A Salute to Game Shows - Wheel of Fortune

Pat Sajak and Vanna White
Host and Hostess

Pat Sajak and Vanna White, in the TV landscape today, are like the toothbrush and floss. Together, they get the job done completely. Pat without Vanna wouldn't be the same, as Vanna without Pat is not the same, either.

However, it is interesting to note that for a year, Pat Sajak was hosting right along side the original hostess, Susan Stafford. It wasn't until the following December that Vanna became the hostess. And the rest, as they say, is history.

Pat Sajak had an interesting career before discovering the Wheel. Not to say that his career during Wheel of Fortune is not interesting, though. From 1968 to 1972, he was a disc jockey for the Armed Forces Radio Network during the Vietnam War. During the 1970's and 1980's, he was a local weatherman for KNBC in Los Angeles. In 1981, he became the host of Wheel of Fortune. In the early 1990's, besides hosting Wheel, Pat also hosted a late-night talk show. This, unfortunately, however, flopped.

Vanna White actually was once a contestant on The Price is Right! In 1980, Johnny Olson said, "Vanna White, come on down!" She didn't make it out of contestants' row, though. By 1987, a phenomenon known as "Vannamania" swept the country, as Vanna appeared on Newsweek, starred in the made-for-TV movie Goddess of Love, and wrote Vanna Speaks, her autobiography, which was a best-seller. In 1994, she appeared in Naked Gun 33½ - The Final Insult as herself. Furthermore, she was recognized in 1992 as the world's most frequent clapper. She claps her hands more than 140,000 times a season. That averages 720 claps per episode. Wow!

Pat Sajak and Vanna White Host and Hostess

Pat Sajak and Vanna White
Host and Hostess