Post by pakman on Mar 30, 2019 8:43:05 GMT -5
I'm back and ready to recap Wheel's very first Big Money Week, a theme the show would continue for several years after this point (including, according to my research, a second Big Money Week this very same year). I have 4/5 episodes from this week recorded, and initially - other than the Friday show - I didn't know when I began recording. But I'm now fairly certain that my episodes start on the Tuesday show, which was January 11, 2000. Part of my evidence of this is a comment Pat makes after the Preview Puzzle (he makes a guess and says, "Oh, no, that was yesterday.") Yeah it's not solid proof, but until I'm presented with something otherwise, I'm sticking with it.
Speaking of which...
Preview Puzzle
Category: Phrase
I T ' S / _ / _ I N _ H
Pat guesses DON RICKLES (huh?) before it's revealed to be IT'S A CINCH.
Michael Mayoski is from Federal Way, Washington. He’s been married for 22 years to his wife, Sue, and they have two daughters; Christina is 17 and Stacey is 13. He works for a major cosmetics company that rewards its employees with cars, and he was the first male salesman in Washington state to get a free car from this company.
Lillian Loretz is from Savannah, Georgia. She’s a podiatrist who is hoping that her daughter will become a doctor as well. In addition to her daughter, she has three other children and recently got married. At the wedding, her husband sprayed her mouth with breath spray before kissing her. “He’s still paying for it,” she tells Pat.
Melissa Brown is from Playa Del Rey, California. She graduated a year and a half ago from UCLA and now works as a technical recruiter. Her dream is to win a trip or at least make enough money to go on a trip.
Round #1
Category: Event
_ _ _ _ -
_ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _
Michael gives the wheel the first spin of the night because he drew #1, and immediately picks up $800 after finding two R’s on $400. He asks for a T after landing on $300 but when Pat asks Vanna, her response is simply to sound remarkably like the buzzer.
_ _ _ _ -
R _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ R
Lillian gives it a go and cashes in big time after landing on $900 and finding four N’s. She buys a single E before landing on $1,000 and doubling her money with two D’s. Lillian spins again and this time gets $500 with the help of a single G.
_ _ N D -
R _ _ _ _ N G
D _ N N E R
Lillian’s all ready to solve FUND-RAISING DINNER and is on the board with $5,850.
Michael - $0
Lillian - $5,850
Melissa - $0
Before the second round can begin, Charlie needs to announce the first prize being added to the wheel. It’s Blockbuster gift cards, which are redeemable at most stores and online as well. The value is $2,500.
Pat then informs the contestants that round two is tonight’s Puzzler Round, where the winner could get an extra $3,000 on a bonus puzzle.
Round #2
Category: Proper Name
_ _ _ / _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _
Fresh off her first-round victory, Lillian gets things going by landing on $500 and finding two N’s. Her next spin finds $600, which she triples with three T’s. She hits $300 and doubles that haul with two H’s. Lillian buys five E’s before picking up the FREE SPIN thanks to two R’s. But she ends up using it right away after calling a dud P on $450. However, she then loses her turn for real after calling a dud M on $400.
T H E / N _ T _ _ N _ _
_ E _ T H E R
_ E R _ _ _ E
Melissa gets her first crack at the wheel by getting $400 on a single W. She buys three A’s, but has to spin again as she only has $100 left. Her score increases with the help of a single S on $700, as well as a V on $800.
T H E / N A T _ _ N A _
W E A T H E R
S E R V _ _ E
Despite Pat saying she can spin again, Melissa decides she has enough and solves THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE for $1,650. But can she increase that with the Puzzler?
Puzzler Round
Category: Phrase
C _ A _ C _ / _ F
_ A I _
Melissa thinks it’s something OF FAIR, but as time runs out, the puzzle is revealed to be CHANCE OF RAIN. Pat tells her it’s hard to think about rain in southern California, which is where she’s from.
Michael - $0
Lillian - $5,850
Melissa - $1,650
Next up is tonight’s Jackpot round, which Charlie says is sponsored tonight by Toaster Breaks from Hot Pockets.
Charlie also has a new prize to add to the wheel; a trip to Lake Louise in Canada, where guests will stay at the historic Chateau Lake Louise. It’s described as a “luxury heritage hotel.” The package is worth $7,590.
Round #3
Category: Before & After
_ _ _ _ _ / _ _ _
_ _ _ _ / _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Melissa starts the round by getting $500 with a single S. She gets more on her next spin, $300, thanks to four T’s. And her next spin is even better, hitting the $3,500 big money wedge. She cashes in with one H. Melissa decides to buy two E’s before spinning again and getting two N’s for $550 each. She buys a single A before hitting $900 and finding two P’s. Melissa buys three I’s, then gets $800 from a solitary L. Her good luck on the wheel continues when she hits $3,500 again and is able to cash in with a single W.
P A I N T / T H E
T _ W N / _ E _
L I P S T I _ _
With all that money in front of her, Melissa decides she’s had enough and solves PAINT THE TOWN RED LIPSTICK. With her $11,650 victory, Melissa has now overtaken Lillian as the leader.
Michael - $0
Lillian - $5,850
Melissa - $13,300
With round four set to begin, Michael still has no money, but he’ll start the round, so maybe he can catch up. Lillian’s also behind Melissa, but not insurmountably so, especially with a $5,000 space on the wheel.
Round #4
Category: Rhyme Time
_ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _
Michael gets round four off to a rough start by calling a dud R on $300.
_ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _
Lillian doesn’t fare much better, hitting BANKRUPT.
_ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _
Melissa continues her streak of good luck by landing on the SHOPPING package and picking it up thanks to a solitary S. She then gets $1,200 by calling two N’s on $600. A single L gets her to cash in on $800, but she duds out on a B and can’t get $600.
L _ _ N
_ _ _ S _ N _
Michael hits $500 but guesses a dud Y and can’t get anything.
L _ _ N
_ _ _ S _ N _
Back to Lillian who gets $600 from a single C. Pat then informs her that only vowels are left, so her only options are to buy a vowel or solve.
L _ _ N
C _ _ S _ N _
Lillian doesn’t waste any time in solving LEAN CUISINE, adding $600 more to her total.
Michael - $0
Lillian - $6,450
Melissa - $13,300
The good news for players not named Melissa is that there’s still some time left, so they’re going to play another round.
Round #5
Category: People
_ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _
DING DING! DING DING!
That familiar sound means time is running out, so Pat needs to give the wheel the final spin. Vowels are worth nothing, consonants are worth…$300, and with the $1,000 added in, every consonant is worth $1,300 apiece.
Lillian – 1 T
Melissa – No F
Michael – No D
Lillian – 1 N
Melissa – No C
Michael – 1 W
Lillian – No H
Melissa – 1 S
Michael – 1 R
Lillian – 1 O
_ _ T
O W N _ R S
Just before the buzzer, Lillian calls out PET OWNERS, earning her $2,600 for the final round. It wasn’t enough to put her over the top, but she doesn’t seem to disappointed with her haul.
Michael didn’t win anything tonight, but Pat reminds him he already got a car for all his hard work at his job, and he’ll be taking home some parting gifts.
Michael - $0
Lillian - $9,050
Melissa - $13,300
Thanks to a monopolized round and two hits on the $3,500 space, Melissa is going to the Bonus Round!
As this week is Big Money Week, all the prizes have a money theme to them. The five prizes available this week are a collection of brand-new Sacagawea gold dollar coins worth $20,000; an annuity that is worth $30,000 at maturity; a cyber shopping spree at CitiPlaza worth $20,000; a gold and silver package worth $20,000, and the $25,000 cash.
W – H – E – E – L
Melissa picks the second E.
Bonus Round
Category: Thing
_ _ _ _ / _ _ _ _
And the R, S, T, L, N and E are revealed.
_ _ _ _ / S _ E _
Melissa picks H, M, P and O.
_ H O P / S _ E _
Melissa guesses SHOP SPRING, CHOP SALAD, CHOP SOUP and CHOP STEW, but doesn’t get CHOP SUEY before time runs out. Pat tells her “We wanted to give you a prize to go, and we couldn’t.” Unfortunately, Melissa won’t go on a SHOPPING SPREE, but with $13,300, she now has enough money to take that trip she really wanted.
Additional Notes:
- The center of the wheel is decorated to include a dollar sign.
- The audience does not cheer when Lillian hits the $1,000 space in round one.
- No vowels are bought in round four.
- Pat doesn’t remove Melissa’s unclaimed Shopping wedge after round four, and it remains on her podium throughout round five.
Lillian Loretz is from Savannah, Georgia. She’s a podiatrist who is hoping that her daughter will become a doctor as well. In addition to her daughter, she has three other children and recently got married. At the wedding, her husband sprayed her mouth with breath spray before kissing her. “He’s still paying for it,” she tells Pat.
Melissa Brown is from Playa Del Rey, California. She graduated a year and a half ago from UCLA and now works as a technical recruiter. Her dream is to win a trip or at least make enough money to go on a trip.
Round #1
Category: Event
_ _ _ _ -
_ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _
Michael gives the wheel the first spin of the night because he drew #1, and immediately picks up $800 after finding two R’s on $400. He asks for a T after landing on $300 but when Pat asks Vanna, her response is simply to sound remarkably like the buzzer.
_ _ _ _ -
R _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ R
Lillian gives it a go and cashes in big time after landing on $900 and finding four N’s. She buys a single E before landing on $1,000 and doubling her money with two D’s. Lillian spins again and this time gets $500 with the help of a single G.
_ _ N D -
R _ _ _ _ N G
D _ N N E R
Lillian’s all ready to solve FUND-RAISING DINNER and is on the board with $5,850.
Michael - $0
Lillian - $5,850
Melissa - $0
Before the second round can begin, Charlie needs to announce the first prize being added to the wheel. It’s Blockbuster gift cards, which are redeemable at most stores and online as well. The value is $2,500.
Pat then informs the contestants that round two is tonight’s Puzzler Round, where the winner could get an extra $3,000 on a bonus puzzle.
Round #2
Category: Proper Name
_ _ _ / _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _
Fresh off her first-round victory, Lillian gets things going by landing on $500 and finding two N’s. Her next spin finds $600, which she triples with three T’s. She hits $300 and doubles that haul with two H’s. Lillian buys five E’s before picking up the FREE SPIN thanks to two R’s. But she ends up using it right away after calling a dud P on $450. However, she then loses her turn for real after calling a dud M on $400.
T H E / N _ T _ _ N _ _
_ E _ T H E R
_ E R _ _ _ E
Melissa gets her first crack at the wheel by getting $400 on a single W. She buys three A’s, but has to spin again as she only has $100 left. Her score increases with the help of a single S on $700, as well as a V on $800.
T H E / N A T _ _ N A _
W E A T H E R
S E R V _ _ E
Despite Pat saying she can spin again, Melissa decides she has enough and solves THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE for $1,650. But can she increase that with the Puzzler?
Puzzler Round
Category: Phrase
C _ A _ C _ / _ F
_ A I _
Melissa thinks it’s something OF FAIR, but as time runs out, the puzzle is revealed to be CHANCE OF RAIN. Pat tells her it’s hard to think about rain in southern California, which is where she’s from.
Michael - $0
Lillian - $5,850
Melissa - $1,650
Next up is tonight’s Jackpot round, which Charlie says is sponsored tonight by Toaster Breaks from Hot Pockets.
Charlie also has a new prize to add to the wheel; a trip to Lake Louise in Canada, where guests will stay at the historic Chateau Lake Louise. It’s described as a “luxury heritage hotel.” The package is worth $7,590.
Round #3
Category: Before & After
_ _ _ _ _ / _ _ _
_ _ _ _ / _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Melissa starts the round by getting $500 with a single S. She gets more on her next spin, $300, thanks to four T’s. And her next spin is even better, hitting the $3,500 big money wedge. She cashes in with one H. Melissa decides to buy two E’s before spinning again and getting two N’s for $550 each. She buys a single A before hitting $900 and finding two P’s. Melissa buys three I’s, then gets $800 from a solitary L. Her good luck on the wheel continues when she hits $3,500 again and is able to cash in with a single W.
P A I N T / T H E
T _ W N / _ E _
L I P S T I _ _
With all that money in front of her, Melissa decides she’s had enough and solves PAINT THE TOWN RED LIPSTICK. With her $11,650 victory, Melissa has now overtaken Lillian as the leader.
Michael - $0
Lillian - $5,850
Melissa - $13,300
With round four set to begin, Michael still has no money, but he’ll start the round, so maybe he can catch up. Lillian’s also behind Melissa, but not insurmountably so, especially with a $5,000 space on the wheel.
Round #4
Category: Rhyme Time
_ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _
Michael gets round four off to a rough start by calling a dud R on $300.
_ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _
Lillian doesn’t fare much better, hitting BANKRUPT.
_ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _
Melissa continues her streak of good luck by landing on the SHOPPING package and picking it up thanks to a solitary S. She then gets $1,200 by calling two N’s on $600. A single L gets her to cash in on $800, but she duds out on a B and can’t get $600.
L _ _ N
_ _ _ S _ N _
Michael hits $500 but guesses a dud Y and can’t get anything.
L _ _ N
_ _ _ S _ N _
Back to Lillian who gets $600 from a single C. Pat then informs her that only vowels are left, so her only options are to buy a vowel or solve.
L _ _ N
C _ _ S _ N _
Lillian doesn’t waste any time in solving LEAN CUISINE, adding $600 more to her total.
Michael - $0
Lillian - $6,450
Melissa - $13,300
The good news for players not named Melissa is that there’s still some time left, so they’re going to play another round.
Round #5
Category: People
_ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _
DING DING! DING DING!
That familiar sound means time is running out, so Pat needs to give the wheel the final spin. Vowels are worth nothing, consonants are worth…$300, and with the $1,000 added in, every consonant is worth $1,300 apiece.
Lillian – 1 T
Melissa – No F
Michael – No D
Lillian – 1 N
Melissa – No C
Michael – 1 W
Lillian – No H
Melissa – 1 S
Michael – 1 R
Lillian – 1 O
_ _ T
O W N _ R S
Just before the buzzer, Lillian calls out PET OWNERS, earning her $2,600 for the final round. It wasn’t enough to put her over the top, but she doesn’t seem to disappointed with her haul.
Michael didn’t win anything tonight, but Pat reminds him he already got a car for all his hard work at his job, and he’ll be taking home some parting gifts.
Michael - $0
Lillian - $9,050
Melissa - $13,300
Thanks to a monopolized round and two hits on the $3,500 space, Melissa is going to the Bonus Round!
As this week is Big Money Week, all the prizes have a money theme to them. The five prizes available this week are a collection of brand-new Sacagawea gold dollar coins worth $20,000; an annuity that is worth $30,000 at maturity; a cyber shopping spree at CitiPlaza worth $20,000; a gold and silver package worth $20,000, and the $25,000 cash.
W – H – E – E – L
Melissa picks the second E.
Bonus Round
Category: Thing
_ _ _ _ / _ _ _ _
And the R, S, T, L, N and E are revealed.
_ _ _ _ / S _ E _
Melissa picks H, M, P and O.
_ H O P / S _ E _
Melissa guesses SHOP SPRING, CHOP SALAD, CHOP SOUP and CHOP STEW, but doesn’t get CHOP SUEY before time runs out. Pat tells her “We wanted to give you a prize to go, and we couldn’t.” Unfortunately, Melissa won’t go on a SHOPPING SPREE, but with $13,300, she now has enough money to take that trip she really wanted.
Additional Notes:
- The center of the wheel is decorated to include a dollar sign.
- The audience does not cheer when Lillian hits the $1,000 space in round one.
- No vowels are bought in round four.
- Pat doesn’t remove Melissa’s unclaimed Shopping wedge after round four, and it remains on her podium throughout round five.
I'll get the Wednesday show uploaded a little later.
