Wheel of Fortune (Australia) - Steve Oemcke Hosting (26 Feb 2004)

Much is said about Rolf Benirschke hosting of the US version of "Wheel of Fortune" back in the late 1980s - a former football star thrown into the game show hosting caper at short notice and finding himself out of his depth. Well, Australia faced a similar scenario after the resignation/sacking of Rob Elliott in late 2003. A little-known travel reporter (outside Victoria at least) Steve Oemcke was placed in charge of the longest-running game show on Australian TV, and looked a bit like a fish out of water based on these early appearances in 2004. Whilst he did improve over the next 2 years, his reign really marked the decline in WOF in Australia, with the final axing of the show in 2006 under Larry Emdur's tenure.

[@DeadlyPants123]

I miss this show

[@michaelthekidd]

That's me! 😆

[@wecantfightgravity]

9:23 this music was also used when the Big Wheel was spinning in the Vietnamese version of The Price Is Right named Hãy Chọn Giá Đúng, as well as the commercial intro/outro music.

[@syc9675]

I missed this show so much. I grew up with this show and I preferred Rob Elliot as host. Sadly Rob Was dumped and replaced by Steve Oemcke (who was a shocking host). Steve made a lot of mistakes in the puzzle.

[@briannaktytor6138]

Bring this wheel of fortune version on TV

[@johncraw8572]

The touch screen puzzle board is very amazing

[@avengedsoul6661]

Sophie Falkiner looks absolutely stunning tonight!

[@VictorYong36]

The beginning of the end for the show

[@briannaktytor6138]

Bring the Australia version of wheel of fortune on television

[@JamesJimmaHarding]

The new touch screen letter-board wasn't a problem for me, but the fat cats at Channel 7 probably thought it was a good idea to replace Rob Elliot (who was a great host and was still quite young as he was in his 30s at the time) with someone young and hip to attract younger viewers and contestants. It was a fatal move for the show in this case, as the show was forced off the air for 12 months in 2005, and by the time it returned at the start of 2006 (even though Larry Emdur was a FAR better host), it was all too late for the show and it was cancelled in June of that year

[@syc9675]

James Michael Harding yeah I agreed. Since Rob Elliot was dumped from Wheel of fortune and replaced by Steve oemcke as host in 2004 the ratings began to decline sharply. Rob Elliot was a fantastic host during that time until his axing. when Steve oemcke was the new host, this was the worst replacement as host of this show. I didn’t know why Channel 7 picked Steve as the host of this show. I can’t stand him, he forgets the letters in the puzzle.

[@planetX15]

@@syc9675 Why was Rob Elliot axed?

[@syc9675]

@@planetX15 I believed that Channel 7 decided not to renew rob Elliot’s contract at seven, therefore he was let go from Seven. Replacing rob with Steve was the final straw for this show.

[@planetX15]

@@syc9675 I didn't mind Rob myself actually, John Burgess was a much better host for the show

[@7120Magnum]

@@planetX15 He wasn’t axed, he decided to walk once his contract was up according to John Deeks.

[@lawandorder888]

8:49 -- MYSTERY WEDGE, TIM!!!! Followed by 9:01 - COME ON TIM! TOP DOLLAR TIM! TOP DOLLAR! MYSTERY WEDGE!

[@KodyBod700]

+lawandorder888 boy i wish the american had an audience with excitement

[@officialSgtPepperArc360]

_Top Dollar's gonna swing by..._

[@Lover-of-Creative-Priorities]

9:54 to 10:15 I hope there's more like that on the 🇦🇺version of *Wheel of Fortune* And i don't mean repeats

[@johnm4669]

No Bankrupts?

[@Horrorbuff2]

That fool even said Please when solving the puzzles. and their "champ" didn't know who John Belushi was. Steve Oemcke may have been useless, but when you get carrots like that as contestants on your show, what can you do?

[@llxlliexfairy]

We have a flip up puzzle

[@GreatMewtwo]

It was interesting to hear it called a flip-up after hearing called a toss-up in the States for a good time.

[@Meng4Now]

That's because the word "toss" in Australian lingo has a very different connotation 😂

[@VictorYong36]

Bonus puzzle was “Schoolies Week”

[@KevinPiland]

The Hungry Jacks commercial looked a lot like the Burger King logo.

[@gameshowaus2]

+Kevin Piland It's because Hungry Jacks is the trading name for Burger King here in Australia. The name "Burger King" was already claimed by an existing small business here, and the BK US operators were unable to convince them to make it available for them to use, and therefore was unable to be used here. But Hungry Jack's offers pretty much the same product range as BK in the States (and elsewhere in the world).

[@lofirecordclub]

not a great host its fair to say but he now runs a production company which produces lots of popular reality/factual shows so I think maybe his strengths are off screen

[@TheBundychick82]

yeah i still watched Anyways after Rob elliot got the sack and Steve Omecke taking the reins he was pretty dismal at remembering how many was in the puzzle or forgetting prizes but Sophie Falkner was there along the way i'm Surprise he got 2 years on that show it took like a year to show the 2005 series which they showed at 10am in 2006 but wof was a great show to watch when i was growing up from the John Burgess era i'm proud to be Australian ty

[@avengedsoul6661]

Sophie's legs! Oh dear god :)

[@AchtungBaby77]

That's the only thing which makes Oemcke's hosting tolerable!

[@quizmaster85]

Having been on the show in May of that year, I think he took a fair bit of time to get used to something different.

[@7120Magnum]

He wasn't much chop as a contestant either - he appeared in Celebrity Week in 1996, and so far is the only one known (I remember reading an article promoting him becoming host and he admitted doing it) to have spun the wheel anti-clockwise, and got a Bankrupt for his troubles. Funny how Celebrity Week has had a tendency to breed new hosts - Oemcke in 1996, and Rob Elliott also appeared in 1992.

[@7120Magnum]

I think in hindsight the backlash would’ve been less if everyone knew the full story. John Deeks gave an interview to someone’s website/podcast in 2018 and he mentioned a little bit about working with Rob Elliott - he was not sacked, in fact HE decided to walk when his contract ended. Deeksy said Elliott was a great bloke but one of the most reluctant hosts he’d ever seen on the show. Another thing that came out in that interview was that in 1984 when Ernie Sigley left the show, Burgo was not initially who they wanted, they wanted to make Deeksy the new host. Grundys got their way in the end arguing they wanted to keep Deeksy in the booth for The Price Is Right, which lasted another 13-14 months anyway.

[@germanname1990]

So Thomas & Friends, commercials for an Aussie Burger King-wannabe (I just Googled Hungry Jack's up BTW), and some pretty interesting puzzle categories (Actor Partnership?) all packed into one very interesting episode of Aussie Wheel.

[@7120Magnum]

Haha, don't knock Hungry Jacks - they are quite good ;)

[@germanname1990]

Joshua92ification Well, as long as they are, Josh.

[@LogoMan7777]

germanname1990 Actually, Hungry Jack's is the Aussie version of Burger King.

[@germanname1990]

Greg Palmer Yeah, I know. Sorry, I was trying to be sarcastic.

[@jorgefigueroa4437]

Burger King/Hungry Jack's sponsoring the Wheel, good for a Jackpot Round

[@aceyourhole9538]

That’s me hosting the show

[@chasethecutestpuppyever3686]

Week of fortune!!!!!!

[@SirChristopherGorton]

I guess Wheel of Fortune beat Sale Of The Century

[@diheinercirilogonzaga9536]

They have jackpot wedge on australia

[@llusdomecus]

9:20

[@eliellopescarvalho7057]

10:21

[@buddyjgollan8726]

And that's when john burgess shouldve came back

[@7120Magnum]

Apparently that was the original plan. David Leckie the man who had done the deal at Nine to bring Burgo over had joined Seven in 2003 and his idea was to bring Burgo back in 2004 once his contract at Nine was up (Burgo’s Catch Phrase was cancelled at the end of that year as well). Nine somehow got wind of it and gave him an extension on his contract. He was eventually released from the contact by Nine at his request in 2005 when he heard Seven was planning to bring the Wheel back for 2006 and wanted to make himself available for it. The ship had sailed by then and the gig went to Larry Emdur. I doubt Burgo coming back would’ve saved it - Burgo’s Catch Phrase when it was revived in August 2002 didn’t rate as well as it did between October 1998 and November 2001, in fact it was eventually pushed out of the 5:30 timeslot in June 2003 in favour of the revived Price Is Right (Burgo’s Catch Phrase went to 5:30 in October 1998 following the cancellation of The Price Is Right, having seen off “Concentration” and “Hot Streak” in the 5pm timeslot, Nine was confident “Burgo’s Catch Phrase” could do very well against the Wheel, and it did until Nine pulled it in favour of the new show called “Pass The Buck” in 2002 which was cancelled after 8 weeks).

[@syc9675]

Since Rob Elliott left Wheel of Fortune and was replaced by Steve Oemcke, the show went downhill. I didn’t liked Him as host of the show - he was terrible.

[@theds2003]

I thought Steve did a great job at hosting the show

[@planetX15]

I still preferred Rob

[@elsalvador1980]

LUNCHaBRACK

[@user-hj3ys2ty1u]

성인푸로

[@TheTvGuru3]

Steve Oemcke was a joke....

[@chrismantzioris9501]

Host is the worst ever!,,!!!!!!!! Where the find him omg

[@thefonzkiss]

Host is useless, keeps flubbing stuff.