Wheel of Fortune - Behind the Scenes (1986)

In October of 1986, KSDK sent me to Los Angeles for a week to hang out with the gang from Wheel of Fortune. At the time the show was being watched by over 42 million Americans a day and was the biggest thing in all of television. Here are the first three parts of a five-part series that featured, at the time, unprecedented behind-the-scenes footage with Pat and Vanna!

[@KDJW5]

Jack Clark has a smooth voice for many game shows. He was the best! - David

[@iamjohnporter67]

Wheel of fortune really has changed a lot of over the years.

[@erikpridemore3174]

The puzzle board is now different on Wheel of Fortune, as it has computer electronic monitors rather than manually operated trilons. And the roulette-style wheel did get a modification as the "Free Spin wedge" is now a "Free Play wedge," and the Wild card and One Million Dollar wedge is now on the wheel, as well as 2 1/2 Car tags 2 "mystery wedges" a featured prize and a Gift tag.

[@georgemaster9952]

Ah,when NBC Studios reigned supreme!

[@contessalouannec8064]

Wheel Of Fortune is my FAVORITE game show. I want to be a contestant on that show. They've had some celebrations recently, from the 40th season in syndication to Pat's retirement to new host Ryan Seacrest, AND coming January 6, 2025, the 50th anniversary of the show!

[@davidogara1334]

4:13 Focusing on the “Shopper’s Bizarre” pilot

[@dannydougin3925]

Rest in Peace Dick Ford.

[@StrangerCoug]

Re: 5:18, not only am I one of them, I learned how to read from watching Wheel!

[@REDXY727]

You can tell that Pat and Vanna's voices have changed

[@zachhoran]

The daytime WHeel from 9/15/86-9/16/88 had a Jackpot space in round three. A player had to land on the space and then solve the puzzle without hitting any Bankrupts in that round. It was a cash jackpot that started at $1K and went up $1K a day until won, getting to $21K and $22K on two different occasions.

[@cecehempstead1226]

4:30 "I don't care who you are, what you do for a living or how much money you make. You have dreamt of standing here and doing this." (wheel spinning)

[@alexanderpytko5394]

At 7:48, The stand in enters, the curtains lower and he says,"Welcome our hostess, coming through the curtains, Peggy Lavelle." I remember that from when I was little, Pat would enter just as the curtains would lower(used to wonder if the curtains would lower on to him before he got to the wheel), he'd announce Vanna and she'd enter through the curtains. When the show started in the 70's, the curtains were used conceal the prizes during the game and for the hostess to come through. But as time went by, they were just being used to for the hostess to make her entrance and then you'd never see them again for the rest of the show. So by 1988, they decided to get rid of the curtains because they weren't serving much of a purpose. Besides by then, curtains on gameshow sets were getting pretty much out of date.

[@Angie2343]

Peggy and Gary could make great fill-ins for Pat and Vanna if they get sick.

[@alexanderpytko5394]

@@Angie2343 Well, when Pat had to be out for a while after having emergency surgery, Vanna stepped in to be the host and she did well, I thought. As for the puzzle board, since they were going to Disneyland for 2 weeks, Mickey and Minnie both worked the puzzle board. It was good publicity for both the show and Disneyland. Then for 1 week, Pat's daughter Maggie worked the puzzle board and she did very good. Maybe she should take over when Vanna finally decides to retire. If Pat were to get sick again, they could do what they did before with Vanna and Maggie. If Vanna gets sick, they could just have Maggie come back. Pat's son, Patrick will never work on the show because he's a doctor and he also tries to stay out of the spotlight as much as possible. In the mid 80's Vanna was out for 2 weeks because she was attending the funeral of her boyfriend. So they asked former hostess Susan Stafford to come back to fill in and she did as she was the only other one who had worked the puzzle board on the show. Susan left show business to become a humanitarian but she was happy to come back and fill in for Vanna.

[@Angie2343]

@@alexanderpytko5394 Ah

[@GameShowFan6]

@StrangerCoug Announcer Charlie passed away.

[@imal25]

The 40th Anniversary Broadcast Is Coming Up This Could Be Madhouse To Remember.

[@ClassicTVMan1981X]

@DBradshaw25 His family name was originally "Sajdak" but then dropped the "d" to avoid trouble.

[@Angie2343]

Vanna has such great balance when they move the puzzleboard off camera.

[@dannydougin3925]

Um... there is a handle to hold on to.

[@Angie2343]

@@dannydougin3925 Where?

[@matt_gachaandgaming]

I was one of those kids who learned the alphabet from this show, I would go to the tv and point to the letters Im a teenager now, but I still love the game (I've played video game versions since I was 3

[@TenPoundHammer]

I love the zoom they do on Dick Ford.

[@germanname1990]

They spelled Pat's last name wrong, but I got some very nice shots of that audition wheel this time. They also showed some very dramatic shots of the daytime wheel too.

[@marycanary]

I’m pretty good at playing along with the contestants when I’m watching this game on tv but I don’t think i would do nearly as well if I was doing it for real.

[@mbrooks415]

The phone number for potential contestants to call was--as recently as several years ago--owned by a Southern California luxury car company. Their name? Wheel of Fortune, of course.

[@johnhasaguitar]

Well.. I'm going to call that number right now

[@djcchs2004]

Maybe it Pat who put money in the pumpkin at 7:43, because at 0:42, he like to make a joke LOL. Anyway, good footage of it, especially people who move the puzzleboard.

[@jimmyboyzable]

I'm probably one of VERY few PPL that actually preferred the then-Daytime WOF over the Nighttime one. Yeah, sure the prizes on the nighttime WOF were more lavish-like (Porsches, Corvettes), Vanna's outfits were more glamorous, more money (starting in 1987). But for me and if I were old enough to try out back then, I would want to shoot for the daytime version rather than nighttime. The Daytime WOF had returning champions while the nighttime one did not (until season 7), if I were a contestant and won the main game, whether or not I win the Bonus Round, I'd want to play again and yeah, a Corvette or a Porsche or any other lavish-like prize sounds nice but WAY too fancy for someone like me....

[@leafaletti]

back then Vanna's wardrobe came from Cache. I know because most of mine came from there. I can spot a Cache outfit a mile away.

[@cashed-out2192]

no one can compete against TPIR, not even WOF.

[@tpir1972]

There's a jackpot wedge in front of player 3.look @6:16

[@tvpirate05]

@narnia0100 That looks like either a stage manager or floor director.

[@DBradshaw25]

@germanname1990 I saw they spelled Pat's last name wrong! Embarrassing!

[@rrshy88]

Yep!! Sounds like a lack of experience in whoever put this together. That would be easily verifiable.

[@32rodrick]

More Like Videotaped at Warner Brothers Studios Burbank, California

[@jeromebaxter2987]

8:38

[@rrshy88]

Dumb producer misspelled Pat's last name!!!!

[@narnia0100]

At 6:54, what is that guy next to the camera called? Thanks :)

[@2005dave]

narnia0100 specifically it's Dency Nelson, who did this show for years but is legendary in Hollywood as the longtime (now retired) lead stage manager for the Academy Awards.

[@DBR00]

He’s the stage manager. The director up in the booth usually talks to him/her and give information such as how much time is remaining, when to go to commercials, etc. The stage manager then will use signals to the host letting him know what do do next.

[@josephd15]

23? She looks 33