Wheel of Fortune has always been one of the most-watched game shows on television. However, something happened that angered many fans of the show. In Pat Sajak’s final season as host, it dropped to third place in the game show ratings. This shocked the fanbase, and they took their anger out on the show that moved past it into second place.
Here is who moved ahead of Wheel of Fortune in the ratings and what the fans had to say about it.
Family Feud Moves Past Wheel Of Fortune In The Ratings
Wheel of Fortune was sitting in second place on the Nielsen ratings for Syndicated Programs and comfortably held that spot until July. During the final season of Pat Sajak’s tenure as host, the show ended up dropping to third place, falling behind Family Feud.
This happened when Wheel of Fortune’s ratings dropped to 3.5, which was enough to drop it to third place. While no one was surprised that Jeopardy! sat in the number one spot with a 4.2 rating; what shocked many fans of Wheel of Fortune was that Family Feud moved so far ahead of it into third place. Not only that, but Family Feud matched Jeopardy!’s 4.2 rating.
Fans of the popular game show were not happy and decided to start throwing shade at the more popular game show.
- “WTH? Family Feud is the crassest show ever. I thought it had an audience of like 12 people.”
- “I guess I am rather out of it. I had no idea that lots of people found it entertaining… Steve Harvey’s schtick got old very fast.”
- “I wonder how much tournament fatigue is a factor?”
For its part, the Wheel of Fortune finale brought in 11 million fans to see the swan song for the host. However, the July ratings are for the reruns, mostly from the final season. That likely explains the drop, as Family Feud has more head-turning moments.
Fans Feel Family Feud Is Getting Too ‘Crass’
There are a lot of fans who feel that Family Feud is getting to “crass” with too many “dirty” questions and sexual innuendos. There are even people who feel it is not living up to the show’s name. These people don’t understand that the “Family” in Family Feud refers to families competing against each other. It has never been a “family show.”
While many fans have blasted the show lately, its ratings equal that of Jeopardy! and this shows that the vocal dissenters are in the minority. More people than ever are watching the show, and with such large rerun numbers, it is clear the show’s risque humor is likely why.
What are your thoughts on Family Feud beating Wheel of Fortune in viewership numbers? Do you think Ryan Seacrest will help pull those numbers back up? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
Shawn S. Lealos has been a freelance writer for over 25 years and is a voting member of the Oklahoma Film Critics Circle. He is also a published author with a book about the Stephen King Dollar Baby Filmmakers.