The original daytime Wheel of Fortune version aired on NBC from January 6, 1975, to June 30, 1989. It was then shown on CBS from 1989 to 1991. The Show briefly returned to daytime airing on NBC, but the daytime program was permanently shut down. The syndicated version of the TV quiz show premiered on cable networks in North America on September 19, 1983. Since then, the show has been aired daily on late-night television.
Wheel of Fortune is an American television game invented by Merv Griffin, where the objective is to solve a piece of a crossword puzzle in order to win prizes determined by the spinning of a giant fairground wheel.
In its time, Wheel of Fortune was a very rated show, but in the middle of the 1980s, it was on the verge of closure, as NBC bosses considered its format archaic and unspectacular. However, over the next week, viewers literally pelted the management with angry letters demanding to continue spinning the drum at all costs. As a result, Wheel of Fortune was not only brought back but also expanded its time slot, taking time away from competing shows.
Throughout its existence, the rights to produce Wheel of Fortune analogs have been sold to 59 countries, including Vietnam, North Macedonia, and Malaysia. The popularity of this game show was due to the fact that everyone could become a participant, get a chance to spin the famous wheel, guess letters, and name words. During its existence, Wheel of Fortune became simply legendary. Every person in each of the 59 countries dreamed of taking part in it.
What is Wheel of Fortune?
Wheel of Fortune is the name of an American television game show in which players solve phrases or words in an effort to win prizes determined by the spinning of a giant wheel. Wheel of Fortune is considered the longest-running syndicated game show in the United States, with over 7,000 episodes produced since the show’s debut in 1975.
In terms of visual identity, Wheel of Fortune is bold and intense. The logo of the television game show was changed several times throughout the years, but its original version, introduced in 1974, is still in use today.
The original Wheel of Fortune logo, created in 1974, is executed in a black-and-white color palette, with the main accent on the circular shape — the shape of the wheel. It is a schematic roulette in the center, with alternating black and white segments and the lowercase “Of” inside, and the capital “Wheel” and “Fortune” arched above and below it, and separated by two solid black dots. The whole composition is enclosed in a thin circular frame. There was also a secondary version, with no framing.
In 1986 another logo was made for the game show. It was the same style of lettering as on the previous badge, but this time the name of the show was written in two straight levels, with the “O” in the “Of” stylized as the black-and-white wheel. In this composition, the Wheel of Fortune badge looks more brutal and confident. The logo is still used by the television game today.
Another version of the Wheel of Fortune logo was introduced in 1989 and was used by the show for about three years, but only in the intro. It was a three-dimensional uppercase inscription, set in three levels and executed in a bold geometric sans-serif typeface with straight lines and cuts. The designers chose an intense solid shade of gold for this badge.
In 1994 the popular TV game show got a very colorful and delightful logo, with golden three-dimensional lettering overlapping and a multicolored wheel, just like the one used in the TV show. The whole composition was set on a gradient purple background, which added a touch of mystery and creativity.
The redesign of 1997 has introduced a more distinctive and flat version of the Wheel of Fortune logo, with the solid white lettering set on a bright red roundel, enclosed into a yellow frame. The schematic gaming wheel was drawn in the same style as on the original logo, but this time in a multicolor palette — red, yellow, orange, blue, and green.
In 2013 another version of the Wheel of Fortune logo was created. The bold white lettering in a distinctive black outline is set on a background depicting a gaming wheel with the segments drawn in different colors with gradients and glossy surfaces. The central part of the badge is now just a blue circle with a lighter outline and a white lowercase “Of” on it.
The super bold uppercase lettering from the primary logo of the Wheel of Fortune television game show is set in a designer geometric sans-serif typeface, which is probably based on Tusker Grotesk or Kaributrade, but with modified contours, flared bars of some characters, and thin diagonal negative space.
As for the color palette of the Wheel of Fortune visual identity, there are two options — a solid and strict black and white, and a delightful multicolor mix, with blueish and orange shades prevailing.