Wheel of Fortune

Vanna turns letters

Wheel of Fortune is a long-running American television game show where contestants spin a large wheel and guess letters to solve word puzzles, similar to hangman.

First airing in 1975 and hosted for decades by Pat Sajak, it became one of the most popular syndicated programs in television history: She watches Wheel of Fortune every evening after dinner. (Lowercase wheel of fortune refers to any spinning wheel used in games of chance, or to fate itself.)

gameshow

contestant

Competition participant

puzzleChallenge testing ingenuity
bankruptUnable to repay debts
toss-upOutcome with equal chances

wedge · letters · solve · category · vowel · consonant · big money · wild card · free play · syndicated

Categories

TV showsTV shows, sitcom, The Office, cartoon, Modern Family
Sony ProductionsSpider-Man, Men in Black, Ghostbusters, Jumanji, Venom
word gamescrossword, Scrabble, crossword puzzle, anagram, word game
game showsbuzzer, buzzers, contestant, contestants, jackpot
1983Michael Jackson, Thriller, Flashdance, Cabbage Patch Kids, Sally Ride
Syndicationsyndication, syndicated shows, back catalog, licensing fees, affiliate

Opposites

game show format/intellectual demand

Wheel of FortuneJeopardy!

Quiz show, reversed format

Mastermind · The Chase · Trivial Pursuit

chance vs. skill

Wheel of Fortunechess

Strategic board game

Jeopardy! · spelling bee · strategy game · competitive examination · poker

philosophical concept of fortune/fate

Wheel of Fortunefree will

Autonomous choice capacity

self-determination · human agency · meritocracy · agency · deliberate choice

Family

wheel, fortune, wheels, unfortunate, misfortune, fortunately, fortunes, unfortunately, wheeling

Familiarity: Top 100,000
Profile: Known to kids · Mostly American · Timeless · Concrete · Positive · Everyday, not technical · Rated G