Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy! abandon standard-definition (SD) broadcasting and become the first syndicated programs, as well as two of the first game shows, to transition to high-definition television (HDTV). The various HD improvements for the two shows represent a combined investment of approximately $4,000,000 plus 5,000 hours of labor and six miles of cable. Whereas on HD broadcasts, the shows are now displayed with an aspect ratio of 16:9, on SD broadcasts, they continue to be displayed with an aspect ratio of 4:3.
The animated intros seen throughout most of Season 23 are retired. The opening for this season features a golden two-row logo on a graphic of the Wheel, starting with a gold "center" dropping into the Wheel graphic, which contains a purple $500 in place of $550, a light purple $400 in place of $450, a dark purple $800 in place of $350, and a red $600 in place of $800. For the season premiere week (and its sixth show taping), there is a flashback clip during Charlie's "Ladies and gentlemen..." announcement.
"Happy Wheels" is given a new re-orchestration by Frankie Blue. The opening and closing music beds are changed accordingly; this season's opening music is used only for this season. The new closing music bed lacks the sample of the 1997 "Changing Keys". Additionally, the theme finishes playing when the credits do; previously, the credits sequences ended mid-theme. The new theme has more saxophones and trumpets and less electric guitar. And from this season continuing into the present, there is no timpani roll playing over the chant. For this season only, the introductory fanfare is altered to a jazz arrangement with trumpets and a bass guitar.
Karen Griffith and Steve Schwartz became supervising producers.
A "Presented in SONY HD" bug is added at the start of the program, in which the "Presented in" is displayed to look like the puzzle board, with the letters turning into view. Between the second week of the season and the end of season 25, the bug reads "Presented in Wheel of Fortune HD", with a gold two-row logo.
Certain areas of the studio are upgraded to accommodate for the transition to HD: the staging area is extended to allow for a wider view of the set, with approximately 60 seats removed from the audience area in the process; the control room is rebuilt to support the new HD content; and the post-production facility is upgraded with new hardware and software to allow editing of the new HD video.
The Wheel is also altered significantly to accommodate for the transition to HD:
The wedges now have sparkly outlines around the digits and lettering, instead of just solid white outlines.
The previous color scheme, used since Season 14, is altered in favor of a new scheme: the orange $900 becomes pink; the orange-yellow $300 becomes red; and the orange-yellow $500, red $600, and the pink $300 between $400 and Lose a Turn become blue. In addition, all of the green wedges are brightened. This is the first time that no wedges on the Wheel have been orange-yellow, the first use of blue since Season 14, and the first time that blue and green have been used simultaneously.
$2,500, $3,500 and $5,000 are given outlines and shadows on the numbers, and their colors are brightened.
The numbers on the reverse side of the $10,000 Wedge are now given shadows and outlines.
The lettering on the Free Spin token is now given a shadow, and "SPIN" is also given a sparkly outline.
The Mystery Wedges are given outlines, shadows, and sparkles as well, and their numbers are lightened.
After having been mismatched following the January 2003 redesign of the Wheel, both Bankrupt wedges are now identical again.
The Toss-Up wipe changes to Cosmos Bold, and reverts to "flipping" into place. This style is kept through Until the end of Season 26.
The Toss-Up and main puzzle-solve cues introduced in Season 20, as well as some of the original music cues for the Bonus Round, are changed to the versions used through January 2017, written by Frankie Blue.
The new main puzzle-solve cue is a whole-step higher than the previous one; additionally, the final note is not extended, as was the case with the previous cue.
The Bonus Wheel spin music cue retains its original key and tempo, but it has a different piano melody accompanied by drums.
The Bonus Round win music is now a rock-based composition, similar in style to the opening theme introduced in Season 25; this version remains until shortly after the beginning of Season 27.
The Bonus Round lose music is a composition based on the opening version of the new theme. Previously the closing theme would play from the 0:12 mark after Bonus Round losses.
The Bonus Round prize description music is now a composition based on the new closing theme.
The logo bug in the bottom left-hand corner is changed from transparent to gold, and is only shown during the intro and shots of the board.
The graphic of the traditional logo that occasionally appears as a bug as the show breaks to commercial is changed from the design used since Season 17: the Wheel in the center and the previous yellow outline are excluded; the general color scheme is changed from starry blue to rainbow; and the letters are changed from white to gold, except for the "of", which is now written on a gold disc in the center.
The Round 1 prize plug begins and ends with a graphic of the Wheel dropping down from the top of the screen and briefly framing the trip graphics.
The Jackpot graphic is given a red border with the gold word "JACKPOT" on the thick top of the border, and the triangle is changed to a gold star. Additionally, the Jackpot display is updated to match the new graphic design, and the rectangle is changed back to gold-bordered red with gold text. Both the graphic and display have the "JACKPOT" name switched to Cosmos Bold, and the amount in the display is changed to Arial. In addition, there is a chiming sound effect when the graphic is revealed.
For the graphic of the Jackpot wedge positioning itself onto the Wheel, the wedge is updated to reflect the new design of the graphic used at the beginning of the round, as well as the new silver coloration of the wedge itself. Additionally, the shot of the Wheel is updated for the first time since Season 18.
Letters called on the Jackpot wedge are now worth $500 each, plus $500 toward the Jackpot, regardless of whether or not it is won.
The category strips are changed again, keeping the white-on-blue motif but adding a slight sunburst effect to the blue field; also, the font is changed to Cosmos. The Bonus Round category strip no longer has distinct ends, and it now reveals by sliding onto the screen (with the name already on the strip) while the letters RSTLNE move into place diagonally, one letter at a time.
"Bonus" categories no longer appear in Round 1 with one exception.
The "no more vowels" graphic changes to white curved text in Cosmos, with a rainbow background and an "exploding" sound.
Starting this season, the Culver City studio audience no longer reacts regularly to notable spins such as the top dollar value.
For the intro to the two sponsors after the first commercial break, "the following" is added after "brought to you by".
The Prize Puzzle and Final Spin graphic wipes are now those words written in gold text in Cosmos Bold, with the same multicolored wheel background used for the Round 1 prize plug.
The Prize Puzzle bug is changed to match the new Prize Puzzle graphic wipe's text, and the SPIN ID bug is altered to show a teal disc with a spinning aquamarine border; "Have Your SPIN ID Ready" becomes "Get Your SPIN ID Ready" (albeit only for this season), and "SPIN ID" is written in gold Helvetica Condensed text while the rest of the phrase is positioned on the spinning border, written in black Arial text.
The Wheel Watchers Club's logo is changed. In the new logo, the background Wheel graphic is removed; the word "Club", which had previously been light blue, is changed to gold to match the "WHEEL WATCHERS" text, is no longer underlined, and the original proprietary script font is retired in favor of Brush Script MT; and the "WHEEL WATCHERS" text, which had previously used the unofficial "SF Fortune Wheel" font, is switched to Bauhaus.
The first line of the SPIN ID reveal is changed to "Hey, Wheel Watchers Club members, if this is your SPIN ID number, [SPIN ID number], you're a winner." The SPIN ID reveal plug also gains a new background, in which yellow is removed from the list of possible color schemes, leaving only green, blue, and purple; the "mini-board" showing SPIN IDs has the font changed to Lucida Sans for both the "SPIN I.D." text and the ID itself, the coloration of the border changed from blue and pink to orange-yellow, and the color of the empty panel changed to bluish-teal; and the "PRIZE PUZZLE" bug and accompanying disclaimer are removed from the plug.
The background for the Sony Card graphic wipe after SPIN ID draws is changed from dark blue with a transparent Wheel to bright blue with outlined wedge shapes representing the Wheel.
After the first letter reveal in Round 3, a graphic now drops down from the top of the screen to show the contestants' names and scores at that point. The first graphic is a red-yellow-blue gradient with white text in Eras Bold. This graphic is sometimes used during Round 4 as well if it does not begin as a Speed-Up.
The Bonus Wheel animation is retired, replaced before the last commercial break with a $100,000 graphic.
The prize values and post-Bonus Round totals change to gold text in Cosmos, with rainbow backgrounds.
The number graphics for the Bonus Round envelope amounts are switched to Cosmos Bold, and become gold with rainbow backgrounds.
The Pat & Vanna talk backdrop is now purple with the show's logo at the top, and the starfield is now less pronounced.
The sponsor list, eligibility and editing disclaimers, Wheel Watchers Club rules summary, credits, and copyright notice are switched from Albertus MT (used since Season 18) to their current font, Eras Bold. Additionally, the position labels for all credits from Executive Producer to Associate Director are switched to uppercase, as is the "Created By" in Merv Griffin's credit; the names in the credits switch from white to light yellow, and the "All Rights Reserved" notice switches from white with mixed case to tan and uppercase.
As of this season with only one exception, Bonus Round wins no longer include slow-motion replays.
On early episodes of this season:
The video screen on the arch behind Pat features the same variant of the traditional logo seen during some commercial breaks, on a blue "starry sky" background similar to, but not the same as, that from Seasons 22-23. However, the screen is soon updated to the standard Season 24 main title design, and continues to be updated for each new season.
In the Bonus Round, RSTLNE and the contestant's letter choices are initially in Arial, but are soon switched to Cosmos Light.File:Season24$100,000Graphic.png
The "$100,000" graphic at the beginning of the Bonus Round is green like its previous version (albeit in a lighter shade of that color than it was previously), and has a gold fireworks background. However, this is soon changed to match the color scheme of the new Bonus Round envelope amount graphics.
The prize values flip into place and the post-Bonus Round totals spin into place, but soon these animations are changed so that both zoom in. When the animations are changed, the font changes to Cosmos Bold.
The Season 22 graphic of the spinning Wheel remains in use as a transition graphic for Prize Puzzle plugs on much of this season's episodes. By Season 25, this graphic is retired for good.
The transition to HD and all the aesthetic changes that come with it represent the most visual changes of any season in the nighttime show's history.
This season's category strips, Bonus Round letter graphics, Prize wedge transition effect, prize values and post-Bonus Round totals, Jackpot graphics, and Final Spin graphic wipe all carry over into Season 25. The retaining of the Season 24 category strips for Season 25 ends the tradition started in Season 18 of changing the maingame category strip design at the start of each season.
September 2006[]
For the first three weeks, the only Gift Tag present is the one on the green $700. The jackpot wedge from Season 23 was used.
September 11 is Fantastic Voyages.
On September 11:
On the Menu is renamed Food & Drink in Round 1.
The slide whistle does not sound when a contestant finds a Bankrupt on the reverse of a Mystery Wedge.
On September 13:
Contestant Amy is ruled correct on the $2,000 Toss-Up OPTICIAN despite adding "AN" to the answer.
Rounds 1 and 5 are played entirely by the contestants who began them.
The second-place contestant has $22,450.
Contestant Debbie solves the bonus puzzle WICHITA with only the T and A showing.
On September 14, Pat forgets to open the bonus envelope. He shows it in the final segment.
On September 15, contestant Matt solves the bonus puzzle FUEL GAUGE despite getting no help from his extra letters.
September 18 is TGIF. During this week, the Free Spin becomes noticeably larger.
On September 19, Round 5 and the Bonus Round are Place.
September 25 is Great Outdoors.
On September 26:
There is a promo for the Sony Pictures Animation movie Open Season, which is also part of the Round 1 prize, before the opening.
The bonus puzzle FICUS is the first five-letter one since October 21, 2005.
On September 27:
For the first time, a "decade" category (CLASSIC DISCO HIT ROCK THE BOAT in The 70s) is used as a Prize Puzzle.
Again, Round 5 and the Bonus Round are Place.
The bonus puzzle has a redundant "the" at the beginning (THE FAIRWAY).
On September 28:
Contestant Robin wins by $50.
The original bonus puzzle is thrown out after Robin calls her letters, apparently because it was realized that she did not spin the Bonus Wheel all the way around. The replacement puzzle, WAVE GOODBYE, is inexplicably categorized as Thing instead of Phrase.
Robin leaves with $8,150, which appears to be the lowest total since Prize Puzzles began occurring daily until April 2010.
October 2006[]
During the week of October 2 (Just for Fun):
The prize plug for one of the Mystery Rounds uses the Season 22 backdrop and prize value font, for unknown reasons.
The original-sized Free Spin is used.
The Gift Tag on the pink $300 returns.
On October 2:
The inner frame of the puzzle board is magenta.
Rounds 1 and 3 are played entirely by the person who began them.
The third- and second-place contestants have $17,300 and $20,000.
On October 3, no vowels are bought in Round 1.
On October 4:
The buzzer does not sound on an incorrect letter (T) in Round 1.
Rounds 2, 3, and 4 are played entirely by the person who began them.
Neither Bankrupt nor Lose a Turn is hit.
The third place contestant has $10,000.
On October 5:
When Charlie announces the Jackpot round, the graphic wipe turns black.
There is a $16,500 Jackpot win.
Contestant Zack's winning total is not shown after he loses the Bonus Round.
On October 6, the gift tag on the pink $300 is once again not used.
All five Bonus Rounds are lost on the week of October 2.
October 9 is Going to the Game.
On October 10:
There is an $8,200 Jackpot win.
There is a $100,000 loss.
On October 13, the right-letter ding is accidentally used on the only turn of the Speed-Up.
October 16 is Get Out of Town!
On October 16, the original-sized Free Spin once again is used.
On October 17, Food & Drink makes its first appearance in the Bonus Round. The contestant solves the puzzle HOT WINGS despite getting no help from their letters.
On October 18, Bankrupt is hit five times in Round 3, with the last three being consecutive. The Bankrupt Mystery Wedge is also hit, but it is not flipped.
On October 20, three females play for the first known time on a sixth show.
October 23 is College Week, sponsored by Capital One. During this week:
Despite being taped in Culver City, the episode still features college mascots.
The Mystery prize is a $10,000 Capital One credit card.
On October 23:
The audience seating is changed to blue.
Except for the week of November 20, the puzzle-solve cue now has a drumbeat at the beginning.
The Jackpot wedge changes to match the Jackpot graphic introduced at the beginning of the season.
The Prize is a trip to the Capital One Bowl in Orlando, Florida; the copy for this Prize ends with all of said mascots in front of the boaard, which displays that company's then-slogan of WHAT'S IN YOUR WALLET?
The Wild Card debuts on $700. For this week only, the Gift Tag formerly on that space moves back to the yellow $400.
For the remainder of Season 24, the Mystery Round again has an intro animation wipe, this time with "MYSTERY ROUND" in gold Cosmos text on a purple light background.
Excluding the week of October 30, the second Bankrupt is now removed if Round 4 begins as a Speed-Up.
Mike Zeller, then a chair member of the Pomona Valley branch of the Red Cross, appears during the closing chat to present Pat with an award honoring his donations to Hurricane Katrina relief funds.
October 24 begins a streak of eight consecutive Bonus Round losses, spread out over two weeks.
On October 27, Round 3 is the last appearance of Who Said It?
The weeks of October 30-November 13 are taped at the Nokia (now Verizon) Theater at Grand Prairie in Dallas, Texas. During these weeks, if a contestant wins the car in the Bonus Round, Pat gives them the keys before they go to the car.
October 30 is Best Friends Week.
On October 30, Pat forgets to take contestants Mark and Stacy's Wild Card after they land on Bankrupt during Round 2. This is corrected before the beginning of Round 3.
November 2006[]
On November 1, the yellow team's Wild Card disappears before the beginning of Round 3.
On November 2:
Pat forgets to take the yellow team's Wild Card after they land on Bankrupt during Round 3. This is corrected by the end of the round via editing.
The second-place team has $19,250.
Before the November 2 taping session, audience members are asked to "simulate reactions" for the pitchfilms to pilots of Combination Lock and a revival of The Joker's Wild, and the pitchfilm itself is shot after the November 3 taping session. Notably, the latter pilot uses the slot machine prop first seen on the Las Vegas episodes in February 2005. While planned for a Fall 2007 launch, neither show makes it to series.
During the week of November 6 (North Texas Week), the Mystery Round prize is a $13,210 Toyota Yaris.
On November 6, after contestant Scott wins a Cadillac CTS in the Bonus Round, the win is shot very differently than usual. His winning total is displayed at the top of the screen, and then again at the bottom a few seconds later; also, Charlie does not begin describing the car or announcing its value until the very end of the segment.
On November 7, the Wild Card is placed too low, exposing part of the dollar sign on the green $700. This is fixed in Round 2.
On November 8:
Nobody solves the $2,000 Toss-Up, STAR POWER.
A "decades" category appears for the last regular time until Season 30 (The 90s, in Round 3).
The bonus puzzle is JULY FOURTH, coincidentally the day this episode is rerun in 2007.
On November 9, two males play.
November 10 and 13 feature a very rare occurrence of Family appearing on two consecutive shows (JESSICA & ASHLEE SIMPSON on the 10th, OWEN & LUKE WILSON on the 13th). Interestingly, these are also this season's only two uses of that category.
November 13 is Family Week.
On November 13, the winning team loses the Bonus Round and misses the $100,000 by only one envelope.
On November 14, the bonus puzzle is a Phrase, but the category strip says Thing by mistake.
On November 15, the Wild Card is used in the Bonus Round for the first time; although the extra letter is not in the puzzle, it is solved. Interestingly, it is used in the Bonus Round again the next day.
On November 17, there is a $7,200 Jackpot win.
November 20 is Hawaii Week, taped in Culver City.
On November 20:
The opening is preceded by a clip of Vanna teaching a group of seals to do the title chant.
The Wild Card is placed too low, exposing part of the dollar sign on the green $700.
The Round 2 puzzle THE CROCODILE HUNTER (itself categorized as Show Biz instead of TV Title) is used as a Prize Puzzle for a trip to Australia. After the prize copy, Pat's recap of the scores and throw to commercial are replaced with a clip of him explaining that the episode was taped before the death of Steve Irwin on September 4.
The Wild Card is used in the main game for the first time; contestant Elizabeth uses it on $3,500 successfully in Round 3.
On November 21, no vowels are bought in Rounds 1 or 4.
On November 22, five consecutive wrong letters are called in the Speed-Up.
November 27 is International Flavor.
On November 27, contestant Todd uses the Free Spin after hitting Lose a Turn in Round 3 only to land on that wedge again.
On November 28, the $1,000 Toss-Up is Song Title, and Round 3 is TV Title.
On November 29, the bonus puzzle THE LONG JUMP is inexplicably categorized as Event instead of Fun & Games.
On November 30:
There is an $8,900 Jackpot win.
The second-place contestant has $25,100.
All five Bonus Rounds are lost on the week of November 27. This is part of a nine-loss streak spanning from November 22 to December 4.
December 2006[]
December 4 is the first Holiday Movie Magic week. During this week:
Vanna announces the Mystery prize as "Tonight's Mystery Round features glitzy, glamorous, star-studded cash—$10,000!" over footage of her at her Hollywood Walk of Fame star.
Except on Tuesday, the Prize copy is preceded by a trailer for a movie whose title also appears on the wedge: The Pursuit of Happyness on Monday, Rocky Balboa on Wednesday, The Holiday on Thursday, and Charlotte's Web on Friday.
On December 4:
The Prize is $5,000 cash courtesy of Columbia Pictures.
After contestant Suzanne hits Bankrupt in Round 3, contestant Rich begins to spin despite it not being his turn. Pat comments on this and then resets the Wheel so that contestant Edye can spin.
On December 5:
The $1,000 Toss-Up and Round 2 are Event.
There is a $100,000 win.
On December 6:
The Prize includes a DVD box set of the Rocky movies, which are seen sitting on the railing as Charlie announces them.
For the first time, the extra letter provided by the Wild Card is in the bonus puzzle.
On December 7, no vowels are bought in Round 2.
December 11 is Weekend in New England.
On December 11, for the first known time since February 2002, a "null" cycle is not edited out of a regular round (Round 2; an incorrect L, a Bankrupt from a contestant with no money or cardboard, and an incorrect N).
All five Bonus Rounds are lost on the week of December 11. This is part of a seven-loss streak spanning from the 8th to 18th.
December 18 is Route 66.
On December 18:
The prize is on the $400 next to $600 and the blue $300.
The "drop down" graphic in Round 3 changes to red, yellow, and blue rectangles with rounded tops.
On December 19, the second Bankrupt and Jackpot wedge are accidentally placed one wedge clockwise from their normal locations, putting them on the green $500 (where Jackpot should be) and orange $800, respectively.
On December 21:
There is an $11,200 Jackpot win.
During the closing segment, a cameraman shows the view from Pat's position at the Wheel.
On December 22:
Round 1 (OH GIVE ME A HOME WHERE THE BUFFALO ROAM) is categorized as Rhyme Time instead of Song Lyrics, likely due to the below.
Song Lyrics makes its second of only two known appearances in the Bonus Round.
The week of December 25 is Spirit of the Season, using the set from the previous season's Denver shows.
On December 25:
The King World closing logo introduced to the show on September 6, 1999 is replaced with the distributor's final logo. Changes from the 1999 logo are as follows: The backdrop changes color, from a golden sunset to sky blue; the clouds are gray instead of golden-brown; the "KING WORLD" text is now tilted up, is in a slightly brighter shade of blue, and gains a 3-D appearance with a silver trim; instead of scanning through the sky, the wordmark flies outward and settles itself in the center; the "DISTRIBUTED BY" byline is smaller and narrower than it was previously, and is now in italic text; and the booming thunderclap and musical backdrop are replaced by an ominous wind sound followed by another "rain" sound.
There are two holiday-related music cues written by Frankie Blue.
The copyright year now precedes the name of Califon Productions in the copyright notice. Previously, the year had followed the name.
On December 26, there is a $9,000 Jackpot win.
On December 27:
The Wheel Prize is a $5,000 gift card for The Home Depot.
The second-place contestant has $25,850.
January 2007[]
January 1 is Las Vegas Week. During this week, the slot machine video wall from the 2005 Las Vegas shows is used.
On January 3:
The second-place contestant has $28,750.
The original bonus puzzle is thrown out due to some sort of error in revealing the letters. Strangely, the Bonus Wheel spin is also reshot with a dummy envelope in place, but the contestant still plays for the prize that was picked on the original spin. While the puzzle reveals, the 2003 Bonus Round Reveal cue played longer. This also could be the reason why pat was fanning the envelope while Vanna reveals the puzzle.
On January 4:
There is a $7,350 Jackpot win.
Vocal group Il Divo reads the Prize copy while promoting their new album Siempre. During the closing segment, they perform in front of the puzzle board which reads "IL DIVO" on the top row. Everyone in the audience receives a copy of Siempre.
January 8 is The Good Life.
On January 8, six rounds are played.
January 9 is the sixth episode from College Week.
One episode from the week of January 15 inexplicably has the year follow the Califon Productions name in the copyright notice.
January 15 is AA Vacations.
On January 18, two males play.
On January 19, contestant Andy uses the Wild Card on $400, the lowest known value for such use.
For the week of January 22 (European Landmarks), and its sixth episode, all episodes (which follow the two females/one male contestant rule) have male winners.
On January 22, nobody solves the $2,000 Toss-Up, SPAM FILTER.
On January 24, contestant Anasa loses $29,950 to Bankrupt.
On January 25, contestant Tim has his fiancée Morgan spin the Wheel for him.
On January 26, six rounds are played.
January 29 is Teen Best Friends Week.
On January 29, one team's Wild Card is not taken away after they hit Bankrupt. The mistake is never realized, and they even go to the Bonus Round with it, but do not solve the bonus puzzle.
On January 30, there is a rare instance of a team losing their turn with only vowels remaining. With only the O's missing from the Round 2 Prize Puzzle ALL-YOU-CAN-EAT TACO BAR, the red team gives an incorrect answer. Against precedent at the time, the buzzer sounds.
On January 31:
There is a $14,150 Jackpot win.
The yellow team Jacob & Gonzo win by $50, and the second place team has $26,150.
February 2007[]
On February 1, Round 4 (RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS) is inexplicably categorized as Show Biz instead of either Rock On! or Proper Name.
The weeks of February 5-19 are taped at the Charleston Area Convention Center in Charleston, South Carolina.
On February 5: (Taped in January 12, 2007)
Two males play.
More of Steve Kaplan's compositions are retired in favor of new ones written by Frankie Blue:
The 1997 arrangement of Maximum Drive was replaced with a rock-based theme which was reused in both seasons 29 and 31.
Kaplan's Toss-Up think music from Season 20 is replaced with a new one in a lower key, and the "ticking" percussion beats are more audible.
The Final Spin cue changes from the synthesized sound used since Season 20 to a piano cue.
The first Speed-Up Round think music, used since Season 18, is replaced by a piano/guitar music cue.
The Bonus Wheel Card sound effect, carried over from the W-H-E-E-L envelope era, is changed.
The Bonus Round music cues introduced in Seasons 19-20 are also changed, and the timer countdown music is changed from a "beeping timer" cue (used since both season 7 and season 18) to a "ticking" music cue.
Except for the speed-up cue, all these music cues are kept in use until December 30, 2016.
On February 7:
The third-place contestant has $15,800. The combined pre-Bonus Round total of $92,900 is likely the highest pre-Bonus Round cumulative total in the show's history up to this point.
Contestant Becka ties the one-round record of $54,000 in the Speed-Up. She has $61,000 before the Bonus Round.
Becka exceeds $100,000 without hitting that amount: she wins a Winnebago in the Bonus Round, leaving with $128,177. This is also likely the highest total for a contestant who does not win the $100,000 since the introduction of the Bonus Wheel.
On February 8, Best Seller is used for the last time until April 22, 2011.
February 12 is the second and final Country Music Stars Week. During this week:
The stars are Eddie Montgomery, Steve Azar, and Trisha Yearwood on Monday; Dean Sams, Julie Roberts, and Troy Gentry on Tuesday; Richie McDonald, Josh Gracin, and Wynonna Judd on Wednesday; Michael Britt, Lorrie Morgan, and Mark Wills on Thursday; and Keech Rainwater, Terri Clark, and Trent Tomlinson on Friday.
The Wheel Prize is a $6,000 trip to the Academy of Country Music awards ceremony in Nashville.
On February 12, Trisha Yearwood's and Eddie Montgomery's nametags use a thinner font than usual, and the lettering is not centered. (Taped in January 13, 2007)
On February 13, there is a $100,000 win.
During the week of February 19 (Vanna Comes Home), the Mystery Round prize is a $13,924 Nissan Versa. This is the last time that the Mystery prize is anything other than cash. (Taped in January 14, 2007)
On February 20:
The $1,000 Toss-Up and Round 1 are Thing.
A contestant wins by $50.
On February 23:
Contestant Keisha calls the last consonant on a Mystery Wedge. She flips it and finds a Bankrupt on the reverse, and the "only vowels left" beeps do not sound.
Round 4 (WHERE THE HEART IS) is inexplicably categorized as Phrase instead of Title.
There is a $100,000 loss.
Between February 26, 2007 and September 26, 2011 (excluding the week of April 11, 2011), cars are available solely through the Bonus Round.
February 26 is Chill Out!
On February 27, nobody solves the $1,000 Toss-Up FROM SOUP TO NUTS.
March 2007[]
March 5 is South Seas.
On March 5, a contestant accidentally calls an M after buying a vowel, but before spinning again. He is then told to spin again and credited with the M, which is not in the puzzle.
On March 7, the $3,000 Toss-Up, MUNCHKINLAND, is the second known instance of Fictional Place being used in a Toss-Up.
March 12 is Far East Adventures.
On March 14, six rounds are played.
March 19 is Take the Money and Run.
On March 22:
An unknown round with the answer HE SAID SHE SAID (possibly Round 5) is replaced due to a contestant saying HE SAYS SHE SAYS and being credited with a correct response. According to the player who gave this erroneous answer, all three contestants are given a $100 bonus.
Six rounds are played.
March 26 is Spring Break.
On March 27, employees from Cold Stone Creamery (who sponsor the Gift Tag) appear during the closing segment and make ice cream treats for Pat and Vanna. Also, everyone in the audience receives a Cold Stone Creamery gift card.
On March 28, a contestant lands on $3,500 in Round 2, buys a vowel, and then uses the Wild Card successfully.
On March 29, six rounds are played.
April 2007[]
April 2 is Fantasy Islands.
On April 5, there is a $100,000 loss.
On April 6:
Three females play. This does not happen again until March 21, 2011.
Six rounds are played.
All five Bonus Rounds are lost on the week of April 9, part of a nine-day losing streak through the 19th.
April 9 is R&R.
The April 9 sixth show taping is of Spirit of the Season, despite the Christmas Decorations being removed. This is the first time that a sixth show taping has set alterations between the full set week and the sixth show taping, and the first sixth show taping of a holiday-themed week. A contestant's winning total wasn't shown.
On April 10, it is the sixth show taping of Route 66.
On April 11:
Primarily due to the sixth show taping of Las Vegas, a gigantic slot machine was used.
Nobody solves the $3,000 Toss-Up, SKYWRITING.
Pat gives the winning contestant a Wheel of Fortune lunchbox before the Bonus Round.
On April 12, it is the sixth show taping of South Seas, which has huts and surf boards.
On April 13, as it is sixth show taping of AA Vacations, the border on the puzzle board is pink.
April 16 is Fun In The Sun.
On April 16:
Same Name (in Round 3) spells out AND.
The second-place contestant has $20,140.
On April 20, there is an $8,200 Jackpot win.
April 23 is Choose Your Own Vacation, where the Prize wedge offers the contestant a choice of four different trips.
On April 23:
Two males play.
A gold "$50,000 Cash" graphic is added to the Sony Card announcement after SPIN ID draws.
On April 24, contestant Ryan solves the bonus puzzle BACKSPLASH (In the Kitchen) then asks Pat what a backsplash is.
On April 26, a contestant solves the bonus puzzle LUCKY YOU with only the L and O showing.
All five Bonus Rounds are won on the week of April 23. This does not happen again until the week of March 7, 2011.
The weeks of April 30-May 14 are taped at the San Diego Convention Center.
April 30 is the last Mom & Me Week, even though Mother's Day is May 13.
On April 30:
There is a $9,500 Jackpot win.
The third- and second-place contestants have $14,500 and $19,600, respectively.
May 2007[]
May 7 is Sunny San Diego Week.
On May 7, the third-place contestant has $13,950.
May 14 is Armed Forces Week.
On May 14, the second-place contestant has $21,050.
May 21 is Broadway Week.
All five Bonus Rounds are lost on the week of May 21. This is part of an eight-loss streak spread over three weeks.
On May 25, Round 1 is the first appearance of Star & Role since May 29, 2006.
May 28 is Teachers Week.
Between May 22 and 28, five bonus puzzles in a row are Thing(s).
On May 29:
Nobody solves the $2,000 Toss-Up, PONDEROSA PINES. and brian williams appears after this toss up
There is a $6,900 Jackpot win.
A contestant solves the $3,000 Toss-Up THE TAJ MAHAL with only the J revealed.
On May 30, there is a $100,000 win.
June 2007[]
June 4 is I Need A Vacation!
On June 4, part of the 2002 Toss-Up cue was heard.
On June 6, the camera zoomed away from the bonus wheel.
On June 7:
There is a $6,850 Jackpot win.
The second-place contestant has $19,750.
On June 8, contestant Dave imitates Charlie's standard shopping-era disclaimer: "The prices of the prizes have been furnished to the contestants prior to the show and have been rounded off to the nearest dollar; gift certificates do not include sales tax."
Post-Season[]
Merv Griffin dies on August 12. At the end of the closest rerun to his death, the credits are interrupted by a flashback clip of Merv recounting the show's creation on the ceremonial 3,000th episode. After that, a black background appears with white text reading "In Loving Memory: MERV GRIFFIN" in Albertus MT, before the copyright notice and distribution/production company tags.
King World Productions is shut down on August 20. As a result, starting the following September, Wheel of Fortune, Jeopardy!, and any other shows previously distributed by King World Productions are now distributed by CBS Television Distribution.
