Wheel of Fortune (syn) at 30 seasons

[groundchuck]

It's hard to believe that the syndicated Wheel of Fortune will start its 30th anniversary season. There is only one other show that is older and is still on the air: The Price Is Right starting 41 seasons. Jeopardy will have its 30th anniversary season next fall. Wheel of Fortune debuted on NBC in January 1975 and was a solid hit. Chuck Woolery was the host from 1975-1981; In December of 1981, Pat Sajak took over as host. In the fall of 1983, Wheel of Fortune debuted the syndicated (nighttime) version.The show went to a whole different level. You have to wonder why did it take the show almost 10 years before there was a syndicated version. You would think they would have debuted it sooner than that. I guess between 1975-1980 or 1981; it would have been hard to get the nighttime version of Wheel on the air. Look at the shows that were on during those years. Family Feud, Hollywood Squares, The Joker's Wild, Tic Tac Dough, Match Game PM, The Price is Right, The Newlywed Game, The Dating Game, Evening/PM Magazine. Entertainment Tonight, Name That Tune, etc.

You have to remember the syndicated versions of those game shows were on at first weekly, then bi-weekly for some, and then eventually 5 nights a week. (The syndicated Joker's Wild and Tic Tac Dough were already 5 nights a week when they debuted. Eventually the nighttime versions went to 5 nights a week.) It would have interesting if the nighttime Wheel would have debuted sooner.

Happy 30th anniversary season Wheel of Fortune, one of the great game shows of all time.

[Lingofan97]

This was copied straight from here in "Game History"