<P> In addition to "Changing Keys", Griffin also composed various incidental music cues for the syndicated version which were used for announcements of prizes in the show's early years . Among them were "Frisco Disco" (earlier the closing theme for a revival of Jeopardy! which aired in 1978 and 1979), "A Time for Tony" (whose basic melody evolved into "Think!", the longtime theme song for Jeopardy!), "Buzzword" (later used as the theme for Merv Griffin's Crosswords), "Nightwalk", "Struttin' on Sunset", and an untitled vacation cue . </P> <P> Anyone at least 18 years old has the potential to become a contestant through Wheel of Fortune's audition process . Exceptions include employees and immediate family members of CBS Corporation, Sony Pictures Entertainment, or any of their respective affiliates or subsidiaries; any firm involved in supplying prizes for the show; and television stations that broadcast Wheel and / or Jeopardy!, their sister radio stations, and those advertising agencies that are affiliated with them . Also ineligible to apply as contestants are individuals who have appeared on a different game show within the previous year, three other game shows within the past ten years, or on any version of Wheel of Fortune itself . </P> <P> Throughout the year, the show uses a custom - designed Winnebago recreational vehicle called the "Wheelmobile" to travel across the United States, holding open auditions at various public venues . Participants are provided with entry forms which are then drawn randomly . Individuals whose names are drawn appear on stage, five at a time, and are interviewed by traveling host Marty Lublin . The group of five then plays a mock version of the speed - up round, and five more names are selected after a puzzle is solved . Everyone who is called onstage receives a themed prize, usually determined by the spin of a miniature wheel . Auditions typically last two days, with three one - hour segments per day . After each Wheelmobile event, the "most promising candidates" are invited back to the city in which the first audition was held, to participate in a second audition . Alternatively, a participant may submit an audition form with a self - shot video through the show's website to enter an audition . Contestants not appearing on stage at Wheelmobile events have their applications retained and get drawn at random to fill second - level audition vacancies . At the second audition, potential contestants play more mock games featuring a miniature wheel and puzzle board, followed by a 16 - puzzle test with some letters revealed . The contestants have five minutes to solve as many puzzles as they can by writing in the correct letters . The people who pass continue the audition, playing more mock games which are followed by interviews . </P> <P> Wheel of Fortune premiered on January 6, 1975, at 10: 30 am (9: 30 Central) on NBC . Lin Bolen, then the head of daytime programming, purchased the show from Griffin to compensate him for canceling the original Jeopardy! series, which had one year remaining on its contract . Jeopardy! aired its final episode on the Friday before Wheel's premiere . The original Wheel aired on NBC, in varying time slots between 10: 30 am and noon, until June 30, 1989 . Throughout that version's run, episodes were generally 30 minutes in length, except for six weeks of shows aired between December 1975 and January 1976 which were 60 minutes in length . NBC announced the cancellation of the show in August 1980, but it stayed on the air following a decision to cut the duration of The David Letterman Show from 90 to 60 minutes . The network Wheel moved to CBS on July 17, 1989, and remained there until January 14, 1991 . After that, it briefly returned to NBC, replacing Let's Make a Deal, but was canceled permanently on September 20 of that year . </P>

When does wheel of fortune new season begin