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Author Topic: Merv Griffin WOF Marathon  (Read 7725 times)

Matt Ottinger

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Merv Griffin WOF Marathon
« on: October 04, 2007, 07:19:39 PM »
Having put the marathon onto a couple of DVDs for storage, I thought it would be nice to be able to log them as to their original air dates.  I know we had a thread going that mentioned many of the dates but I also imagine one of you good people compiled all that information into a handy little list you could post here.  Please.

(Somebody even had episode numbers and other precise information that came directly from GSN.  That information would also be appreciated.)
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Allstar87

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Merv Griffin WOF Marathon
« Reply #1 on: October 04, 2007, 08:29:37 PM »
It's not all the exact dates, but this should help out a bit:

1: This post places the Woolery episode in June 1976, but it's not clear exactly what day it aired.
2: Vanna's first, according to Brad Francini, was Dec. 13, 1982.
3: The first syndie show...Brad places it at Sep. 12, 1983, but I know the date varied within markets.
4: The first day of the Big Month of Cash...sometime in Sep. 1987, possibly the 7th.
5: The first day at Radio City Music Hall...someone here said the weeks at RCMH aired from Nov. 14-25, 1988, but I forgot whom.
6: First day with the current puzzleboard was Feb. 24, 1997.
7: The 4000th episode aired on Nov. 10, 2003.
8: April Fools Day, 1997
9: Pat's last show, again from Brad, was Jan. 9, 1989.
10: The 10th anniversary show...all I heard was 1992. Not even a month.
« Last Edit: October 05, 2007, 02:44:14 AM by Allstar87 »
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snowpeck

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Merv Griffin WOF Marathon
« Reply #2 on: October 05, 2007, 12:47:37 AM »
Pat's last show did indeed air on Monday the 9th, as evidenced by a promo during its original broadcast advertising Rolf would start on "Tuesday."
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SRIV94

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Merv Griffin WOF Marathon
« Reply #3 on: October 05, 2007, 11:46:37 AM »
[quote name=\'snowpeck\' post=\'165599\' date=\'Oct 4 2007, 11:47 PM\']
Pat's last show did indeed air on Monday the 9th, as evidenced by a promo during its original broadcast advertising Rolf would start on "Tuesday."
[/quote]

You're right.  I withdraw the post.
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Ian Wallis

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Merv Griffin WOF Marathon
« Reply #4 on: October 05, 2007, 08:08:48 PM »
Quote
4: The first day of the Big Month of Cash...sometime in Sep. 1987, possibly the 7th.

In watching the reruns on GSN when they ran these episodes in the mid-90s, I'm pretty sure that the Big Month of Cash didn't start off the season.  I think it was a November ratings stunt.
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sshuffield70

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Merv Griffin WOF Marathon
« Reply #5 on: October 05, 2007, 09:35:40 PM »
[quote name=\'Ian Wallis\' post=\'165663\' date=\'Oct 5 2007, 08:08 PM\']
Quote
4: The first day of the Big Month of Cash...sometime in Sep. 1987, possibly the 7th.

In watching the reruns on GSN when they ran these episodes in the mid-90s, I'm pretty sure that the Big Month of Cash didn't start off the season.  I think it was a November ratings stunt.
[/quote]

ISTR that started the '87 season, and somehow became permanent.
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irismason42

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Merv Griffin WOF Marathon
« Reply #6 on: October 05, 2007, 09:57:30 PM »
IIRC, the first all-cash format show was aired sometime in Oct. 1987(Oct. 5 in fact).
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aaron sica

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Merv Griffin WOF Marathon
« Reply #7 on: October 06, 2007, 11:55:35 AM »
[quote name=\'Ian Wallis\' post=\'165663\' date=\'Oct 5 2007, 08:08 PM\']
Quote
4: The first day of the Big Month of Cash...sometime in Sep. 1987, possibly the 7th.

In watching the reruns on GSN when they ran these episodes in the mid-90s, I'm pretty sure that the Big Month of Cash didn't start off the season.  I think it was a November ratings stunt.
[/quote]

From what I remember, October was the "Big Month of Cash" and then permanent after that. The season started off with shopping.
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snowpeck

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Merv Griffin WOF Marathon
« Reply #8 on: October 06, 2007, 03:58:12 PM »
Now that I'm finally on my home computer, here's this info I got from GSN:

Episode Descriptions

Wheel of Fortune #368. Host: Chuck Woolery.  1976 Season.  

Wheel of Fortune #2016.  Host: Pat Sajak.  First episode with Vanna White.  1982 Season.

Wheel of Fortune #0001.  Host: Pat Sajak.  Early syndicated episode.  1983 Season.

Wheel of Fortune #0796.  Host Pat Sajak.  All cash format began.  1987 Season.

Wheel of Fortune #1026.  Host Pat Sajak.  First trip to Radio City Music Hall in NYC.  1988 Season.

Wheel of Fortune #S-2656.  Host Pat Sajak.  First episode with new board, where letters are touched instead of turned.

Wheel of Fortune #S-3946.  Host: Pat Sajak.  4000th episode celebration.

Wheel of Fortune #2677.  Host: Alex Trebek.  April Fool’s episode – hosted by Alex Trebek, Pat and Vanna are contestants. 1996 Season

Wheel of Fortune NTD1-3686.  Host: Pat Sajak.  Pat’s last Network show.  At the end of the show, he kisses Vanna.  Merv Griffin makes an appearance. 1988 Season

Wheel of Fortune 1769.  Host: Pat Sajak.  10th Anniversary Celebration.  Merv Griffin makes and appearance and Vanna sings.  1992 Season
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Matt Ottinger

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Merv Griffin WOF Marathon
« Reply #9 on: October 06, 2007, 04:15:17 PM »
[quote name=\'snowpeck\' post=\'165733\' date=\'Oct 6 2007, 03:58 PM\']
Now that I'm finally on my home computer, here's this info I got from GSN:[/quote]
Thanks, even without dates, this is what I was looking for!  And this amused me:
[quote name=\'snowpeck\' post=\'165733\' date=\'Oct 6 2007, 03:58 PM\']
Wheel of Fortune #0001.  Host: Pat Sajak.  Early syndicated episode.  1983 Season.[/quote]
It's episode #0001, for heaven's sake.  Wouldn't you think that would allow them to call it "FIRST syndicated episode?"
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Ian Wallis

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« Reply #10 on: October 07, 2007, 12:14:59 PM »
Quote
It's episode #0001, for heaven's sake. Wouldn't you think that would allow them to call it "FIRST syndicated episode?"

What amuses me more is that they actually called it episode 0001.  Hmmm....wasn't it on the air 8 years by that point...
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tpirfan28

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« Reply #11 on: October 07, 2007, 12:29:21 PM »
[quote name=\'Ian Wallis\' post=\'165828\' date=\'Oct 7 2007, 12:14 PM\']
Quote
It's episode #0001, for heaven's sake. Wouldn't you think that would allow them to call it "FIRST syndicated episode?"

What amuses me more is that they actually called it episode 0001.  Hmmm....wasn't it on the air 8 years by that point...
[/quote]
That's the episode that spawned the three-headed monster they now call "Wheel of Fortune".  The show that had been on the air was also "Wheel of Fortune", even hosted by the same guy at one point, doesn't exist anymore, and was only a two-headed monster.

Or so they want everyone to believe.

/should be 33rd anniversary season...correct?
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uncamark

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Merv Griffin WOF Marathon
« Reply #12 on: October 08, 2007, 05:50:14 PM »
[quote name=\'Ian Wallis\' post=\'165828\' date=\'Oct 7 2007, 11:14 AM\']
Quote
It's episode #0001, for heaven's sake. Wouldn't you think that would allow them to call it "FIRST syndicated episode?"

What amuses me more is that they actually called it episode 0001.  Hmmm....wasn't it on the air 8 years by that point...
[/quote]

Syndication episode 0001.  You start the numbering from scratch.

And due to bicycling, it wasn't the first episode in some markets.  Since they would tape five episodes with the same prizes in each session and mix them with four other taping sessions in the scheduling, it may've not even been scheduled as a Monday episode.

(I also suspect that the CBS daytime run and the second NBC daytime run started numbering from scratch, too.)
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TenPoundHammer

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Merv Griffin WOF Marathon
« Reply #13 on: January 09, 2008, 01:00:52 PM »
No one seems to have answered this, so I will.

The 2 weeks in NYC were November 14-18 and 21-25 of 1988. I know this because I remember watching the 9th ep, which fell on Thanksgiving, and Turkey Day was 11/24 in 1988 according to a perpetual calendar. They must've announced "Tomorrow's our last day" and that it was Thanksgiving on the ep -- my memory is somewhat fuzzy, but I do remember the details about the date.
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