by Thinus Ferreira
From Monday, Rorisang Thandekiso will be the host of Wheel of Fortune SA and will help contestants spin the wheel and choose letters in the hope of guessing right to get a phrase and various prizes.
The South African version of Wheel of Fortune is filmed at Atlantic Studios in Cape Town and is produced by Homebrew Films and Primedia Studios for SABC3 according to the format licensed internationally by Paramount Global Content Distribution.
While the American version produced by Sony Pictures Television, in addition to a host, has Vanna White who turns the correct letters on the "hangman"-like screen when contestants guess a letter corrently, the South African version won't have an assistant, similar to the British version.
Across 260 half-hour episodes which will air on weekdays on SABC3 at 19:30, three contestants daily will spin the "wheel of fortune" as they get chance after chance to guess letters making up a phrase on a screen.
As with the American version a car is one of the possible prizes and in the South African version it's a Suzuki
Grand Vitara Hybrid.
"I am incredibly honoured to follow in these giant footsteps and be the first Wheel
of Fortune South Africa host and the lucky person introducing
the show to Africa,” says Rorisang.
"It’s
like Hangman meets Roulette but on an ample dose of healthy television steroids. Like the rest of the world, South Africans will love it. This
is the kind of game show that will keep the entire family glued to their
screens – whether they’re trying to solve the word puzzles themselves or are
routing for the contestants to rake in more money or fabulous prizes."
Lala Tuku, the SABC's acting head of video entertainment, says "Rorisang
radiates all the attributes required to hold the reins of this world-famous
word-quiz game show".
"She comes with gravitas and years of experience in
front of the camera but also embodies a unique mix of sparkle, confidence, and
calmness. Furthermore, we're thrilled to break the mould with a powerful female
host. It fits in with SABC's mission to celebrate diversity and put the
spotlight on women."
Jan du Plessis, Primedia Studios president, says "We are extremely excited and honoured to finally add the African continent to Wheel of Fortune's phenomenal legacy".
"Wheel of Fortune is arguably the most successful game-show format of all time in terms of its universal appeal and longevity."
"But best of all, South Africans will now have the opportunity to spin their lives around by playing this spectacular yet simple game on a state-of-the-art set. Add mind-blowing amounts of cash and unimaginable prizes – even cars – up for grabs, and Wheel of Fortune South Africa is in a league unseen on local television before."
Emma Stow, Paramount Global Content Distribution's director of format sales, says "Wheel
of Fortune is one of our longest-running game shows and we look forward to
working with Primedia Studios to bring this successful format to the audience
in South Africa".
Wheel of Fortune has three contestants per episode and starts with a "Toss-up" round in which
the trio tries to unravel a word phrase by themselves to earn money and
determine which one will spin the iconic wheel first.
There are
different wedges on the wheel – anything between R100 and R800, as well as some
dreaded ones like "Lose a turn" or "Bankrupt", which might ruin their game. In
addition to the cash amounts the wheel includes other prizes which the
contestant will pocket if they figure out the word phrase.
In
solving the puzzle the amount of money indicated on the wheel multiplies with
the number of letters they choose to put on the game's giant puzzle board - but
only if the letters are indeed part of the phrase.
If they don't use a
consonant, they can also buy a vowel but once they opt to put a wrong letter
on the board, it's the next contestant's turn to spin the wheel.
Ultimately,
the contestant who calls out the correct phrase bags the money they have
accumulated in their own wallet. Thereafter, the contestant with the biggest
winnings moves on to play the bonus round, where even more impressive prizes
await.
