Wheel of Fortune 1999 Kermit Gonzo(00:35)
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Wheel of Fortune is a popular TV game show created by Merv Griffin in 1973 and debuting on NBC in 1975. While the daytime series ran until 1991, switching hosts four times and moving to CBS for 18 months, the more widely-recognized nighttime version debuted in 1983. The current hosts are Pat Sajak (who began in 1981, replacing Chuck Woolery) and Vanna White (who began in 1982, replacing Susan Stafford).

Based on the children's game Hangman, contestants compete to solve mystery word puzzles for cash prizes; a giant carnival-type wheel determines the cash value of the letters. Numerous puzzles over the history of the show have included references to Muppet characters and projects.

Gonzo and Kermit appeared in 1999 during a "Wheel Goes to the Movies" week to promote Muppets from Space. On the Wheel set, a large Kermit toy sat on a tub of popcorn.

Walkarounds of various Sesame Street characters appear from a Beaches Family Resorts insert as part of a prize package in 2010.

References

• Muppet Magazine issue 18 featured a comic book story called "Squeel of Fortune" with Miss Piggy in Vanna White's role, Kermit as the host, and Fozzie, Animal and Gonzo as the contestants.
• Sesame Street spoofed the format for "Squeal of Fortune", with Pat Playjacks.
• In Dinosaurs episode We Are Not Alone, when Earl Sinclair changes channels at the end of the episode, one channel has a voice saying "I'll buy a vowel, Pat!"
• On Shalom Sesame, the show was spoofed as "Dreidel of Fortune".
• In the Elmo's World episode "Shoes", the Shoe Channel advertises "Heel of Fortune".

Connections

• Don Pardo was announcer for their first "road" show, a two-week nighttime stint in New York City during November 1988.
• Alex Trebek substituted for a week in August 1980, followed by single-episode appearances in August 1985 and on April Fool's Day 1997.