The man responsible for designing Wheel of Fortune’s new set knew viewers would express reluctance.
A new set was designed for Season 42 of Wheel of Fortune.
James Pearse Connelly, an Emmy-award-winning set designer, created the vision for the upgraded set.
Fans of the show have been outspoken about the change, many of them griping about how “awful” it looks.
While Wheel watchers have been critical of the bolder, brighter design, James says he was prepared for the lack of enthusiasm for the layout upgrade.
Speaking with PEOPLE, James admitted, “Everybody’s reluctant to change. That’s just normal.”
Wheel of Fortune’s Season 42 set designer says he’ll ‘earn’ viewers’ trust
“You kind of prepare for that in a way, and when it was brought up to me that this would happen and that the fanbase is so loyal to the show — that’s natural,” he added.
James continued, “My reaction was, ‘Of course it’s going to be like that, and then we’ll earn their trust.’ And if it’s good — and, of course, it will be — they’ll feel right at home.”
According to James’ Instagram bio, he specializes in “iconic studio sets and interiors,” having designed sets for other popular shows such as The Voice, The Masked Singer, and The Kelly Clarkson Show.
Ultimately, James says, the new set aims to “[fix] problems, [prepare] for the future, and [make] people feel comfortable.”
Despite the adverse reactions from so many Wheel of Fortune viewers, one Wheel of Fortune fan appreciates the new set: Social Correspondent Maggie Sajak.
Wheel of Fortune’s Maggie Sajak gives viewers a tour of the new set
Maggie, the daughter of former Wheel of Fortune host Pat Sajak, took Wheel Watchers along for a set tour in a recent Instagram Reel captioned, “New set, who dis? 🤩 Here’s a behind-the-scenes peek at everything shiny and fresh on set this season ✨.”
In the video, Maggie told viewers, “You might have noticed a few changes to the set since last season, starting here with this very cool sign with our new logo.”
Maggie shared that the shiny new platform is an LED screen that can be walked on.
The 29-year-old also gave Wheel watchers a behind-the-scenes look at where host Ryan Seacrest and tile-turner Vanna White come out at the start of every episode, featuring a huge LED screen that comes apart to make room for their entrance.
Maggie showed off the gold sunburst on the stage, explaining that the whole set is a sort of “homage to classic Wheel of Fortune.”
“It’s a little bit retro,” Maggie explained.
James explains the throwback inspiration behind his design
James incorporated one of his childhood memories into the gold-themed set, fashioning it after the gold cardboard pieces in the Wheel of Fortune board game.
He wanted to mesh the throwback appearance with “the new millennium in the 2000s” to achieve his final look.
“So I blended them all together, and I really sort of looked back at what I thought the golden era was,” James explained. “And I also wanted to do a secret nod to the premiere 1970s version of it with a little bit of a frame around the letterboard.”
James shared his gratitude, writing, “Great tour! Glad you like our design!! 😍.”
