Old-School Wheel of Fortune

[animill9]

I've been an avid Wheel Watcher since 1987, which is practically my entire life, and Ive noticed that if TPIR can keep its theme song, concept and set the same way for over 30 years, then why can't WoF? Wheel has always been the game show of all game shows, but I think that they could bring back a lot of the show's old-school nuances. I'm not saying go COMPLETELY old-school, just enough to bring back the spirit of Wheel. Examples: 1) They should start using the classic Changing Keys theme music again, that song screamed WoF. 2) Bring back the red, yellow and blue sunburst backdrops AND circular puzzleboard borders, the newer "touch" board can stay, but Jesus! It looks like WoF in 2090! 3) They should get rid of those stupid Toss-Up puzzles, and bring back the old "Try not to hit Bankrupt; if you do, you lose your cash but not your merchandise, because once you buy a prize its yours to keep". 4) Shopping needs to come back! Only this time they can make the prizes and merchandise more awesome and interesting instead of cheesy (enter The Sharper Image). 5) Vanna White should start wearing those gorgeous sparkly dresses and gowns again, like in the days when she had the big hair and feathered bangs (HOT). 6) Another thing that needs to come back is the changing of the wheel configurations round by round. The $1,500 space was terrific, it served as a nice alternative to either the $2,000 or $5,000 wedges if they werent landed on. Anyway, I'm done ranting now.

[sshuffield70]

Ummm.....if you're going classic, old school then you can't ask for "Changing Keys".  You would have to ask for "Big Wheels".

[aaron sica]

[quote name=\'animill9\' date=\'Feb 19 2006, 04:06 AM\']5) Vanna White should start wearing those gorgeous sparkly dresses and gowns again, like in the days when she had the big hair and feathered bangs (HOT).

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You're not by chance related to N2Nuno, are you?

[J.R.]

[quote name=\'animill9\' date=\'Feb 19 2006, 04:06 AM\']I've been an avid Wheel Watcher since 1987... Anyway, I'm done ranting now.

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Sure thing. And I want a million dollars in cash, a Maserati convertible, Justine Waddell's phone number, the throne of Norway, my own independent oil company, an all-access pass into the Pentagon, discount front row seats at Fenway Park, an authentic copy of "The Declaration of Independence", a mansion overlooking the French Riviera, a 50-year supply of South African wine and cyborg implants so I can live forever.

And "Jeopardy!" should go back to that dark blue set with the crooked red neon bars and the old synthesized theme, because it's a classic! Alex should grow back the mustache too!

-Joe R.

[Don Howard]

Shopping was a bad idea from Day One. Ceramic ducks, $8 Tiffany gift certificates, ugly blue couches. An all-cash wheel would have been preferred from WOF's NBC beginnings.
I can see the 1st Toss-Up puzzle staying to determine opening control but the rest is waste.
I also miss the contestants who would say, "May I have an N, please?". An N!!!!!!!!!! bellowed at volume ten makes me want to dash for the gun rack.

[MikeK]

I agree with Don.  Shopping too entirely too long.  The game:prize description ratio can get quite low when Jack Clark goes on and on about the Gucci playing cards, the cookie jar shaped like Merv Griffin, the trip to South Dingleberry, NJ, and another seven or eight items.  It's not good TV, at least in my mind.

[quote name=\'Don Howard's sig\']Tomorrow is Cindy Crawford's 40th birthday. What's the game show connection? None. But so what?[/quote]
The Mole.  'Nuff said.

[Brandon Brooks]

[quote name=\'animill9\' date=\'Feb 19 2006, 04:06 AM\']I've been an avid Wheel Watcher since 1987, which is practically my entire life, and Ive noticed that if TPIR can keep its theme song, concept and set the same way for over 30 years, then why can't WoF?

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So you want it back to the way it was as you remember, but not the way it was 10 years before... because 1987 Wheel is classic and '70s Wheel isn't.

Next.

Brandon Brooks

[dzinkin]

Actually, if we're going to go back to the way it was originally, doesn't someone need to dig up a Todd Russell episode?  I don't think shopping was a part of that run.

(Attention Mr. Howard: there is no excuse for the fact that I beat you to this question.  You're not due for bannination but I'll be keeping an eye on you.)

[MrBuddwing]

Because I'm actually curious about such things:

Does anyone have any reliable figures on how many of the original NBC WoF episodes survive? Or did NBC did as thorough a job with them as with the original "Jeopardy!"?

[BrandonFG]

[quote name=\'MrBuddwing\' date=\'Feb 19 2006, 02:06 PM\']Does anyone have any reliable figures on how many of the original NBC WoF episodes survive? Or did NBC did as thorough a job with them as with the original "Jeopardy!"?

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I think that's an age-old question, man...there's been so much (ex-rectum) speculation b/w here and ATGS that I don't think anyone has an accurate figure.

Just like the way Marshall's HSq eps. were gone, then several syndie and NBC primetime eps. turn up. Ditto for CBS Joker's Wild.

Back to the original thread, I liked shopping, but some of those plugs took up about three minutes...that's a whole round of gameplay on some days.

[quote name=\'Don Howard\']I also miss the contestants who would say, "May I have an N, please?". An N!!!!!!!!!! bellowed at volume ten makes me want to dash for the gun rack.[/quote]
Honestly, I like how the contestants used to say "N as in 'Nancy' "...and how Chuck or Pat would say "All right, what is this PHRASE?"

[The Pyramids]

There would simply be no time for shopping today. I loved 'Wheel' in the Eighties too but short of a version of 'Changing Keys' I don't think any retro-changes would be feasible.

[Steve Gavazzi]

Based on what little I've seen thanks to Page o' Clips, I like shopping.  A lot.  Yes, I realize it's long, and yes, I realize there is no way in hell it's ever coming back*...but damn, I still think it's a more interesting format that what Wheel's running with now.

Just my two cents.

*Although it still irks me how they proclaimed that they were "bringing back shopping" during those Retro Weeks several years ago and then totally bastardized it.

[whewfan]

The shopping was fun while it lasted, but I think when they realized they could play more puzzles by eliminating the shopping, that seemed more favorable. Merv didn't want any shopping on Wheel in the first place. The shopping was Lin Bolen's insistence, to attract the ladies.

The "set for the week" angle done sometime in the mid 90s was too much. It seemed as if every week, there were different backdrops behind the players, or at times, there was a lack of a backdrop. They still change the set every week, but the changes aren't as drastic.

Let's face it, Vanna is too old to be "eye candy". I'm not saying she's not beautiful, but the days when she would twirl in a different dress every show ended at just the right time.

The theme music, I agree, is not near as catchy or as memorable as Changing Keys. The graphics are intrusive, and unnecessary. If Chuck Woolery did return, I'm sure the first thing he'd say is "This isn't the Wheel I remember!"

[Ian Wallis]

Based on what little I've seen thanks to Page o' Clips, I like shopping. A lot. Yes, I realize it's long, and yes, I realize there is no way in hell it's ever coming back*...

The shopping wasn't so bad when the 1978 "Jeopardy" theme played in the background...but I digress.  

[WorldClassRob]

Keep everything as is on "Wheel"...just bring back Chuck Woolery.