Watch ‘Wheel of Fortune’ Unveil a New Puzzle Format (Video)

Classic game show makes a cool change

“Wheel of Fortune” added a new spin on its age-old style on Monday with the introduction of a different kind of puzzle for the contestants to solve: a crossword!

In the new twist on the classic TV game show’s normal format, “Wheel of Fortune” host Pat Sajak excitedly told the players, “We’re trying something new tonight. You’re kind of guinea pigs. Congratulations on that.”

He then gave contestants a clue that was relevant to all of the words that they had to solve, rather than a general category — in this case, “seeing red.”

Then, the contestants started shouting out letters, per usual.

“Pat and I had been considering the idea of a crossword puzzle format for years,” said “Wheel of Fortune” executive producer, Harry Friedman, in a statement.

“Last year in Madrid I observed the production of ‘Wheel of Fortune’ in Spain. Seeing their success with the crossword round encouraged us to try it here. I know our viewers will also find it fun and engaging, and a welcome new twist on playing ‘Wheel of Fortune’ without changing the basic game.”

This change is not the only recent event to make news on the syndicated hit show. Just two weeks ago, an episode of “Wheel of Fortune” ended in a tie for the first time in 10 years.

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