"Wheel of Fortune" 9/19

Intro Flashback Moment ('98): Frank Gadaro's interview where he was described as a clown & a mortician (he was from Vegas)

$1K T-U: Phrase

L _ T / _ O U R

H _ _ _ / _ _ W N

Mary Beth remembers the "LET YOUR HAIR DOWN" line to Rapunzel for the C-note. The panel this evening:

Mary Beth Salmieri (Oakland)- A wedding coordinator/event planner who also plays poker & has learned the alphabet by being a Wheel Watcher (whose previous winnings on NBC "Deal or No Deal" total $341K, even though she had the $1 Million in her chosen briefcase & fell one "No Deal" call short of likely holding onto it)
Mike Snyder (Charleston, WV)- A USPS driving instructor married to Misty for four years w/ a son named Austin who rides on the right sides of ATVs
Linda Beblo (Greenville, PA)- A rollform operator married for 34 yrs. w/ three children, two in-laws & one incoming grandchild

$2K T-U: Event

T R _ _ S U _ E

H _ _ _

Also the name of a game show hosted by Jan Murray & later Geoff Edwards, Mary Beth triples w/ "TREASURE HUNT" (& Pat even mentions Jan after the solve).

Featured Spa Trip: Hotel Grande Bretagne in Athens

IHOP Jackpot Round: Occupation

Mary Beth gets off to an $800 start w/ two T's, then following her buys of the E at the end of the first line & two A's, she calls a $500 S for the 1/2 CAR in between $350 & $900 & Loses a Turn. Second, Mike calls two N's for 12 Benjamins but then goes Bankrupt on the Million Dollar Wedge's right side. Third, Linda gets the regular one in between $650 & $900. As we almost immediately get back to Mary Beth, she digs up a $900 pair of L's & a $500 B for the Wild Card...

B A L L _ _ _ _ / _ A N _ E

_ N S T _ _ _ T _ _

...& solves BALLROOM DANCE INSTRUCTOR to definitely bank another 22 bills.

SOLE LaT: Mary Beth
BANKRUPTS: 2 (Mike & Linda)
LEFT BEHIND IN JACKPOT: $7,450

Current Scores:

Her opponents: $0 each/Mary Beth: $5,200 WC 1/2 CAR

Mystery Round: Before & After

Mike spins the other natural Bankrupt right out of the gate. Second, Linda lights up nothing by calling L while on the Spa Finder gift tag. Third, Mary Beth calls out a $650 T, buys double the E's & calls the twin R's to get to the $2K mark, then two A's later, she Bankrupts out next to top dollar to lose $1,750 & her two pieces of cardboard. On Mike's next spin, he fails to pick up the same 1/2 CAR that was just lost w/ an N call. Next, Linda loses another turn saying B for Bobby, then Mary Beth calls double W's for $1,800, buys the same amount of O's and retrieves an $1,100 L pair & a $350 P before buying the sole dud vowel on the board (I). Mike tries again but calls D for yet another dud. Linda follows by Free PLAYING the U...

L U _ E W A R _

W A T E R

P O L O

...& envisioning a round of LUKEWARM WATER POLO to get on the board & start the next round.

DUDS: $450 B (Linda), $700 D (Mike),  I (Mary Beth), $500 L (Linda), $500 N (Mike)
BANKRUPTS: 2 (Mike & Mary Beth)

Current Scores:

Mike: BAD LUCK/Linda: $1K/Mary Beth: $5,200

Bonus Puzzle Blast from the Past (October 12 of '04)(Around the House)(MPDO was called):

_ _ D E O

_ _ M E S

Kristen solved VIDEO GAMES just under the buzzer for $25K.
 
Prize Puzzle Round: Food & Drink
 
Linda calls for two R's to get $800 at the start, four S's for an added $2,600 & tres T's for $1.5K extra, followed by dos I's & A's, but she then Bankrupts next to top dollar to toss aside $4,400; that's her second tonight. That's followed by Mary Beth's two H's for the MDW, $350 M, trip E's & three C's for an extra $2,100 before...

C _ C _ _ _ T

S H R I M _ / _ I T H

S _ E E T / A _ _

S _ _ R / S A _ C E

...she eats some COCONUT SHRIMP WITH SWEET AND SOUR SAUCE to add to her lead 2,250 more dollars & the $5,700 mystery vacation to the Aston Waikiki Beach Hotel.

SOLE BANKRUPT: Linda

Current Scores:

Mike: NO LUCK/Linda: $1K/Mary Beth: $13,150 in cash & HI MDW

$3K T-U: Around the House

_ _ _ S _ E R

D R _ W E _ S

Mike takes his first three thou out of the DRESSER DRAWERS.

Speed-Up: Things

$1,900 per consonant, so either of Mary Beth's opponents could still possibly catch up. After that man calls a set of R's...

_ _ R D _ _ R _ / _ N D

S _ _ _ _ _ R _

...he nails HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE at the buzzer to finish in five figures w/ a $7,600 payoff; Linda had 1/2 that.

Final Scores:

Mike: $10,600/Linda: $1K/Mary Beth: $13,150 in cash & HI MDW
GT: $24,750

TONIGHT'S BANKRUPT TRASH (excluding extras): $7,350

(Notes: Mary Beth was incorrectly credited an extra $50 at the end of the PP Round, which obviously didn't affect the outcome of this game. However, she apparently gets to keep the extra 50 bucks because it wasn't her mistake.)

MDBR PRESENTED BY MAXWELL HOUSE: Her little sister Susan's holding that MDW & Mary Beth takes the S envelope from SPIN.

Category: Thing

For kicks to start:

_ L _ _ _ L

_ _ E N _ _ E N _ N

CHMA adds to the mix...

_ L _ _ A L

_ H E N _ M E N _ N

...she at least proves to be a GLOBAL PHENOMENON in six seconds! But how close was she to the $1M, if she was?...













































































































































































...SHE WAS TWO OFF- IT WAS IN THE I OF THAT SAME WORD! OUCH. But she does win the $30K for a total of $43,150 in cash & trip (for a two-show total of $384,150), which also means $105K's in the Rebuilding Together charity bank.

$5K SPIN ID #3: RC1508583

Vanna's holding the $1M envelope at the end.

EPISODE RATING: 7