He is far less replaceable than Alex Trebek. Wheel is a tough watch in general because it’s truly mindless schlock but the way Pat interacts with the contestants after all these years is gold. He projects the perfect combination of enthusiasm for them and self awareness about how boring and repetitive it is.
Discuss.
Tom Hanks could do it.
Tom Hanks is busy staring in movies about every living person since recorded history. Maybe when he gets to Sajak we can talk about him.
FTH!
To address the OP: Yeah, he is pretty good. I’ve got a friend who is quick and witty and would be a great host for Wheel. But he’s a Lawyer.
But he looks good in a suit! I’ll email him…
That was wonderful. He even looks like Sajak!
Wheel’s audience skews towards senior citizens, and for many of them, it’s daily TV comfort food, which encourages them to keep thinking and solve the puzzles before the contestants. (I’m not just making this up; I’ve conducted focus groups among seniors, and Wheel almost always comes up as a topic of conversation.)
The consistency of having Pat and Vanna as the emcee and hostess for the past 35 years is, I think, part of that comfort for the show’s fans, and I am fairly certain that the show’s producers realize that they would suffer a fan revolt if they ever fired either of those two – and, hence, both of them are likely to stay on the show until they choose to retire.
yeah they tried a few revivals of the daytime version over the last over the years and the host just didnt gel…
it’s funny my brother remembers the day vanna replaced the first girl and he was upset because he liked the first girl … (ok he was 4 years old at the time ) and nes never liked it much since
And he had the vocal and physical mannerisms down pat.
(It had to be said. 
)
One of the things I like about him is his subtle way of letting us know that the contestant should solve the fucking puzzle already. He’s never nasty to them, but you can hear him thinking “what an idiot.”
It’s a delicate balance which he does well.
It’s a good thing that Sajak and White are both, apparently, immortal. I mean, does either of them look any different at all from how they looked when they were a third of their current ages?
You don’t say, Jack!
This. You can tell he’s thinking the same thing you are thinking as a viewer. He’s also still really good at the 30sec contestant bio stuff. I was asking my wife the other night how many of those he’s done in his career. Gotta be 10’s of thousands?
Pat looks pretty much identical. Vanna is still very pretty but looks different, I can’t put my finger on what it is exactly, it’s not that she looks older. She looks more, I dunno, skeletal? in her face and legs. I suppose that is what getting older looks like now that I think about it.
Give him a few more years to age into the demographic.
You realize the ultimate object of the game is to win as much money as possible, not to solve puzzles, right? So if you know the answer, but you don’t have much cash, and you’re reasonably intelligent, you’ll continue to spin to try to increase your winnings.
This is indeed true, but many times Pat will subtly encourage the contestant to solve a prize puzzle, which is a huge monetary bonus and often ensures the victory for the person who solves it. In cases like this, it’s definitely advantageous to solve the puzzle now rather than try for additional dollars before solving it.
Then there are the instances where a contestant has no money and has been bitten by the Bankrupt and Lose A Turn wedges. In those cases, Pat is urging the contestant to solve just so he/she has some money winnings.
Most contestants don’t need the subtle hints, but there are definitely some who could benefit from a directive from Pat.
I think what sets him apart from most game show hosts is that he seems to be more aware of the game and the contestants in a way that most game show hosts aren’t. He knows how the game is and should be played, and subtly encourages people when they need it. He’s also very aware of what he says and how he reacts when someone says something crazy- he’s always on it, and never goes “What?!” when someone botches the solve.
He’s probably one of the most competent and professional game show hosts we’ve seen in a long time- that’s what sets him apart- he’s effortlessly competent at game show hosting.
I don’t think he’s irreplaceable though; we’d just need someone who’s personable, good in front of the cameras, mildly witty, and on their toes with respect to the game and the contestants. That’s a hard combination to find though.
When a contestant has very little money, but the puzzle is nearly solved, he often kind of gives them the choice of spinning for more money or solving it, and isn’t snarky.
It strikes me that half the time people keep spinning when they should know the prize puzzle they have forgotten a prize is up for grabs. I can be snarky about this because when I was on Jeopardy I knew what was going on at all times, but I guess some people get stage fright.
OTOH sometimes when I am sure the contestant knows the answer they guess the wrong letter, so it seems they don’t.
And no one can stand in the shoes of Art Fleming in Jeopardy. This Alec Trebek guy won’t last six months.
Chuck Woolery could host Wheel.
Actually I could see that. Is he still alive?
See you in 2 and 2.
Chuck Woolery is 80.