Things you miss about Wheel of Fortune

It's funny, I was actually going to make a thread similar to this. I want returning champions to be brought back, not only for the viewer's experience but for the show's ratings as well. The casual fan remembers Ken Jennings but they don't remember Brad Rutter, even though every time they've faced each other (except for the IBM Challenge with Watson), Brad has won. Why is this, well, Brad was cut off at 5 games as were so many others. Meanwhile, they lifted the rule before Ken went on his now-legendary run. Due to his celebrity status, he was almost chosen at the Chaser on GSN's The Chase over "The Beast" Mark Labbett.

Ratings spike when players like Arthur Chu and Alex Jacob and Matt Jackson win repeatedly on Jeopardy. People talk about them on social media and as they get more comfortable on camera, they make for better "characters" if you will. On Wheel, it often seems like the players are interchangeable, and just when they are getting comfortable, they're off and the next group of 3 is on. Different players each night, but very few making a lasting impression. I remember back when Julia Collins was established on the show for a number of days, it might have even been the one she lost, ESPN Radio reported that in the New York market, the only TV show that beat the New York Rangers in the Stanley Cup Finals was Jeopardy. That show was also the show that finally brought Jeopardy over Wheel in the ratings. People like loving or hating "characters" on game shows, talking about them on social media.

This is what I want to come back, returning champions, not only for us the fans, but for Wheel. Also, call me crazy, but I think it will come back. The one reason why it won't and it's a pretty big reason, the Wheel itself. Repeat players might get too comfortable with the wheel and try to cheat spins. Even though I imagine people probably said the same thing about the Jeopardy buzzer, I think the wheel gives a much larger advantage to the player.

^ 2000 was such a long time ago. The game has evolved since then, adding elements favoring better puzzle solvers such as Toss-Ups (introduced in 2000, it seems!), Prize Puzzles, Express, etc.

^^ As for the wheel, I want to say that's why it seems the current wheel doesn't spin as easily as it once did. I think they made it somewhat "heavier" since the time I spun it so that now most contestants have to give it their all to get a decent spin out of it and even then most can't get it all the way around. I think even Pat has had a harder time hitting the $5K than he used to because of this.

Oh and speaking of which, and to answer Josh's question in a different way, I miss spinning the wheel more than any other element of the show. It was just that much fun!

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I kinda see where you're coming from, but at the same time I'm not sure -- I honestly think returning players, including the Friday Finals, gave Wheel a sense of continuity and flow that haven't really been around for a while now (although I still get that sense even from episodes through the early 2000s or so). I mean, having someone who keeps piling up win after win would get eyeballs to Wheel much like it does for Jeopardy! -- it'd get social media to talk about the show without using stuff like "worst", "robbed", or "old people" like it seems to do every night. How long can their reign go on? Will the champ finally get the Million after several close calls? How much will Pat snark about the champ being on the show day after day ("You've been here five weeks, I don't think we have anything left!")? And so on.

Your mention of "the luck element" also strikes me as odd, since Wheel is pretty much "Hangman meets Roulette". Roulette is IIRC entirely based on luck, and people go back to it time and again, so why not have it be the same for the somewhat less risk-laden game show partly based on Roulette? I think you kinda answered that right after the above, though...


Unfortunately, yeah. In the end, the problem with having even Friday Finals again is that it'd remove contestant spots from each season, meaning a lot of people wouldn't get to play...but maybe the tradeoff would be worth it?

I really don't know, but it could be worth a chance.

I think Jim is a great fit for the show, but at the same time, I miss Charlie because he had such a familiar voice.

I also miss the bonus categories, which is why I use them so often in my HYOs.

I would also think they may have changed the Axis that the wheel itself spins on to have more resistance than the flippers alone. Those flippers were thick rubber (which you'll feel as I did if your pinky is too low), but there has to be something internal that's different from years ago that's slowing it down because I don't see the flippers getting it done alone.

.....and I will say I despise Bankrupt, rather than LaT, for reasons that may not be strictly aesthetics and from the POV of a viewer.

What I miss about Wheel are:

1) The Changing Keys theme used from 1997-2000.
2) Road shows.