wheeloffortune/Twitter
Wheel of Fortune is going through some significant changes! In addition to renewing contracts with Pat Sajak and Vanna White and changing the show’s format, Pat’s daughter Maggie also joined the show! Read on to find out more…
A Family Affair
wheeloffortune/Twitter
That’s right! One of America’s favorite game shows, Wheel of Fortune, will become a family affair when Maggie Sajak, Pat Sajak’s daughter, will join the team as its “social correspondent.” Most of the time, she’ll appear on social media for all of Wheel of Fortune’s digital channels, including the official website, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok. Maggie will also shoot backstage videos on the set, interview members of the show crew, and respond to internet user’s comments and suggestions. She’s already started producing online content, giving a tour of her father’s dressing room a couple of weeks ago. “I promised a dressing room tour, and here it is! Check it out!!” Maggie captioned the post on Twitter.
Sony Television also announced that Wheel of Fortune, will return with a modernized arrangement of its famous theme song, “Changing Keys.” That’s not the only changes coming to Wheel of Fortune, however…
Changes To Wheel of Fortune
wheeloffortune/Twitter
While Maggie Sajak is a newcomer to the Wheel of Fortune family, don’t worry, the original hosts are going nowhere! Just last week, Sony Television sealed new deals with both Pat Sajak and Vanna White to keep them on the show for years to come. In addition to working as a host, Pat will also start working as a consulting producer on the show, in addition to hosting.
Still, some changes are coming to Wheel of Fortune. Most notably, Pat will no longer spin the “Final Spin” of each episode. Instead, the contestant will take control of the wheel. Why? Well, Pat has the answer! “If you think about it, by doing the “final spin,” I, as host, had an impact on the outcome of the game and that has always bothered me because it just didn’t feel right,” Pat said of the new rules. “With this change, only the contestants determine the outcome of the game and the host does not impose themself in any way.”
Some of the prices will change in the new season, Season 39. For instance, the “Free Play” wedge has been removed and replaced by an $850 wedge. Meanwhile, Sony also added a $4,000 bonus to any contestant who can solve all the puzzles in the Triple Toss-Up Round. Finally, they changed the minimum amount to win on the Bonus Wheel to $39,000, in honor of the show’s 39th season.
“Can you believe this is Season 39? It’s incredible,” Sajak said at the beginning of the first episode. “You’ll notice some changes in the studio. I thought I caught a glimpse of tat Thornton guy on the way out. A few little tweaks in the game, but it’s still Wheel of Fortune. We’re gonna have a great time.”
