As Pat Sajak Leaves ‘Wheel of Fortune,’ Can Ryan Seacrest Live Up to His Deliciously Old-School Hosting?
variety.comDaniel D'Addario Chief TV Critic With Pat Sajak’s final appearance as host of “Wheel of Fortune,” the makeup of a daily hour of television that structures the days of millions of Americans is shifting once more. “Wheel of Fortune” is the low-pressure option of the two famous game shows invented by the late superproducer Merv Griffin.
Unlike “Jeopardy,” it’s intended to be not aspirational but accessible, with simple word-puzzle games and a department-store glamour that comforts but doesn’t dazzle.
And Sajak, along with Vanna White revealing the letters, has been at its center since relatively close to the beginning; he took over from Chuck Woolery in 1981, six years into the show’s run, and has since been honored by the Guinness Book of World Records for the longest continuous stint hosting a single game show.
His departure won’t leave a vacuum, exactly; his replacement, Ryan Seacrest, was announced in June 2023 — nearly a year before Sajak’s final show, which airs June 7.
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