WoF Retro Recap: November 13, 1998

EPISODE #2975: SOAP STARS WEEK

Yvonne Herford & the late Kristoff St. John (Y & R): Yvonne’s from Houston, TX

Ann Franklin & Julie Pinson (Port Charles): Ann’s from Castle Valley, CA

Jodi Morley & Ron Moss (Bold & The Beautiful): Jodi’s from Bel Air, MD

Round 1: THE 80’s (PUZZLER)

Y & K started w/ a T for the Free SPIN, a $300 S, but then R for rats and they kept the FS. Second, A & J called up a $900 N, but they along w/ J & R BANKRUPTed out back-to-back. Yvonne bought E for end of turn. Ann then said a $300 D and a $1,600 Y pair to clean out the consonants.

D Y N _ S T Y

They solved “DYNASTY” for $1,900 and tried to solve this PROPER NAME…

J O _ _
_ O R S _ _ _ _

They’re successful w/ JOHN FORSYTHE.

DUDS (both by Y & K): R, E
BANKRUPTS: 2 (other teams)

Yvonne’s married w/ two kids and worked for a major airline. Kristoff’s charity was World Alliance for Peace.

FEATURED PRIZE: set of MAC cosmetics worth $2,500 (BEAUTY)

Round 2: PHRASE

Before Julie took a spin, she complimented Vanna’s dress saying that it’s beautiful and gorgeous. She oddly went for a P right away, and there’s none unsurprisingly. J & R secondly picked a $700 T, but then S for sorry. Y & K thirdly struck out on $2,500 w/ R. A & J said another baddie of B. J & R found two M’s for $800, a $600 N pair, a $700 C after a possible null cycle, three E’s, but then O for oh no. Returning to Y & K who said a $1,400 H pair, a $300 D, and a $500 V to clean out the consonants.

_ / M _ T C H / M _ D E
_ N / H E _ V E N

They’re A MATCH MADE IN HEAVEN for $2,200.

AIRED DUDS: P (A & J), S (J & R), R (Y & K), B (A & J), O (J & R)

Ann’s a full-time college student at Chabot College in Hayward, CA and a part-time worker. Julie’s charity was Wildlife Waystation.

Y & K: $2,200/A & J: $4,900/J & R: NOTHING

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FEATURED PRIZE #2: trip to the 1999 Soap Opera Digest Awards w/ accommodations at the Sheraton Universal worth $4,350 (SOAP OPERA DIGEST AWARDS)

Jackpot Round: BEFORE & AFTER

J & R started on a sour note w/ that same BANKRUPT near $250. Y & K picked a $400 T, an S on Jackpot, a $300 R, a $1,400 L pair, two H’s for the awards show, but time’s running out…

S H _ _ _ / _ _ L L
_ _ _ _ R _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ H T

…and the remaining consonants were worth $300 apiece.

Y & K: W
A & J: 2 G’s
J & R: 3 N’s
Y & K: D (DUD)
A & J: C (DUD)
J & R: M (DUD)
Y & K: K
A & J: P
J & R: F
Y & K: V (HUH?!)
A & J: B

S H _ K _ / W _ L L
B _ F _ R _
_ P _ N _ N G
N _ G H T

A & J said in unison “SHAKE WELL BEFORE OPENING” NIGHT for $1,200. V & K left behind $7,050 cash & VIP trip.

DUDS: D (V & K), C (A & J), M (J & R), V (V & K)
SOLE BANKRUPT: J & R

FINAL SCORES
Y & K: $2,200/A & J: $6,100/J & R: PARTING GIFTS FOR JODI

Jodi was a newlywed who worked for a pharmaceutical company. Ronn’s charity was the City of Hope Pediatrics Unit.

GT: $8,300
BANKRUPT TRASH: $900

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Bonus Round

The $25K was won the previous night and it’s back in. Julie picked the W from W-EE-.

Category: THING

Here’s 1/3 of this six-letter answer…

_ _ N _ _ E

They WIPED OUT w/ PHMA and weren’t even close w/ CANOE. It was FONDUE and Ann won’t be getting the star treatment package.

$230,612 was raised that week.

MY RATING: 4

WoF Retro Recap: November 12, 1998

EPISODE #2974: SOAP STARS WEEK

Thursday’s civilians and their partners…

Jennifer Volpe & Billy Warlock (General Hospital): Jennifer’s an ES teacher from The Bronx married w/ two daughters; Billy played for Child Welfare League of America

Wendy LaRoche & Renee Jones (Days of Our Lives): Wendy’s a manager for a well-known care organization married w/ one daughter from Lawrenceville, GA; Renee played for Children of the Night

Lynn Luther & Joshua Morrow (Young & The Restless): Lynn’s a college student at South Arkansas Community College and wanted to be a physical therapy assistant from El Dorado, AR; Joshua played for Veet Foundation and TV Cares

(Wendy’s nametag fell off after she introduced Renee.)

Round 1: RHYME TIME *NEW CATEGORY ALERT*

An $1,100 N pair got J & B started, followed by two I’s, but then a dud vowel of O. W & R had a similar result w/ S for sorry. L & J then picked an $800 F and a $900 W to leave only the I’s remaining…

F I N _
W I N _

They would have FINE WINE w/ at least $1,700. Oh, and that puzzle triggered a Triple Stumper early in S26.

DUDS: O (J & B), S (W & R)

FEATURED PRIZE: trip to the Melia in Cancun worth $2,950 (CANCUN)

Round 2: PLACE (PUZZLER)

Wendy & Renee began w/ a $900 T trio, five S’s to add $4,500, but then LaT. Lynn & Joshua did the rest of the work — three N’s for the Free SPIN, a $400 M, three A’s, a $300 C, a $900 H pair, two I’s, and a $300 P.

H _ A N N I S / P _ _ T
I N
M A S S A C H _ S _ T T S

They located HYANNIS PORT IN MASSACHUSETTS for $1,400. The PUZZLER’s a PROPER NAME…

T _ E
_ E _ _ E D _ S

…but they had nothing; it was THE KENNEDYS.

SOLE LaT: W & R

L & J: $3,100 FS/Other teams: $0 each

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FEATURED PRIZE #2: Gibson electric bass and piano worth $5,600 (MUSIC)

Jackpot Round: PHRASE

This round’s all Lynn & Joshua — a $3,600 T quartet, E and two A’s, an $800 P pair, a $250 C, an $800 S pair, and a $900 R to clean out the consonants.

_ P P _ S _ T E S
A T T R A C T

They knew that OPPOSITES ATTRACT for $5,850 — PR.

UNCLAIMED JACKPOT: $7,850

L & J: $8,950 FS/Other teams: NOTHING

Speed-Up: THING

Consonants were worth…$300 a pop.

J & B: 2 T’s
W & R: 2 S’s
L & J: 2 N’s
J & B: 2 R’s
W & R: Y
L & J: L

_ _ R S _ N _ L _ _ _ _
S T _ T _ _ N _ R Y

Lynn & Joshua have swept the maingame w/ PERSONALIZED STATIONERY for $900.

FINAL SCORES
L & J: $9,850/Other teams: PARTING GIFTS FOR JENNIFER & WENDY

Billy & Renee each received the $10K minimum for their charities.

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Bonus Round

Joshua picked the W.

Category: PERSON

First up in this 11-letter answer…

S _ _ _ _ _ _ N _ S T

DFHA added two more…

S A _ _ _ H _ N _ S T

They nailed SAXOPHONIST for a TOTAL CLEAN SWEEP and won $25K for a final total of $34,850 (that goes to Joshua’s charity)!

MY RATING: 8

WoF Retro Recap: November 11, 1998

EPISODE #2973: SOAP STARS WEEK

John Shatner & Vanessa Marcil (General Hospital): John’s from Chicago

Lamikia “Miki” Lumpkin & Austin Peck (Days of Our Lives): Lamika’s from Detroit

Michael Beachnau & Hunter Tylo (Bold and the Beautiful): Michael’s from San Francisco

Round 1: PEOPLE (PUZZLER)

J & V got started w/ a $550 R, two N’s for another $600, a single E, a $500 S pair, and an A, but then M for mistake. Second, M & A called up a $400 F, a $450 G, but BANKRUPTed out of $850 (the FS came loose at one point during their turn). Third, M & H said P for phooey. John bought two I’s, but squandered his team’s turn w/ L for loss. M & A then said a $450 H and a $250 K to complete the board.

S H R I E K I N G
F A N S

They read the answer for $700 and tried to solve this THING for $3K more…

_ U T _ _ R _ P _

…but they weren’t even close to getting AUTOGRAPH.

DUDS: M (J & V), P (M & H), L (J & V)
SOLE BANKRUPT: M & A

John’s an actor working on a film at the time and writing a vampire script. Vanessa’s charity was Sojourn.

FEATURED PRIZE: VIP tour of “Days of Our Lives” w/ accommodations at The Ritz Carlton Laguna Niguel worth $3,750 (BACK STAGE)

Round 2: CLUE

M & A were first w/ three T’s for $2,700, a $750 S trio, a $550 H, and buys of four E’s and I’s, but next was M for mistake on the backstage prize. M & H secondly spun their way to a $600 F pair, a $450 L, an $800 B, two O’s, an $800 P, but then the LaT. J & V thirdly picked a $400 D and a $300 C to clean out the consonants.

I T ‘ S / S _ I D
T O / B E / T H E
S P I C E / O F / L I F E

They solved “IT’S SAID TO BE THE SPICE OF LIFE” for $700. But John got the $2K bonus answer of wrong w/ love (and he tried to change it to the right one of variety, but they wouldn’t allow that).

SOLE DUD: M (M & A)
SOLE LaT: M & H

Miki’s a part-time bartender and played a role on “America’s Most Wanted” (she didn’t play a fugitive, FYI). Austin’s charity was Children of the Night.

J & V: $700/M & A: $700/M & H: ZIP

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Jackpot Round: SHOW BIZ

M & H led off w/ a $550 T, but time’s running out in this game already…

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ T

…and the consonants were worth $600 apiece (just missed $3,500).

M & H: 3 S’s
J & V: N
M & A: R (DUD)
M & H: 3 L’s
J & V: M
M & A: C
M & H: Y (Michael only got the first word)

H _ L L Y _ _ _ _
_ _ S S _ _
C _ L _ M N _ S T

J & V solved HOLLYWOOD GOSSIP COLUMNIST for $1,800 and the win.

SOLE DUD: R (M & A)
SOLE DQ: Michael’s incomplete solve

FINAL SCORES ($10K minimum for stars’ charities)
J & V: $2,500/M & A: $700/M & H: PARTING GIFTS FOR MICHAEL

Hunter’s charity was Chosen Child, FYI.

GT: a measly $3,200
BANKRUPT TRASH: $850

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Bonus Round

Three letters remained and Vanessa picked the first E from W-EE-.

Category: THING

This one-wordy started as…

_ R _ _ _ L E

DMFA only added…

_ R _ F _ L E

John was stuck w/ TRUFFLE the entire time. Because he forgot about his PROFILE, he lost the spa spectacular package.

MY RATING: 3

WoF Retro Recap: Halloween 1997 — Friday Finals

EPISODE #2775: HALLOWEEN WEEK

Tamara Childs: won $33,982 cash & prizes (including a trip to Transylvania) on Wed. from Nevada City, CA

Sue Prather: won $26,450 on Thursday (including the gold & silver pkg)

David Briggs: won $37,732 cash & prizes on Tuesday from Albemarle, NC

PRIZE PUZZLE Round: EVENT

Tamara kicked off this biggie w/ a $300 T, a $600 H, a $750 S trio, but BANKRUPTed near the purple $500 to lose $1,650. Second, Sue called up two R’s for $600, four N’s for $2K more, and three E’s and six I’s, followed by a $750 L trio, followed by an $1,800 D pair, two A’s, and a $1,200 G pair. She thought of solving, but she changed her mind, so she went on…and here’s a $250 V. Now she went for the solve…

R E L A _ I N G
_ _ _ L S I D E
I N / T H E / V I R G I N
I S L A N D S

She won $5,850 and would be RELAXING POOLSIDE IN THE VIRGIN ISLANDS on her trip to Bluebeard’s Castle Hotel in St. Thomas worth $4,590.

SOLE BANKRUPT: Tamara

FEATURED PRIZE: haunted tour of to New Orleans from Ghost Expeditions worth $3,832

Round 2: WHO IS IT?

Sue’s first w/ four T’s for a grand, a $250 H, two E’s, two N’s for the $10K, and three O’s, then she said a $1,500 R trio, a $250 P at the beginning, and the remaining vowels of two A’s and I’s. We had…

P O R T R A I T
O N / T H E
T E N – _ O _ _ A R
_ I _ _

Even though she left behind four L’s, she solved PORTRAIT ON THE TEN-DOLLAR BILL for $12K — PR. She then got the $2K bonus for answering Alexander Hamilton.

Sue: $24,440 cash & St. Thomas/Others: $0 each

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Jackpot Round: STAR & ROLE

Now finally getting his chance to spin, David began w/ an $800 S, three T’s for $2,400 more, four A’s, a $750 N trio, but then LaT. Tamara secondly spotted two R’s for $500, a $450 J, a $600 H, a $500 V, a $400 L, a $900 Y, but the last consonant was NOT a D. Sue then said the last consonant of a $600 M and bought four O’s.

J O H N
T R A V O L T A / A S
T O N Y / M A N _ R O

She IDed JOHN TRAVOLTA AS TONY MANERO (from “Saturday Night Fever”) for $350 bumped to the $500 minimum.

SOLE DUD: D (Tamara)
SOLE LaT: David
UNCLAIMED JACKPOT: $16,450

Sue: $24,940 cash & St. Thomas/Others: ZERO a head

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Round 4: PHRASE

Tamara opened w/ a $10K T pair, but all that money was taken right back by the BANKRUPT near $500. After Sue LaTed out, we heard the doorbell sound instead of the usual sound for S-U mode…

_ _ _ / _ _ ‘ _ _
_ _ T T _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

…and after Pat spun the LaT and the haunted tour, the remaining consonants were worth $250 each (not quite to the big one).

David: V (DUD)
Tamara: L (DUD)
Sue: 2 R’s
David: M
Tamara: C (DUD)
Sue: 2 N’s

N _ _ / _ _ ‘ R _
_ _ T T _ N _
_ _ M _ _ _ _ R _

NOW WE’RE GETTING SOMEWHERE — Sue swept the maingame for another grand!

DUDS: V (David), L (Tamara), C (Tamara)
SOLE BANKRUPT: Tamara

FINAL SCORES
Sue: $25,940 cash & St. Thomas/Others: SHUTOUT (they still left w/ their one-day totals)

BANKRUPT TRASH: $11,650

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Bonus Round

The pickup truck and the Frankesnstein’s castle trip remained. With the two E’s lit up, Sue picked the first one.

Category: FICTIONAL CHARACTER

This six-letter answer began as…

_ _ _ L _ N

DMCO only added the vowel…

_ O _ L _ N

The GOBLIN scared her out of the trip to Frankestein’s castle, but she still left w/ a 2-day total of $52,390 cash & prizes.

MY RATING: 7

WoF Retro Recap: October 30, 1997

EPISODE #2774: HALLOWEEN WEEK

There was a cold open where Vanna couldn’t decide what to wear for this night.

Kelly McGowan: a married part-time model who graduated w/ a degree in organizational communication from Dayton, OH

Sue Prather: married 31 yrs. w/ two children (a son-in-law and a grandchild) and an aircraft sheet metal mechanic for the government from Midwest City, OK

Jody Quintanar (male): paramedic married 4 yrs. to Terese (they’ve been together for 15 yrs.) and a collector of anything sports (his prized possession was a Michael Jordan autographed 8 x 10) from Temecula, CA

Round 1: THE 70’s

Kelly LaTed out right away. Second, Sue called up two T’s for $1,100, but she too got LaT. Third, Jody took a $250 H, but then N for negative. Back to Kelly who said a $900 R, two E’s, an $800 S, but then G for goof. Sue bought an I, and spun on to get a $600 C. We had…

T H E
E _ _ R C I S T

She solved “THE EXORCIST” for $1,450.

DUDS: N (Jody), G (Kelly)
LaTs: 2 (Kelly, Sue)

FEATURED PRIZE: RCA 52″ home theater projection TV plus VCR worth $2,898

Round 2: BEFORE & AFTER

Sue’s first w/ a $250 T, a $250 H, three E’s, but the $10K’s right side took away the $250 remainder. Jody secondly spun his way to three R’s for $2,700, but then S for sorry. Kelly thirdly found three N’s for $750, two G’s for the video package, three I’s, a $600 D, two A’s, a $900 L, but LaTed out to leave $4,648 cash & video package on the table. Sue followed w/ a $550 M, a $250 C, and an $1,800 P trio to clean out the consonants.

R E A D I N G / T H E
M _ R N I N G / P A P E R
C L I P

She’s READING THE MORNING PAPER CLIP for $2,600.

SOLE DUD: S (Jody)
SOLE LaT: Kelly
SOLE BANKRUPT: Sue

Sue: $4,050/Others: $0 each

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Jackpot Round: LANDMARK

Jody led off w/ two T’s for $1,600, a $450 R, two E’s, but then the BANKRUPT near the purple $500 to hand over $1,800. Kelly LaTed out. Sue picked two N’s for $800, an $800 H, a single O, a $1,650 L trio, and five A’s, but she also LaTed out. Jody got up there a $600 P, a $250 Y, a $250 K, a $250 D (so close to TD), and a $450 V to clean out the consonants.

D E A T H / V A L L E Y
N A T _ O N A L
P A R K

She solved DEATH VALLEY NATIONAL PARK for $1,800.

LaTs: 2 (ladies)
SOLE BANKRUPT: Jody

Kelly: ZILCH/Sue: $4,050/Jody: $1,800

Round 4: SAME NAME

Kelly’s next chance to score began w/ two T’s for $500, but that same normal BANKRUPT stopped her cold. Sue lit up three R’s for $1,800, but it’s S-U time…

_ _ _ R T / &
T R _ _
_ _ R _ _ _ _

…and the leftover consonants were worth $600 apiece.

Sue: N
Jody: L (DUD)
Kelly: S
Sue: 4 E’s

_ E _ R T / &
T R E E
S _ R _ E _ N

Sue solved HEART & TREE SURGEON for another $2,400.

SOLE DUD: L (Jody)
SOLE BANKRUPT: Kelly

FINAL SCORES
Kelly: PARTING GIFTS/Sue: $6,450/Jody: $1,800

GT: $8,250
BANKRUPT TRASH: $2,550

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Bonus Round

Sue got the H from -HEE-.

Category: THING

The RSTLNE could only provide…

_ _ _ _ _ _ R _

CDMO gave her some help…

_ O O _ M _ R _

She redeemed this BOOKMARK for the $20K Johnson Matthey gold/silver bar package; with a total of $26,450, she moved on to the the Friday Finals. Her friend Gina was in attendance.

MY RATING: 6

WoF Retro Recap: October 28, 1997

EPISODE #2772: HALLOWEEN WEEK

Pat now said he’s dressed as a United States congressman.

Julie Slightom: freelance court reporter out of St. Louis from O’Fallon, IL (orig. from Harrisburg, IL)

Nancy Williams: admin. assistant who graduated from UCLA from North Hollywood, CA

David Briggs: worked for an employee-owned co. that specialized in educational recognition from Albemarle, NC (orig. from Mount Morris, MI)

Round 1: PROPER NAME

Julie started w/ a $250 R, but then LaT. Second, Nancy said an automatic dud of T. Third, David took a two N’s for $500, a $600 Y, a single O, a $300 W, a single E, and an $1,800 K trio. We had…

N E W / Y O R K
K N _ _ K _

He IDed the NBA’s NEW YORK KNICKS for $2,700.

SOLE DUD: T (Nancy)
SOLE LaT: Julie

FEATURED PRIZE: Loews Giorgio Hotel in Denver worth $3,200 (they would visit that city for two weeks in November)

Round 2: PHRASE

Nancy got this biggie started w/ a $3K T quintet, a single E, a $1,650 H trio, a single I, but then the sole dud vowel of A for awful. David secondly spun his way to a $400 G, but then N for negative. Julie tried a $400 S, a $1K R pair, seven O’s, but then L for loss. Nancy then said a $250 K…

_ O _ / T O O K
T H E / _ O R _ S
R I G H T / O _ T / O _
_ _ / _ O _ T H

YOU TOOK THE WORDS RIGHT OUT OF MY MOUTH, lady, and you won $4,150 (but there were two Y’s and two M’s left behind).

DUDS: A (Nancy), N (David), L (Julie)

Julie: ZIP/Nancy: $4,150/David: $2,700

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Jackpot Round: BEFORE & AFTER

David led the way w/ a $700 T, an $800 H, an $800 S, a $500 N pair, and three E’s, followed by three R’s for the SURPRISE, a $500 D, two A’s, a $400 L, and a $300 M.

T _ M
A R N _ L D
S _ H _ A R _ E N E _ _ E R

He IDed the fake celebrity as TOM ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER for $3,500 and the SURPRISE, which was a Temptress Adventure cruise through Belize and Guatemala worth $6,532 — PR.

UNCLAIMED JACKPOT: $8,750

Julie: ZILCH/Nancy: $4,150/David: $12,732 cash & cruise

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Round 4: FICTIONAL CHARACTER

Julie’s next chance to get on the board began w/ a $500 R, but then the BANKRUPT near the purple $500. Nancy lit up a $600 D, a $400 M, a single E, but then N tripped her up. David won’t get the Denver trip w/ S for sorry. Julie picked two T’s for $600 and a $550 P…

M R .
P _ T _ T _
_ E _ D

…and IDed MR. POTATO HEAD to finally get on the board w/ $1,150.

DUDS: N (Nancy), S (David)
SOLE BANKRUPT: Julie

Round 5: THINGS

Nancy LaTed out right away. David got up there two S’s for $1,600, a $500 T pair, a $250 N, but then E for end of turn. Julie tacked on an $800 L, a $5K G, but time’s running out…

_ _ T _ _ _ T _ _
S L _ _ _ N G
_ _ _ _ S

…and Pat didn’t quite make it to TD like her, because it’s $250 per consonant.

Julie: R
Nancy: 2 D’s
David: L (DUPE)
Julie: P (DUD)
Nancy: F (DUD)
David: H (DUD)
Julie: C
Nancy: M

_ _ T _ M _ T _ C
S L _ D _ N G
D _ _ R S

Nancy got through the AUTOMATIC SLIDING DOORS for $750. Julie could’ve won $6,300.

DUDS: E (David), P (Julie), F (Nancy), H (David)
INSTA-LaT: Nancy
SOLE DQ: David’s L repeat

FINAL SCORES
Julie: $1,150/Nancy: $4,900/David: $12,732 cash & cruise

GT: $18,782
BANKRUPT TRASH: $500

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Bonus Round

David picked the L for his mom Lucille.

Category: THING

The company Dole makes one of these packages…

_ R _ _ T
_ _ _

CMPO added two more on the bottom…

_ R _ _ T
C _ P

He ate a FRUIT CUP for $25K and would likely be back on Friday w/ $37,732 cash & cruise.

MY RATING: 7

WoF Retro Recap: October 27, 1997

EPISODE #2771: HALLOWEEN WEEK

The set on that week back then was decorated with animatronic gargoyles, smoke and lightning effects, and fake tombstones. According to the timeline, this also began the tradition of Halloween sounds replacing the chime when a Bonus Round envelope is selected.

And when Pat got to his position, he said to the audience that he’s dressed as an “IRS tax auditor”.

Michael Hambrick: Vanderbilt Univ. junior studying majoring in civil and environmental engineering who once met Ross Perot from Florence, AL

Reginald Artis: a 13-yr. member of the USMC who had a nephew drafted first round this year for the Atlanta Falcons from San Marcos, CA

Sarah Hardgrove: attorney at a law firm who showed off her golf swing on air from Chicago

Round 1: BEFORE & AFTER

Michael kicked off w/ two S’s for the Free SPIN, but he and Reginald both BANKRUPTed back-to-back. Sarah next lit up three T’s for $750, a $250 N, a $350 R, five O’s, a $300 F, a $700 M, three U’s, and a $400 Y. Board…

F R O M / S O U _
T O / N U T S
T O / Y O U

She solved FROM SOUP TO NUTS TO YOU for two grand. There had to been a non-null cycle edited out since she bought a dud vowel (likely the E).

AIRED BANKRUPTS: 2 (men)

FEATURED PRIZE: Furnace Creek Inn & Ranch in Death Valley worth $3,610

Round 2: CLASSIC TV

Reginald’s first w/ two T’s for $1,600, three E’s, but then LaT. Second, Sarah said S for sorry. Third, Michael called up a $600 H, a $500 W pair, two I’s, a $1,200 R trio, but then D for dud and he used the FS. And that was a waste because he BANKRUPTed near $500 to lose $2,050. Reginald got the exact same fate to give back $1,350. Sarah followed w/ a $750 N trio, but she too got that same normal BANKRUPT. Michael lit up a $300 M, two L’s for the SURPRISE, three O’s, a $300 C, but repeated the L. Reginald goofed w/ G. Sarah got two Y’s for $600, a $500 P pair, and an F for the Death Valley trip to clean out the consonants.

P E Y T O N / P L _ C E
W I T H
R Y _ N / O ‘ N E _ L
& / M I _ / F _ R R O W

She solved “PEYTON PLACE” WITH RYAN O’NEIL & MIA FARROW for $1,100 and the D.V. trip.

DUDS: S (Sarah), D (Michael), G (Reginald)
SOLE LaT: Reginald
BANKRUPTS: 3 (everybody)
SOLE DQ: Michael’s L repeat

Sarah: $6,710 cash & D.V./Others: $0 each

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Jackpot Round: PHRASE

Here went Sarah w/ three T’s for $1,200, an $800 H, two E’s, but then S for sorry. Michael’s second in line w/ an $800 G pair, but that same pesky BANKRUPT stopped him cold. Reginald didn’t do any better w/ LaT. Sarah landed on the BANKRUPT near $500 to hand over her leftover $1,750. On Michael’s second try, he got a $500 N, but the D failed him again. Reginald lit up a $500 C, two O’s, but the LaT got him again. Sarah uncovered a $250 R, a $900 L, and a K on Jackpot.

L O O K _ N G / _ T
T H E / _ _ G
_ _ C T _ R E

Set of those fireworks — she’s LOOKING AT THE BIG PICTURE for $1,150 and a $9,550 pot.

DUDS: S (Sarah), D (Michael)
LaTs: 2 (Reginald)
BANKRUPTS: 2 (Michael, Sarah)

Sarah: $17,410 cash & D.V./Men: ZERO a head

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Speed-Up: PLACE

This would make up for lost time — a $5K Final Spin!

Michael: S
Reginald: R
Sarah: T (DUD)
Michael: C (DUD)
Reginald: J (WHA?!)
Sarah: N
Michael: D (DUD)
Reginald: O

O _ _ _ _
N _ _ R _ S _ _

Reginald located my fellow constant Emily Meier’s hometown of OMAHA, NEBRASKA for his only $5K on the night.

DUDS: T (Sarah), C (Michael), J (Reginald)

FINAL SCORES
Michael: PARTING GIFTS/Reginald: $5K/Sarah: $17,410 cash & D.V.

GT: $22,410
BANKRUPT TRASH: $6,700

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Bonus Round

The non-$25K treats this week were…

• trip to Transylvania (nearly $18K)
• Chevrolet S-10 pickup ($24K+)
• trip to Frankenstein’s Castle in Bavaria ($22K+)
• Johnson Matthey gold and silver package ($20K+)

Sarah picked the H (meowing black cat sound).

Category: THINGS

1/3 of the answer…

_ _ N T
_ _ _ _ S

CDHA added a couple more…

_ A N T
C _ _ _ S

She didn’t even get the first word of PANT CUFFS correctly (she had MANT, CANT, LANT and RANT CALLS) and she lost the pickup. She’ll have to hold out hope for a spot in the Friday Finals.

MY RATING: 5

WoF Retro Recap: October 22, 1997

EPISODE #2768: BROADWAY WEEK

Marilu Henner of “Chicago” introduced this show.

Ruchika Dutta: microbiology student who traveled to India during that year’s summer and dreamed of traveling the world from San Diego

James Tucker: office support associate for a major auto manufacturer who majored in three martial arts (aikido, ninjitsu and wing chun) and married w/ two kids from Columbus, OH

Colleen Wallace: pharmaceutical rep married to Dan w/ three kids (one daughter and two sons) and had a great-grandfather who was one of the original settlers of colonial Bakersfield from Bakersfield, CA

Round 1: PEOPLE

Ruchika got started w/ two T’s for a grand, but then S for sorry. Second, James called up a $900 N, a $300 G, a $350 L, but repeated the S. Third, Colleen said R for rats. Ruchika bought two I’s, but said D for dud. James lit up a $2,700 M trio, but then F for flunk. Colleen got the SURPRISE w/ two C’s and a $300 W to clean out the consonants.

W _ L C _ M I N G
C _ M M I T T _ _

She won $300 and would be greeted by a WELCOMING COMMITTEE on her trip to the Gran Hotel Bahia Del Duque in Spain worth $4,965.

DUDS: S (Ruchika), R (Colleen), D (Ruchika), F (James)
SOLE DQ: James’ S repeat

FEATURED PRIZE: DKNY shopping spree worth $2,500

Round 2: CLASSIC TV

This round’s all James: three T’s for $2,700, a $750 H trio, six E’s, a $1K N pair, a $250 L, and a $2,100 M trio, a $900 C, a $5K S pair, three I’s, an $800 J (almost got that LaT), a $500 P pair, two R’s for the NY Fashion prize, a $400 B, O and two U’s, and a $300 D.

J O S E P H I N E
T H E / P L U M B E R / &
M _ D _ E / T H E
M _ N I C U R I S T

He IDed JOSEPHINE THE PLUMBER & MADGE THE MANICURIST for $16,200 cash & NY fashion — PR. He was then given a surprise $2K bonus question asking to name either of the two products associated w/ each character. He was correct w/ Palmolive (for Madge). Josephine’s product, BTW, was Comet cleanser.

Ruchika: ZERO/James: $18,200 cash & SS/Colleen: $5,265 cash & Spain

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Jackpot Round: THING

Colleen’s off and running w/ an $1,100 R pair, a $1K S pair, a T on Jackpot, a $250 N, but then F for flunk. Ruchika secondly spotted a $500 G, three I’s, a $450 L, but BANKRUPTed near the green $500 to lose $700. James thirdly said M for mistake. Colleen found a $750 C trio, a $900 P, but then W for worthless. Ruchika followed w/ a $700 B pair, a $600 D, two A’s and O…

P _ B L I C
B R O A D C A S T I N G
S _ R _ I C _

…but BOMBED OUT thinking the last remaining consonant was a K — really, girl?! -___- . James didn’t quite make it to Jackpot, so he had to settle for a $600 V…

P _ B L I C
B R O A D C A S T I N G
S _ R V I C _

…and he knew that the channel PBS stood for PUBLIC BROADCASTING SERVICE.

DUDS: F (Colleen), M (James), W (Colleen), K (Ruchika)
SOLE BANKRUPT: Ruchika
UNCLAIMED JACKPOT: $12,900

Ruchika: ZILCH/James: $18,800 cash & SS/Colleen: $5,265 cash & Spain

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Speed-Up: PHRASE

It’s a $600 Final Spin.

Ruchika: two R’s (the dings sounded by mistake)
James: T
Colleen: Y

_ / _ _ _ _
Y _ _ ‘ R _ / _ _
T _ _ R _

Colleen rightly said to Pat “I KNOW YOU’RE IN THERE” for the Final Spin amount.

FINAL SCORES
Ruchika: PARTING GIFTS/James: $18,800 cash & SS/Colleen: $5,865 cash & Spain

GT: $24,665
BANKRUPT TRASH: $700

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Bonus Round

James got the first E from WHE-L.

Category: PHRASE

Lead-offs…

_ _ _ S / T _ E
R _ _ _

HMGA’s a great combo…

H _ G S / T H E
R _ A _

Surprisingly, he NEVER got the last word of HUGS THE ROAD (he had RING, RULE, RIGHT, and RAIN) and he lost the home theater package. And I can tell you that he barely beat out Michelle from Tuesday to make it to the Friday Finals.

For the rest of the week, click the underlined links: Thurs. and Fri.

MY RATING: 6

WoF Retro Recap: October 21, 1997

EPISODE #2767: BROADWAY WEEK

Brittany Kissinger of “Annie” introduced the show.

Ed Lane: a guy who worked in the social service dept. for Harris County and a part-time student getting his Master’s in social work who had five dogs from Houston, TX

Michael Ericks: Purdue Univ. student studying communications hoping to get a job in sports broadcasting (specifically baseball) from Saint John, IN

Dr. Michelle Cameron: orthopedic surgeon who bought an 80-yr.-old row house from Baltimore

Round 1: BEFORE & AFTER

Ed got started w/ a $900 M, but the BANKRUPT near the purple $500 stopped him cold. Second, Michael called up a $400 N, a $1K R, two O’s, a $350 Y, three I’s, two S’s for the Free SPIN, a $600 D pair, the last vowels of E and U, and a $450 H to complete the board.

I ‘ M / O N
Y O U R / S I D E
D I S H

He read the answer for $1,800.

SOLE BANKRUPT: Ed

FEATURED PRIZE: set of Lenox china and crystal stemware worth $4,055

Round 2: WHERE ARE WE? (biggie alert)

Michael’s first w/ five R’s for $1,250, an $1,800 S pair, eight E’s, a $500 T pair, a $700 H, but then the sole dud vowel of O for oh no and he turned in the FS. Next up were five A’s, a $500 B pair, two I’s, a $250 G, a $500 F, a $900 L trio, but then a CRITICAL DUD of M on the crystal/china to leave $5,400 on the table. Moving on to Michelle who said a $600 W, the final vowel of U, a Q, and two N’s for the SURPRISE.

Q U E E N S L A N _
W A L L A B I E S
T H E / G R E A T
B A R R I E R / R E E F

She solved QUEENSLAND, WALLABIES, THE GREAT BARRIER REEF for $1,250 plus the SURPRISE. After saying the $2K bonus answer of Australia, the SURPRISE she won was a Star Clippers Mediterranean Cruise worth $8,355.

DUDS (both by Michael): O and M

Ed: ZIP/Michael: $1,800/Michelle: $11,605 cash & cruise

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Jackpot Round: PHRASE

Michelle led the way w/ three N’s for $750, four E’s, an $1,800 R pair, a single I, two S’s for the crystal/china prize, but then the BANKRUPT near the green $500 to give up $6,105 cash & crystal/china  Ed’s second in line w/ three H’s for $1,800, but then L for loss on Jackpot. Michael lit up the D on Jackpot…

S _ R _ N _ E R
_ H I N _ S / H _ _ E
H _ _ _ E N E D

…but didn’t solve for a $6,750 pot. Next up were a $1,600 P pair, three A’s, but then LaT. Michelle then said a $7K T pair…

S T R A N _ E R
T H I N _ S / H A _ E
H A P P E N E D

…she realized STRANGER THINGS HAVE HAPPENED.

SOLE DUD: L (Ed)
SOLE LaT: Michael
SOLE BANKRUPT: Michelle
UNCLAIMED JACKPOT: $11,050

Ed: ZILCH/Michael: $1,800/Michelle: $18,605 cash & cruise

---

Speed-Up: EVENT

Consonants were worth $250 apiece.

Ed: R (DUD)
Michael: 2 T’s
Michelle: P (DUD)
Ed: S
Michael: L
Michelle: 2 N’s
Ed: K
Michael: G
Michelle: D (DUD)
Ed: M

T _ K _ N G / _
S _ L _ M N / _ _ T _

Ed’s TAKING A SOLEMN OATH to finally earn his only $750 on the night.

DUDS: R (Ed), P (Michelle), D (Michelle)

FINAL SCORES
Ed: $750/Michael: $1,800/Michelle: $18,605 cash & cruise

GT: $21,155
BANKRUPT TRASH: $7,005 cash & crystal

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Bonus Round

Michelle picked the L for “Leslie” from WHE-L.

Category: THING

This one-wordy began as…

_ _ L L _ R _ _

She WIPED OUT w/ CDYA and was wrong BILLIARD and MILLIARD. The word did start w/ a B, but she didn’t catch this BULLFROG for the Gershwin autograph and grand piano.

MY RATING: 6

WoF Retro Recap: October 20, 1997

EPISODE #2766: BROADWAY WEEK

Members of “Cats” introduced this theme week.

Chris Toogood: a guy who just bought a food delivery service from Coronado, CA

Scott Pace: a man who worked for his father in a family-owned golf business married w/ two kids from Monroe, NC

Cory Lindley (female): HR manager at a direct marketing co. soon to be graduating with a journalism degree from Oklahoma City

Round 1: FAMILY

Chris kicked off w/ four R’s for $2,400, two E’s, a $600 L, but then a dud vowel in U. Scott then called up a $500 B and a $250 C. We had…

R _ B / &
C _ R L
R E _ _ E R

He IDed ROB & CARL REINER (the latter recently passed away on June 29th this year) for $750.

SOLE DUD: U (Chris)

FEATURED PRIZE: SONY Vaio PC plus America’s Choice Mall software worth $2,829

Round 2: CLASSIC TV

After Pat nearly forgot to introduce the category, Scott rattled off two T’s for that computer package, a $500 S pair, a single I, a $750 N trio, and three O’s, but then a baffling K call on the Free SPIN. Cory also whiffed w/ L for loss. Chris thirdly uncovered four R’s for $1,800, eight E’s, a $600 H pair, a $7,500 D trio, but then C for CRITICAL DUD to leave $9,650 on the table.  Scott didn’t do any better w/ B for bad. Cory then said a $300 F, a single A, and a $550 G. We had…

T H E R E ‘ S / N O
N E E D / T O / F E A R
_ N D E R D O G / I S
H E R E

She recited “THERE’S NO NEED TO FEAR UNDERDOG IS HERE” for $600. And the “Underdog” theme was played going into this break.

DUDS: K (Scott), L (Cory), C (Chris), B (Scott)

Chris: NOTHING/Scott: $750/Cory: $600

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Jackpot Round: EVENT

Cory led off w/ a $300 S, a $1,200 T pair, but then E for end of turn. Both men struck out w/ L and H, respectively, so we’re coming right back to Cory…but she BANKRUPTed near the purple $500 to lose the $1,250 remainder.  Chris got a $300 N, but then C for crud. Scott lit up a $450 B, but then M for mistake. Cory followed w/ a $250 R, a U buy, but then a not-so-good G call. Chris found a $500 F pair, a $500 Y, but repeated the N. Scott then said the last consonant of a $400 Z…

B O Z O
T U R N S
F _ F T Y

He recalled BOZO TURNS FIFTY (and we’re referring to the clown) for $850.

DUDS: E (Cory), L (Chris), H (Scott), C (Chris), M (Scott), G (Cory)
SOLE BANKRUPT: Cory
SOLE DQ: Chris’ N repeat
UNCLAIMED JACKPOT: $10,700

Chris: BUPKIS/Scott: $1,600/Cory: $600

Definitely a lackluster game, that’s for sure.

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Round 4: BEFORE & AFTER

Chris instantly got the same BANKRUPT from the last round. Second, Scott spotted two N’s for $700, a $300 D, two A’s, a $10K S pair, a $250 B, but time’s running out…

S N _ _ _ _ _ S
B A _ / A N D
_ _ _ _ _

…and this would make up for lost time — a $5K Final Spin!

Scott: 3 R’s
Cory: C
Chris: 2 L’s

S N _ C _ _ R S
B A R / A N D
_ R _ L L

Chris denied the other man a $26K payoff by solving SNICKERS BAR AND GRILL for $10K.

INSTA-BANKRUPT: Chris

FINAL SCORES
Chris: $10K/Scott: $1,600/Cory: $600

GT: $12,200
BANKRUPT TRASH: $1,250

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Bonus Round

This week’s non-$25K prizes were…

• George Gershwin autograph and grand piano ($30K+)
• trip to NYC ($28K+)
• Lexus ES 300 ($34K+)
• home theater package ($16K+)

Chris got the second E.

Category: PHRASE

This was used again in late S26 on April 22, 2009 and not solved for a Toyota FJ Cruiser…

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

MCKA guaranteed at least a letter…

_ _ _ E / A N _
T A K E

He proved to have the GIVE AND TAKE, and he won the cash for a grand total of $35K on the night. I can tell you he came back from the Friday Finals. He was greeted by his wife and their best friend’s daughter.

MY RATING: 6