Hundreds of “Wheelies” flocked Wednesday evening to Hilton Waikoloa Village to watch a lucky few spin the wheel, call a consonant, buy a vowel and solve the puzzle. ADVERTISING Hundreds of “Wheelies” flocked Wednesday evening to Hilton Waikoloa Village to
Hundreds of “Wheelies” flocked Wednesday evening to Hilton Waikoloa Village to watch a lucky few spin the wheel, call a consonant, buy a vowel and solve the puzzle.
It was the last night of filming “Wheel of Fortune” episodes here. The resort’s Ocean View Terrace, an outdoor location with a lawn and flagstone stage area, was transformed into a colorful Hawaii-centric set, complete with the iconic wheel, puzzle board, bright lights, grass hale, feather kahili, a waterfall and ocean view. Along with the living plants and trees, the show’s art department put down 5,292 square feet of synthetic grass to cover the stage floor, which featured the main Hawaiian Islands.
Co-hosts Pat Sajak and Vanna White, along with the Los Angeles-based crew, spent several days here taping four weeks of shows that will be aired in November and February.
The mood before the first taping Wednesday was upbeat. A crowd of about 1,000 people sat in the bleachers in anticipation and excitement. Fans heading to their seats could be heard discussing their love of the show, what was to come and what the lovely lady of letters would wear this time.
While waiting for the sun to set, announcer Jim Thornton welcomed the crowd in Hawaiian and then with jokes about his adventures around the island. When driving around Waimea, even the cows were in muumuu, he said. Thornton encouraged the audience to smile, wave and clap enthusiastically, particularly when the cable camera flew overhead. He also led the crowd in the familiar opening chant — “Wheel!” “Of!” “Fortune!” — before introducing the show’s “grand kahuna,” Executive Producer Harry Friedman.
Friedman explained this is the fifth time “Wheel of Fortune,” which is in its 32nd season, has taped in Hawaii since 1996. It’s also the show’s third time on Hawaii Island. In fact, the Hilton Waikoloa Village was the show’s first outdoor remote.
While “Wheel of Fortune” is primarily shot in California and has been taped on location 65 times, Friedman said “no destination creates a greater sense of excitement than Hawaii.” With millions of viewers worldwide, the show makes an impact. “Where we have the biggest impact is we’re able to show off the Big Island to a national audience of 12 million viewers every night for 20 nights,” he added.
The production shipped 40 containers with 1 million pounds of equipment. More than 200 staff and crew members were required. In addition, more than 120 local security officers, ushers, police and others were hired. More than $6 million was spent and probably $1.5 million was left behind in prize money, Friedman said.
Long before the eight audiences arrived, Friedman said lots of preparations occurred and some staff members were here for a month. As a team, he said there was a much greater effort to get everyone involved in recreation. Staff went zip-lining, scuba diving and biking. They explored Kilauea, saw seahorses and visited historical sites.
The show also hosted students from six middle and high schools. Students were given a behind-the-scenes look and met department heads. Friedman hopes it encourages them and ignites some sort of passion. “When I was their age, television was all new, and I found everything about it fascinating and I still do,” he said.
White’s advice to entertainment industry hopefuls was simple: “Don’t give up. Follow your dream. It can happen.”
Sajak said to not aim too narrowly and learn as much as you can because “you never know what doors will open for you.”
When Sajak and White walked arm in arm on stage Wednesday, the audience erupted. It was no surprise some of the evening’s biggest cheers were not for prizes, but for the co-hosts who took questions and talked story with the crowd and contestants during breaks. White revealed whenever she goes behind the puzzle board it’s to see the next puzzle and to eat nuts.
Does she miss the day of turning letters? “I do not,” White said. “It was not difficult to turn them, but it was more pressure on me because I had to know where the letters were. Where now, they light up so I know exactly where they are so I won’t make a mistake.”
And yes, White has made a mistake, but just one time. “The puzzle was either Dr. Spock or Mr. Spock,” she said. “I can’t remember which because I’m still traumatized. I turned over the M or the D and it was the wrong one. What they had to do is throw out the puzzle and no one at home saw it.”
“Wheel of Fortune” has been a top-rated syndicated series since 1983. Being on a show so long is something White loves. “I never realized it would last this long when I first started with the show,” she said. “I remember sitting in the makeup chair next to Pat and saying I wonder where we will be in 10 years.”
Sajak thinks anyone who claims to know the secrets for having a long-running, successful show is lying.
“We’re playing hangman is what we’re doing. It’s not all that complicated, and yet, we’ve gone so long that we’re a part of people’s daily routine. It’s become more than a game show; it’s become part of everyone’s lifestyle in a weird way,” he said. “And we’re in our third generation. The kids that used to watch it with their grandparents are now watching it with their kids. It’s amazing how this funny little game has become so important in so many people’s lives. There are people who you’re not allowed to call their home during the half hour when the show is on.”
Asked to talk about White as his “work spouse,” Sajak interrupted with wit, “I have no conjugal rights.” He thinks they get along really well because of similar personalities. “We’re both kind of low-key and we realize this is a sort of flukey kind of success,” he said. “We don’t take ourselves or the show too seriously.”
Another thing, Sajak added, “Unlike a marriage, we don’t see each other every day. We’re going to tape four weeks of shows over the course of five days and then I won’t see her again for another three to four weeks. If every marriage were like that, there would never be divorce.”
White doesn’t know why the show has endured, but is thankful for loyal viewers and fans because “they’re the reason we’re on.” She attributed the show’s popularity to the escape it provides. “In today’s world, you turn on the TV and there’s all this negative stuff and it’s so depressing,” she said. “‘Wheel of Fortune’ is 30 minutes of fun and the whole family can watch it.”
Friedman thinks the show is successful is because “we listen to the audience and we know the audience is very forgiving when it comes to changes that enhance the show.” He also reflected on the way the public consumes media, saying the trend for programming is on the consumer. “It’s ‘I’ll watch what I want and when I want,’” he said. “So it’s funny because the ‘Wheel of Fortune’ core audience is just the opposite. We’re very much still appointment television for a lot of families.” Still, the show is providing other opportunities to play and watch through digital extensions, such as apps.
Three Hawaii residents were first to vie for prizes in Wednesday in front of an audience that cheered, groaned and clapped on command. “Wheel of Fortune” prohibits media from disclosing the result of the show before it airs.
After Shawn Watson, a 28-year-old Hawaii Fire Department firefighter and EMT, was grinning. While it was “nerve-wrecking” competing in front of so many people, Watson’s strategy was to focus on the puzzle. It also helped having familiar faces in the audience, including his parents, grandma and girlfriend.
Watching “Wheel of Fortune” is a tradition in his family and something he does with his fellow firefighters at the Kailua Fire Station. He said his coworkers encouraged him to audition after noticing his knack to solving puzzles. Watson summed up the entire experience Wednesday as “awesome.”
