The BEST episodes of Wheel of Fortune season 1
Every episode of Wheel of Fortune season 1, ranked from best to worst by thousands of votes from fans of the show. The best episodes of Wheel of Fortune season 1!
One of the most successful game shows in history, Wheel of Fortune actually is a version of the children's game Hangman (with a large carnival wheel and prizes added). The game show, which did modestly well in the 1970s, became a worldwide phenomenon in the 1980s through syndication and made household names out of its hosts, Pat Sajak and Vanna White. Simply put, the Wheel has never stopped spinning since its premiere as an NBC daytime show that winter day in January 1975. (Ironically, the series replaced Jeopardy!, which later in 1984 when it returned, became its current companion in syndication.) The rules of the game Three contestants -- at various times during the run, including a returning champion -- compete. The host announces a category to a mystery puzzle (person, place, thing, phrase, quotation, event, landmark, occupation, etc.). The puzzle was originally contained on a three-tier, 36-space board (in 1981, changed to a four-tier, 52-space board; and in 1997, an all-e
#1 - Series Premiere
Season 1 - Episode 1 - Aired 9/19/1983
Mysteriously, Pat left on a Monday and was replaced the next day by the world-renowned Rolf Benirschke...well, world renowned if you were a San Diego Chargers fan. Merv Griffin discovered the former place-kicker in 1988 and decided he'd be the perfect fit for daytime Wheel. The problem: Rolf had zero previous TV experience. His first episode was a bizarre outing, with Vanna walking out during the show opening to introduce Rolf to the world. At both the beginning and end of the show, Rolf observed several times that "this is a lot different than football." Vanna practically had to carry the entire final segment of Rolf's first show.
#2 - Episode 74
Season 1 - Episode 74 - Aired 1/5/1984
#4 - Episode 81
Season 1 - Episode 81 - Aired 1/16/1984
#5 - Episode 77
Season 1 - Episode 77 - Aired 1/10/1984
#6 - Episode 86
Season 1 - Episode 86 - Aired 1/23/1984
#7 - Episode 83
Season 1 - Episode 83 - Aired 1/18/1984
#8 - Episode 88
Season 1 - Episode 88 - Aired 1/25/1984
#9 - Episode 85
Season 1 - Episode 85 - Aired 1/20/1984
#10 - Episode 91
Season 1 - Episode 91 - Aired 1/30/1984
#11 - Episode 87
Season 1 - Episode 87 - Aired 1/24/1984
#12 - Episode 92
Season 1 - Episode 92 - Aired 1/31/1984
#13 - Episode 94
Season 1 - Episode 94 - Aired 2/2/1984
#14 - Episode 97
Season 1 - Episode 97 - Aired 2/7/1984
#15 - Episode 95
Season 1 - Episode 95 - Aired 2/3/1984
#16 - Episode 101
Season 1 - Episode 101 - Aired 2/13/1984
#17 - Episode 96
Season 1 - Episode 96 - Aired 2/6/1984
#18 - Episode 102
Season 1 - Episode 102 - Aired 2/14/1984
#19 - Episode 100
Season 1 - Episode 100 - Aired 2/10/1984
#20 - Episode 105
Season 1 - Episode 105 - Aired 2/17/1984
#21 - Episode 104
Season 1 - Episode 104 - Aired 2/16/1984
#22 - Episode 78
Season 1 - Episode 78 - Aired 1/11/1984
#23 - Episode 5
Season 1 - Episode 5 - Aired 9/23/1983
#24 - Episode 75
Season 1 - Episode 75 - Aired 1/6/1984