Wheel of Fortune Season 40 (and Celebrity S3) Discussion Thread

[mechamind]

Goodbye, Season 39! Hello, Season 40! (And Celebrity Wheel Season 3!) This is a discussion thread on Wheel of Fortune for 2022-23, which will begin on September 12th.

Updates are being shared on Buy A Vowel, while confirmed changes are also being posted at the top of the Season 40 Timeline on the Wheel History Wiki. Changes on the show include:

• Bellamie Blackstone is now the producer for the show.
• Studio audiences are returning (though not all weeks will have them).
• The puzzle board is confirmed to be one big contiguous screen.
• And of course, a Bonus Round cash prize minimum of $40,000.

What do you want to see this season? What do you think will happen this season? Are you feeling good about Bellamie as the producer?

[SeaBreeze341]

Goodbye, Season 39! Hello, Season 40! (And Celebrity Wheel Season 3!) This is a discussion thread on Wheel of Fortune for 2022-23, which will begin on September 12th.


What do you want to see this season? What do you think will happen this season? Are you feeling good about Bellamie as the producer?

More winning, or more winners.  To be more specific, at least 8 $100,000 winners.  To be more wishful, 2 (or more) $1,000,000 winners.

That aside, I don't know if it'll happen, but if it doesn't, it's not a big deal.  I think a season where everyone's having a great time is enough for me.  Even if it's not top dollar wins, someone winning the bonus round and/or dominating/performing very well in the main game is fair enough.  Doesn't need to be the top cash prize to label a show as successful & fun.

As for the new board, I hardly think I'm going to spend one second being upset over it.  I respect the art of change (except when it's just for the sake of change, but the new board is not a big deal TBH)

[PatrickRox80]

I don’t mind that there aren’t too many major rule changes, as long as there are sone cosmetic ones. For one thing, it’s about time the puzzle board got an overhaul. The display hasn’t been changed since 1997 for crying out loud.

As far as the game itself, as long as we see some good game play I won’t mind. I just hope they’re careful enough to avoid a repeat of the CHOOSING THE RIGHT WORD fiasco.

[Richie]

We started early huh?   Oh well.   

I am definitely excited for season 40.   I gotta wonder what kinds of puzzle writing we are gonna have this season.

I also wonder if they updated the wheel amounts too.   We are overdue for it!   

[pannoni1]

My changes I'd like to see:

*The 2000s, 2010s, and 2020s categories
*Movie and song title/artists that are not oldies (there was a puzzle in September 2001 that was about Shrek, so they need to do their homework and look up current/recurrent cultural trends)
*Fewer $500/$600 spaces, and the $750, $1500, or $2000 spaces. Comparing the Wheel values to the 1990s, it feels quite cheap adjusted for inflation, especially for Rounds 3+
*The return of Free Spin, the Surprise wedge, or bonus puzzles
*Prize puzzles with more destinations outside of central America (including Mexico and the Caribbean)
*No tossup before the contestant interviews. It's only for $1000 and doesn't affect who starts the game.
*A second, more expensive car as one of the Bonus prizes. Yes, it would be rarer than the cheaper car in the $25,000-$40,000 range, but it could allow some really nice cars/SUVs that were common in the late '80s and '90s back on the show again. A Ford F-150 is now too expensive for the show's budget it seems, and subcompact SUVs are starting to become the norm in Bonus Land

[Richie]

My changes I'd like to see:

*The 2000s, 2010s, and 2020s categories
*Movie and song title/artists that are not oldies (there was a puzzle in September 2001 that was about Shrek, so they need to do their homework and look up current/recurrent cultural trends)
*Fewer $500/$600 spaces, and the $750, $1500, or $2000 spaces. Comparing the Wheel values to the 1990s, it feels quite cheap adjusted for inflation, especially for Rounds 3+
*The return of Free Spin, the Surprise wedge, or bonus puzzles
*Prize puzzles with more destinations outside of central America (including Mexico and the Caribbean)
*No tossup before the contestant interviews. It's only for $1000 and doesn't affect who starts the game.
*A second, more expensive car as one of the Bonus prizes. Yes, it would be rarer than the cheaper car in the $25,000-$40,000 range, but it could allow some really nice cars/SUVs that were common in the late '80s and '90s back on the show again. A Ford F-150 is now too expensive for the show's budget it seems, and subcompact SUVs are starting to become the norm in Bonus Land

I would love to see the $750 return.   Heck a $1500 space in round 3 and a $2000 space in round 4 would also help too!

[PriceFan07]

I’m really excited to see the new board, my only concern is whether they’ll maintain the board shape (the extra letters that extend 1 spot further on rows 2 and 3). A full-on rectangle seems like it’d be pretty bland.

[blozier2006]

I’m really excited to see the new board, my only concern is whether they’ll maintain the board shape (the extra letters that extend 1 spot further on rows 2 and 3). A full-on rectangle seems like it’d be pretty bland.

A full-on rectangle is exactly what we had for 99.9% of the Chuck Woolery era (the four-line board debuted in his final week of shows), so it wouldn't be entirely unprecedented.

[therealcu2010]

The puzzleboard, save for the seamless monitor, is identical to what it was.

[wheelfan1991]

Here's a screenshot from Maggie Sajak's recent social media reel:

[CJBojangles]

I know it looks exactly the same (albeit with a slightly smaller font), but I’m hoping since we’ve also seen shots of the board displaying the logo that we’ll at least get some fun graphical transitions for puzzle reveals and such.

[LoveYaDennisJames]

In honor of the 40th nighttime season, I'd like one of the puzzles to be a "proper names" category with the solution being JACK CLARK & CHARLIE O'DONNELL

[jude_este]

Some Season 40 press I am sharing with you all.

First, Paramount Press Express has a press release on what to expect this season.

And Good Morning America did a segment about the upcoming season that shows the new puzzle board in action alongside a few words from Bellamie Blackstone.

[AussieEvil]

And when Pat tries it out, it inevitably won't work!
(can they do that? have a letter "lit up" but not "touchable"?)

[mechamind]

It sounds like they really can do that now. Back in February 1997, Pat was only touching the wrong spot.