OK, I'm back, and I took a lot of notes.
All-Star Dream Machine Day 1The episode starts with a drum roll and the "logo over spinning Wheel" shot. Charlie announces the following:
After that, the regular intro started with "Big Wheels"...
Susan enters from Chuck's
right with a normal-sized microphone (not the kind like Bob Barker used) over the "curtain introduction" cue and announces that the total value of all the prizes available this week is over $189,000 ["ooh" track]. Chuck did not do an opening spin.
Chuck describes how the tournament will work: the players consist of the top five winners from the hour show and the top four from the half-hour show. Each winner of the Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday show will face off on Thursday
and Friday in the "Grand Finals" for the Mercedes Benz (unfortunately, that's all Chuck mentioned about it. No rules on how those two shows would work).
Before the show, all nine names were put in a drum and Chuck randomly drew three to decide who will play that day. Charlie announces the player's name and hometown as they enter from Chuck's left. Chuck says when they played and how much they won over how many days. No clips of their prior appearances were shown. Charlie introduces them in "blue/yellow/red" order, but still refers to them as "Contestant #1/2/3" despite them playing in the order opposite their introductions.
The blue player is Richard Hooper from Los Angeles. He won $19,061 over 4 days in April.
The yellow player is Patti Butler from Chatsworth. She won $18,300 over 5 days in November, including a trip to New York which she postponed so that she could play today.
The red player is Rick Mandel from Los Angeles. He won $22,475 over 4 days "last month" (so December). Chuck mentions that he won a luxury car in the Bonus Round.
Camera work was the same as the June 1976 show. Head-on shot of board, no color-changing Wheel center, and no signs of the light ring. Eggcrate displays were still white/light yellow (I'm beginning to think the colored eggrates never happened on the show proper and that the cover of the board game was just enhanced as such because MB thought they looked better colored).
Price tags were the same as the June 1976 show with the surrounding "design".
The Wheel had an odd look that I did not see coming: every wedge had white borders. It looked pretty weird. The configurations, value-wise, were the same as June 1976. The only color difference was that $1500 was not orange. Instead, it was the same tan/gold-ish color as the $350 and $150 on either side of Lose a Turn.
These were the puzzles...
R1 - Title: SILK STOCKINGS, solved by Patti for $1,400. There was a mid-round break.
R2 - Title: BLUE BIRD OF HAPPINESS, solved by Patti (who lost $1,750 to Bankrupt earlier) for $1,950.
R3 - Person: DICK CLARK, solved by Richard for $1,850. There was a mid-round break and the entire round was played by Richard, who only called every consonant, staring with the C and K, interestingly enough.
The final totals were Rick: $0/Patti: $3,350/Richard: $1,850. Chuck tells Patti that she will be playing on Thursday against Tuesday and Wednesday's winners.
I did not see any ticket or contestant plugs.
Sponsor list was the same as June. Eligibility disclaimer was the same as 04/07/78, but not in all-caps. Only Susan's wardrobe provider was credited (SS Giorgio Beverly Hills). Charlie's disclaimer about the prizes was the same as 04/07/78. The full credit roll began with the logo followed by "Produced by / JOHN RHINEHART". Didn't really pay attention to the other names, but I did notice that Mark Corwin was one of the associate directors.
January 18, 1978First off, something odd abot this show overall that I'm not sure also applied to other daytime shows that circulate online. The audience machine was not used at all. No "ooh"s during the prize spiels, and minimal applause or shouting during the spins. The only audience noise was actually genuine.
I found this a pleasant surprise, as I hated the overdramatic "ooh"s and "aww"s and the "angry mob shouting" track they would always use during spins and then abruptly cut off as the Wheel stopped.
The logo during the intro was gray with a black drop shadow and the letters were not outlined. The rest of the intro is "Total retail value of all these prizes: more than $3,000! Now, let's meet your host, Chuck Woolery!"
Chuck introduces Susan, followed by a crossfade to a curtain entrance.
The contestants on this episode are Ed Klein from New York City, Sharon Pachey ("pay-shee", 1-Day: $2,200, hometown never stated IIRC), and Tricia Thorchell from Santa Barbara.
The contestant podiums are the brighter kind and the eggcrates now hold five digits and a $. The Wheel configurations were the same as April, and no wedges were outlined. The board's border was lit for the whole game, and the monospace font category strips were present and were colored to match Susan's outfit (purple/magenta).
R1 - Quotation: SING A SONG OF SIXPENCE, solved by Ed for $1,775. No vowels were bought this round. Earlier in the round, Ed earned a Free Spin, then immediately asked "Is there a G?" Chuck replied, "You'll have to spin to find out." and he is held on the G. After the round,
Ed puts all $1,775 on account! 
Chuck tells Charlie, "Charlie, you can take a rest." However, the $1,775 would "last all day" as long as Ed doesn't hit Bankrupt. Chuck later tells Ed that $1,775 is a record for the most ever put on account.
R2 - People: FRED ASTAIRE AND GINGER ROGERS, solved by Tricia for a big $5,850. The round was played almost entirely by her after Sharon started with a Lose a Turn. She buys a Ford Fairmont for $4,873. As Charlie describes it, Susan drives it to center-stage, then steps out. A few turns in this round, a couple of audience members began shouting "Buy a vowel!" at Tricia. She says "I'd like to buy a vowel", then a woman shouts what sounded like "No, you don't!" and another person can be heard shushing her. A mid-round break happens later with a longer-than-usual shot of the board as "Big Wheels" plays in the clear with no applause/cheering and Susan is not in the shot. After Tricia announces she'd like to solve, a woman in the audience shouts "Take your time!"
R3 - Phrase: ONE TWO CHA CHA CHA, solved by Tricia for $1,700. Earlier in the round, Ed hits Bankrupt and loses $2,450 in round cash along with his $1,775 still On Account. Any shots of Ed up to this point were zoomed out to show the On Account display. Ed used his Free Spin, but later repeated a wrong S. Susan looked in the direction of the used letter board and pointed at it and shouted "It's been called!" (Chuck didn't acknowledge it as a repeated letter until after Susan said this, and the buzzer sounded)
R4 - Phrase: CURTAIN CALL, solved by Sharon for $1,300. Full normal round, game ended after it.
Final totals were Ed: $0/Sharon: $1,300 (2-Day: $3,700)/Tricia: $7,550. Chuck says that during a break, Ed told Chuck that he didn't want to buy any trips after R1 (I mostly skipped the shopping portions, so I don't recall the theme of that showcase) because he works for a travel agency, so he can take whatever trips he wants.
The Griffin logo was not preceded by "WHEEL OF FORTUNE is Produced by", but the zoom-out chroma key Wheel shot was still used. The credits played over shots of Chuck and Susan chatting with Tricia. Chuck could easily be heard at some points, so they probably forgot to mute his mic.
The reason for Gordon MacRae's appearance was not explained, though Chuck tells him he's been a fan for years. Gordon spins the Wheel, but they don't show or acknowledge what he lands on.
Those two episodes were the ones I prioritized. The Paley Center's new system is computer-based, so you now just click a link and you can watch the video as you please. Previously, you had to select two episodes at a time and you were then taken downstairs to a room where you were sat in front of a TV loaded with the tapes, then you went back upstairs when you were done. Each computer gives you a total of 90 minutes of viewing time. Only the daytime episodes (except for June 7, 1976 and Pat's last show) are available for viewing right now, along with a 107-minute March 1997 event organized by the center featuring a Q&A with then-Jeopardy! and Wheel staff and hosts (Harry Friedman had a mustache back then, and it looked good on him, especially when he was sitting next to Alex
), and a highlight reel of various clips from both shows through early 1997 (I watched some of it on one of my earlier trips to the center and skimmed through some of it today. Nothing from Wheel was shown that we don't already know about. The earliest shown was the intro and R2 solve from 01/18/78, and the latest was Rosie O'Donnell's appearance in 1997. They were all only from episodes that exist at the center and almost all of them circulate online) The other Wheel episodes the center had were unfortunately not yet available for viewing on the computers, I'm guessing because their reels haven't been digitized yet. The center does not have the rights to sell or lease copies of their collection, only the rights to show them on the property. No recording was allowed, and my station was facing the desk staff members sat at, so I didn't want to risk taking pictures. Sorry. I didn't have much time left, so I rushed through 05/20/76 and 03/15/78.
May 20, 1976This episode also did not use the audience machine like January 19 and June 7 did, though this audience made more noise than the 01/18/78 audience. They shouted encouragements and applauded more often during spins.
Susan enters from Chuck's left with a "normal" microphone, the same kind she used on the Championships. She introduces the players by name and hometown from left to right.
This episode's players were Elliot Marcus, Kathi Peters, and Lee Webb (2-Day: $10,575).
R1 - Title: MISTER SANDMAN, solved by Lee for $200 (from her own merits, not a house minimum bump). There was a mid-round break.
R2 - Place: CANDLESTICK PARK, solved by Lee for $2,075.
R3 - Person: LILY TOMLIN, solved by Elliot for $900. Lee did all the work and had every consonant except the M and Chuck later acknowledged that she knew it, but she spun and hit Lose a Turn with $1,875 in her bank. Elliot called the M on $900.
Final totals were Elliot: $900/Kathi: $0/Lee: $2,275 (3-Day: $12,850). No closing chat was done, only goodbyes.
March 15, 1978This episode did use the audience machine.
The players are Carol Tannenbaum, Beth Bennell ("ben-ELL"), and Maryann Hall (1-Day: $8,350).
R1 - Things: STICKY FINGERS, solved by Maryann for $900.
R2 - Quotation: HERE COMES PETER COTTONTAIL, solved by Maryann for $3,400.
R3 - Things: HOT CROSS BUNS, solved by Carol for $1,250.
R4 - Title: EASTER PARADE, solved by Maryann for $300. This round was a partial $300 Speed-Up. All the consonants were called and the "Only Vowels Left" beeps sounded. Late in the round, Carol incorrectly guessed "POSTER PARADE".
Final totals were Carol: $1,250/Beth: $0/Maryann: $4,600 (2-Day: $12,950).
It's good to be back home... 
(Especially if punctuation is used somewhere along the way.)
I still hope to go soon, though.
Chuck tells Charlie, "Charlie, you can take a rest." However, the $1,775 would "last all day" as long as Ed doesn't hit Bankrupt. Chuck later tells Ed that $1,775 is a record for the most ever put on account.
