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Wheel of Fortune airing before official premiere

I was just looking at old newspapers from the Boston area from September 1983, when Wheel of Fortune debuted. Because I noticed that not every affiliate picks up every syndicated program at the same time. What was then WNEV in Boston did start airing it at 5:30 on 9/19/83. However, I noticed that WPRI in Providence was showing it at 7:30, but was already showing it before the official premiere date. The earliest date I had for it showing on WPRI was 8/22. Was it just for like a preview or something? Can somebody clear this up? How often did this happen with syndicated shows?
 
I don't think this will clear up anything, but I have two guesses:

1. It might be a trial run, or

2. This may be a typo caused by the paper.
 
1. Sounds more likely, but I don't think that happened very often with any show.

2. It is possible. Maybe if I were to check another source, that would clear things up.

EDIT: I just looked at a schedule posted on here from Rochester, NY from 9/14/83, which was before the official premiere date, and all three affiliates were airing it at the time. I always thought it premiered on September 19.
 
ssetta said:
RyanHoward said:
The official premiere of "Wheel" was September 12th, 1983. So, there!

According to Wiki, it was 12/19. Where did you get this?

Don't take stock in everything Wiki says, as it is often unsourced. Also, Many syndicated shows, including Wheel, were still "bicycled" back then, meaning that the actual debut date varies.
 
..and if I am not mistaken "Wheel" actually had its start in the mid(or late) 1970s when Chuck Woolery was the host. Didn't start watching until Pat and Vanna took over and brought it to the prominence it still has today.
 
In my market, Charleston, they started with the official premiere, on WCBD 2 (then ABC). They, I believe, have had Wheel at 7:00pm, the exact same time they have it now, since '83.
 
kirkiefan said:
..and if I am not mistaken "Wheel" actually had its start in the mid(or late) 1970s when Chuck Woolery was the host. Didn't start watching until Pat and Vanna took over and brought it to the prominence it still has today.

The posters were actually referencing the debut of the current (nighttime) edition of Wheel, in 1983. Daytime Wheel, the one you're referring to, debuted in January 1975. In fact, when the nighttime edition premiered, it wasn't on in every market when it debuted...Los Angeles and Philadelphia were the two biggest markets that has carried nighttime Wheel from the very outset.
 
In some markets, Jeopardy! premiered a week before it's listed date on September 17th, The Encyclopedia of TV Game Shows says it premiered on September 17th, whilst my Orlando edition says It premiered on September 10th.
 
Ohh, so I guess that explains the whole mixup. But I still don't understand how WPRI could have been airing Wheel of Fortune up to 3 weeks before it premiered anywhere else, unless they were airing the daytime version in primetime, just to get people prepared.
 
ssetta said:
Ohh, so I guess that explains the whole mixup. But I still don't understand how WPRI could have been airing Wheel of Fortune up to 3 weeks before it premiered anywhere else, unless they were airing the daytime version in primetime, just to get people prepared.

I doubt that, since WPRI was then the ABC affiliate in the market and daytime "Wheel" was an NBC program.
 
"Orlando edition says It premiered on September 10th"

Was WOF on WFTV at the time, because it has been on at 7:30 on WFTV for as long as I remember, but there was a YouTube promo from WFTV in 1984 that had Jeopardy launching at 7 PM (the same timeslot as today) followed by Name That Tune at 7:30. If WFTV did not air WOF originally, who did?
 
WCPX/WKMG aired it at the time. Right after PM Magazine. And I think WOF moved to WFTV approximately 1985 to join J! And I may be wrong but After that WCPX aired the short-lived Art James game show Catch Phrase then Bob Goen's hosting debut Perfect Matchand in the fall of 86 The All-New Dating Game and in 1987 Win, Lose, or Draw.
 
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