Ryan Seacrest’s first episode as the new host of “Wheel of Fortune” starts out like any other.
The audience chants the name of the contest, the theme song plays and announcer Jim Thornton introduces the stars of the show. But this time, for the first time, the duo entering arm in arm is Seacrest and “Wheel of Fortune” star Vanna White.
Monday’s episode of “Wheel of Fortune,” which kicks off the show’s 42nd season, marks the beginning of Seacrest’s tenure as host of the nightly wordplay series. He replaces Pat Sajak, who interviewed Wheel of Fortune contestants for more than 40 years — the longest-serving host of a nationally syndicated game show.
“Let's have fun,” Seacrest said at the start of the show. Before introducing the contestants and getting started with the games, the new host took some time to acknowledge what this new job means to him.
“I still can’t believe how lucky I am to be here with you tonight to continue the legacy of this amazing show with all of you and of course my good friend Vanna White,” Seacrest said. “Thank you for the warm welcome. Hosting ‘Wheel of Fortune’ is a dream job. I’ve been a fan of this show since I was a kid, watching it in Atlanta with my family, and I know how special it is that ‘Wheel’ has been in your living rooms for the past 40 years and I’m so grateful that you invited me. I also know that I have some very big shoes to fill, so let’s play ‘Wheel of Fortune.’”
Anyone worried that this new era of “Wheel” will bring big, surprising changes will be happy to know that almost everything is just as they remember. The only notable changes are the look of the set and that Seacrest doesn’t use tokens to introduce contestants.
Ryan Seacrest with contestants in his first episode as the new host of “Wheel of Fortune.”
(Eric McCandless/Sony Pictures Television)
Seacrest seemed genuinely happy to be there. Or at least, as genuine as any game show host can seem. His long career as a TV host on shows like “American Idol” and “Live With Kelly and Ryan” has helped him hone a perfectly harmless charm that allows him to interact with contestants without sapping their enthusiasm and letting them shine.
While Sajak would occasionally let slip some grumpy, uncle-esque comments, especially in his later years, Seacrest's jokes are still a bit wooden. That's not necessarily a bad thing, and one episode is too small a sample size to make a definitive judgment. Guests Corina, Terry and Cindy also made for a nice group of first-time contestants for the new host. They were charming, didn't say or do anything outlandish, and, without giving too much away, each had good and bad twists, as well as good and bad guesses.
All in all, Seacrest's first episode on Wheel of Fortune was a perfect one. His time on the show has gotten off to a smooth start.
