Dumb Daytime Moves--Wheel of Fortune (post-Sajak)

For those of you that don't remember, or for those that just don't know, "Wheel of Fortune" actually made its debut in the daytime...on NBC to be exact.  Monday, January 6, 1975, 10:30 a.m. Eastern Standard Time.  The show debuted during the Bolen era of NBC daytime, and was the only new show that debuted during that time to last for more than three years.  In fact, it lasted for over 16 years overall on daytime television.  I say sixteen years overall because...well, we'll get to that later.

The show was originally hosted by Chuck Woolery (making his game show host debut), and turning the letters (remember, this was 1975) was Susan Stafford.  Woolery remained the show's host until December 25, 1981, when he left the show due to a salary dispute. (Merry Christmas, Chuck!!)  His replacement?  Some little-known weatherman named Pat Sajak.

It should also be pointed out that Sajak's early months as host of "Wheel" was at a time when the show was the ONLY game show on NBC's daytime lineup (look up my "Texas" post to see what I mean).  Susan Stafford, who had been with the show from day one, left on October 22, 1982 to move on with her career.  On-air auditions were held over the next several weeks, former Miss USA Summer Bartholomew (who would later go on to be co-host of "Sale of the Century" from December 31, 1984 to March 24, 1989), former Playboy playmate Vicki McCarthy, and Price is Right First Four Breakfast Club member Vanna White.  Guess who ended up getting the job on December 13, 1982?

As you all know, the went into syndication in 1983, and despite a slow start (with only a few stations airing the show), it soon skyrocketed and became the #1 syndicated show on television.  The success of the nighttime "Wheel" allowed the daytime "Wheel" to remain on NBC for an extended period.

But now we're getting into what you really wanted to see in this particular blog entry.  In 1988, CBS was planning a late night talk show in another attempt to challenge Johnny Carson's "Tonight Show" in the ratings.  Their choice to host the show?  Pat Sajak.  Sajak's last "Wheel" aired on January 9, 1989 (I think it was preempted due to some news story), and the big question was who would replace him as host the following day?  Well, fasten your seat belts, folks, because it's going to be a bumpy ride.

Taking over as host was Rolf Benirschke, a former kicker for the San Diego Chargers best known for kicking the game-winning field goal in the famous playoff game against the Miami Dolphins on January 2, 1982, and surviving ulcerative colitis.  However, from day one, viewers knew that Merv Griffin might have made a mistake in hiring the former football player.

Here were the problems with Benirschke's run as host.

• Rolf had ZERO television experience prior to his stint on "Wheel."
• Rolf had never seen a complete episode of "Wheel" prior to his stint on the show.  This would be proven when, in one episode, two players tied at the end of the game.  Rolf stared into the camera and admitted to the world that he had no idea what to do at that point. (for those that are wondering what would happen if a game ends in a tie on the daytime version, there is no bonus game, and all three players come back on the next show to continue from where they left off)

Although #6 would improve as his time on "Wheel" went on, the ratings still went down.  By 1989, game shows on daytime television were in decline.  "Sale of the Century" and "Super Password" had been canceled earlier in the year, and the odds were that "Wheel" would soon bite the dust as well.  Well...it would happen.  "Wheel" was canceled after its June 30, 1989 broadcast, and that was the end of daytime "Wheel".

But not for long...

CBS brought back "Wheel" for its daytime schedule on July 17, 1989, airing at 10:30 a.m. (between "Family Feud" and "The Price is Right.")  The show was now hosted by Bob Goen, who had hosted "Blackout" for the network one year earlier (and had shaven off that hideous mustache that he had during his early hosting career), and a significant improvement over Benirschke.  Shopping, which had been a staple of daytime "Wheel" since the beginning (and the nighttime version until 1987), had been eliminated, and unfortunately, the Wheel was significantly cheapened, with $50 and $75 spaces, and the top value being only $500 for rounds 1 & 2, $1000 for round 3, and $1250 for round 4 and afterwards.  Prizes were added to the Wheel, and the bonus round now had a $5000 cash prize (which, in this blogger's opinion, should have been an accumulating jackpot) in addition to several other bonus prizes.  I think the main reason the show was cheapened was due to CBS's winning limits of $75,000, with players being allowed to keep up to $100,000 (unlike NBC, which had no winnings limits whatsoever).

"Wheel" only lasted 18 months on CBS, before it returned to NBC on January 14, 1991.  Despite being back on the peacock network, the show still taped at Television City (Studio 33, to be exact), and still had the cheapened wheel (although the $50 and $75 spots were gone by this time).  The show lasted until September 20, 1991, when the network cleared the last of its game shows from the schedule (Classic Concentration would return a month later with reruns for the next two years.  I'll get to that one later.).


And as for Sajak's talk show?  That only lasted about a year before it was canceled.  But don't worry, he still did (and is still doing) the nighttime version of "Wheel."