We can all see why this is so much of an American tradition, then and now.
NBC, 1975-1989
*1974 first pilot, hosted by the infamous Edd Byrnes! Though on the upside, there is a pretty cool set and jazzy theme to look forward to - studio timecode onscreen - Marge vs. Gary vs. Roseanne [SM, JLeeman6.2.4, A+]
*1974 second pilot - first 10 minutes only; mostly the same as the first pilot - studio timecode onscreen - Tanya vs. Frank vs. Lois [SM, JLeeman6.2.5, A+]
Chuck Woolery
*6/7/1976 - Gerry vs. Linda vs. Bill [GSN, JLeeman6.4.4, A++]
*4/6/1978 - Scott Hostetler vs. Glenda vs. Gail - bright video with slight reception problems, which breaks up during Susan's intro [OC, RSeidelman3.4, B+]
*4/7/1978 - Scott Hostetler vs. Peggy vs. Laurel - Scott plays the rare Star Bonus for a Porsche! - missing opening; begins at Susan's introduction - video bright and somewhat yellow-green-tinted with some minor reception distortion [OC, RRinkerman4.5.1, B+]
*10/1978 - Tuesday of Armed Forces Week! - Tom (Navy) vs. Dan (Air Force) vs. Stan (Army) - some slight tape distortion in places [OC, B+]
*10/1978 - Armed Forces finals, played for cash without shopping, and the Marine Corp Color Guard opens the show! - Dan (Air Force) vs. Mary (Marines) vs. Jerry (Army) [OC, A-]
*3/27/1979 - Gwen vs. Bryan vs. Anita - video slightly fuzzy [OC, DDowns13.3, B]
*12/4/1979 - Susan vs. Lea vs. Ginger - closing segment missing [OC, DDowns15.1, A]
*12/28/1979 - Allan vs. Mina vs. Susan - missing most of opening [OB, JLeeman0220-1.7, A-]
*12/31/1979 - Lou vs. Allan vs. Jackie [OC, DDowns16.7, B+]
*3/25/1980 - Mazel vs. Bob vs. Kevin - five rounds are somehow fitted in today! [OC, BBolton3.1, A-]
*5/7/1980 - Paul vs. Diane vs. Cathy - Chuck and Susan assure the viewers the show isn’t cancelled! [OC, DDowns5.1, A]
*6/20/1980 - Ken vs. Linda vs. Charlotte - this ep. has a lot of various fun moments - some reception distortion throughout [OC, BBolton3.2, B-]
*8/19/1980 - Steve vs. Kathie vs. Grace - first minute of show is cut due to a news report [OC, A-]
*10/8/1980 - Sonny vs. Ruth vs. Janet [OC, GBrobeck2.2, A+]
*11/7/1980 - Friday ep. Of Gameshow Host Week - Tom Kennedy (plays for audience member) vs. Monty vs. Minnie [OC, DDowns1.2, B+]
*12/24/1980 - Vicki vs. Bud vs. Linda - exciting win in Round 2, and the set is decorated for the occasion! - low audio [OC, BBolton3.3, A-]
*4/21/1981 - Virginia vs. Jan vs. Lori - pretty grainy video; VERY low audio [OC, MLight2.2.2, B]
*5/11/1981 - from San Francisco Week! - Lynn vs. Michael vs. Susie - missing opening (begins as game is about to start) and entire closing segment [OC, A]
*5/12/1981 - Cathy vs. Lynn vs. Gordon - missing closing segment [OC, A]
*5/13/1981 - Lynn vs. Cathy vs. Debbi - special reports cut off an entire round, as well as the very end of the game. Oh well... [OC, A]
*6/17/1981 - Walt vs. Leora vs. Joan [OC, A-]
*6/18/1981 - Walt vs. Nancy vs Brenda [OC, A-]
*12/25/1981 - 4.5-minute clip of Chuck Woolery’s final episode! (opening, interviews, and closing segment only) [OB, DDowns15.9, A-]
Pat Sajak
*12/28/1981 - Jim vs. Keith vs. Stacie - Pat's VERY FIRST Wheel episode! Also the beginning of Teen Week! - buzzy audio [OC, CDonnegan3.3, A-]
*3/29/1982 - Mike vs. Ronda vs. Merielen - no credits nor opening [OC, A-]
*3/31/1982 - Sherry vs. Merielen vs. Chris - missing credits and most of opening [OC, A-]
*9/2/1982 - Nancy vs. Beverly vs. Karen - slightly fuzzy video [OC, RSeidelman3.4, B+]
*9/3/1982 - Beverly vs. Dorian vs. Bill [OC, DDowns16.6, B+]
*12/13/1982 - Robin vs. Louis vs. Linda - Vanna White’s first ep. as permanent hostess! [GSN, DDowns5.2, A++]
*12/29/1982 - Teen Week episode - Chris vs. Evangelica vs. John - video breaks up at many points throughout [OC, DDowns15.2, C]
*5/6/1983 - Julie vs. Shirley vs. Barry - video is quite wavy most of the time and B&W from round 3 onwards; garbled audio [OB, GGarsten4.3, C+]
*5/27/1983 - Jackie vs. Penny vs. Paul - video is B&W and pretty wavy at times [OB, DDowns15.3, B-]
*5/30/1983 - 12 minutes (end of round 2 onwards) of an episode with Diana vs. Bill vs. Mitch - somewhat grainy video [OC, CDonegan1219-1.6, B]
*11/9/1983 - Couples Week ep. w/Bill and Kathy vs. Don and Susan vs. Frank and Debbie [OC, DBarkow4.1.1, B+]
*1984 - Lynn vs. Doug vs. Cathy - bright and pretty blurry video, but great quality otherwise [OB, DFendley.4, A-]
*4/1984 - Staa vs. Micky vs. Bill [OB w/few comm., RRinkerman2.3, B+]
*9/1984 - Celia vs. Joesph vs. Gloria - pretty grainy video, with some tracking problems [OC, MLight2.2.3, B-]
*2/9/1985 - Warren vs. Sol vs. Linda [OB, DBarkow4.1.2, B]
*4/24/1985 - Mary vs. Martha vs. Chuck [OC, GBrobeck2.3, B+]
*4/25/1985 - Chuck vs. Norma vs. Shira - somewhat muddy video [OB, GGarsten4.4, B-]
*6/1985 - Karen vs. Robert vs. Rachael [OB, MLight1.4, B]
*Next ep. - Pamela vs. Tracie vs. Robert [OC, MLight1.5, B]
*1986 - Nick vs. Rebecca vs. Corey - now contains the cash jackpot in round 3! [OB, MLight2.4, B-]
*6/20/1986 Teen Week finals, played for Savings Bonds! - Peter vs. Authora vs. Wendy - Susan Stafford returns for the week! [OC, DDowns5.4, B]
*11/13/1986 - Mike vs. Jill vs. Dawn - game ends in a TIE, and it takes a long time for Pat to explain what happens then! - slightly snowy video [OB w/most comm, MLight2.5, B]
*3/17/1987 - Phyllis vs. Alan vs. Clay - Pat wears a frog hat in honor of St. Patrick's Day! - pretty snowy video [OC, DBarkow4.1.3, B-]
*6/15/1987 - Rod vs. Mary-Kay vs. Angie [OB, DFendley.5, B]
*8/8/1988 - Bill vs. Lorayne vs. Joyce - Johnny Gilbert announces! - no closing segment [OC, RRinkerman0120-1.2, A-]
*10/26/1988 - Trick or Treat Week! - Jeanette (bad quality during her interview) vs. Leanna vs. Elizabeth [OC, DDowns13.7, B]
*12/7/1988 - Shawn vs. Ellie vs. Maddie [OC, DDowns3.4, B]
*1/6/1989 - Patti vs. Cary vs. Betsy - includes a promo for Rolf [OC, GBrobeck2.4, A-]
*1/9/1989 - Sajak's final daytime ep., and he kisses Vanna at the end! - Betsy vs. Consuelo vs. Gigi - two copies: [OC, DDowns1.4, B- at first then C+ (video is dark, is slightly wavy sometimes, and gains a few tracking problems near the end)] or [GSN, DDowns4.2, A+]
Rolf Benirschke
*1/10/1989 - Karen vs. Cheryl Gilmore vs. Consuelo - Rolf's first show, being very nervous and having Vanna come out at the start to introduce him! - two copies: [OC, DDowns1.5, B- (video slightly jerky with VCR timecode at top)] or [OB, GBrobeck3.5, B (rather dark video)]
*1/11/1989 - Karen vs. Judy vs. Robin - Rolf's second show; he's actually able to come out himself at the open this time! [OC, DDowns4.3, A-]
*6/30/1989 - Rolf's (unannounced) final episode, as well as the last one on NBC for a while and with shopping in general - Julie vs. Jay vs. Marc - now in MUCH better quality! [OC, CDonegan0420-2.4, A]
CBS, 1989-1991
Bob Goen
*7/17/1989 premiere - Fay vs. Rick vs. Lou - contains the infamous $50 and $75 spaces on the wheel - bright video [OC, DDowns7.5, B]
*7/18/1989 - Eva vs. Patrick vs. Rick - audio low and buzzy at most points [OB, DBarkow4.1.4, B]
*7/19/1989 - Suzy vs. Jeff vs. Patrick - same audio issues as above [OB, DBarkow4.1.5, B]
*8/22/1989 - Marleen vs. Mary-Ellen vs. Lee [OC, RRinkermanNov2012/6.2, A]
*7/5/1990 - from Armed Forces Week, with a weird format where contestants are switched every round! - Karen vs. Terry vs. Barry (at least, to start with) [OC, GBrobeck1.5, B+]
*12/25/1990 – Todd vs. Tom vs. Philip [OC, DDowns11.2, B+]
NBC, 1991
*3/11/1991 - Jennifer vs. Trei vs. Whitney - ‘cashpot’ sweepstakes is plugged [OC, DDowns14.6, B+]
*3/19/1991 - John vs. Glenn vs. Elaine - more ‘cashpot’ footage! [OC, DDowns14.7, B+]
*6/29/1991 finale - Gitta vs. Cheyenne vs. Ed [9/20/1991 RPT, DDowns3.3, A-]
syndication, 1983-present
Shopping
*9/19/1983 PREMIERE - Robin vs. Louis vs. Linda [GSN, DDowns1.3, A++]
*1984 - Tom vs. Cindi vs. Velma - video slightly wavy at times [OC, DDownsBonus2.3, B]
*7/1984 - Teresa vs. Mark vs. Gladys - video breaks frequently during intro and closing, and is slightly green-tinted and rather dark otherwise; audio pretty garbled [OC, DDownsBonus2.1, B-]
*8/1984 - Frances vs. Elaine vs. Duane - video pretty green-tinted, which also slightly flickers at times throughout [OC, DDownsBonus2.2, B-]
*1984 - Jeanette vs. Tim vs. Colleen - Jeanette gets 4 free spins in Round 1, and puts them to good use later! [GAME, DDowns5.2.3, A+]
*2/1985 - Ken vs. Irene vs. Gina [GAME w/comm, RRinkermanNov2012/6.1, A-]
*1985 - Steve vs. Christina vs. Debra - Steve puts his account to use TWICE! [GAME, DDowns5.3, B+]
*12/5/1985 - Nicki vs. Tony vs. Terry - the infamous ‘Thrill of Victory and the Agony of Defeat’ episode! [1986 RPT, CDonnegan1.1, A]
*3/14/1986 - Dick vs. Diane vs. Betty [OC, RRinkerman4.5.2, A]
*5/5/1986 - Ken vs. John vs. Andra - the "At My Wit's End" episode, which comes right down to the wire! - video has several tape lines at most points [OC, Gameshows.4, B+]
*1986 - Marsha vs. Ed vs. Kathleen - rough frame rate [OB, RRinkerman817-6.1, A-]
*10/1986 - Julie vs. David vs. Nita - water somehow spilled on Pat's cards! - pretty blurry video [OC, DDowns5.1.5, B]
*5/1987 - Sandra vs. Janet vs. Ray - muffled audio and opening missing [OC, DDowns15.4, A-]
Without Shopping
*11/1987 - Norm vs. Marci vs. Dean - over $37K is won in the main game alone, and the bonus round comes right down to the wire! - contestant interviews cut [1988 RPT, RRinkerman117-6.2, A]
*12/10/1987 - Eileen vs. Peggy vs. Paul - slightly garbled audio [OC, BSchwartz3.4.5b, A]
*2/19/1988 – Sheila vs. Greg vs. Dick – Pat drops pants at the end! [1989 RPT w/comm, DDowns4.4, B+]
*3/23/1988 - Barbara vs. Laurel vs. Mark - rather dark and fuzzy video [OC, DDownsBonus8.3, B-]
*6/1988 - Gerri vs. Maria vs. Kevin - one wrong step puts Vanna in a hot tub! [OB w/few comm, DDowns5.2.4, A-]
*9/8/1988 - early episode of sixth season, now with M.G. Kelly announcing - Mitchell vs. Diana vs. Colin - Pat plugs the upcoming NYC trip! [GAME w/comm, DDownsBonus2.4, A+]
*10/1988 - Shari vs. Tom vs. David [GAME, PBurgos5.4, B]
*11/17/1988 - from New York City! - Amy vs. Bill vs. Mary Lou [OB, CDonegan5.1.4, A]
*11/25/1988 - final day in New York City! - Martha vs. Linda vs. Willie [GSN w/comm, RRinkermanWheel/YDKJ.1, A+]
*mid-1989 - Arlene vs. Tina vs. Bill - includes a $57K bonus round win! [GAME w/comm, RRinkerman117-5.3, A+]
*9/4/1989 season premiere - Gisele vs. Julie vs. Jackie [OC, DDowns5.5, B]
*11/14/1989 - 5-minute clip where Vanna plays alone for charity, and Pat takes the puzzle board! [OB, DDowns16.1, A]
*1/10/1990 - Louise vs. Don vs. Loretta - pretty rough frame rate [GAME, JFisher2.4, A-]
*1/11/1990 - Louise vs. Sherry vs. Pat - pretty rough frame rate [GAME, JFisher2.5, A-]
*2/1/1990 - Alan vs. Chris vs. Paul [OB, DDownsBonus5.1, B+]
*2/5/1990 - Paul vs. Jeff vs. Susanna [OB, DDownsBonus5.2, B+]
*10/28/1991 - Gary vs. Steve vs. Susan - from the Around the World special, with John Burgess and Adriana Xenedies visiting! - inconsistent tracking results in the color briefly shutting out [OC, RRinkerman817-3.5, B+]
*10/5/1992 – Rob vs. Jennifer vs. Chris [GAME w/comm, PBurgos9.4, A-]
*11/12/1993 - 2000th episode! - Stephen vs. Chanelle vs. Darryle [OB, DDownsBonus5.3, A-]
*12/24/1993 Family Week finals, from Walt Disney World! - Elberta and David vs. Bridgette and Chuck vs. Marilyn and Kitty - a new record is set! - pretty blurry video [OB, DDownsBonus8.4, B]
*4/22/1994 - Gloria vs. Chris vs. Donna [OB, DDownsBonus8.5, A-]
*5/3/1994 - Music Stars Week ep. - Gladys Knight vs. Tammy Whynette vs. Weird Al Yankovic [OB, DDowns3.6, A-]
*9/15/1994 - Wayne vs. Lesley vs. Jack [GSN, A++]
*11/1994 - Tanya vs. Chris vs. Kevin [GSN, A++]
*1/1995 - Paul vs. Laura vs. Celeste [GSN, A++]
*2/20/1995 - Monday ep. of Some of the Greats Week - Raymond vs. Kelly vs. Carol [GSN w/comm, DDownsBonus5.4, A++]
*3/8/1995 - Dennis vs. Jenny vs. Doreen - A huge Round 3 puzzle is exciting for Doreen! [GSN, A]
*3/9/1995 - Peter vs. Doreen vs. Bill [GSN, A++]
*5/19/1995 - Armed Forced Week finals from Norfolk, VA [GSN w/comm, A+]
*6/1/1995 - Corey vs. K.C. vs. David - absolutely NO letters are given for the bonus round. [GSN w/comm, A-]
*9/8/1995 Teen Week finals - Jay vs. Shuntel vs. Amy - Jay does part of the contestant interviews, then finishes the round 1 introduction after Pat flubs! [GAME w/comm, RRinkerman117-6.3, A-]
*9/12/1996 - Tim vs. David vs. Kim - Pat plugs the upcoming Jackpot space! [GSN w/comm, SWylie5c, A++]
*9/16/1996 - Grace vs. Gary vs. Candy - contains the debut of the Jackpot space! [GAME w/comm, RRinkermanNov2012/6.3, A-]
*2/24/1997 - debut of the electronic puzzle board, with a truly grand reveal! - Jim vs. Nancy vs. Joel [GSN w/comm, RRinkerman0120-1.4, A+]
*4/1/1997 - the famous April Fool's episode, with Alex Trebek hosting, Leslie Sajak co-hosting, and Pat and Vanna playing for charity!!! [GSN, RRinkerman817-1.5, A+]
*5/6/1998, taped in Houston! - Rudy vs. Rebecca vs. Richard (really fun contestant!) - includes a $10K Jackpot win! - video briefly breaks for part of the speed round [OB, RRinkerman117-6.4, A-]
*12/3/1998 - Jerry vs. Jaime vs. Phil [OC, RRinkermanNov2012/6.4, A-]
*11/11/1999, taped in New York City! - David vs. Chandra vs. Joseph - "A Group of Pill Pushers?" - includes the short-lived Preview Puzzle and Puzzler [OB, RRinkerman117-6.5, A-]
*9/22/2000 - Now has the toss-ups! - Sally vs. Deanna vs. Leonard Stone (yes, THAT one) - no open [OB, RRinkerman0120-5.5, A-]
*11/22/2002 from Seattle - Tiffany and Heather vs. Charlie and Krista vs. Sandy and Renee [OC, B]
*4/24/2003 - Byron vs. Amy vs. Anita – contains an amazing $100K win, and also the first day of the '20 Cars in 20 Days' sweepstakes! - now have a complete copy! [OC, CCohan0720-5.5, A]
*11/20/2003 - 4000th show from NYC; nothing but past clips! [GSN, DDowns4.5, A++]
*1/2/2009 - Mike vs. Christian vs. Phylicia [OC, A+]
*9/14/2009 season premiere - Davina vs. Michelle vs. Todd - first episode with the Free Play Wedge [OB, A++]
*3/31/2010 - taped in Hawaii! - Norda vs. Holly vs. Oren [OB, A++]
*4/1/2010 - April Fools show, with 10 hidden "mistakes"! - Cherise vs. Bernie vs. Jim [OB, A++]
*10/29/2010 - Mike vs. Kim vs. Jessica - Halloween special, with Vanna wearing a quite interesting costume at the end! Also Charlie O'Donnell's last taped episode as announcer - somewhat dark video [OB, A+]
*11/5/2010 - Krystle vs. Rick vs. Caitlin - Johnny Gilbert announces, the "I've Got a Good Feeling About This" solve, and Pat and Vanna pay tribute to Charlie O'Donnell (RIP). Highly recommended! [OB, A+]
*12/24/2010 - Jim Thornton announces (before being deemed permanent)! - Christina vs. Laura vs. Kevin [OB, A]
*9/23/2011 - contestant info TBA, but there are family teams here - final day of Watch and Win sweepstakes, and Jim Thornton gets an on-camera appearance at the end! [OB, A++]
*11/15/2011 - Felix vs. Bonnie vs. Melanie - from the Secret Santa sweepstakes, and what a haul they have tonight... [OB, A++]
Australian versions
Channel 7, 1980-2007
John Burgess
*1990 - John vs. Glenn vs. Julie [OB, DBarkow7.3, B+]
*1991 Celebrity Special (from a Saturday night mini-series) - Chris Kirby vs. Karen Knowles vs. Grant Kinney - some tracking issues during opening [OB, CDonnegan1.2, A-]
*1994 - Cindy vs. Debbie vs. Litsa [OB w/one comm, RRinkermanWheel/YDKJ.2, B]
*Next ep. - Joy vs. Eddie vs. Debbie [OB, DDowns9.1, A-]
*1995 - from week 2 of $100K tournament of champions! - Melissa vs. Anna vs. Neill [OB, CDonnegan3.4, A-]
Tony Barber
*7/15/1996 - Tim vs. Joanne vs. Greg - Tony’s first show, and the first episode with the ‘failed’ new format! [OB, DDowns9.2, A-]
Rob Elliot
*1/1997 season premiere - old rules return, and Tony Barber appears at the start to introduce Rob - Barbara vs. Kimbo vs. Kathy [OB, BMoore2.3, A-]
*1998 - Live interactive episode! - Rodney vs. Danielle vs. Paul [OB, CDonegan5.3, A-]
*1999 - Sophie Falkner is now hostess - Jan vs. Paul vs. Laura - pretty jerky video; buzzy audio [OB, CDonegan5.4, B+]
*2002 - Victor vs. Ian vs. Robert [OC, CDonnegan1.3, A]
*2003 - Peter vs. Marie vs. James [OB, DBarkow6.3, B+]
Steve Omemcke
*5/27/2004 - Rohan vs. Joanna vs. Brendan Richards [OC, RRinkerman4.5.3, A-]
*11/27/2004 - his 200th episode as host! - Leanne vs. Stewart vs. Missy [OB, CDonegan5.5, A]
Larry Edmur
*1/30/2006 series premiere (and Larry's first episode!) - Sara vs. Troy vs. Aiki [OC, BMoore2.3.3, A]
*7/28/2006 finale - Heidi vs. Edith vs. Peter - Highly recommended! [OC, CDonegan6.2.4, A+]
United Kingdom versions
ITV, 1988-2001
Nicky Campbell
*1995 - Rosa vs. Thomas vs. Karen - "pale"-looking video, with bottom of screen cut for some reason; buzzy audio [OB, CDonegan4.2.2, B]
*1996 - Armed Forces ep. - Tom vs. Rebecca vs. Billy [CHA w/comm, CDonegan4.2.3, A]
Bradley Walsh
*1997 - Rachael vs. Hugh vs. Alison - Bradley's a very weird host; I can see why he was short-lived! [CHA w/comm, RRinkerman5.6.2, A]
John Leslie
*1999 - Ema vs. Steve vs. Donna [CHA w/comm, BSchwartz3.2, A-]
*2000 - Margaret vs. Ron vs. Elizabeth - now with rather heavily cheapened stakes [OC, BSchwartz3.3, B]
New Zealand versions
TV2, 1991-1996
Philip Leishman
*1994 - Sonny vs. Josie vs. Shirley - somewhat dark video, which is also noticeably cropped at the bottom [OB, RRinkerman517-4.4, B]
NBC, 1975-1989
*1974 first pilot, hosted by the infamous Edd Byrnes! Though on the upside, there is a pretty cool set and jazzy theme to look forward to - studio timecode onscreen - Marge vs. Gary vs. Roseanne [SM, JLeeman6.2.4, A+]
*1974 second pilot - first 10 minutes only; mostly the same as the first pilot - studio timecode onscreen - Tanya vs. Frank vs. Lois [SM, JLeeman6.2.5, A+]
Chuck Woolery
*6/7/1976 - Gerry vs. Linda vs. Bill [GSN, JLeeman6.4.4, A++]
*4/6/1978 - Scott Hostetler vs. Glenda vs. Gail - bright video with slight reception problems, which breaks up during Susan's intro [OC, RSeidelman3.4, B+]
*4/7/1978 - Scott Hostetler vs. Peggy vs. Laurel - Scott plays the rare Star Bonus for a Porsche! - missing opening; begins at Susan's introduction - video bright and somewhat yellow-green-tinted with some minor reception distortion [OC, RRinkerman4.5.1, B+]
*10/1978 - Tuesday of Armed Forces Week! - Tom (Navy) vs. Dan (Air Force) vs. Stan (Army) - some slight tape distortion in places [OC, B+]
*10/1978 - Armed Forces finals, played for cash without shopping, and the Marine Corp Color Guard opens the show! - Dan (Air Force) vs. Mary (Marines) vs. Jerry (Army) [OC, A-]
*3/27/1979 - Gwen vs. Bryan vs. Anita - video slightly fuzzy [OC, DDowns13.3, B]
*12/4/1979 - Susan vs. Lea vs. Ginger - closing segment missing [OC, DDowns15.1, A]
*12/28/1979 - Allan vs. Mina vs. Susan - missing most of opening [OB, JLeeman0220-1.7, A-]
*12/31/1979 - Lou vs. Allan vs. Jackie [OC, DDowns16.7, B+]
*3/25/1980 - Mazel vs. Bob vs. Kevin - five rounds are somehow fitted in today! [OC, BBolton3.1, A-]
*5/7/1980 - Paul vs. Diane vs. Cathy - Chuck and Susan assure the viewers the show isn’t cancelled! [OC, DDowns5.1, A]
*6/20/1980 - Ken vs. Linda vs. Charlotte - this ep. has a lot of various fun moments - some reception distortion throughout [OC, BBolton3.2, B-]
*8/19/1980 - Steve vs. Kathie vs. Grace - first minute of show is cut due to a news report [OC, A-]
*10/8/1980 - Sonny vs. Ruth vs. Janet [OC, GBrobeck2.2, A+]
*11/7/1980 - Friday ep. Of Gameshow Host Week - Tom Kennedy (plays for audience member) vs. Monty vs. Minnie [OC, DDowns1.2, B+]
*12/24/1980 - Vicki vs. Bud vs. Linda - exciting win in Round 2, and the set is decorated for the occasion! - low audio [OC, BBolton3.3, A-]
*4/21/1981 - Virginia vs. Jan vs. Lori - pretty grainy video; VERY low audio [OC, MLight2.2.2, B]
*5/11/1981 - from San Francisco Week! - Lynn vs. Michael vs. Susie - missing opening (begins as game is about to start) and entire closing segment [OC, A]
*5/12/1981 - Cathy vs. Lynn vs. Gordon - missing closing segment [OC, A]
*5/13/1981 - Lynn vs. Cathy vs. Debbi - special reports cut off an entire round, as well as the very end of the game. Oh well... [OC, A]
*6/17/1981 - Walt vs. Leora vs. Joan [OC, A-]
*6/18/1981 - Walt vs. Nancy vs Brenda [OC, A-]
*12/25/1981 - 4.5-minute clip of Chuck Woolery’s final episode! (opening, interviews, and closing segment only) [OB, DDowns15.9, A-]
Pat Sajak
*12/28/1981 - Jim vs. Keith vs. Stacie - Pat's VERY FIRST Wheel episode! Also the beginning of Teen Week! - buzzy audio [OC, CDonnegan3.3, A-]
*3/29/1982 - Mike vs. Ronda vs. Merielen - no credits nor opening [OC, A-]
*3/31/1982 - Sherry vs. Merielen vs. Chris - missing credits and most of opening [OC, A-]
*9/2/1982 - Nancy vs. Beverly vs. Karen - slightly fuzzy video [OC, RSeidelman3.4, B+]
*9/3/1982 - Beverly vs. Dorian vs. Bill [OC, DDowns16.6, B+]
*12/13/1982 - Robin vs. Louis vs. Linda - Vanna White’s first ep. as permanent hostess! [GSN, DDowns5.2, A++]
*12/29/1982 - Teen Week episode - Chris vs. Evangelica vs. John - video breaks up at many points throughout [OC, DDowns15.2, C]
*5/6/1983 - Julie vs. Shirley vs. Barry - video is quite wavy most of the time and B&W from round 3 onwards; garbled audio [OB, GGarsten4.3, C+]
*5/27/1983 - Jackie vs. Penny vs. Paul - video is B&W and pretty wavy at times [OB, DDowns15.3, B-]
*5/30/1983 - 12 minutes (end of round 2 onwards) of an episode with Diana vs. Bill vs. Mitch - somewhat grainy video [OC, CDonegan1219-1.6, B]
*11/9/1983 - Couples Week ep. w/Bill and Kathy vs. Don and Susan vs. Frank and Debbie [OC, DBarkow4.1.1, B+]
*1984 - Lynn vs. Doug vs. Cathy - bright and pretty blurry video, but great quality otherwise [OB, DFendley.4, A-]
*4/1984 - Staa vs. Micky vs. Bill [OB w/few comm., RRinkerman2.3, B+]
*9/1984 - Celia vs. Joesph vs. Gloria - pretty grainy video, with some tracking problems [OC, MLight2.2.3, B-]
*2/9/1985 - Warren vs. Sol vs. Linda [OB, DBarkow4.1.2, B]
*4/24/1985 - Mary vs. Martha vs. Chuck [OC, GBrobeck2.3, B+]
*4/25/1985 - Chuck vs. Norma vs. Shira - somewhat muddy video [OB, GGarsten4.4, B-]
*6/1985 - Karen vs. Robert vs. Rachael [OB, MLight1.4, B]
*Next ep. - Pamela vs. Tracie vs. Robert [OC, MLight1.5, B]
*1986 - Nick vs. Rebecca vs. Corey - now contains the cash jackpot in round 3! [OB, MLight2.4, B-]
*6/20/1986 Teen Week finals, played for Savings Bonds! - Peter vs. Authora vs. Wendy - Susan Stafford returns for the week! [OC, DDowns5.4, B]
*11/13/1986 - Mike vs. Jill vs. Dawn - game ends in a TIE, and it takes a long time for Pat to explain what happens then! - slightly snowy video [OB w/most comm, MLight2.5, B]
*3/17/1987 - Phyllis vs. Alan vs. Clay - Pat wears a frog hat in honor of St. Patrick's Day! - pretty snowy video [OC, DBarkow4.1.3, B-]
*6/15/1987 - Rod vs. Mary-Kay vs. Angie [OB, DFendley.5, B]
*8/8/1988 - Bill vs. Lorayne vs. Joyce - Johnny Gilbert announces! - no closing segment [OC, RRinkerman0120-1.2, A-]
*10/26/1988 - Trick or Treat Week! - Jeanette (bad quality during her interview) vs. Leanna vs. Elizabeth [OC, DDowns13.7, B]
*12/7/1988 - Shawn vs. Ellie vs. Maddie [OC, DDowns3.4, B]
*1/6/1989 - Patti vs. Cary vs. Betsy - includes a promo for Rolf [OC, GBrobeck2.4, A-]
*1/9/1989 - Sajak's final daytime ep., and he kisses Vanna at the end! - Betsy vs. Consuelo vs. Gigi - two copies: [OC, DDowns1.4, B- at first then C+ (video is dark, is slightly wavy sometimes, and gains a few tracking problems near the end)] or [GSN, DDowns4.2, A+]
Rolf Benirschke
*1/10/1989 - Karen vs. Cheryl Gilmore vs. Consuelo - Rolf's first show, being very nervous and having Vanna come out at the start to introduce him! - two copies: [OC, DDowns1.5, B- (video slightly jerky with VCR timecode at top)] or [OB, GBrobeck3.5, B (rather dark video)]
*1/11/1989 - Karen vs. Judy vs. Robin - Rolf's second show; he's actually able to come out himself at the open this time! [OC, DDowns4.3, A-]
*6/30/1989 - Rolf's (unannounced) final episode, as well as the last one on NBC for a while and with shopping in general - Julie vs. Jay vs. Marc - now in MUCH better quality! [OC, CDonegan0420-2.4, A]
CBS, 1989-1991
Bob Goen
*7/17/1989 premiere - Fay vs. Rick vs. Lou - contains the infamous $50 and $75 spaces on the wheel - bright video [OC, DDowns7.5, B]
*7/18/1989 - Eva vs. Patrick vs. Rick - audio low and buzzy at most points [OB, DBarkow4.1.4, B]
*7/19/1989 - Suzy vs. Jeff vs. Patrick - same audio issues as above [OB, DBarkow4.1.5, B]
*8/22/1989 - Marleen vs. Mary-Ellen vs. Lee [OC, RRinkermanNov2012/6.2, A]
*7/5/1990 - from Armed Forces Week, with a weird format where contestants are switched every round! - Karen vs. Terry vs. Barry (at least, to start with) [OC, GBrobeck1.5, B+]
*12/25/1990 – Todd vs. Tom vs. Philip [OC, DDowns11.2, B+]
NBC, 1991
*3/11/1991 - Jennifer vs. Trei vs. Whitney - ‘cashpot’ sweepstakes is plugged [OC, DDowns14.6, B+]
*3/19/1991 - John vs. Glenn vs. Elaine - more ‘cashpot’ footage! [OC, DDowns14.7, B+]
*6/29/1991 finale - Gitta vs. Cheyenne vs. Ed [9/20/1991 RPT, DDowns3.3, A-]
syndication, 1983-present
Shopping
*9/19/1983 PREMIERE - Robin vs. Louis vs. Linda [GSN, DDowns1.3, A++]
*1984 - Tom vs. Cindi vs. Velma - video slightly wavy at times [OC, DDownsBonus2.3, B]
*7/1984 - Teresa vs. Mark vs. Gladys - video breaks frequently during intro and closing, and is slightly green-tinted and rather dark otherwise; audio pretty garbled [OC, DDownsBonus2.1, B-]
*8/1984 - Frances vs. Elaine vs. Duane - video pretty green-tinted, which also slightly flickers at times throughout [OC, DDownsBonus2.2, B-]
*1984 - Jeanette vs. Tim vs. Colleen - Jeanette gets 4 free spins in Round 1, and puts them to good use later! [GAME, DDowns5.2.3, A+]
*2/1985 - Ken vs. Irene vs. Gina [GAME w/comm, RRinkermanNov2012/6.1, A-]
*1985 - Steve vs. Christina vs. Debra - Steve puts his account to use TWICE! [GAME, DDowns5.3, B+]
*12/5/1985 - Nicki vs. Tony vs. Terry - the infamous ‘Thrill of Victory and the Agony of Defeat’ episode! [1986 RPT, CDonnegan1.1, A]
*3/14/1986 - Dick vs. Diane vs. Betty [OC, RRinkerman4.5.2, A]
*5/5/1986 - Ken vs. John vs. Andra - the "At My Wit's End" episode, which comes right down to the wire! - video has several tape lines at most points [OC, Gameshows.4, B+]
*1986 - Marsha vs. Ed vs. Kathleen - rough frame rate [OB, RRinkerman817-6.1, A-]
*10/1986 - Julie vs. David vs. Nita - water somehow spilled on Pat's cards! - pretty blurry video [OC, DDowns5.1.5, B]
*5/1987 - Sandra vs. Janet vs. Ray - muffled audio and opening missing [OC, DDowns15.4, A-]
Without Shopping
*11/1987 - Norm vs. Marci vs. Dean - over $37K is won in the main game alone, and the bonus round comes right down to the wire! - contestant interviews cut [1988 RPT, RRinkerman117-6.2, A]
*12/10/1987 - Eileen vs. Peggy vs. Paul - slightly garbled audio [OC, BSchwartz3.4.5b, A]
*2/19/1988 – Sheila vs. Greg vs. Dick – Pat drops pants at the end! [1989 RPT w/comm, DDowns4.4, B+]
*3/23/1988 - Barbara vs. Laurel vs. Mark - rather dark and fuzzy video [OC, DDownsBonus8.3, B-]
*6/1988 - Gerri vs. Maria vs. Kevin - one wrong step puts Vanna in a hot tub! [OB w/few comm, DDowns5.2.4, A-]
*9/8/1988 - early episode of sixth season, now with M.G. Kelly announcing - Mitchell vs. Diana vs. Colin - Pat plugs the upcoming NYC trip! [GAME w/comm, DDownsBonus2.4, A+]
*10/1988 - Shari vs. Tom vs. David [GAME, PBurgos5.4, B]
*11/17/1988 - from New York City! - Amy vs. Bill vs. Mary Lou [OB, CDonegan5.1.4, A]
*11/25/1988 - final day in New York City! - Martha vs. Linda vs. Willie [GSN w/comm, RRinkermanWheel/YDKJ.1, A+]
*mid-1989 - Arlene vs. Tina vs. Bill - includes a $57K bonus round win! [GAME w/comm, RRinkerman117-5.3, A+]
*9/4/1989 season premiere - Gisele vs. Julie vs. Jackie [OC, DDowns5.5, B]
*11/14/1989 - 5-minute clip where Vanna plays alone for charity, and Pat takes the puzzle board! [OB, DDowns16.1, A]
*1/10/1990 - Louise vs. Don vs. Loretta - pretty rough frame rate [GAME, JFisher2.4, A-]
*1/11/1990 - Louise vs. Sherry vs. Pat - pretty rough frame rate [GAME, JFisher2.5, A-]
*2/1/1990 - Alan vs. Chris vs. Paul [OB, DDownsBonus5.1, B+]
*2/5/1990 - Paul vs. Jeff vs. Susanna [OB, DDownsBonus5.2, B+]
*10/28/1991 - Gary vs. Steve vs. Susan - from the Around the World special, with John Burgess and Adriana Xenedies visiting! - inconsistent tracking results in the color briefly shutting out [OC, RRinkerman817-3.5, B+]
*10/5/1992 – Rob vs. Jennifer vs. Chris [GAME w/comm, PBurgos9.4, A-]
*11/12/1993 - 2000th episode! - Stephen vs. Chanelle vs. Darryle [OB, DDownsBonus5.3, A-]
*12/24/1993 Family Week finals, from Walt Disney World! - Elberta and David vs. Bridgette and Chuck vs. Marilyn and Kitty - a new record is set! - pretty blurry video [OB, DDownsBonus8.4, B]
*4/22/1994 - Gloria vs. Chris vs. Donna [OB, DDownsBonus8.5, A-]
*5/3/1994 - Music Stars Week ep. - Gladys Knight vs. Tammy Whynette vs. Weird Al Yankovic [OB, DDowns3.6, A-]
*9/15/1994 - Wayne vs. Lesley vs. Jack [GSN, A++]
*11/1994 - Tanya vs. Chris vs. Kevin [GSN, A++]
*1/1995 - Paul vs. Laura vs. Celeste [GSN, A++]
*2/20/1995 - Monday ep. of Some of the Greats Week - Raymond vs. Kelly vs. Carol [GSN w/comm, DDownsBonus5.4, A++]
*3/8/1995 - Dennis vs. Jenny vs. Doreen - A huge Round 3 puzzle is exciting for Doreen! [GSN, A]
*3/9/1995 - Peter vs. Doreen vs. Bill [GSN, A++]
*5/19/1995 - Armed Forced Week finals from Norfolk, VA [GSN w/comm, A+]
*6/1/1995 - Corey vs. K.C. vs. David - absolutely NO letters are given for the bonus round. [GSN w/comm, A-]
*9/8/1995 Teen Week finals - Jay vs. Shuntel vs. Amy - Jay does part of the contestant interviews, then finishes the round 1 introduction after Pat flubs! [GAME w/comm, RRinkerman117-6.3, A-]
*9/12/1996 - Tim vs. David vs. Kim - Pat plugs the upcoming Jackpot space! [GSN w/comm, SWylie5c, A++]
*9/16/1996 - Grace vs. Gary vs. Candy - contains the debut of the Jackpot space! [GAME w/comm, RRinkermanNov2012/6.3, A-]
*2/24/1997 - debut of the electronic puzzle board, with a truly grand reveal! - Jim vs. Nancy vs. Joel [GSN w/comm, RRinkerman0120-1.4, A+]
*4/1/1997 - the famous April Fool's episode, with Alex Trebek hosting, Leslie Sajak co-hosting, and Pat and Vanna playing for charity!!! [GSN, RRinkerman817-1.5, A+]
*5/6/1998, taped in Houston! - Rudy vs. Rebecca vs. Richard (really fun contestant!) - includes a $10K Jackpot win! - video briefly breaks for part of the speed round [OB, RRinkerman117-6.4, A-]
*12/3/1998 - Jerry vs. Jaime vs. Phil [OC, RRinkermanNov2012/6.4, A-]
*11/11/1999, taped in New York City! - David vs. Chandra vs. Joseph - "A Group of Pill Pushers?" - includes the short-lived Preview Puzzle and Puzzler [OB, RRinkerman117-6.5, A-]
*9/22/2000 - Now has the toss-ups! - Sally vs. Deanna vs. Leonard Stone (yes, THAT one) - no open [OB, RRinkerman0120-5.5, A-]
*11/22/2002 from Seattle - Tiffany and Heather vs. Charlie and Krista vs. Sandy and Renee [OC, B]
*4/24/2003 - Byron vs. Amy vs. Anita – contains an amazing $100K win, and also the first day of the '20 Cars in 20 Days' sweepstakes! - now have a complete copy! [OC, CCohan0720-5.5, A]
*11/20/2003 - 4000th show from NYC; nothing but past clips! [GSN, DDowns4.5, A++]
*1/2/2009 - Mike vs. Christian vs. Phylicia [OC, A+]
*9/14/2009 season premiere - Davina vs. Michelle vs. Todd - first episode with the Free Play Wedge [OB, A++]
*3/31/2010 - taped in Hawaii! - Norda vs. Holly vs. Oren [OB, A++]
*4/1/2010 - April Fools show, with 10 hidden "mistakes"! - Cherise vs. Bernie vs. Jim [OB, A++]
*10/29/2010 - Mike vs. Kim vs. Jessica - Halloween special, with Vanna wearing a quite interesting costume at the end! Also Charlie O'Donnell's last taped episode as announcer - somewhat dark video [OB, A+]
*11/5/2010 - Krystle vs. Rick vs. Caitlin - Johnny Gilbert announces, the "I've Got a Good Feeling About This" solve, and Pat and Vanna pay tribute to Charlie O'Donnell (RIP). Highly recommended! [OB, A+]
*12/24/2010 - Jim Thornton announces (before being deemed permanent)! - Christina vs. Laura vs. Kevin [OB, A]
*9/23/2011 - contestant info TBA, but there are family teams here - final day of Watch and Win sweepstakes, and Jim Thornton gets an on-camera appearance at the end! [OB, A++]
*11/15/2011 - Felix vs. Bonnie vs. Melanie - from the Secret Santa sweepstakes, and what a haul they have tonight... [OB, A++]
Australian versions
Channel 7, 1980-2007
John Burgess
*1990 - John vs. Glenn vs. Julie [OB, DBarkow7.3, B+]
*1991 Celebrity Special (from a Saturday night mini-series) - Chris Kirby vs. Karen Knowles vs. Grant Kinney - some tracking issues during opening [OB, CDonnegan1.2, A-]
*1994 - Cindy vs. Debbie vs. Litsa [OB w/one comm, RRinkermanWheel/YDKJ.2, B]
*Next ep. - Joy vs. Eddie vs. Debbie [OB, DDowns9.1, A-]
*1995 - from week 2 of $100K tournament of champions! - Melissa vs. Anna vs. Neill [OB, CDonnegan3.4, A-]
Tony Barber
*7/15/1996 - Tim vs. Joanne vs. Greg - Tony’s first show, and the first episode with the ‘failed’ new format! [OB, DDowns9.2, A-]
Rob Elliot
*1/1997 season premiere - old rules return, and Tony Barber appears at the start to introduce Rob - Barbara vs. Kimbo vs. Kathy [OB, BMoore2.3, A-]
*1998 - Live interactive episode! - Rodney vs. Danielle vs. Paul [OB, CDonegan5.3, A-]
*1999 - Sophie Falkner is now hostess - Jan vs. Paul vs. Laura - pretty jerky video; buzzy audio [OB, CDonegan5.4, B+]
*2002 - Victor vs. Ian vs. Robert [OC, CDonnegan1.3, A]
*2003 - Peter vs. Marie vs. James [OB, DBarkow6.3, B+]
Steve Omemcke
*5/27/2004 - Rohan vs. Joanna vs. Brendan Richards [OC, RRinkerman4.5.3, A-]
*11/27/2004 - his 200th episode as host! - Leanne vs. Stewart vs. Missy [OB, CDonegan5.5, A]
Larry Edmur
*1/30/2006 series premiere (and Larry's first episode!) - Sara vs. Troy vs. Aiki [OC, BMoore2.3.3, A]
*7/28/2006 finale - Heidi vs. Edith vs. Peter - Highly recommended! [OC, CDonegan6.2.4, A+]
United Kingdom versions
ITV, 1988-2001
Nicky Campbell
*1995 - Rosa vs. Thomas vs. Karen - "pale"-looking video, with bottom of screen cut for some reason; buzzy audio [OB, CDonegan4.2.2, B]
*1996 - Armed Forces ep. - Tom vs. Rebecca vs. Billy [CHA w/comm, CDonegan4.2.3, A]
Bradley Walsh
*1997 - Rachael vs. Hugh vs. Alison - Bradley's a very weird host; I can see why he was short-lived! [CHA w/comm, RRinkerman5.6.2, A]
John Leslie
*1999 - Ema vs. Steve vs. Donna [CHA w/comm, BSchwartz3.2, A-]
*2000 - Margaret vs. Ron vs. Elizabeth - now with rather heavily cheapened stakes [OC, BSchwartz3.3, B]
New Zealand versions
TV2, 1991-1996
Philip Leishman
*1994 - Sonny vs. Josie vs. Shirley - somewhat dark video, which is also noticeably cropped at the bottom [OB, RRinkerman517-4.4, B]