Monday’s show of Jetsetters week to come later on tonight.

EPISODE #4799: THANKS A MILLION SWEEPSTAKES (WK. #3)

Larry King gives his congratulations to the show. This episode took place on the Great Outdoors set.

$1K Toss-Up: PHRASE

Y _ U / H A _ / T O
B _ / _ H E _ E

YOU HAD TO BE HERE to see Staci and her opposition compete…

Staci Alvarez: dining room manager with twin 12-year-old boys who skydived once but will do it again from Bath, ME

Connor Wagner: junior college student at Anderson University in Indiana studying Bible and religion who teaches art every Tuesday to inmates at a prison in Pendleton from Wexford, PA

Melissa Guth: married 7 years to Rick with two children, four cats, and two dogs from Wimberley, TX

$2K Toss-Up: OCCUPATION

S _ L _ _
_ U P E _ V _ _ _ R

Staci tripled up with SALES SUPERVISOR.

FEATURED TRIP: Bavaria & Austria courtesy of Insight Vacations (EUROPE) worth $8,550
Gift Tag: Omaha Steaks

Round 1: FOOD & DRINK

Staci: $600 N pair, $500 S, E, $600 L, 2 A’s, D for EUROPE, 3 C’s for $7,500, 2 I’s, $600 H pair, O, solve for $8,800 & EUROPE…

_ _ _ _ A L O
C H I C _ E N
S A N D _ I C H

She had a BUFFALO CHICKEN SANDWICH and had $20,350 cash & trip already- BIG PR!

Jackpot Round: BEFORE & AFTER

Connor: $600 T, $900 R pair, E, $1,600 S pair, A, 2 I’s, 3 O’s (NMV), $1,200 N trio, P for Omaha Steaks, solve for $3,300 & Omaha Steaks…

P R I S O N
_ R E A _
I N T O / S O N _

He would PRISON BREAK INTO SONG after winning some steaks- PR #2.

UNCLAIMED JACKPOT: $7,250

Staci: $20,350 cash & Europe | Connor: $4,300 cash & steaks | Melissa: SPINNING NEXT

Mystery/Big Money Round: THINGS

Melissa: unfortunate dud of N on $3,500
Staci: $600 S, 2 T’s on MW near $800, flipped… $$$, 3 E’s, $400 L, 2 A’s, $1,800 M pair, no I
Connor: $1K P, $1,800 R pair, $900 Y, BOMBED OUT with D on $400– DALMY?! -__-
Melissa: BANKRUPT via BM
Staci: solve for $12,050…

_ A L M Y
T E M P E R A T _ R E S

In addition to that cash prize, she would feel the BALMY TEMPERATURES of BELIZE courtesy of VacationCompare.com worth $5K.

Staci: $37,400 cash & trips | Connor: $4,300 cash & steaks | Melissa: BAD LUCK

$3K Toss-Up: IN THE KITCHEN

_ _ _ _ T O
_ E _ L _ R

Staci solved POTATO PEELER for the Toss-Up sweep.

Round 4: TITLE

Staci: $1,200 S pair, $500 N, 3 A’s, no L on $900
Connor: $800 T pair, SPEED-UP

A / S T _ _ _ T _ A _
N A _ _ _ / _ _ S _ _ _

Consonants were worth $1,500.

Connor: 3 R’s
Melissa: 2 D’s
Staci: M
Connor: C

A / S T R _ _ T C A R
N A M _ D / D _ S _ R _

The same puzzle was later used on Mar. 21, 2017 where a contestant BOMBED OUT thinking the last consonant was a K for the third word, and Connor IDed A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE by Tennessee Williams for $6,800.

FINAL SCORES
Staci: $40,400 cash & trips | Connor: $11,100 cash & steaks | Melissa: $1K HARD LUCK GOOSEEGG

GRAND TOTAL: $51,500
NO BANKRUPT TRASH!

Bonus Round

The cars offered on this set were a Chevrolet Colorado and a Honda Civic Hybrid. Melissa’s mother Leah watched her land on BONUS.

Category: PHRASE

A trio of letters to start…

_ E _ R / _ _ _
_ _ T

BMDI helped on the second word…

_ E _ R / _ I M
_ _ T

…but she couldn’t HEAR HIM OUT (she had HEAR JIM) for $30K.

MY RATING: 7 (C)

Conclusion of the week

Next weekend, we look at the last two episodes of Cruise Week.

EPISODE #4796: THANKS A MILLION SWEEPSTAKES (WK. #3)

The start of the third week of the sweepstakes took place on the Wheel Across America set.

$1K Toss-Up: PHRASE

B U I L T / T O
_ _ S _

This is the slogan for automaker Ford and Diana knows it’s “BUILT TO LAST”. Kicking off the third week of the sweepstakes…

Diana Booth: education assistant married to Gary of 27 years with two sons and Red Sox fan from Manchester, NH

Sarah Bench: graduate student at the University of Washington earning her clinical doctorate in audiology and is in her final year of the program; very little, she loves to exercise and spend time with friends when she can and visit her family from Seattle, WA

Rob Curris: blackjack dealer at the Premier Casino in Niagara Falls who likes to watch movies, comedies, play some games of his own (e.g. board games, card games, and watching game shows) from Tonawanda, NY (outside of Buffalo)

$2K Toss-Up: EVENT

_ O _ I _ I _ _ L
_ E B _ T _

We recently saw a POLITICAL DEBATE between Trump and Harris a few days ago, and Rob won the right to spin first.

FEATURED TRIP: WASHINGTON D.C. courtesy of VacationCompare.com worth $5K
Gift Tag: Tiger GPS

Round 1: BEFORE & AFTER

Rob: no R on $600 (just missed $2,500)
Diana: $2K T quartet, 2 E’s, N for Tiger GPS, R repeat on $900
Sarah: $1,200 L pair, 2 O’s, M for WASHINGTON D.C., A, 3 I’s (NMV), $300 C, solve for $750 & WASHINGTON D.C….

E M O T I O N A L
L I _ T
T I C _ E T

She solved EMOTIONAL LIFT TICKET to keep the D.C. trip.

Jackpot Round: WHAT ARE YOU DOING?

Diana: $3,600 N quartet, 2 I’s, $600 G, $350 T, E, $600 H, 2 A’s (NMV), $300 C, 2 D’s for 25 ($2,500 eBay gift certificate), solve for $4,700 & 25…

D A N C I N G / I N
T H E / _ A N D

But she wouldn’t be DANCING IN THE LAND because it’s a letter off, so it was Sarah who would be DANCING IN THE SAND at the Windjammer Landing in ST. LUCIA (airfare provided by American Airlines) worth $6,440.

UNCLAIMED JACKPOT: $7,750

Sarah: $12,190 cash & trips | Rob: $2K | Diana: $1K

Mystery/Big Money Round: RHYME TIME

Sarah: $350 S (Pat mistakenly said there were none at first), 4 T’s for $14K (just made it out of BANKRUPT), 7 I’s (Pat: “One for each finger on my cousin (Squigi’s?) left hand.”), solve for $14,100…

I / _ I _ _ / I T
I / _ _ _ _ / I T
I / _ _ _ T / S _ _ _
_ _ _ _ / _ _ / I T

She quickly said “I LIKE IT, I LOVE IT, I WANT SOME MORE OF IT”– PR!

Sarah: $26,290 cash & trips | Rob: $2K | Diana: $1K

$3K Toss-Up: THINGS

_ _ _ C K _ B _ E
C _ A I _ S

Rob placed some STACKABLE CHAIRS.

Round 4: ON THE MAP

Rob: $1,500 T trio, 2 E’s, $1,800 H pair, O, $300 S, LaT
Diana: $300 N, $5K R, A, 2 I’s (NMV), $300 W, $1,100 C pair, SPEED-UP

T H E / _ A C I _ I C
N O R T H W E S T

The last two consonant singles were worth the $1,300 minimum. She said the P next…

T H E / P A C I _ I C
N O R T H W E S T

I’m from the PACIFIC NORTHWEST, and Diana solved for $7,500.

FINAL SCORES
Sarah: $26,290 cash & trips | Rob: $5K | Diana: $8,500

GRAND TOTAL: $39,790
NO BANKRUPTS!

Bonus Round

The cars that could be won on this set were an Infiniti FX35 and an Audi A3. After we saw Sarah’s mom Edna and uncle Russ, she landed on $100,000.

Category: THING

Last 2 letters on the top line to start…

_ _ _ N E
_ _ _ _

MDHO was good for…

_ H O N E
_ _ _ _

…only the top line, and she missed the bottom with PHONE BOOK and PHONE HOME, so she didn’t connect this PHONE JACK for $30K.

MY RATING: 6 (D+)

Next two episodes: Tues., Wed.

EPISODE #8015: 🆕SEASON PREMIERE WEEK🆕

$1K Toss-Up: PHRASE

I ’ M / _ A _ I N G
_ / B _ _ S T

Rosemary is right to say “I’M HAVING A BLAST”. The players on this potentially unlucky day (Friday the 13th, you see)…

Rosemary Underwood: grandma of seven grandchildren married to Carl for almost 50 years with three sons from Charleston, AR

Derek Stutz: golf and motorcycle fan (he claims to be better at golf) who’s a coach for the nonprofit Dinomights which coaches 6-8-year-olds from Minneapolis, MN

Vicki Byrd: track athlete with three kids (two are in track and one is a gymnast, but she thinks she can beat all of them) and big sports fan (especially the 90s Chicago Bulls and the Baltimore Ravens) from Hanover, MD

$2K Toss-Up: EVENT

I N – _ _ P T H
_ N _ E _ V _ E W

After an IN-DEPTH INTERVIEW with the contestants, Derek wins the right to spin first.

FEATURED TRIP: Scrub Island Resort in the CARIBBEAN

Round 1: PROPER NAME

Derek: $900 S, 4 A’s, $2,500 R, 2 E’s, BANKRUPT near $2,500 ($2,900 lost)
Vicki: 3 N’s for CARIBBEAN worth over $11K, 2 I’s, same BANKRUPT ($1,250 & CARIBBEAN LOST!)
Rosemary: other BANKRUPT
Derek: $2,550 G trio, solve…

A _ E R I _ A N
S I G N
_ A N G _ A G E

He solves AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE.

Mystery/Crossword Round: FIRST ______

Vicki: $600 N, $500 L, $600 R, no A
Rosemary: no S on $900
Derek: $500 T, 2 E’s, no M on $500
Vicki: D for WC, 3 I’s, 3 O’s (NMV), $1,400 C pair, $500 V, $700 H, $500 B (complete board)

She reads them all for $4,550 and a tie with Derek.

Rosemary: $1K | Others: $4,550 each (Vicki has WC)

PP/Express Round: WHAT ARE YOU DOING?

Rosemary: $500 G, E, $1K T pair, 2 A’s, I, $600 H, 3 O’s (NMV), $1K N pair, $1K W pair, LaT
Derek: $2,700 L trio, solve…

_ T _ O L L I N G
_ O W N / T H E
_ O A _ _ W A L _

He’ll be STROLLING DOWN THE BOARDWALK in Vanna’s hometown of Myrtle Beach, SOUTH CAROLINA worth $7K.

Vicki: $4,550 WC | Rosemary: $1K | Derek: $14,250 cash & SC

Triple Toss-Up: FOOD & DRINK

1.

_ _ _ E / _ _ _ F

Derek goofs with MEAT LOAF.

K O B E / B E _ F

This was almost a TRIPLE STUMPER, but Rosemary solves KOBE BEEF.

2.

B E L U G A / C A V _ A R

Almost a TRIPLE STUMPER again, but Rosemary also solves BELUGA CAVIAR.

3.

V _ _ _ _ A
S _ U _ _ G E

Derek goofs again with VENISON SAUSAGE.

V _ _ _ _ A
S _ U S _ G E

Rosemary opens a can of VIENNA SAUSAGE for the Triple Toss-Up sweep!

Speed-Up: SHOW BIZ

Rosemary has spun $1,600 per consonant.

Rosemary: T
Derek: 2 S’s
Vicki: 2 R’s
Rosemary: N
Derek: L
Vicki: P
Rosemary: D
Derek: 2 B’s

S _ _ _ _ R
B L _ _ _ B _ S T _ R

Derek wins another $8K towards going to a SUMMER BLOCKBUSTER.

FINAL SCORES
Vicki: $4,550 WC | Rosemary: $11K | Derek: $22,250 cash & SC

GRAND TOTAL: $37,800
BANKRUPT TRASH: $4,150 + CARIBBEAN trip of unknown value

Derek’s category list…

• WHAT ARE YOU DOING?
• FOOD & DRINK
• THING

Sigh.

Fan Friday Word of the Day: GONDOLA (enter for your chance to win a Collette tour of the Mediterranean including Croatia and Italy)

$100K LG Bonus Round

Ater we see his grandma (who first introduced him to the show), he lands on the &. Opening setup…

_ _ _ T _ N G / _ _ R
_ / _ _ _ _ _ G E

HPDA gives him…

_ A _ T _ N G / _ _ R
A / P A _ _ A G E 

But he doesn’t even notice the single blank that’s obviously A and he almost had it right with WAITING OUR PACKAGE, but then went off track with PAINTING OUR PACKAGE, STAYING OUR PACKAGE, and TAKING OUR PACKAGE, and after the buzzer, he tries BAITING. As a result, he won’t be WAITING FOR A PACKAGE containing $40K plus the $10K bonus since he doesn’t win it.

Postgame Chat: Ryan and Vanna recap all the surprises given away this week. Ryan asks if Vanna is going to take Derek to her house, but she politely declines.

MY RATING: 5 (D) (bad BR loss)

Here goes my first recap of the Ryan Seacrest era, and I’m also with you tomorrow night.

EPISODE #8014: 🆕SEASON PREMIERE WEEK🆕

$1K Toss-Up: PHRASE

_ H I _ / _ S / _ U _ _
_ _ E / _ _ G _ N _ _ _ G

THIS IS JUST THE BEGINNING of the new era, and Matt scores first among these Thursday contestants (all from “I” states)…

Matt Harris: married to Jenny for 21 years and has five children (four boys and a girl who’s the youngest and the princess and boss of the family) from Indianapolis, IN

Caitlin Sterchi: dreams of having a few backyard chickens named Ryan and Vanna and a chicken coop from Yorkville, IL

Marilu Banal: Taylor Swift fan (she hosted a Taylor Swift Eras Tour outdoor movie night in her backyard and invited her family and friends) from Plainfield, IL

$2K Toss-Up: THING

A _ O M A _ _ E R _ P Y

Marilu solves AROMATHERAPY.

FEATURED TRIP: GREECE courtesy of Overseas Aventure Travel

No special prize wedge in this episode.

Round 1: SAME LETTER

Marilu: $1,400 T pair, 4 E’s, $1K R pair, A, 6 I’s, Same Letter of 3 D’s for $2,500, $1,950 N trio, O (NMV), LaT
Matt: $900 M, BANKRUPT near $2,500 ($900 lost)
Caitlin: “V as in Victor.” ($650), $600 S, no H on $600
Marilu: $800 L, solve for $6,650…

D R I V E
D I S _ I _ L I N E
D E T E R M I N A T I O N

She has the DRIVE, DISCIPLINE, (and) DETERMINATION.

Mystery Round: MOVIE TITLE

Matt: no T on MW near $650
Caitlin: $700 N, 3 E’s, no S on $550
Marilu: 2 L’s on other MW, flips… nothing there
Matt: $650 R, 3 O’s, V for GREECE, no D on $500
Caitlin: $500 Y, no F on $700
Marilu: MDW’s left side
Matt: solve for $900 & GREECE…

_ O _ / _ _ R L E Y :
O N E / L O V E

He IDs BOB MARLEY: ONE LOVE to keep the Greece trip worth $13,590.

Caitlin: ZIP | Marilu: $8,650 | Matt: $15,490 cash & Greece

PP/Express Round: ON THE MAP

Caitlin: N on EXPRESS

Allllllllllllllllllll aboooooooOOOOOOOARD!!

Chosen: WIPEOUT with S ($1K lost)

Marilu: $1,200 T pair, 3 E’s, BANKRUPT near $650 ($950 lost)
Matt: $1,600 H pair, $1,500 R trio, other BANKRUPT ($3,100 lost)
Caitlin: $650 F, $500 C, solve for $1,150…

T H E / F R E N C H
_ _ _ R T E R

She wins a trip to THE FRENCH QUARTER at the OMNI Royal Orleans in NEW ORLEANS worth $9,269, plus two free tickets to Taylor Swift’s “Eras Tour” to go with her daughter.

Caitlin: $10,419 cash & N.O. | Marilu: $8,650 | Matt: $15,490 cash & Greece

Triple Toss-Up: WHAT ARE YOU DOING?

1.

_ I _ I _ G / A
_ I C _ C _ E

Matt is RIDING A BICYCLE.

2.

_ I T T _ N _ / O _
T H _ / _ A N D _ E _ A R S

Then he’s SITTING ON THE HANDLEBARS…

3.

H _ T _ _ N _ / T _ E
P _ V _ _ _ N T

…before HITTING THE PAVEMENT for the Triple Toss-Up sweep!

Speed-Up: FOOD & DRINK

Matt has spun the $1,500 minimum.

Matt: 2 N’s
Caitlin: D
Marilu: R
Matt: 2 A’s
Caitlin: 2 C’s
Marilu: H
Matt: K

C H _ C K _ N
A N D / _ A _ _ _ _ _

Matt orders some CHICKEN AND WAFFLES just before the buzzer for $4,500 more.

FINAL SCORES
Caitlin: $10,419 cash & N.O. | Marilu: $8,650 | Matt: $29,990 cash & Greece

GRAND TOTAL: $49,059
BANKRUPT TRASH (excluding MW gamble): $5,950

Finally, our first THING-less category list since May 26, 2023…

• WHAT ARE YOU WEARING?
• PHRASE
• WHAT ARE YOU DOING?

And no, this list is not a typo; this is the first time that WAYW? and WAYD? are offered together. Never thought you’d see that, huh?

$100K LG Bonus Round

After we see Matt’s best buddy Tim, he landed on WIN. The first word is the decider…

_ _ _ _ L _ N G / _ _ T _
E _ _ _ T E _ E N T

All of CIHM are up there, but there’s no guarantee he’ll still get this…

_ _ _ _ L I N G / _ I T H
E _ C I T E M E N T

He was wrong thinking it was BUCKLING WITH EXCITEMENT, FOOLING WITH EXCITEMENT, and PADDLING WITH EXCITEMENT. He was really close on his first guess, but he won’t be BUBBLING WITH EXCITEMENT on winning $40K plus the $10K bonus.

Postgame Chat: Ryan has been giving away surprises all day long, and tomorrow Vanna will give one of hers. It’s not monster trucking, motor biking, or axe throwing, though. Thanks, Ryan.

MY RATING: 7 (C-)