The ultimate objective of Wheel of Fortune is to obtain the most money from guessing letters and solving puzzles to win the episode and advance to the bonus round. On each of their turns, a contestant spins the large wheel, which will land on either a cash value or a special wedge. Griffin next hired then-KNBC weatherman Pat Sajak as host, who took over the show and remains in the hosting position today. Soon afterward, following a few changes in the female host paired with Sajak, Vanna White became the permanent hostess of Wheel of Fortune alongside Sajak in 1982, and the two have hosted together ever since. To accommodate this, Griffin added a shopping mechanic to the game, in which viewers could buy prizes with their winnings, and debuted a pilot entitled Shopper’s Bazaar in 1973.Īfter much workshopping and change in aesthetics and leadership, this show eventually became Wheel of Fortune, which debuted in 1975, hosted by Chuck Woolery. Woolery continued to host until a salary dispute in 1981 caused his departure from the show. They enjoyed the idea but felt it needed something to hook potential viewers and add to the entertainment value.īased on his own perception of the draw of roulette wheels in casinos, Griffin added the idea of the large wheel and pitched the show to NBC. They also liked the show but felt it needed a bit more glam to boost female viewership.

Griffin and his sister frequently played Hangman while on road trips inspired by these games, Griffin pitched a Hangman-based game show to personnel at his production company. Wheel of Fortune was originally created by media personality Merv Griffin in the mid-1970s.

Wheel of fortune board game 1975