#9871: WHEEL OF FORTUNE
1976-01-09, NBC, 60 min.
Chuck Woolery, Susan Stafford, Judy Von Garzon
January 6, 1975-June 30, 1989.
The longest running syndicated game show in U.S. television history.
Game show on which three contestants take turns spinning a large wheel, with a chance to guess the letters of a mystery word or phrase. Chuck Woolery hosted the show from 1975 to 1982, when Pat Sajak became host. Susan Stafford assisted until the Fall of 1982 and was succeeded by Vanna White.
Host Chuck Woolery.
NOTE: For a period of seven weeks from December 1, 1975, to January 16, 1976, WHEEL OF FORTUNE reverted from a 30-minute format to a 60 minute format game show. A total of 33 programs were aired (pre-empted on December 25, 1975, and on January 1, 1976).
None of these complete broadcasts are known to exist IN ANY BROADCAST FORMAT OR TRANSCRIPT, except for this complete 60minute Television Audio Air Check archived by Archival Television Audio, Inc. which aired on January 9, 1975.
NOTE: Contestant Judy Von Garzon wins the most ever amount of prizes and cash on this show, totaling $24,725 of which $17,850 is cash.
Wheel Of Fortune is another massive, long-running gameshow. The show debuted in 1975 with the original host, Chuck Woolery doing the daytime run and Pat Sajak doing the night. The show was highly successful and remains popular even to this day.
Woolery's run went from the show's debut all the way until 1981 when he departed and passed the show to Pat Sajak. Woolery's run, as well as early Sajak daytime episodes, was repeatedly taped over to create room for new episodes.
No known episodes of Chuck Woolery episodes of Wheel of Fortune are known to exist in their entirety.