April 14, 1998 recap | Buy a Vowel Boards

April 14, 1998 recap Jan 17, 2021 18:11:05 GMT -5

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Post by mechamind on Jan 17, 2021 18:11:05 GMT -5

Airdate: April 14, 1998

From Sony Pictures Studio, it's America's game! Welcome to Sports Fantasy week!

Today's contestants:
Jeff Fey: Sales manager in the electronics business, from Lake Havasu, AZ (but will be moving to Alaska)
Laura Friedman: Student in University of South Carolina studying broadcast journalism and working for a college TV station, from Columbia (originally from Chicago, IL)
Melissa Eickenroht: Hotel sales manager, from San Antonio, TX

The top-dollar value on the Wheel is $1,000. That Big Money isn't too far away!

Round 1

BEFORE & AFTER

JEFF	Laura	Melissa
$250: R $350: S BANKRUPT! ($600)	$1,000: T (x2) -$250: E $900: N -$250: A ("Null" cycle?) $250: P -$250: O (x2) $250: C (Repeat?)	$300: M (DUD!)
	$2,400
$450: B (DUD!)	-$250: I (x2) $400: W (DUD!)	$800: K $250: F (DUD!)
	$2,150	$800
$450: D $250: V Solve: Correct!
$700

Pat says that the C was already called, even though it's the first aired wrong letter of the entire game.

BEFORE & AFTER

Jeff reads what's on the board for an "awesome" amount.

Jeff	Laura	Melissa
$700

If only $700 is awesome, how does this prize sound? We have a trip to Mammoth Mountain Winter Resort in California (labeled SKI) worth $3,612.

Even better...how would the $2,500 or one-third $10,000 spaces sound? It's all too much to handle!

Round 2

FILL IN THE NUMBER

Jeff	LAURA	Melissa
	$2,500: T (x4!) -$250: E (x6) $400: H -$250: A SURPRISE: N (x3) -$250: I (x4) -$250: O (x2) $2,500: F $250: P $250: R (x4) $600: M (x2) $550: D BANKRUPT! ($14,900) (Surprise lost)	$700: J $250: Y $900: S (x2) Solve: Correct!
		$2,750

FILL IN THE NUMBER

Melissa solves JIMMY CARTER WINS THE #### ELECTION FOR PRESIDENT. Well, not quite the fortune from earlier, but we can add a $2,000 bonus if she fills in the number.

She is correct with 1976.

Jeff	Laura	Melissa
$700		$4,750

Laura couldn't score a landslide victory that time, but maybe this time she'll get it with the $3,500 and Jackpot spaces!

Round 3

FICTIONAL CHARACTERS

Jeff	Laura	MELISSA
		$400: S (x3) $500: R (x2) -$250: E (x2) -$250: I (DUD!)
		$1,700
$900: M $900: D -$250: A $900: L (x2) -$250: O (x3) $550: H (x2) BANKRUPT! ($4,200)	$300: C Lose A Turn!	$500: K BANKRUPT! ($2,200)
	$300
$250: W $450: T $450: N Solve: Correct!
$1,150

FICTIONAL CHARACTERS

Jeff reads what's on the board for a second time.

Jeff	Laura	Melissa
$1,850		$4,750

These were some really long rounds, so Pat has to give the Wheel a Final Spin. Consonants are worth... $600 a piece. Jeff starts.

Round 4

PHRASE

Jeff: R (DUD!)
Laura: T (x4) ($2,400)
Melissa: H (x2) ($1,200)
Jeff: N (DUD!)
Laura: S (x2) ($3,600)
Melissa: P (DUD!)
Jeff: L ($600)
Laura: C (x2) ($4,800)

PHRASE

Laura says LET'S GET TO THE CHASE, but corrects it to solve LET'S CUT TO THE CHASE ...for an unexpected victory by $50!

Jeff	Laura	Melissa
$1,850	$4,800	$4,750

BONUS ROUND:

So things happen, and suddenly Laura is in Bonus Land. She can try for some really good prizes here!

Appropriately, Laura picks the L for her name, but perhaps for "lucky" as well. Puzzle time!

Bonus Puzzle

THING

RSTLNE gives her:

THING

She can't get much from BMCO.

THING

But she instantly solves FORKLIFT! From zero to hero...

...she has won $25,000! Laura finishes this game with an all-cash total of $29,800!

In the post-game, Pat talks about how Vanna's son Niko plays with heavy equipment toys such as a toy forklift. Vanna tries to name them all, but we're short of time.