Classic "Wheel" moments seen during your times watching WoF

I was able to see the April Fools 1997 episode in first-run, and I thought the use of PAT I'D LIKE TO SOLVE THE PUZZLE was quite funny.

Glad you brought this up. Lemme tell you a few classic moments from my WOF memory.

Sometime in 1985, during a description of the baker's rack being bought by a contestant, Pat quickly sneaks by to steal the cake that was displayed. Afterward, before going to commercial, Pat was seen eating the cake that he swiped.

Sometime in the '80s, I'm sure you remember this. Before closing, Pat throws a dummy of him on the Wheel.

On a few occasions sometime in the '80s, during the closing credits, Pat was changing the bonus puzzle around. Take for example, I believe in 1986, the bonus puzzle was "FRANK SINATRA". After the fee plug, the puzzle was changed to "RANK RATS".

Here's another one. In the beginning of round 2, Vanna was at the podium explaining round 2, and the fur coat (bonus prize) which Pat was seen sporting during the description. Yes, Pat and Vanna switched places for just a minute or so.

You may remember this. The last day of the old board from 1997, when taped in Arizona. Before closing, Vanna makes her very last use of the old board revealing the puzzle "FOR SALE".

One of the most-talked-about moments is from 1985. "THE THRILL OF VICTORY" suddenly lead to "THE AGONY OF DEFEAT" after calling an incorrect letter. The puzzle said so. And that contestant had over $60,000 earned before she lost a turn.

"WHO SAID ANYTHING ABOUT A HORSE?" That made me laugh. Here's some more mis-solves.

"FISH LOVE", when the puzzle was actually "WISH LIST". Going to commercial, the board read "FISH LOVE".
"SELF POTATO" when the puzzle was "SELF PORTRAIT".
And who could ever forget the "PILL PUSHERS" incident?

And speaking of April Fool's 1997, in one of the rounds, here's the puzzle.
SUPERCALI-
FRAGILISTIC-
EXPIALI-
DOCIOUS

I've seen 21 seasons worth of shows...let me see what I remember...

-Jackpot's debut and departure
- Pat & Vanna switching places in the Bonus Round
- Vanna's announcement that she was pregnant with Giovanni; Giovanni's first appearance on Wheel
-The trilon board's final appearance & the new board's first appearance
- The April Fool's 1997 episode (I saw J! and Wheel both that day)
- I remember seeing a tie in the 97-98 season or 98-99 season. It was two females, IIRC, in the red and yellow positions. Anyone else remember this or am I dreaming?
- The 3000th, 4000th, and 5000th episodes
- I missed the first $100k win, but I saw Bonnie and Karen's sweep and $100k win (the second winners) in 2002
- The debut of the Mystery Round
- Here's a memory I would like to see if anyone else remembers...it's not super significant, but it still sticks in my mind to this day. I had to have happened sometime between 2000-2002. I'm shooting more towards 2001 (Season 19). During either Round 1 or Round 2, while Vanna is going to touch the letter called, Pat hollers out: "Vanna, if that dress were cut any higher, we would see your clavicle." Does ANYONE else remember this??
- The show's 25th season premiere and the $100k loss.
- Every season premiere from Season 22 on.
- All three million dollar winners
- Several of the $100k winners
- So many hilarious missolves.

 I could go on and on...there's are the ones I can think of at the moment.

Anyone remember a contestant named Richard during Houston Week (May 1998) who:

1. Won big in the main game and celebrated by picking up Pat and placing him on the railing in front of him.

2. Won the Bonus Round and celebrated by chasing Pat all around the studio and picking him up again in triumph.

Have been dying to see clips of these moments. Failed to record his ep when I saw it on TV.

Here's a news story by the CBS affiliate in Houston which shows me violently hugging him after we found out we were finalists to appear on the show:

youtu.be/Gz1jaESw1po

I have some very fuzzy memories from when I first started watching in 1992. Besides being confused at the time by the Before & After puzzles CHARLIE BROWN PAPER BAG and PARDON MY FRENCH FRIES, I remember the contestant who called CDZO to fill in ZOO entirely, and I think I remember the WAX and BABY BOY solves. I also seem to remember the SQUID'S SQUIRT puzzle (inb4 Splatoon references) on one of the Soap Opera College Challenges.

I didn't watch much from about 1995-2002, but after that, here are a few I remember that haven't already been listed:

* circa 2002: $3,000 Toss-Up WHAT A RELIEF, no one even rings in. I believe the I was the last letter to show up. I think there was another episode around the same time that had two unsolved Toss-Ups.

* A couple Giavonna cameos in 2002-03; one had Pat singing to her and her covering her ears

* 3/14/02: A contestant solves the bonus puzzle KOBE BRYANT before Vanna can reveal the letters that he called (think I caught this one on a rerun, though)

* I also remember a seven-round game sometime around March 2002; as noted on the wiki, I remember a really long game where the Speed-Up was HAIR CARE and even after C was called, it took them way too long to figure it out. I'm not 100% sure if the seven-rounder and this game were one and the same or not.

* 5/15/03: Contestant who had EN_O_ THE SHOW and said "ENMOG THE SHOW"

* 9/24/03: The audience laughing when a contestant guessed I'M BUSH.

* 10/10/03: Ceremonial #4,000; as I noted on the Wiki, the reruns for 7/12/04 consisted of #4000 followed by November 3-6 for some odd reason

* 1/2/04: "FRANCIS FORD AND SOFIA COPPOLA" from 1/2/04 (even taped it, but I don't know where the tape is now)

* 3/23/05: The "other" Subway incident, where the contestant called MPDA but they lit up the B in the bonus puzzle SUBWAY by mistake

* 11/16 and 11/17/05: The edited-out Louisiana puzzles

* 1/30/08: SUBWAY EAT FRESH

* 5/7/08 (taped 3/7/08): I was in the audience for an episode in Chicago!

* "REGIS PHILBRIN AND KELLY REEPA"

Other miscellany

* I don't remember the seven-rounder from 6/2/04, and I've noticed that its bonus puzzle doesn't have the letters listed, so I must've missed it due to class. I do remember at least part of the last seven-rounder on 9/22/05, but I must not have noticed at the time the significance.

* Both of the Toss-Up era ties (3/13/03 and 3/2/06)

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Among reruns on GSN, I remember seeing:

* The first New York episode on the Feast of Favorites in 2002 or 2003

* The debut of the five-and-a-vowel rules

* Pat "singing" on 12/23/88

* Pat "Damn nice job on that one!" after a contestant solves ALL HELL BROKE LOOSE

* A bonus round of QUIZ SHOW that struck me as extremely tough for the era

* Both Wipeout weeks

* At least two uses of Nickname in the Bonus Round. Sadly, my note taking wasn't as judicious as it is now, so I can't give specifics, other than that the answers were HOT LIPS and MOTOR CITY, and I believe both were solved. I do know that about 90% of what I saw was when M.G. was still announcing.

A few more I just remembered...


The first episode with the electronic board.

The 2001 episode where "WHEEL OF FORTUNE" was a Toss-Up puzzle.

An episode from around 2002 where Pat and Vanna were sitting in a car that was rotating on a turntable decorated with the then-current Wheel layout.

An episode around Season 19 or 20 where a woman wins over $51,000 in the maingame then loses $100K in the BR, which would have made her the highest overall winner at the time. I even taped the BR when it reran but I don't know if I still have it.

An episode around 2006 where Pat stops the Wheel mid-spin and moves it backwards because he forgot to ask the previous contestant if they wanted to use their Free Spin, which they handed him. They even cut to the overhead shot as the Wheel moved back.

A May 2006 episode where Vanna was presented a video Mother's Day card from her kids featuring clips of their various appearances on the show. I taped it and I think I still have it somewhere.

My very first tapings were in the summer of 1998 for early Season 16. The only thing I remember at all was that one of the rounds (I think a R1) had a male contestant call 9 T's for the Free Spin. I was also in the audience for the 1999 New York tapings but I don't remember if I was there for the PILL-PUSHERS episode. I do know one of the episodes featured a close-up of me during the credits but for some reason, my family never taped it. I remember my teacher taped it and showed it to the class the day after it aired, though.

I also saw some Heroes Week episodes in Season 25 being taped and several Season 30 NYC episodes. The episodes I saw live included:
- Pat drinking out of a Big Gulp cup (which he gave to an audience member)
- "MAKING WHOOPEE" and "MAKING DOGGIES" guesses in the Bonus Round
- Pat pretending to take a nap on his podium during a long stopdown

* 9/25/03: The audience laughing at the QUICK AS A WINK Bonus Round moment. I wonder where they got their audience from during that week?

That week is from Resorts Week from Season 21