Wheel of Fortune

[adamjk]

1. When did they get rid of the gold curtain that would drop behind the host after he entered?

2. When did they change the score displays, so that the dollar sign would go right next to the dollar figures instead of being seen on the very end of the readout?

[TV Favorites]

From pictures I have seen, it looks like they got rid of the curtain when the show moved to CBS (at least for the daytime version...I'd imagine that the same held true when the nighttime version moved to tape at CBS).  I have seen pictures with Rolf hosting and the gold curtain behind him on his last episode (picture on this page).

[adamjk]

I think you're thinking of a different curtain, the one I am talking about is the one seen here: http://gscentral.net/wof/1980.htm.

EDIT: Never mind just saw the pic. I was looking at the wrong one.

[GS Warehouse]

[quote name=\'adamjk\' date=\'Jul 5 2004, 12:14 PM\'] 2. When did they change the score displays, so that the dollar sign would go right next to the dollar figures instead of being seen on the very end of the readout? [/quote]
IIRC, the displays went to "floating" dollar sings (as we who have experience in RPG call them) when they went from 6- to 7-digit displays.  I could be wrong, though.

Also, after looking at those pix of the wheel in 1980, doesn't that shade of red look too dark?  You could barely read the numbers!  It also looks like they used a new shade of blue when they recolored the wheel in 1986.

[adamjk]

When did they go to 7 digit displays?

[Strikerz04]

The gold curtain was removed in 1989...when the show moved to CBS. When the show moved to CBS, the set changed, and therefore, the displays moved over.

As far as that curtain, when did the colors change?

[adamjk]

If the gold curtain was removed in 89 then why do the nighttime shows from the 88-89 season airing on GSN now, free of them?

[zachhoran]

[quote name=\'adamjk\' date=\'Jul 5 2004, 09:21 PM\'] If the gold curtain was removed in 89 then why do the nighttime shows from the 88-89 season airing on GSN now, free of them? [/quote]
 The Oct 5 1987-Summer 1989 first run nighttime shows didn't use the gold curtain, while the daytime show used it until they left NBC for CBS.

[HairMetalLives]

[quote name=\'adamjk\' date=\'Jul 5 2004, 11:31 AM\'] When did they go to 7 digit displays? [/quote]
 Either 1990 or 1991.

[TLEberle]

While on the topic, I noticed that sometimes, after a contestant had won over $10,000, the dollar sign would disappear from the board, leaving just the total.  I think this was when the dollar sign was left-justified, as opposed to being attached to the total bank.  Does anyone else remember this, or know why they would have such an odd change?

-Travis

[clemon79]

[quote name=\'TLEberle\' date=\'Jul 5 2004, 11:20 PM\'] While on the topic, I noticed that sometimes, after a contestant had won over $10,000, the dollar sign would disappear from the board, leaving just the total.  I think this was when the dollar sign was left-justified, as opposed to being attached to the total bank.  Does anyone else remember this, or know why they would have such an odd change? [/quote]
 Maybe the tote manufacturer decided that some people would misread the dollar sign for a digit, so they programmed the board to turn it off outright when they couldn't fit at least one space between that and the first digit.

[uncamark]

[quote name=\'zachhoran\' date=\'Jul 5 2004, 09:24 PM\'][quote name=\'adamjk\' date=\'Jul 5 2004, 09:21 PM\'] If the gold curtain was removed in 89 then why do the nighttime shows from the 88-89 season airing on GSN now, free of them? [/quote]
The Oct 5 1987-Summer 1989 first run nighttime shows didn't use the gold curtain, while the daytime show used it until they left NBC for CBS.[/quote]
And by the time Sajak took over, the curtain was raised during the contestant interview and we saw part of the turntable behind Pat, which further revealed that by that time the curtain's only purpose was for something for Vanna to walk through when making her entrance every day.  It did stay behind Woolery all throughout his run, raising only when shopping came around, along with the game board being moved out, since one of the platforms was always behind the board.

In the early weeks of the show, Woolery stood in front of white-with-green-tile doors that always parted to reveal the platforms, which were changed during the breaks and gameplay.  When they started having the contestants select which platforms they wanted to shop at first (and when they dropped having Susan intro the contestants), the doors were taken out, the curtain was brought in, all three platforms were on stage at once and Susan started making her daily entrance without mike or talking.

[gameshowguy2000]

[quote name=\'TLEberle\' date=\'Jul 6 2004, 01:20 AM\'] While on the topic, I noticed that sometimes, after a contestant had won over $10,000, the dollar sign would disappear from the board, leaving just the total.  I think this was when the dollar sign was left-justified, as opposed to being attached to the total bank.  Does anyone else remember this, or know why they would have such an odd change?

-Travis [/quote]
I'd notice that myself.

And during the 1989-1990 season, if a champ was dethroned, their final total would be seen behind them, but if they'd won over $100,000 (which I recall happened once), the total would flash in front of them.

And speaking of $100K winners on Wheel in that era, Charlie O announced at the end of the show that, any player who won over $100,000 would also have that same amount donated (in cash) to the charity of their choice. Is that defunct now, or what?

[uncamark]

[quote name=\'gameshowguy2000\' date=\'Jul 6 2004, 11:57 AM\']And speaking of $100K winners on Wheel in that era, Charlie O announced at the end of the show that, any player who won over $100,000 would also have that same amount donated (in cash) to the charity of their choice. Is that defunct now, or what?[/quote]
If Ken Jennings doesn't have to donate $600,000 + of his winnings to charity, I would assume that "Wheel" contestants only give involuntarily to the IRS.

[gameshowguy2000]

[quote name=\'uncamark\' date=\'Jul 6 2004, 12:02 PM\'] [quote name=\'gameshowguy2000\' date=\'Jul 6 2004, 11:57 AM\']And speaking of $100K winners on Wheel in that era, Charlie O announced at the end of the show that, any player who won over $100,000 would also have that same amount donated (in cash) to the charity of their choice. Is that defunct now, or what?[/quote]
If Ken Jennings doesn't have to donate $600,000 + of his winnings to charity, I would assume that "Wheel" contestants only give involuntarily to the IRS. [/quote]
 Well, they kept their loot as usual, but they donated that same amount, in cash ONLY to the charity. That's what I heard.