Is Wheel of Fortune New Tonight? This Week's Episodes, Air Times and Bonus Puzzle Results

Yes — Wheel of Fortune is new tonight, Thursday, Sept. 17. It's Season 44, Episode 4, and Friday closes out five first-run nights of Season Premiere Week.

Is Wheel of Fortune new this week? Night by night

Episode numbers are from TVmaze, and the theme-week label matches Wheel historian Andy Nguyen's schedule. Sony doesn't post the night's three players ahead of time. One week out, Sept. 21–25 is Words With Friends week, with Canyon Spirit on Sept. 28.

Who won on Wednesday, and what was the bonus puzzle?

Alicia St. Angelo took it with $30,173 in cash plus a trip to Belize, ahead of Anthony Shockley and Taylor Malloy. She built the lead on a run of toss-ups after a football-themed Fortune Frenzy.

Her bonus category was What Are You Doing? and the puzzle was I'M PIVOTING. She didn't get there, and the envelope held $75,000 — the biggest amount left on the stage this week.

And on Tuesday?

Beth Malone finished at $30,300 in cash plus a Cambodia trip valued at $12,500, ahead of Erika Witherspoon's $10,200 and Austin Rosen's $4,600.

Then the bonus round went cold. The puzzle was MATH PRODIGY, she offered GRADING instead, and the envelope she had picked held $50,000. Two straight seasons have now opened with a $50,000 card turning up in the first week.

Tuesday's Fortune Frenzy ran on a Working Out theme and ended in a tiebreaker, which is the first time the new round has needed one.

What happened on the Season 44 premiere?

Barbara Ditoto of Bowie, Maryland, ran away with it. She finished with $71,662 in cash and a trip to Greece; Rob Clark of Ambler, Pennsylvania, had $15,050 and Ernesto Sookhoo of Floral Park, New York, $1,000.

Then she solved the bonus puzzle, BLOWING BUBBLES, for $45,000 of that total. Two fan recaps independently flag it as the first season-opener bonus win since Season 40.

Did Fortune Frenzy replace the toss-ups?

Yes. The show now opens with Fortune Frenzy where the $1,000 and $2,000 toss-ups used to be: 30 seconds of fast-revealing puzzles, $1,000 per solve.

So the new money isn't stacked on the old format — it swaps in for it. On Monday that meant $5,000 handed out before round one, $2,000 more than the old toss-ups paid. Our Sept. 14–18 week-ahead had both scenarios.

👉 Fortune Frenzy is decided in half a minute. Tune in late and you'll miss who got the early cash.

This week's bonus puzzle answers

• Monday, Sept. 14 — BLOWING BUBBLES (solved, $45,000)
• Tuesday, Sept. 15 — MATH PRODIGY (missed, $50,000)
• Wednesday, Sept. 16 — I'M PIVOTING (missed, $75,000)
• Thursday, Sept. 17 — after tonight's East Coast broadcast

We add each night's answer here and under nightly results. SPIN ID entries close at 4 p.m. ET the day after the show; the SPIN ID explainer covers eligibility.

Jeopardy! is new tonight as well, in the neighboring half hour, with a first-time champion defending — Thursday's Jeopardy! preview has the lineup and its week-by-week page keeps the running total.

What changes in Wheel of Fortune Season 44?

The big one is the opening. August trade reports called it a 30-second Toss-Up Sprint; it airs as Fortune Frenzy, with contestants solving as many quick puzzles as they can at the top of the show. Ryan Seacrest hosts for a third season with Vanna White at the board. First-run episodes run September 14, 2026, through June 11, 2027, with next-day streaming on Hulu and Peacock.

What time is Wheel of Fortune on?

Weeknights in syndication, in most markets right before or after Jeopardy! at 7 or 7:30 p.m. ET. Our air-time guide explains how to find your station and where to stream.

Where else can you follow the games here?

Tonight's previews and results are filed under the Jeopardy! section, the Wheel of Fortune section and nightly results. If you are new, our air-time guide explains where to find your local station,.

FAQ

Is Wheel of Fortune new tonight? Yes — Season 44 is first-run every weeknight now; the summer encores ended Sept. 11.

What was last night's bonus puzzle? I'M PIVOTING, missed, with $75,000 in the envelope. Three nights in, the bonus round is 1 for 3.

Who won the Season 44 premiere? Barbara Ditoto, with $71,662 including a $45,000 bonus win.

How long does Season 44 run? Through June 11, 2027.

Listings data via TVmaze and the show's official site. Puzzle solutions as published after airing by the sources below.

Sources

• WheelofFortune.com — Bonus Puzzle
• Wheel of Fortune Tonight — puzzle answers
• Sweepstakes Lovers — bonus puzzle solutions 2026
• TV Insider — Season 44 premiere date
• TVmaze — Wheel of Fortune Season 44 episode list
• Wheel of Fortune with Andy Nguyen — Season 44 theme-week schedule
• TV Insider — Seacrest and White reveal Fortune Frenzy
• CinemaBlend — Toss-Up Sprint format change

By the Game Show On Air desk · Updated Sept. 16, 7:15 a.m. ET