A couple of "Wheel" what-ifs...

[wheellover1991]

I posted this on the BAV forum some years ago, and I somehow came across it yesterday. So, I thought I would see your thoughts here. I've added some things also.

First:

What if Vanna's photo never came across Merv's desk? What if she never tried out, never became hostess? Of the two remaining try outs, Vicki McCarty and Summer Bartholomew, I would have to say Summer would have been chosen due to the fact that she already had previous experience with Wheel, though that's all I have to go on since I've never seen either of their audition tapes.

Would it have affected the popularity of the show? Would there have been such a thing as "Vicki-mania" or "Summer-mania?"

Second:

On a similar tangent, what if Merv had convinced Susan to stay? Would she have had any bearing on the popularity of the syndicated show?

What if Chuck decided to stay, and he and Susan went on to host the syndicated version? How popular may it have been?

And...finally:

What if Pat never had a talk show and decided to stay with Daytime Wheel? Would the show have lasted longer? Personally, I think by the late 80s, the daytime version was on the way out. By '89, it had been on for 14 years, and that was exceptional for a game show back then. I think it may have lasted into 1992 if Pat had stayed, but no longer than that, simply because daytime game shows were close to all but done for save for TPiR. But, who know, it could've been big hit when it moved to CBS if Pat were at the helm...

I know this is multi-facited, but I would like to here your thoughts. Discuss away!

[billmcdee]

I was just thinking about how Concentration lasted on NBC from 1958-1973, and how Wheel of Fortune almost eclipsed that record before it left for CBS in July 1989.

One has to wonder had Vanna not auditioned what the status of the show would be today.  I think it would still have had a very good run on night time as the game itself is still solid.  It's been on for 30 plus years at night, and even with all the added gimmicks and bells and whistles the show has added, it's still a solid game and has a very good play-along ability to it which is why it endures.  Likewise with Jeopardy!

I think as long as there is a competent and congenial host and hostess at the helm the show will continue to do fine.  Pat & Vanna are with us at least through the summer of 2018, as is Alex on Jeopardy!

I do wish "Wheel" would do an "old home" week where they recreated the old studio and puzzle board and would have Chuck and Susan host it for one week or one episode even.

I think daytime Wheel's biggest problem, at least in the markets where I lived (New York/Philly) is it went directly up against The Price is Right.  When Wheel began back in January 1975, I think it aired at 10am.  If it had kept a 10am slot I think it would have lasted at least until 1992 or longer.  Possibly another problem though was the success of the night time version with bigger money and bigger prizes.  I'm sure people who tried out for the show wanted to have the option to play the night time version to win much more than the daytime had to offer, so quite possibly Wheel going on in 1983 at night hurt the daytime show in the long run.