Questions 1–10

1. Q 01What was the 1980s craze for Wheel of Fortune's Vanna White called?

   • AVanna Fever
   • BVannamania
   • CThe Vanna Effect
   • DWhite Heat
   Show answer

   Vannamania

   The brine

   Vannamania swept the country in the mid-1980s, turning a co-host with almost no lines into a star with endorsement deals and her own doll.

2. Q 02What job was Pat Sajak working when he was hired to host Wheel of Fortune?

   • ATV weather forecaster
   • BOvernight radio disc jockey
   • CLocal TV sportscaster
   • DNewspaper columnist
   Show answer

   TV weather forecaster

   The brine

   A TV weather forecaster at KNBC in Los Angeles, Sajak seemed "too local" to NBC chief Fred Silverman, Merv Griffin later wrote, until Griffin threatened to halt production.

3. Q 03The original Wheel of Fortune puzzle board was built from three-sided rotating pieces known as what?

   • ATrigons
   • BTumblers
   • CPrisms
   • DTrilons
   Show answer

   Trilons

   The brine

   Trilons had a green side for unused spaces, a blank side to hide a letter and a lettered side, so each one was turned by hand to show its letter.

4. Q 04Guinness recognised Pat Sajak in 2019 for which record?

   • AMost game shows hosted
   • BLongest run hosting one show
   • CMost prize money awarded
   • DLongest taping streak
   Show answer

   Longest run hosting one show

   The brine

   Longest run hosting one show: Guinness counted 35 years 198 days on the nighttime version alone, which left out the daytime shows he had fronted since 1981.

5. Q 05Who was Wheel of Fortune's first and longest-tenured announcer?

   • AJack Clark
   • BM.G. Kelly
   • CCharlie O'Donnell
   • DJohnny Gilbert
   Show answer

   Charlie O'Donnell

   The brine

   Charlie O'Donnell left in 1980 for another show when NBC looked set to cancel Wheel, saw the network change its mind days later, then came back and stayed until his death in 2010.

6. Q 06Vanna White, famous for a job with almost no lines, gave her 1987 autobiography which title?

   • AVanna Speaks
   • BLetter Perfect
   • CThe Silent Partner
   • DVanna's Turn
   Show answer

   Vanna Speaks

   The brine

   Vanna Speaks became a national bestseller, out in 1987 when the co-host viewers rarely heard talk was also in demand to endorse products.

7. Q 07Who began hosting the syndicated nighttime version of Wheel of Fortune starting in September 2024?

   • ACarson Daly
   • BRyan Seacrest
   • CSteve Harvey
   • DJimmy Fallon
   Show answer

   Ryan Seacrest

   The brine

   Ryan Seacrest confirmed the job in June 2023, about two weeks after Pat Sajak said the coming season would be his last, and Vanna White signed on to stay beside him.

8. Q 08Which actress won the top prize on Celebrity Wheel of Fortune on October 17, 2021?

   • ATiffani Thiessen
   • BMelissa Joan Hart
   • CSarah Michelle Gellar
   • DAlyssa Milano
   Show answer

   Melissa Joan Hart

   The brine

   Melissa Joan Hart was the first Celebrity Wheel of Fortune player to win the top prize, solving the bonus puzzle in the episode aired October 17, 2021; her winnings went to charity.

9. Q 09What was the original title of the 1973 pilot for Wheel of Fortune?

   • ABargain Wheel
   • BSpend and Spin
   • CThe Big Showcase
   • DShopper's Bazaar
   Show answer

   Shopper's Bazaar

   The brine

   Shopper's Bazaar, the 1973 pilot, was reworked through two more pilots that took the name Wheel of Fortune before NBC put the show on the air.

10. Q 10After a 1997 upgrade, Vanna White began revealing Wheel of Fortune's letters with what?

    • AA hand lever
    • BA remote control
    • CA touch screen
    • DA foot pedal
    Show answer

    A touch screen

    The brine

    A touch screen: the 1997 board swapped hand-turned blocks for 52 touch-sensitive monitors, so the famous letter-turner has not turned a letter since.