Wheel of Fortune's 50th anniversary to be honored?

[Bob Zager]

A reputable source, MarioGS, frequently posts on the website buyavowel.boards.net.  He posted a message that WOF IS apparently going to do so!

He says:

"Google listings show that the week of January 6-10 is titled "Wheel of Fortune 50th Anniversary"!    This may be the first time on the syndicated show that the daytime version's anniversary is directly acknowledged. Can't wait to see what they do!"

[BrandonFG]

It honestly makes sense, considering J! celebrated its 60th earlier this year. It's a little more surprising for Wheel though, because to me the syndie version was never that consistent in recognizing the daytime version as canon.

[Casey Buck]

I can't help but wonder how much of the show's reluctance to mention the daytime version is because of Pat Sajak (and possibly Harry Friedman?)

It also doesn't help when the tapes were wiped for the first 10-ish years of the daytime version.

[joelvanderveen]

Acknowledgement of the daytime version happened so seldom on the nighttime show that a few such incidents have stuck in my mind.

I remember one anniversary show (maybe the 20th or 25th?) when Pat asked Charlie O'Donnell when he started with the show, and Charlie responded 1975. There was also a Halloween episode where Pat and Vanna emerged from a haunted house or some other spooky set piece, and Pat remarked something along the lines of "I think I saw Chuck and Susan back there."

On Pat's final episode, he was giving some numbers on how many episodes he'd hosted. He noted that he'd started out on the daytime show, Vanna joined a year later, and even that Vanna continued on the daytime show after he left.

[TimK2003]

Acknowledgement of the daytime version happened so seldom on the nighttime show that a few such incidents have stuck in my mind.

I remember one anniversary show (maybe the 20th or 25th?) when Pat asked Charlie O'Donnell when he started with the show, and Charlie responded 1975. There was also a Halloween episode where Pat and Vanna emerged from a haunted house or some other spooky set piece, and Pat remarked something along the lines of "I think I saw Chuck and Susan back there."

I ROLF'ed...

[Jeremy Nelson]

There’s a new Wheel of Fortune game on iOS, and the description in the App Store acknowledges that the show has been on air for nearly 50 years.

[Mr. Brown]

I ROLF'ed...

I see what you did there!

[Bob Zager]

I can't help but wonder how much of the show's reluctance to mention the daytime version is because of Pat Sajak (and possibly Harry Friedman?)

I think it may have been more Merv Griffin's preference not to mention the daytime version (and Chuck Woolery),

Whenever asked about Woolery, and his leaving the show, Pat Sajak would usually just say Woolery, decided to leave to pursue other interests.  The word from Woolery that it was all because of money, existed for a long time, but got more in-depth after Merv Griffin's passing.

Sometime after Merv Griffin's death, Sajak would occasionally (like on a milestone anniversary episode), mention how the show began on NBC daytime, and at least once extended a welcome invitation for Woolery to stop by and visit sometime.

[wdm1219inpenna]

In light of Chuck's recent passing, it's a shame that he never came back to the show.

I really do hope the Wheel franchise does this celebration right in remembering Chuck, Susan, Sommer, Bob Goen and even Rolf but most especially Chuck & Susan as they were the "founders" of the program.

[Jeremy Nelson]

In light of Chuck's recent passing, it's a shame that he never came back to the show.

Agreed on this front. That said, per Greed, there were full blown adults in 2000 that don't remember he was the original host (which I'm sure justified Merv's decision in doing nighttime anniversaries).

It always seemed weird to me that they didn't invite him in the early 2000s when his social capital peaked with Lingo and the show hadn't gone too far down the anniversary rabbit hole.

[TimK2003]

By chance, did tonight's episode of Wheel add any reference to Chuck's passing on either end of the broadcast?

[DoItRockapella]

By chance, did tonight's episode of Wheel add any reference to Chuck's passing on either end of the broadcast?

Nope.