June 13, 2023 – Wheel of Fortune

Yesterday, Pat Sajak announced he is retiring after the next season of Wheel of Fortune. He’s currently the longest-running host of any game show, having been the host since 1981. Wheel of Fortune was created by Merv Griffin, who was inspired by the game hangman, which he would play with his sister on family road trips. Chuck Woolery hosted the show from 1975 until his departure over a salary dispute in 1981. Griffin offered the job to Sajak, who was working as a weatherman on KNBC in Los Angeles, because he liked his “odd” sense of humor. However, NBC objected, because they felt Sajak was “too local” to host a national show. Griffin was adamant about hiring Sajak, however, and even threatened to stop production if he wasn’t allowed to become host. Sajak hosted the daytime series until 1989, when he left to host his own late-night talk show. It was a colossal failure, lasting only 15 months. Vanna White was named hostess in 1982, taking over for Susan Stafford. Vanna was chosen because Griffin felt that she was activated the puzzle letters better than anyone else who auditioned. With over 7,000 episodes taped and aired, Wheel of Fortune is the longest-running syndicated game show in the U.S. Learn more here.