Wheel of Fortune’s sweeping changes to new season from host Ryan Seacrest to ‘gorgeous’ new puzzle board
WHEEL of Fortune's new season is finally here, and new host Ryan Seacrest is just one of the many changes happening across the (puzzle) board.
The game show has an updated set, splashier prize packages, and even a tweak to its bonus round.
Wheel of Fortune Season 42 premieres on Monday, September 9.
American Idol fixture Ryan, 49, is making his big debut opposite iconic letter-turner Vanna White, 66.
Fans will see all the changes as the new season airs since the show has been very secretive about teasing too much.
But behind-the-scenes stories from various outlets and insight The U.S. Sun got from studio sources give a pretty good idea.
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Here's a rundown of everything switched out in the post-Pat Sajak era, with before-and-after photos.
NEW SET
Of course, with new host Ryan on the main show comes several drastic changes, one being an all-new set.
The stage is now blue-toned with a golden wagon wheel pattern throughout.
The WoF logo that once appeared behind the contestants is noticeably absent; instead, there's an art-deco wheel design.
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While fans have worried the new set is too minimalist, there's also more wiggle room for special effects.
The set is now all green-screen, which allows producers to project artwork and theme weeks onto it.
The centerpiece wheel has a new green-screen border, enabling theme week names to show underneath the wheel.
However, one thing that isn't changing is the iconic centerpiece wheel - the same one that has been used for 20 years.
“There is no other wheel,” Suzanne Prete, the head of game shows at Sony, told The New York Times.
NEW ENTRANCE
Another visual change is to the layout of the stage itself.
Pat and Vanna would enter arm-in-arm from the side stage by the puzzle board.
Now, Ryan and Vanna have a grand entrance from behind sliding, brightly lit doors at center stage before going to their respective posts.
"We get to come through a big-time show door," Seacrest told USA Today. "It's a fun entrance for us."
'NOSTALGIC' PUZZLE BOARD
Vanna turns (or rather, touches) letters on an all-new puzzle board.
The board’s border is rounded and golden - a throwback to the show’s design from the 1980s and early 1990s.
“It’s kind of an homage to the 1980s when people got introduced to the show," Maggie Sajak said on Inside Edition, confirming it is purposefully a retro design.
“So I think there’s something really nostalgic but a lot of really modern, fresh elements.”
While Vanna still controls the letters, she doesn't have to touch them.
Vanna explained how the new puzzle board works before the season premiere, calling it "crazy."
“I don’t even have to touch the letter anymore,” she told Good Morning America.
“This is a blank screen with a video on it. There’s lasers up there, so when I go to touch a letter, it catches the movement of my hand, so it lights up. Isn’t that crazy?”
USA Today also shared that "several inches of foam padding" were "discreetly placed beneath the puzzle board" for Vanna's comfort.
"I think they just wanted to make it easier for me to do all that walking in 5-inch heels," Vanna joked.
'TONS OF NEW PRIZES'
While the dollar amounts during the coveted bonus round won't change, the prizes will.
Along with cars and vacations (to sometimes unglamorous locals), Ryan worked his star power in terms of the prize packages.
Good Morning America confirmed that this season will feature “tons of new prizes,” including “tickets to NFL games” and “tickets to see some of the biggest musical artists.”
An attendee also told The U.S. Sun that one of the premiere week prizes is a ticket to an awards show Ryan is hosting.
Wheel of Fortune Host Timeline
Although Pat and Vanna have been a staple on the game show for decades, there have been other hosts
Chuck Woolery was the host from 1975 to 1981
He co-hosted alongside Susan Stafford (1975 to 1982)
Vanna White then stepped in as hostess in 1982 and has been ever since
After a contract and salary dispute, the show got rid of Chuck and brought in Pat in 1982
Pat hosted with Susan for one season
He then left the game show in 1989 to host a late-night talk show for CBS
For five months, NFL player Rolf Benirschke took his place
In July 1989, Bob Goen hosted the show on CBS
He hosted for a year and a half until the show was canceled in 1991
The show was then moved to ABC with Pat and Vanna hosting for the foreseeable future
In 2023, Pat announced his retirement and Ryan Seacrest as quickly named as his replacement
RYAN DIS-CARDS PAT SAJAK MOVE
Ryan also differentiates himself from Pat with his own hosting style.
Unlike Pat, Ryan doesn't use cue cards. Instead, the TV everyman memorizes every contestant's info when introducing them.
"He has already brought a new energy to the set," The New York Times shared before the premiere. "He can break into a salsa dance. He moves easily around the stage.
"And he does not require index cards - one of Mr. Sajak’s hallmarks - when he introduces each new contestant."
Pat famously carried a stack of index cards for the show's interview segment.
Before getting into the game, Pat relied on the cue cards to learn about the contestants and their lives.
Ryan's ability to host without cue cards could make the interview segments looser than they were with Pat.
'LESS SLEEPY'
A studio source also told The U.S. Sun that Ryan's host style is vastly different from Pat's overall.
"Ryan is simply not doing the low-key version of the show that Pat did,” the source said.
“He's brought every bit of his 'hype-beast' morning radio and New Year's Eve energy to the production of his first episodes.
“It's a pretty big shift and an obvious grab for a younger generation of viewers than Pat had.
“Ryan just makes the whole Wheel experience feel hipper, faster and less sleepy than the version of the show that Pat did for all those years.”
The source added that while the gameplay will remain the same, Ryan "is a master of memorization and doesn't rely on the teleprompter remotely as much as Pat did."
"God knows how many old episodes of Wheel he watched, but he really prepared for this gig."
MOVE TO STREAMING?
Ryan is not just a fill in and has signed a contract "through the 2030s," The New York Times reported.
The lengthy contract is intended to help WoF transition from cable to streaming in the coming years.
"We want to have the continuity of the host, someone who is well known, and who will travel with the show through that transition,” Sony chairman Tony Vinciquerra told The New York Times.
"I can't think of a better person to do that with than Ryan."
'THE SHOW WORKS'
As the hype around Ryan's debut grows, he's also shared that he's honoring the traditions of the show.
“Honestly, if there's a through line to all of the things that I do, I'm really not the center of attention,” he told The New York Times.
"At American Idol, it's about the contestant. On the radio, we’re playing songs. With New Year's Eve, it’s the ball. On Wheel, it's the game."
He also said he appreciates the tradition of walking out and being called the "star" of the show alongside Vanna.
"It’s such an old school thing,” Ryan said. “No one says that anymore.
"Those classic, vintage, old-school things about this show are what make this show."
“This show works,” he also told GMA. “All I need to do is keep it moving.
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"All we need to do is have fun every night. And I think if that’s what happens, this show continues for a long time.”
Wheel of Fortune airs weeknights at 7 p.m. ET - check your local listings.
