Time Frame

• Wheel of Fortune first aired in 1975 as a network daytime show. The present-day version of the game show, which is a syndicated evening show, began on September 19, 1983. The hosts, Pat Sajak and Vanna White, have been working on the show since 1983. The original announcer, John Clark, worked from 1983 until his death in 1988. The current announcer, Charlie O'Donnell, has been working on the show since 1989.
  
  

Features

• Wheel of Fortune is a fairly simple game, similar to hangman. At the start of the turn, a player or team will spin the wheel. Whatever the wheel lands on will be the prize that can be won. That prize is won when the player guesses a letter that is part of the puzzle on the screen. There is a clue to the puzzle during every round. If the letter is guessed correctly, the prize or money is collected. The first person to guess the puzzle correctly wins the money and prizes they have accumulated during that round. The overall winner plays a final round where he or she can win a grand prize, which is usually a new car, a vacation or more money.
  
  

History

• Wheel of Fortune started off with a huge following. The game has stayed pretty much the same since then, but the show has made a few changes to keep up with the times. When the game debuted, the largest spot on the board was the $5,000 wedge. However, with other popular game shows giving out much more, the top prize increased to $1 million. As technology has changed, so has the show. It has changed the coloring of the wheel for high-definition television sets, and the board revealing the puzzle is now made out of LED screens and is touch-enabled.
  
  

Types

• Wheel of Fortune is the same every week--the game play doesn't change throughout a season. However, the contestants change in different themed weeks. One type is couples week, which features three teams of two people instead of three individuals. These teams work together to solve puzzles. There is also Wheel of Fortune Celebrity Week, which features celebrities playing for a charity. Each of the charities receives at least $10,000 from the show. The winner gives their total earnings from the game to his or her charity on top of that.
  
  

Expert Insight

• In addition to the Wheel of Fortune television game show, there is a board game and a video game as well. They allow people to play the game at home with their friends and are both wildly popular. In addition, there are Wheel of Fortune slot machines and arcade games.