With Jeopardy! fans having now grown fully accustomed to seeing Ken Jennings front and center for every episode, it’ll soon be time for another all-time great game show to bring in a new host, as Ryan Seacrest will take over Wheel of Fortune for Season 42. The season’s earliest episodes started taping ahead of the fall TV schedule, and it appears producers are showing him the kind of love that can only happen on Wheel, involving the signature letter lineup “RSTLNE.”
Anyone who’s ever watched an episode of Wheel of Fortune all the way through can easily recite the Bonus Round puzzle’s six gimme letters for contestants to build upon. It just so happens those first two letters match up with Ryan Seacrest’s initials, which allowed for a fun way to honor the incoming host with some wordplay. Check out the Instagram video of the American Idol presenter alongside his newest co-star, Vanna White.
Obviously the mini-version of the show’s iconic wheel is cute, and I’m now inspired to think that it would make for a fantastic dust cover for a record player. But even though Wheel of Fortune began when vinyls were still going strong as a medium, this isn’t about that. It’s about a new personality stepping in to record a new era…er…to launch a new era.
And what better way to give Seacrest his _L_ _ERS than by giving the Bonus Round’s letters a new meaning, albeit one whose meaning will necessarily be undone whenever he actually does launch the new era. Maybe then they could change it to “Ryan Seacrest Terrifically Leads New Era” or “...Totally Loves New Era” or something equally befitting. He should also say that full phrasing each time, rather than just the letters, for chaos’ sake.
Some fans have been critical about Seacrest replacing Pat Sajak in the months since he was announced, and that sentiment is present among the comments on the Instagram post, but by and large, the responses to the acronym video were positive and pumped.
- If Ken Jennings can do it on Jeopardy, Ryan has this in the bag. I think Ken is terrific on Jeopardy. Ryan will be equally terrific hosting Wheel. 😍 - @throopnyc
- This needs to be in the WoF store! - @thebowtieteacher_
- Very exciting!!! *sings in soprano* - @emilydong_
- Have watched two weeks worth of shows in the studio audience. America is going to love you. The show is going to be revitalized with you and team @officialvannawhite - @dustin.james87
- Ryan will just be his own lovable self and do a great job on Wheel! No one can fill Pat Sajak’s legendary shoes, but there’s no need to!! Each are legends in their own ways!! But Ryan will do Pat proud, just like he did Dick Clark proud!!❤️🙌 - @lydias_threadz
- Can't wait Ryan. You will find a way to make this show your own. Congratulations - @reidjodey
Anybody else out there feel like Vanna White got bamboozled once again here, without an acronym of her own? I'm kidding (mostly), but here's hoping she continues to get her dues when the new season arrives, and it isn't just one big Seacrest celebration for the whole year.
Pat Sajak will indeed be back on TV in the near-ish future for Celebrity Wheel of Fortune in primetime, but it’ll be all Ryan from here on out in the syndicated version, and presumably in future Celebrity-driven seasons.
