La Ruota Della Fortuna
La ruota della fortuna is the Italian version of Wheel of Fortune.
The show has run nonstop since 1988 on Canale 5 and Rete 4, and switched from a trilon to an electronic board in the mid-1990s, like the American version.
[1] Previously hosted by Mike Bongiorno, the show was hosted by Enrico Papi on Italia 1, and featured Victoria Silvstedt from the French version of the show, La Roue de la Fortune.
Fifteen years later, it returned to the air on Canale 5 from 6 May 2024 hosted by Gerry Scotti.
This is the only puzzle board in the world where if more than one letter was revealed, the hostess only had to touch one and all would simultaneously appear.
When the show was on 'Pentatlon' using Italian lira as its currency, the 15-wedge wheel configuration ran from Lit.
On the Odeon version, the number of wedges increased to 24, and amounts ranged from Lit.
From 1999 to 2001, however, a blue band was inserted at the wheel's edge showing the euro value equivalent to each corresponding wedge.
In addition to amounts ranging from €100 to €500, the most recent version adopted two rules from the French version by putting a €0 on the wheel, meaning players keep their turn but earn nothing for a correct letter, and also the "Cave" feature.
This was represented by a series of bells and a chime originally; later on it changed to a ticking clock and a gong.
Sometimes leniency was allowed in the event that Mike was in the middle of giving instructions, since the clock didn't stop ticking.
The first two runs used the original rules of players choosing five consonants and a vowel, but they wouldn't be told the category until after all letters chosen were revealed if they were in the puzzle; Mike would say the category, after which the 15-second timer immediately started.
Airing from 1987 to 1988 on Sunday evenings and ending in 1988 due to low ratings, Parole d'oro (Golden Words) was a knockoff of La Ruota Della Fortuna with notable differences.
500,000 per appearance) or pass their turn, as a wrong letter cost that player Lit. 500,000.
(This has a similarity to the UK "Wheel," where all players keep their points they scored when the puzzle gets solved.)
The Bonus Round allowed the player to choose five letters, albeit picked at random from a bag.
Rather confusingly, the Showcase Showdown round of the Italian version of The Price Is Right (OK, il Prezzo e Giusto!, or just OK for short, as it's known in Italy) was also called "La Ruota Della Fortuna."
