What To Know
- Fans on Reddit are petitioning for Wheel of Fortune to reduce contestant interviews and banter.
- Many viewers are frustrated by the final puzzle buzzer and the lack of time for additional rounds after the Triple Tossup.
- Some commenters speculate that longer interviews may be a cost-saving measure, while others acknowledge the production challenges of timing the show.
Is Wheel of Fortune wasting time with all the yammering? On Reddit, fans are complaining there’s too much talking and not enough gameplay on the long-running game show.
The conversation kicked off in a Reddit thread titled “Petition to change the format!” One user kicked off the convo on Wednesday, June 17, saying that the runtime buzzer is driving them up the wall.
“Back in the day, there was sometimes enough time to complete the puzzle after the Triple Tossup, but that never happens anymore,” that user wrote. “Please, for the love of good television, someone from production needs to insist that the final puzzle buzzer be eliminated and the puzzle after the triple toss-up be permanently considered as the final puzzle. Enough with the buzzer.”
via GIPHY
Commenters agreed, saying, “They should shorten the contestant interviews and maybe axe one of the toss-up puzzles. Maybe then they’ll have at least some time to play round four. This past season, it became so predictable. Round four was guaranteed to begin with the final spin.”
Another said, “The contestant introductions have gotten way too long. I miss when they were short and sweet.”
One commenter put the blame on host Ryan Seacrest, saying, “Seacrest seems to love bantering with the players, so the intros go longer. I really don’t care that contestant #2’s passion is baked beans (or whatever), so [I fast-forward] through the intros.”
And one user had a conspiracy theory to share: “I believe they lengthened the interviews just to eliminate the possibility of one more puzzle. Saves money, and they don’t have to reduce the advertising rates.”
Another commenter sympathized with Wheel of Fortune producers, saying that it’s “probably a much tougher game show to block out from a production and editing standpoint” than a show like Jeopardy!
“You don’t know how long a game of WoF will [run],” that user wrote. “You could have three snipers, or you could have three dumba**es staring at PROPER NAME: _RAD PITT and start working their way through the Zs and Xs. I think as a result, the format has to be a little loose to account for that.”
What do you think? Are Wheel of Fortune contestants getting short shrift with fewer chances to solve puzzles nowadays? Let us know in the comments!
Wheel of Fortune, Streaming on Hulu & Peacock, Season 44 Premieres September 2026