LJ Idol Season 8, Week 16: "Reinventing the Wheel"
"Letter, Please"
STAGE MANAGER: And we're back in 5...4...3...
(Lights come up on the mostly familiar set. Host PAT SAJAK stands behind his podium.)
PAT: Welcome back. Time for our Auction Round;
let's give the wheel a spin.
(As the wheel spins, emitting a series of low-pitched beeps, we see the contestants: SAM, a young Asian man in a black shirt and khaki slacks; BRITNEY, a middle-aged Caucasian woman in a simple red dress; and TONYA, a young African-American woman in a pink blouse and black slacks. They are all clapping as the wheel slows to a stop. The arrow in front of Pat's podium stops on an $800 space.)
PAT: Eight hundred for each letter. "Phrase" is the category; Vanna, show us the puzzle.
(VANNA WHITE, in a midnight blue gown, presses a red button on the side of the board, revealing a series of black squares outlined in red on the blue screen:)
__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __
__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __
PAT: Alright, Tonya, since you solved the last puzzle, we'll start with you. How many letters will you need?
TONYA: Eight letters.
PAT: Sam?
SAM: (after a few moments' thought) I can solve it in seven, Pat.
PAT: Britney? (Britney shakes her head) Okay, you're passing. Back to you, Tonya.
TONYA: I can do it in six.
(Pat gestures to Sam.)
SAM: Five letters.
TONYA: Solve it!
PAT: Alright, Sam, which five letters do you want?
SAM: E, R, S, T...and N.
PAT: Okay, Vanna, let's see what we have.
(With the press of a button, several of the black squares glow red. Vanna walks over and touches the squares, revealing the letters:)
T __ E S T R __ __ __ __ T
__ N __ N __ R R __ __
PAT: Alright Sam, we got ten letters up there. For $8000, you have ten seconds to solve the puzzle.
(The familiar beeps play in the back ground as Sam stares as the puzzle.)
SAM: The strength...normal...The straight and narrow?
PAT: That's it! (Fanfare music plays as the answer is revealed on the board.) That gets you on the board, and into the lead as we move to the next round. Charlie, what prize do we have to add to the wheel?
ANNOUNCER (v.o.): Live the high life in stylish Atlantic City! You and a guest will fly from Los Angeles to enjoy a six-night stay at the Borgata Hotel, Casino and Spa, alongside the famous Boardwalk. While there, you will be entertained at the world-famous Trump Theater and enjoy VIP passes to nightlife and amenities. (Pictures and video of the hotel are shown on screen during the narration.)
PAT: Alright, Sam, how much do you think that's worth?
(The audience begins shouting advice to the players.)
SAM: I'll say $4750.
PAT: Britney?
BRITNEY; Um...(She looks out to the crowd for help, puts her hands up in the air in confusion, then finally turns back to Pat.) I'll say $5250.
PAT: And Tonya, what do you bid?
TONYA: $5251!
PAT: Alright, Charlie, how much is that trip worth?
ANNOUNCER (v.o.): The prize package is worth six thousand, three hundred and seventy-four dollars. (Tonya applauds.)
PAT: Nice bid, Tonya, That's a thousand dollars to you, and the first spin to try and get that prize. "Song Title and Artist" is the category. (The puzzle comes up on screen:)
__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __
__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __
__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __
PAT: Alright, Tonya, start us off.
(Tonya spins, landing on $1100.)
TONYA: Give me an R!
PAT: Two Rs. $2200. (Vanna lights the letters:)
__ __ __ __ R __ __ __ __ __
__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __
__ __ R __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __
TONYA; I'll spin again. (She does so, landing on a space with a "Respin" marker on it.)
PAT: That could be useful. I'll need a letter first, though.
TONYA: T!
PAT: One T. Pick that Respin up. (Another letter lights up:)
__ __ __ __ R __ __ __ __ __
__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __
__ __ R __ __ __ __ __ T __ __ __
TONYA: I'll spin again. (She spins, and lands on a space labed "1/2 Bankrupt".)
PAT: Ouch. Do you want to use that Respin to wipe it out?
TONYA: I do! (She passes the Respin token down to Pat, then spins again, this time landing on "Bankrupt.")
PAT: Ouch again! Hate it when that happens. Sam, over to you.
(Sam spins, landing on the Atlantic City prize space.)
PAT: Give us a letter.
SAM: S!
PAT: One S. Pick up that prize, Sam. I take it you'll want to spin again.
SAM: Yes, sir. (As he does, we see the puzzle:)
__ __ __ __ R __ __ __ __ __
__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __
__ __ R __ __ __ __ S T __ __ __
(The wheel stops on $650.)
SAM: N, please.
PAT: Three Ns. $1950 for you. (Vanna lights the letters:)
N __ __ __ R __ __ N N __
__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __
__ __ R __ __ __ __ S T __ __ __
SAM: I'll buy an E, Pat. (His podium total changes from $1950 to $1650.)
PAT: That'll help you out. Four Es. Vanna, show us where they are. (She does:)
N E __ E R __ __ N N __
__ __ __ E __ __ __ __ __
__ __ R __ __ __ __ S T __ E __
SAM: I'll buy another vowel, an A.
PAT: Two As. (Vanna starts to walk, then decides to take out a laser pointer and point at the lit spaces, lighting the letters:)
N E __ E R __ __ N N A
__ __ __ E __ __ __ __ __
__ __ R __ __ __ A S T __ E __
(Sam spins again, landing on $4000. The crowd oohs and aahs.)
SAM: V, please!
PAT: Two Vs, bringing you up to $9350. (Sam and the crowd applaud:)
N E V E R __ __ N N A
__ __ V E __ __ __ __ __
__ __ R __ __ __ A S T __ E __
SAM: One more spin. (He spins again, landing on $1500.) Let's have a G, please.
PAT: You'll get two of them. Over twelve thousand now, plus the trip. (The puzzle continues to be revealed by Vanna, now sitting on a lounge chair offstage:)
N E V E R G __ N N A
G __ V E __ __ __ __ __
__ __ R __ __ __ A S T __ E __
SAM: I'd like to solve! "Never Gonna Give You Up," by Rick Astley!
PAT: You got it! (Fanfare plays. Pat walks over to stand next to Sam.) Not a bad five minutes' work, eh? The auction round, the trip, the cash, all together $26,724. (Sam applauds wildly; the other two contestants do so reluctantly.) There's still time for you ladies to catch up, though. We'll be back with the Speed Round, right after this. (Theme music plays as we go to commercial.)
STAGE MANAGER: And we're back in 5...4...3...
(Lights come up on the mostly familiar set. Host PAT SAJAK stands behind his podium.)
PAT: Welcome back. Time for our Auction Round;
let's give the wheel a spin.
(As the wheel spins, emitting a series of low-pitched beeps, we see the contestants: SAM, a young Asian man in a black shirt and khaki slacks; BRITNEY, a middle-aged Caucasian woman in a simple red dress; and TONYA, a young African-American woman in a pink blouse and black slacks. They are all clapping as the wheel slows to a stop. The arrow in front of Pat's podium stops on an $800 space.)
PAT: Eight hundred for each letter. "Phrase" is the category; Vanna, show us the puzzle.
(VANNA WHITE, in a midnight blue gown, presses a red button on the side of the board, revealing a series of black squares outlined in red on the blue screen:)
__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __
__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __
PAT: Alright, Tonya, since you solved the last puzzle, we'll start with you. How many letters will you need?
TONYA: Eight letters.
PAT: Sam?
SAM: (after a few moments' thought) I can solve it in seven, Pat.
PAT: Britney? (Britney shakes her head) Okay, you're passing. Back to you, Tonya.
TONYA: I can do it in six.
(Pat gestures to Sam.)
SAM: Five letters.
TONYA: Solve it!
PAT: Alright, Sam, which five letters do you want?
SAM: E, R, S, T...and N.
PAT: Okay, Vanna, let's see what we have.
(With the press of a button, several of the black squares glow red. Vanna walks over and touches the squares, revealing the letters:)
T __ E S T R __ __ __ __ T
__ N __ N __ R R __ __
PAT: Alright Sam, we got ten letters up there. For $8000, you have ten seconds to solve the puzzle.
(The familiar beeps play in the back ground as Sam stares as the puzzle.)
SAM: The strength...normal...The straight and narrow?
PAT: That's it! (Fanfare music plays as the answer is revealed on the board.) That gets you on the board, and into the lead as we move to the next round. Charlie, what prize do we have to add to the wheel?
ANNOUNCER (v.o.): Live the high life in stylish Atlantic City! You and a guest will fly from Los Angeles to enjoy a six-night stay at the Borgata Hotel, Casino and Spa, alongside the famous Boardwalk. While there, you will be entertained at the world-famous Trump Theater and enjoy VIP passes to nightlife and amenities. (Pictures and video of the hotel are shown on screen during the narration.)
PAT: Alright, Sam, how much do you think that's worth?
(The audience begins shouting advice to the players.)
SAM: I'll say $4750.
PAT: Britney?
BRITNEY; Um...(She looks out to the crowd for help, puts her hands up in the air in confusion, then finally turns back to Pat.) I'll say $5250.
PAT: And Tonya, what do you bid?
TONYA: $5251!
PAT: Alright, Charlie, how much is that trip worth?
ANNOUNCER (v.o.): The prize package is worth six thousand, three hundred and seventy-four dollars. (Tonya applauds.)
PAT: Nice bid, Tonya, That's a thousand dollars to you, and the first spin to try and get that prize. "Song Title and Artist" is the category. (The puzzle comes up on screen:)
__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __
__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __
__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __
PAT: Alright, Tonya, start us off.
(Tonya spins, landing on $1100.)
TONYA: Give me an R!
PAT: Two Rs. $2200. (Vanna lights the letters:)
__ __ __ __ R __ __ __ __ __
__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __
__ __ R __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __
TONYA; I'll spin again. (She does so, landing on a space with a "Respin" marker on it.)
PAT: That could be useful. I'll need a letter first, though.
TONYA: T!
PAT: One T. Pick that Respin up. (Another letter lights up:)
__ __ __ __ R __ __ __ __ __
__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __
__ __ R __ __ __ __ __ T __ __ __
TONYA: I'll spin again. (She spins, and lands on a space labed "1/2 Bankrupt".)
PAT: Ouch. Do you want to use that Respin to wipe it out?
TONYA: I do! (She passes the Respin token down to Pat, then spins again, this time landing on "Bankrupt.")
PAT: Ouch again! Hate it when that happens. Sam, over to you.
(Sam spins, landing on the Atlantic City prize space.)
PAT: Give us a letter.
SAM: S!
PAT: One S. Pick up that prize, Sam. I take it you'll want to spin again.
SAM: Yes, sir. (As he does, we see the puzzle:)
__ __ __ __ R __ __ __ __ __
__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __
__ __ R __ __ __ __ S T __ __ __
(The wheel stops on $650.)
SAM: N, please.
PAT: Three Ns. $1950 for you. (Vanna lights the letters:)
N __ __ __ R __ __ N N __
__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __
__ __ R __ __ __ __ S T __ __ __
SAM: I'll buy an E, Pat. (His podium total changes from $1950 to $1650.)
PAT: That'll help you out. Four Es. Vanna, show us where they are. (She does:)
N E __ E R __ __ N N __
__ __ __ E __ __ __ __ __
__ __ R __ __ __ __ S T __ E __
SAM: I'll buy another vowel, an A.
PAT: Two As. (Vanna starts to walk, then decides to take out a laser pointer and point at the lit spaces, lighting the letters:)
N E __ E R __ __ N N A
__ __ __ E __ __ __ __ __
__ __ R __ __ __ A S T __ E __
(Sam spins again, landing on $4000. The crowd oohs and aahs.)
SAM: V, please!
PAT: Two Vs, bringing you up to $9350. (Sam and the crowd applaud:)
N E V E R __ __ N N A
__ __ V E __ __ __ __ __
__ __ R __ __ __ A S T __ E __
SAM: One more spin. (He spins again, landing on $1500.) Let's have a G, please.
PAT: You'll get two of them. Over twelve thousand now, plus the trip. (The puzzle continues to be revealed by Vanna, now sitting on a lounge chair offstage:)
N E V E R G __ N N A
G __ V E __ __ __ __ __
__ __ R __ __ __ A S T __ E __
SAM: I'd like to solve! "Never Gonna Give You Up," by Rick Astley!
PAT: You got it! (Fanfare plays. Pat walks over to stand next to Sam.) Not a bad five minutes' work, eh? The auction round, the trip, the cash, all together $26,724. (Sam applauds wildly; the other two contestants do so reluctantly.) There's still time for you ladies to catch up, though. We'll be back with the Speed Round, right after this. (Theme music plays as we go to commercial.)