<P> Wheel of Fortune (often known simply as Wheel) is an American television game show created by Merv Griffin . The show features a competition in which contestants solve word puzzles, similar to those used in Hangman, to win cash and prizes determined by spinning a giant carnival wheel . </P> <P> Wheel premiered as a daytime series on NBC on January 6, 1975, and continued to air on the network until June 30, 1989 . After some changes were made to its format, the daytime series returned on July 17, 1989 as part of CBS's daytime lineup . On January 14, 1991, Wheel moved back to NBC and aired on that network until it was cancelled on September 20, 1991 . The popularity of the daytime series led to a nightly syndicated edition being developed . That series premiered on September 19, 1983 and continues to air to this day . </P> <P> The network version was originally hosted by Chuck Woolery and Susan Stafford, with Charlie O'Donnell as its announcer . O'Donnell left in 1980, Woolery in 1981, and Stafford in 1982 . They were replaced, respectively, by Jack Clark, Pat Sajak, and Vanna White . After Clark's death in 1988, M.G. Kelly took over briefly as announcer until O'Donnell returned in 1989 . O'Donnell remained on the network version until its cancellation, and continued to announce on the syndicated show until his death in 2010, when Jim Thornton succeeded him . Sajak left the network version in January 1989 to host his own late - night talk show, and was replaced on that version by Rolf Benirschke . Bob Goen replaced Benirschke when the network show moved to CBS, then remained as host until the network show was canceled altogether . The syndicated version has been hosted continuously by Sajak and White since its inception . </P> <P> Wheel of Fortune ranks as the longest - running syndicated game show in the United States, with over 6,000 episodes aired . TV Guide named it the "top - rated syndicated series" in a 2008 article, and in 2013, the magazine ranked it at No. 2 in its list of the 60 greatest game shows ever . The program has also come to gain a worldwide following with sixty international adaptations . The syndicated series' 35th season premiered on September 11, 2017 . </P>

Who were the first host and hostess of wheel of fortune