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Airdate: Million Dollar Wheel of Fortune

The billboards are going up, the media are being prepped, rehearsals are underway and the shoots start next week.

Million Dollar Wheel of Fortune (its full title) will premiere at 5:30pm Monday May 26 on Nine.

Campbell will be the seventh host of the Aussie gameshow, accompanied by Kelly Landry.

Nine is hoping its new look gameshow will take on Seven’s long-running Deal or No Deal, as an all-important lead-in to the news.

Antiques Roadshow moves back to 5:00pm effectively bumping Bargain Hunt out of schedule.

For QTQ viewers, everything bumps back by a further half hour with Wheel (5pm) making room for Brisbane Extra (5:30pm). This adjustment has always allowed Seven to be able to trumpet Deal’s national figure ahead of Nine’s 5:30pm showing. And I don’t see that tactic about to change anytime soon (but at least, now you know!).

UPDATE 16 / 5: QTQ drops Antiques Roadshow to allow for National Nine News to continue at 4:30pm.

The stakes will be high when Channel Nine presents the all new Million Dollar Wheel of Fortune, on Monday, May 26 at 5.30pm. In a world first, there’ll be one million dollars up for grabs every week night.

Hosted by the popular and talented Tim Campbell, Million Dollar Wheel of Fortune has never been richer. Joining Tim as co-host is gorgeous newcomer Kelly Landry. Kelly will reveal the letters on a new letter board that uses the latest digital technology

Wheel of Fortune spins into action in more than 32 countries but Nine’s new Million Dollar Wheel of Fortune is the first in the world to offer the ultimate wedge on the Wheel – one million dollars in cash.

In another world first, Million Dollar Wheel of Fortune is the only show of its kind to unveil an exciting illuminated wheel.

Wheel of Fortune has long proved its success on Australian television, where it has been seen for 26 years. Undoubtedly one of the most popular of all game show formats, the original concept was created in America by Merv Griffin more than 30 years ago.

Today, Wheel is still the highest rating syndicated game show on US television, with an average daily audience in excess of 11 million viewers.

With names such as Ernie Sigley, John Burgess and Tony Barber at the helm in the past, all-round entertainer Tim Campbell joins an esteemed lineup as the seventh local host of the show.

“I feel privileged to be given the reins to the institution that is Wheel of Fortune. The revamped version means I have the chance to give away millions of dollars in cash and prizes – what more could I ask for?” Campbell said.

“Kelly and I can’t wait to be in viewers’ lounge rooms five nights a week, especially in such a critical timeslot for the Nine Network as it leads into the evening news”.

The reinvigorated Million Dollar Wheel of Fortune, which is still being rolled out around the world, will have all the familiar elements that have made the show such a perennial favourite. And along with a modern look and feel, contestants will be playing for envious amounts of cash, whereas previous Wheels only had prizes to play for.

The “bankrupt” wedge will be one to avoid as it will mean losing “real” money, but with three contestants a night it’s pretty simple – solve the puzzle and you win the cash.

At the end of each episode an exciting new game will be also played, featuring sensational prizes such as a car, as well as the potential to play for a massive $1,000,000 cash jackpot. The carryover champion returns the next night to try and do it all over again.


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8 Responses

  1. Dan was his character in Home And Away … where he was sometimes shirtless … and I NEVER realised he was Gay! How could i have missed that!
    Jack!

  2. jack! said:
    If gorgeous Dan is hosting, i may actually be enticed to watch it … pity he has to wear a suit and keep his shirt on though!
    Perhaps a shirts-off Friday (to tie in with Hamish and Andy’s pants-off Friday) could be in the works, although I’m not sure how the female contestants would feel about that.

    So if it’s now Million Dollar Wheel of Torture (I mean Fortune), does that mean that a champ may only stay on for 5 nights to win a maximum of $1,000,000?

  3. cragiej, from what I have heard, that at Christmas the bosses at Nine commended the Extra staff as a example of what Nine should be doing these days.

    I would not be surprised if a lot of Extra/Gold Coast News viewers only watch the program(s) because 7 does not offer a proper alternative to Extra (especially in the field of consumer affairs since 7 dumped Brisbane’s local Today Tonight in 2003 in favor of a east coast edition) in the Brisbane market nor does it produce any local news for the ever growing amount of people who live on the Gold Coast.

    The other factor is that 7 Brisbane recruited in late 2006, John Schluter (who left Nine in September that year) and Sharon Ghidella (who read the news on Today), two people (and one segment, the Sunday Flashbacks) which have turned 7’s Sunday news into consistantly Brisbane’s top program each week (with nearly 400,000 viewers every Sunday), which has even spread the momentum slowly to weekdays where 7 News can attract 300,000+ viewers at 6pm (as well as a large radio audience through simulcasts on Brisbane’s 96.5 FM and Ipswich’s River 94.9 FM).

    I live in Brisbane don’t I?

  4. why someone hasnt put Brisbane Extra out if its misery is beyond me, for those of you elsewhere, its horriffic! I can understand when nine news was winnning in Brisbane the “If it aint broke dont fix it” mentality, but with Seven news now firmly entrenched as #1 up here, surely its time to try something else at 5.30pm..Please..someone at TCN in Sydney, make the call..axe it..please..

  5. It seems like this may actually give Deal or No Deal a good run for its money. A trusted formula that’s been vamped up with bigger stakes and prize money (I should be in publicity, really) will defiantly attract audience. Lets hope the host can work the show well.

  6. David, I have read on Wikipedia that Shawn Cosgrove (Announcer from The Price is Right) has been given the role of crowd warmer position any conformation on this??? Pity Nine havent made him the announcer

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