Wheel of Fortune has been one of the most popular game shows on television since debuting in the mid-70's. However, by 1997, the series had found its niche in syndication, its days as a daytime staple long over. Undeterred, CBS took a chance on a junior version, picking up Wheel 2000 (odd title, considering that they were pre-dating themselves by 3 years) for their Saturday morning lineup, replacing another game show, Secrets of the Cryptkeeper's Haunted House. However, you won't find Pat Sajak or Vanna White interacting with the kids here. Instead, David Sidoni is the host, and filling Vanna's role is a CGI character named Cyber Lucy (voiced by Tanika Ray).
Here's a sample, courtesy of YouTube:
Unfortunately, like other game shows before it, Wheel 2000 lasted just one year, a victim of low ratings and gradually changing viewing habits, and this was despite the decision by Sony to take the show on the road to generate interest. Incidentally, the series also aired on GSN (Game Show Network), which also was the home for a juvenile version of another Merv Griffin game, Jeopardy!, Jep!, which met the same fate. If you were a Wheel fan and had kids, this was definitely for you. CBS, though, stuck it, as memory serves, around 11 am (ET). In those days, anything from 11-forward was endangered because affiliates were still subbing syndicated programming in order to reap the benefits of additional ad revenues. Had Wheel 2000 been given a cushier time slot, maybe it would've broken the curse attached to Saturday game shows.
Rating: A.
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