Wheel of Fortune's 5000th Episode=BUST!

So I watched "Wheel of Fortune" last Friday to see the 5000th episode of the nighttime version of the show (keep in mind "Wheel" was on for about 8 years before the syndicated version even began and lasted for 6 1/2 more after it started, so there's probably more than 7,500 episodes altogether of "Wheel of Fortune" in the United States). I was very, very excited. I definitely was ready to see a great show similar to the 3000th episode and 4000th episode. A show full of clips and a special guest or two. A mention of Merv's death (that never happened on-air at all) and a new clip no one has ever seen, plus clips from the last 5 years that obviously couldn't have been shown during the 4000th episode. (Insert the Bankrupt sound here) I was completely wrong. All that aired was a run-of-the-mill episode of "Wheel". Special guests playing would have been cool (Chuck Woolery anyone?) or something...anything, but no. NOTHING! The only special things were: Pat mentioning it was the 5000th show every 3 minutes (annoying, but it was ok), outtros to commercials highlighting things that were "in" in 1983 (irrelevant to the 5000th) episode, the clip of Pat and Vanna kissing when Pat left the daytime "Wheel" (overplayed, but still cute to ppl who haven't seen it), and Pat and Vanna with a cake that says 5000 on it. Besides that, it was completely normal. I was HIGHLY disappointed in "Wheel of Fortune" and Harry Friedman and everyone. It was disappointing. The only true highlight of the show (besides "Wheel" being the #1 syndicated show for this long, which is AWESOME) is the fact that the winner CHOSE the $100,000 in the bonus round. Great setup to a great 5000th win right? WRONG! The selection of the puzzle HOT WAX in the bonus round screwed almost any chance of winning it on such a monumental night. Another fault of "Wheel". Overall, I was just truly very disappointed, but, even after all this (as was the song Vanna walked out to for a few years in the '80s), "I'm a Wheel watcher. I'm a Wheel watcher."

Kevin $