Thursday, September 09, 2021
Wheel of Fortune Hosts Extend Contracts; Dancing with the Stars Announces Season 30 Cast
As Wheel of Fortune is set to kick off its 39th season on September 13, hosts Pat Sajak and Vanna White have signed on to continue hosting the iconic show through the 2023-2024 season. As part of the deal, Pat Sajak has added consulting producer to his responsibilities to the show. Wheel of Fortune announcer Jim Thornton is celebrating his 10th anniversary with the show, and viewers will get to see more of him on-screen this season. At the open of each episode, Jim will now be featured at a new podium on stage as he introduces Pat Sajak and Vanna White. In the game show's digital space, Maggie Sajak, Pat's daughter, will be joining the show as Social Correspondent. As such, Maggie will treat Wheel of Fortune's digital audience to fresh content including exclusive videos, behind-the-scenes access, and interviews with the hosts, staff, crew, and contestants. She will be a presence across all of Wheel of Fortune's channels including: www.wheeloffortune.com, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok.
On September 13, fans will notice a few upgrades to the game they love. The set and music have been refreshed for the new season, but longtime viewers may recognize the familiar Wheel of Fortune theme song, "Changing Keys," which will return this season with a modernized arrangement. Pat Sajak will no longer do the "Final Spin" of the game. Instead, the contestant in control of the Wheel at the time will spin to determine the amount each consonant is worth during the speed up round. More money will be up for grabs in Season 39 with the removal of the "Free Play" wedge from the Wheel which was replaced by an $850 wedge. Also, a $4,000 bonus is being added to contestants who solve all three puzzles in the Triple Toss Up Round, making the round worth $10,000. And finally, the minimum amount that can be won on the Bonus Wheel has been upped to $39,000, in honor of the show's 39th season in syndication.
ABC's Dancing with the Stars 2021 celebrity cast was announced on ABC's Good Morning America, live from Disney's California Adventure. The series, hosted by supermodel and businesswoman Tyra Banks, returns to the ballroom for its milestone 30th season with a lineup of celebrities including a WWE legend, a Real Housewife, a Bachelor, an Office fave, a country superstar, a 90210 hearthrob, and a Spice Girl, to name a few. The cast joins Suni Lee and JoJo Siwa, both of whom were previously announced at ABC's 2021 TCA Virtual Press Conferences last month. The new celebrity cast will debut their twists, tricks and kicks during the premiere, live on Monday, Sept. 20 from 8:00-10:00 p.m. EDT on ABC. Watch episodes on demand and on Hulu the day following their premieres.
The celebrities and professional dancers heading to the ballroom are as follows (in alphabetical order):
Celebrities:
Country singer Jimmie Allen
Spice Girl Melanie C
Reality star Christine Chiu (Netflix's Bling Empire)
Actor Brian Austin Green (Beverly Hills, 90210)
Actress Melora Hardin (“The Office”)
Social media star Olivia Jade
Reality star Matt James (The Bachelor)
Actress Amanda Kloots (The Talk)
Actor Martin Kove (Netflix's Cobra Kai)
Gold medal Olympian Suni Lee
WWE Superstar Mike "The Miz" Mizanin
Reality star Kenya Moore (The Real Housewives of Atlanta)
Peloton star instructor Cody Rigsby
NBA star Iman Shumpert
Popstar JoJo Siwa
Professional dancers:
Brandon Armstrong
Lindsay Arnold
Alan Bersten
Sharna Burgess
Cheryl Burke
Witney Carson
Artem Chigvintsev
Val Chmerkovskiy
Sasha Farber
Jenna Johnson
Daniella Karagach
Pasha Pashkov
Gleb Savchenko
Emma Slater
Britt Stewart
Viewers will have to tune in to the season premiere to find out with whom their favorite professional dancers are paired. The pairs will be judged by a panel of renowned ballroom experts, including Len Goodman, Carrie Ann Inaba, Bruno Tonioli and Derek Hough.
Sitcoms Airing Tonight
Sunday, September 19
The Great North - "Tusk in the Wind Adventure" (Fox, 7:00PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
Beef and Wolf meet their hero, legendary mountain man Tusk Johnson; Judy and the rest of the Tobin clan become addicted to '80s prime-time soap "Dynasty."
The Simpsons - "Wad Goal" (Fox, 7:30PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
Bart becomes a successful caddy, but Marge worries it is ruining his character.
Family Guy - "Fecal Matters" (Fox, 9:30PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
When Peter makes it through a bad flu season without getting sick, the hospital asks him to volunteer as a nurse, but he finds himself at a crossroads when his mortal enemy, The Giant Chicken, is admitted; Brian has an identity crisis.
Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of September 13)
Friday, September 17
- Jennifer Aniston (Friends/Muddling Through/Ferris Bueller/Molloy) - Watch Jennifer on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
- John Mulaney (Mulaney) - John appears on a repeat of Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
- Regina Hall (Black Monday/Granfathered) - Regina appears on a repeat of Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
- Cedric the Entertainer (The Neighborhood/The Last O.G./The Soul Man/The Steve Harvey Show) - Cedric appears on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
- Justin Long (F Is for Family/Ed) - Justin talks about his new scary funny film Lady of the Manor on Rachael Ray, so check your local listings.
- B.J. Novak (The Office) - B.J. talks about The Premise on ABC's Good Morning America sometime between 7-9am.
New on DVD/Blu-ray (June-September)
06/08 - The Critic - The Complete Series
06/08 - Fuller House - The Fifth and Final Season
06/08 - Fuller House - The Complete Series
06/08 - Our Cartoon President - Season 3
06/15 - The Office - Season 1 (Blu-ray) / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8 / 9
06/15 - Parks and Recreation - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
07/07 - No Activity - Season 2
07/13 - The Unicorn - Season 2
07/20 - Head of the Class - The Complete Third Season
07/27 - Family Ties - The Complete Series (2021 Release)
07/27 - Hot in Cleveland - The Complete Series (2021 Release)
07/27 - The Neighborhood - Season Three
08/20 - The Adventures of Ozzie & Harriet - Deluxe Edition (100 Episodes) (Time Life)
08/20 - The Adventures of Ozzie & Harriet - Standard Edition (50 Episodes) (Time Life)
08/24 - The Jim Gaffigan Show - Season 2
09/07 - Young Sheldon - The Complete Fourth Season (Blu-ray)
09/21 - I Dream of Jeannie - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
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