely by the teams that began them.
- The $3,000 Toss-Up and Bonus Round are Title.
On November 17:
- All three teams are composed of identical twins.
- Song Lyrics makes its first of only two known appearances in the Bonus Round.
On November 22:
- The Round 1 puzzle SURF'S & THUMBS UP is an extremely rare instance of a puzzle with only one vowel.
- After the Round 3 Headline puzzle U.S. SWIMMER MICHAEL PHELPS RULES THE POOL AT OLYMPICS, Pat asks where the 2004 Summer Olympics were held (Athens).
On November 23, the bonus puzzle FENWAY PARK is the fourth known and last appearance of Landmark in the Bonus Round.
Between November 19 and 23, three contestants in a row call their vowels out of order in the Bonus Round.

December 2004:

On December 2, after Round 1 is solved, the answer reveals like an unsolved bonus puzzle: the remaining letters appear one at a time, and the board's frame does not flash.
On December 13, the winning contestant leaves with only $6,550.
On December 14, a contestant fills in the bonus puzzle KEEPSAKE completely. The second K fails to reveal for several seconds after Vanna touches it.
On December 16, there is a $9,950 Jackpot win.
On December 20:
- There is a Jackpot win.
- Round 2's puzzle LIKE A BOWLFUL OF JELLY is a tie for the longest known puzzle with none of the five most common consonants.
- The $3,000 Toss-Up JINGLE-BELL ROCK is improperly hyphenated.
- Six rounds are played.
On December 22, a contestant solves the $3,000 Toss-Up FA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA with only the fifth A showing.
On December 28, the Round 2 puzzle EXTREME MAKEOVER: HOME EDITION is the first known use of a colon.

January 2005:

January 3 is NFL Week, with introductions from former Cleveland Browns running back Jim Brown.
During the week of January 3, in an extremely unusual and possibly unique move, all of the bonus puzzles are themed to the week.
By the week of January 3, the standard disappearing effect for the Bonus Round graphics is changed so that they "crush" themselves out of sight.
Between January 7 and 14, the $25,000 bonus prize is hit six times in a row.
On January 17, there is a $100,000 loss.
On January 20, there is a $100,000 loss, resulting in the first instance of that envelope being hit twice in a week.
All five Bonus Rounds are lost on the week of January 17, part of a seven-loss streak that extends to the 25th.
On January 26:
- When contestant Sylvia hits Lose A Turn in Round 2, the camera cuts away before it can fully zoom out to show the Lose A Turn graphic.
- Later in Round 2, contestant Raymond uses the Free Spin after a Lose A Turn only to land on Bankrupt.
- The Final Spin wipe appears later than usual. As a result, there is no wide shot of the spin.
On January 27, the Round 2 puzzle NEWLYWEDS: NICK AND JESSICA is only the second known use of a colon.
On January 28, the $3,000 Toss-Up CSI: MIAMI is only the third known use of a colon. Pat gives a joking overreaction to its presence. Interestingly, despite three being used in the course of only a month, they are not used again until September 2006.
January 31 is Teen Best Friends Week, from Wachovia Center in Philadelphia. During this week, the intro is "From Philadelphia, it's Teen Best Friends Week on…", followed by all of that week's players doing the "Wheel! Of! Fortune!" chant from center stage.

February 2005:

On February 1:
- The Prize is a pair of electric vehicles from Rad2go.com.
- Although a repeated M is called in Round 2, it is not acknowledged as such.
For no particular reason, the last three episodes of Teen Best Friends Week air out of order: the shows originally scheduled for February 2-4 air on the 4th, 2nd, and 3rd respectively.
On February 3, there is a $100,000 win, the first since May 21, 2003 and the only one of this season.
The weeks of February 7-21 are taped at the Las Vegas Hilton. On the Vegas episodes:
- The set features a black backdrop and is decorated with Vegas-esque lights, poker chip and dice props, and cards.
- The frames of the puzzle board are pink, and the board itself is equipped with neon lighting fixtures at the top and sides.
- The video screen graphic shows the wordmark on a starry blue background, with no Wheel.
- The video wall is replaced with an oversized replica of a slot machine, with video screens for the slots. They spin and beep at the beginning of each round, rotating among 7's, BARs, and cherries. They also show the cash amount during Toss-Up rounds, "Final Spin" during Speed-Up rounds, and "Jackpot" if the Jackpot is won. They also spin during commercial breaks and the credits.
- During the staff roll sequence, all credits from Executive Producer to Art Director are displayed on promotional signs atop taxis.
By February 7, the Mystery Round intro is changed to "Tonight's Mystery Round features this [prize]―[amount]!" over footage of the prize.
February 7 is Sweethearts Week.
On February 8, the Round 3 puzzle BILLY CRYSTAL & MEG RYAN AS HARRY AND SALLY is the first of two known instances of Stars & Roles.
February 14-25 is the You Could Be on Wheel of Fortune Sweepstakes, where home viewers may submit each day's bonus puzzle on the show's website. The grand prize is a VIP trip to Los Angeles hosted by the show's staff, with a chance to audition.
February 14 is Las Vegas Week.
On February 15, the Round 1 puzzle OCEAN'S ELEVEN & OCEAN'S TWELVE is a very rare instance of Titles.
On February 18:
- A contestant sets a new one-round record of $54,000 in the Speed-Up.
- The second-place contestant has $27,910.
- There is a $100,000 loss; the contestant would have set a one-day record of $160,150 had she solved.
February 21 is Big Money Week.
On February 23:
- Contestant Jess gives two wrong answers to the Round 3 puzzle MAGAZINE SUBSCRIPTION RENEWAL CARDS.
- The second-place contestant has $27,016.
On February 24, the $1,000 Toss-Up A DIAMOND IS FOREVER is the third of four known instances of Slogan being used as a Toss-Up. This is also the only known instance of the bonus question not being used despite the product's name (De Beers) not being in the puzzle.
On February 25, Vanna wears a shirt and pants.
All five Bonus Rounds are lost on the week of February 21.

March 2005:

On March 2, a Same Name (in Round 2) spells out AND.
On March 7:
- Six rounds are played.
- A contestant solves the bonus puzzle GRAVY BOAT despite getting no help from his extra letters.
Between February 21 and March 7, ten out of eleven Bonus Rounds are played for $25,000.
On March 10, a contestant solves the bonus puzzle KAYAKING with only the I, N, and G showing.
On March 21, the $1,000 Toss-Up CALGON TAKE ME AWAY is both the fifth known instance of a Slogan puzzle with the product's name in the answer and the fourth of four known instances of that category being used as a Toss-Up.
By the week of March 21 (World Class Spas Week), a rules summary for the Wheel Watchers Club is added at the end of the show, after the disclaimers but before Vanna's wardrobe credit.
On March 23, contestant Lea calls M P D A in the Bonus Round, which is shown correctly on the chyron, but the board operator mishears the P and lights up the B in the puzzle SUBWAY by mistake. She solves, and in the post-game chat, Pat says that they will let her keep the $25,000.
On March 25, the Round 3 puzzle BRITAIN'S PRINCE CHARLES ANNOUNCES ENGAGEMENT is inexplicably categorized as Event instead of Headline.

April 2005:

During the week of April 4, the Bonus Round graphics drop down from the screen.
On April 4, there is a $100,000 loss.
On April 6, the bonus puzzle THE BEACH BOYS is inexplicably categorized as Show Biz instead of Proper Name.
April 11 is the last Big Money Week until Season 28, and the last time it is used more than once in a season.
On April 11, nobody solves the $2,000 Toss-Up, WILD DINGO. The second wrong answer comes with only the second D missing, so the third contestant does not have a chance to ring in.
On April 12, nobody solves the $1,000 Toss-Up, TAKE IT TO THE BANK.
On April 15:
- As contestant Larry is in a wheelchair, he has his brother spin the Wheel for him.
- The second-place contestant has $23,800, of which $18,000 comes from the Speed-Up.
- Contestant Todd solves the bonus puzzle BAKE-OFF with only the A and E showing.
On April 19, contestant Amy sweeps the game and wins $25,000 in the Bonus Round.
On April 28, the Round 2 puzzle WRITER'S & H&R BLOCK is the only known Same Name to use more than one ampersand.

May 2005:

The weeks of May 2-16 are taped at Bartle Hall in Kansas City, Missouri.
May 2 is Mom & Me Week.
On May 2, there is a Jackpot win.
On May 6, a team solves the Speed-Up puzzle NON-STICK FRYING PAN with only the N's revealed.
May 16 is College Week.
May 23 is the last Wheel Goes to the Movies Week, although movie-themed weeks continue to air: Season 23 has Hollywood Walk of Fame in January, and Seasons 24-26 have Holiday Movie Magic sometime between Thanksgiving and Christmas.
On May 23, after the Quotation puzzle I'LL GET YOU MY PRETTY AND YOUR LITTLE DOG TOO!, Pat asks for the source of the quotation (The Wizard of Oz). This is the last time until November 8, 2011 that a "normal" category has an extra question (coincidentally, the exact same puzzle was used, albeit being categorized as Movie Quote).
On May 25, Round 4 is a very rare occurrence of Titles (HBO SHOWTIME & CINEMAX).
On May 26, a cycle of turns is edited out of the Jackpot round despite not being "null"; the cycle includes an incorrect A from contestant Karen, whose scoreboard reads $150 immediately after a $400 spin. This affects her final score, as she solves the puzzle and wins the game.
On May 27, the bonus puzzle FAWN is the only known four-letter bonus puzzle since BALI in November 2001.
On May 30, there is a $100,000 loss.

June 2005: (season ends June 3)

Season 23 (2005-06)

Season Changes:

From now until Season 29, the season premiere is always the first Monday after Labor Day.
For this season, some shows begin with one of three animated intros featuring people hurriedly getting ready to watch Wheel. Each animation ends with the last bar of the introductory fanfare and the title card appearing on a console television, with a wordmark in yellow-bordered maroon over a completely bare bluish-grey Wheel template on a dark blue background. After the audience chants, the "O" in "OF" zooms towards the camera on the TV to reveal the set, without the white light used in Season 22's intro sequence. When Pat and Vanna are introduced and walk onstage, the footage of this is shown on the TV in the animation, with the character(s) watching, and the animation sequence ends with the character(s) applauding. These intros are sometimes used by some affiliates in advertising for the show, and are never used during road shows. The intros themselves are as follows:
- In the first intro, a man is watching a newscast, with his cat sleeping on top of his armchair. The man looks over his watch and screams in shock, scaring the cat, and then rushes to take a bath, after which he comes out clean and fully clothed, as if he were getting ready for a date. Again, he looks over his watch, acts shocked, and hurries to make further preparations. He vacuums his floor (with the vacuum cleaner sucking up various articles of clothing and even half of the cat's fur), then responds to the sound of his doorbell to (hesitantly) pick up a pizza. After that, he is seen eating, with his box on a table with a lit candelabra on it (again, implying that he may have been expecting a date), and then aims his remote at the TV, switching it to Wheel. When the main title card appears, the cat again jumps on the armchair; this time, it somehow has all of its fur intact, and it wears an "I'm a Wheel Watcher" T-shirt where the text is in the same font as the logo and the "Wheel Watcher" part is arranged like the "Wheel" and "Fortune" in the traditional logo, with a wheel drawing in the center. The man's living room references the show with an autumn-hued fabric wheel, a picture with letter spaces reading "HOM_ SW__T HOM_", Wheel doilies on the armchair, and a Wheel-styled table. After Pat and Vanna walk out, the man does not applaud, but is instead shown still eating.
- In the second intro, a woman is burdened by the pressure of work, as she appears to be making a phone call and has numerous papers on her desk. Suddenly, a Wheel-style clock points to a yellow "wedge" reading QUITTIN' TIME, and when she sees this, she finishes her work and quickly hurries home, with a jetpack strapped to her back. When the jetpack runs out of fuel, the woman careens out of control, spinning a Wheel-styled merry-go-round in a playground, using telephone wires as a slingshot, and then drops her jetpack upon bouncing off a pizzeria awning and flies into a window of her home, and then onto her armchair. A TV remote drops down, and the woman catches it and turns the TV on, clutching her hands together as the show begins. This house features a picture of an old-fashioned bike with the Wheel as one of the wheels, and a Wheel rug.
- In the third intro, an African-American family is eating dinner when the family dog rolls up its fur on one leg to reveal a watch and, whining, points to it. The dog jumps on the dinner table and "spins" a Wheel-style plate, knocking down various food items and utensils in the process, and points to a cuckoo clock which then sounds. At this, the family hurries to finish their dinner, and rushes through the cleaning of their dinner plates (washing them with a hose instead of sink water, and then blow-drying them with a fan which carries them back into the cupboard), then runs into the living room on a skateboard which knocks over various toys (including blocks labeled W, O, and F, a Wheel-style top, and a toy car) before hitting a dollhouse. All of them fall onto the couch, and the dog then grabs the remote to turn on the TV, which displays the main title card.
The "swishing" sound is removed from the introductory fanfare.
Prize Puzzles now occur daily.
The video screen on the arch behind Pat is updated to this season's main title design.
The maingame category strips keep their same basic motif from Season 22 (white text on a blue strip), but the category names are switched from Alternate Gothic to Trade Gothic, and the strip itself is in a brighter shade of blue, with a lighting effect at the top that alternates color between white and yellow.
The "no more vowels" graphic now slides onscreen from the left, rather than popping into place.
Cars won in the Bonus Round are now available to Wheel Watchers Club members. Charlie reads the SPIN ID after describing the car.
The previous segment structure, which had been in use since the retirement of shopping in 1987, is retired and replaced with the current one. In the new structure, the first commercial break is moved from the end of Round 2 to the end of Round 1; Rounds 2 (Jackpot) and 3 (Mystery) are now in their own segments; and the commercial break between the Bonus Round and post-game chat is replaced with a short promotional plug.
During this season and the next, Pat often does amusing things during the Jackpot bumpers.
The Jackpot amount display changes from Impact to Trade Gothic.
The consolation for contestants who finish with $0, and the house minimum for a round, are both increased to $1,000. During episodes with two-person teams, both are $2,000.
The Wheel is altered again:
- The pegs are changed to thinner, silver-colored ones which make spins noticeably quieter.
- The Prize wedge moves to Round 1. Also, the camera no longer zooms in on it at the start of the round.
- The second Bankrupt now remains on the Wheel for Rounds 4 and beyond.
  
  A third-era Mystery Wedge.
- The Mystery Wedges are re-colored: the circles change from black to red, the question marks change from yellow to black, and the numbers are darkened. Also, the Bankrupt on the reverse changes to its present black-on-blue color scheme.
- A third Gift Tag is added, over the yellow $400 near Lose A Turn.
- The Prize wedge and Gift Tags are now removed from the Wheel after Round 3.
The "$3,000 bonus" categories begin occurring much less frequently.
The Mystery Round intro's animation wipe is removed.
The final part of the post-commercial Bonus Round intro spiel is shortened to "...or [a phrase varying from episode to episode] (with) up to $100,000 (cash)!", and the post-commercial Bonus Wheel animation is retired.
The Season 21 Bonus Round category strip and letter graphics use their Season 22 road show disappearing effect on Culver City shows, which remains until their retirement on October 24.
The Bonus Wheel is now seen during the closing. Previously, it (like the W-H-E-E-L envelope holder before it) was removed before the post-game chat and remained offstage for the credits.

September 2005: (season begins September 12)

For the first few weeks of the season only:
- When the Season 22 Wheel graphic animation appears in the Prize Puzzle plugs a second time, the color scheme is slightly different from the original: the yellow wedges gain an orange tint to them, the green wedges are switched to a different shade of that color (so as to match the green wedges on the actual Wheel), and the light blue wedges appear turquoise.
- The Final Spin graphic wipe replaces its low-pitched "whooshing" sound effect with the "swishing" sound from the Season 22 title sequence.
- Before the final commercial break, a montage of past Bonus Round wins appears with Charlie saying "Stay tuned: The $100,000 Bonus Round is coming up." Then the sequence switches to footage of a certain car being driven, at which point Charlie proceeds with "If [contestant's name] wins this [car], a lucky Wheel Watchers Club member will win one too! Have your SPIN ID ready: it could win you a spin in this [car make]!"
The week of September 12 is Wheel Around the World, in which the show looks at some of its international versions, showing one foreign version at the end of each episode (for example, the September 16 episode showcases the Belgian Dutch version, Rad van Fortuin). During this week, the Mystery Prize is a $13,185 Kia Rio.
On September 12:
- The Round 1 puzzle, LUXURY BOX OF KLEENEX, is the only known puzzle to have three X's in it.
- TV Title debuts in Round 2.
- In Round 3, contestant Gloria asks to buy a repeated O only three turns after Pat tells the contestants that all of the vowels have been bought, and ends up losing her turn. This affects the outcome.
- Despite the week's theme, no international version is shown at the end of the episode.
On September 16, the second-place contestant has $22,148.
All five Bonus Rounds are lost on the week of September 12, part of a ten-loss streak (counting the three losses that ended Season 22).
On September 19:
- The intro to the opening version of "Happy Wheels" is removed, except for the final bar. However, a few later episodes still use the full intro, which is retired for good by October 24.
- There are two sets of duplicate categories: the $1,000 Toss-Up and the Bonus Round are Phrase, Round 1 is Thing, and Round 3 is Things.
- Kurt Warner makes a guest appearance after the Round 1 puzzle GAME-WINNING TOUCHDOWN PASS.
- Movie Title debuts as the $3,000 Toss-Up.
Between September 20 and 27, six bonus puzzles in a row are Thing.
On September 21, contestant Shawn sweeps the game and wins $25,000 in the Bonus Round. A sweep with a Bonus Round win does not happen again until September 2009.
On September 22, seven rounds are played.
September 26 is the first of three Wheel Watchers Club weeks in the season. During these weeks, the Gift Tags award 10,000 Wheel Watchers Club Points/Sony Rewards Points and $1,000 cash.
During the week of September 26:
- The inner frame of the puzzle board is pink.
- Both times it appears, the Season 22 Wheel animation in the Prize Puzzle plugs uses its original color scheme.
- The Final Spin graphic wipe uses its original sound effect.
As of September 26, Mystery Rounds offering a Chevy Aveo still use a stock image of the car instead of footage of it being driven.
On September 26, the bonus puzzle A GULF is one of the last examples of a puzzle with a redundant A at the beginning.
On September 28:
- The $3,000 Toss-Up and Bonus Round are Fun & Games.
- In the Bonus Round, contestant Larry accidentally calls four consonants, then solves the bonus puzzle KICKBOXING with only the I's, N, and G revealed.
On September 29:
- There are two males and one female contestant.
- There is a $10,750 Jackpot win.

October 2005:

For the entire month, one of the Gift Tags awards $1,000 cash courtesy of AstraZeneca, and a $1,000 donation is made to breastcancer.org in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
On October 3, a graphic effect (added in post-production) is introduced that shows home viewers what is on the other side of a Mystery Wedge if it is landed on. Pat and Vanna discuss this during their closing chat.
On October 6, three females play.
All five Bonus Rounds are lost on the week of October 3.
The weeks of October 10-24 do not have any animated intros.
On October 10, Kurt Warner gives an introduction.
On the week of October 10 (Live Like a Star), a new title sequence debuts based around the new logo introduced at the beginning of this season; this sequence is used whenever the animated intros are not. The viewer initially sees only the bottom of the Wheel, with three lights (cyan, pink, and blue, from top to bottom) around it. The lights turn on from bottom to top, as the completely bare Wheel template tilts into view, and the maroon wordmark zooms into place. The audience applause in this introductory sequence is less audible than that in Season 22's intro. The contestants are now shown on-camera after Pat and Vanna walk out, but before the camera turns to the audience.
On October 13:
- Kurt Warner once again gives an introduction.
- Song Title debuts, as the $1,000 Toss-Up.
The week of October 17 is composed of sixth episodes.
On October 17, the Round 3 puzzle BRAD PITT & ANGELINA JOLIE AS MR. & MRS. SMITH is the second of two known instances of Stars & Roles being used.
October 18 is the sixth show from the previous week.
October 19 and 20 are the sixth shows from the weeks of September 26 and 19, respectively. As a result, these episodes do not use the graphic effect showing what is on the Mystery Wedge's reverse.
On October 21, a contestant solves the bonus puzzle SKUNK despite getting no help from their extra letters.
October 24 is the first College Week from Culver City. During this week:
- No marching band or cheerleading squad is present, and the contestants do not introduce themselves while walking onstage.
- The Mystery Round prize is a $10,000 Capital One credit card.
On October 24:
- The Jackpot wedge is changed to a silver wedge with a red outlined triangle, red star, and silver "Jackpot" text in Futura Extra Bold.
- The amount in the Jackpot display is switched to Alternate Gothic.
- The previous pre-commercial "Bonus Round coming up" spiel is reinstated.
- College Life debuts in Round 3.
- The Bonus Round category strip and letter graphics are changed to match the Season 23 main-game category strips and corresponding font scheme; also, the disappearing effect is changed so that they blur out of sight. Oddly, a few later episodes use the Season 21 Bonus Round graphics.
- Contestant Lauren ties the one-round record of $54,000 in the Speed-Up, and sets a new main-game winnings record of $66,350.
On October 25:
- Rock On! debuts in Round 3.
- The bonus puzzle BIG GULP is very misleadingly categorized as On the Menu; this may have been one of the reasons behind renaming the category to Food & Drink in Season 24.
On October 26:
- Although no vowels are bought in Round 1, contestant David accidentally calls U on the Prize and loses his turn.
- In Round 3, contestant Amy tries to buy an I despite having only $200.
On October 27:
- The Round 2 puzzle I'M LOVIN' IT (Slogan) is a now-rare instance of a maingame puzzle shorter than 10 letters.
- There is a Jackpot win.
From about this point onward, the Mystery Round prize is almost always $10,000 cash.
October 31 is the last NBA Week until Season 30. During this week:
- The total winnings of the week are matched and donated to charity for Hurricane Katrina relief, with a minimum of $100,000.
- The highest-scoring contestant of the week wins a VIP trip to the 2006 All-Star Game in Houston. This package includes airfare, hotel and VIP Access to all NBA All-Star Events. Also included are apparel from Reebok, a Spalding basketball package including hoops and balls, as well as autographed NBA memorabilia and a DirecTV System with NBA League Pass.
By the week of October 31, the Season 22 pre-commercial outro Bonus Wheel animation is reinstated.
On October 31, a team solves the bonus puzzle UNSUNG HERO despite getting no help from their extra letters.

November 2005:

On November 1, a team solves the bonus puzzle FOUL TROUBLE despite getting no help from their extra letters. This is the only known instance of this happening on consecutive episodes.
The weeks of November 7 and 14 are taped at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans. Hurricane Katrina forces the crew to evacuate, canceling a third week (Family Week) which would have been taped there. The teams scheduled for the third week eventually appear in May 2006.
During the New Orleans episodes:
- The opening sequence features a Mardi Gras parade in the background.
- Charlie's intro is "And now, come celebrate New Orleans with the stars of America's Game: Pat Sajak and Vanna White!"
- Rockin' Dopsie, Jr. and the Zydeco Twisters appear as a house band.
On November 7, Same Name and Before & After are used in the same game for the last time. Interestingly, both categories were also used on the previous show.
On November 8, In the Kitchen debuts as the $2,000 Toss-Up.
On November 10, the Prize Puzzle chimes do not sound after the Round 2 puzzle is revealed.
On November 14, there is a $100,000 win.
On November 15:
- Contestant Ben hits $2,500 three times in a row in Round 1.
- Ben does not solve the bonus puzzle, and is only one envelope away from the $100,000.
On November 16:
- There is a $7,400 Jackpot win.
- In Round 4, when contestant Brittany calls Z, Vanna accidentally begins to touch the first H in the puzzle CRUNCHY THIN CRUST PIZZA despite that letter having already been revealed. She corrects her mistake during the Final Spin wipe.
On November 17, the $2,000 Toss-Up DISCO FEVER (The 70s) is only the second known instance of a "decade" category being used as a Toss-Up.
Round 1 is edited out on November 16, and the $1,000 Toss-Up is edited out on the 17th. Both puzzles were removed because their answers were deemed insensitive to Hurricane Katrina victims. In place of the rounds, viewers see clips of Pat and Vanna asking viewers to donate to relief funds, then announcing who won the round. When the episodes are rerun in Summer 2006, the Toss-Up is restored (its answer being THE LOUISIANA SUPERDOME), but Round 1 of the November 16 show is replaced with another clip of Pat and Vanna thanking those who donated.
November 21 is Teen Best Friends Week, and the first in Culver City since Season 20.
On November 21, there is $100,000 win.
On November 22, a Same Name (in Round 2) spells out AND.
The week of November 28 (Holiday Shopping) does not have any animated intros.
On November 28, contestant Valerie solves the bonus puzzle FOLK TALE despite getting no help from her extra letters.

December 2005:

On December 2, Best Seller makes its only appearance in the Bonus Round. The puzzle, JOY OF COOKING, is not solved.
The week of December 5 (5-Star Resorts) has animated intros on Monday, Tuesday, and Friday.
On December 7:
- Round 4 is TV Title, and the Bonus Round is Title; this is the last time that category is used there.
- There is a $100,000 loss.
On December 8, there is a $7,350 Jackpot win.
From December 12 until the end of the season, the animated intros are used on on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday only.
On the week of December 12:
- The show holds the "Sony Winner Wonderland Sweepstakes". Home viewers may collect game pieces from Circuit City stores or the show's website. If an episode's bonus puzzle matches the answer on a game piece, the home viewer may send in the piece for a chance to win a $25,000 prize. All prizes this week are Sony products, making for a now-rare occurrence of Wheel prizes that are not trips or cash.
- The Jackpot Round is sponsored by Eggland's Best Eggs. In the sponsor plug, Charlie misreads "omega-3s" as "omega three ess", as was the case in Eggland's plugs on certain episodes of Seasons 21-22.
- The Final Spin graphic wipe returns to using its original sound effect, which remains until the end of the season.
On December 13, there is an $11,350 Jackpot win.
On December 15:
- There is a $6,750 Jackpot win.
- Nobody solves the $3,000 Toss-Up, BUDDY MOVIE.
The week of December 19, 'Tis the Season, is the second holiday-themed week that has a name other than Happy Holidays. On this week, for the first time, SPIN ID winners also receive $50,000 in cash if they have a Sony Card.
December 21 begins a streak of seven consecutive Bonus Round losses, spread over two weeks.
On December 23, Rhyme Time makes only its second known appearance in the Bonus Round; it is also one of the only known instances of it being used for a one-word answer (HODGEPODGE).
During the week of December 26 (Let It Snow), four contestants land on the same car (a Chevy HHR) in the Bonus Round.
On December 27, there is an $8,300 Jackpot win.
On December 30, a contestant solves the bonus puzzle HOMEBODY with only the M and E revealed, after which Pat pretends to frisk him.

January 2006:

On January 3, the $2,000 Toss-Up SNOOPY'S DOGHOUSE is the first known instance of Fictional Place being used in a Toss-Up.
On January 4:
- Both the $2,000 Toss-Up and Bonus Round are Living Thing, only the second known time that category has been duplicated.
- A contestant solves the bonus puzzle HEIFER despite getting no help from her extra letters.
On January 6, Rock On! is used as a Toss-Up (the $1,000) for the first of only two known times.
January 9 is Hollywood Walk of Fame week, the first movie-themed week that isn't in May or called Wheel Goes to the Movies. This week, in particular, is intended to anticipate Vanna getting her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. In addition to the usual movie-themed set decorations, this week also features an instrumental of the song "Hooray for Hollywood" as the music cue for when Pat and Vanna walk out.
On January 9, On the Menu appears in the Bonus Round for the last time.
When the January 10 show is rerun in the Summer, the Pat & Vanna talk is replaced with a clip of Vanna getting her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
On January 11, six rounds are played.
All five Bonus Rounds are won on the week of January 16, part of an eight-day winning streak.
On January 17:
- All three contestants ring in but do not solve the $2,000 Toss-Up, BAGGAGE HANDLER.
- There is a Jackpot win.
On January 19, there is a $10,450 Jackpot win.
On January 20:
- For the first time, a sixth episode (specifically, from January 30) airs before the rest of its corresponding week.
- A contestant solves the bonus puzzle HOUSEFLY despite getting no help from their extra letters.
January 23 is the last NFL Players Week, taped at the Broward County Convention Center in Fort Lauderdale. During this week, the highest scoring contestant of the week wins a VIP trip to Super Bowl XL in Detroit, with access to Player's Parties. Also included are a Reebok Gift Certificate, Sirius Satellite Radio, autographed merchandise by Players, Inc., and more.
On January 24, there is a $100,000 win.
January 30 is Viva Las Vegas Week, taped in Culver City with the slot machine backdrop from the February 2005 Vegas shows.
On January 30, In the Kitchen appears in the Bonus Round for the first time.
On January 31, six rounds are played.

February 2006:

On February 2, a contestant accidentally calls S and T in the Bonus Round.
On February 3, a contestant solves the bonus puzzle A BRIGHT FUTURE despite getting no help from their extra letters.
The weeks of February 6-20 are taped at the Broward County Convention Center in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. During these weeks, the floor is blue with "Fort Lauderdale" in script in the center, accompanied by that city's shield.
February 6 is Sweethearts Week, and the first one that does not air on the week closest to Valentine's Day.
On February 6, there is a $100,000 win.
February 8 starts a streak of seven consecutive Bonus Round losses spread over two weeks.
On February 9, there is a $9,300 Jackpot win.
On February 16, there is a $100,000 loss.
On February 17, nobody solves the $1,000 Toss-Up, RISE AND SHINE.
During the week of February 20 (Welcome Aboard), the Final Spin chimes are used as a ship's bells.
On February 20:
- Vanna wears a sleeveless shirt and pants.
- Two females play.
On February 21:
- The second-place contestant has $26,598.
- Classic TV makes its second of only two known appearances in the Bonus Round.
On February 23, there is an $8,300 Jackpot win.
On February 24, two males play.
February 27 is Soap Stars Week, with teams composed of a contestant and a soap opera star. During this week:
- The stars are Kristoff St. John, Lorenzo Lamas, and Kamar de los Reyes on Monday; Ty Treadway, Lisa Rinna, and Jack Wagner on Tuesday; Susan Flannery, Peter Bergman, and Deidre Hall on Wednesday; Michelle Stafford, Corbin Bernsen, and Alison Sweeney on Thursday; and Galen Gering, Rebecca Herbst, and Ricky Paull Goldin on Friday.
- The opening features the two-row logo on a purple swirled background. Charlie's intro is, "Tonight, on Wheel of Fortune Soap Stars Week…" followed by a clip of each star's soap (with the name of the soap in white on a purple banner) and a description of both the star and his/her character as the star walks onstage. A unique piece of opening music is used, composed by Michael Andreas.
- The soap stars' nametags have golden letters and outlines.
- The Prize wedge (sponsored by Soap.com) is on the yellow $400 two wedges counterclockwise from Lose A Turn. This is probably done to prevent the red wedge from being next to the red $800. As a result, there are only two Gift Tags on the Wheel this week.
- The contestant window in the Bonus Round is a gray television set.
- Home viewers may submit each day's bonus puzzle to the show's website for a chance to win a trip to New York City, including a behind the scenes look at One Life to Live.
On February 27, the Jackpot wedge and second Bankrupt are accidentally placed on the orange $800 and green $500, one wedge clockwise from their usual positions.
On February 28, Jack Wagner and contestant Christine Denos win $100,000 in the Bonus Round, and set a new one-day winnings record of $142,550.

March 2006:

On March 1, alongside clips of the stars' soaps, a clip of Pat on a 1983 episode of Days of Our Lives is shown during the intro.
On March 2:
- There is an $8,000 Jackpot win.
- The game ends in a tie. Interestingly, this is caused by a member of the red team wasting her time by saying "I know it!" and not saying the answer GETTING AWAY WITH MURDER until after the buzzer, followed by the yellow team calling H (even though the two W's had not been revealed) and solving. As was the case on March 13, 2003, it is broken by a fourth Toss-Up.
On March 3, Round 4 is PINOCCHIO, suggesting that Rounds 1-3 ran overtime. This is also a now-rare instance of a maingame puzzle shorter than 10 letters.
The week of March 6 does not have any animated intros.
On March 13:
- Two males play.
- Vanna is not in place when the $1,000 Toss-Up is revealed, causing Pat to joke around for a few seconds before she steps into place.
On March 14, there is a $100,000 loss.
On March 17, two males play.
March 20 is the second Wheel Watchers Club week.
On March 20, two males play.
On March 27, six rounds are played.
On March 28, the winning contestant, Mark, is the husband of January 12's top winner, Jen.

April 2006:

April 3 is Armed Forces Week. During this week, the video screen on the arch behind Pat uses the March 2004 remake of the Season 17 logo.
On April 6, there is a $10,500 Jackpot win.
On April 7, the bonus puzzle JAZZ GUITAR is inexplicably categorized as Show Biz.
On April 11:
- The Gift Tag is $1,000 cash courtesy of Hawaiian Tropic.
- Contestant Barb solves the bonus puzzle BOLIVIA with only the L and A showing.
On April 14, Round 5 and the Bonus Round are Around the House.
On April 17, contestant Susan mentions that her mother was on the show 20 years ago.
On April 18:
- There are two males and one female contestant.
- A contestant solves the bonus puzzle A GOOD FIT with only the A and T showing.
On April 19, there is a $10,800 Jackpot win.
On April 25:
- Charlie does not announce the Rock On! category when it appears in Round 1.
- In Round 2, contestant Corinne lands on the Jackpot wedge three times in a row; on the third of these, she calls a wrong letter.
On April 28:
- Six rounds are played.
- There is a $100,000 loss.

May 2006:

The weeks of May 1-15 are taped at the Colorado Convention Center in Denver.
May 1 is Great Outdoors Week.
On May 4:
- There is a Jackpot win.
- The $1,000 Toss-Up is Song Title, and Round 3 is Title.
May 8 is Mom & Me Week.
On May 8, Pat and Vanna mention during the closing chat that there is a woman named Vana White in the audience, and then introduce her.
On May 12:
- Round 4 is MANICURIST, suggesting that Rounds 1-3 ran extremely long.
- In keeping with the Mother's Day theme of the week, the closing features a montage of family photos and videos related to Vanna's childhood, plus her pregnancy announcements and the on-air introductions of her children. It ends with Niko and Giovanna, on the generic set, wishing her a happy Mother's Day.
May 15 is College Week. It is also the Text Me to Paradise Sweepstakes. During this week, home viewers may text the Bonus Round answer to a special number for a chance to win prizes. The grand prize is a one-week trip for four to Hawaii. The week is promoted by bumpers showing all 15 college contestants in front of the puzzle board, which reads "TEXT ME TO PARADISE" on the top two rows.
On May 15, there is a $100,000 win.
May 22 is Family Week from Culver City, consisting of teams originally planned for the canceled New Orleans tapings.
On May 24, the Round 4 puzzle THE NEVILLE BROTHERS is the first known instance of Family naming a specific family instead of the individual members
The week of May 29, Wheel Across America, does not have any animated intros. Instead, Vanna promotes the week's theme at the top of the show.
On May 30, the Round 1 puzzle TURKEY DINNER WITH ALL THE FIXINGS is on the second through fourth rows of the board.

June 2006: (season ends June 9)

On June 1, Round 4 is the last appearance of On the Menu.
June 2 and 5 feature a very rare occurrence of Song/Artist appearing on two consecutive shows (PIANO MAN BY BILLY JOEL on the 2nd, WONDERFUL TONIGHT BY ERIC CLAPTON on the 5th).
On June 2, nobody solves the $3,000 Toss-Up, NAMBY-PAMBY.
June 5 is the third Wheel Watchers Club week, composed of sixth episodes.
June 5's sixth-show taping is of the previous week.

Season 24 (2006-07)

Season Changes:

Wheel and Jeopardy! abandon standard-definition (SD) broadcasting and become the first syndicated programs, as well as two of the first game shows, to transition to high-definition television (HDTV). The various HD improvements for the two shows represent a combined investment of approximately $4,000,000 plus 5,000 hours of labor and six miles of cable. Whereas on HD broadcasts the shows are now displayed with an aspect ratio of 16:9, on SD broadcasts they continue to be displayed with an aspect ratio of 4:3.
The animated intros seen throughout most of Season 23 are retired. The opening for this season features a golden two-row logo on a graphic of the Wheel, starting with a gold "center" dropping into the Wheel graphic, which contains a purple $500 in place of $550, a light purple $400 in place of $450, a dark purple $800 in place of $350, and a red $600 in place of $800. For the season premiere week (and its sixth show taping), there is a flashback clip during Charlie's "Ladies and gentlemen..." announcement.
"Happy Wheels" is given a new re-orchestration by Frankie Blue. The opening and closing music beds are changed accordingly; this season's opening music is used only for this season. The new closing music bed lacks the sample of the 1997 "Changing Keys". Additionally, the theme finishes playing when the credits do; previously, the credits sequences ended mid-theme.
A "Presented in SONY HD" bug is added at the start of the program, in which the "Presented in" is displayed to look like the puzzle board, with the letters turning into view. After the season premiere week, the bug is changed to "Presented in Wheel of Fortune HD", with a gold two-row logo.
Certain areas of the studio are upgraded to accommodate for the transition to HD: the staging area is extended to allow for a wider view of the set, with approximately 60 seats removed from the audience area in the process; the control room is rebuilt to support the new HD content; and the post-production facility is upgraded with new hardware and software to allow editing of the new HD video.
The Wheel is also altered significantly to accommodate for the transition to HD:
- The wedges now have sparkly outlines around the digits and lettering, instead of just solid white outlines.
- The previous color scheme, used since Season 14, is altered in favor of a new scheme: the orange $900 becomes pink; the orange-yellow $300 becomes red; and the orange-yellow $500, red $600, and the pink $300 between $400 and Lose A Turn become blue. This is the first time that no wedges on the Wheel have been orange-yellow, the first time that green and blue wedges have coexisted, and the first time since the Season 14 overhaul that blue has been used. According to Sony Pictures Television, the color scheme was changed to make the Wheel look more vibrant.
- The fonts on the top dollar values ($2,500, $3,500, and $5,000) and the reverse of the $10,000 Wedge are changed to match the rest of the Wheel and are also given outlines and shadows. In addition, the top dollar wedges' colors become more sparkly and brighter.
- The lettering on the Free Spin token is now given a shadow, and "SPIN" is also given a sparkly outline.
- The numbers are lightened on the Mystery Wedges.
- The second Bankrupt is finally fixed so that its font size matches the permanent Bankrupt, which had been altered around January 2003.
The Toss-Up wipe changes to Cosmos Bold, and reverts to "flipping" into place. This style is kept through Season 26.
The Toss-Up and main puzzle-solve cues introduced in Season 20, as well as the original music cue for Bonus Wheel spins, are changed to their current counterparts, written by Frankie Blue.
- The new main puzzle-solve cue is a whole-step higher than the previous one's; additionally, the final note is not extended, as was the case with the previous cue.
- The Bonus Wheel spin music cue retains its original key and tempo, but it has a different piano melody accompanied by drums.
The logo bug in the bottom left-hand corner is changed from transparent to gold, and is only shown during the intro and shots of the board.
The graphic of the traditional logo that occasionally appears as a bug as the show breaks to commercial is changed from the design used since Season 17: the Wheel in the center and the previous yellow outline are excluded; the general color scheme is changed from starry blue to rainbow; and the letters are changed from white to gold, except for the "of", which is now written on a gold disc in the center.
The Round 1 prize plug begins and ends with a graphic of the Wheel dipping down from the top of the screen and briefly framing the trip graphics.
The Jackpot graphic is given a red border with the gold word "JACKPOT" on the thick top of the border, and the triangle is changed to a gold star. Additionally, the Jackpot display is updated to match the new graphic design, and the rectangle is changed back to gold-bordered red with gold text. Both the graphic and display have the "JACKPOT" name switched to Cosmos Bold, and the amount in the display is changed to Arial.
For the graphic of the Jackpot wedge positioning itself onto the Wheel, the wedge is updated to reflect the new design of the graphic used at the beginning of the round, as well as the new silver coloration of the wedge itself. Additionally, the shot of the Wheel is updated for the first time since Season 18.
Letters called on the Jackpot wedge are now worth $500 each, plus $500 toward the Jackpot, regardless of whether or not it is won.
The category strips are changed again, keeping the white-on-blue motif but adding a slight sunburst effect to the blue field; also, the font is changed to Cosmos. The Bonus Round category strip no longer has distinct ends, and it now reveals by sliding onto the screen (with the name already on the strip) while the letters RSTLNE move into place diagonally, one letter at a time.
The "no more vowels" graphic is now white curved text in Cosmos, with a rainbow background. It now uses a fireworks sound effect.
Starting this season, the Culver City studio audience no longer reacts regularly to notable spins such as the top dollar value.
For the intro to the two sponsors after the first commercial break, "the following" is added after "brought to you by".
The Prize Puzzle and Final Spin graphic wipes are now those words written in gold text in Cosmos Bold, with the same multicolored wheel background used for the Round 1 prize plug.
The Prize Puzzle bug is changed to match the new Prize Puzzle graphic wipe's text, and the SPIN ID bug is altered to show a teal disc with a spinning aquamarine border; "Have Your SPIN ID Ready" becomes "Get Your SPIN ID Ready" (albeit only for this season), and "SPIN ID" is written in gold Helvetica Condensed text while the rest of the phrase is positioned on the spinning border, written in black Arial text.
The Wheel Watchers Club's logo is changed to its current counterpart. In the new logo, the background Wheel graphic is removed; the word "Club", which had previously been light blue, is changed to gold to match the "WHEEL WATCHERS" text, is no longer underlined, and the original proprietary script font is retired in favor of Brush Script MT; and the "WHEEL WATCHERS" text, which had previously used the unofficial "SF Fortune Wheel" font, is switched to Bauhaus.
The first line of the SPIN ID reveals (after the contestant is congratulated by Charlie) is changed to "Hey, Wheel Watchers Club members, if this is your SPIN ID number, [SPIN ID number], you're a winner." The SPIN ID reveal plug also gains a new background, in which yellow is removed from the list of possible color schemes, leaving only green, blue, and purple; the "mini-board" showing SPIN IDs has the font changed to Lucida Sans for both the "SPIN I.D." text and the ID itself, the coloration of the border changed from blue and pink to orange-yellow, and the color of the empty panel changed to bluish-teal; and the "PRIZE PUZZLE" bug and accompanying disclaimer are removed from the plug.
The background for the Sony Card graphic wipe after SPIN ID draws is changed from dark blue with a transparent Wheel to bright blue with outlined wedge shapes representing the Wheel.
After the first letter reveal in Round 3, a graphic now drops down from the top of the screen to show the contestants' names and scores at that point. The first graphic is a red-yellow-blue gradient with white text in Eras Bold. This graphic is sometimes used during Round 4 as well if it does not begin as a Speed-Up.
The Bonus Wheel animation is retired, replaced before the last commercial break with a $100,000 graphic.
The prize values and post-Bonus Round totals change to gold text in Cosmos, with rainbow backgrounds.
The number graphics for the Bonus Round envelope amounts are switched to Cosmos Bold, and become gold with rainbow backgrounds.
The Pat & Vanna talk backdrop is now purple with the show's logo at the top, and the starfield is now less pronounced.
The sponsor list, eligibility and editing disclaimers, Wheel Watchers Club rules summary, credits, and copyright notice are switched from Albertus MT (used since Season 18) to their current font, Eras Bold. Additionally, the position labels for all credits from Executive Producer to Associate Director are switched to uppercase, as is the "Created By" in Merv Griffin's credit; the names in the credits switch from white to light yellow, and the "All Rights Reserved" notice switches from white with mixed case to tan and uppercase.
On early episodes of this season:
- The video screen on the arch behind Pat features the same variant of the traditional logo seen during some commercial breaks, on a blue "starry sky" background similar to, but not the same as, that from Seasons 22-23. However, the screen is soon updated to the standard Season 24 main title design, and continues to be updated for each new season.
- In the Bonus Round, RSTLNE and the contestant's letter choices are initially in Arial, but are soon switched to Cosmos Light.
- The "$100,000" graphic at the beginning of the Bonus Round is green like its previous version (albeit in a lighter shade of that color than it was previously), and has a gold fireworks background. However, this is soon changed to match the color scheme of the new Bonus Round envelope amount graphics.
- The prize values flip into place and the post-Bonus Round totals spin into place, but soon these animations are changed so that both zoom in. When the animations are changed, the font changes to Cosmos Bold.
- The Season 22 graphic of the spinning Wheel remains in use as a transition graphic for Prize Puzzle plugs on much of this season's episodes. By Season 25, this graphic is retired for good.
Wheel's transition to HD and all the aesthetic changes that come with it represent the most visual changes of any season in the nighttime show's history.
This season's category strips, Bonus Round letter graphics, Prize wedge transition effect, prize values and post-Bonus Round totals, Jackpot graphics, and Final Spin graphic wipe all carry over into Season 25. The retaining of the Season 24 category strips for Season 25 ends the tradition started in Season 18 of changing the maingame category strip design at the start of each season.

September 2006: (season begins September 11)

On September 11:
- On the Menu is renamed Food & Drink in Round 1.
- The slide whistle does not sound when a contestant finds a Bankrupt on the reverse of a Mystery Wedge.
On September 14, Pat forgets to open the bonus envelope. He shows it in the final segment.
On September 15, contestant Matt solves the bonus puzzle FUEL GAUGE despite getting no help from his extra letters.
On September 19, Round 5 and the Bonus Round are Place.
On September 22, all three contestants hit penalty wedges consecutively in Round 4 (a Bankrupt and two Lose A Turns).
On September 26:
- There is a promo for the Sony Pictures Animation movie Open Season, which is also part of the Round 1 prize, before the opening.
- The bonus puzzle FICUS is the first five-letter one since October 21, 2005.
On September 27:
- Again, Round 5 and the Bonus Round are Place.
- The bonus puzzle has a redundant "the" at the beginning (THE FAIRWAY).
On September 28:
- A "null" cycle is not edited out of the Speed-Up.
- Contestant Robin wins by $50.
- The original bonus puzzle is thrown out after Robin calls her letters, apparently because it was realized that she did not spin the Bonus Wheel all the way around. The replacement puzzle, WAVE GOODBYE, is inexplicably categorized as Thing instead of Phrase.
- Robin leaves with $8,150, which appears to be the lowest total since Prize Puzzles began occurring daily until April 2010.

October 2006:

During the week of October 2, the prize plug for one of the Mystery Rounds uses the Season 22 backdrop and prize value font, for unknown reasons.
On October 4:
- Rounds 2, 3, and 4 are played entirely by the person who began them.
- Neither Bankrupt nor Lose A Turn is hit.
On October 5, there is a $16,000 Jackpot win, very likely a record.
All five Bonus Rounds are lost on the week of October 2.
On October 10, there is a $100,000 loss.
On October 13, the right-letter ding is accidentally used on the only turn of the Speed-Up.
On October 17, Food & Drink makes its first appearance in the Bonus Round. The contestant solves the puzzle HOT WINGS despite getting no help from their letters.
On October 18, Bankrupt is hit five times in Round 3, with the last three being consecutive. The Bankrupt Mystery Wedge is also hit, but it is not flipped.
On October 20, two males play.
October 23 is College Week, from Culver City.
On October 23:
- The Jackpot wedge changes to match the Jackpot graphic introduced at the beginning of the season.
- The Wild Card debuts on $700. As a result, the Gift Tag formerly on that space moves back to the yellow $400 near Lose A Turn for at least this episode. Interestingly, the card remains on the Wheel after Round 3.
- The Mystery Round prize is a $10,000 Capital One credit card.
- For the remainder of Season 24, the Mystery Round again has an intro animation wipe, this time with "MYSTERY ROUND" in gold Cosmos text on a purple light background.
October 25 begins a streak of eight consecutive Bonus Round losses, spread out over two weeks.
On October 27, Round 3 is the last appearance of Who Said It?
The weeks of October 30-November 13 are taped at the Nokia (now Verizon) Theatre at Grand Prairie in Dallas, Texas. October 30 is Best Friends Week.

November 2006:

On November 2, Pat forgets to take the yellow team's Wild Card after they land on Bankrupt during Round 3; this is corrected by the end of the round via editing.
By November 2, the gift tag over the yellow $400 is removed, leaving only the one over the pink $300.
Before the November 2 taping session, audience members are asked to "simulate reactions" for the pitchfilms to pilots of Combination Lock and a revival of The Joker's Wild; the pitchfilm itself is shot after the November 3 taping session. Notably, the latter pilot uses the slot machine prop first seen on the Las Vegas episodes in February 2005. While planned for a Fall 2007 launch, neither show makes it to series.
During the week of November 6, the Mystery Round prize is a $13,210 Toyota Yaris.
On November 8:
- Nobody solves the $2,000 Toss-Up, STAR POWER.
- A "decades" category appears for the last regular time until Season 30 (The 90s, in Round 3).
- The bonus puzzle is JULY FOURTH, coincidentally the day this episode is rerun in 2007.
On November 9, two males play.
November 10 and 13 feature a very rare occurence of Family appearing on two consecutive shows (JESSICA & ASHLEE SIMPSON on the 10th, OWEN & LUKE WILSON on the 13th). Interestingly, these are also this season's only two uses of that category.
November 13 is Family Week.
On November 14, the bonus puzzle is a Phrase, but the category strip says Thing by mistake.
By November 15, the second Bankrupt is once again removed from the Wheel if Round 4 begins as a Speed-Up.
On November 15, the Wild Card is used in the Bonus Round for the first time; although the extra letter is not in the puzzle, it is solved. Interestingly, it is used in the Bonus Round again the next day.
On November 20:
- The opening is preceded by a clip of Vanna teaching a group of seals to do the title chant.
- The Wild Card is placed too low, exposing part of the dollar sign on the green $700.
- The Round 2 puzzle THE CROCODILE HUNTER (itself categorized as Show Biz instead of TV Title) is used as a Prize Puzzle for a trip to Australia. After the prize copy, Pat's recap of the scores and throw to commercial are replaced with a clip of him explaining that the episode was taped before the death of Steve Irwin on September 4.
- The Wild Card is used in the main game for the first time; contestant Elizabeth uses it on $3,500 successfully in Round 3.
On November 21, no vowels are bought in Rounds 1 or 4.
On November 22, five consecutive wrong letters are called in the Speed-Up; unusually for this era, none are edited out.
On November 24, a "null" cycle is once again not edited out of the Speed-Up.
On November 27, contestant Todd uses the Free Spin after hitting Lose a Turn in Round 3 only to land on that wedge again.
On November 28, the $1,000 Toss-Up is Song Title, and Round 3 is TV Title.
On November 29, the bonus puzzle THE LONG JUMP is inexplicably categorized as Event instead of Fun & Games.
On November 30:
- There is an $8,900 Jackpot win.
- The second-place contestant has $25,100.
All five Bonus Rounds are lost on the week of November 27. This is part of a nine-loss streak spanning from November 22 to December 4.

December 2006:

December 4 is the first Holiday Movie Magic week.
On December 5:
- The $1,000 Toss-Up and Round 2 are Event.
- There is a $100,000 win.
On December 6, for the first time, the extra letter provided by the Wild Card is in the bonus puzzle.
All five Bonus Rounds are lost on the week of December 11. This is part of a seven-loss streak spanning from the 8th to 18th.
On December 11, for the first known time since no later than February 2001, a "null" cycle is not edited out of a regular round (Round 2; an incorrect L, a Bankrupt from a contestant with no money or cardboard, and an incorrect N).
The combined winnings for the week of December 11 are $124,350, the lowest one-week winnings of the Toss-Up era.
On December 18, the "drop down" graphic in Round 3 changes to red, yellow, and blue rectangles with rounded tops, resembling the shape of a Nintendo 64 cartridge.
On December 21:
- There is an $11,200 Jackpot win.
- During the closing segment, a cameraman shows the view from Pat's position at the Wheel.
On December 22, Song Lyrics makes its second of only two known appearances in the Bonus Round.
The week of December 25 is Spirit of the Season, using the set from the previous season's Denver shows.
On December 25:
- The King World closing logo introduced to the show on September 6, 1999 is replaced with the distributor's final logo. Changes from the 1999 logo are as follows: The backdrop changes color, from a golden sunset to sky blue; the clouds are gray instead of golden-brown; the "KING WORLD" text is now tilted up, is in a slightly brighter shade of blue, and gains a 3-D appearance with a silver trim; instead of scanning through the sky, the wordmark flies outward and settles itself in the center; the "DISTRIBUTED BY" byline is smaller and narrower than it was previously, and is now in italic text; and the booming thunderclap and "airy" musical backdrop are replaced by an ominous wind sound followed by a "glittery" sound.
- The copyright year now precedes the name of Califon Productions in the copyright notice. Previously, the year had followed the name.
On December 26, there is a $9,000 Jackpot win.
On December 27, the Wheel Prize is a $5,000 gift card for The Home Depot.

January 2007:

January 1 is Las Vegas Week, taped in Culver City. It uses the slot machine background from the February 2005 Vegas shows.
On January 3:
- The second-place contestant has $28,750.
- The original bonus puzzle is thrown out due to some sort of error in revealing the letters. Strangely, the Bonus Wheel spin is also reshot with a dummy envelope in place, but the contestant still plays for the prize that was picked on the original spin.
On January 4:
- There is a $7,350 Jackpot win.
- Vocal group Il Divo reads the Prize copy while promoting their new album Siempre. During the closing segment, they perform in front of the puzzle board which reads "IL DIVO" on the top row. Everyone in the audience receives a copy of Siempre.
On January 8, six rounds are played.
January 9 is the sixth episode from College Week.
One episode from the week of January 15 inexplicably has the year follow the Califon Productions name in the copyright notice.
On January 18, two males play.
On January 19, contestant Andy uses the Wild Card on $400, the lowest known value for such use.
For the week of January 22, and its sixth episode, all episodes (which follow the two females/one male contestant rule) have male winners.
On January 22, nobody solves the $2,000 Toss-Up, SPAM FILTER.
On January 24, a contestant loses $29,950 to Bankrupt.
On January 25, a contestant has his fiancée spin the Wheel for him.
On January 26, six rounds are played.
January 29 is Teen Best Friends Week.
On January 29, one team's Wild Card is not taken away after they hit Bankrupt. The mistake is never realized, and they even go to the Bonus Round with it, but do not solve the bonus puzzle.
On January 30, there is a rare instance of a team losing their turn with only vowels remaining. With only the O's missing from the Round 2 Prize Puzzle ALL-YOU-CAN-EAT TACO BAR, the red team gives an incorrect answer; against precedent, the buzzer sounds after their answer. The next team then solves for only $50.
On January 31:
- There is a $14,150 Jackpot win.
- One member of the yellow team shouts the answer to the Speed-Up puzzle during the red team's turn. His teammate informs him of his mistake as the red team gets buzzed out. They then call a consonant in the puzzle and solve.
- The yellow team wins by $50, and the second place team has $26,150.

February 2007:

The weeks of February 5-19 are taped at the Charleston Area Convention Center in Charleston, South Carolina.
On February 5:
- Two males play.
- More of Steve Kaplan's compositions are retired in favor of new ones written by Frankie Blue:
  - Kaplan's Toss-Up think music from Season 20 is replaced with a new one where the pitch is moved four semitones lower, and the "ticking" percussion beats are more audible.
  - The Final Spin cue changes from the synthesized sound used since Season 19 to a piano cue.
  - The first Speed-Up Round think music, used since Season 18, is replaced by a piano/guitar music cue.
  - The Bonus Wheel Card sound effect, carried over from the W-H-E-E-L envelope era, is changed to its current counterpart, where the pitch is increased by 100%.
  - The Bonus Round music cues introduced in Seasons 19-20 are also changed to their current counterparts, and the Bonus Round think music is changed from a "beeping timer" cue to a "ticking" music cue.
On February 7:
- The third-place contestant has $15,800; the combined pre-Bonus Round total of $92,900 is likely the highest pre-Bonus Round cumulative total in the show's history up to this point.
- Contestant Becka ties the one-round record of $54,000 in the Speed-Up and sets a new main-game winnings record of $66,350. After winning a Winnebago in the Bonus Round, she leaves with $128,177.
February 12 is the second and final Country Music Stars Week. During this week:
- The stars are Eddie Montgomery, Steve Azar, and Trisha Yearwood on Monday; Dean Sams, Julie Roberts, and Troy Gentry on Tuesday; Richie McDonald, Josh Gracin, and Wynonna Judd on Wednesday; Michael Britt, Lorrie Morgan, and Mark Wills on Thursday; and Keech Rainwater, Terri Clark, and Trent Tomlinson on Friday.
- The Wheel Prize is a trip to the Academy of Country Music awards ceremony at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
On February 13, there is a $100,000 win.
During the week of February 19, the Mystery Round prize is a $13,924 Nissan Versa, the last known Mystery prize that is not $10,000.
On February 20:
- The $1,000 Toss-Up and Round 1 are Thing.
- A contestant wins by $50.
On February 23:
- Contestant Keisha calls the last consonant on a Mystery Wedge. She flips it and finds a Bankrupt on the reverse, and the "only vowels left" beeps do not sound.
- There is a $100,000 loss.
Between February 26, 2007 and September 26, 2011 (excluding the week of April 11, 2011), the only way to get a car is by landing on the car envelope and solving the Bonus Round puzzle.
On Februrary 27, nobody solves the $1,000 Toss-Up, FROM SOUP TO NUTS.

March 2007:

On March 5, a contestant accidentally calls an M after buying a vowel, but before spinning again. He is then told to spin again and credited with the M, which is not in the puzzle.
On March 7, the $3,000 Toss-Up, MUNCHKINLAND, is the second known instance of Fictional Place being used in a Toss-Up.
On March 14, six rounds are played.
On March 22:
- An unknown round with the answer HE SAID SHE SAID (possibly Round 5) is replaced due to a contestant saying HE SAYS SHE SAYS and being credited with a correct response. According to the player who gave this erroneous answer, all three contestants are given a $100 bonus.
- Six rounds are played.
On March 27, employees from Cold Stone Creamery (who sponsor the Gift Tag) appear during the closing segment and make ice cream treats for Pat and Vanna. Also, everyone in the audience receives a Cold Stone Creamery gift card.
On March 29, six rounds are played.

April 2007:

On April 5, there is a $100,000 loss.
On April 6:
- Three females play. This does not happen again until March 21, 2011.
- Six rounds are played.
All five Bonus Rounds are lost on the week of April 9. The losing streak extends to nine before another win comes on the 20th.
The April 9 sixth show taping is of the Happy Holidays week minus the decorations. This is the first time that a sixth show taping has set alterations between the full set week and the sixth show taping, and the first sixth show taping of a holiday-themed week.
On April 11:
- Pat gives the winning contestant a Wheel of Fortune lunchbox after he loses the Bonus Round.
- Nobody solves the $3,000 Toss-Up, SKYWRITING.
On April 16, Same Name (in Round 3) spells out AND.
On April 20, there is an $8,200 Jackpot win.
April 23 is Choose Your Own Vacation Week, where the Prize wedge offers the contestant a choice of four different trips.
On April 23:
- Two males play.
- A gold "$50,000 Cash" graphic is added to the Sony Card announcement after SPIN ID draws.
On April 24, a contestant solves the bonus puzzle BACKSPLASH (In the Kitchen) then asks Pat what a backsplash is.
On April 25, the $2,000 Toss-Up is a non-sequitur answer of MONOPOLY & MASTERMIND, two games which are extremely unrelated to each other.
On April 26, a contestant solves the bonus puzzle LUCKY YOU with only the L and O showing.
All five Bonus Rounds are won on the week of April 23. This does not happen again until the week of March 7, 2011.
The weeks of April 30-May 14 are taped at the San Diego Convention Center.
April 30 is the last Mom & Me Week, even though Mother's Day is May 13.
On April 30, the third-place contestant has $14,500.

May 2007:

On May 7, the third-place contestant has $13,950.
May 14 is Armed Forces Week.
On May 14, the second-place contestant has $21,050.
May 21 is Broadway Week.
All five Bonus Rounds are lost on the week of May 21. This is part of an eight-loss streak spread over three weeks.
On May 25, Round 1 is the first appearance of Star & Role since May 29, 2006.
May 28 is Teachers Week.
On May 29:
- Nobody solves the $2,000 Toss-Up, PONDEROSA PINES.
- There is a $6,900 Jackpot win.
- A contestant solves the $3,000 Toss-Up THE TAJ MAHAL with only the J revealed.
Between May 22 and 29, six bonus puzzles in a row are Thing(s).
On May 30, there is a $100,000 win.

June 2007: (season ends June 8)

On June 7, there is a $6,850 Jackpot win.
On June 8, contestant Dave imitates Charlie's shopping-era disclaimer: "The prices of the prizes have been furnished to the contestants prior to the show and have been rounded off to the nearest dollar; gift certificates do not include sales tax."
Merv Griffin dies on August 12. At the end of the closest rerun to his death, the credits are interrupted by a flashback clip of Merv recounting the show's creation on the ceremonial 3,000th episode. After that, a black background appears with white text reading "In Loving Memory: MERV GRIFFIN" in Albertus MT, before the copyright notice and distribution/production company tags.
King World Productions is shut down on August 20.

Season 25 (2007-08)

Season Changes:

The opening is a photomosaic of flashback clips, which zoom out to form a yellow "25" logo, with a blue background and several multicolored squares for confetti. This is also seen as the Pat & Vanna talk backdrop, with a yellow "25", as well as on the Bonus Round envelopes. The opening logo contains a silver two-row logo under the "25", the only time that the logo has a hole in the R.
A new rock-based theme composed by John Hoke debuts for use in the opening, with the 2006 "Happy Wheels" remaining as the closing theme.
As King World has been folded into CBS Television Distribution, a new CBS Television Distribution closing logo is created to complement that of Sony Pictures Television. This also carries over into Jeopardy! and other shows that were previously distributed by either King World or CBS Paramount Domestic Television.
The Prize Puzzle graphic is now a globe with the words PRIZE PUZZLE written in yellow, with a blue background.
The Jackpot and Mystery wipes are now the respective wedges flipping and dropping down into place on the Wheel. Oddly, both wipes have said wedges dropping onto the orange $800. The Jackpot wipe remains unchanged through Season 29, and the Mystery wipe remains through Season 31, despite changes to the Wheel template and Mystery Wedge design in the interim.
The Wheel is altered again:
- The second Bankrupt moves to the yellow $300.
- Two special wedges are also added to honor the show's 25th nighttime season: a "25" prize and the Big Money Wedge.
- The second Bankrupt is now always removed after Round 3.
- Hitting the green $300 with Free Spin now offers both it and $300 per letter. To reflect this change, the token is moved upward to obscure the dollar sign instead of the 3. Also, the disc remains on the Wheel through Round 3.
The minimum value for Wheel and Prize Puzzle prizes increases to $5,000.
The Jackpot sponsor's logo is no longer shown on the Jackpot display.
The Round 3 "drop down" graphic's rectangles gain an "embossed" effect, and their tops become less rounded.
Many episodes begin with a pre-recorded greeting from a celebrity, congratulating the show on its 25th Anniversary. Others show a flashback clip leading into the first commercial break, while some have a special "cold open": In the make-up room, $5K (an African-American man dressed as the $5,000 wedge) complains to Pat that he is to be "landed on" during every Final Spin. Pat clarifies to him (calling him by his other name of "Money") that that's not how it works, despite him trying his best to do so. Vanna comes in and says "He's right, you know", to which Pat sighs "I know, I know; it's just so much pressure!" cued to laughter before opening the show. Besides $5K, there are also 26 people dressed up as each letter; this is also seen during the trip to New York City. The following letters are promoted: C, E, G, I, J, N, Y, and Z.
Even though it had changed only in February, the Speed-Up music changes again.
As of this season, Charlie no longer does the spiel for the Bonus Round prizes.
The puzzle board monitors are replaced with flat-screen LCDs.
For this season only, the Bonus Round envelopes are silver and feature the Season 25 logo on their outsides.
Only two locales are now used on road shows.
A fifth week of sixth-show tapings is added for each season. Four of the five in this season make up the Thanks a Million Sweepstakes in February, and do not use any theme names beyond that.
The last of Steve Kaplan's compositions are retired: his 2000 Bonus Round puzzle solve cue and 2002 Bonus Round win cue. These are replaced by their current counterparts.
As of this season (with only one exception), Bonus Round wins no longer include slow-motion replays.
Very strangely, Merv's death is never mentioned on the show.
To honor the show's 25th anniversary, the official Wheel website contains a mini-site that reflects on the show's history, while the Wheel Watchers Club site has a special Flashback Moments archive, in which there are video clips, and members may answer a 4-choice question about the clip, with a correct answer earning them 10 Sony Rewards Points. The latter site is still active until the show's website is redesigned on February 24, 2014.
Throughout this season, Pat sometimes throws to Charlie by saying, "Hey, Charlie, I got a message for you…"

September 2007: (season begins September 10)

The week of September 10 has a "starry sky" background on the set.
On September 10:
- The contestant score displays are upgraded to enlarged plasma screens. Changes from the previous scoreboards include:
  - The scoreboards show the 25th Anniversary logo in the opening.
  - For this week of taping only, they display the score in very tall numbers. The contestant's name is in very small letters over the score, and the control is indicated by the name blinking.
  - The Bankrupt and Lose A Turn graphics now appear and disappear in varying ways.
  - If Lose A Turn is hit, those words are now on two lines of the scoreboard instead of one.
  - "Big Money" is placed over the score if the contestant has the Big Money wedge.
  - The WHEEL, OF, and FORTUNE graphics on the scoreboards (now only seen during the final segment) are enlarged and changed to the actual font of the show's logo.
- The Wheel is now preset at the start of the show. For this week only, it is preset so that the yellow flipper is on the 25 Wedge in Rounds 1 and 2 and the Big Money Wedge in Round 3.
- The Free Spin is still placed over the 3 instead of the dollar sign on the green $300 in Rounds 1 and 2; this is corrected in Round 3.
- A spin from another episode's Round 4 is edited into Round 3. The contestant lands on the red $800, but the post-production clip shows the orange $800. This dubbed-in spin is more obvious as both Mystery Wedges, the Free Spin, and the second Bankrupt are missing from it.
- The $3,000 Toss-Up and Bonus Round are In the Kitchen, the only duplication of that category.
- There is a $100,000 loss.
On September 12, What Are You Doing? debuts in Round 3.
September 17 is Casino Night, taped in Culver City with the slot machine background from the February 2005 Vegas shows. During this week, Vanna announces the Mystery prize through footage shot at casinos.
On September 17:
- The contestant names are removed from the scoreboards, while the scores themselves are moved upward and changed to the current font. This change was done most likely because the font used on the 10th was often blocked by the Wheel pegs, and the names were too hard to read. In the space below the score, two blinking arrows pointing at each other are added. They appear whenever the respective player has control or rings in on a Toss-Up. The scoreboards still show the 25th Anniversary Logo in the opening, "Lose A Turn" continues to display on two lines, and the varied wipes for Lose A Turn and Bankrupt are kept.
- The "Big Money" logo is now placed over the scoreboards at the beginning of Round 3.
- The 25 Wedge is now only available in Round 2. As a result, the yellow flipper is now preset to $2,500 in Round 1.
- Cash values won on the Big Money wedge can now be used to buy vowels. Also, the scoreboard no longer shows "Big Money" over the contestant's score if the contestant has an amount from it.
On September 19:
- Contestant Becki loses $33,450 in cash and a $6,296 Caribbean trip by adding an "-ES" to the puzzle GLEAMING WHITE SAND BEACH.
- Contestant Stephen solves the Speed-Up puzzle A FLOCK OF CARDINALS as "Flock of cardinals, baby!" He is ruled incorrect, then says just the puzzle in its entirety.
On September 25, there is an $8,250 Jackpot win.
On September 26:
- Round 1 is a Same Name puzzle that spells out AND.
- Round 2 is Movie Title, and the $3,000 Toss-Up is Title.
- In the Kitchen makes its sixth and final appearance in the Bonus Round.
On September 27, contestant Ruth picks up all of the available cardboard in Round 1 except the Gift Tag (the $10,000 Wedge, the Prize, the Free Spin, and the Wild Card). She wins the round with $30,250 including a Prize Puzzle trip. She uses the Free Spin in Round 3 only to flip the Bankrupt Mystery Wedge on her next turn, forfeiting her Wild Card.
On September 28, there is an $8,200 Jackpot win.

October 2007:

Beginning this month, Wheel and Jeopardy! are distributed by CBS Television Distribution.
On October 1, there is an unusual instance in the Mystery Round. A contestant hits a Mystery Wedge, calls a letter that reveals the puzzle entirely, then flips the Mystery Wedge to find a Bankrupt on the other side. As a result, the completely filled-in puzzle gets passed on to the next contestant, who solves it.
On October 2, six rounds are played.
On October 4:
- Rounds 1 and 2 are played entirely by the person who began them.
- The second-place contestant has $22,100.
- There is a $100,000 loss.
On October 8, there is a $100,000 loss.
On October 9, there is a $7,750 Jackpot win.
On October 12:
- The 2004 opening theme is accidentally used in the intro.
- After finding $10,000 on the reverse of a Mystery Wedge, contestant Erica hits the other one on her next spin; Pat prompts her to use the Wild Card on it, which she does.
- The first, third, and fourth spins of Round 3 appear to be added in post-production, as evidenced by sudden disappearances and reappearances of the Free Spin and Prize wedge.
All ten Bonus Rounds are lost on the weeks of October 1 and 8.
October 15 is College Road Trip Week. During this week:
- A double-width $2,500 cash space is used for the first of only four weeks this season; it extends counterclockwise over the purple $600 and has its numbers arranged horizontally. For all four weeks of use, it has a sponsor whose logo appears on the wedge; this week's sponsor is Sony Card.
- The contestants introduce themselves from the audience railing.
On October 15, a special People category honoring that magazine debuts in Round 1. The category strip uses the magazine's logo. To avoid confusion, People is not used in this timespan, although Person is still used.
On October 16:
- A cycle of three lost turns is edited out of Round 1 despite not being "null", as it included an incorrect vowel (E) from contestant Doug, evidenced by his score instantly changing from $2,500 to $2,250. The cycle was likely cut due to the first three rounds running overtime.
- All three contestants hit Bankrupt consecutively in Round 1, though only the third one (by Doug) is actually aired due to the first two being part of the aforementioned cycle that was edited out.
- Contestant Carolyn accidentally calls four consonants in the Bonus Round.
On October 18, for the first known time since the consolation cash prize was introduced in Season 20, a contestant wins no cash: Specifically, contestant Amber solves Round 3 with only the Gift Tag, and no other puzzles.
During the week of October 22, the double-width $2,500 is used, with Dawn dish soap as the sponsor.
On October 23, Round 3 is the only appearance of What Are We Making? The puzzle is HERSHEY BAR GRAHAM CRACKER GOOEY ROASTED MARSHMALLOW, which the contestant correctly identifies as the ingredients to S'mores. This is the third known "official" category to be used only once. At 46 letters, this is also believed to be the longest puzzle ever used on the show in terms of letters, but not in terms of total spaces used.
On October 25:
- Rounds 1-4 are played entirely by the person who began them, although the Free Spin is used in Round 4.
- There is a $100,000 loss.
October 22 and 26 are believed to be the first occasion of contestants calling U in the Bonus Round twice in one month, much less one week. The former is also the first U called there since December 12, 2006.
On October 29:
- The Big Money Wedge is re-colored royal blue, with a lighter blue readout and five vertical rows of red dots on its bottom half.
  
  The second Big Money Wedge.
- For the second known time, a contestant wins the Mystery Round with only the Mystery prize.
- The bonus puzzle RUGBY is the first five-letter bonus puzzle since September 26, 2006. The contestant solves it despite getting no help from their extra letters.
On October 30, the $1,000 Toss-Up is Song Title, and Round 1 is TV Title.

November 2007:

The weeks of November 5-19 are taped at Radio City Music Hall.
November 5 is Best Friends Week. It is third week to use the double-width $2,500, sponsored by Febreze.
November 12 is People Celebrity Week. This is the only celebrity week since Celebrity Week in Season 15 not to have a specific "theme" to the celebrities used, and the last week to have celebrity/civilian pairings. The celebrities are Neil Patrick Harris, Diane Neal, and Robert Gossett on Monday; Paula Deen, Steve Schirripa, and Sherri Shepherd on Tuesday; Sandra Lee, Montel Williams, and Kristan Cunningham on Wednesday; Jeff Probst, Paige Hemmis, and Alison Sweeney on Thursday; and Gina Tognoni, Jacob Young, and Robin Strasser on Friday. During this week:
- During the intro, each celebrity walks onstage while Charlie describes them.
- The double-width $2,500 is used for the last time, sponsored by Maxwell House.
On November 13, a contestant uses the Wild Card on the Big Money wedge while it is showing $7,500.
November 19 is Heroes Week, which consists of men and women who have done good to New York City. As a result, this set of New York episodes is the only known instance of a road show having no "normal" matches.
On November 23:
- Round 3 is the last appearance of People.
- Nobody solves the $3,000 Toss-Up, ROBIN REDBREAST. The cameras cut to Pat after the time's-up buzzer, and unusually, back to a full shot of the puzzle board with the answer still on it.
From around this point until the end of the season, the flashback clips are always seen Mondays and Wednesdays, and the celebrity messages always Tuesdays and Thursdays.
On November 26, the "regular" People category returns, in Round 1.
On November 28, the Prize is an electronics package consisting of an HDTV, stereo system, DVD player, and Blu-Ray player, plus DVD and Blu-Ray copies of the Sony Pictures Animation film Surf's Up. It is very likely that a trailer for the film is also shown.
On November 30, Fictional Family debuts in Round 2.

December 2007:

The week of December 3 is Wheel Across America, just like the week of December 3, 2001 was.
On December 4, there is a $7,200 Jackpot win.
On December 6, Rounds 1-3 are played entirely by the person who began them.
On December 10, the bonus puzzle WIVES is the second five-letter bonus puzzle of the season.
On December 14, contestant Sam solves the Speed-Up puzzle COUNTRY ROADS TAKE ME HOME with only the N and T's showing.
On December 19, six rounds are played.
On December 21, there is a $100,000 win.
The holiday-themed week of December 24 is Happy Holidays for the first time since Season 22. Both it and the week of the 17th use identical props on the set, which were also seen on the Denver episodes in 2006.
The week of December 24 starts the tradition of playing a rock version of "We Wish You a Merry Christmas" during the credits of Christmas Week, which continues through Season 30.
On December 24:
- Rhyme Time makes its only appearance in the Bonus Round between March 2006 and May 2011.
- The final segment is a reunion of the three contestants who appeared on Pat's first show (December 28, 1981), with clips shown from that episode.
On December 26, the puzzle board refuses to activate for several seconds during the $1,000 Toss-Up.
On December 27:
- The $1,000 Toss-Up and Round 3 are What Are You Doing? This is the only duplication of that category that does not involve the Bonus Round.
- There is a $100,000 loss.
On December 28, the Prize is a $5,000 Michael C. Fina gift certificate.
All five Bonus Rounds are lost on the week of December 24.
On December 31, a contestant mispronounces the Prize Puzzle TUNING A UKULELE by putting long E's in the word "ukulele", but her answer is accepted.

January 2008:

On January 2, Pat and Vanna show off a ceramic Dalmatian.
On January 7, six rounds are played.
On January 9, What Are You Doing? appears in the Bonus Round for the first time.
On January 14, contestant Jill loses $26,950 to Bankrupt in Round 3.
On January 17, What Are You Doing? appears in the Bonus Round for the second time; it does not reappear there until December 2010.
On January 18:
- The third-place contestant has $13,100.
- Round 3 and the Bonus Round are Food & Drink.
On January 21, there is a $6,100 Jackpot win.
On January 22, a contestant says both "boxing" and "fan" at various points during the Bonus Round, but never says the right answer of BOXING FAN.
January 28 is Teen Best Friends Week.
On January 30, the Round 1 puzzle EAT FRESH is a now-rare maingame puzzle that is shorter than 10 letters. A team solves the completely revealed puzzle as "Subway, eat fresh"; there is likely an edit before their answer is ruled correct, and they receive the $3,000 bonus for identifying the product. This incident goes against precedent that puzzles have to be solved exactly as they appear on the board. Perhaps as a consequence, Slogan is retired after this episode (although it appears again on February 19 due to that episode being taped out of order), and the last few "$3,000 bonus" categories are phased out over the next several months.

February 2008:

On February 1:
- In Round 3, Pat does not prompt the blue team to use their Wild Card on $3,500 despite having picked it up only one turn prior. The card is never used and the team loses by $9,200.
- The $3,000 Toss-Up is a non-sequitur answer of TWISTER & CLUE, two games which are extremely unrelated to each other.
- The bonus puzzle ICING is the last five-letter bonus puzzle until November 28, 2011.
The weeks of February 4-25 are the Thanks a Million Sweepstakes. All episodes in this timespan are sixth episodes. After the first commercial break (or the second if Round 1 is a Prize Puzzle) and Bonus Round, a SPIN ID is drawn, and the owner of that SPIN ID wins $25,000. Since there are 40 over those 4 weeks, that makes $1,000,000 total. During these episodes, the center-stage video wall displays the Season 25 logo during the opening and closing.
On February 4, as it is the sixth episode from the season premiere week, some elements are different from surrounding episodes: the scoreboards use the shorter numbers and names, the 25 Wedge is in Round 1, and the Big Money Wedge uses its original design.
On February 8, there is a $6,700 Jackpot win.
All five Bonus Rounds are lost on the week of February 4.
On February 11:
- As it is the sixth episode from College Road Trip, three college students play. Unlike the rest of said week, the double-width $2,500 wedge is not used.
- The original Big Money Wedge is used. However, some overhead shots in Round 3 are reconstructed to show the newer design.
- When contestant Jessica lands on the Mystery Wedge between $900 and $300, an overhead shot of the other Mystery Wedge (obviously filmed in post-production, as the second Bankrupt is missing in this shot) is shown instead. Just before she flips it over, the overhead shot goes back to showing the correct wedge.
- Six rounds are played.
- The players' totals are still displayed during the Final Spin at the start of Round 6. The scoreboards are cleared before the Wheel stops.
On February 13:
- BUYING A VOWEL is the $1,000 Toss-Up.
- Contestant Jasmine solves Round 1 with only the $10,000 Wedge.
- After Round 3's Prize Puzzle HISTORIC OPERA HOUSE, Pat accidentally tells contestant Jasmine that she is going to Sydney, Australia instead of Vienna, Austria, but corrects himself after Charlie reads the prize copy. After this, Jasmine's scoreboard shows $13,550 instead of $18,550 due to the value of the trip not being added.
- Before the $3,000 Toss-Up, Pat corrects Jasmine's score, then points out that the scoreboard on the Used Letter Board displays her Prize Puzzle trip as Jamaica. This results in the Used Letter Board being shown onscreen for the first known time.
- There is a $100,000 loss.
On February 19:
- Round 2 is the last aired (and next-to-last taped) appearance of Slogan.
- Pat eats a piece of cake throughout Round 3, and occasionally addresses contestants with his mouth full. This gag is a callback to earlier in the same episode, when he noticed one of the cameramen eating.
On February 20, contestant Stephanie loses $25,400 and a Hong Kong trip to Bankrupt in Round 3.
On February 25, Round 2 is the last instance until June 2012 of Author/Title being used instead of Title/Author.
On February 27:
- In a rather unusual move, the episode is a sixth episode from the Teen Best Friends week of January 28.
- Round 2 is the only known instance of Star & Role using a descriptive phrase, and the first of only two known instances of it being used for a voice acting role (EDDIE MURPHY AS THE VOICE OF SHREK'S PAL DONKEY).

March 2008:

On March 3:
- The Round 3 puzzle NEIL DIAMOND'S SWEET CAROLINE is the last use of Artist/Song instead of Song/Artist.
- The bonus puzzle BUYING POWER is categorized as Thing. The last time this answer was used (April 13, 2004), it was categorized as Phrase.
On March 4, the $1,000 Toss-Up is Movie Title, and Round 4 is Song Title.
On March 6, Lesly appears in the final segment to promote a line of Wheel-themed jewelry that she designed.
On March 7, a contestant exceeds $100,000 without hitting that amount: after winning a Winnebago in the Bonus Round, they leave with $102,864.
On March 11:
- Vanna wears a shirt and pants.
- Six rounds are played.
- There is a $100,000 loss by a contestant who says the answer just after the buzzer.
On March 14, six rounds are played.
The week of March 17 is QVC Shopping Spree Week. During this week, the Prize is $5,000 towards the purchase of QVC merchandise.
On March 19, two males play.
On March 20, there is an $8,800 Jackpot win.
The weeks of March 10 and 17 comprise a two-week stretch of Bonus Round losses. The latter week is particularly notable, as any Bonus Round win that week would have offered $10,000 in QVC merchandise on the contestant's birthday.
On March 24, there is a $100,000 win.
The week of March 31 is Wheel Around the World.
On March 31, there is a $100,000 loss, setting a new record of eight $100,000 losses in one season.
With only three wins and 18 losses, March 2008 may have produced the fewest Bonus Round wins of any month in the show's history.

April 2008:

On April 1, as an April Fools' Day gag, Pat fools Vanna into thinking that he is actually bald. As revealed later in the week (possibly the 2nd), he achieves this by wearing a real wig over a bald wig. The prank is removed when the episode is rerun in July.
On April 2, there are two sets of duplicate categories: the $1,000 Toss-Up and Round 3 are Fun & Games, while Round 4 and the Bonus Round are Phrase.
April 7 is the first Going Green Week, which occurs around this time every season until Season 28.
On April 9, two males play.
By April 9, contestants can no longer use the Wild Card on any of the Big Money Wedge's cash amounts, except for the regular $1,000.
Between April 7 and 10, the contestant in the blue position is the top winner for four days in a row.
April 14 is the first Pet Lovers Week, in which contestants show off pictures of their pets during the interview (except on sixth episodes).
On April 17, Round 3 is the last appearance of Next Line Please.
In the six weeks of episodes between March 10 and April 18, only four Bonus Rounds are won.
On April 21, a contestant wins by $50.
On April 23:
- Round 3 is the last appearance of Who Is It?
- Contestant Trashawna loses $35,000 (the $10,000 Mystery Wedge and $25,000 from the Big Money Wedge) to Bankrupt, which may be a record.
On April 24, contestant Kim tries to turn in her Free Spin while the Final Spin bells sound. Pat declines, noting that the bells sounded first.
On April 25:
- Six rounds are played.
- Contestant Mary Katherine solves the Round 6 puzzle SISTER ACT (categorized as Show Biz, as Movie Title had been used in Round 1) with only the S's showing.
The weeks of April 28-May 12 are taped at Navy Pier in Chicago. During all three weeks, the on-screen bug says just "Chicago", with part of the Wheel forming the first C as seen at right (photo taken from a piece of clothing).
During the week of April 28 (College Week):
- For the only known time since 1998, the audience does the opening chant.
- The Northwestern University marching band plays music going into and out of commercial breaks.
On April 28:
- Contestant Erika solves Round 1 with only the $10,000 Wedge.
- Erika says "mytholo-" in the Bonus Round, stops, then appears to say the answer MYTHOLOGY on the buzzer. After an obvious edit, Pat says that the buzzer beat her. Unusually, a long shot of the set (from over Pat's shoulder) is used as the answer is revealed.

May 2008:

On May 1, Round 1 is HAMSTER WHEEL OF FORTUNE (Before & After).
On May 2, Fictional Character appears in the Bonus Round for the last time.
May 5 is Family Week.
Between May 6 and 13, the car is hit six times in a row in the Bonus Round.
On May 6, Round 4 is the last appearance of Classic TV until April 2, 2010.
On May 7, the founder of this Wiki is in the audience.
On May 8:
- Pat tells the red team in Round 1 that T has already been called despite the only prior aired calls being N and M, indicating that a "null" cycle including a T was edited out.
- For no particular reason, all four Rounds have short answers, with the longest one (EXPERIMENTAL THEATER) at only 19 letters.
- A team exceeds $100,000 without hitting that amount; after winning a pair of Buick Enclaves in the Bonus Round, they leave with $100,304.
On May 9:
- The Round 3 puzzle CHICAGO'S OWN JOHN & JOAN CUSACK is the first of only two known instances of Family adding a descriptive term.
- Once again, a team exceeds $100,000 (specifically, $116,358) by winning a pair of Buick Enclaves in the Bonus Round.
May 12 is Get in the Game week, taped March 9, themed to Chicago sports teams.
On May 13:
- Contestant Kevin gives incorrect answers to Rounds 2, 3, and 4.
- The winning contestant leaves with only $8,750.
On May 15, two males play.
At some point on one of the Chicago tapings, an Eli's cheesecake is brought out. Unlike its Season 19 predecessor, the layout is the same as the show's layout with two double-sized "25" Wedges on opposite sides and a red Eli's wedge.
On May 19:
- Oddly, round 4 (SIGN LANGUAGE INTERPRETER) is the longest puzzle. It is not known why shorter puzzles were used in Rounds 1-3, as the game did not run overly long, and a fifth round was played.
- Contestant Mandi wins no cash, as she solves Round 3 with only the Gift Tag, and no other puzzles.
On May 23, two males play.
May 26 is Dads & Grads Week.

June 2008: (season ends June 6)

On June 6:
- The Prize copy includes a trailer for Kung Fu Panda.
- Six rounds are played.

Season 26 (2008-09)

Season Changes:

When shown at the start of the Bonus Round, contestants' families and/or friends are now miked.
The Prize Puzzle bug is now a globe on a blue background, with only the word "Prize!" written on it in red Brush Script text.
The Wheel changes considerably:
- The Big Money and "25" wedges are retired.
- The yellow flipper is now preset to the Million-Dollar Wedge in Round 1, the Jackpot wedge in Round 2, and the Mystery Wedge next to Lose A Turn in Round 3.
- One of the Mystery Wedges moves from the blue $500 (between $900 and $300) to the blue $300 next to Lose A Turn.
- The green $500 becomes blue, the blue $600 becomes a yellow $500, and the yellow $300 becomes a green $600.
- The second Bankrupt is moved back to the purple $600 next to the top dollar value.
  
  The last Jackpot wedge.
- The Jackpot wedge moves to the red $300 and changes to its final design, which recycles the housing of the Big Money Wedge. Since it snaps into the Wheel, the red $300 is also redesigned to snap into place.
- The Wild Card is now removed after Round 3.
- The $10,000 Wedge is replaced by the identically-structured Million-Dollar Wedge. If the Million-Dollar Wedge is taken to the Bonus Round, Pat reveals the location of the $1,000,000 envelope regardless of outcome. The $1,000,000 envelope has a modern Wheel of Fortune logo at the top, like the $100,000 one. It initially uses sparkly green lettering with "ONE MILLION DOLLARS" in curved text surrounding a large green dollar sign, similar to that of the Million-Dollar Wedge's reverse.
The show does a promo for the new cash prize with Don LaFontaine, who dies before the season begins. There is an additional promo where a man is dressed as the new Wedge, in a similar manner to $5K.
- The LaFontaine promo uses the Season 22 Prize Puzzle graphic of the spinning Wheel, while the other promo uses a jazzy arrangement of the original "Happy Wheels".
Sixth-episode weeks are now themed as America's Game.
The opening consists of the Wheel wedges (including the Million-Dollar Wedge's reverse) falling into place. Once the graphic of the Wheel is complete, it wipes to a silver two-row logo on a blue-and-white background with spotlight beams. The blue-and-white background is also used for the Final Spin graphic and the post-game chat. The window for the chat is much smaller, and has 13 lights underneath flashing from left to right.
The category strips are changed to their current design, with white text in Gotham, on a spotted background that cycles from purple to blue to green. These strips extend the length of the screen, and incorporate the golden logo bug.
Wheel and Jeopardy! now air on CBC (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation). Canadian airings edit out the sponsors, and the SPIN ID readout is covered with a red graphic reading "Open to U.S. residents only".
This season starts a trend of using fewer categories in the Bonus Round, which continues through the end of Season 28.
Only one car is now used in the Bonus Round.
The Bonus Wheel wedges now spell out "AMERICA'S GAME SPIN&WIN", with a one-star space after "America's", a two-star space after "GAME", and a three-star space after "WIN". The font is also changed, from Impact to Frankfurter.
The prize values and post-Bonus Round totals become silver.
From about this point onward, one-word bonus puzzles become increasingly rare; the few that are used are almost always compound words.
The Round 3 "drop down" graphic also changes to its current design: shiny rectangles whose edges fade, with white lines on the top and bottom, and a white star between each rectangle.
For this season, Pat, Vanna, Charlie, Alex Trebek, and Johnny Gilbert do national and local public service announcements to promote the change from analog broadcasting to digital broadcasting, using puns from their respective shows.

September 2008: (season begins September 8)

September 8 is Endless Summer Week.
On September 11:
- Rounds 2 and 3 are very short answers (BLUE JAY LENO and FIELDS OF CLOVER, respectively). It is not known why this was done, as the game did not run abnormally long, and comparatively longer answers were used in both Rounds 4 and 5.
- Contestant Jeremy sweeps the game and wins $30,000 in the Bonus Round. Throughout the game, even during the Speed-Up, he never loses his turn, although he uses his Free Spin in Round 1 after landing on one of the Million-Dollar Wedge's Bankrupts.
September 15 is Nothing But the Best Week.
On September 16, the Million-Dollar Wedge is picked up for the first time.
On September 19, nobody solves the $1,000 Toss-Up, FINE WINE.
September 22 is Teen Best Friends Week.
On September 25, there are two sets of duplicate categories: the $1,000 Toss-Up and Round 2 are Phrase, while Round 1 and the Bonus Round are Thing.
On September 26, yellow contestants Sydney and Kaitlin hit Bankrupt five times over the course of four rounds. Overall, it is hit eleven times.
September 29 is Great Escapes Week.

October 2008:

On October 2:
- Rounds 2, 4, and 5 are played entirely by the person who began them, although the Free Spin is used in Round 4.
- Six rounds are played.
On October 3, contestant Mandi becomes the first contestant to take the Million-Dollar Wedge to the Bonus Round. She loses $25,000 and is only two envelopes from the $1,000,000.
October 6 is Ultimate Adventures Week.
On October 6:
- Contestant Scott says that he's always wanted to host the show ever since Chuck Woolery was hosting, to which Pat comments that Chuck is on the "longest vacation ever".
- The Round 2 puzzle TO DREAM THE IMPOSSIBLE DREAM is inexplicably categorized as Quotation instead of Song Lyrics.
- There is a $100,000 loss.
On October 8, contestant Cassandra takes the Million-Dollar Wedge to the Bonus Round and wins $50,000. The shot of Pat revealing the $1,000,000 envelope is done in post-production.
On October 10, Proper Name is used in the Bonus Round for the last time.
October 13 is Canada Week, taped August 8. This week is intended to honor the show's airing on CBC, and probably also celebrate Canadian Thanksgiving which falls on October 13. During this week:
- All of the Wheel Prizes are trips to Canada.
- After Round 1, Alex Trebek gives a fact about Canada in a pre-recorded segment in front of the Jeopardy! board. The Canadian flag and Wheel of Fortune logo are on the monitors where the Final Jeopardy! category and clue would respectively be.
- The Canadian flag forms the contestant window in the Bonus Round.
On October 13, there is an extremely rare instance of RSTLNE revealing more than half of the Bonus Round answer (JEAN SHORTS).
On October 14:
- One "good" turn is edited out of Round 3. With $9,900, contestant Jennifer spins and calls a D, which is not in the puzzle, and a U is showing in the puzzle TORONTO'S SPECTACULAR SKYLINE despite not being present before she called the D. Also, her scoreboard can be seen displaying $9,650 as contestant Pete plays afterward.
- Around the House makes its last appearance in the Bonus Round until January 2012.
- Michelle Loewenstein becomes the show's first $1,000,000 winner, setting a new winnings record of $1,026,080. She hits the Million-Dollar Wedge on her first spin. Because of the win, the episode is re-broadcast on the weekend feed in place of a repeat from Season 25.
- The $1,000,000 graphic is shiny gold numbers with four spotlights shining on them.
- Near the end of the credits, there is a shot of the Used Letter Board's scoreboard displaying Michelle's total, followed by a slow-motion replay of Michelle's reaction, and finally, a shot of Michelle exclaiming "I won one million dollars!"
On October 15:
- Contestant Josh has his friend Shawn spin the Wheel for him.
- NOBEL PEACE PRIZE PUZZLE is a Before & After puzzle (Round 3).
- The second-place contestant has $24,000.
On October 16:
- Round 1 is JEOPARDY! HOST ALEX TREBEK.
- The Prize Puzzle bug is accidentally put up during the Jackpot round (whose puzzle is a Same Name).
- The contestants give eight incorrect answers to the Speed-Up puzzle WOOD-BURNING STOVE over five turns, with all three repeating the others' previous answers.
On October 17, contestant Dana solves the bonus puzzle FOOTPATH with 0.3 seconds left. After she solves, the timer on the Used Letter Board is shown on-camera.
The week of October 20 is America's Game, composed of sixth episodes.
On October 20:
- In an unusual move, the Round 4 puzzle (CERTIFICATE OF AUTHENTICITY) is the longest of the show despite puzzles from Rounds 4+ now being limited to only two rows of the board. It is not known why shorter puzzles were used in Rounds 1-3, as the game did not run overly long; in particular, Round 2 is a very short answer of SANDY SHORELINE, which ends up being even shorter than the answers to both the $1,000 and $3,000 Toss-Ups.
- Contestant Jazmyne (who does not solve the bonus puzzle) misses the $1,000,000 by one envelope.
On October 22, there is a $100,000 loss.
On October 24:
- Two contestants buy a repeated I in Round 1.
- There is a $100,000 win, resulting in the second instance of that envelope being hit twice in a week.
October 27 is Halloween Week.
On October 31:
- Contestant Andrea loses $20,450 and the Million-Dollar Wedge to Bankrupt.
- Round 4 is a very short answer of ROCK THE VOTE, suggesting that Rounds 1-3 ran overtime.

November 2008:

November 3 and 4 are the first two episodes of Wheel Across America Week.
On November 3, the Mystery Wedges and the Bankrupt on the reverse both change: the color is lightened, and the outlines on the sides are removed. This design remains through Season 31.
On November 4:
- Wheel is pre-empted in most of the country due to coverage of President Obama's election.
- The Wheel is preset before Round 1 so that the yellow podium's flipper is on $2,500 (which becomes normal in Season 27) instead of the Million-Dollar Wedge.
- For only the third known time, a contestant calls Z in the Bonus Round. However, it is not in the puzzle.
November 5-25 are taped outdoors in front of the Hilton Waikoloa Village in Hawaii. The Hawaii episodes start on a Wednesday, most likely to prevent the string of episodes from being interrupted by the aforementioned Presidential coverage.
- As a result, the remaining three episodes of Wheel Across America Week are not aired until November 26-28.
- As with the last set of Hawaiian episodes, Pat wears Hawaiian-themed short-sleeved shirts.
- The board has an extra frame around it which resembles a lei.
- November 6, 10, 11, 20, and 24 all have two males and one female contestant.
November 5 is Hawaii's Big Island Week.
On November 5, in an interesting coincidence, one of winning contestant Mark's family members flashes him a thumbs-up; he ends up solving the bonus puzzle THUMBS UP.
On November 6, Bankrupt is hit five times in Round 3, the second of which is from the Mystery Wedge.
On November 7, some audience members start yelling in the middle of the $1,000 Toss-Up.
On November 10:
- The second-place contestant has $22,650.
- Oddly, the winning contestant's post-Bonus Round total is never announced on-air. After Pat and Vanna sign off, Loni is shown next to the car she just won, at which point the winning total is displayed.
November 12 is Best Friends Week.
On November 14:
- A team solves the bonus puzzle MILK JUG with only the M and L revealed.
- A team exceeds $100,000 without hitting that amount: after winning a pair of Ford Flexes in the Bonus Round, they leave with $107,340.
From November 17 through May 29, the show holds a "$5K Every Day" contest. During the contestant interviews, a SPIN ID is shown at the bottom of the screen. Home viewers who claim their SPIN IDs via the show's website win $5,000.
On November 17:
- Pat forgets to ask contestants Jackie and Lorna for their extra consonant from the Wild Card and has to be reminded from offstage.
- There is a $100,000 win by a team who picked up the Million-Dollar Wedge in Round 3 but did not solve the puzzle.
November 19 is Wheel Goes Waikoloa Week.
On November 19, the second-place contestant has $20,000.
On November 20:
- The $2,000 Toss-Up DISCOVERY CHANNEL is inexplicably categorized as Show Biz instead of TV Title.
- The second Bankrupt and $3,500 are accidentally placed one space clockwise from their normal positions in Rounds 2 and 3, putting the wedges over the normal top dollar value spot and the green $600, respectively. In Round 3, contestant Paul lands on the incorrectly-placed Bankrupt immediately after picking up the Million-Dollar Wedge; he turns in his Free Spin, but lands on Lose A Turn. Paul makes it to the Bonus Round regardless, and loses $30,000.
On November 21, nobody solves the $1,000 Toss-Up, STARGAZER LILIES.
On November 24, during the closing chat, a clip is shown from the February 13, 1996 episode where Pat introduced his daughter, Maggie.
On November 25, Fictional Place makes its only known appearance in the Bonus Round. The puzzle, UTOPIA, is solved.
On November 26, Wheel Across America Week is resumed.
On November 26:
- Contestant Tara solves the Speed-Up puzzle HOLD THAT THOUGHT with only the T's showing.
- Tara sweeps the game but loses $100,000 in the Bonus Round.
On November 28, Where Are We? makes its last appearance, in Round 2. This is also the last appearance of a "bonus" category until Season 28, and the last use of the High Rollers chimes. The puzzle is BEARS & CUBS THE WINDY CITY PAT'S HOMETOWN, the answer being Chicago.

December 2008:

December 1 is Holiday Shopping Week.
On December 2, when Pat prompts contestant Amy to use her Wild Card on $3,500, she asks if she can buy a vowel first, but Pat tells her that she cannot. Unusually, the audience shouts suggestions before she uses it.
On December 4, Vanna hides a wrapped present for Pat in her dress. At the end, Pat opens the box and finds that it is empty.
On December 5:
- The Prize is $5,000 cash from LowerMyBills.com.
- Six rounds are played.
December 8 is Pet Lover's Week.
On December 8, Betty White makes a guest appearance after the Round 2 puzzle THE GOLDEN GIRLS. As the puzzle is categorized as TV Title, it is likely that the show had intended to retire Classic TV after its last appearance on May 6, and that its subsequent uses in 2010 and 2013 are flukes.
On December 10, there is an $8,000 Jackpot win.
December 15 is the last Hollywood Movie Magic week. Throughout the week, the Prize copy includes a trailer: Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull on Monday, The Tale of Despereaux on Tuesday, Horton Hears a Who! on Wednesday, Bedtime Stories on Thursday, and Bride Wars on Friday.
On December 15, contestant Edgar makes an incorrect guess of FISH LOVE on the $3,000 Toss-Up WISH LIST. Later on, after he celebrates his Bonus Round win, Pat tells Edgar to look at the puzzle board, which reads FISH LOVE.
On December 16:
- Bankrupt is hit four times in the Jackpot round.
- The same round's Same Name puzzle is an awkward answer of FACTS & ACTION FIGURES, eliminating the "and" from "Facts and figures".
On December 17, the second-place contestant has $20,000.
On December 19:
- Rounds 1, 2, and 4 are played entirely by the person who began them.
- The Round 5 puzzle LEX LUTHOR is a now-rare maingame puzzle that is shorter than 10 letters; unusually, it uses only one line.
- For only the fourth known time, a contestant calls Z in the Bonus Round.
December 22 is Happy Holidays Week.
On December 22:
- There is an $7,850 Jackpot win.
- A contestant takes both the Wild Card and Million-Dollar Wedge to the Bonus Round.
- Pat does not reveal the location of the $1,000,000 envelope.
On December 23:
- Contestant Jessica accidentally removes the backing from a Gift Tag when picking it up in Round 2, and turns in both pieces after losing it to Bankrupt.
- There is a $13,450 Jackpot win.
- In the final segment, Charlie is shown in his booth so he can give Christmas greetings to viewers.
On December 25, contestant Claudia solves the bonus puzzle SIBLING RIVALRY just after the buzzer, after getting no help from her extra letters.
All five Bonus Rounds are lost on the week of December 22, the second year in a row that this happened during Christmas Week. The losing streak extends three more days, into December 31.
December 29 is the second America's Game Week.
On December 29:
- As this is the sixth episode from Happy Holidays Week, the Christmas decorations are still present.
- The Prize Puzzle trip is a $10,850 tour of Italy, a rare instance of a trip over $10,000 on a non-team episode.
- There is a $100,000 loss.
On December 30 (the sixth episode from Canada Week):
- The Round 1 Rock On! puzzle uses the now-deprecated format of Artist/Song (BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN'S BORN TO RUN).
- Bankrupt is hit six times in Round 3, including one from the Mystery Wedge. This ties the record for most known Bankrupts in one round.
December 31 is the sixth episode from Halloween Week.

January 2009:

On January 1 (the sixth episode from Wheel Across America Week):
- The Prize is $5,000 cash courtesy of V8. As it is won, that company donates that amount to Feeding America.
- Same Name (in Round 2) spells out AND. From this point onward, the category begins using AND with increasing frequency, without any obvious pattern.
On January 2 (the sixth episode from Holiday Shopping Week), On the Map appears in the Bonus Round for the last time until October 15, 2013.
January 5 is Armed Forces Week.
On January 6, the unsolved bonus puzzle reveals like one that is solved: the entire answer is put up at once (instead of the letters revealing one at a time in a zig-zag pattern) and the board's border flashes.
January 12 is Dream Vacation Week.
On January 12, two males play. This makes six consecutive episodes without the typical two female/one male setup, and interestingly also makes six consecutive episodes with at least one member of the Armed Forces. His presence here probably explains the two males/one female abnormality, as he could have not gotten the cut for the previous week (probably taped immediately before since both weeks have the same set).
On January 15, the Jackpot is not adjusted in post-production after a "null" cycle, as it suddenly jumps from $5,300 to $7,200 before the second spin of the round is added.
January 19 is Teachers Week.
On January 20, contestant Daniel spins the pink $900 six times in a row.
On January 23, Pat does not reveal the location of the $1,000,000 envelope.
January 26 is Destination Relaxation Week.
On January 26, the winning contestant, whose real name is Robert, is referred to as Skittles on the show.
On January 27:
- The Prize Puzzle trip is an $11,174 tour of Germany, a rare instance of a trip over $10,000 on a non-team episode.
- There is a $100,000 loss.
On January 28:
- Unusually, there is no shot of contestant Lusine after she hits Bankrupt in Round 2.
- Contestant Asya sweeps the game and wins $30,000 in the Bonus Round, solving the bonus puzzle BALCONY despite getting no help from her extra letters.

February 2009:

February 2 is Gone Fishin' Week.
On February 3:
- No vowels are bought in Round 3.
- Six rounds are played.
On February 6:
- The Round 2 puzzle ROW ROW ROW YOUR BOAT GENTLY DOWN THE STREAM is inexplicably categorized as Quotation instead of Song Lyrics.
- In the Mystery Round, contestant Jacinta calls a letter that fills in the puzzle entirely after landing on a Mystery Wedge. She opts to flip the wedge, and finds $10,000 on the reverse, thus becoming the third known contestant to win that round with only the Mystery prize.
- Contestant Duncan solves the Speed-Up puzzle THE ONE THAT GOT AWAY with only the T's showing.
February 9 is Second Honeymoon Week, from the Hilton Waikoloa Village in Hawaii. During this week:
- All couples are Hawaiians.
- Home viewers may submit the bonus puzzle to the show's website for a chance to win a trip to the Hilton Waikoloa Village.
On February 13:
- Contestants Byron and Kimberly lose $10,050 and a trip to New York by mis-solving the puzzle GOING TO THE CHAPEL AND WE'RE GONNA GET MARRIED with a second "going to" in place of "gonna". The team makes it to the Bonus Round regardless.
- There is a $100,000 loss.
February 16 is Great Outdoors Week.
On February 16:
- The Wheel Prize is a Vespa scooter.
- In the final segment, Pat and Vanna discuss Michelle's $1,000,000 win, including footage of said win and news footage of Michelle's parents being interviewed. Michelle and her husband then appear onstage so that Pat can give her an oversized replica check and discuss the win. This was presumably done because the episode ran unusually short. (According to a YouTube user present at this taping, the staff took away her fake check immediately after the segment and handed her an envelope; after opening it, she "looked shocked and seemed like she started crying. It was obvious that part wasn't meant to be on TV though.")
- Following the above, there is a post-production clip of Pat and Vanna paying tribute to wardrobe manager Alan Mills, who died on the 6th.
On February 18:
- For the first known time, a contestant (Victoria) solves the Prize Puzzle with $0 but does not solve any other puzzles, thus leaving with only the Prize Puzzle package.
- There is a $100,000 loss by a contestant who says the answer just after the buzzer.
On February 19, contestant Samantha is the sister of February 6's top winner, Jill.
On February 20:
- Contestant Scott says "spots" when solving the Prize Puzzle FANTASTIC SURFING SPOT, but this mistake is never realized and does not affect the outcome.
- Contestant Kara (who solves her bonus puzzle) misses the $100,000 by one envelope.
February 23 is the third America's Game week. At the end of each episode, a clip montage is shown of the previous milestone shows and surrounding episodes.
- On the 23rd, the montage for #S-1000 begins with M.G. Kelly reading the production slate for said episode, likely because there was no mention of the milestone in the episode itself. After that is the logo shot from a Season 6 intro, the prize spiel (includes shots of the rugs and turntables) and Pat's opening monologue from said episode, three of Vanna's outfits from that period, a shot of the second $25,000 sign, Vanna modeling a fur coat, shots of various prizes and Prize wedges from the time, and two puzzles related to the pop culture of that era. It ends with still images of Pat and Vanna from #S-1000.
- On the 24th, the montage for the 2,000th episode begins with the "dancing wedges" intro from Season 10, followed by the opening where Pat mentions that it is the 2,000th episode. After that is the 1994-97 intro with various clips played over it: one of Vanna's outfits, Pat's pants dropping during a closing chat, a contestant who has won the $10,000 and a motorcycle, one of Pat's quirky behaviors, a Bonus Round win, and Pat wearing a wig during a New York City road show. After that are shown various prize wedges and contestant wins, as well as footage of Vanna "playing" a walking piano prize while modeling it (most likely the "BIG" Piano at FAO Schwarz, also during a New York City episode). Another Bonus Round win in which a contestant wins a Volvo sedan is shown, followed by that car's prize copy and footage of Vanna modeling a Relaxair exercise machine while moving around like a bug Pat once sprayed. A Final Spin and a shot of Pat and Vanna walking out follow, then several outfits of Vanna's from the era are shown, as well as footage of her stating that she has walked 222 miles on the puzzle board and a clip of the trilon-based board's last show. Several more Bonus Round wins follow this, and the montage ends with a banner identifying the 2,000th episode as such followed by Pat and Vanna pieing each other on a 1991 episode.
- On the 25th, the montage for the ceremonial 3,000th episode begins with the Season 16 intro, followed by a couple of Pat and Vanna's walkouts, the "revolving Dior" clip, and a very rare instance of Vanna wearing green in the same hue as the puzzle board. After that is a shot of a "Fashion" Prize wedge on the Wheel, a prize copy for a car, a contestant win, a shot of the W-H-E-E-L envelopes, a couple of pop-culture themed puzzles followed by more contestant wins, Pat being picked up by a contestant who has won the Bonus Round, and the closing segment of the ceremonial 3,000th episode.
- On the 26th, the montage for the ceremonial 4,000th episode begins with a shot of that episode's main title sequence, Charlie's intro, and Pat and Vanna's walkout. This is followed by Pat and Vanna riding a golf cart from behind the puzzle board during a New Orleans episode, carrying a giant fake hot dog during a Wheel Goes to the Movies week, Pat "dancing" with Vanna wearing a gown with a hoop skirt during a Princess Cruises week, clips from two road shows where Pat and Vanna sample local cuisine, a Final Spin, the Season 19 missolve of FINGERS & TOES as MINERS & HOES (edited so that the answer reveals right after he guesses), Pat saying "We're laughing with you." to another contestant from the same season, the fireworks-based Prize Puzzle graphic wipe from Seasons 22-23 followed by a contestant from the corresponding era reacting to having won a Prize Puzzle prize, a Headline from Season 21 of CALIFORNIA ELECTS SCHWARZENEGGER GOVERNOR followed by Pat quoting the SpongeBob SquarePants theme song on another episode from the same season, several Bonus Round wins, Vanna dancing during a Cash & Splash week, Pat wearing a mullet, Vanna wearing fake lips, and Pat driving an early Wheelmobile on a racetrack.
On February 23, the $1,000,000 envelope changes to black text with "ONE" in very small letters and "MILLION" in much larger letters.
On February 27:
- Despite being the ceremonial 5,000th episode, only three connections to the event are made: the first two Toss-Ups (A HUGE MILESTONE and SPIN OR SOLVE) are themed, and the final segment features a clip of Pat kissing Vanna on his last daytime episode (January 9, 1989), after which Pat and Vanna are seen with a celebratory cake styled after the Wheel.
- There is a $100,000 loss.

March 2009:

The weeks of March 2-16 are taped outdoors at SeaWorld in Orlando, Florida. During this week:
- The set floor is blue with the SeaWorld Orlando logo on it.
- One of the props is an animatronic seal which does varied behaviors for different events, such as barking hello at the beginnings of episodes.
March 9 is Family Fun Week.
On March 9, the second-place team has $20,490.
On March 10, yellow contestants Adam and Eric appear to say the Speed-Up Puzzle answer on the buzzer. After conferring with the judge, Pat moves on to blue contestants Michelle and Mike, who call a letter and solve. He then says that there is a possibility that Adam and Eric beat the buzzer and won instead of Michelle and Mike; before the Bonus Round, it is determined that Adam and Eric did not beat the buzzer, so Michelle and Mike have won.
On March 11, the Round 3 puzzle QUARTERBACKS PEYTON & ELI MANNING is the second of only two known instances of Family using a descriptive term.
March 16 is Big Splash Week.
Between March 5 and 18, ten bonus puzzles in a row are Thing(s).
On March 18:
- When contestant Marissa loses the Million-Dollar Wedge to Bankrupt in Round 3, the camera cuts to the animatronic seal, which does a facepalm.
- Contestant Brandon solves the bonus puzzle BOLD MOVE with the L, D, and E showing.
March 23 is Coast to Coast Week.
On March 23, there is a $100,000 win.
On March 25, blue contestant Connie rings in on the $2,000 Toss-Up, but red contestant Tani, mishearing Pat, starts to say the answer before Connie does. Due to the confusion, Pat says before the $3,000 Toss-Up that he will refer to Tani as "Ed"; he does so after Tani rings in, but she does not realize it immediately and almost gets buzzed out.
March 30 is Going Green Week. During this week, the "Going Green" logo on the video wall has the traditional logo in place of the O.
On March 31, Pat and Vanna promote Sony's Take Back Recycling Program, a program for recycling electronics, in the final segment.

April 2009:

April 6 is Vacation Adventure Week, a fourth week of episodes from SeaWorld.
On April 6, contestant Eric has his friend Nick spin the Wheel for him.
On April 7, the $3,000 Toss-Up CAESAR'S PALACE is improperly punctuated, as the name does not contain an apostrophe.
During the week of April 6, all five winners are male.
April 13 is Spring Break Week.
On April 13, contestant Kara begins to call a repeated S in Round 2, but catches herself and says H. She is credited with the H, which is in the puzzle.
On April 14, there is a $100,000 win.
April 20 is the fourth America's Game Week.
All five Bonus Rounds are lost on the week of April 20, part of a nine-loss streak stretching from April 15-27.
April 27 is Sandals Resorts Week. During this week, Vanna reads the Prize copy.

May 2009:

On May 1, contestant Robyn finishes in second place with $20,950, despite failing to claim $36,000 in the Speed-Up by mispronouncing the second word of CHERRY ORCHARD as "orc-ard".
May 4 is Wheel Around the World Week.
On May 5:
- There is a $7,300 Jackpot win.
- The $3,000 Toss-Up is a redundant answer of SPOTTED LEOPARD.
May 11 is Fun and Games Week.
On May 11:
- There is an $8,400 Jackpot win.
- The second-place contestant has $27,400.
On May 12:
- The $3,000 Toss-Up THE JONAS BROTHERS is both the first of only three known instances of Family being used in a Toss-Up, and the second known instance of it naming a specific family instead of the individual members.
- Contestant Pam (who solves the bonus puzzle) misses the $1,000,000 by one envelope.
On May 13:
- Contestant Mike says the answer to the $1,000 Toss-Up but forgets to ring in, allowing Nancy to ring in and say the answer immediately afterward.
- SAME NAME is the $2,000 Toss-Up, and the Round 1 puzzle category is Same Name.
On May 14, the second-place contestant has $25,100.
On May 15:
- Two males play.
- Show Biz makes its last appearance in the Bonus Round until May 4, 2011.
May 18 is Star Treatment Week.
On May 18, the second-place contestant has $21,980.
On May 21:
- For the only known time, a contestant gets buzzed out while trying to solve for the Jackpot; shortly before the buzzer, Pat suggests choosing to spin or buy a vowel instead since she did not start her answer.
- There is an $8,400 Jackpot win. Because of this, a "null" cycle that occurred earlier in the round is left intact to avoid any inconsistencies in the Jackpot value (a Lose A Turn, an incorrect R, and another Lose A Turn).
On May 22, contestant Javaid solves the bonus puzzle BAGGAGE CLAIM on the buzzer. Although the win music plays and the answer is revealed, Pat tells him that they will have to stop tape to check his answer. In the final segment, Pat and Vanna tell him that he solved 1/10 of a second before the buzzer, and the show ends after Charlie describes the Audi that he won. This is also the last car won in the Bonus Round until December (see below).
May 25 is the fifth and final America's Game week of the season.
On May 28:
- The Wheel prize is $5,000 cash, and the copy includes a trailer for Paul Blart: Mall Cop.
- All three contestants hit Lose A Turn in Round 2.
- Contestant Christian makes two incorrect guesses on the Round 2 Prize Puzzle HIKING AMONG EXOTIC PLANTS AND ANIMALS before giving the right answer on his third attempt.
- A "null" cycle is not edited out of Round 2 (a Lose A Turn, a second incorrect guess from Christian, and a Bankrupt from a contestant who also hit Bankrupt on her previous turn), possibly due to Pat forgetting to take a forfeited Gift Tag until just after the second turn in the cycle.
On May 29:
- The third-place contestant has $13,550.
- New episodes end temporarily.

July 2009: (season ends July 17)

July 13 is World Café Week, a set of episodes which comprise a sweepstakes sponsored by CoffeeMate non-dairy creamer, offering viewers a chance at winning a European vacation. This is only the second time that new episodes have aired out of the typical September-May/June cycle, not counting Season 1.
Beginning July 13, cars are no longer available in the Bonus Round.
On July 16, there is a $100,000 loss, setting a new record of nine $100,000 losses in one season.
On July 17, for no particular reason, Round 1 is a very short answer of PUMPKIN PIE.

Season 27 (2009-10)

Season Changes:

The opening graphic is now an illuminated logo atop a neon graphic of the Wheel, with a cityscape background and beams of light (like an illuminated billboard). The Final Spin graphic and Pat & Vanna talk backdrop reflect the opening, and the window for the Pat and Vanna post-game chat is bigger than before.
The contestant railing is redesigned with LED lighting and Plexiglas.
The Prize Puzzle bug now says "PRIZE PUZZLE" again, in purple and yellow.
The Toss-Up graphic is changed to its current design: a purple wheel with a yellow center.
Some episodes begin using category strip wipes themed to the week.
If a contestant has friends and/or family in the audience on a Culver City episode, they are now shown from their seats, instead of at the railing in front of the audience. Road shows still have friends and family members stand at the front of the audience, although in both cases, they are no longer miked.
The practice of putting a gag title over Pat's name during full credit rolls appears to have begun this season.
The Wheel is altered:
- The second Bankrupt is now present for the entire game, permanently replacing the purple $600 next to the top value.
- Free Spin is retired, and Free Play is introduced. The latter is an electronic wedge (similar to the Big Money Wedge and the Jackpot Wedge) which replaces the yellow $400 near Lose A Turn.
- The Jackpot wedge moves to Round 1. Nothing new is added to the Wheel in Round 2.
- As a result of the above, Pat now makes a remark to Charlie before he begins the Jackpot plugs. On CBC airings, Charlie's response to Pat is edited out along with the Jackpot plugs, jumping directly from Pat's remark to Charlie's description of the Wheel Prize.
The Jackpot readout is now a blue rectangle.
One of the arches on the set now has a clear, vertical replica of part of the Wheel seen with the Million-Dollar Wedge's reverse.
Around this point, Before & After puzzles start putting the connecting word on its own line whenever possible, possibly to make the connection easier for contestants.

September 2009: (season begins September 14)

Between September 14 and November 27, only cash is available in the Bonus Round.
On September 14, the SPIN ID copy is changed to "Tonight's winning SPIN ID number, [number], belongs to [first name and last initial] of [city, state]. You have 24 hours to log on to wheeloffortune.com to claim your [description of trip]." Also, a map of the U.S. zooms in on the town, and a "nameplate" graphic is shown with the contestant's name and hometown.
The weeks of September 14 and 21 are taped in Las Vegas: the 14th at the Venetian, and the 21st at the Palazzo. This is the first time since Season 16 that the season premiere is on the road, although in the September 14 post-game chat Pat and Vanna erroneously say that this is the first time the season ever opened on the road.
- Nine of the first ten bonus puzzles are Thing(s). September 15's Occupation is the exception, and the last appearance of that category in the Bonus Round until May 2013.
On all of the Vegas episodes this season:
- The frames of the puzzle board and Wheel are yellow and orange.
- The yellow flipper is preset to Free Play at the start of the show.
- No cars are available in the Bonus Round.
On September 16:
- Anthony Crivello, who portrays the title character in the Las Vegas production of The Phantom of the Opera, makes an in-character guest appearance at the top of the show.
- Nobody solves the $1,000 Toss-Up, CUTTING THE CARDS. Two contestants ring in with wrong answers.
- Bankrupt is hit five times in the Jackpot round.
- Rounds 3 and 4 are very short answers (STAND-UP COMEDIAN and SWEET DREAMS respectively). This is likely due to the three events above causing the opening segment to run for an extremely long 9 minutes and 55 seconds.
On September 17:
- The Prize is $5,000 cash. Its plug follows a trailer for the Sony Pictures Animation film Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs.
- Contestant Dyana takes the Million-Dollar Wedge to the Bonus Round. She wins $40,000 and is only two envelopes away from the $1,000,000.
On September 18, the third-place and second-place contestants have $14,400 and $20,100, respectively.
During the week of September 14, all five winners come from the yellow position.
On September 24, a contestant solves the bonus puzzle BRIEF PAUSE despite getting no help from her extra letters.
Starting September 28, the yellow flipper is preset to the top dollar value at the start of Rounds 1-4, barring the remaining Vegas episodes.
On September 30, Round 3's puzzle HOGWARTS SCHOOL OF WITCHCRAFT AND WIZARDRY is the longest known puzzle with no E; it is used again on November 4, 2013.

October 2009:

On October 1:
- The $2,000 Toss-Up is only the second known instance of Rock On! being used in a Toss-Up. Charlie misses Pat's prompt to say the category name, causing Pat to say it before Charlie repeats it.
- The third-place contestant has $13,700.
On October 2, the SPIN ID reveal changes again. The hometown is no longer mentioned, and the U.S. map is changed to a smaller, less detailed one. When the state is mentioned, it "pops out" of the map, with the home viewer's name and the name of the state written on it.
On October 5, likely as a call-back to October 1, Pat introduces Round 2's Rock On! puzzle in a deadpan voice instead of letting Charlie announce it.
On October 8, contestant John hits the Mystery Wedge next to Lose A Turn three times in a row. It has a Bankrupt on the reverse (which is shown all three times), and he does not flip it.
October 12 is Wheel Around the World week. Each week's episode begins with a greeting from the host(s) of an international version: Spain on Monday, Brazil on Tuesday and Friday, Turkey on Wednesday, and Italy on Thursday.
Beginning on October 12, and barring April 12, 2010, the show begins using Before & After or Same Name in every episode, usually four of the former and one of the latter.
On October 12:
- The $3,000 Toss-Up BUDAPEST HUNGARY is accidentally categorized as Place instead of On the Map.
- The second-place contestant has $35,000, which may be the highest second-place total in the show's history. Interestingly, none of it comes from touching the Wheel directly: $5,000 comes from the second and third Toss-Ups, and the rest from the Speed-Up.
On October 15, contestant Jayne wins no cash, as she solves Round 1 for only the Gift Tag, and no other puzzles.
On October 16, contestant Karyn's letter choices (including the fourth consonant from a Wild Card) reveal the bonus puzzle CHOSEN FEW entirely. This is the first time since December 14, 2004 that a bonus puzzle is completely filled in, and the only time that a Wild Card has assisted in doing so.
The week of October 19, Welcome Aboard, has a sky-blue background on the set.
On October 19:
- Rounds 1-3 are played entirely by the person who began them.
- Neither Bankrupt nor Lose A Turn is hit.
On October 20 and 23, six rounds are played.
During the week of October 26 (Halloween Week), the Mystery Wedge chord is replaced with the sound of a wolf howling.
On October 27, Pat and Vanna show off some of the on-set gag tombstones during their chat. Most of them declare various trends and objects "dead", such as Free Spin, the Macarena, common courtesy, and Alex Trebek's mustache.
On October 28, the contestant area is not shown during the $2,000 Toss-Up.
On October 29:
- Contestant Eric wins the Mystery Round with only the Mystery prize.
- A "null" cycle is not edited out of the Speed-Up.

November 2009:

The weeks of November 2-16 are taped at the Boston Convention & Exhibit Center.
On November 2, the $3,000 Toss-Up is a redundant answer of BABY DUCKLINGS.
On November 3, the bonus puzzle BUY NOW is the only six-letter bonus puzzle since HOT WAX on February 27. From this point onward, all bonus puzzles are seven letters or longer, with two exceptions in 2011 and 2015.
On November 6, a contestant tries to call L and E in the Bonus Round.
November 9 is College Week.
On November 9, two males play.
On November 10:
- Two males play.
- The $2,000 Toss-Up, BATMAN'S BATCAVE, is the third known instance of Fictional Place being used in a Toss-Up.
On November 12:
- Two males play.
- Round 1 is a very rare instance of a Proper Name puzzle that is not a person's name, sports team, or college name: THE INTERNET MOVIE DATABASE.
- There is a $13,150 Jackpot win.
During the week of November 16 (Boston's Got Game), the intro segment starts with several sports-related images done in the style of a comic book. Afterward, the "Boston's Got Game" logo appears on a graphic of a Jumbotron, followed by various sports-related photos. Charlie's intro is "And now, from Boston, one of America's great sports towns, here are the stars of our game, Pat Sajak and Vanna White!"
On November 16:
- Two males play.
- I'D LIKE TO SPIN is the $2,000 Toss-Up.
On November 17:
- Two males play.
- The $2,000 Toss-Up TONIGHT IS THE NIGHT is incorrectly categorized as Rhyme Time.
On November 25, Bankrupt is hit eight times.
On November 27:
- There is a $7,400 Jackpot win.
- In the last segment, a letter from 2006 winner Linda Buford is shown.
The week of November 23 has four Landmark puzzles: the $1,000 Toss-Up on the 23rd and 26th, Round 1 on the 24th, and the $2,000 Toss-Up on the 27th. As a result, the category has appeared five times in November 2009 alone, an abnormally high usage rate for that category.
The week of November 30 is Pet Lovers' Week. During this week, the category wipe is a barking dog running across the screen, and said dog stays on the category strip throughout.
On November 30:
- The Million-Dollar Wedge is accidentally placed on the red $800. This ends up affecting the game twice: contestant Todd hits the Bankrupt on the wedge's right edge in Round 1, and contestant Jerissa hits one side of the orange $800 in Round 2.
- Also in Round 2, Jerissa spins $3,500 four times in a row, meaning that the spin mentioned above would have caused her to lose $27,600 to Bankrupt had the Million-Dollar Wedge been in the correct spot.
- No wrong letters are called.
- Rounds 2, 3, and 4 (which ends as a Speed-Up) are played entirely by the person who began them; the Bankrupt mentioned above is the only lost turn of the game.
- Cars are once again available in the Bonus Round. However, they are no longer available to Wheel Watchers Club members. Weekend repeats of Season 26 episodes with car wins are edited to fade out just before the SPIN ID drawing before fading back in to the post-game chat.

December 2009:

On December 1, there is a $7,000 Jackpot win by a contestant who solves SHAGGY & SCOOBY-DOO with only the S's revealed.
On December 2:
- Contestant Alex loses $5,700, the Gift Tag, Wild Card, and Million-Dollar Wedge to Bankrupt.
- Contestant Marisa leaves with only the Prize Puzzle package and no other cash or prizes.
- No wrong letters are called, although a repeated E is bought in Round 3.
On December 3, a car is won for the first time since their reintroduction: specifically, a $23,275 Honda Element, also a now-rare instance of a bonus prize less than $25,000.
On December 4, the second-place contestant has $20,000.
On December 7, Round 1 is a Before & After of THE CALL OF THE WILD CARD.
On December 8:
- Contestant Cheron mentions that her father was on the show in 1976.
- The Gift Tag is a $1,000 Sony Reader package represented by an actual Sony Reader in a clear box.
- Round 2 (a Same Name of LOYAL & CEILING FAN) starts with five consecutive lost turns with the latter three edited out, evidenced by the third spin passing the Sony Reader in the wide shot only to land on it.
On December 11, the Mystery Wedge next to the Million-Dollar Wedge is hit three times, including two turns by the same contestant (Tom), who doesn't flip it over but later hits Bankrupt. The second contestant to hit it, Brooke, opts to flip it and finds a Bankrupt.
December 14 is Heroes Week, featuring members of the Armed Forces, and the Sears Holiday Sweepstakes. During this week:
- The Wheel prize this week is a $5,000 Sears shopping spree.
- Each game has an Around the House or In the Kitchen puzzle in which Pat informs the contestants that the puzzle answer is something that might be purchased at Sears.
- There is a Before & After puzzle every day, but no Same Name.
On December 16:
- The Round 3 puzzle COMBINATION MICROWAVE/CONVECTION OVEN is the third of only three known uses of a slash.
- The second-place contestant has $21,000.
On December 17:
- There is an $8,700 Jackpot win.
- All three contestants give one wrong answer each: Steve on the $1,000 Toss-Up, Frances in Round 2, and Chris in Round 3.
- Bankrupt is hit four times in Round 2.
- Steve solves the Speed-Up puzzle LITTLE ROCK ARKANSAS with only the T's revealed.
During the week of December 21:
- The category strips are dark red with gift boxes on the left side. During main-game rounds, the Wheel of Fortune bug is green with a Santa cap over the W.
- No cars are available in the Bonus Round, perhaps because the week is taped out of order. They return on the 28th.
On December 23, contestant Mitch hits $5,000 three times in Round 4.
On December 24, the Wheel Prize is $5,200 credit toward electronic coupons on GetYowza.com.
On December 29, the Round 3 puzzle THE NEW YORK TIMES CROSSWORD PUZZLE is the first instance of a What Are You Doing? puzzle not using an "-ING" suffix.
On December 30, Pat begins to prompt contestant Janelle to use the Wild Card on $900 in Round 4, but the Final Spin bells cut him off.
On December 31, twice in Round 3, Pat does not prompt contestant Courtland to use his Wild Card on $3,500. He later loses it and $24,350 to Bankrupt.

January 2010:

On January 1, the top winner has $12,345.
The week of January 4 is America's Game.
On January 4:
- Due to being the sixth episode from Heroes Week, three males play.
- The contestants make four incorrect guesses on the puzzle REGIS PHILBIN & KELLY RIPA by mispronouncing one or both names, the fourth of which happens with the entire puzzle revealed. This is the first known time since April 2004 that a fully-revealed puzzle has been incorrectly solved.
On January 5, six rounds are played.
On January 7, the Speed-Up puzzle THE HOST WITH THE MOST is solved with only the T's showing.
On January 8, the Speed-Up puzzle CHARLESTON SOUTH CAROLINA is also solved with only the T's showing.
On January 11:
- There is a $7,350 Jackpot win.
- In the last segment, a clip is shown from the December 10, 2009 episode of Jeopardy!, on which a contestant said that watching Wheel of Fortune helped him learn the alphabet as a child. This is followed by Pat announcing that he will appear on the Jeopardy! $1,000,000 Celebrity Invitational on January 21.
On January 14:
- Rounds 1, 4, and 5 (which ends as a Speed-Up) are played entirely by the person who began them.
- There is a very rare instance of RSTLNE revealing more than half of the bonus puzzle (THE PLOT THICKENS).
On January 15, a contestant (who does not solve her bonus puzzle) misses the $1,000,000 by only one envelope.
Between January 13 and 15, three contestants in a row take the Wild Card to the Bonus Round.
January 18 is Wheel Watchers Club Week. During this week, the intro includes clips of Wheel Watchers Club members who have won.
On January 25, six rounds are played.
On January 26, a cycle of three lost turns is edited out of Round 1. Although the round's puzzle MICHAEL DOUGLAS & CATHERINE ZETA-JONES contains all five vowels, it is still not known if the cycle was truly "null", as there is unusually no shot of contestant Sacha or her scoreboard after she hits Bankrupt (she supposedly had $1,900 at the time), the first aired spin after the cycle. The edit is referenced twice: first by the Jackpot not being reset, jumping from $6,450 to $6,750, then by Pat saying "There you go" when contestant Willy hits $2,500 despite being her first aired turn of the game.
On January 28, for the third of only three known times, a Prize Puzzle offers something other than a trip. Pat foreshadows this before Round 1 by saying "They're generally trips — they have been lately — but we're kind of adding some different things to the mix, so they won't necessarily be a trip." The answer WHAT WILL THEY THINK OF NEXT? offers a $5,000 HomeGoods shopping spree.
On January 29, six rounds are played.

February 2010:

February 1 is NYC Salute Week. During this week, various people associated with New York City give greetings: Regis Philbin and Kelly Ripa on February 1, Michael Bloomberg on February 2, Sam Champion on February 3, and Regis again on February 4.
On February 1, the bonus puzzle QUEST FOR KNOWLEDGE is only the second known one under three-and-a-vowel rules to have at least one each of R, S, T, L, N, and E.
On February 5:
- The Wheel Prize includes tickets to Rock of Ages.
- Pat prompts contestant Katie to use the Wild Card on $900 in Round 3, which she does. This is the first known instance since October 2008 of it being used on a value other than the top dollar.
The week of February 8 is Sweethearts Week, taped at the Venetian in Las Vegas. During this week, the board's border is pink and purple.
On February 8:
- The intro is edited to include a shot of Blue Man Group waving to Pat and Vanna from the contestant area.
- The audience applauds briefly in the middle of the $1,000 Toss-Up.
- There is a $7,550 Jackpot win.
- One contestant on the red team gives a wrong answer to the $3,000 Toss-Up while their teammate gives the right answer; Pat ends up ruling them incorrect.
On February 11, there is an $8,100 Jackpot win.
The week of February 15 is taped at the Palazzo in Las Vegas.
On February 16, contestant Kerri's letter choices reveal the bonus puzzle VERY HUSH-HUSH completely. Unusually, the chyron disappears as soon as Vanna touches the last H, but before the timer starts.
On February 19, the Mystery Round puzzle reveal is preceded by a clip of Pat saying "We thought you should know that tonight's Wheel of Fortune show was taped prior to all the recent fun on late-night TV. Who knew?" over a blurred freeze-frame of the puzzle board. This is done due to the answer being THE TONIGHT SHOW WITH CONAN O'BRIEN, which is canceled by the time this episode airs.
Beginning February 22, Feeding America for Hunger Relief receives a $2,500 donation from Maxwell House for each Bonus Round win (counting reruns). The donations are eventually capped at $200,000, but Feeding America plugs continue to air for a short time after the amount is reached. Episodes now feature a Maxwell House plug before the Bonus Round, and a Maxwell House bug in the upper left-hand corner, both of which are also edited into reruns.
On February 24, Pat almost forgets to interview the red contestant.

March 2010:

On March 5:
- For the second time, a What Are You Doing? puzzle does not contain an "-ING" suffix: (THE TEXAS TWO-STEP, in Round 4).
- Six rounds are played.
On March 8, Pat accidentally rules a contestant's answer incorrect on the $1,000 Toss-Up (WHAT'S COOKING?), but is quickly corrected from offstage.
On March 15, against 99.6% odds, the $100,000 is hit for only the first time this season. The $100,000 is lost; the puzzle, PUNCH BOWL, previously resulted in a $100,000 loss on October 7, 2002.
On March 17, the third-place and second-place contestants have $13,450 and $27,000, respectively.
On March 18:
- Contestant Barry's nametag falls off and lands under the Wheel during his first spin. It is never retrieved.
- For the third time, a What Are You Doing? puzzle does not contain an "-ING" suffix: PULL-UPS PUSH-UPS SIT-UPS AND CRUNCHES in Round 3. This and the previous two instances could logically have been categorized as Fun & Games to avoid this oddity, although March 5 also had that category as the $3,000 Toss-Up.
- There is a $100,000 win, resulting in the third instance of that envelope being hit twice in a week.
March 22 is Family Week, promoting Beaches Family Resorts. During this week:
- All Wheel Prizes and Prize Puzzles are trips to various Beaches resorts, all worth $15,000, the highest value for a Prize Puzzle trip.
- There is a Before & After puzzle every day, but no Same Name.
On March 22, the winning contestants exceed $100,000 without hitting that amount in the Bonus Round. Following a $45,000 win there, they leave with $100,850.
On March 23, there is a $100,000 win. Against precedent, the winner does not write the contestant blog.
On March 24:
- The third-place team has $12,000.
- The winning contestants manage to do so without any prizes, making this the first known time where a winner of a prize worth $15,000 or more does not win the game.
On March 25, after a family pair buys the I's in Round 1, the "no more vowels" graphic appears despite the U's in the puzzle having not yet been revealed.
On March 23 and 26, both trips are won by the same team. $30,000 is likely the highest total of non-cash prizes won in the maingame.
March 29 is Hawaii Week, taped in Culver City. The category strip features a dashboard hula dancer throughout.
On March 29:
- Two males play.
- In Round 2, contestant Neepa accidentally pulls Free Play off the Wheel after landing on it, resulting in a stopdown. This incident is edited out.

April 2010:

On April 1, as an April Fool's Day gag, the show does 10 things that are "wrong". Pat and Vanna announce this from backstage before the opening. Home viewers may print out a form to see if they can find all 10 things that are "wrong", and all 10 are revealed at the end of the April 2 episode. They are:

Pat walks out on the right and Vanna on the left.
Pat, Vanna, and Charlie stand at the contestants' area when it is shown during the intro. (The Wheel layout in this shot is from Round 4.)
Vanna stands on the left side of the puzzle board at the start of the Jackpot Round.
Both Bankrupt wedges use the Polish version of the word, "Bankrut". The only Bankrupts hit during the game are those of the Mystery Wedge and Million-Dollar Wedge, so it is not known if the scoreboards would have changed accordingly had either "Bankrut" wedge been hit.
Pat wears a stud earring in Round 2.
Charlie stands in Vanna's place at the start of the Mystery Round.
A clip from September 4, 1995 (erroneously identified as 1992) appears during the Final Spin.
Pat changes suits before the Bonus Round.
Pat (in his original suit) and Vanna are seen sitting behind the winning contestant's family members at the start of the Bonus Round.
Pat and Vanna wear nametags at the end.
Also, the montage of Hawaii-themed clips at the beginning includes two seconds of rodeo footage, but this is ignored.

On April 2, the $1,000 Toss-Up (HAWAII FIVE-O) is the only appearance of Classic TV between May 6, 2008 and January 9, 2013.
On April 5, the bonus puzzle BUZZING WITH EXCITEMENT is the second-longest known bonus puzzle to be used on the show, and the longest under three-and-a-vowel rules, at 21 letters.
On April 7, Pat and Vanna eat a replica of the Wild Card during their chat.
On April 8:
- There is a $10,300 Jackpot win.
- The bonus puzzle HONEYMOON PERIOD is categorized as Thing instead of Event.
On April 9, the bonus puzzle WORKBENCH is categorized as Thing. The last two times it was used (December 3, 2002 and May 5, 2005), it was categorized as Around the House.
On April 12, for the first time since October 9, 2009, neither Before & After nor Same Name is used. In addition, Rounds 3 and 4 are Phrase, suggesting that Round 3 may have originally used one of those categories, but was thrown out and replaced. The Round 3 puzzle, THAT'S MY STORY AND I'M STICKING TO IT, could also have been categorized as Song Lyrics to avoid the duplicate category.
On April 15:
- The Million-Dollar Wedge is picked up on the first turn of the game, then lost to Bankrupt immediately after.
- No vowels are bought in Round 1.
- Six rounds are played.
On April 20:
- Contestant Brett loses $30,600 to Bankrupt in Round 3, which may be a record concerning spendable cash.
- A total of $46,900 ($45,900 and the Gift Tag) is lost to Bankrupt, very likely a record until January 2015.
On April 21:
- Bankrupt is hit nine times.
- The bonus puzzle has a redundant A at the beginning (A FOREIGN LANGUAGE), something which almost never happened after A GULF in September 2005.
On April 21 and 22, two contestants in a row leave with $52,550 after winning $35,000 in the Bonus Round.
April 26 is World Capitals Week. All week long, the first Toss-Up is the name of a world capital.
On April 26, the bonus puzzle is the grammatically-incorrect WAIT A WHILE, when it should have been WAIT AWHILE.
On April 29:
- Bankrupt is hit four times in the Jackpot round.
- The winning contestant leaves with only $7,907, which appears to be the lowest total since Prize Puzzles began occurring daily.
On April 30:
- A dramatic organ riff sounds instead of the normal Mystery Wedge sound when contestant Austinae lands on one, to which Pat comments "I see we broke into the record library there."
- Austinae loses the $10,000 Mystery Wedge and the Gift Tag (but no spendable cash) to Bankrupt immediately after picking up both in succession.
- In Round 3, Pat prompts contestant Alison to use her Wild Card on $3,500; she declines, solves the puzzle, and ends up taking the Wild Card to the Bonus Round, which she solves.

May 2010:

May 3 begins the Thanks a Million Sweepstakes, which last throughout the entire month. A SPIN ID is drawn at the top of each show and another before the Mystery round. Any viewer who confirms that his or her SPIN ID was drawn receives a chance at winning $25,000.
The week of May 3 is a salute to Chicago, taped in Culver City. On the sixth show of this taping session (which had aired on April 16), there are clips in Chicago promoting National Train Day on May 8, although it is not mentioned during the rest of the week.
On May 3, the $1,000 Toss-Up THE WINDY CITY is solved with only the first Y showing.
On May 4, the $1,000 Toss-Up NAVY PIER is also solved with only the Y showing.
On May 6:
- There is a $6,800 Jackpot win.
- Contestant Jen risks the Million-Dollar Wedge on the Mystery Wedge, finding $10,000 on the reverse; however, she loses both to Bankrupt later in the round.
During the week of May 10 (State Fair), the category wipe is pigs running across the screen.
On May 10, during the closing segment, Pat and Vanna promote the Wheel of Fortune Hall of Fame which had just opened at Stage 11.
May 17 is Dads & Grads Week.
All five Bonus Rounds are lost on the week of May 17, part of a six-day losing streak. This is also the only all-loss week this season.
On May 24, Round 4 is only the third known instance of Occupations.
On May 25, a contestant pronounces the H in "heir" when solving the Round 4 puzzle HEIR TO THE THRONE. Against precedent, the answer is accepted.
On May 26, another mispronunciation is accepted as a correct answer: "Crusoe" as "Caruso" when solving AND HERE'S TO YOU MRS. ROBINSON CRUSOE in Round 3.
On May 28:
- There is a $10,600 Jackpot win.
- The winning contestant (who fails to solve the bonus puzzle) misses the $100,000 by only one envelope.
On May 31, all three contestants ring in but do not solve the $1,000 Toss-Up, TREASURE MAP.

June 2010: (season ends June 11)

On June 2, contestant Eric wins by $50.
The week of June 7 has a Before & After puzzle each day, and no Same Name puzzles.
On June 7, Vanna nearly forgets to touch an R in the Speed-Up round.
On June 8:
- The Round 3 puzzle AND NOW FOR SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT is inexplicably categorized as Phrase instead of the more logical Quotation.
- Contestant Marisa leaves with $62,141 despite failing to solve the bonus puzzle for $45,000.
On June 11, for the second time this season, the winning contestant (who fails to solve the bonus puzzle) misses the $100,000 by only one envelope.

Season 28 (2010-11)

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.
The Pat & Vanna talk backdrop is a dark blue "starry sky" motif.
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]!"
$30,000 is now the lowest cash amount on the Bonus Wheel.
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.
A laser 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.
As of this season, contestants are no longer penalized for accidentally calling vowels after spinning.
Some episodes this season use a different Wild Card, which has a slightly darker color and less rounded corners.

September 2010: (season begins September 13)

The weeks of September 13 and 20 are taped in Las Vegas: the 13th at the Venetian, and the 20th at the Palazzo. Both Friday episodes have two males and one female contestant.
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.
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.
- Contestant Katie solves the $2,000 Toss-Up THE A-TEAM 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, as the $2,000 Toss-Up was Movie Title instead) 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 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.
- The contestant 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.
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.
- In Round 3, Bevin starts to say THE VIEW FROM THE TOP OF THE MOUNTAIN instead of THE VIEW FROM THE TOP OF A MOUNTAIN, but catches herself after saying the third "the" and restarts from the beginning. Her answer is accepted.
- 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.
The animated intro for the week of October 4 uses the Final Spin bells as cruise ship bells.
On October 4:
- A contestant 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.
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, tying the record for the most known hits in one round.
- The Million-Dollar Wedge is mistakenly placed over $550 in Rounds 1 and 2. This ends up affecting Round 2: a contestant hits one of the Bankrupts on the wedge, while another hits one edge of the orange $800.
- Three turns in a row are lost with only the X missing from the Round 2 puzzle FIXING FRANKFURTERS & FRENCH FRIES; these turns include two wrong letters and the aforementioned Bankrupt.
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 believed to be 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.
On October 26, two males play.
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.
- 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. Coincidentally, Johnny also filled in for Charlie in late 1995, the only other time that someone filled in for him on the nighttime show.
During the week of November 1, the category wipe is a graphic of a person surfing. Unlike most of the graphic wipes used in the late 2000s, this one wipes left-to-right instead of vice versa.
On November 3, two males play.
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 appears on several talk shows discussing 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. Oddly, this is not consistent: he is retained on weekend reruns, with Vanna doing new SPIN IDs. Guest announcers also fill in for him live until April.
The week of November 8 is taped in the Venetian in Las Vegas, with Johnny 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.
On November 11, Pat's comment of "All right, Charlie, thanks." after the Prize copy is not edited out.
On November 12:
- There is a $9,550 Jackpot win.
- For the only known time, 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 a 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:
- A contestant makes an incorrect guess in the Speed-Up, then tries to call D, which is not in the puzzle anyway.
- For the only known time since September 2002, Pat and Vanna do not sign off. This is very likely due to the episode running overtime.
On November 17, contestant David spins the red $800 six times in a row.
On November 18, a contestant 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.
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.
- In the final segment, Pat and Vanna share a letter from Jackie Caputo & 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.
On November 29, Pat forgets to take away a contestant's Prize wedge after she hits Bankrupt in Round 3. He takes it away later in the round.

December 2010:

On December 1:
- For the first known time, a contestant (Leslie) calls Q in the Bonus Round. She also accidentally calls L, but Pat does not correct her until after she picks a vowel.
- The Pat and Vanna chat is done from behind the blue contestant's scoreboard, as the two are discussing the 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.
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.
- At the end of the episode, clips are shown from the military shows taped aboard the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1995.
From November 29-December 9, the $1,000 Toss-Ups are all On the Map.
On December 10:
- Bankrupt is hit four times in Round 2.
- The very unusual non-sequitur puzzle SPARROWS & PARAKEETS is used for the second time, this time in the Speed-Up.
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 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 30, two males play.
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, America's Game, is 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. Oddly, 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 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.
All five Bonus Rounds are lost on the week of January 3.
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, January has started off with seven straight Bonus Round losses, three of which were $100,000.
On January 13, a contestant solves the bonus puzzle KAYAKING with only the A's and N revealed.
On January 14:
- All three contestants hit both Bankrupt and Lose A Turn in Round 2.
- The winning contestant leaves 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 17, a contestant tries to use his Wild Card on a vowel in Round 3, but Pat stops him before he can do so. On his next turn, he turns it in to get six N's on $3,500.
On January 20, a 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.
The week of January 31 is Teachers' Week. During this week:
- Rich Fields announces.
- 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:
- A contestant calls a single consonant in Round 1, buys all five vowels, then solves.
- 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! As with its appearance on December 3, Charlie's "Rock On!" call is dubbed over by Pat saying the category name.
On February 10, the winning team leaves 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.
On February 17, the bonus puzzle is JUNIOR VARSITY SQUAD; interestingly, almost two years prior, February 18 had an extremely similar bonus puzzle of VARSITY SQUAD.
Jim Thornton announces the weeks of February 21 and 28.
On February 21, nobody solves the $1,000 Toss-Up, STARBOARD SIDE. The first contestant to ring in gives an incorrect answer with only the S in SIDE missing, so neither of the other contestants get an opportunity to ring in.
On February 23:
- After the contestants struggle with the Speed-Up answer AUCKLAND NEW ZEALAND, and one of said contestants says that he's never heard of it, Pat incorrectly states that it is the capital of New Zealand. In the final segment, he corrects himself and says that the capital is actually Wellington.
- Against normal practice, the "only vowels remain" beeps sound in the aforementioned Speed-Up. This is probably due to a contestant giving a wrong answer with only the U missing.
Same Name is not used at all during the week of February 28. However, all five episodes have Before & After.
All five Bonus Rounds are lost on the week of February 28, part of a six-day losing streak beginning on the 25th.

March 2011:

On March 1:
- The second-place contestant has $28,450.
- There is a $100,000 loss.
On March 2, Rounds 1-3 are played entirely by the person who began them.
On March 3, there is a $100,000 loss, resulting in the fifth instance of that envelope being hit twice in a week; that is the ninth $100,000 loss of the season.
Joe Cipriano announces the week of March 7.
During the week of March 7, 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 is an unusually short answer of THE GREEN HORNET, which is also on three rows despite being small enough to 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, resulting in another stopdown. When Patrick lands on a Mystery Wedge in this round, Sandy can be seen trying to notify Pat of the issue.
On March 9, contestant Felicia's nametag falls off when she picks up the Prize wedge in Round 2.
On March 11, the winning contestant has only $7,450 before the Bonus Round.
All five Bonus Rounds are won on the week of March 7, the first all-win week since April 23-27, 2007.
March 14 is Pet Lovers' Week. During this week:
- Natural Balance Pet Foods has a $1,000 Gift Tag on the Wheel and, every time the tag is hit, the company donates $1,000 to the American Kennel Club Fund. The tag is hit 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.
- 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:
- For the first time since April 6, 2007, three female contestants play.
- Pat nearly forgets to open the bonus envelope.
On March 23:
- Bankrupt is hit at least four times in Round 1.
- 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:
- 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; he also rings in on the $3,000 Toss-Up but gives an incomplete answer.
- Round 3, the $3,000 Toss-Up, and the Bonus Round are Phrase, very likely 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:
- Wheel is pre-empted in many Eastern and Central markets airing the show at 7:30 PM due to a speech from President Obama.
- Same Letter is used in a Toss-Up (the $3,000) for the last of only four times.
On March 29:
- Contestant Eubert mispronounces "Miami" (with a long E sound on the first I) when solving the $1,000 Toss-Up CSI: MIAMI, but his answer is still accepted.
- Eubert accidentally calls B twice in a row in Round 3.
- Pat forgets to take away a contestant's Prize wedge after she hits Bankrupt. This does not end up mattering, as the contestant does not solve the puzzle.

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 only known occurrence of Song Title and Song Lyrics in the same game, and one of the few games this season to have neither Same Name nor Before & After. Interestingly, the contestants never catch on.
- The second-place contestant has $22,650.
- Pat does not say the Bonus Round category until after the contestant has picked her letters.
John Cramer announces the week of April 4.
The week of April 4 (Going Green Week) does not have an animated intro. Instead, Vanna promotes the week's car, a Chevy Volt, at the top of the show. She 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, the first sweep since January 28, 2009. She takes both the Wild Card and Million-Dollar Wedge to the Bonus Round, where she wins $30,000. A sweep with a Bonus Round win does not happen again 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 1993 (erroneously identified as 1996), Round 2 from November 1996, Round 3 from 1990, and Round 4 from 1998.
- Strangely, the 1993 clip is altered so the category chyron reads "Headline". The puzzle, NEIL ARMSTRONG'S MOON LANDING, was most likely categorized as Event or The Sixties originally, and would have been more logically categorized as Event on this appearance.
- Round 2 is the only known appearance of The 60's since the beginning of 2001. The "decade" line of categories was phased out in early Season 24, and only The 70's onward were in use for several seasons prior before returning in Season 30.
- Contestant Matt's nametag falls off during Round 3.
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".
- The $100,000 is lost for the eleventh time this season.
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.
Joe Cipriano announces the week of April 11.
The week of April 11 features two special ½ Car wedges in honor of Road Trip week. 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, which is not won, as only two tags are even 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 the week of April 11 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; on April 12 and 14, the "Get Out of Town" title is accidentally left in.
On April 12:
- A contestant mispronounces "Pasadena" as "Pasadayna" when solving 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 the contestant 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 "unofficially" becomes the permanent 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.
- A contestant accidentally calls N and E in the Bonus Round.
On April 21:
- Contestant Erin mentions that her mother was on the show in 1978.
- Rounds 4 and 5 are played entirely by the person who began them.
- Six rounds are played.
On April 22, Round 3 is the only appearance of Best Seller since February 8, 2007.
On April 26, two males play.
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:

The Wii animations are not used between May 2 and June 3.
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.
Rockin' Dopsie Jr. and the Zydeco Twisters appear as a house band during the week of May 2, playing zydeco music as the show goes in and out of commercial, and over the credits.
On May 2:
- Wheel is pre-empted in many Eastern and Central markets airing the show at 7:00 PM due to extended news coverage on Osama bin Laden's death.
- 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.
- Chris fills in the entire Round 2 puzzle TASTING THE LOCAL RUM PUNCH by himself.
- Rhyme Time makes its only appearance in the Bonus Round since December 24, 2007.
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).
- Josh spins $3,500 three times in a row in Round 3.
At the end of the May 6 episode, Pat joins Rockin' Dopsie onstage 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:
- The $2,000 Toss-Up is a very non-sequitur answer of CARDINALS & CANARIES. Besides being completely unrelated birds not associated together (similarly to the SPARROWS & PARAKEETS puzzle seen twice), cardinal is a family of birds and canaries are a species.
- 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, making him the first known contestant known to have spun once yet still win anything.
On May 11:
- There is a $9,800 Jackpot win.
- Pat pretends to frisk the winning contestant (Ryan) after he solves the bonus puzzle INGENIOUS DEVICE.
On May 12, two males play.
During the week of May 16:
- 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 18, the $2,000 Toss-Up is only the fourth known instance of Occupations.
On May 19, a contestant 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 only the second known 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.
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:
- 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.
- A team risks the Million-Dollar Wedge on the Mystery Wedge, finding $10,000 on the reverse; however, they lose both to Bankrupt later in the round.
- The winning team accidentally calls an E in the Bonus Round. Pat does not notice this at first, and begins to ask the contestants for their Wild Card letter before he is corrected.
On May 25, the previous day's Wendy's puzzle is shown again after that day's. This is done most likely because the May 24 episode is pre-empted in some markets by the series finale of The Oprah Winfrey Show.
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:
- The blue team includes a wheelchair-bound contestant (Vincent) who barely speaks throughout the entire game: he only says "yes" during Pat's interview, does not call any letters or touch the Wheel, and otherwise says only part of the Round 1 answer in unison with his teammate.
- The Wendy's puzzle is the chain's slogan, QUALITY IS OUR RECIPE.
On May 27, Bankrupt is hit four times in Round 2, including one which claims $22,000. Overall, it is hit six times.
All five Bonus Rounds are lost on the week of May 23, part of a six-day losing streak on the 30th.
May 30 is Tennis Week, sponsored by the Tennis Channel. Three different tennis players appear at the top of each show, with the third saying "it's Tennis Week on Wheel of Fortune."
During the weeks of May 30 and June 6, Vanna announces the Mystery Round prize.
On May 30:
- Contestant Lisa accidentally asks to buy a T in Round 2 immediately after calling T, though she appears to correct herself to say E. She loses her turn, but the $250 is not deducted, though it ends up not mattering as she hits Bankrupt later.
- When 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 Pat and Vanna chat.
On May 31, contestant Kelley loses $2,050 cash, the Gift Tag, the Prize, and the Million-Dollar Wedge to Bankrupt in Round 3.

June 2011: (season ends June 10)

On June 2, the winning contestant 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.
The week of June 6 is America's Game. The Wii animation is the same one used during the week of January 3.
On June 7, the Speed-Up bells sound just as a contestant starts to spin. He is allowed to complete that turn, and Pat does the Final Spin immediately afterward.
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.

Summer Reruns:
(Note: While this Wiki does not generally keep track of these, an exception was made for Season 28 due to Charlie's death and the subsequent tryouts.)

On June 13, Jim is confirmed as the permanent announcer.
Jim is dubbed over any of the guest announcers during the Summer reruns, reading the new SPIN ID, Maxwell House, and Mystery plugs. Charlie is retained on episodes that aired before his death, as well as weekend repeats 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. (Oddly, 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, or simply "woman"; it is believed that these women are Kelly Miyahara and Sarah Whitcomb (Foss) of the Jeopardy! Clue Crew.
On July 25, the Sony Card graphic used during SPIN ID draws is updated to reflect its new, black design.

@@ Line 979: / Line 979: @@
 * All five Bonus Rounds are lost on the week of April 9. The losing streak extends to nine before another win comes on the 20th.
 * The April 9 sixth show taping is of the Happy Holidays week minus the decorations. This is the first time that a sixth show taping has set alterations between the full set week and the sixth show taping, and the first sixth show taping of a holiday-themed week.
+* On April 11:
-* On April 11, Pat gives the winning contestant a ''Wheel of Fortune'' lunchbox after he loses the Bonus Round.
+** Pat gives the winning contestant a ''Wheel of Fortune'' lunchbox after he loses the Bonus Round.
+** Nobody solves the $3,000 Toss-Up, SKYWRITING.
 * On April 16, Same Name (in Round 3) spells out AND.
 * On April 20, there is an $8,200 Jackpot win.