Wheel of Fortune

Wheel of Fortune is a television game show originally devised by Merv Griffin which runs in local editions around the world. It involves three contestants competing against each other to solve a word puzzle similar to Hangman. The name of the show comes from the large wheel that determines the dollar amounts and prizes won (or lost) by the contestants.

"Wheel" in popular culture

• On Dead Like Me, the moment George realises she has just died is represented by a fantasy Wheel of Fortune scene: staring at the letterboard which is displaying YOU'RE D_AD, she proclaims: "I'd like to solve the puzzle."
• Sajak and White appeared as themselves on an episode of The King of Queens. The show figures into a series of dreams that Doug Heffernan (Kevin James) has while he is sick. Doug, his wife Carrie (Leah Remini) and father-in-law Arthur Spooner (Jerry Stiller) are contestants on Wheel. At the beginning of the Wheel sequence, Arthur tries to guess a number (which is never allowed on Wheel, except for a Fill in the Number puzzle), then gets buzzed out while he tries to figure out what letter he wants to guess. Then it is Carrie's turn to spin the wheel. After the wheel has stopped, Carrie suddenly decides to solve the puzzle. Almost immediately, Doug freaks out and rushes to the letterboard, apparently trying to prevent Carrie from guessing the intended solution to the puzzle: "Doug Heffernan is a Big Fat Liar."
• On Full House, D. J. Tanner (played by Candace Cameron) has a nightmare about taking the SAT. In her dream, Vanna White pays a visit to the test room. On the puzzleboard, it was revealed that Kimmy Gibbler (Andrea Barber) was going to Stanford while D. J. was going to CLOWN U.
• Other TV shows that have featured WoF as part of the plot included "The A-Team," "Gimme a Break," "227," "Friends," "L.A. Law," and "Santa Barbara."
• Chuck Woolery and Pat Sajak have appeared as guests on each of their respective talk shows over the years.
• During a celebrity WoF show in New Zealand, boxer David Tua became a local legend while requesting a vowel by asking for "O for Awesome".