Charlie O'Donnell

Charlie O'Donnell is a television announcer best known as the "voice of the Wheel" on Wheel of Fortune.

Related Topics:
Announcer - Wheel of Fortune

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O'Donnell began his career in 1958, working with Dick Clark on American Bandstand. This led to several stints as a disc jockey on Los Angeles radio, and later as news anchorman on Southern California television.

Related Topics:
1958 - Dick Clark - American Bandstand - Los Angeles

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He also made a full-time career as an announcer on many television shows throughout the decades, with such series as The Joker's Wild, Tic Tac Dough, Card Sharks, The $100,000 Pyramid (again working with Dick Clark), and The Price Is Right. He has also served as announcer for the American Music Awards, the Emmy Awards, and the Academy Awards.

Related Topics:
The Joker's Wild - Tic Tac Dough - Card Sharks - The $100,000 Pyramid - The Price Is Right - American Music Award - Emmy Award - Academy Award

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But the show for which he is best known is Merv Griffin's Wheel of Fortune. Griffin himself knew the only person who could serve as the show's thunderous announcer was Charlie O (as O'Donnell is otherwise called). O'Donnell has served as the show's announcer from episode one in 1975 (introducing the show until the early-1990s as "Wheeeeeeellllllll of Fortune"), with the exception of a period in the 1980s when Jack Clark and M.G. Kelly served as announcers (due to a commitment to Pyramid and before that with Barry & Enright and later Chuck Barris Productions). In 1989, O'Donnell returned as permanent Wheel announcer. His most famous shout on the series is "...twenty five th-oooooooooo-sand dollars!" (or higher, depending on the amount of money won in the show's bonus round).

Related Topics:
Merv Griffin - Wheel of Fortune - 1980s - Jack Clark

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Among the game show companies O'Donnell worked for as a primary announcer includes Merv Griffin Productions (1975-80 and 1989-present), Barry & Enright Productions (1981-86), and Chuck Barris Productions (1986-89). Charlie has also announced game shows for Mark Goodson-Bill Todman Productions (Card Sharks, Trivia Trap, To Tell The Truth); Bob Stewart Productions, and for Hill-Eubanks Group's All Star Secrets and The Guiness Game.

Related Topics:
Card Sharks - Trivia Trap - To Tell The Truth - All Star Secrets - The Guiness Game

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