(I think this goes on the main board. I so rarely start a new topic . . .)
Now, it's one thing for me when a show has to be edited to shreds because it's cramming in sponsors, and Wheel is no stranger to that. But in the first four episodes they've done so far from Kansas City this week, it's been getting more and more insane. They've got six players to introduce for "Mom and Me Week", they've got the longer intro and the pointless bumpers ("We're in Kansas City!"), AND they're wasting about half a minute letting Vanna describe the Mystery Round prize.
It seemed to come to a head on (I believe it was) Thursday's show. From what I could tell, they retaped almost every bit that only had Pat on camera, so he could say things like "Jackpotroundnexthere'sCharlie" and save a few seconds. But that wasn't enough--so they edited out an entire set of turns in the first round. When the first Bankrupt is hit (that we see), Pat is talking like it's the third or fourth, and there's then an extremely clumsy edit where several letters magically disappear from the board.
I realize this post isn't really heading anywhere, but it just amazes me that the #1 show in syndication can be edited so poorly. You can't even tell where the wheel's going to stop anymore on a wide shot. "Oh, here comes $5000 <cut> . . . or the other side of the wheel, I guess."