document_title: Wheel of Fortune (U.S. game show)

question_text: when did wheel of fortune get touch screens

text: Wheel of Fortune (U.S. game show)

text: Gameplay[edit]

text: Main game[edit]

text: The core game is based on Hangman. Each round has a category and a blank word puzzle, with each blank representing a letter in the answer, and punctuation revealed as needed.[7] Most puzzles are straightforward figures of speech that fit within a mostly static list of categories, and this list has evolved over the course of the series. Crossword puzzles were added to the rotation in 2016. In such rounds, a clue bonding the words in the puzzle is given instead of a traditional category, and contestants win by solving all the words in the crossword.[8] The titular Wheel of Fortune is a roulette-style wheel mechanism with 24 spaces, most of which are labeled with dollar amounts ranging from $500 to $900, plus a top dollar value: $2,500 in round 1, $3,500 in rounds 2 and 3, and $5,000 for round 4 and any subsequent rounds. The wheel also features two Bankrupt wedges and one Lose a Turn, both of which forfeit the contestant's turn, with the former also eliminating any cash or prizes the contestant has accumulated within the round.[9] Each game features three contestants, or occasionally, three two-contestant teams positioned behind a single scoreboard with its own flipper. The left scoreboard from the viewer's perspective is colored red, the center yellow, and the right blue, with the contestants' positions determined by a random selection prior to taping.[10]

text: A contestant spins the wheel to determine a dollar value and guess a consonant.[note 2] Calling a correct letter earns the value before the corresponding flipper, multiplied by the number of times that the letter appears in the puzzle.[12] Calling a correct letter keeps the wheel in the contestant's control, allowing the contestant to spin again, buy a vowel for a flat rate of $250, or attempt to solve the puzzle. Contestants may continue to buy vowels so long as they have enough money to keep doing so, until all of the vowels in the puzzle have been revealed.[9] Control passes to the next contestant clockwise if the wheel lands on Lose a Turn or Bankrupt, if the contestant calls a letter that is not in the puzzle, calls a letter that has already been called in that round, fails to call a letter within five seconds of the wheel stopping, or attempts unsuccessfully to solve the puzzle. The only exception is the Free Play wedge, on which the contestant may call a consonant for $500 per occurrence, call a free vowel, or solve the puzzle, with no penalty for an incorrect letter or answer.

text: In the first three rounds, the wheel contains a Wild Card and a Gift Tag, while two ½ Car tags are present in rounds two and three only (except on episodes with two-player teams). The Wild Card may be used to call an additional consonant after any turn (for the amount that the contestant has just spun) or taken to the bonus round to call an extra consonant there. The Gift Tag offers either a $1,000 credit toward purchases from, or $1,000 in cash courtesy of, the sponsoring company, and the ½ Car tags award a car if the contestant wins the round(s) in which he or she claims both. Unlike the other tags, the ½ Car tags are replaced in subsequent rounds unless the car is won. A special wedge in the first two rounds awards a prize which is described by the announcer if won. All of the tags and the prize wedge are located over the $500 wedges, so calling a letter that appears in the puzzle when landed upon awards both the tag/wedge and $500 per every occurrence of that letter in the puzzle. The first three rounds also contain a special wedge which, if won and taken to the bonus round, offers an opportunity to play that round for $1,000,000. A contestant must solve the puzzle in order to keep any cash, prizes, or extras accumulated during that round except for the Wild Card, which is kept until the contestant either loses it to Bankrupt or uses it. Bankrupt does not affect score from previous rounds, but it does take away the Wild Card, individual ½ Car tags, and/or million dollar wedge if any was claimed in a previous round. Contestants who solve a round for less than $1,000 in cash and prizes ($2,000 on weeks with two-contestant teams) have their scores increased to that amount.

text: Each game also features three toss-up puzzles, which reveal the puzzle one random letter at a time, and award cash to whoever rings in with the right answer. The first determines who is interviewed first by the host, the second determines who starts round 1, and the third determines who starts round 4. Respectively, the toss-ups are valued at $1,000, $2,000, and $3,000. In addition to these, each game has a minimum of four rounds, with more played if time permits.[12] Rounds 2 and 3 are respectively started by the next two contestants clockwise from the contestant who began round 1.

text: Round 2 features two "mystery wedges". Calling a correct letter after landing upon one offers the contestant the chance to accept its face value of $1,000 per letter, or forfeit that amount to flip over the wedge and see whether its reverse side contains a $10,000 cash prize or Bankrupt. Once either mystery wedge is flipped over, the other becomes a standard $1,000 space and cannot be flipped. Round 3 is a prize puzzle, which offers a prize (usually a trip) to the contestant who solves it. Starting with season 31 in 2013, an "Express" wedge is also placed on the wheel in round 3. A contestant who lands on this space and calls a consonant that appears in the puzzle receives $1,000 per appearance. The contestant can then either "pass" and continue the round normally, or "play" and keep calling consonants for $1,000 each (without spinning) and buying vowels for $250. The Express play ends when the contestant either calls an incorrect letter (which has the same effect as landing on a Bankrupt wedge) or solves the puzzle.[13]

text: The final round is always played at least in part in a "speed-up" format, in which the host spins the wheel to determine the value of each consonant, with $1,000 being added to the value on which the wheel stops before the red contestant's arrow. Vowels do not add or deduct money from the contestants' scores in the speed-up round. The contestant in control calls one letter, and if it appears in the puzzle, the contestant is given three seconds to attempt to solve.[note 3] Play proceeds clockwise, starting with the contestant who was in control at the time of the final spin, until the puzzle is solved. The three-second timer does not begin until the hostess has revealed all instances of a called letter and moved aside from the puzzle board, and the contestant may offer multiple guesses on his/her turn. After the speed-up round, the total winnings of the three contestants are compared. The contestant with the highest total winnings wins the game and advances to the bonus round. Contestants who fail to earn any cash or prizes in the game are awarded a consolation prize of $1,000 (or $2,000 on weeks with two-contestant teams).

text: If a tie for first place occurs after the speed-up round, an additional toss-up puzzle is played between the tied contestants. The contestant who solves the toss-up puzzle wins $1,000[14] and advances to the bonus round.

text: Bonus round[edit]

text: Before the bonus round begins, the winning contestant chooses one of three categories for his or her puzzle (prior to season 35, the puzzle and category were predetermined). After doing so, the contestant spins a smaller wheel with 24 envelopes to determine the prize. He or she is then shown a puzzle in the chosen category, and every instance of R, S, T, L, N, and E is revealed. The contestant provides three more consonants (four if he/she is holding the Wild Card) and one more vowel, then has 10 seconds to solve the puzzle after his or her other letters (if any) are revealed. The contestant may make as many guesses as necessary, so long as the contestant begins the correct answer before time expires. Whether or not the contestant solves the puzzle, the host opens the envelope at the end of the round to reveal the prize at stake. Prizes in the bonus round include various cash amounts (with the lowest being the season number multiplied by $1,000), a vehicle (or two vehicles during weeks with two-contestant teams), and a top prize of $100,000.

text: If the contestant has the Million Dollar Wedge, the $100,000 envelope is replaced with a $1,000,000 envelope. The $1,000,000 prize has been awarded three times: to Michelle Loewenstein (on the episode that aired October 14, 2008),[15] to Autumn Erhard (May 30, 2013),[16] and to Sarah Manchester (September 17, 2014).[17] Contestants who win the $1,000,000 may receive it in installments over 20 years, or in a lump sum of that amount's present value.[18] At the end of the Bonus Round, Sajak will reveal where the $1,000,000 wedge was on the prize wheel if the contestant failed to land on it.

text: Previous rules[edit]

text: Originally, after winning a round, contestants spent their winnings on prizes that were presented onstage. At any time during a shopping round, most often if the contestant did not have enough left to buy another prize,[19] a contestant could choose to put his or her winnings on a gift certificate, or he or she could put the winnings "on account" for use in a later shopping round. However, a contestant lost any money on account by landing on Bankrupt or failing to claim it by not winning subsequent rounds.[9] The shopping element was eliminated from the syndicated version on the episode that aired October 5, 1987,[20] both to speed up gameplay and to alleviate the taxes paid by contestants.[12] However, the network version continued to use the shopping element until the end of its first NBC run on June 30, 1989.[21]

text: Before the introduction of toss-up puzzles at the start of the 18th syndicated season in 2000,[22] the contestant at the red arrow always started round 1, with the next contestant clockwise starting each subsequent round.[23] In addition, if a tie for first place occurred, an additional speed-up round was played between the tied contestants for the right to go to the bonus round. The wheel formerly featured a Free Spin wedge, which automatically awarded a token that the contestant could turn in after a lost turn to keep control of the wheel.[24] It was replaced in 1989 with a single Free Spin token placed over a selected cash wedge. Free Spin was retired, and Free Play introduced, at the start of the 27th syndicated season in 2009.[25] Between September 16, 1996[26] and the end of season 30 in 2013, the show featured a progressive Jackpot wedge, which had been in several different rounds in its history.[note 4] The jackpot started at $5,000 and had the value of every spin within the round added to it. To claim the jackpot, a contestant had to land on the wedge, call a correct letter, and solve the puzzle all in the same turn. In later years, it also offered $500 per correct letter and $500 to the jackpot, regardless of whether or not it was won in that turn.

text: The network version allowed champions to appear for up to five days originally, which was later reduced to three. The syndicated version, which originally retired contestants after one episode, adopted the three-day champion rule at the start of the seventh season in 1989.[29] In later years, the top three winners from the week's first four shows returned to compete in the "Friday Finals". When the jackpot wedge was introduced, it began at $10,000 instead of $5,000 on Fridays. The rules allowing champions to return after their initial appearances were eliminated permanently beginning with the syndicated episode aired September 21, 1998, and contestants appear only on a single episode.[30]

text: Before December 1981, the show did not feature a bonus round.[9] Under the bonus round's original rules, no letters were provided automatically. The contestant asked for five consonants and a vowel, and then had fifteen seconds to attempt solving the puzzle. Also, bonus prizes were selected by the contestant at the start of the round.[31] The current time limit and rules for letter selection were introduced on October 3, 1988.[32] Starting on September 4, 1989, the first episode of the seventh syndicated season, bonus prizes were selected by the contestant choosing from one of five envelopes labeled W, H, E, E, and L. One prize was always $25,000 in cash, and the rest were changed weekly. Any prize that was won was taken out of rotation for the rest of the week.[29] During seasons 16 through 18 (1998–2001), the $25,000 remained in-place the entire week of shows regardless if it was won. At the start of season 19 in 2001, there were three car envelopes and two $25,000 envelopes, which were available the entire week of shows. These envelopes were replaced with the bonus wheel on October 22, 2001.[33]

text: Conception and development[edit]

text: Merv Griffin conceived Wheel of Fortune just as the original version of Jeopardy!, another show he had created, was ending its 11-year run on NBC with Art Fleming as its host. Griffin decided to create a Hangman-style game after recalling long car trips as a child, on which he and his sister played Hangman. After he discussed the idea with Merv Griffin Enterprises' staff, they thought that the idea would work as a game show if it had a "hook". He decided to add a roulette-style wheel because he was always "drawn to" such wheels when he saw them in casinos. He and MGE's then-president Murray Schwartz consulted an executive of Caesars Palace to find out how to build such a wheel.[34]

text: When Griffin pitched the idea for the show to Lin Bolen, then the head of NBC's daytime programming division, she approved, but wanted the show to have more glamour to attract the female audience. She suggested that Griffin incorporate a shopping element into the gameplay, and so, in 1973, he created a pilot episode titled Shopper's Bazaar, with Chuck Woolery as host and Mike Lawrence as announcer. The pilot started with the three contestants being introduced individually, with Lawrence describing the prizes that they chose to play for. The main game was played to four rounds, with the values on the wheel wedges increasing after the second round. Unlike the show it evolved into, Shopper's Bazaar had a vertically mounted wheel,[35] which was spun by Woolery rather than by the contestants. This wheel lacked the Bankrupt wedge and featured a wedge where a contestant could call a vowel for free, as well as a "Your Own Clue" wedge that allowed contestants to pick up a rotary telephone and hear a private clue about the puzzle. At the end of the game, the highest-scoring contestant played a bonus round called the "Shopper's Special" where all the vowels in the puzzle were already there, and the contestant had 30 seconds to call out consonants in the puzzle.

text: Edd Byrnes, an actor from 77 Sunset Strip, served as host for the second and third pilots, both titled Wheel of Fortune.[36] These pilots were directed by Marty Pasetta, who gave the show a "Vegas" feel that more closely resembled the look and feel that the actual show ended up having, a wheel that was now spun by the contestants themselves, and a lighted mechanical puzzle board with letters that were now manually turnable. Showcase prizes on these pilots were located behind the puzzle board, and during shopping segments a list of prizes and their price values scrolled on the right of the screen. By the time production began in December 1974, Woolery was selected to host, the choice being made by Griffin after he reportedly heard Byrnes reciting "A-E-I-O-U" to himself in an effort to remember the vowels.[36] Susan Stafford turned the letters on Byrnes' pilot episodes, a role that she also held when the show was picked up as a series.[34][37]

text: Personnel[edit]

text: Hosts and hostesses[edit]

text: The original host of Wheel of Fortune was Chuck Woolery, who hosted the series from its 1975 premiere[9][38] until December 25, 1981, save for one week in August 1980 when Alex Trebek hosted in his place. Woolery's departure came over a salary dispute with show creator Merv Griffin, and his contract was not renewed.[12][39] On December 28, 1981, Pat Sajak made his debut as the host of Wheel.[40] Griffin said that he chose Sajak for his "odd" sense of humor. NBC president and CEO Fred Silverman objected as he felt Sajak, who at the time of his hiring was the weatherman for KNBC-TV, was "too local" for a national audience. Griffin countered by telling Silverman he would stop production if Sajak was not allowed to become host, and Silverman acquiesced.[41]

text: Sajak hosted the daytime series until January 9, 1989, when he left to host a late-night talk show for CBS. Rolf Benirschke, a former placekicker in the National Football League, was chosen as his replacement and hosted for a little more than five months. Benirschke's term as host came to an end due to NBC's cancellation of the daytime Wheel after fourteen years, with its final episode airing on June 30, 1989.[9] When the newly formatted daytime series returned on CBS on July 17, 1989, Bob Goen became its host. The daytime program continued for a year and a half on CBS, then returned to NBC on January 14, 1991 and continued until September 20, 1991 when it was cancelled for a second and final time.[9]

text: Susan Stafford was the original hostess, serving in that role from the premiere until October 1982. Stafford was absent for two extended periods, once in 1977 after fracturing two vertebrae in her back and once in 1979 after an automobile accident.[9][42] During these two extended absences, former Miss USA Summer Bartholomew was Stafford's most frequent substitute, with model Cynthia Washington and comedian Arte Johnson also filling in for Stafford.[43]

text: After Stafford left to become a humanitarian worker,[34] over two hundred applicants signed up for a nationwide search to be her replacement.[44] Griffin eventually narrowed the list to three finalists, which consisted of Summer Bartholomew, former Playboy centerfold Vicki McCarty, and Vanna White.[45] Griffin gave each of the three women an opportunity to win the job by putting them in a rotation for several weeks after Stafford's departure.[12] In December 1982, Griffin named White as Stafford's successor, saying that he felt she was capable of activating the puzzle board letters (which is the primary role of the Wheel hostess) better than anyone else who had auditioned.[46] White became highly popular among the young female demographic,[47] and also gained a fanbase of adults interested in her daily wardrobe, in a phenomenon that has been referred to as "Vannamania".[44] White remained on the daytime series for the rest of the time it was on the air.

text: Sajak and White have starred on the syndicated version continuously as host and hostess, respectively, since it began, except for very limited occasions. During two weeks in January 1991, Tricia Gist, the girlfriend and future wife of Griffin's son Tony, filled in for White when she and her new husband, restaurateur George San Pietro, were honeymooning.[48] Gist returned for the week of episodes airing March 11 through 15, 1991, because White had a cold at the time of taping.[49] On an episode in November 1996, when Sajak proved unable to host the bonus round segment because of laryngitis, he and White traded places for that segment.[50][51] On the March 4, 1997 episode, Rosie O'Donnell co-hosted the third round with White after O'Donnell's name was used in a puzzle.[52]

text: On April 1, 1997, Sajak and Alex Trebek traded jobs for the day. Sajak hosted that day's edition of Jeopardy! in place of Trebek,[53] who presided over a special two-contestant Wheel celebrity match between Sajak and White, who were playing for the Boy Scouts of America and the American Cancer Society, respectively;[54] Lesly Sajak, Pat's wife, was the guest hostess for the day.[53] In January and February 2011, the show held a "Vanna for a Day" contest in which home viewers submitted video auditions to take White's place for one episode, with the winner determined by a poll on the show's website;[55] the winner of this contest, Katie Cantrell of Wooster, Ohio (a student at the Savannah College of Art and Design),[56] took White's place for the second and third rounds on the episode that aired March 24, 2011.

text: Announcers[edit]

text: Charlie O'Donnell was the program's first and longest tenured announcer. In 1980, NBC was discussing cancelling Wheel and O'Donnell agreed to take the position as announcer on The Toni Tennille Show. The network decided against the cancellation but O'Donnell decided to honor his commitment and left the series.[57] His replacement was Jack Clark, who added the syndicated series to his responsibilities when it premiered in 1983 and announced for both series until his death in July 1988.[58] Los Angeles radio personality M. G. Kelly was Clark's replacement, starting on the daytime series in August 1988 and on the syndicated series when its new season launched a month later.[59] Kelly held these positions until O'Donnell was able to return to the announcer position, doing so after his duties with Barris Industries came to an end at the end of the 1988–89 television season.[9] O'Donnell remained with the series until shortly before his death in November 2010.[60] Don Pardo, Don Morrow, and Johnny Gilbert have occasionally served as substitute announcers.[9]

text: After O'Donnell's death, the producers sought a permanent replacement, and a series of substitutes filled out the rest of the season, including Gilbert, John Cramer, Joe Cipriano, Rich Fields, Lora Cain and Jim Thornton. For the show's twenty-ninth season, which began in 2011, Thornton was chosen to be the new announcer for Wheel, and has been with the show ever since.[61]

text: Production staff[edit]

text: Wheel of Fortune typically employs a total of 100 in-house production personnel, with 60 to 100 local staff joining them for those episodes that are taped on location.[10] Griffin was the executive producer of the network version throughout its entire run, and served as the syndicated version's executive producer until his retirement in 2000. Since 1999, the title of executive producer has been held by Harry Friedman, who had shared his title with Griffin for his first year,[62] and had earlier served as a producer starting in 1995.[3]

text: John Rhinehart was the program's first producer, but departed in August 1976 to become NBC's West Coast Daytime Program Development Director. Afterwards, his co-producer, Nancy Jones, was promoted to sole producer, and served as such until 1995, when Friedman succeeded her.[3] In the 15th syndicated season in 1997, Karen Griffith and Steve Schwartz joined Friedman as producers. Tthey were later promoted to supervising producers, with Amanda Stern occupying Griffith's and Schwartz's former position.[62]

text: The show's original director was Jeff Goldstein, who was succeeded by Dick Carson (a brother of Johnny Carson) in 1978.[9] Mark Corwin, who had served as associate director under Carson, took over for him upon his retirement at the end of the 1998–99 season, and served as such until he himself died in July 2013 (although episodes already taped before his death continued airing until late 2013).[63] Jeopardy! director Kevin McCarthy,[64] Corwin's associate director Bob Cisneros,[65] and Wheel and Jeopardy! technical director Robert Ennis[66] filled in at various points until Cisneros became full-time director in November 2013.[67] Ennis returned as guest director for the weeks airing October 13 through 17 and November 17 through 21, 2014, as Cisneros was recovering from neck surgery at the time of taping.[68][69] With the start of the 33rd season on September 14, 2015, Ennis was promoted to full-time director.[70]

text: Production[edit]

text: Wheel of Fortune is owned by Sony Pictures Television (previously known as Columbia TriStar Television, the successor company to original producer Merv Griffin Enterprises).[71] The production company and copyright holder of all episodes to date is Califon Productions, Inc., which like SPT has Sony Pictures for its active registered agent, and whose name comes from a New Jersey town where Griffin once owned a farm.[72] The rights to distribute the show worldwide are owned by CBS Television Distribution, into which original distributor King World Productions was folded in 2007.[73]

text: The show was originally taped in Studio 4 at NBC Studios in Burbank.[74] Upon NBC's 1989 cancellation of the network series, production moved to Studio 33 at CBS Television City in Los Angeles, where it remained until 1995.[75] Since then, the show has occupied Stage 11 at Sony Pictures Studios in Culver City.[76] Some episodes are also recorded on location, a tradition which began with two weeks of episodes taped at Radio City Music Hall in late 1988.[77] Recording sessions usually last for five or six episodes in one day.[10]

text: Set[edit]

text: Various changes have been made to the basic set since the syndicated version's premiere in 1983. In 1996, a large video display was added center stage, which was then upgraded in 2003 as the show began the transition into high-definition broadcasting. In the mid-1990s, the show began a long-standing tradition of nearly every week coming with its own unique theme. As a result, in addition to its generic design, the set also uses many alternate designs, which are unique to specific weekly sets of themed programs. The most recent set design was conceived by production designer Renee Hoss-Johnson, with later modifications by Jody Vaclav.[1] Previous set designers included Ed Flesh[78] and Dick Stiles.[1]

text: The first pilot used a vertically mounted wheel which was often difficult to see on-screen. Flesh, who also designed the sets for The $25,000 Pyramid and Jeopardy!, designed the wheel mechanism. Originally made mostly of paint and cardboard,[78] the modern wheel mechanism is framed on a steel tube surrounded with Plexiglas and more than 200 lighting instruments, and is held by a stainless steel shaft with roller bearings. Altogether, the wheel weighs approximately 2,400 pounds (1,100 kg).[10]

text: The show's original puzzle board had three rows of 13 manually operated trilons, for a total of 39 spaces. On December 21, 1981, a larger board with 48 trilons in four rows (11, 13, 13 and 11 trilons) was adopted. This board was surrounded by a double-arched border of lights which flashed at the beginning and end of the round. Each trilon had three sides: a green side to represent spaces not used by the puzzle, a blank side to indicate a letter that had not been revealed, and a side with a letter on it.[23] While the viewer saw a seamless transition to the next puzzle, with these older boards in segments where more than one puzzle was present, a stop-down of taping took place during which the board was wheeled offstage and the new puzzle loaded in by hand out of sight of the contestants. On February 24, 1997, the show introduced a computerized puzzle board composed of 52 touch-activated monitors in four rows (12 on the top and bottom rows, 14 in the middle two).[10] To illuminate a letter during regular gameplay, the hostess touches the right edge of the monitor to reveal it.[79] The computerized board obviated the stop-downs, allowing tapings to finish quicker at a lower cost to the production company.

text: Although not typically seen by viewers, the set also includes a used letter board that shows contestants which letters are remaining in play, a scoreboard that is visible from the contestants' perspective, and a countdown clock.[80][81] The used letter board is also used during the bonus round, and in at least one case, helped the contestant to see unused letters to solve a difficult puzzle.[82]

text: Music[edit]

text: Alan Thicke composed the show's original theme, which was titled "Big Wheels". In 1983, it was replaced by Griffin's own composition, "Changing Keys",[83] to allow him to derive royalties from that composition's use on both the network and syndicated versions. Steve Kaplan became music director starting with the premiere of the 15th syndicated season in 1997, and continued to serve as such until he was killed when the Cessna 421C Golden Eagle he was piloting crashed into a home in Claremont, California, in December 2003.[84][85][86] His initial theme was a remix of "Changing Keys", but by the 18th syndicated season (2000–01), he had replaced it with a composition of his own, which was titled "Happy Wheels".[87] Since 2006, music direction has been handled by Frankie Blue and John Hoke.[1] Themes they have written for the show include a remix of "Happy Wheels" and an original rock-based composition.[87]

text: In addition to "Changing Keys", Griffin also composed various incidental music cues for the syndicated version which were used for announcements of prizes in the show's early years. Among them were "Frisco Disco" (earlier the closing theme for a revival of Jeopardy! which aired in 1978 and 1979),[88] "A Time for Tony" (whose basic melody evolved into "Think!", the longtime theme song for Jeopardy![89]), "Buzzword" (later used as the theme for Merv Griffin's Crosswords), "Nightwalk", "Struttin' on Sunset", and an untitled vacation cue.[87]

text: Audition process[edit]

text: Anyone at least 18 years old has the potential to become a contestant through Wheel of Fortune's audition process. Exceptions include employees and immediate family members of CBS Corporation, Sony Pictures Entertainment, or any of their respective affiliates or subsidiaries; any firm involved in supplying prizes for the show; and television stations that broadcast Wheel and/or Jeopardy!, their sister radio stations, and those advertising agencies that are affiliated with them. Also ineligible to apply as contestants are individuals who have appeared on a different game show within the previous year, three other game shows within the past ten years, or on any version of Wheel of Fortune itself.[90]

text: Throughout the year, the show uses a custom-designed Winnebago recreational vehicle called the "Wheelmobile" to travel across the United States, holding open auditions at various public venues. Participants are provided with entry forms which are then drawn randomly. Individuals whose names are drawn appear on stage, five at a time, and are interviewed by traveling host Marty Lublin. The group of five then plays a mock version of the speed-up round, and five more names are selected after a puzzle is solved. Everyone who is called onstage receives a themed prize, usually determined by the spin of a miniature wheel. Auditions typically last two days, with three one-hour segments per day.[91] After each Wheelmobile event, the "most promising candidates" are invited back to the city in which the first audition was held, to participate in a second audition. Alternatively, a participant may submit an audition form with a self-shot video through the show's website to enter an audition. Contestants not appearing on stage at Wheelmobile events have their applications retained and get drawn at random to fill second-level audition vacancies. At the second audition, potential contestants play more mock games featuring a miniature wheel and puzzle board, followed by a 16-puzzle test with some letters revealed. The contestants have five minutes to solve as many puzzles as they can by writing in the correct letters. The people who pass continue the audition, playing more mock games which are followed by interviews.[92][93]

text: Broadcast history[edit]

text: Wheel of Fortune premiered on January 6, 1975, at 10:30 am (9:30 Central) on NBC. Lin Bolen, then the head of daytime programming, purchased the show from Griffin to compensate him for canceling the original Jeopardy! series, which had one year remaining on its contract. Jeopardy! aired its final episode on the Friday before Wheel's premiere. The original Wheel aired on NBC, in varying time slots between 10:30 am and noon, until June 30, 1989. Throughout that version's run, episodes were generally 30 minutes in length, except for six weeks of shows aired between December 1975 and January 1976 which were 60 minutes in length. NBC announced the cancellation of the show in August 1980, but it stayed on the air following a decision to cut the duration of The David Letterman Show from 90 to 60 minutes.[57] The network Wheel moved to CBS on July 17, 1989, and remained there until January 14, 1991.[9] After that, it briefly returned to NBC, replacing Let's Make a Deal,[94] but was canceled permanently on September 20 of that year.[9]

text: The daily syndicated version of Wheel premiered on September 19, 1983, preceded by a series of episodes taped on location at the Ohio State Fair and aired on WBNS-TV in Columbus, Ohio.[95] From its debut, the syndicated version offered a larger prize budget than its network counterpart.[40] The show came from humble beginnings: King World chairmen Roger, Michael, and Robert King could initially find only 50 stations that were willing to carry the show, and since they could not find affiliates for the syndicated Wheel in New York, Los Angeles, or Chicago, Philadelphia was the largest market in which the show could succeed in its early days. Only nine stations carried the show from its beginning,[96] but by midseason it was airing on all 50 of the stations that were initially willing to carry it, and by the beginning of 1984 the show was available to 99 percent of television households. Soon, Wheel succeeded Family Feud as the highest-rated syndicated show,[9] and at the beginning of the 1984–85 season, Griffin followed up on the show's success by launching a syndicated revival of Jeopardy!, hosted by Alex Trebek.[97] The syndicated success of Wheel and Jeopardy! siphoned ratings from the period's three longest-running and most popular game shows, Tic-Tac-Dough, The Joker's Wild, and Family Feud, to the point that all three series came to an end by the fall of 1986. At this point, Wheel had the highest ratings of any syndicated television series in history,[40] and at the peak of the show's popularity, over 40 million people were watching five nights per week. The series, along with companion series Jeopardy!, remained the most-watched syndicated program in the United States until dethroned by Judge Judy in 2011.[98] The program has become America's longest-running syndicated game show and its second-longest in either network or syndication, second to the version of The Price Is Right which began airing in 1972. The syndicated Wheel has become part of the consciousness of over 90 million Americans, and awarded a total of over $200 million in cash and prizes to contestants.[10]

text: The popularity of Wheel of Fortune has led it to become a worldwide franchise, with over forty known adaptations in international markets outside the United States.[10] Versions of the show have existed in such countries as Australia,[99] Denmark,[100] France,[101] Germany,[102] Italy,[103] Malaysia,[104] New Zealand,[105] the Philippines,[106] Poland,[107] Russia,[108] Spain,[109] and the United Kingdom.[110] The American version of Wheel has honored its international variants with an occasional theme of special weeks known as "Wheel Around the World", the inaugural episode of which aired when the 23rd syndicated season premiered on September 12, 2005.[111]

text: Between September 1997 and January 1998, CBS and Game Show Network concurrently aired a special children's version of the show titled Wheel 2000. It was hosted by David Sidoni, with Tanika Ray providing voice and motion capture for a virtual reality hostess named "Cyber Lucy".[112] Created by Scott Sternberg,[112] the spin-off featured special gameplay in which numerous rules were changed. For example, the show's child contestants competed for points and prizes instead of cash, with the eventual winner playing for a grand prize in the bonus round.[113]

text: Reception[edit]

text: Wheel of Fortune has long been one of the highest-rated programs on U.S. syndicated television. It was the highest-rated show in all of syndication before it was dethroned by Two and a Half Men in the 28th season (2010–11).[114][115] The syndicated Wheel shared the Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Game/Audience Participation Show with Jeopardy! in 2011, and Sajak won three Daytime Emmys for Outstanding Game Show Host—in 1993, 1997, and 1998. In a 2001 issue, TV Guide ranked Wheel number 25 among the 50 Greatest Game Shows of All Time,[116] and in 2013, the magazine ranked it number 2 in its list of the 60 greatest game shows ever, second only to Jeopardy![5] In August 2006, the show was ranked number 6 on GSN's list of the 50 Greatest Game Shows.[117]

text: Wheel was the subject of many nominations in GSN's Game Show Awards special, which aired on June 6, 2009.[118] The show was nominated for Best Game Show, but lost to Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?; Sajak and White were nominated for Best Game Show Host, but lost to Deal or No Deal's Howie Mandel; and O'Donnell was considered for Best Announcer but lost to Rich Fields from The Price Is Right. One of the catchphrases uttered by contestants, "I'd like to buy a vowel", was considered for Favorite Game Show Catch Phrase, but lost to "Come on down!", the announcer's catchphrase welcoming new contestants to Price. The sound effect heard at the start of a new regular gameplay round won the award for Favorite Game Show Sound Effect. The sound heard when the wheel lands on Bankrupt was also nominated. Despite having been retired from the show for nearly a decade by that point, "Changing Keys" was nominated for Best Game Show Theme Song. However, it lost to its fellow Griffin composition, "Think!" from Jeopardy![119]

text: A hall of fame honoring Wheel of Fortune is part of the Sony Pictures Studios tour, and was introduced on the episode aired May 10, 2010.[120] Located in the same stage as the show's taping facility, this hall of fame features memorabilia related to Wheel's syndicated history, including retired props, classic merchandise, photographs, videos, and a special case dedicated to White's wardrobe.[121] Two years later, in 2012, the show was honored with a Ride of Fame on a double decker tour bus in New York City.[122]

text: Merchandise[edit]

text: Numerous board games based on Wheel of Fortune have been released by different toy companies. The games are all similar, incorporating a wheel, puzzle display board, play money and various accessories like Free Spin tokens. Milton Bradley released the first board game in 1975. In addition to all the supplies mentioned above, the game included 20 prize cards to simulate the "shopping" prizes of the show, with prizes ranging in value from $100 to $3,000. Two editions were released, with the only differences being the box art and the included books of puzzles. Other home versions were released by Pressman Toy Corporation, Tyco/Mattel, Parker Brothers, Endless Games, and Irwin Toys.[123]

text: Additionally, several video games based on the show have been released for personal computers, the Internet, and various gaming consoles spanning multiple hardware generations. Most games released in the 20th century were published by GameTek, which produced a dozen Wheel games on various platforms, starting with a Nintendo Entertainment System game released in 1987 and continuing until the company closed in 1998 after filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.[124] Subsequent games were published by Hasbro Interactive and its acquirer Infogrames/Atari; Sony Online Entertainment, THQ and Ubisoft.[125]

text: Wheel has also been licensed to International Game Technology for use in its slot machines. The games are all loosely based on the show, with contestants given the chance to spin the wheel to win a jackpot prize. Since 1996, over 200 slot games based on the show have been created, both for real-world casinos and those on the Internet. With over 1,000 wins awarded in excess of $1,000,000 and over $3 billion in jackpots delivered, Wheel has been regarded as the most successful slots brand of all time.[126]

text: Notes[edit]

text:
Jump up ^ The simplified title is often used by host Pat Sajak on-air and has been used instead of the full title in numerous promotional materials for the show.
Jump up ^ If a contestant cannot spin the wheel due to a physical limitation or disability, he/she is accompanied by a "designated spinner," a friend or family member who spins for him/her but is otherwise not involved in the game.[11]
Jump up ^ Sajak: "I'll give the wheel a final spin, and ask you to give me a letter. If it's in the puzzle, you have three seconds to solve it. Vowels are worth nothing, consonants are worth...[wedge amount], we'll add $1,000 to that, [dollar amount] apiece."
Jump up ^ The jackpot wedge was originally in round 3,[27] was moved to round 2 at the start of the 18th syndicated season in 2000,[22] and after that moved to round 1 from 2009 to 2013.[28]

tag: ol


document_title: Suicide Squad (film)

question_text: who acted as harley quinn in suicide squad

root

text: Suicide Squad (film)

text: Plot

text: In the aftermath of Superman's death, intelligence officer Amanda Waller assembles Task Force X, a team of dangerous criminals imprisoned at Belle Reve Prison consisting of elite hitman Deadshot, former psychiatrist Harley Quinn, pyrokinetic ex-gangster El Diablo, opportunistic thief Captain Boomerang, genetic mutation Killer Croc, and specialized assassin Slipknot. They are placed under command of Colonel Rick Flag to be used as disposable assets in high-risk missions for the United States government. Each member has a nano bomb implanted in their neck, designed to detonate should any member rebel or try to escape.

tag: p

text: One of Waller's intended recruits is Flag's girlfriend Dr. June Moone, an archaeologist possessed by a witch known as the "Enchantress". Enchantress quickly turns on Waller, deciding to eradicate humankind with a mystical weapon for imprisoning her. She besieges Midway City by transforming its populace into a horde of monsters, and summons her brother Incubus to assist her. Waller then deploys the squad to extract a high-profile mark from Midway, which is reported to be under a terrorist attack.

text: Harley's homicidal lover Joker finds out about her predicament and tortures Belle Reve security officer Griggs into leading him to the facility where the nano bombs are made. There, he blackmails Dr. Van Criss into disabling Harley's bomb. On approach, the squad's helicopter is shot down, forcing them to proceed on foot to their target. Boomerang inaccurately convinces Slipknot that the bombs are a ruse to keep them in check; Slipknot attempts to escape and Flag kills him via his nano bomb, while the squad is attacked by Enchantress' minions. They eventually fight their way through to a safe room, where they learn that their mark is Waller herself, who is attempting to cover up her involvement in Enchantress' siege.

text: The squad escorts Waller to a rooftop for extraction, but the arriving helicopter has been hijacked by the Joker and his men, who open fire on the squad while Harley climbs aboard upon Dr. Van Criss disarming the bomb. However, Waller's men shoot down the helicopter, and Harley falls out while the Joker is presumed dead, after which Harley rejoins the squad. Alerted to Waller's whereabouts, Enchantress' minions arrive and kidnap her. Deadshot finds Waller's confidential files and learns the truth about Enchantress. Flag is then forced to confess the truth, causing the squad members to abandon him. With Waller compromised, Flag relieves the squad of the mission, but chooses to continue. Realizing they have an opportunity to prove themselves, they soon rejoin him and locate Enchantress at a partially-flooded subway station. Killer Croc and a group of Navy SEALs, led by Lieutenant GQ Edwards, go underwater to plant a bomb underneath Incubus. El Diablo embraces his abilities and distracts Incubus long enough for the bomb to detonate underneath, killing them both as well as Edwards.

text: The remaining squad members battle Enchantress together, but are ultimately defeated. Enchantress offers to fulfill their deepest desires in exchange for their allegiance, and Harley feigns interest in order to get close enough to cut out Enchantress' heart. Killer Croc then throws explosives into Enchantress' weapon and Deadshot shoots them, destroying the device. Flag takes Enchantress' heart and crushes it, finally freeing June from the curse. Waller, still alive, emerges, and the squad members are returned to Belle Reve with ten years off their sentences. All but Captain Boomerang are allowed special privileges. The Joker, alive and unscathed, breaks into the penitentiary and rescues Harley.

text: In a mid-credits scene, Waller meets with Bruce Wayne, who agrees to protect her from the backlash against her role in Enchantress' rampage in exchange for access to the government's files on the expanding metahuman community.

text: Cast

text: Will Smith as Floyd Lawton / Deadshot:[4]

tag: ul

text: Jared Leto as Joker:

text: Margot Robbie as Harleen Quinzel / Harley Quinn:[10]

text: Joel Kinnaman as Rick Flag:[13]

text: Viola Davis as Amanda Waller:[15]

text: Jai Courtney as George "Digger" Harkness / Captain Boomerang:[18]

text: Jay Hernandez as Chato Santana / El Diablo:[14][17]

text: Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje as Waylon Jones / Killer Croc:

text: Cara Delevingne as June Moone / Enchantress:

text: Karen Fukuhara as Tatsu Yamashiro / Katana:

text: Adam Beach as Christopher Weiss / Slipknot:[21]

text: Ike Barinholtz as Griggs:[22]

text: Scott Eastwood as GQ Edwards:[22]

text: Additionally, Ben Affleck appears as Bruce Wayne / Batman, and Ezra Miller appears as Barry Allen / Flash, reprising their roles from Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice in cameo roles; while Jason Momoa makes a brief photographic appearance as Arthur Curry / Aquaman.[24][25][26] Alain Chanoine portrays Incubus, the brother of Enchantress, who possesses the body of a businessman in Midway City.[27] Jim Parrack appears as Jonny Frost, and Common appears as Monster T, the Joker's henchmen.[17][28] David Harbour portrays government official Dexter Tolliver, Alex Meraz portrays Navy SEAL Gomez, and Matt Baram portrays Dr. Van Criss, a scientist at Wayne Enterprises' branch Van Criss Laboratories.[29][30][22] Shailyn Pierre-Dixon plays Zoe Lawton, Deadshot's daughter, and Corina Calderon plays Grace Santana, Diablo's wife.[31][32] David Ayer, writer and director of the film, makes a cameo appearance as a Belle Reve officer.

text: Production

text: Development

text: The film was announced in 2009 with Dan Lin as producer, Stephen Gilchrist as co-producer and Justin Marks as the screenwriter.[33] David Ayer signed on to direct and write the film in September 2014.[34][35] He later described the film to Empire Online as "Dirty Dozen with supervillains".[36] Ayer had six weeks to write his script, given the release date was already set.[37]

text: Casting

text: In October 2014, Warner Bros. had initially offered Ryan Gosling, Tom Hardy, Margot Robbie, and Will Smith roles in the film.[38] In November, TheWrap revealed that Jared Leto was in talks for the role of Joker, which Gosling was originally sought for.[39] The main cast was announced by Warner Brothers in December 2014 with Smith, Hardy, Leto, Robbie, Jai Courtney, and Cara Delevingne as Deadshot, Rick Flag, Joker, Harley Quinn, Captain Boomerang, and Enchantress, respectively.[40] The studio was also considering Viola Davis, Octavia Spencer, and Oprah Winfrey for the role of Amanda Waller.[41] Following the announcement of the cast, comic book writer John Ostrander (creator of the modern incarnation of the Suicide Squad) talked with Comic Book Resources about the casting, saying, "I have no problem with the casting... what I am really impressed by with all of the casting is that they are getting some very good actors to play these parts."[42]

text: In January 2015, Davis expressed interest in playing Amanda Waller during an interview, saying "I'm fascinated by her (Waller)."[16] Meanwhile, Tom Hardy had to drop out as Rick Flag because of scheduling issues with his film The Revenant.[43] Jake Gyllenhaal was then given an offer to replace Hardy as Flag, but he declined.[44] The studio was then looking at Joel Edgerton, Jon Bernthal, and Joel Kinnaman to play the role.[45][46][47] In February, Jay Hernandez joined the cast and Kinnaman was also confirmed to play Flag.[48] At the 87th Academy Awards, Davis confirmed that she had been cast as Amanda Waller.[49] In March 2015, boxer Raymond Olubawale was reported to have an unspecified role in the film,[50] and Scott Eastwood announced that he had been cast on Twitter.[51] Later that month, it was confirmed that Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje and Karen Fukuhara had been cast as Killer Croc and Katana, respectively.[20] Adam Beach, Ike Barinholtz, and Jim Parrack were added to the cast in April 2015.[22] In January 2016, Ben Affleck was confirmed to reprise his role as Batman from Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.[24]

text: Filming

text: Filming began on April 13, 2015.[52][53] On April 26 and 27, filming was to take place at the Hy's Steakhouse.[54] A "snowstorm" scene was filmed on April 29 on the Adelaide St. and in Ching Lane.[55] On May 5, a few major scenes were filmed in downtown Toronto next to Yonge and Dundas Square.[56] Principal photography wrapped in August 2015 after additional filming took place in Chicago, Illinois.[57][58] Additional filming ensued in 2016 following Warner's desire to make a more lighthearted and comedic tone akin to the trailers, especially as Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice was criticized for being too somber. It was also confirmed that Zack Snyder filmed the shot with the Flash while shooting Justice League in London, while Ayer was in post-production on Suicide Squad.[59] Ayer confirmed that the film was completed on June 24, 2016.[60] Despite the involvement of multiple editors in the process, only John Gilroy is named in the main credit sequence.[37] It was later revealed that many of Jared Leto's scenes were omitted from the final cut.[61][62] An interview with Leto revealed that he was upset over the removal of his work.[63][64]

text: Music

text: Academy Award-winning composer Steven Price, who previously worked with Ayer on Fury, composed the score for Suicide Squad.[65] Suicide Squad: Original Motion Picture Score was announced for a release date of August 8, 2016.[66] A soundtrack album for the film, titled Suicide Squad: The Album, was announced in June 2016, and released on August 5, 2016.[67] The album's first single, "Heathens" by Twenty One Pilots, was released on June 20, 2016.[68] A music video for the song, set in a prison and featuring footage from the film, was released on June 21.[69] "Sucker for Pain" was released as the second single on June 24.[68] The album's third single, "Purple Lamborghini" by Skrillex and Rick Ross, was released on July 22.[70] "Gangsta" by Kehlani; "Standing in the Rain" by Action Bronson, Mark Ronson, and Dan Auerbach of The Black Keys; "Medieval Warfare" by Grimes; and a cover of Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody" performed by Panic! at the Disco were released as four promotional singles on August 2, August 3, and August 4, 2016 respectively, with "Medieval Warfare" and "Bohemian Rhapsody" being released on the same day.[71]

text: Marketing

text: Suicide Squad held a panel at the 2015 San Diego Comic-Con International, with stars Smith, Robbie, Courtney, Davis, and Kinnaman amongst those who appeared. A trailer intended to be exclusive to the event premiered, but was leaked online, with Warner Bros. responding by stating they would not release an official version.[72] However, the following day, Warner Bros. released an official version, stating: "Warner Bros. Pictures and our anti-piracy team have worked tirelessly over the last 48 hours to contain the Suicide Squad footage that was pirated from Hall H on Saturday. We have been unable to achieve that goal. Today we will release the same footage that has been illegally circulating on the web, in the form it was created and high quality with which it was intended to be enjoyed. We regret this decision as it was our intention to keep the footage as a unique experience for the Comic-Con crowd, but we cannot continue to allow the film to be represented by the poor quality of the pirated footage stolen from our presentation."[73]

text: Release

text: Suicide Squad premiered at the Beacon Theatre in New York City on August 1, 2016. It was theatrically released in the United States on August 5, 2016, in 2D, 3D and IMAX 3D.[74]

text: Reception

text: Box office

text: Suicide Squad was a box office success,[75] grossing $325.1 million in the United States and Canada and $420.5 million in other territories for a worldwide total of $745.6 million, against a production budget of $175 million ($325 million including advertising and promotion costs).[3][76][77] Suicide Squad was highly anticipated by audiences worldwide, despite the negative critical reception and lower-than-expected box office performance of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice in March.[2] It recorded a worldwide opening of $267.1 million from 59 countries and IMAX global debut of $18.2 million, both set new records for the month of August.[78] That is also the second-best debut worldwide for a DC property after Dawn of Justice ($422.5 million) and the seventh best for a superhero title.[79] The Hollywood Reporter highlighted that Dawn of Justice had an advantage of receiving a coveted day-and-date release with China, while Suicide Squad did not secure a release date in the country.[80] Forbes pointed out that had the film secured a release in China, it may well have matched or topped the $773 million total of Guardians of the Galaxy and the $782 million gross of Deadpool.[75] Deadline.com calculated the net profit of the film to be $158.45 million, when factoring together all expenses and revenues for the film, making it the 10th most profitable release of 2016.[81]

text: North America

text: Projections for its opening weekend in the United States and Canada were being continuously revised upwards starting from $100 million to as high as $150 million.[82][83][84][85][86] The film opened across 4,255 theaters, the widest for the month of August. Of that, 382 theaters were in IMAX, over 490 large-format screens locations, 270+ drive-ins, 180+ D-Box locations and over 200 dine-in/luxury theaters.[87] It opened Friday, August 5, 2016, on about 11,000 screens and earned $65.1 million, marking the biggest August opening and single day, and the third biggest opening day gross of 2016. Of that, $5.8 million came from IMAX theaters, also a new August record.[88] This includes $20.5 million it earned from Thursday previews, which began at 6:00pm, setting the record for biggest-ever preview of August and the second biggest for a non-sequel film (behind Man of Steel). IMAX comprised $2.4 million (12%) of that figure.[89][90] Much like Batman v Superman and The Dark Knight Rises, however, the film saw a steep Friday-to-Saturday decline, grossing $38.8 million (a drop of 41%).[79][91] In total, it earned $133.7 million in its opening weekend, setting records for the month of August (previously held by Guardians of the Galaxy) and for Will Smith's career (I Am Legend).[79] It is also the second-biggest debut ever for a non-sequel, behind The Hunger Games ($152 million), the fourth biggest of the year and the fifth biggest for Warner Bros.[79][91] IMAX made up $11 million of the opening numbers from 382 theaters, just $200,000 shy of breaking Guardians of the Galaxy' record. Nevertheless, it did beat Guardians' $7.6 million in terms of premium large format screens which comprised $13 million. For Cinemark XD screens, which made $3.2 million, the sixth-highest opening ever.[79]

text: The opening numbers helped Warner Bros. push past the $1 billion mark in North America for the sixteenth year in a row. The film also helped the total weekend tickets sales to an unprecedented $221.3 million in August. Previously, August has never exceeded $200 million at the box office in a single weekend in North America.[79][92][93] Suicide Squad scored a massive debut primarily on the backs of the under-35 set which made up 76% of the opening weekend.[94] Audiences were also diverse, with African-Americans making up 41% of the patrons.[94]

text: Following its record breaking opening weekend, it posted the biggest August Monday gross with $13.1 million, a drop of 56.5% from its Sunday gross. This broke Guardians of the Galaxy's previous record of $11.7 million,[95][96] and also the biggest August Tuesday with $14.3 million, up 9% from its Monday take.[97] The film has now earned the biggest Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday and Tuesday in August history.[98] It made $179.1 million in its first week of release, the fourth biggest of the year.[99] Despite earning $13.4 million on its second Friday, the film dropped 79%, slightly less than Batman v Superman's 81% drop.[100] Following a first-place finish in its first weekend of release, the film faced a steep decline of 67.2% in its second weekend, earning an estimated $43.8 million to score the biggest August second weekend gross. It also passed the $200 million mark in just ten days and was able to hold the top spot for the second time in a row despite competition from the comedy Sausage Party.[101] However, the drop is among one of the biggest decline for a studio superhero film, and for Warner Bros. which The Hollywood Reporter called it "deja vu all over again" after Batman v Superman tumbled 69% in its second weekend earlier in the year. The second weekend decline is the second biggest in summer history, only behind Warcraft's historic 70% drop in June of the same year. The site also highlighted possible reasons for the significantly steep drop: dismal reviews, general apathy among moviegoers, altering movie-going habits and competition.[102][103]

text: After three weeks of holding the top spot, it was finally overtaken by Don't Breathe on its fourth weekend.[104] It maintained the second spot in its fifth weekend and registered its best hold with only a -20% decline while also passing the $300 million threshold[105][106] on its thirty-second day of release.[107] It remained in the top ten for eight weekends until finally falling off in its ninth weekend.[108]

text: Outside North America

text: Internationally, Suicide Squad secured a release in approximately 62 countries with no China on the slate.[109] It was released in 57 countries (70% of the marketplace) in conjuncture with its North American debut, including France, South Korea, Australia, Russia and the CIS, Brazil, the United Kingdom, Republic of Ireland, Spain and Mexico beginning from Wednesday, August 3. According to trackings, the film was projected to have an opening anywhere between $85 million to $120 million, which would be a new August international debut record.[110][111] Deadline.com pointed out that although the film is a lesser known property, similar to Guardians of the Galaxy, stars such as Will Smith are better known internationally, which could potentially aid the film's performance.[110] It opened Wednesday, August 3, 2016, in 7 countries, earning $8.1 million.[112] It opened in 50 more countries on August 4 and 5, earning $53.8 million for a three-day total of $64.6 million from 57 countries.[112] Through Sunday, August 7, it delivered a five-day opening of $133.3 million from 57 countries on 17,630 screens, nearly double the previous August record held by Guardians of the Galaxy. It also set IMAX opening record with $7 million.[113] It added $58.7 million on its second weekend, a drop of 57% on 15,600 screens in 62 territories.[114] After two straight wins, it was overtaken by the animated The Secret Life of Pets in its third weekend.[115]

text: It recorded the biggest opening day of all time for Warner Bros. in Russia ($3.9 million), the biggest August opening day in the United Kingdom and Ireland ($6.2 million), Brazil ($3 million), South Korea ($2.9 million, also the second biggest Warner Bros. opening day), France ($2.7 million), Sweden ($564,000) and Holland ($517,000, also the biggest opening of the year).[112] Mexico and Spain opened with $3.9 million and $1.4 million respectively.[112] In terms of opening weekend, the film recorded the biggest Warner Bros. opening of all time in Russia ($11.4 million). In Brazil, despite playing amidst the 2016 Summer Olympics, it managed to open with $11.75 million, marking the biggest August opening weekend of all time, the biggest Will Smith opening, and the fourth biggest opening for a superhero film. Its opening numbers alone made it the second biggest film for the studio there.[113] In South Korea, although the film was off to a strong start, however, it was eventually overtaken by The Last Princess and Operation Chromite debuting at No. 3. It made $10.8 million in five days (Wednesday to Sunday).[113][116] The U.K. and Ireland posted the biggest opening market for the film with £11.25 million ($14.8 million) from 573 theaters. Discounting previews, it delivered the third-biggest UK opening of the year, behind Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (£14.62 million) and Captain America: Civil War (£14.47 million). It also became the first new released film of August since 2014 to debut above £3 million.[113][117] Elsewhere, it scored the biggest August opening in Australia ($10.5 million), Mexico ($10.4 million) and Argentina ($2.5 million), while in Spain, it recorded the biggest DC opening with $3.4 million, where it was behind The Secret Life of Pets for the weekend and France a $7.9 million opening.[113] It opened in first place in India for a non-local film with $1.8 million from 462 screens, despite facing competition from Jason Bourne ($1.1 million from 1,027 screens) which also opened on the same weekend. Despite the later film occupying twice the screen number of the former, Suicide Squad managed to take the top spot.[118] Italy opened with an estimated $2.2 million in two days, that's the biggest opening for Smith there.[114] It opened in first place in Germany with $6.9 million.[115] It opened in Japan – the film's last market – on September 9 where it debuted with $3.8 million.[119] It finished in second spot (and first among new releases) behind local anime Your Name. With such a robust opening, Variety projected that the film will end its run there around $20 million.[120] It has so far grossed $9.4 million there.[109]

text: In terms of total earnings, its biggest market outside of North America are the U.K. and Ireland ($43.3 million), followed by Brazil ($35.1 million) and Mexico ($27.1 million).[119] In just two weeks, it became the second-highest-grossing Warner Bros. film of all time in Brazil behind Dawn of Justice.[121]

text: Critical response

text: Suicide Squad received generally negative reviews from critics.[123][124] On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has a rating of 26% based on 321 reviews, with a weighted average rating of 4.7/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "Suicide Squad boasts a talented cast and a little more humor than previous DCEU efforts, but they aren't enough to save the disappointing end result from a muddled plot, thinly written characters, and choppy directing."[125] On Metacritic, the film has a normalized score of 40 out of 100, based on 53 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".[126] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "B+" on an A+ to F scale.[127]

text: Rolling Stone's Peter Travers wrote, "DC Comics tries something different with Suicide Squad, an all-star collection of crime fighting villains—and the result is anything but super."[128] Richard Lawson of Vanity Fair said, "Suicide Squad is just bad. It's ugly and boring, a toxic combination that means the film's highly fetishized violence doesn't even have the exciting tingle of the wicked or the taboo."[129] Writing for The Wall Street Journal, Joe Morgenstern heavily criticized the film saying, "In a word, Suicide Squad is trash. In two words, it's ugly trash." He further said, it "amounts to an all-out attack on the whole idea of entertainment," and called the film a product of "shameless pandering".[130]

text: Chris Nashawaty of Entertainment Weekly gave the film B− saying, "Suicide Squad kicks off with fizzy, punk-rock ferocity before turning flat and spiraling into familiar formulas," and called Jared Leto's "scene-stealing" Joker "wasted" and "stranded in the periphery". He concluded by saying, "For DC, Suicide Squad is a small step forward. But it could have been a giant leap."[131] IGN gave the film 5.9/10, saying: "Suicide Squad is a decidedly different flavor than Batman v Superman. It goes for subversive, funny and stylish, and it succeeds wildly during the first act. But then the movie turns into something predictable and unexciting."[132] Drew McWeeny from HitFix gave it a positive review, writing "Suicide Squad is not the darkest mainstream superhero comic book movie ever made, nor is it even the darkest live-action film featuring Batman ever made. However, it is gleefully nihilistic, and it takes a different approach to what has become a fairly familiar story form at this point, right at the moment when it feels like superhero movies either have to evolve or die."[133] Brian Truitt from USA Today wrote, "Compared to its ilk, Suicide Squad is an excellently quirky, proudly raised middle finger to the staid superhero-movie establishment."[134]

text: Margot Robbie's performance as Harley Quinn was better received, with many critics eager to see more of the character in future films.[123][131][135][136][137] In January 2017, David Ayer later stated on Twitter that he wished he had done certain things differently in the film including story elements, as well as giving more screen time to the Joker.[122]

text: Accolades

text: This section does not cite any sources. Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (August 2017) (Learn how and when to remove this template message)

tag: table

text: Despite the negative critical and mixed audience reception to the film, Suicide Squad was nominated for various awards, receiving several.

text: Home media

text: Suicide Squad was released on Digital HD on November 15, 2016, and on Blu-ray, 4K Ultra-HD Blu-Ray, Blu-Ray 3D, and DVD on December 13, 2016. An extended cut of the film is included in the home entertainment release, containing roughly thirteen minutes of footage absent from the theatrical version.[138][139][140]

text: Sequel and spin-offs

text:
In March 2016, it was announced that Warner Bros. would bring Ayer and Smith back for a sequel, to be shot in 2017.[141][142] The following month, Ayer expressed an interest in making the sequel R-rated.[143] Fukuhara has stated that she wants to explore Katana's backstory in the sequel,[144] and Courtney has stated about his hopes of reprising his role as well.[145] In February 2017, it was reported that the studio had a shortlist of potential directors for the sequel, including Mel Gibson.[146][147] In March of that same year, Adam Cozad was hired as screenwriter for the film.[148] In July, Jaume Collet-Serra was named as the studio's first choice to helm the sequel, with production scheduled for mid-2018; Zak Penn had also submitted a story treatment and a new script was being written.[149] The film was officially titled Suicide Squad 2 at San Diego Comic-Con.[150] Leto was confirmed to reprise his role as the Joker in the film.[151] In September 2017, it was announced Gavin O'Connor had signed on as writer and director for the film.[152][153]
In addition, it was later announced in September 2016 that Warner Bros. was planning a film focusing on Harleen Quinzel / Harley Quinn, with Robbie serving as executive producer and Christina Hodson serving as the screenwriter for the solo film.[154][155][156] In December 2016, it was announced that Ayer will return to the shared universe as director and producer of Gotham City Sirens, a film based on the comic book team of the same name, consisting of Harley Quinn, Selina Kyle / Catwoman and Pamela Isley / Poison Ivy. That same month, it was also reported that the studio is developing a film focusing on Floyd Lawton / Deadshot, which will star Smith.[157] In August 2017, another film focusing on the Joker and Harley Quinn entered development with Glenn Ficarra and John Requa in final negotiations to be the co-writer/co-director team handling the project.[158]


document_title: Helter Skelter (song)

question_text: who yelled i got blisters on my fingers

question_tokens: who yelled i got blisters on my fingers

text: Helter Skelter (song)

text: Writing and inspiration[edit]

text: McCartney was inspired to write the song after reading a 1967 Guitar Player magazine interview with the Who's Pete Townshend where he described their latest single, "I Can See for Miles", as the loudest, rawest, dirtiest song the Who had ever recorded. McCartney then "wrote 'Helter Skelter' to be the most raucous vocal, the loudest drums, et cetera" and said he was "using the symbol of a helter skelter as a ride from the top to the bottom; the rise and fall of the Roman Empire – and this was the fall, the demise."[5] In British English, a helter skelter is an amusement park attraction which features a tall spiral slide winding round a tower.[9] McCartney has cited this song as a response to critics who accuse him of writing only ballads.[10]

text: On 20 November 1968, two days before the release of The Beatles, McCartney gave Radio Luxembourg an exclusive interview, in which he commented on several of the album's songs. Speaking of "Helter Skelter", he said: "Umm, that came about just 'cause I'd read a review of a record which said, 'and this group really got us wild, there's echo on everything, they're screaming their heads off.' And I just remember thinking, 'Oh, it'd be great to do one. Pity they've done it. Must be great – really screaming record.' And then I heard their record and it was quite straight, and it was very sort of sophisticated. It wasn't rough and screaming and tape echo at all. So I thought, 'Oh well, we'll do one like that, then.' And I had this song called 'Helter Skelter,' which is just a ridiculous song. So we did it like that, 'cuz I like noise."[11]

text: Recording[edit]

text: The song was recorded many times during sessions for The Beatles. During the 18 July 1968 sessions, the Beatles recorded a version of the song lasting 27 minutes and 11 seconds,[12] although this version is rather slow and hypnotic, differing greatly from the volume and rawness of the album version.[13] Another recording from the same day, originally 12 minutes long, was edited down to 4:37 for Anthology 3. On 9 September, 18 takes of approximately five minutes each were recorded, and the last one is featured on the original LP.[12] After the 18th take, Ringo Starr flung his drum sticks across the studio[14] and screamed, "I got blisters on my fingers!"[5][12] Starr's shout was included on the stereo mix of the song. At around 3:40, the song almost fades out, then quickly fades back in with three cymbal crashes and Ringo's scream (some sources erroneously credit the "blisters" line to Lennon; in fact, Lennon can be heard asking "How's that?" before Ringo's outburst).[15] The mono version (originally on LP only) ends on the first fadeout without Starr's outburst. The mono version was not initially available in the US as mono albums had already been phased out there. The mono version was later released in the American version of the Rarities album. In 2009, it was made available on the CD mono re-issue of The Beatles as part of the Beatles in Mono CD box set.

text: According to Chris Thomas, who was present,[12] the 9 September session was especially spirited: "While Paul was doing his vocal, George Harrison had set fire to an ashtray and was running around the studio with it above his head, doing an Arthur Brown."[12] Starr's recollection is less detailed, but agrees in spirit: "'Helter Skelter' was a track we did in total madness and hysterics in the studio. Sometimes you just had to shake out the jams."[10]

text: Critical reaction[edit]

text: Among music critics commenting on "Helter Skelter", Richie Unterberger of AllMusic views it as "one of [the] fiercest and most brutal rockers done by anyone" and "extraordinary".[16] Writing for MusicHound in 1999, Guitar World editor Christopher Scapelliti identified the track as one of three "fascinating standouts" on the White Album.[17] While admiring the diversity of McCartney's songwriting on the album, Mark Richardson of Pitchfork cites "Helter Skelter" as one of "the roughest, rawest tunes in his Beatles oeuvre".[18]

text: Ian MacDonald was highly critical of the song, however, calling it "ridiculous, McCartney shrieking weedily against a massively tape-echoed backdrop of out-of-tune thrashing".[19] Rob Sheffield was also unimpressed, writing in The Rolling Stone Album Guide (2004) that, following the double album's release on CD, "now you can program 'Sexy Sadie' and 'Long, Long, Long' without having to lift the needle to skip over 'Helter Skelter.'"[20] Alan W. Pollack said the song will "scare and unsettle" listeners, citing "Helter Skelter"'s "obsessive nature" and "undercurrent of violence", and noted McCartney's "savage vocal delivery" as reinforcing this theme.[21]

text: In a 1980 interview, Lennon said, "That's Paul completely ... It has nothing to do with anything, and least of all to do with me."[6]

text: In March 2005, Q magazine ranked "Helter Skelter" number 5 in its list of the 100 Greatest Guitar Tracks.

text: Charles Manson[edit]

text: Charles Manson told his followers that several White Album songs including "Helter Skelter" were a part of the Beatles' coded prophecy of an apocalyptic war in which racist and non-racist whites would be manoeuvred into virtually exterminating each other over the treatment of blacks.[22][23][24] Upon the war's conclusion, after black militants would kill off the few whites they would know to have survived, Manson and his companions would emerge from an underground city in which they would have escaped the conflict. As the only remaining whites, they would rule blacks, who, as the vision went, would be incapable of running America. Manson employed "helter skelter" as the term for this sequence of events.

text: Los Angeles Deputy District Attorney Vincent Bugliosi, who led the prosecution of Manson and four of his followers who acted on Manson's instruction in the Tate-LaBianca murders, named his best-selling book about the murders Helter Skelter.[22] The book was the basis for two television movies of the same title.

text: Cover versions[edit]

text:
In 1975, Aerosmith recorded a cover of "Helter Skelter", but it was not released until 1991, on the Pandora's Box compilation.[25] The cover charted at #21 on the Mainstream Rock Tracks chart.
in 1978, Siouxsie and the Banshees released one of the first covers of the song on their debut album The Scream
in 1981, Pat Benatar included a cover of the song on her album Precious Time.
In 1983, the Bobs released an a cappella version on their eponymous album.[26] It earned them a 1984 Grammy nomination for Best Vocal Arrangement for Two or More Voices.[27]
In 1983, a remake this song was also featured on the Mötley Crüe album Shout at the Devil.
In 1988, a U2 recording was used as the opening track on the Rattle and Hum album. The song was recorded live at the McNichols Sports Arena in Denver, Colorado on 8 November 1987.[28] Introducing the song, Bono controversially said, "This is a song Charles Manson stole from the Beatles. We’re stealing it back."[29]
In 1989, Vow Wow recorded "Helter Skelter", released it as a single and named their album after the song.
In 2007, Oasis recorded a cover of "Helter Skelter", originally as a B-side to the single release of "Who Feels Love?" They also performed the song on their world tour promoting their fourth album Standing on the Shoulder of Giants in the early 2000s; one live version was recorded for their 2001 live album Familiar to Millions.
In 2007, Dana Fuchs performs the song in Across the Universe.
In 2007, Beatallica recorded a parody called "Helvester of Skelter", which also was a parody of the Metallica song "Harvester of Sorrow".

text: Paul McCartney live performances[edit]

text: Since 2004 McCartney has performed the song with his band on every tour, starting on 24 May 2004, while on the '04 Summer Tour, through The 'US' Tour (2005), the Summer Live '09 (2009), the Good Evening Europe Tour (2009), the Up and Coming Tour (2010/2011), the On the Run Tour (2011/2012) and the Out There Tour, which started on 4 May 2013. In the last tours, the song has been generally inserted on the third encore, which is the last time the band enters the stage. It is usually the last but one song, performed after "Yesterday" and before the final medley including "The End". Paul played the song on his One on One Tour at Fenway Park on 17 July, 2016 accompanied by the Grateful Dead's Bob Weir and New England Patriots football player Rob Gronkowski.

text: McCartney performed the song live at the 48th Annual Grammy Awards on 8 February 2006 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. In 2009, McCartney performed the song live on top of the Ed Sullivan Theater during his appearance on the Late Show with David Letterman.

text: The version of the song from McCartney's live album Good Evening New York City, recorded during the Summer Live '09 tour, was nominated at the 53rd Grammy Awards in the category of Best Solo Rock Vocal Performance.[30] It won, becoming McCartney's first solo Grammy win since he won for arranging "Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey" in 1972.[31]

text: McCartney opened his set at 12-12-12: The Concert for Sandy Relief with the song.[32]

text: Personnel[edit]

text:
Paul McCartney – lead vocal, electric guitar, bass, piano
John Lennon – backing vocal, six-string bass, electric guitar, sound effects (through brass instruments)
George Harrison – backing vocal, rhythm guitar, electric slide guitar, sound effects
Ringo Starr – drums, cowbell, vocal shout
Mal Evans – trumpet

text: Notes[edit]

text:
Jump up ^ McKinney, Devin (2003). Magic Circles: The Beatles in Dream and History. Harvard University Press. p. 231. ISBN 0-674-01202-X.
Jump up ^ Winn, John C (2009). That Magic Feeling: The Beatles' Recorded Legacy, Volume Two, 1966–1970. Three Rivers Press. p. 210. ISBN 0-307-45239-5.
Jump up ^ Rowley, David (2013). All Together Now. Troubador Publishing Ltd. p. 68.
Jump up ^ Athitakis, Mark (September–October 2013). "A Beatles Reflection". Humanities. National Endowment of the Humanities. Retrieved 24 April 2016.
^ Jump up to: a b c Miles 1997, pp. 487–488.
^ Jump up to: a b Sheff 2000, p. 200.
Jump up ^ Erlewine 2007.
Jump up ^ "100 Greatest Beatles Songs". 19 September 2011. Retrieved 15 October 2014.
Jump up ^ AskOxford 2008.
^ Jump up to: a b The Beatles 2000, p. 311.
Jump up ^ Beatles Interview Database 1968.
^ Jump up to: a b c d e f Lewisohn 1988, p. 154.
Jump up ^ Marck 2008.
Jump up ^ Spitz 2005, p. 794.
Jump up ^ Brown 2007.
Jump up ^ Allmusic 2007.
Jump up ^ Graff & Durchholz 1999, p. 88.
Jump up ^ Richardson, Mark (10 September 2009). "The Beatles: The Beatles". Pitchfork Media. Retrieved 24 November 2015.
Jump up ^ MacDonald 2005, p. 298.
Jump up ^ Brackett & Hoard, p. 53.
^ Jump up to: a b Pollack 1998.
^ Jump up to: a b Bugliosi 1997, pp. 240–247.
Jump up ^ Linder 2007a.
Jump up ^ Linder 2007b.
Jump up ^ "Pandora's Box - Aerosmith". AllMusic. Retrieved 7 September 2017.
Jump up ^ "The Bobs - The Bobs". AllMusic. Retrieved 7 September 2017.
Jump up ^ 1984 Grammy award nomination, Best Vocal Arrangement for Two or More Voices, Richard Greene, Gunnar Madsen - Helter Skelter (The Bobs) LA Times, "The Envelope" awards database, accessed 2010 Jan 13.
Jump up ^ "U2 - Helter Skelter". U2songs.com. Retrieved 20 November 2017.
Jump up ^ "Bono Bites Back". Mother Jones Magazine. Retrieved 20 November 2017.
Jump up ^ Final Nominations List, 53rd Grammy Awards Archived 14 December 2010 at the Wayback Machine., National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. Retrieved on 10 February 2011.
Jump up ^ [1][permanent dead link] Yahoo! Entertainment Story - Reuters. Retrieved on 13 February 2011.[dead link]
Jump up ^ '12-12-12': Paul McCartney fronts Nirvana 'reunion' and more highlights from Sandy benefit concert Archived 14 December 2012 at the Wayback Machine.. Retrieved 13 December 2012.