Wheel Of Fortune Season 40: Get Your First Look At Vanna White's New Laser-Powered Puzzleboard In Action
Ahead of Wheel of Fortune's Season 40 premiere, TVLine has an exclusive "action shot" of the first upgrade in 19 years to co-host Vanna White's puzzleboard.
To mark Wheel's new season, premiering Monday, Sept 12 with hosts Pat Sajak and Vanna White, the syndicated game show will unveil a new LED-screen puzzleboard, as well as an "XL Week" of shows that put more prize money at stake than ever before.
Incoming executive producer Bellamie Blackstone said in a statement, "I'm looking forward to celebrating all of the ways this show has become a staple in so many living rooms, but also to help it grow so we see its 50th season and beyond. We have a beautiful new puzzleboard. We're trying to give away the most money ever offered on the syndicated version of the show. But, more than anything, I want our viewers to continue to enjoy this classic game while adding a few new and interesting twists. We are all looking forward to this being our biggest season ever!"
Read on for more about Wheel of Fortune's Season 40 changes, plus a first look at the new puzzleboard in action....
XL WEDGE OFFERS XL WINNINGS
To kick off Season 40, there will be an "XL Week" (representing the Roman numeral of 40, natch). It will feature XL ("Extra Luxurious") prizes, XL ("Extra Large") puzzles, and it hopes to be XL ("Extra Lucky)" for contestants and fans.
During "XL Week," not only will contestants have double their chances to win $1 million (with up to two full $1 Million wedges on the Wheel), but when they bring a $1 million to the bonus round, their chances are doubled because a second $1 Million envelope will be added to the Bonus Wheel.
"XL Week" also introduces the "XL Wedge," which offers the chance to win an additional $40,000 when the player takes that to the bonus round (for a minimum win of $80,000).
Once "XL Week" has ended, gameplay will return to normal, but the minimum amount that can be won on the Bonus Wheel has been raised to $40,000, in honor of — you guessed it — the show's XLth season in syndication.
THE PUZZLEBOARD GETS A MAKEOVER
For the first time since 2003, Wheel of Fortune has given the puzzleboard a makeover. (If you're an Old like me, you remember the letter board switching from "tap-and-spin!" analog to digital, way, way back in the year 1997.)
Visually during the game, the board is classic Wheel of Fortune, but rather than using 52 individual monitors, the board is now a single, flat LED screen. The surrounding frame is outfitted with two sensors that activate the screen when Vanna's hand breaks the "plane" in front of the letter.
Wait, "sensors"? "Breaking planes"?? What Buck Rogers-era sorcery is this...? Well...
PRESS PLAY BELOW TO SEE THE NEW PUZZLEBOARD IN ACTION
The technology behind how co-host Vanna White interacts with the new puzzleboard is called "LIDAR" (Light, Imaging, Detecting And Ranging), a laser technology that has been used in self-driving cars and on the Mars Rover.
Rather than firmly touching the sides of the individual monitors on the previous board, White now "gestures" at the center of the illuminated boxes to reveal the letters.
This new format allows the show to use the puzzleboard not only for game play, but also aesthetically in the show to add graphics in fun ways.
Watch EP Bellamie Blackstone demonstrate the new puzzleboard in the video above (starting at the 00:40 mark), and share your thoughts on Wheel Season 40's assorted upgrades.