Ryan Seacrest has officially taken on the Wheel of Fortune hosting reins following Pat Sajak’s retirement, as Season 42 is now in full swing amid the 2024 TV schedule . The premiere aired earlier this month, and Wheel viewers had a lot to say following the season premiere. However, the reactions weren’t so much about the new host’s performance as they were about the updated set.
A number of people critiqued the new set set and didn’t mince words when doing so. Now, one of the series’ designers is responding to the comments. Wheel of Fortune aficionados took to social media to share their gripes about the brand-new set.
Some opined that the new design “sucks” and that it marks a step backwards for the game show. A common sentiment shared amongst viewers is that it’ll be easier to adjust to the new host than to the new backdrop for the series. Veteran production designer James Pearse Connelly recently spoke about the backlash, and it would seem that he and his collaborators weren’t all that shocked by the visceral reactions: Everybody's reluctant to change.
That's just normal. 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. James Pearse Connelly makes a good point that change is sometimes hard to accept.
Naturally, many of us enjoy and appreciate what’s familiar to us, especially when it comes to the TV shows we watch. During his interview with Pe.