Wheel Of Fortune Reportedly Bringing Back Returning Champions (Temporarily)
Fans of the show have shared details about a rule change that's supposedly coming to the show next month.
The folks at Wheel of Fortune have been tinkering with the show’s format quite a bit in recent years, and it appears that they have even more changes in store. Fans who attended recent tapings have stated that Wheel is temporarily adding returning champions back to the game.
From April 6 to May 1, Wheel will reportedly be airing 20 “Spring Forward” games. The contestant who wins each game will return to play again on the following episode. This wouldn’t be the first time Wheel of Fortune has had returning champions. When the daytime version premiered on NBC in 1975, contestants could win up to five games in a row. If they accomplished that feat, they would retire from the show undefeated. In 1977, the limit was reduced to three games, and it remained that way for the remainder of Wheel’s daytime run.
The syndicated version of the show didn’t have returning champions when it began in 1983. Starting in 1989, however, champions were allowed to continue playing until they accrued three consecutive wins, mirroring the daytime version. This feature of the game was removed in 1996, and it was replaced with a tournament format. Each week consisted of four standard games on Monday through Thursday, followed by Friday Finals, where the three highest-scoring contestants returned to compete for the championship. In the 1998-99 season, Wheel of Fortune returned to a one-and-done system, where contestants would not play a second time unless the show invited them back.
Unlike the previous iterations of returning champions, it’s been said that the “Spring Forward” period will not have a hard limit to how many games a contestant can win. The only exception is the end of that four week window. The winner of May 1’s episode will not come back to play again on May 4.
Even though Wheel champions usually get to play just one game, they still have the chance to win a sizable amount of cash and prizes. In addition to the offerings during the front game, the envelopes on the bonus round wheel range from $40,000 to $100,000, which is a good deal of money for a game show that airs 5 days a week. Contestants also have the chance to win $1,000,000 if they pick up the million dollar wedge during the game. The addition of returning champions has fans wondering how much money a contestant can win before they get defeated.
Returning champions aren’t as common as they used to be, but some modern game shows still have them. Jeopardy! has had a “sky’s the limit” rule since 2003, which allows champions to play indefinitely as long as they keep winning. This rule has produced many long winning streaks over the years, most notably Ken Jennings, who won 74 consecutive games in 2004. Prior to the introduction of that rule, contestants were limited to five consecutive wins. In a similar vein, 25 Words Or Less allows contestants to return as champions until they lose, and Family Feud champions retire undefeated if they win five games.
