Wheel of Fortune’s camera crew is driving viewers “crazy.”
Wheel of Fortune viewers are speaking out against how the game is edited.
One such critic created a Reddit thread, calling out producers for “switching away from” the puzzle board during episodes.
In the post, u/Cozum asked their fellow Wheel watchers, “Does it drive anyone else crazy how often they switch away from the puzzle??”
The Reddit user complained that the camera technique “makes it impossible” to solve puzzles.
Because the screen switches back and forth between the wheel, host Ryan Seacrest, and the contestants, the Redditor complained that the cameras did not focus on the puzzle long enough.
The comments section was chock-full of feedback from fellow Wheel of Fortune viewers who agreed with the OP’s statements.
Wheel of Fortune viewers want the cameras to focus on the puzzles for longer periods
One annoyed commenter wrote, “100% I’ve been saying that too. Half the fun is playing along!”
“I’ve been complaining about this for years…show the damn puzzle longer!” added u/ArnoldZiffleJr.
One Wheel watcher said the irritating camera work has been “especially bad” in Season 42.
u/zproberts admitted it drives them “crazy,” and u/AllOkJumpmaster confessed they “hate” when the camera switches to a wheel shot during a puzzle.
Another Wheel of Fortune fan stated they pause their DVR sometimes to give themselves more time to solve puzzles.
“They don’t show the board even long enough for Vanna to flip some of the letters sometimes,” they continued.
A couple of Wheel of Fortune viewers offered a solution to the issue: display the puzzle in a PIP (picture-in-picture) insert on the screen so viewers can see the puzzle at all times while the rest of the footage rolls.
So, why do camera operators cut away from the puzzle so often?
As one Redditor proposed, the purpose is to “Speed the game up to fit in 1+ more commercials.”
However, among all the complaints, one Wheel of Fortune viewer took to the comments to call out their counterparts.
“Damn, how long do you need to stare at the puzzle?” they asked.
Ryan gives the Wheel of Fortune crew a shout-out
While Wheel of Fortune viewers grumbled about the crew’s camera work, host Ryan Seacrest recently did the opposite.
In an Instagram Reel posted on Tuesday, Ryan paid homage to the Wheel of Fortune crew.
“Well, we’re celebrating Wheel’s 50th anniversary, and one of my favorite parts of the show has been getting to know the crew since I started, so I wanted to introduce you to some of the amazing people who make this thing come together and happen every single night,” Ryan said in the video.
The video then switched to footage of the Wheel of Fortune crew behind the scenes.
Ryan introduced the audience coordinator, the camera operators, the production team, and the art department before a former Wheel of Fortune legend made a cameo.
Ryan’s predecessor, Pat Sajak, was seen backstage eating a sandwich as Ryan nonchalantly introduced him in the video.
The video ended with Ryan and his co-host, Vanna White, taking the stage arm-in-arm as the Wheel of Fortune announcer, Jim Thornton, announced their entrance.