PALEY CENTER FOR MEDIA, THE: WHEEL OF FORTUNE: 35 YEARS AS AMERICA'S GAME {LONG VERSION}
Summary
One in a series of evenings and special screenings presented at The Paley Center for Media in New York. This evening celebrates the 35th anniversary of the highly popular game show "Wheel of Fortune."
The evening opens with a short film reel exploring the show's history, going back to famed television mogul Merv Griffin's idea for televising the game of Hangman and adding prizes. The show was originally called "Wipeout" and featured several different hosts before weatherman Pat Sajak and fashion model Vanna White were hired in 1982. The show eventually moved from a daytime program to a nightly syndication spot and has earned continually high ratings, also becoming a household name and a "cultural phenomenon." The rise of social media has added to the show's current-day popularity, and several foreign versions have popped up in countries around the world.
Host Maureen Reidy (President and CEO, The Paley Center for Media) then takes the stage and offers opening remarks, highlighting the show's status as the highest-rated syndicated show in history and the Paley Center's exhibition of various artifacts from the show's history.
Sandy Kenyon (entertainment reporter and movie critic, Channel 7 Eyewitness News) then moderates the following panelists: executive producer Harry Friedman; and hosts Pat Sajak and Vanna White.
The panelists touch on such topics as: Sajak's growing appreciation for the show's meaningful impact on people's daily lives; the show as a "safe haven" and an escape from unpleasant real-world news; how it changes contestants' lives with its prizes; why the show is often "co-viewed" by entire families, rather than viewed separately on-demand; becoming a familiar staple of popular culture, including Sajak's early run-in with actor Jimmy Stewart and White's amusement at being name-checked in the song "Ride Wit Me" by rapper Nelly; Friedman's early work on "Hollywood Squares" and bringing a "Midwestern appeal" to the show; his sense of the show's "integrity," including an instance in which Sajak halted filming to prevent a potential cheating situation; the memorable episode in which Sajak and White switched roles because of Sajak's illness; an April Fool's swap with "Jeopardy!" host Alex Trebek; how White and Sajak felt actually playing their own game, at which Sajak may have "cheated"; why buying vowels is in fact the most important "strategy" for winning; how contestants' bizarre and silly guesses are now popularized via social media; why Sajak wishes most contestants to leave "with their dignity intact," if not with a prize; the high level of luck required in winning and why they have no "tournament of champions," like "Jeopardy!"; why they are "constantly surprised" by contestants' quick guesses and surprisingly smart moves; the show's origins as a daytime series and why it "seemed done" after the first seven years; why Griffin opted to hire the KNBC weatherman to replace host Chuck Woolery; White's lengthy audition process and extreme nervousness about joining the show, of which she was already a fan; Sajak's doubts about her nervousness and eventual confidence in her willingness to learn about television performing; their easy chemistry and longtime friendship; and frequent praise from viewers who have learned English and its many idioms from watching the show.
Questions from the audience then lead to a discussion of the following topics, among others: Friedman's "family first" principle for the show; shooting their first episodes after the September 11th terrorist attacks, including the challenges of traveling to Miami when all commercial airplanes were grounded; their sense of relief at returning to the lighthearted show during an upsetting time; why vowels are still only $250, with Sajak's revelation that the price was briefly lowered during the show's daytime run; his praise for Friedman's leadership and vision; the long, thoughtful processes of making alterations to the show, like the addition of "toss-up puzzles," while keeping the show's "core" unchanged; their appreciation for Sony's hands-off support of the show, as well as that of the local stations; the show's various accolades in the Guinness Book of World Records, including White's title as the "most frequent clapper" in the 2013 edition; their sense that the long-running show will end when "it's time"; and why it would be "unseemly" for Sajak or White to continue the show without the other.
Details
- NETWORK: N/A
- DATE: November 30, 1999 6:30 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 0:54:51
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: 131266
- GENRE: Seminars
- SUBJECT HEADING: N/A
- SERIES RUN: N/A
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Maureen Reidy … Host
- Sandy Kenyon … Moderator
- Pat Sajak … Panelist
- Vanna White … Panelist
- Harry Friedman … Panelist
- Merv Griffin
- Nelly (see also: Cornell Haynes Jr.)
- James Stewart (see also: Jimmy Stewart)
- Alex Trebek
- Chuck Woolery