La Roue de la Fortune
Encyclopedia
La Roue de la Fortune is the French version of the hugely popular US game show Wheel of Fortune. It is currently hosted by Christophe Dechavanne
and Victoria Silvstedt
and airs on French
television network TF1
. This incarnation began in 2006; the first ran in the late 1980s and mid 1990s.
Christian Morin (September 1987-December 1992)
Alexandre Debanne (January 1993-December 1994)
Olivier Chiabodo (January 1995-April 1997)
Christophe Dechavanne (7 August 2006 -)
Sandra Rossi (January 1995)
Frederique Calvez (February 1995 - April 1997)
Victoria Silvstedt (7 August 2006)
From 1987 to 1997, the wheel's colour scheme was similar to the US version's round 1 wheel used from 1986-1996.
Having first appeared on the French version on 31 August 2009, the Jackpot wedge is similar to the US Jackpot wedge used in Season 26. The wedge has a 3D design which makes it stand out above the rest of the wheel.
Hold up: Anyone who lands on this wedge and correctly guesses a letter can steal the earnings of the leading opponent in that round, just like the "Power" wedge from the Philippine ABS-CBN version of "Wheel of Fortune."
Caverne: A player who lands on this wedge will have the opportunity to win small prizes, such as electronics, bicycles, etc. They have 15 seconds to select as many prizes from the Cave as possible. However, if the total value of the chosen prizes exceeds a set limit they lose all the prizes. In the original version, the limit was 15,000₣. It then became €2,500 in round two and €2,000 in round three. Since the premiere of the Jackpot round on 31 August 2009, the value of the Caverne space is now worth €2,500 in both rounds two and three.
The Caverne space is similar to a blend of the classic shopping for prizes segment combined with the physical game action of the US children's version Wheel 2000.
Zero Euro Wedge: A player who lands on this wedge must correctly guess a letter on the board to remain in control of the wheel but collects nothing. Note the US version of "Wheel of Fortune" had a $0 wedge (named "Shopper's Bazaar") but this existed only during the first pilot in 1973.
Furthermore, they are worth €500 and the right to start the round with the €500 that can be lost if a player spins Bankrupt. The regular puzzle must be solved to keep the money.
The contestant is then shown a puzzle and then all of the instances of R, S, T, L, N and E which appear in that puzzle. The contestant then chooses three more consonants and an additional vowel. After all the letters are chosen, they are revealed if they appear in the puzzle. The player then has 10 seconds to solve the puzzle. As is the case in the US version, the player's prize they were playing for is not revealed until after the round ends.
In the original run, the player picks five consonants and a vowel. At one point, two letters are drawn at random and the player picks three more consonants and then a vowel.
Other countries that have their sets similar, although not exactly the same, to the French version include Italy (La Ruota Della Fortuna
), Turkey (Çarkıfelek), Poland (Koło Fortuny), and Portugal (A Roda da Sorte).
Christophe Dechavanne
Christophe Dechavanne, born January 23, 1958 in Paris is a French television and radio hostand program producer.Dechavanne started working as a radio host in the early 1980s. In 1985, he presented the daily talk-show C'est encore mieux l'après-midi on the state-owned television channel Antenne 2...
and Victoria Silvstedt
Victoria Silvstedt
Karen Victoria Silvstedt is a Swedish celebrity model, actress, singer, and television personality.-Background:Born in Skelleftehamn, Silvstedt was raised in a family of five in Bollnäs, having one older sister and one younger brother...
and airs on French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
television network TF1
TF1
TF1 is a national French TV channel, controlled by TF1 Group, whose major share-holder is Bouygues. TF1's average market share of 24% makes it the most popular domestic network...
. This incarnation began in 2006; the first ran in the late 1980s and mid 1990s.
Hosts
Michel Robbe (1987)Christian Morin (September 1987-December 1992)
Alexandre Debanne (January 1993-December 1994)
Olivier Chiabodo (January 1995-April 1997)
Christophe Dechavanne (7 August 2006 -)
Hostesses
Annie Pujol (1987 - December 1994)Sandra Rossi (January 1995)
Frederique Calvez (February 1995 - April 1997)
Victoria Silvstedt (7 August 2006)
Gameplay
The wheel has 24 spaces. These represent cash values, penalty spaces, and strategic elements for use in the game. A player who does not land on a penalty space asks for a consonant. If it is not in the puzzle, play proceeds to the next player. If the letter appears in the puzzle, the hostess reveals all instances of it, and the player is credited with cash. All descriptions of players being credited in the remainder of this article assume that the player calls a consonant which appears in the puzzle.From 1987 to 1997, the wheel's colour scheme was similar to the US version's round 1 wheel used from 1986-1996.
The Wheel
When the franc was in use, the minimum cash value on the wheel was 500₣ and the top values went as high as 7500₣. Since adopting the euro, values range from €0 - €500 with top values of €1000, €1500, and €2000. The €0 space meant a contestant had to guess a letter correctly to continue but won nothing.French Terms for Special Wheel Wedges
- Relance: Free Spin (used only in the original version).
- Passe: Lose a Turn.
- Banqueroute: Bankrupt. Note that the Bankrupt/$10,000/Bankrupt wedge is used in this version, where its value was 10,000₣ but later became €10,000 when the euro was adopted.
- Jackpot: The Jackpot is administered differently than the US version. The value is €0 at the beginning of the game and increases with every spin of the wheel but does not become available until round three. Starting with the third round, the Jackpot wedge is added and administered like a regular prize wedge in that a player must land on the wedge and call a letter in the puzzle to acquire the special wedge. The player must not hit Bankrupt for the remainder of the round and solve the puzzle to win the Jackpot.
Having first appeared on the French version on 31 August 2009, the Jackpot wedge is similar to the US Jackpot wedge used in Season 26. The wedge has a 3D design which makes it stand out above the rest of the wheel.
Unique to European Versions (not used in the US version)
Two different wedgesHold up: Anyone who lands on this wedge and correctly guesses a letter can steal the earnings of the leading opponent in that round, just like the "Power" wedge from the Philippine ABS-CBN version of "Wheel of Fortune."
Caverne: A player who lands on this wedge will have the opportunity to win small prizes, such as electronics, bicycles, etc. They have 15 seconds to select as many prizes from the Cave as possible. However, if the total value of the chosen prizes exceeds a set limit they lose all the prizes. In the original version, the limit was 15,000₣. It then became €2,500 in round two and €2,000 in round three. Since the premiere of the Jackpot round on 31 August 2009, the value of the Caverne space is now worth €2,500 in both rounds two and three.
The Caverne space is similar to a blend of the classic shopping for prizes segment combined with the physical game action of the US children's version Wheel 2000.
Zero Euro Wedge: A player who lands on this wedge must correctly guess a letter on the board to remain in control of the wheel but collects nothing. Note the US version of "Wheel of Fortune" had a $0 wedge (named "Shopper's Bazaar") but this existed only during the first pilot in 1973.
Buying a vowel
Vowels cost 500₣, but currently are worth €200. Like the US version, if a player has enough money to buy a vowel, they may do so at a flat rate, and not at a multiplied rate like consonants. Unlike the US version, the fee is not levied if the called vowel is not in the puzzle.Shopping
The original French version used the pre-1987 US version element of shopping, which worked exactly the same way. However, the current incarnation plays for cash (as has been the case since 1987 in the US version).Toss-Up Puzzles
A major difference with the US version is the toss-up puzzle. In this version, every round starts with such a puzzle (in the US version, they are played before contestant interviews, and before the first and fourth rounds). However, like the US version, there is a toss-up before the contestant interviews to determine who will be introduced first.Furthermore, they are worth €500 and the right to start the round with the €500 that can be lost if a player spins Bankrupt. The regular puzzle must be solved to keep the money.
Bonus Round
The current version uses the US version's 2001 rules with a 24-space Bonus Wheel, with the top winner of the day spinning it. Currently, the prize can be cash amounts from of €5,000, €7,500, €10,000, €15,000, €20,000, and €25,000, two cars, or the top prize of €100,000.The contestant is then shown a puzzle and then all of the instances of R, S, T, L, N and E which appear in that puzzle. The contestant then chooses three more consonants and an additional vowel. After all the letters are chosen, they are revealed if they appear in the puzzle. The player then has 10 seconds to solve the puzzle. As is the case in the US version, the player's prize they were playing for is not revealed until after the round ends.
In the original run, the player picks five consonants and a vowel. At one point, two letters are drawn at random and the player picks three more consonants and then a vowel.
Studio
The current French studio is nearly identical to the US version, with the French puzzle board exactly like the US one. The only major difference is that the studio audience is directly behind the contestants, unlike the US version, where the video wall stands behind the contestants. There is also a light display around the puzzle board that alternates between red, yellow, and blue, to indicate what player's turn it is.Other countries that have their sets similar, although not exactly the same, to the French version include Italy (La Ruota Della Fortuna
La Ruota Della Fortuna
La Ruota Della Fortuna is the Italian version of Wheel of Fortune. The show has run nonstop since 1989 on Rete 4 and Canale 5, and switched from a trilon to an electronic board in 1997, like the U.S. version...
), Turkey (Çarkıfelek), Poland (Koło Fortuny), and Portugal (A Roda da Sorte).
Categories
The French version of Wheel of Fortune has categories that are slightly variated from the US version.- CHOSE, MACHIN, TRUC - THING. The name of the category comes from the different ways to say "thing" in French.
- EN VOITURE - THING related to an automobile.
- BRICOLAGE ET JARDINAGE - THING related with DIY and gardeningGardeningGardening is the practice of growing and cultivating plants. Ornamental plants are normally grown for their flowers, foliage, or overall appearance; useful plants are grown for consumption , for their dyes, or for medicinal or cosmetic use...
.
- EXPRESSION FAMILIÈRE - Roughly equivalent to PHRASE.
- PERSONNAGE - FICTIONAL CHARACTER.
- ENIGME À DOUBLE SENS - A hybrid category of FILL IN THE BLANK and BEFORE & AFTER. The puzzle consists of two words or expressions linked together by a common word, of which the solving player can win €500 for correctly identifying.
- 7ME ART - SHOW BIZ. The category comes from the French expression for film and cinema.
- LOISIRS & JEUX - FUN & GAMES. A related "subcategory" also exists.
- SPORT - FUN & GAMES related to sports.
- VIE QUOTIDIENNE - Deals with activities in one's daily life. Roughly similar to WHAT ARE YOU DOING? or EVENT.
- EN HIVER - Like EVENT, but deals with activities exclusively done in the winter. Usually it is only used during the winter episodes.
- LIEU OU MONUMENT - PLACE or LANDMARK in the US version.
- SUR LA PLANÈTE - ON THE MAP, however it is often interchanged with LIEU OU MONUMENT.
- ARTS