Parents' Guide to

Wheel of Fortune

By Melissa Camacho, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 8+

Classic word-puzzle game show still offers family fun.

TV Syndicated Game Shows 1983
Wheel of Fortune Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this TV show.

Community Reviews

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age 9+

Based on 6 parent reviews

Juanita-gasca@yahoo.com
[email protected] Adult
November 10, 2018
age 10+

A little discriminating if you ask me!!

So I used to love Wheel of Fortune but I've noticed over the years that all you see on there is white people you might see one Mexican here! one black person there! one Asian here! but you never see three black people at a time! three Mexicans at a time! or three of any other race!! But Wheel of Fortune always makes sure to have three white people on there!!! I think that's very discriminative against other races!! and if you're a game show for "America" then it should be for the people of America!! which is a variety of everything!!! So with that being said Wheel of Fortune you guys are very discriminative!! and I feel like you're a little prejudice!!
1 person found this helpful.
hottamolly00
hottamolly00 Parent
February 7, 2023
age 11+

A great nightly show to get our family together for every day.

Love watching this with my school-aged kids, but just be prepared to discuss differences in cultures and family lifestyles when they introduce the contestants.
See all 6 parent reviews

What's the Story?

On popular game show WHEEL OF FORTUNE, contestants compete for major cash and prizes by solving word puzzles. The show, which is hosted by Pat Sajak and Vanna White, requires players to guess at the correct letters to fill in the blanks representing a word or phrase. Before they choose a consonant or buy a vowel, they must spin a giant roulette-like wheel to determine how much money (or which prizes) they can play for. An unlucky spin can also lead to lost turns and/or automatic bankruptcy. The player who successfully solves each puzzle wins the round and the cash and prizes that he or she collected along the way. At the end of the show, the person with the most winnings gets a chance to play a bonus round for an additional prize.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (6):
Kids say (13):

This popular game show is the modern version of the original Wheel of Fortune series that aired from 1975-1981. Despite some minor changes -- including replacing the original manual word puzzle board with an electronic one -- the overall show has remained much the same. Despite contestants' efforts to win as much money and as many prizes as possible, the series does require a bit of intellect (as well as guesswork) in order to solve the puzzles. As a result, it offers an entertaining way for families to work on their word-building skills.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about game shows. What makes some more popular than others? How do people get chosen to be on them?

  • Are there game shows that your family likes to watch? What makes them fun?

TV Details

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