March 30, 1995 recap | Buy a Vowel Boards

March 30, 1995 recap Apr 7, 2023 20:06:26 GMT -5

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Post by mechamind on Apr 7, 2023 20:06:26 GMT -5

Airdate: March 30, 1995

From Hollywood, It's America's game! Wheeeeeel Of Fortune!

Today's contestants (all male):
Ralph Molinoff (returning with a 2-day total of $52,006)
Brian Mino: Vice president of a small bank in northwest Iowa, from Ashton
Todd O'Donnell (not related to Charlie): Works in sales for a specialty furniture manufacturer, from Maplewood, MN

The top-dollar value on the Wheel is $1,000. We are playing for cash, and here's our first puzzle:

Round 1

SLANG

RALPH	Brian	Todd
$250: N (x3) $900: S (DUD!)	Free Spin: R Lose A Turn!	$200: T (DUD!)
$750
-$250: I $1,000: G $200: D -$250: O -$250: E $250: W -$250: A (DUD!)	$500: K $150: H Only vowels left! Solve: Correct!
$1,200	$650

SLANG

Brian solves HUNKERING DOWN.

Ralph	Brian (FS)	Todd
	$650

This trio could hide under the railing if they wanted, because nobody at home is looking at them while we display a Meade telescope (labeled STARS) worth $3,700.

Get back up again, and lift up that score with a $2,500 spin!

Round 2

PHRASE

Ralph	BRIAN (FS)	Todd
	$2,500: S (x2) -$250: E (x5) -$250: A (x2) $400: T (x5) -$250: O (x4) $200: R (x2) $450: N (x2) $300: D (x2) $500: B STARS: V $500: H -$250: I $150: Y (x3) Solve: Correct!
	$9,350+

PHRASE

Perfection! Brian solves DON'T YOU HAVE BETTER WAYS TO SPEND YOUR TIME for plenty of cash and a telescope.

Ralph	Brian (FS)	Todd
	$13,700

Merv Griffin can't think of better ways to spend his money than on the contestants, and that's why we have a $3,500 space...though the size of the $10,000 space hints that Merv has a limit.

Round 3

WHERE ARE WE?

Ralph	Brian (FS)	TODD
		$1,000: T (x3) -$250: E (x3) -$250: A (x4) BANKRUPT! ($2,500)

$900: N -$250: I (x4) $3,500: S (x3!) BANKRUPT! ($11,150)	$500: R (x2) $500: H (x3) $500: D $400: C $500: L $250: M (DUD!) (Free Spin used) $200: P $600: B (DUD!)	$400: W $400: F (x2) Solve: Correct!
	$4,100	$1,200

WHERE ARE WE?

Todd solves PEWS CATHEDRAL IRISH SAINT FIFTH AVE. Our totals have "hunkered down" again, but we can lift Todd higher with a $500 bonus if he answers where we are.

He tries Boston. "A swell city", but incorrect. We move to Ralph.

He says St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York, which is a mouthful, but good for the cash (the chyron says St. Patrick's).

Ralph	Brian	Todd
$500	$13,700	$1,200

We're running out of time...and letter choices, according to Pat. Let's watch as he gives the Wheel a Final Spin, and consonants will be worth... $300 a piece. Ralph begins.

Round 4

MEGAWORD

Ralph: L (DUD!)
Brian: S (DUD!)
Todd: T ($300) (He jokingly says FRANTIC.)
Ralph: N ($300)

MEGAWORD

Ralph guesses PERSPIRATION, a lovely thought.

Brian: R (x3) ($900)

MEGAWORD

Brian solves REVERBERATION. He'll spend some time to think of how to use the word in a sentence for a $500 bonus. He won the game, so Pat forgot it was Megaword.

"An echo is a reverberation." A minimal definition, but it still counts as a sentence for the money.

Ralph	Brian	Todd
$500	$15,100	$1,200

Ralph goes home with a 3-day total of $52,506.

BONUS ROUND:

We'll need to clear out all the echoes from the studio before Brian takes the walk to Bonus Land for a piano or a van.

Total silence as Brian picks the W, and then they'll start talking about the puzzle.

Bonus Puzzle

EVENT

RSTLNE gives him:

EVENT

There's lots that DMPI could fill in, but will it be any good?

EVENT

After guessing STROKE OF LIGHTNING and STRIKE OF LIGHTNING, he solves STRUCK BY LIGHTNING...

...and he'll strike the keys on a grand piano by Wurlitzer with an automatic playback unit and worth $17,105! Brian finishes the day with $32,205 in cash and prizes and will return for the end of the week!