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After 46 years of coming up with phrases for its popular show, the producers of television's "Wheel of Fortune" next year will turn to the Valley Isle to spice things up.
"Wheel of Fortune: Maui-Style" is set to premiere sometime next spring, introducing a plethora of new words and phrases to confound contestants.
"We were running out of ideas for phrases or words, and frankly, too many people were winning cars," said Evan Sandleston, the new producer of the show. "So we pow-wowed, and someone had just returned from a trip to Maui.
"When we saw all those vowels, and heard there were a lot less consonants in the alphabet, we were sold," Sandleston said. "Plus, there's that little upside-down-6 apostrophe thingy, which we decided to include in the new game."
Since the Hawaiian alphabet has 5 vowels but only 7 consonants, the production team was initially concerned. Then they realized the vowels could be repeated without limit, and the team chuckled, Sandleston said.
"I mean, let's see them guess 'Manawainui Gulch,' " said Pat Sajak, the show's longtime host.
Co-host Vanna White suggested they add a new element for contestants to purchase during game play, instead of just vowels. On top of vowels, on "Maui-Style," they can also buy an ʻokina, White said.
The company that insures the cars on the show ~ which has to pay auto dealers each time a vehicle is won by a contestant ~ announced that their stock went up 9 points with the announcement.
