Wheel of Fortune

[GS Warehouse]

[quote name=\'gameshowguy2000\' date=\'Jul 6 2004, 01:08 PM\'] [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. [/quote]
 I thought the rule was that a contestant could only keep up to $100,000, with the overage going to charity.  I remember Pat addressed that after the first six-figure winner was crowned.  Nowadays, there is no winnings limit on either show.

[Brandon Brooks]

[quote name=\'gameshowguy2000\' date=\'Jul 6 2004, 12:08 PM\'] Well, they kept their loot as usual, but they donated that same amount, in cash ONLY to the charity. That's what I heard. [/quote]
 So, what you're saying is that if a person won two $65K cars, they would have to give $30K in cash to charity?  Does that make sense?

Brandon Brooks

[gameshowguy2000]

No, no, no.

I'm saying that the player would keep the $100K+ in cash and prizes as they normally would.

But, during the pre-bonus wheel era, Charlie O, at the end of the show said that the total would be MATCHED and DONATED in cash to the charity of the player's choice.

I hope this loosens the confusion.

[dzinkin]

[quote name=\'gameshowguy2000\' date=\'Jul 6 2004, 03:13 PM\'] I hope this loosens the confusion. [/quote]
I hope so too.  That tight confusion can be irritating.

[clemon79]

[quote name=\'gameshowguy2000\' date=\'Jul 6 2004, 12:13 PM\'] But, during the pre-bonus wheel era, Charlie O, at the end of the show said that the total would be MATCHED and DONATED in cash to the charity of the player's choice.
 [/quote]
 Considering Jeopardy's policy at the time, as GS Warehouse said, was that the overage (over $100K) was donated to charity, I seriously doubt the accuracy of your claim.

[BrandonFG]

[quote name=\'gameshowguy2000\' date=\'Jul 6 2004, 11:57 AM\'] 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. [/quote]
 They did that during the sunburst era as well, though I would think it was difficult to display eggcrates on the yellow one. Anyway, one contestant left with about $128K, and since the tote couldn't handle so many digits, Pat stuck a piece of paper with a "1" at the front of the total winnings (in place of the dollar sign).

[GS Warehouse]

[quote name=\'fostergray82\' date=\'Jul 6 2004, 04:27 PM\'] ... Anyway, one contestant left with about $128K, and since the tote couldn't handle so many digits, Pat stuck a piece of paper with a "1" at the front of the total winnings (in place of the dollar sign). [/quote]
 Yes, as I remember that happened on the same show Pat explained the $100K+ rule, because that very returning champion actually needed only two days to break $100K.  I do believe they switched from sunbursts to arrow-type shapes, but the eggcrate displays were still there.  By the time they put up the diamond backdrops, the displays were gone and they chyroned the champion's total.

And Lemon, I have a name, you know. ;-p

[clemon79]

[quote name=\'GS Warehouse\' date=\'Jul 6 2004, 02:49 PM\'] And Lemon, I have a name, you know. ;-p [/quote]
 Hey, some people prefer to not be referenced by their real name, so unless I know the people well enough to be confortable doing it, I'm not gonna. Now I know.

[bellbm]

When, and why, did Pat stop spinning the Wheel at the beginning and saying "$1000 is the top dollar value...."

Also, when does the Free Spin space go away?  I was thinking it was the 88-89 season, but they are almost to the end of that on GSN (crosses fingers hoping they don't show it again).

[adamjk]

I'm almost positive the free spin space ceased after the 88-89 season.  As far as the other question, I don't know when Pat stopped spinning the wheel at the beginning or why, and I don't know when he stopped saying $1000 is the top value, but when he did I would assume it was because $1000 was no longer the top value.

[Strikerz04]

[quote name=\'bellbm\' date=\'Jul 6 2004, 10:01 PM\'] When, and why, did Pat stop spinning the Wheel at the beginning and saying "$1000 is the top dollar value...."

Also, when does the Free Spin space go away?  I was thinking it was the 88-89 season, but they are almost to the end of that on GSN (crosses fingers hoping they don't show it again). [/quote]
 Pat eliminated that spiel around 1997, when the new puzzleboard arrived. He stopped spinning around 1994-95 (with the big band theme in place).

And the free spin space was eliminated sometime at the end of season 6 (which is the end of the 1988-89 season. I recall this because Pat joked about throwing them around the set, breaking car windows, etc. etc.

[irismason42]

Actually, Pat stopped saying the "$1000 top dollar value for the first round" after the ending of the 17th Season, The Free Spin space was still there during the '89-'90 season as so as Pat's wheel spinning before the game starts but The FS space and Pat's spinning the wheel before the game begins had dropped midway through its 7th Season, and when they went on to its 8th Season, on the daytime version in late 1990, they still letting the contestant get the free spin and picking up the prize wedge before picking a consonant but on the nighttime show when the 8th Season of the show debuted, the new rule about picking up the FS and the prize wedge went permanent where you get your free spin token if you pick a correct consonant first and there's only 1 Free Spin shown on the wheel and in Rounds 2 and 4 you can pick up the prize wedge if you pick a correct consonant first so first thing first.

[Brandon Brooks]

Whew, boy.  That was a long sentence.  Four years ago, when I was still in high school, I was taught to use complete sentences.  Guess that's not the case anymore.

Brandon Brooks

[clemon79]

[quote name=\'Brandon Brooks\' date=\'Jul 6 2004, 09:42 PM\'] Whew, boy.  That was a long sentence.  Four years ago, when I was still in high school, I was taught to use complete sentences [/quote]
 And something called "grammar".

[Don Howard]

[quote name=\'Brandon Brooks\' date=\'Jul 6 2004, 11:42 PM\'] Whew, boy.  That was a long sentence. [/quote]
 Indeed it was. Iris, would you diagram that sentence for us?