Wheel of Fortune's Forgotten Origin Story (Who Was Drunk During the Pilot?)

Поделиться
HTML-код
  • Опубликовано: 9 июн 2024
  • Wheel of Fortune's history dates back farther than Pat Sajak's first episode in 1981. The show was actually created in 1973 by Merv Griffin, and had a different duo hosting the show. It was NOT Pat Sajak and Vanna White. This video documents the forgotten origin story of Wheel of Fortune.
  • РазвлеченияРазвлечения

Комментарии • 467

  • @jamescohen5200
    @jamescohen5200 6 дней назад +30

    Thanks for a real human narrator. I am sick of hearing a computer miss pronounce words.

  • @Educatingben
    @Educatingben 14 дней назад +83

    Gosh I remember when Chuck Woolery was the host. He is one of my favorite game show hosts along with Peter Marshall and Gene Rayburn. I remember when people would win the game, they got to go shopping and put the rest on a gift certificate. I totally remember that.

    • @QueenAlexis556
      @QueenAlexis556 11 дней назад +11

      I also remember when Chuck hosted Love Connection in the '80's. My grandmother never missed an episode lol! 😂

    • @azvascos7542
      @azvascos7542 11 дней назад +5

      I forgot about the gift certificate thing! The three you listed were all great fun!

    • @sandraoaks7887
      @sandraoaks7887 11 дней назад +5

      My all time favorite was Chuck & my next favorite was Bob on The Newlywed game. They both has charm & knew how to use it. 😀

    • @azvascos7542
      @azvascos7542 11 дней назад +4

      @sandraoaks7887 Bob Eubanks was fun too! There were some great gamr show hosts back then.

    • @gravityissues5210
      @gravityissues5210 10 дней назад +4

      TIL Chuck Woolery had once been a country music star….? Who knew.

  • @user-kb9cu4rl9z
    @user-kb9cu4rl9z 14 дней назад +72

    That was a good piece. My brother won a car on Wheel with the bonus round word Armchair. He'd previously won a car on Hollywood Squares in 1971. I was on the show Greed and Chuck Wollery was the host. He and I share the same birthday. My brother and I were separately on Sale of the Century in the 1980s. In 1978 I met Merv Griffin and Ava Gabor at the Grand Hotel in Taiwan! Small world.

  • @DXKramer
    @DXKramer 20 дней назад +53

    I grew up in the 1980s with Pat Sajak, Alex Trebek, and Bob Barker.
    Now, in 2024, two of them have left us and third has retired.
    The times be a-changing.

    • @mysocalledgenxlife
      @mysocalledgenxlife  20 дней назад +7

      I have been thinking about this myself. I’ve got some 80s game show content in the works! Thanks for your comment.

    • @DXKramer
      @DXKramer 20 дней назад +4

      @@mysocalledgenxlife you're very welcome!

    • @QueenAlexis556
      @QueenAlexis556 11 дней назад +5

      I stopped watching The Price Is Right when Barker retired 😞

    • @CatholicTraditional
      @CatholicTraditional 6 дней назад +2

      @@QueenAlexis556Once Bob retired they butchered the theme song.

    • @jescis0
      @jescis0 4 дня назад

      ​@@QueenAlexis556I grew up with Bob Barker's "The Price Is Right" and I could recite the ticket address, until recently when I have forgotten it… but I don't mind Drew Carey hosting, but I don't like much else of its changes… it's the only show I knew I could go get a car for $1… but I don't think I can without going to California…

  • @jeenkzk5919
    @jeenkzk5919 12 дней назад +24

    My mom watched Pat and Vanna all the way until her passing in 2015. She also watched Chuck Woolery when he was doing love connection. Will be back in two and 2 indeed.

    • @QueenAlexis556
      @QueenAlexis556 11 дней назад

      My grandmother never missed Love Connection. She got me watching it. They had some hilarious couples on there lol! We'll be back in 2&2 😊

    • @zuzuspetals9281
      @zuzuspetals9281 8 дней назад

      My grandparents watched WofF from its original format until they died, and my mom started watching after she had a spinal cord injury in 2002 until her death in 2017 with her nighttime caregiver. My sister and I weren’t fond of the show and made fun of the opening to each other, still do. We never could figure out how people couldn’t guess obvious puzzle answers or what the clues had to do with the answer. (We’re both Jeopardy people).

  • @Texaslawhorn
    @Texaslawhorn 14 дней назад +25

    I was born on December 3, 1982 so Pat and Vanna have pretty much been the faces of "Wheel" for as long as I have been alive. It's definitely the end of an era

    • @pattyo4703
      @pattyo4703 13 дней назад +4

      I agree.
      I'm old enough to remember Chuck Woolery hosting, but it's a pretty faint memory.
      Pat and Vanna will be missed. I know Vanna may stick around for awhile, but she will probably feel like Susan Stafford after Chuck left, it just won't be the same.
      I feel sad as the show was a wholesome staple in some dark times.

    • @QueenAlexis556
      @QueenAlexis556 11 дней назад +1

      ​@@pattyo4703I'm 55 now and I definitely remember Chuck being host around 1975-76. I thought he was a real cutie even though I was a young kid lol!!

  • @fdsuperstar2547
    @fdsuperstar2547 19 дней назад +24

    Back in the late 1970’s I used to come home for lunch during school and watch Wheel… with my grandmother. Chuck Woolley was the host.

    • @QueenAlexis556
      @QueenAlexis556 11 дней назад

      I watched it with my grandmother also😊 I thought Chuck was freaking fine! 😂

  • @earlleary
    @earlleary 14 дней назад +26

    I always remember as a kid, before my family bought a VCR, I would shout out " Buy the VCR !" Lol. And that ceramic dalmatian became a joke, lol. Once the contestant got down to around $200, we would say " The dog, they're gonna buy that stupid dog!" Lol.

    • @CreachterZ
      @CreachterZ 13 дней назад +2

      Who wants a ceramic dog?

    • @mrsmacca126
      @mrsmacca126 12 дней назад +5

      But, in the end, Joey Tribiani bought it… and it got repossessed, but then Ross bought it back for Joey… wow. What goes around….

    • @SeanONeill13
      @SeanONeill13 12 дней назад +1

      *they’re

    • @QueenAlexis556
      @QueenAlexis556 11 дней назад

      ​@@CreachterZNo doubt 😂

    • @tolfan4438
      @tolfan4438 11 дней назад +3

      Ya and the tobleroner chocolate

  • @frederickseltzerjr2170
    @frederickseltzerjr2170 18 дней назад +22

    The only thing about my appearance on #WheelOfFortune that I missed out on (it aired on Thursday, December 19th, 2019) was meeting #PatSajak. We taped our episodes on Friday, November 8th, which was the day after Pat was rushed to the hospital for emergency surgery and #VannaWhite stepped in as host for "Disney Secret Santa. As I've said many times since being a contestant (it took 36 years and 27 contestant auditions before making it on the show), Vanna was an absolute sweetheart, so nice and kind, as was everyone associated with the show.

    • @haplessasshole9615
      @haplessasshole9615 4 дня назад

      I've heard so many nice things about Vanna White -- words and phrases like "gracious," and "someone you'd want to sit down and have a drink with." I always envied her ability to stand for so long in those _heels!_ And maintaining a friendly smile the entire time. She earned every penny she got from _WoF._

  • @lelandunruh7896
    @lelandunruh7896 13 дней назад +23

    Wild to think that Sajack and White started hosting the show together while I was still in the hospital after being born! That's longevity!

    • @QueenAlexis556
      @QueenAlexis556 11 дней назад +1

      Lol! I remember when Pat & Vanna started, I was 13. Pat came before Vanna. She was so nervous at her first appearance. You couldn't tell back then but watching the RUclips video, you can see how she was very new & awkward. It's called Vanna's first audition, I think

    • @dhtsoaedsdhtnadi9575
      @dhtsoaedsdhtnadi9575 10 дней назад

      i was still a kid but in 1984 we moved from a tv desert to a large metro area with at least a dozen non-cable channels. it was just in time for the big announcement that jeopardy was "returning" and would air right after wheel. i didn't know what either of them were. so alex's first night on jeopardy i was also introduced to wheel. like most everyone else that watched, we played along at home. i don't remember when i made the connection between wheel and hangman, but it was obvious to a 9yo even if the puzzles weren't.
      does anyone remember that time pat and alex traded places for an april fool's joke? i don't remember if it was the same year or a different year the announcers traded places.
      anyway, for a lot of us, we don't really remember much if any time when these two shows didn't exist. now their hosts are no longer hosting. in similar fashion, tom brokaw, peter jennings, and dan rather are no longer reading us the news, and many products, brands, and even retail chains we took for granted are gone. growing old sucks. at least we still have our music. now if only i could find a working cassette deck.

    • @ismike1982
      @ismike1982 9 дней назад

      Same!

  • @shirleysenkler781
    @shirleysenkler781 13 дней назад +10

    I remember the early days with Pat and Vanna when they had all the merchandise on stage. Losing the clutter was a great improvement.

  • @albertpeterson5585
    @albertpeterson5585 9 дней назад +4

    ...Vanna White appeared on TPIR as a legitimate contestant several months before getting the audition.

    • @mysocalledgenxlife
      @mysocalledgenxlife  9 дней назад +2

      Yes, I almost included that in the video! But it just didn’t fit in with the flow of my script. So that means something fun to talk about in the comments 😊 thanks for watching!

  • @rangerdj1
    @rangerdj1 15 дней назад +14

    You have some awesome rare snippets in this. Brings back a lot of memories.

  • @ednafenton7558
    @ednafenton7558 14 дней назад +7

    I remember Chuck & Susan. I always thought most of the items they had to buy were a lot of stupid prizes.

  • @Tai_Fung
    @Tai_Fung 21 день назад +15

    When I was younger than I want to admit (but I'm Gen X, so we know I'm of a certain age), I actually went with my family TO a taping of Wheel of Fortune (I thought it was summer). We saw at least two, possibly three games. I think we went because they would accept me as an audience member despite how young I was. Chuck Woolery and Susan Stafford were the hosts. Chuck played some video of him fishing (and sleeping) on a boat in between episodes. BUT, Pat Sajack made an appearance on the set (off air) WHILE we were there. The thrust was that he was going to step in for Chuck, but I was young and confused as to why they were both there. I'm sure I thought of him as a substitute, like a teacher. But there was CLEARLY some tension, and Susan Stafford said to Pat, smiling all the while, which I will never forget, "Break a leg . . . I mean it."

    • @mysocalledgenxlife
      @mysocalledgenxlife  21 день назад +3

      Oh wow! That is so cool. Even if you didn’t understand what was going on. What an awesome memory. Must have been the summer of 1981.

  • @robertray4191
    @robertray4191 13 дней назад +11

    That was a goood comprehensive run down ! Goood job whoever did this!

  • @MsGail61
    @MsGail61 16 дней назад +35

    What I like about the initial concept is the search for a “fresh face” to host the program. I wish they were doing that with Sajak’s replacement but instead, Seacrest has to insert himself into everything.

    • @Mrs.T.Rusch25
      @Mrs.T.Rusch25 12 дней назад +5

      That's because Merv Griffin is dead. If he were still alive there's no way seacrest would get the gig.

    • @joshandallo2170
      @joshandallo2170 8 дней назад +2

      Ryan Seacrest was the host of Click, the last game show Merv Griffin created and premiered during his lifetime. I highly doubt Merv would snub Ryan if the former were still alive.

    • @Mrs.T.Rusch25
      @Mrs.T.Rusch25 8 дней назад

      @@joshandallo2170 Oh, I never heard of that show. I stand corrected

  • @jasonnstegall
    @jasonnstegall 19 дней назад +11

    Isn't it beyond ironic that the original WOF replaced the original Jeopardy, all things considered?

  • @flwrfan1752
    @flwrfan1752 13 дней назад +9

    I remember Chuck Woolery and Susan Stafford on the show.Thought the were really good on Wheel.I was surprised when I seen a commercial for Wheel with Pat and Vanna.I didn’t know why Chuck and Susan had been replaced.Thanks for showing us the origins of the show.Very surprising how different it was starting out.

  • @xenialafleur
    @xenialafleur 10 дней назад +4

    It is so impressive that Vanna got the job without an agent or a manager.

    • @mysocalledgenxlife
      @mysocalledgenxlife  10 дней назад +1

      Absolutely. She found out about the audition because she was friends with actress Janet Jones, who had an agent and got an audition call but she wasn’t interested.

  • @coreyking1009
    @coreyking1009 19 дней назад +7

    23:41 That dalmation statue is quintessential 1980s Wheel of Fortune for me.
    As a kid watching, it was very rare that someone didnt pick it as a prize during shopping, it was priced in a way that it was more or less the last buyable option before you could claim the rest on a gift certificate... You could usually tell the contestants were less than thrilled to take it home.
    I drive by a house everyday for work that has a concrete dalmation statue in their yard, and for years secretly think in my head when i see it, somebody there must of won big on Wheel once upon a time
    Haha

    • @higgy04
      @higgy04 18 дней назад +2

      I don't know what was more frustrating, contestants buying the ceramic dalmatian, the announcer (Jack Clark or Charlie O'Donnell) reading the script describing the prize, or seeing it happen on a daily basis.

    • @frommatorav1
      @frommatorav1 15 дней назад +2

      @@higgy04 It was the dalmation or the pink flamingo. I would do math in my head as a kid to pick a 2nd to last prize to go below those almost forced consolation prizes.
      Just practicing for if I ever got on the show I guess, even though I was like 9 or 10.

    • @mrsmacca126
      @mrsmacca126 12 дней назад +2

      Joey Tribiani has the dog, now.

  • @michaeldunahee4537
    @michaeldunahee4537 17 дней назад +9

    Wow - really well done! I think the best thing they ever did was getting rid of the shopping part of the show, although now you've explained why they used it in the first place. Fantastic documentary!

  • @user-gm9he1os5o
    @user-gm9he1os5o 20 дней назад +11

    The original bongo drum music used from the Woolery era was the best. I remember it even as a kid.

    • @higgy04
      @higgy04 18 дней назад +1

      If I'm thinking what you're thinking, that theme music was composed by Alan Thicke.

    • @user-gm9he1os5o
      @user-gm9he1os5o 18 дней назад +1

      ​@@higgy04Yes it was.

    • @ApartmentKing66
      @ApartmentKing66 14 дней назад

      I think it was called "Big Wheels."

    • @weebunny
      @weebunny 5 дней назад

      I was really little during that era of Wheel, and watched it with my grandmother, who kept me while my parents were at work. When I heard that theme song just now, I instantly remembered it! I agree that it's a better theme than the current one they've been using for decades now.

  • @anthonyguarino4242
    @anthonyguarino4242 20 дней назад +8

    I’m gonna miss pat so much! The wheel won’t be the same without Pat!

  • @brianarbenz7206
    @brianarbenz7206 19 дней назад +5

    Wheel succeeded in early evening syndication because it was a stress free simple mind exercise for people to unwind with after a hectic day.
    Jeopardy, by contrast, fired up the viewer’s intellect and competitive juices.
    My father had a law degree, had worked as a journalist, and was a published author, and he preferred relaxing with the Wheel to putting his considerable knowledge to the test with Jeopardy.

  • @hyacinth4368
    @hyacinth4368 13 дней назад +5

    Pat sajak was the weatherman on our local Nashville station for awhile. Chuck Woolery is a great guy!

  • @What_Makes_Climate_Tick
    @What_Makes_Climate_Tick 20 дней назад +14

    Thanks for this rundown. I remember Chuck Woolery and Susan Stafford, but didn't know the story behind their leaving, nor the shift from network TV to syndication.

    • @zabadazidit
      @zabadazidit 20 дней назад +5

      Susan Stafford later moved to Houston to work as a registered nurse in the Texas Medical Center.

    • @8avexp
      @8avexp 15 дней назад +1

      I remember both of them as well. Woolery left in a contract dispute, later admitting it was a mistake. Stafford wanted to do other things and walked away. She did come back for one week in 1986 to fill in for Vanna when she had to miss the show because of the death of her then-boyfriend.

  • @tedberitich2491
    @tedberitich2491 11 дней назад +6

    I remembered watching Wheel of Fortune daytime version on NBC as a young 8 year old kid at home (missing school ) with my mom in 1979 during the Chuck Woolery and Susan Stafford era. My hats off to Pat Sajak for his great 43 year run as host of Wheel of Fortune and thanks for posting this video!

  • @kemolowlow
    @kemolowlow 10 дней назад +6

    Even as a kid I thought buying the prizes with the fake money they won was a joke....the winners had to pay income tax without winning any cash!

  • @8avexp
    @8avexp 15 дней назад +4

    I remember watching WOF in college back in the 70s when Woolery and Stafford were the hosts. They were quite touchy-feely at show's end, arm-in-arm and hugging. Sajak and White were the total opposite. There was far less physical contact. Vanna is actually my age! She's three months younger than me.

  • @kurttuchscherer7706
    @kurttuchscherer7706 12 дней назад +4

    I remember being at my parents one night. Of course they were watching Wheel. To my surprise one of the contestants was a former neighbor . He did alright . Won a car.

    • @mharris5047
      @mharris5047 12 дней назад

      I don't recall hearing of anyone I knew being on a game show (although as a professor one or more of my students had to have been on one as I probably had over 10,000 students in my tenure) but I did know someone that appeared on Montel Williams' talk show many years ago (I won't embarrass the person by mentioning his/her name or the subject matter of the episode). I would rather had been on Jerry Springer but I guess Montel is a decent consolation prize for the person I knew.

  • @glenndalewis867
    @glenndalewis867 11 дней назад +8

    Personally, I can't imagine growing up in the 80's & 90's without Pat Sajax & Vanna White. To me, they are a big part of Wheel of Fortunes success. I remember Pat & Vanna making me laugh each and every week, along with their antic practical prank jokes. The chemistry between Vanna & Pat was unbeatable. They're both down to earth & they both come from humble beginnings. Thank you Pat for 41 seasons of love, laughter and unconditional fun. My life is better for having you & Vanna in it. I Love You Pat & I'm going to miss you dearly. ❤❤❤❤

  • @bluebear1985
    @bluebear1985 20 дней назад +11

    Imagine how different TV history would have been had NBC cancelled Wheel in 1980 as originally planned. I think the show they cancelled instead was the short-lived "Chain Reaction" with Bill Cullen. The other two shows sacrificed to make way for "The David Letterman Show" were the long-running "Hollywood Squares" with Peter Marshall and "High Rollers" with Alex Trebek.

    • @user-gm9he1os5o
      @user-gm9he1os5o 18 дней назад

      And I'm still mad about it. It was a real dumb move

    • @tammylewis2408
      @tammylewis2408 17 дней назад +3

      @@user-gm9he1os5oBut Alex went on to bigger and better things.

    • @jasonbeard4713
      @jasonbeard4713 14 дней назад +1

      Chain Reaction was the far superior program, and Bill Cullen was always welcome.

  • @laurastewart2418
    @laurastewart2418 14 дней назад +7

    Wheel of fortune...always loved to try to solve the puzzle❤❤❤❤

  • @Buggy-su4oy
    @Buggy-su4oy 20 дней назад +6

    Thanks Pat for all the joy you brought to viewers...enjoy retirement.😊😊

  • @johnmac4020
    @johnmac4020 14 дней назад +6

    I'm here for Dalmatian statue!

  • @picmanjoe
    @picmanjoe 7 дней назад +2

    Really well done mini-doc!

  • @jamiebray8532
    @jamiebray8532 6 дней назад +1

    Man being a Gen Xer & watching this brought back memories. I didn't really take notice of Wheel until about 86 or 87 at 9 or 10yrs old.

  • @alfonsogreen2722
    @alfonsogreen2722 6 дней назад +1

    I did watch Chuck & Susan when I was at least 2 & 3 years old. Ive watched Pat & Vanna from 4 years old until now. I loved wheel of fortune so much I even had the home game

  • @RacerX-
    @RacerX- 15 дней назад +7

    Wow that is excellent. I never even knew of the older versions and I don't recall ever seeing any Wheel of Fortune without Pat. Excellent history review. New sub and I absolutely love your channel so please keep up the good work.

    • @mysocalledgenxlife
      @mysocalledgenxlife  15 дней назад +2

      Thank you!

    • @ApartmentKing66
      @ApartmentKing66 14 дней назад

      That's because, for some reason, they want to ignore the first 7 years of the show...the Woolery/Stafford years. Thus, those too young to have watched it don't even know it existed. I'm almost 58 so I AM old enough to have watched it in the mid-70s. It's akin to ABC: it was around for a decade BEFORE the "anniversary" that they celebrate. Edward Noble bought the "NBC Blue" network in 1943, but ABC observes 1953 as the beginning as that's the year that United Paramount Theaters bought it and poured HEAVY money into it. It struggled until that point. The UPT merger pretty much ensured ABC's future.

  • @antibishonen
    @antibishonen 20 дней назад +7

    There was an episode on Fox's Greed where Chuck gave a question on what show he didn't host.
    Unfortunately, they picked Wheel of Fortune and you can see the frustration by Chuck himself.

    • @mysocalledgenxlife
      @mysocalledgenxlife  20 дней назад +3

      Omg…I actually read about this in my research and meant to add that clip…but then didn’t do it! I had planned a section about where chuck and Susan are now, but I didn’t record it. Dang it! Thanks so much for your comment 😊

    • @higgy04
      @higgy04 18 дней назад

      @@mysocalledgenxlife I paused the video to watch the Greed clip. Talk about irony I guess.

    • @antibishonen
      @antibishonen 10 дней назад

      @higgy04 It's gets better. I believe there's a Greed college special where the contestant had to pick the game show version of hangman.
      The captain shouted, "Give me Wheel of Fortune, Pat!"
      And Chuck, trying to keep composure, knew what he was up to.

  • @Mike-0201
    @Mike-0201 10 дней назад +2

    Great job on this. Such history of the great show most people don’t know. I am 59 and remember Chuck’s version. I will sure miss Pat! Not going to be the same. I like Ryan and will give him a chance. Time will tell.

  • @johnsmiley5387
    @johnsmiley5387 18 часов назад

    Thank you for posting this video. For years, my kids have thought I was crazy when I said they didn't win prize money. They had to buy overpriced prizes from the show, but now I have video proof. Thank you very much

  • @justindurand9110
    @justindurand9110 День назад

    I was born in 79 and Pat and Vanna and Alex Trebec were a nightly ritual in my family as far back as I can remember. I haven't watched it as much in recent years, but every time I did happen to catch an episode it felt like soul food. To say it is the end of an era feels like a massive understatement to me.

  • @acaliaaidras5012
    @acaliaaidras5012 11 дней назад +2

    The clip at the 11:59 mark just made me remember the music for that version of Wheel. I had no idea that was in the recesses of my brain. Wild.

    • @mysocalledgenxlife
      @mysocalledgenxlife  11 дней назад +2

      That’s awesome! That original wheel music was written by Alan Thicke…who played Dr Jason Seaver on Growing Pains. 😊

  • @matthewc3120
    @matthewc3120 12 дней назад +2

    Stafford really shot herself in the foot by leaving but Pat and Vanna will always be the faces of Wheel, even after both are gone. Nobody will ever have the kind of chemistry those two did.

    • @dominaevillae28
      @dominaevillae28 7 дней назад

      “ After leaving Wheel of Fortune, Stafford earned a B.A. in nutrition and an M.A. in clinical psychology from Antioch University, and a Ph.D. in clinical psychology from the unaccredited Pacific Western University.[citation needed] During this time, Stafford returned to television in 1988 as host of Alive, which aired on the Christian Broadcasting Network and in syndication. In 2003, Stafford made her first game show appearance since Wheel of Fortune, appearing on Hollywood Squares Game Show Week (Part 2).”

  • @LisaBowers
    @LisaBowers 10 дней назад +3

    Sometimes RUclips recommendations are awesome. Since I'm GenX, and this type of content is my jam, I subscribed. Great episode! Looking forward to more.

    • @mysocalledgenxlife
      @mysocalledgenxlife  10 дней назад

      So glad you found me! Thanks for the sub and comment 😊

  • @JoshColletta
    @JoshColletta 14 дней назад +6

    I love that they first introduced Vanna with "Temptation Eyes." Classic!

  • @libertubey2199
    @libertubey2199 13 дней назад +3

    Thanks for this. As a child, I remember Chuck and Susan. I remember when I, a first grader, first saw Pat, I was wondering who this guy was and where was Chuck? It's also funny that while Vicki was great on the eyes, and Pat & Vicki may have had better personal chemistry, Pat and Vanna had better chemistry overall. Merv made the right choice.

  • @Thirst4Knowledgeonly
    @Thirst4Knowledgeonly 12 дней назад +1

    Thank you so much. I learned something new about a game show I've been watching since I was eight years old.

  • @willmont8258
    @willmont8258 8 дней назад +1

    I never knew we almost had Edd "Kookie, Kookie (Lend Me Your Comb)" Byrnes as host.

  • @frankbrodie5168
    @frankbrodie5168 13 дней назад +1

    [Thank You] VERY much.. Now I have the 'Ace of Base' song Wheel of Fortune stuck in my head for the night. lol
    I'm from the UK so we didn't get WoF until MUCH later than the US. And it never felt as good without Vanna White. (The UK version. The US one didn't air in the UK that I'm aware of.) I put many many many hours into the US SNES game 'Wheel of Fortune' back when that console ruled the roost. Loved every second of it. And still go back to it even now for a bit of nostalgia.
    Fantastic video. So a genuine [Thank You] for that.

  • @azvascos7542
    @azvascos7542 11 дней назад +1

    I loved Chuck Wolery as a host, he had a great personality! He hosted that dating show after and it was always fun because of his responses, not to mention how handsome he was! Pay and Vanna have carried the torch for so long now, good for them, they've last longer than a lot of marriages!

  • @angelbulldog4934
    @angelbulldog4934 19 дней назад +6

    WHY didn't we keep Chuck? 😍🥰🤩

    • @timglende8869
      @timglende8869 15 дней назад +4

      He wanted a raise, Merv Griffin didn't give it to him. So Chuck gave Merv a Christmas present...on Christmas Day '81, Mr. Woolery left Wheel.

  • @wifeoftim
    @wifeoftim 8 дней назад +1

    I remember the early Wheel of Fortune and I really liked it but I like the later version better.

  • @DBR00
    @DBR00 14 дней назад +8

    I always liked when contestants took the remaining balance on account instead of a gift certificate.

  • @glendastevenson8149
    @glendastevenson8149 13 дней назад +37

    I didn't care for the show in the 70's and 80's. I hated that they had to buy ugly furniture and silly merch. I always wished they could keep the money. Then when they switched to that, I was hooked. I'm glad that Vanna is staying on, but I have a real dislike for Ryan Seacrest. I'm not sure if I'll continue watching. oh well, it was fun for many years.

    • @ytzpilot
      @ytzpilot 9 дней назад +3

      Yup I felt the same way, you win money then forced to buy crap, followed by a gift certificate, ruined the original game show.

    • @kathywolk2737
      @kathywolk2737 9 дней назад +7

      I agree…I will not watch Ryan Seacrest can’t stand him!!! I’m thinking Vanna will retire next year as I feel they asked her to stay on just to hopefully keep the ratings up for Ryan’s first season🤷‍♀️

    • @glendastevenson8149
      @glendastevenson8149 9 дней назад +4

      @@kathywolk2737 I was thinking the same thing about Vanna. Both of them leaving at the same time I think would be a severe loss in the ratings. I imagine they offered her a huge wage increase to stay on a little longer to make the change of host easier for the viewer. Seacrest has some big shoes to fill, I personally don't think he has the wit or charm to carry the show. I could be very wrong. We'll see.

    • @markmartindale7215
      @markmartindale7215 9 дней назад

      ​@@kathywolk2737Why do you hate Ryan Seacrest? What did he do?

    • @kelleyholterman963
      @kelleyholterman963 9 дней назад +3

      I thought “going shopping” was fun.

  • @JediFight
    @JediFight 5 дней назад

    Chuck Woolery was probably the main Wheel of a Fortune host for me. That period of time when mom and dad chose what we would watch. And the camera floating around the gifts while the contestant chose their winnings. Always there was that statue of a dog amongst the gifts.

  • @deadpan80
    @deadpan80 14 дней назад +4

    Pat is the Johnny Carson of WOF. The bar is so high it will never be surpassed.

    • @ApartmentKing66
      @ApartmentKing66 14 дней назад

      Please...matter of opinion. For those of us who remember Chuck Woolery, that "bar" was already very high, and Pat didn't exactly raise it. In fact, as an elder GenXer, I remember Wheel from the beginning, and when Pat was brought in to take over, they changed a few things about the show that I didn't particularly care for. Pat's no "Johnny Carson."

  • @stevengolden9009
    @stevengolden9009 20 дней назад +5

    Lin Bowen was a villain in the game show world, along with Fred Silverman. They destroyed NBC's game shows in the mid 1970s-early 1980's. :(

    • @mysocalledgenxlife
      @mysocalledgenxlife  20 дней назад +2

      That might be something I can use for a future video…I did notice in the interviews I watched that Merv DID NOT like her. Lol.

    • @feudfan55
      @feudfan55 15 дней назад +1

      As much as Merv didn’t like Bolen, she risked her job to get Wheel on the air in the first place. After three failed pilots, she basically said put it on the air anyway and if it fails, she’d take the hit, no questions asked.

  • @pika23
    @pika23 19 дней назад +2

    I remember chuck woollery's version. I used to do his version when i pretended to be a host as a kid.

  • @abunchahooey
    @abunchahooey 5 дней назад +1

    I really enjoyed this video. You did a good job and offered a lot of information. 😊

  • @azvascos7542
    @azvascos7542 11 дней назад +1

    Great production bravo! Great narration too, the "okay bye!" closing was cute too. I watched the whole video!

  • @taffysaur
    @taffysaur 21 день назад +7

    Did anyone else notice that the theme song for the opening segment of the Shopper’s Bazaar pilot was Chitty Chitty Bang Bang..?

    • @mysocalledgenxlife
      @mysocalledgenxlife  21 день назад +3

      Yes! That was so random. I considered mentioning some of the music in each version because a lot was so iconic. But there was so much of it that I decided to just drop it completely.

    • @Elsewhen404
      @Elsewhen404 20 дней назад

      @@mysocalledgenxlife The Price Is Right, in my book, had some of the finest music composed and recorded for a game show, in the timeframe of 1972 to 1983. Smart choice that Mark Goodson-Bill Todman Productions made choosing Score Productions, Inc. to produce and record the music cue packages for the show. I've got a petition running to get it all officially released to a compact disc box set.

    • @paulolsen6948
      @paulolsen6948 9 дней назад +1

      Funny, just watched this and realized I was humming Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and and backed up the video, then watched the rest and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang was a later puzzle answer!

  • @scottstallings5029
    @scottstallings5029 19 дней назад +3

    PLEASE KEEP UP THE FANTASTIC WORK ❤❤❤❤❤😊😊😊

  • @roastbeef93abubadubdubwhoo74
    @roastbeef93abubadubdubwhoo74 11 дней назад +1

    That was great! Thanks for the memories.

  • @aaroncatron2306
    @aaroncatron2306 9 дней назад

    I was born in 1988 and watched Wheel from the time I was old enough to sit up and pay attention to the TV. I learned to read my the time I was a year and half. Thanks, Vanna.

  • @paulj0557tonehead
    @paulj0557tonehead 2 дня назад

    Back in 1985-86 while living in Hollywood I was a poor student and couldn't really afford an air conditioner, so I'd walk over to the Chinese Theatre on Hollywood Blvd. and sign up to go to the Wheel of Fortune or whatever other game show. I was always guaranteed 3-4 hours of air conditioning! Went to WOF twice. I remember Vanna White just turned 27 and she'd come out and talk to the audience between shows. They had to upload the show to the affiliate stations via satellite and it took 15 minutes between each of the three episodes.

  • @miz_logo_lee
    @miz_logo_lee 19 часов назад

    This is so interesting to see. I was in the audience for a taping of the Woolery/shopping spree era of the show. My YMCA babysitters club went as part of our Disneyland trip we saved up for.

  • @chrisb4331
    @chrisb4331 12 дней назад +1

    Great video. Very interesting. From one Gen X er (born 1970) to another. Thank you

  • @TheBaldr
    @TheBaldr 12 дней назад +2

    Pat Sajak has also admitted to being drunk while doing tapings in the earlier seasons.

    • @QueenAlexis556
      @QueenAlexis556 11 дней назад

      I'm not surprised. Most of the panelists on Match Game were allegedly drunk on the show, namely Brett Somers and Charles Nelson Reilly 😊

  • @curtyeomans8446
    @curtyeomans8446 7 дней назад +1

    That woman couldn’t figure out it was “Henry Kissinger” after the two “I”s showed up? Damn. It seemed so obvious

  • @spinkid2000
    @spinkid2000 11 дней назад

    Excellent. I have so many memories of the ludicrous prizes. In Game Show Network's early years this was a call in trivia question (Who hosted before Pat Sajack?) and I called in and won a T-Shirt "live" on air.

  • @OttoByOgraffey
    @OttoByOgraffey 12 дней назад +1

    Subscribed. Thank you!

  • @danielherrin
    @danielherrin 21 день назад +38

    Nothing pulls 45 million viewers today.

    • @mysocalledgenxlife
      @mysocalledgenxlife  21 день назад +6

      Right? Especially five times a week!

    • @danielherrin
      @danielherrin 21 день назад +8

      @mysocalledgenxlife when the ATeam was canceled for "low ratings" it was still doing more than Game of Thrones, and I'm pretty sure there's more people now, so why aren't there higher ratings?

    • @mysocalledgenxlife
      @mysocalledgenxlife  21 день назад +16

      @@danielherrin back when the A Team was on, 200 million people were basically watching three networks. Now, 330 million people are watching 330 million devices. I’m actually gonna do a video about this…how TV was a source of cultural shared experiences and now that’s gone.

    • @danielherrin
      @danielherrin 21 день назад +2

      @mysocalledgenxlife that's my point, even the Super Bowl can't pulling down the ratings it use to, and your right, it does erode the cultural cohesiveness

    • @spang9782
      @spang9782 20 дней назад +3

      True! But keep in mind we now have so many more options to view! It started with the advent of cable TV, satellite and now several streaming options where we have literally hundreds of channel possibilities.

  • @moedark4390
    @moedark4390 15 дней назад +3

    i remember everyone having to buy the ceramic dalmation when their shopping money ran low lol

  • @Gen-X-Memories
    @Gen-X-Memories 9 дней назад +1

    I remember Vanna White as a contestant on The Price is Right.

  • @utubethumbsup
    @utubethumbsup 20 дней назад +4

    Wow, that was a surprisingly good look back at the "true" history of WoF - nice job!
    As for Susan, she seemed nice enough but honestly I think she acted like a clown sometimes during her time on Wheel (i.e. 13:02)...Vanna brings a more poised and 'graceful' look to the show vs. Susan.

  • @elliebellie7816
    @elliebellie7816 19 дней назад +3

    60 pieces of crystal...you couldn't give that stuff away in today's world.

  • @donovan1971
    @donovan1971 13 дней назад

    I didn't think I'd be into this video but I was wrong. Excellent editing and narration. Even though I never really watched the show, with the exception of the South Park version, I'm glad I watched the history of it

  • @colossusforbin5484
    @colossusforbin5484 12 дней назад +1

    I remember when Chuck Woolery was host. Too young to remember Shopper's Bazaar. I watched Wheel of Fortune heavily in the late 80's. One time, there was a final puzzle where I guessed it correctly before any letters were turned. Just once. I do remember noticing back then that during the final puzzle where the final contestant picks the letters, the same letters were basically picked by the contestants every episode. It was eventually changed where they automatically give those very same letters I noticed. Not sure when that change happened as I stopped watching decades ago now.

    • @QueenAlexis556
      @QueenAlexis556 11 дней назад

      I don't remember Shoppers Bazaar either

  • @burgundybabyy
    @burgundybabyy 21 день назад +3

    I just discovered your channel earlier today. I'm a Xennial (born 1982) so I can relate to both Gen X and the elder Millennials. I like your channel a lot! You should do something on the OG true crime show - Unsolved Mysteries.

    • @mysocalledgenxlife
      @mysocalledgenxlife  21 день назад +2

      I’m so glad you found me! Us Xennials are a special group. Our life experience is insanely unique. I like your idea for Unsolved Mysteries! I will put it on my topic list.

    • @beatrixbrennan1545
      @beatrixbrennan1545 13 дней назад

      Now I know what to call myself! Born in 84 and always identified with gen x more.

  • @WalkerOne
    @WalkerOne 10 дней назад

    Thanks. For this.

  • @kerrbear1980
    @kerrbear1980 17 дней назад +6

    chuck wollery was a country music singer? learn a new thing every day :)

    • @ernestcruz6316
      @ernestcruz6316 13 дней назад +2

      He was actually a pop singer. He had a Top 40 hit single in 1968 as lead singer of a group named The Avant-Garde, and the song was "Naturally Stoned".

    • @QueenAlexis556
      @QueenAlexis556 11 дней назад +1

      I didn't know either until I watched this video

  • @131maymay131
    @131maymay131 9 дней назад

    Great presentation!

  • @cheskydivision
    @cheskydivision 13 дней назад +3

    Loved Vanna but they went from an animated speaking female hostess to quiet Vanna just standing around looking pretty.

    • @QueenAlexis556
      @QueenAlexis556 11 дней назад +1

      Vanna's "spin" after walking onstage was much better than Susan's in my opinion 🤭

  • @LdyVder
    @LdyVder 3 дня назад

    There were really two different Wheel of Fortunes. One was the network version, which started on NBC moved to CBS then back to NBC before NBC canceled it. Then there's the syndicated version. Which Pat Sajak always was the host for.

  • @threynolds2
    @threynolds2 9 дней назад

    At 16:38 - Pat Sajak was a radio DJ and TV weatherman from NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE. I listened to him on 650 WSM-AM radio and watched him do the weather on WSMV-TV in NASHVILLE!! He came to Nashville from Kentucky and left Nashville for California for Wheel of Fortune and then the late-night TV talk show with his WSMV-TV news anchor Dan Miller, and back to Wheel.

  • @paulahartsock4411
    @paulahartsock4411 7 дней назад

    I remember Chuck Woolery in 1975 when I was on summer vacation. I really enjoyed.

  • @donnaplumridge9769
    @donnaplumridge9769 8 дней назад

    I remember Wheel Of Fortune when Chuck Woolery and Kim were on it, but Pat Sajak and Vanna White, were the main ones I truly remember. My mom used to watch it from the beginning, then when it was on at night, since in the beginning it was on 11am in the morning.

  • @bigkahunaburger5185
    @bigkahunaburger5185 14 дней назад

    Excellent video on one of my favorite shows. Thanks for your great work! Okay, bye. 😂

  • @troygills
    @troygills 4 дня назад

    I wrote a poem about pat and vanna in second grade class. Im soon to be 50 yrs old.

  • @robertov05
    @robertov05 7 дней назад

    I remember Wheel with Chuck Wollery, but I didn’t realize it started so long ago!

  • @wsudance85
    @wsudance85 10 дней назад

    Great job on the research for this video btw 👏🏻

  • @willmont8258
    @willmont8258 8 дней назад +1

    The original theme song was the best. I don't know why they changed it. It was written by Alan Thicke.

  • @johncollins1884
    @johncollins1884 2 дня назад

    @mysocalledgenxlife
    Natalie, wonderful presentation. You're correct, the show's producers really do want the public to forget how about the show's first decade.

  • @FrankG5874
    @FrankG5874 19 дней назад

    Since the syndicated version debuted in 1983 as Philadelphia (Which is my home TV market) was the first major TV market to get Wheel of Fortune (SYN) and still to this day it's a staple at 7:30 PM weeknights on WPVI (The ABC O&O Station) in Philadelphia. In NYC the Syndicated Wheel of Fortune didn't debut on January 1984 when it began airing on WCBS-TV (The CBS O&O station) in NYC, but since 1990 it now airs on WABC-TV (The ABC O&O Station).

  • @yell0wberry
    @yell0wberry 6 дней назад

    You also failed to mention that Jeopardy came back on the air in prime time right next to wheel of Fortune, those two shows will forever be joined by the hip

  • @TheMarkWilson
    @TheMarkWilson 6 дней назад +1

    I would have said Bob Barker hosted Price longer than Pat hosted Wheel. Surprisingly I would have been wrong

  • @charlesglaser4868
    @charlesglaser4868 14 дней назад +1

    Actually, Vanna White was a contestant on, The Price Is Right!! That's how she got in.😅

    • @QueenAlexis556
      @QueenAlexis556 11 дней назад

      YES! That video is on RUclips and Bob Barker was very condescending to her