Michael McIntyre’s The Wheel is a game show on BBC One. The show features a spinning wheel with a panel of celebrity experts. They assist three contestants who answer trivia questions. The goal is for them to navigate the wheel, with hopes of winning a sum of money. It was recently announced that a new season has been commissioned, heralding the overall success and popularity of the show.
Factors Driving The Success of the Wheel
The most recent instalment of the series peaked at 5.9 million views, with it being the biggest season since the show launched in 2020. One reason why the show was so successful is that it takes a very successful format, but adds a new twist. The concept of wheels in game shows has been used for quite some time, with shows including The Wheel of Fortune and The Price is Right.
The concept of a spinning wheel helps to add suspense and drama, with random outcomes helping to change up the classic format of game shows as a whole. This trend isn’t just taking over game shows either, as it’s also present in digital games. Titles like Squealin’ Riches 2 at Paddy Power feature a spinning wheel with bonuses and multipliers, along with spinning reels powered by a random number generator. Not only does this ensure a random outcome, but it also contextualises the randomness using a real-world method of generating it, adding a layer of realism. Daily reward wheel spins are also being used by sites like Temu, showing how far-reaching the concept is and how it can be used in many different ways.
For The Wheel TV show however, the reel doesn’t land on a segment. Instead, it lands on a celebrity expert, who then has to help the contestant answer the question. If the wheel lands on a “shut down” celebrity, which the contestant has chosen to avoid, then this changes the pace of the game.
The Show has been Nominated for a BAFTA
Since the show started, it’s been nominated for a BAFTA as well as an NTA. It also won the Best Game Show at the TV Choice Awards. With production already underway for the new series, it seems that the show is going from strength to strength. Michael McIntyre himself has come out with a statement saying he is incredibly proud of the success of The Wheel, and also speaks very highly of his other venture, The Big Show.
Kalpna Patel-Knight, who is the Head of Entertainment for the BBC, has said that they are committed to bringing unmissable entertainment with lots of brand-new episodes. The new episodes are going to be viewable on BBC iPlayer, with people having no doubt that Michael is going to be able to cement himself as being Mr Saturday Night for the BBC.
For fans of UK television, the concept of The Wheel might be new, but the fact that it uses tried-and-tested game show formulas is one thing that’s helping it to remain so successful. This, combined with a host of celebrities and a host that’s larger-than-life, is providing it with all of the buzz it needs to resonate with UK viewers in the long run. The new television series is set to break records if it follows a similar trajectory to previous seasons as well, which is great for fans of the show.