July 7, 2014 – WHEEL of FORTUNE with Andy Nguyen

EPISODE #5507: SECRET SANTA SWEEPSTAKES

$1K Tossup: THING

_ _ L _ E _
_ P P O R T _ N I _ Y

Katie has a GOLDEN OPPORTUNITY to win up to $1M in cash & prizes on this program, but we need to know them better…

Katie Houska: legal assistant at a law firm and a Packers fan married Isaiah for 3 years from Green Bay

Ainsley Fagan: Tulane University student studying international relations and French who was a part of their marching band back on the New Orleans road trip last Spring from Baton Rouge

Scott Wills: fourth grade teacher at Nathaniel Greene ES in Greene County (he attended that school) married to Tammy w/ a 2-yr.-old daughter Emma from Ruckersville, VA

$2K Tossup: IN THE KITCHEN

_ _ E G E T A B L E
_ T E A M _ R

Katie triples up w/ VEGETABLE STEAMER.

Jackpot Round: SAME NAME

Her list of letters begins w/ three N’s for $900, three A’s, and $800 D, and an E at the end, followed by three L’s for $1,500, and I, a G at the end of the first word for another $900, and three O’s. Board now…

_ O _ L I N G / A N D
_ A _ _ O O L
L A N E

…she’s scored a $3,100 strike w/ BOWLING AND CARPOOL LANE — PR.

UNCLAIMED JACKPOT: $7,500

Mystery Round: FUN & GAMES

Ainsley has an insta-BANKRUPT on the MDW’s left side. Scott secondly picks up the SHinDigZ gift tag w/ four N’s, a $300 G, and three I’s, but next is a dud of R. Third, Katie’s captured a $450 S, two T’s for the MDW, two H’s for $1,200, and four E’s, then she proceeds to call a $600 D, the leftover vowels (O and A), a Z for the WC, two L’s for $600 more, a $400 B and a $1K P while on the MW near LaT. We now have…

S P I _ I N G / T H E
B A L L / I N / T H E
E N D / Z O N E

She’s SPIKING THE BALL IN THE END ZONE for another $3,500. If she had the guts to go for that MW…she would’ve BANKRUPTED!

SOLE DUD OF THE ROUND: R (Scott)
SOLE BANKRUPT: Ainsley

Katie: $9,600 + MDW + WC/Others: $0 each

PP Round: PHRASE

First, Scott can’t capitalize on $3,500 w/ an N. Second, Katie inserts a $300 R, two S’s to quadruple up, three E’s, and three T’s for $2,400, but the sole dud vowel of A stops her. Third, Ainsley has a $400 H, but then her second BANKRUPT of the night via the one near the vacant WC. Scott’s second try sees him FPing five I’s, putting up two C’s and the frontloading W ($700 and $450, respectively), and buying O and U singles to clean out the vowels, but he then BANKRUPTS next to $3,500 to give up the leftover $900. Katie then picks up the blue 1/2 KIA w/ two P’s and gives it right back for a look at…

W H E R E / _ O / I
P I C _ / U P / _ _
S _ I – _ I _ T
T I C _ E T S ?

…she’s won another $4,100 for asking “WHERE DO I PICK UP MY SKI-LIFT TICKETS?”; the answer’s at the Smugglers’ Notch in VT worth $5,800.

DUDS: A (Katie) and N (Scott — my initials!)
BANKRUPTS: 2 (Katie’s opponents)

Katie: $19,500 cash & trip + MDW + WC/Others: $0 each

$3K Tossup: LANDMARK

T H _ / _ _ _ _ E
_ _ _ _ _ _

Scott goofs w/ THE WHITE HOUSE.

T H _ / _ P A _ E
_ E E D L E

Katie’s still perfect after solving THE SPACE NEEDLE.

Speed-Up: WAYD?

$1,500 per consonant here. Fast forward to this…

S _ L _ _ N G / _
R _ _ _ L _

SOLVING A RIDDLE here is…NOT Katie, but Scott w/ $4,500.

FINAL SCORES
Ainsley: $1K LUMP OF COAL/Scott: $4,500/Katie: $22,500 cash & trip

GT: $28K
BANKRUPT TRASH: $1,300

AINSLEY SPIN ID: NC8507449 (Nekole C.)
SCOTT SPIN ID: AB9901682 (Ann B.)

MILLION DOLLAR BONUS ROUND #5

Well, we started this sweepstakes with this kind of round and we’re ending it the same way! Katie spins up the M of GAME (and mabye MILLIONAIRE).

Category: PEOPLE
I know this already…

N E _ L _ _ E _
_ _ _ _ L E

…and so does this girl, because she chooses CDPO and W…

N E W L _ W E D
C O _ P L E

…she knows of at least one NEWLYWED COUPLE once in her life…

…

…but she only wins the $30K and SHE’S TWO SPACES OFF IN THE OTHER DIRECTION — IT WAS THAT **!!! Drat. Nevertheless, she still leaves w/ $52,500 cash & trip.

LAST SPIN ID: CR9026873 (Claudia R.)

A total of $597,630 was given away in the studio; double that, and you have a total of $1,195,260 awarded during the SSS!

MY EP. RATING: 8

EPISODE #5506: SECRET SANTA SWEEPSTAKES

$1K Tossup: THING

_ I _ M _ N D
_ _ N _ A _ T

Lori can buy a DIAMOND PENDANT w/ the grand she just won. The SS on this next-to-last episode of the sweepstakes…

Lori Rowson: married lady to Bill for 19 years w/ 4 kids and 4 grandkids who cooks her family Sunday dinners every weekend from Bakersfield

Becky McCormick: Navy Lieutenant Reserve who navigates ships around the world and a substitute teacher from Princeton, KY (orig. from Hisndale, NH)

Daniel DiBona: auto sales supervisor for a Richmond insurance company who’s been training for skydiving and marathons (he also enjoys roller coasters) from Fredericksburg, VA

$2K Tossup: FUN & GAMES

_ _ N _ _ C T
_ _ _ _

Daniel solves the classic Hasbro game CONNECT FOUR.

Jackpot Round: SHOW BIZ

He picks up the sears GC right away w/ a T, then he calls up a $300 S, four E’s, a $600 L, and two O’s before saying D for dud. Second, Lori wastes a spin w/ the BANKRUPT near TD. Third, Becky claims two Jackpot R’s…but she doesn’t solve for a $6,700 pot and goes on to strike out w/ H. Back in control, Daniel has the green 1/2 KIA w/ two M’s…

_ _ E S O M E
M O _ _ E
T R _ _ L E R

…he’s seen more then one AWESOME MOVIE TRAILER for another $6,400 in cash & SS.

DUDS: D (Daniel), H (Becky)
SOLE BANKRUPT: Lori
UNCLAIMED JACKPOT: $7,700

Mystery Round: BEFORE & AFTER

Lori strikes out right away w/ R while on the other 1/2 KIA spot. Second, Becky BANKRUPTS next to the WC as does Daniel, so there goes his plate. Lori uses $500 from a T and spends that money for an E and two A’s, then she calls up four N’s for $1,200, two D’s for the 1/2 KIA from the same location Daniel got it from, the rest of the vowels, a G for the Gourmet Gift Baskets.com gift tag, and triple P’s to add $2,400.

_ U _ P I N G
U P / A N D
D O W N
P A Y _ E N T

She’s still stumped on the first word, so she goes on…and BANKRUPTS on the MDW’s right side to forfeit $4,850 cash & GT plus that plate; that’s her second one this episode. Becky then inserts two M’s and a J at $300 a pop…

J U M P I N G
U P / A N D
D O W N
P A Y M E N T

…she’s JUMPING UP AND (given a $100) DOWN PAYMENT.

SOLE DUD: R (Lori)
BANKRUPTS: 3 (whole group)

Daniel: $8,400/Lori: $1K/Becky: $1K

PP Round: SONG/ARTIST

Becky’s letter rundown is made up of two T’s for $600, two H’s for another $1K, and two obvious E’s, but she gets the same MDW BANKRUPT to toss aside $1,350; both women have a pair of those so far. Daniel secondly picks off a $3,500 C, two A’s, four O’s, and four B’s to add $2K, then we have…

_ O O _
_ _ B _ A T _ O _ _
B _ / T H E / B E A C H
B O _ _

…he solves “GOOD VIBRATIONS” BY THE BEACH BOYS for $5K plus a $6,700 trip to the Almond Casuarina Beach Resort in BARBADOS.

SOLE BANKRUPT: Becky

Daniel: $20,100 cash & trip/Lori: $1K/Becky: $1K

$3K Tossup: PROPER NAME

T _ D / D A N _ O N

Daniel IDs former “Cheers” cast member TED DANSON.

Round 4: PEOPLE

His starters are a $450 S but then M for mistake. Lori also strikes out w/ T. Third for Becky are two N’s for $600, a $600 R, but then E for error. Daniel next inserts a $300 L, but we hear the Speed-Up bells…

_ _ _ _ – R _ N _ _ N _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ L S

…and Pat’s Final Spin is gonna be $1,900. Becky later puts up two F’s…

H _ G H – R _ N _ _ N G
_ F F _ C _ _ L S

…she solves HIGH-RANKING OFFICIALS for $6,650.

DUDS BEFORE BELL: M (Daniel), T (Lori), E (Becky)
DUDS AFTER BELL (both by Daniel): D and P

FINAL SCORES
Daniel: $23,100 cash & trip/Lori: $1K/Becky: $7,650

GT: $31,750
BANKRUPT TRASH (disregarding plates): $6,200

LORI SPIN ID: JB33103 (Jeff B.)
BECKY SPIN ID: KL7618104 (Ken L.)

$100K Bonus Round

Daniel hits the N of WIN.

Category: PHRASE
This is a pretty big one…

T _ _ _ N _ / _ _ T _
T _ E / _ _ E _