Wheel of Fortune

Wheel of Fortune is an American television game show created by Merv Griffin. It was originally hosted by Chuck Woolery when it debuted on NBC on January 6, 1975, but is currently hosted in first-run syndication by long-running Pat Sajak (who debuted as host on the NBC version in 1981 and has hosted the syndicated version since its debut on September 19, 1983). Vanna White shows the letters on the puzzle board.

The show is based on the children's game Hangman. Three players are given puzzles over several rounds which consists of a phrase, proper name, or other such categories. Contestants spin a wheel in which they will either land on an a money amount, a Bankrupt wedge, a Lose a Turn wedge, prize card, or additions added for special episodes such as a Million Dollar wedge. If a player lands on a money amount, they guess a consonant that will appear in the puzzle. If correct, they will add that amount times the number of times that letter appears to their bank. The player gets another turn. If they guess incorrectly, they end their turn, and play goes to the next player. If they are bankrupted, they lose their money (money won from previous rounds is unaffected) and their cardboard items (the Wild Card, the Million Dollar wedge, prize wedges, and 1/2 Car plates), and play passes over. Vowels are bought for $250, no matter how many of those vowels appear. The player who solves the puzzle wins their money banked for that round (but for not less than the house minimum of $1,000). The player who wins the most over all rounds wins the game and gets to play the bonus round for up to $100,000 (or $1,000,000 if the Million Dollar wedge is brought to the bonus round) where a prize is spun on a mini wheel and get a puzzle where ten letters are supplied: the letters R, S, T, L, N, and E are automatic, and four letters are picked by the player (three consonants and a vowel) after those are revealed (a bonus wild card, if won by the player, allows for one additional letter). (Originally the player picked six letters, the ones shown above were nearly always the ones chosen, and therefore the format was changed.)

Several video games on consoles, PC, and online have been developed based on the show, by such developers as Rare, GameTek, and THQ.