ladies and gentlemen 42 million television viewers 42 million watch my first guest
program every day please welcome the host of The Wheel of Fortune Pat Sajak [Applause]
nice to see you sir congratulations thank you have a seat
absolutely now nice to see you you too uh now exp how long has the show been on the air first of all
in its various incarnations and it's very it's been since 12th year yeah it will not die yeah
now but uh when you took over the program it had been on how it was in a shambles when I took over
somehow we got it all it had been on about eight years seven years seven years but when you took it
over it really started to go through the roof yeah it was just a dinky little show before I took it
over and then it's amazing yeah no so so what is your theory uh behind the success of the program I
don't have the damndest idea uh it's it's strange you know we have three adults who stand there and
spin a multi-colored wheel to try to win major appliances and 42 million people watch that but
yeah and we're grateful for every one of you out there I should I don't know I really don't I don't
know how you explain something now is it is it the the show's on here on NBC every morning yeah it's
on syndicated all is it the is this in the United States or around the world United States and I
think a small portion of Singapore and that's it those are the only two places you can actually
yeah there's a small Clique there that enjoys our show but service manners sort of an underground
thing yeah and also is it true that they're talking about putting it on go ahead say it
what's that are they putting the show on in prime time I've heard that rumor and I you know like
11 times a week is not enough you know we need to need a 12th time Merv needs to buy an extra lunch
the wealthiest man in North America uh I don't know whether we'll do that we're on a lot we're
on a lot yeah yeah uh you've been doing it four years and and I guess you what tape like five or
six of them in a weekend or whatever we're taped right now through the fall of 1997. yeah we'll
take way ahead now do you ever you ever stand there spinning you actually only get to spend it
a couple of times yeah yeah that's too darn it all huh yeah uh but do you ever say to yourself what
the heck am I doing here you get a little buggy with this there there are days if you if you're
very very quiet in the studio you can actually hear my brain cells die and hit the ground
um no you know it's it's the show is always a little different and you have different
people how is it a little different Pat some weeks you'll have three people whose hobbies are bowling
sometimes their hobbies are macrame yeah there's a lot of them and you have teen
week we've had people without Hobbies [Laughter] but you have teen week you have uh College week
yeah uh anybody ever been hurt on the wheel no we keep waiting in a little you know you
like it to be exciting we keep waiting for a little lady not to let go and to impale herself
what is a uh lovely parting gift
uh what are those
these people have a right to know boy there's a little Mike Wallace in you isn't it thank you
thank you very much you're really getting to the bottom of this sir you must be very proud so so
don't cover this you uh yeah uh generally toilet bowl cleaner and rice [Laughter]
Cheerios we give Cheerios a lot but not a box I mean like a case what now people don't win uh
they don't win money they win prizes yeah but what what's the the largest cash equivalent
somebody's hauled out of there about 60 Grand but generally it's in the 20 to 25 000. these are
great surprises they have nice prizes and then you have some that aren't so nice like uh you
know some kind of oil on the Velvet painting and now and I see do you ever sometimes have trouble
not snickering when they choose something just ridiculous you know they're never gonna
uh yeah I think the I think the gold pendant we had in the shape of Joe garagiola amusement
and somebody said it'll be perfect for the damage snatched it up um we have you know you've been on
this show before and I guess you know that we use a bunch of blacked out no but I'll explain
it here in a second we have to do a commercial and then we'll be back with the tylus Pat Sajak ladies
and gentlemen hi there Pat Sajak is here and uh we got a great show Peter Frampton is here Harry
Shear is here you don't mind shows in America with a dress code well I just I don't know it seemed to
me like you need to have a tie on there we always see the image see it dressed up and looks like a
banker in that show don't I no you look great you look fine you know uh I guess maybe by now people
know this but uh perhaps some don't that before you were on the Wheel of Fortune you were a uh a
Weatherman in channel four KNBC in Los Angeles and a very popular weather man yeah and very very uh
did did you people know that or are you just bored silly
they're just fans of meteorology in general uh but you were very very funny and you had quite
a following from that it was fun I didn't know anything about the weather but I did I didn't
we did the weather for a while back there and yeah but you you really did it you did a very
nice job with it yeah yeah I knew that cold fronts we colored blue and the warm fronts
we colored red what about the occluded fronts what would you do with that there's something
yeah you got your hands full those fronts get occluded did you ever uh have any uh second
guesses about second thoughts about going from a comfortable situation in Los Angeles being a
a game show host yeah now you say that with a certain sound well I think for some people
it may have a connotation that is less than a game show us you said game show host yeah
right yeah well when you write that on your 1040 you do feel silly there's no doubt about that uh
I don't know it's it's a fairly dignified position well it's worked out well you know game show hosts
are okay we're all uh in the same you know all game shows live in the same condominium actually
well that's yeah that's the way it should be wink does breakfast [Music] um now uh speaking of what
people write on their 10 10 W 40 or that's all that's oil yeah yeah and they're 10 40. um and
what does uh it's also one of our lovely party gifts what does what
does your friend Vanna White uh write on her
what does she do on the show well vanha turn turns letters
and that's what she writes on her taxes there aren't many universities where you can actually
go and learn that so she had to start from scratch yeah um no she's three that's what she does yeah
but she's proud of it does a good job and much to her credit despite that somewhat limiting
sounding job description she's gotten quite a following as you heard from that aggressive uh
Ovation and I'm guessing eventually she would like to direct right I direct yeah
um she no she gets she gets more mail than I do it you get a lot of mail you're
a big star you're a major thank you very much much of it has dried spittle on it
ever had a situation with people don't uh I guess the uh the phrase right away yeah yeah we you know
our players are varying talents sometimes they're they're better than others yeah uh yeah we've had
that happen a couple of times should we look at this tape now do we have time to show the tape
or not we do have time all right uh this is uh this is when you helped us out one night we were
doing a fewer mail and uh the question was I don't know you were you were a puzzle on the show yeah
okay and here's some some footage that uh Pat and his friends at Wheel of Fortune were kind
enough to put together for us we're looking for a famous late night talk show host he's
on NBC at 12 30 a.m Mondays through Thursdays here we go should be easy foreign [Applause]
talk show host
late night [Laughter]
here on NBC rhymes with betterment
very funny young man [Laughter] anybody anybody want to buy a bowel okay there it is down
we uh you want to introduce your friend can we you want to bring you want to bring her
out here should we go in looking for it I'd be fine with me that's Pat's friend
and find out the the co-host yeah so what should we do bring her out or go in there
it's a great Pie by the way yeah how much time do we have here
Paul cover me here with a little music we have just a little bit of music
look at people run boy you bring a camera out here they just run for their lives like Rats on
a ship how do you do nice to see you hi look at this Pat all the ice you need right here
just like the men's room yeah so this is ice in the sink here she is the lovely
that the letter Turner of your dreams ladies and gentlemen Vanna White Vanna
white ladies and gentlemen are you in fact traveling together is that right
what business do you have here uh well I had to uh take care of his wallet while he was
out there on your Show Ladies and Gentlemen one of the greatest letter Turners in the
business and one of the most terrific game show hosts is that better yeah games Game
Show game show host and a gentleman in a fine television personality Pat Sajak
with a new tie we have to pause with the station identification we'll be right back
thank you