With “Celebrity Wheel of Fortune” getting renewed earlier this year and a September 26 premiere date, fans are already excited about the show’s approach. However, the show’s Instagram account posted a picture of Pat Sajak that suggests an even greater start to the season.
With the simple caption “starstruck,” Sajak seems ecstatic in the photo. No doubt the show wants to generate hype without giving too much away.
Sajak previously expressed how happy he is to bring this variation of the game show to people, especially amid the pandemic.
“‘Wheel of Fortune’ is kind of a sign of normalcy for people; they were very glad to have us back on the air. So this seemed like a good time to expand into primetime a little bit, at least one time, and extend that normalcy.”
Considering the first season boasted stars such as Drew Carrie, Constance Zimmer, Tony Hawk, Patton Oswalt, and Joel McHale, to name a few, the upcoming season promises to be entertaining.
The Difference Between “Celebrity Wheel of Fortune” and “Wheel of Fortune”
“Celebrity Wheel of Fortune” may just sound like a variation of the original show starring celebrities, but there are some notable differences between the two.
The most distinct difference between them is all prize money contestants win goes to charity. Rather than pocket the money themselves like the guests on the original show, celebrity guests donate to a charity of their choosing. Because the money provides aid to those who need it the most, the shows are quite competitive.
That being said, the overall demeanor is more relaxed and carefree. Celebrities naturally want to win, but Sajak reported they wanted a different tone with this version of the show before it first aired.
“We’ve jazzed up the set a bit, made it look a little more prime-timey, whatever that means. And it’s going to be a different kind of vibe. We want (the contestants) to play a good, solid game, but we’re mainly there to have fun. It’ll be a little lighter in attitude.”
One final difference is the show’s runtime. “Wheel of Fortune” has typically always been half an hour long. “Celebrity Wheel of Fortune,” on the other hand runs for one full hour. The extended episodes allow celebrity guests to squeeze in two games while contributing more to their charity of choice.
Variety reported earlier this year it is an incredibly popular spinoff, often accruing more than six million viewers at a time. Though its viewership slowly dipped as the season progressed, it never dropped below five million.
All things considered, if Sajak’s face from the Instagram photo is anything to go by, “Celebrity Wheel of Fortune” is sure to be a hit this season as well.
