Wheel Intro and Outtro

[KyleCHaight]

In the old days, the wheel would be spinning during both the intro and outtro, but sometime in 1997 (I think), they stopped doing it. Why'd they do that? I thought it was a cool thing to do to spice up the camera pan of the set as the show began and ended.

Additional questions:

Does Vanna's touch actually work the puzzle board, or is it merely for effect?

How long did it take to load a new puzzle in during the "letter-turning" era?

[whewfan]

I don't know why they stopped showing the wheel spinning on its own (perhaps the mechanism broke and they decided not to fix it, but I don't know)

As for the puzzleboard, as much as they'd like you to believe that touching the screen makes the letter pop up, the truth is, there's a computer that controls all the screens, and Vanna's touch and the guy operating the computer are usually in sync with each other. Evidence of this is that when the puzzle is solved, the entire puzzle reveals itself without Vanna having to touch the unrevealed letters.

[TalkingHeadsFan]

I've always thought that the right panel of each Puzzleboard Monitor was touch sensitive and revealed the letters. Not some guy syncing up Vanna's motion with what he's doing on the comp.

[Kevin Prather]

[quote name=\'TalkingHeadsFan\' date=\'Nov 6 2004, 05:04 PM\']I've always thought that the right panel of each Puzzleboard Monitor was touch sensitive and revealed the letters.

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It is. A Travel Channel special on Wheel of Fortune in Phoenix proves it. A shot showed a stagehand testing the monitors.

[Steve McClellan]

[quote name=\'whewfan\' date=\'Nov 6 2004, 03:50 PM\']there's a computer that controls all the screens, and Vanna's touch and the guy operating the computer are usually in sync with each other.
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This does appear to be the way it's done for the first letter of each tossup, though. Anyone know for sure?

[Skynet74]

I'm sure it works both ways. Vanna is technically useless. She doesn't NEED to be there for anything to work. However she probably does NEED to be there to help pull in ratings. The monitors are touch sensitive as you may have seen demonstrated several times on the show. This gives Vanna something to do. The monitors can also be operated from the control room as you can see on every single show during puzzle reveals and when lighting up Correct letters.


John

[clemon79]

[quote name=\'whoserman\' date=\'Nov 6 2004, 05:31 PM\']It is. A Travel Channel special on Wheel of Fortune in Phoenix proves it. A shot showed a stagehand testing the monitors.

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I think you just won yourself a Bowling Buddy, there, Who.

[Matt Ottinger]

[quote name=\'clemon79\' date=\'Nov 6 2004, 11:43 PM\'][quote name=\'whoserman\' date=\'Nov 6 2004, 05:31 PM\']It is. A Travel Channel special on Wheel of Fortune in Phoenix proves it. A shot showed a stagehand testing the monitors.[/quote]I think you just won yourself a Bowling Buddy, there, Who.[/quote]
Actually, I thought Who's post was helpful and informative.

In other words (and I think this does need rewording) it appears that everybody's right.  Obviously the board is automated and could be operated Vannalessly.  Still, if I understand Who and others correctly, it IS actually the touch of her hand that is activating the letter, not a board operator working in perfect synchronicity.

In other other words, the board is touch sensitive, it just doesn't need to be.

[clemon79]

[quote name=\'Matt Ottinger\' date=\'Nov 6 2004, 09:18 PM\'][quote name=\'clemon79\' date=\'Nov 6 2004, 11:43 PM\'][quote name=\'whoserman\' date=\'Nov 6 2004, 05:31 PM\']It is. A Travel Channel special on Wheel of Fortune in Phoenix proves it. A shot showed a stagehand testing the monitors.[/quote]I think you just won yourself a Bowling Buddy, there, Who.[/quote]
Actually, I thought Who's post was helpful and informative.

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If in fact it's accurate.

Maybe he is correct. If he is, I'll gladly eat my words.

Personally, I'm not wholly convinced that just because a stagehand appeared to be actively "touching over" a letter within the eyesight of a Travel Channel camera, that they would waste that incredible amount of money on extra unnecessary electronics (that never seem to break down, you ever notice that? I have NEVER seen her need to touch something twice), just to give an even-more-highly paid piece of eye candy something tactile to do. I'm more inclined to believe they were practicing the timing of the whole illusion with someone in the control room, or something like that.

[Kevin Prather]

[quote name=\'clemon79\' date=\'Nov 7 2004, 01:10 AM\']I have NEVER seen her need to touch something twice

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I have. Remember the time she pounded the crap out of the monitor when it didn't light up? And there have been other times.

I have heard many different sources reference the touch-sensitive monitors. I don't think they'd lie about it.