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Post by jarvisabrodie89 on Sept 13, 2023 12:29:26 GMT -5
Hello, Friends & Fellow Wheel Watchers! I know that 2025 is less than two years away at this point, but would you believe that 2025 will mark 30 years since the big move to Sony Pictures? I know that's hard to believe, but gosh it's gone by so fast! On a personal note, I've never noticed the difference from their first year at Sony until I started picking up on it more during the 14th year. Nevertheless, the show has obviously come a long way since the first year. And I believe this is the longest they stayed in since the Burbank & CBS Eras.
For some of you who don't know, when Wheel of Fortune first started as a Daytime Show in 1975, it was taping at NBC Burbank, which is where the show originally began! Then, after 14 years at Burbank, the show moved to Studio 33 (aka The Bob Barker Studio) at CBS Television City in 1989 where it stayed for six years until the move to Sony Pictures Studios starting in 1995 all the way up to now.
Right now, the show is in it's 28th year at Sony. But 2025 will mark 30 years the big move to Sony!
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Post by newt on Sept 14, 2023 9:59:28 GMT -5
Fun fact: When the show moved to Sony, it was also Harry Friedman’s first full year with Wheel. He was named producer at the end of Season 12 and became co-executive producer in 1999 along with Merv Griffin and then sole executive producer in 2000. Harry Friedman was contacted by an old friend name Alan Levin who was the CEO of Sony at that time. Most of us knew that Harry got the job because it was felt the show has become tired and dated under Nancy Jones and Sony wanted to take the show in a different direction. Harry retired in 2020 during the peak of COVID and now nearly 30 years later under Bellamie Blackstone Wheel is still at Sony.
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Post by jarvisabrodie89 on Sept 14, 2023 23:50:11 GMT -5
Fun fact: When the show moved to Sony, it was also Harry Friedman’s first full year with Wheel. He was named producer at the end of Season 12 and became co-executive producer in 1999 along with Merv Griffin and then sole executive producer in 2000. Harry Friedman was contacted by an old friend name Alan Levin who was the CEO of Sony at that time. Most of us knew that Harry got the job because it was felt the show has become tired and dated under Nancy Jones and Sony wanted to take the show in a different direction. Harry retired in 2020 during the peak of COVID and now nearly 30 years later under Bellamie Blackstone Wheel is still at Sony. Then, when Harry entered his 2nd year, I believe that's when he advocated for a new electronic Puzzleboard, which debuted nearly six months into Season 14. Although, on a personal level, I will admit that was my least favorite season because, having missed out on a majority of Wheel of Fortune during Season 13, I picked up on it during the earlier parts of the Season. And looking back, it just didn't feel like Wheel of Fortune from my earlier years. For one, Vanna's hair was drastically cut, the beloved $25,000 sign was gone, and some of those camera shots during the first few months of the season were very wacky. Lol. But, as time went on, I got used to it. Anyway, about the digital Puzzleboard, I asked a good friend of mine as to why they never tried that in the earliest portion of the '90s, especially during the CBS era. And he told me a couple of reasons why it never happened: For one, the technology wasn't as easily available as yet. And two, Nancy Jones wasn't pushing for it. Lol. He later added that Merv & Nancy were hesitant to establish the Digital Board sooner than 1997 because it would have put Vanna's job in "Jeopardy!" Of course, as far as I know, since its debut in 1984, "Jeopardy!" was the first game show to use digital monitors before any other Game Shows that were still on the air at the time. Nevertheless, by the time Harry took over in the Spring of 1995, technology had reached a new level of advancement. As my friend pointed out, it was much better than it would have been had they established the digital board during the CBS era, especially with the technology as it was during those days. And I believe him. I mean, who knows what could have happened had it debuted earlier than 1997? Lol.By the way speaking of Bellamie Blackstone, I believe she's done an EXEMPLARY job on her first year as Executive Producer! I don't believe they could have found a better person for the role than Bellamie! |
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