• by Joe Mandese  @mp_joemandese, June 28, 2023

The TV industry loves succession stories. And by that, I don’t mean the recently concluded HBO (or is it Max?) series, but the succession of iconic on-air TV personalities.

Probably one of the biggest stories I ever covered was when I reported on the succession of Johnny Carson, including his surprise Carnegie Hall upfront announcement of his retirement, NBC’s decision ultimately to name Jay Leno his successor, and then David Letterman bolting from the network for CBS.

So I wasn’t surprised by the amount of TV industry attention generated by Pat Sajak’s announcement that after 40 years as host of “Wheel of Fortune,” he is retiring from the show, or Tuesday’s news that Ryan Seacrest is succeeding him.

Not since the late Alex Trebek (who actually hosted “Wheel” as a fill-in for one week in 1980) stepped down as the long-running host of “Jeopardy! has the succession of a game-show host generated more media buzz.

Not including Trebek, there have actually been four “Wheel” hosts, starting with Chuck Woolery, Sajak and Rolf Benirschke and Bob Goen. The latter two hosted daytime versions. And of course, this doesn’t include the multitude of hosts of international versions of “Wheel.”

In the 24 hours since Seacrest was announced as the show’s new host, Google News has indexed 44 major news stories about it, making it by far the biggest in the current TV industry news cycle.

Other current TV industry news cycle also include:

• The California legislature passing the California Film and Television Tax Credit 4.0 program to help boost the industry beleaguered by a writers' strike.

• Residual coverage about another game show, “The Price is Right,” leaving its Television City soundstage for a new home.

• The Weather Channel’s deal gaining access to Vizio’s streaming app.

• A bunch of reviews about the second season of FX’s “The Bear.”

• A story about the time Jimi Hendrix punched out guitarist Richard Lloyd, who later co-founded the rock band Television (sorry, Google keywords can be all-encompassing, but that story tickled me enough to include it anyway).

In any case, Seacrest's turn at the "Wheel" clearly is the industry's biggest story right now -- and for the most part, the coverage has been, as they say, "positive sentiment." But one story stuck for me as being especially insightful about broader industry trend: the cult of celebrity.

"The idea that Sony Pictures Television would appoint someone relatively unknown as the figurehead of one of its most valuable properties was farfetched. But it wasn't always that way for a genre of television that minted such celebrities like late 'Jeopardy!' host Alex Trebek, Bob Barker of 'The Price is Right' and current 'Wheel of Fortune' emcee Pat Sajak," Associated Press media writer David Bauder observed, going on to call Sajak "the last of his breed."

I remember covering Sajak at early NATPE conventions in the early 80s when he was indeed a nobody. I remember riding down the elevator in the Las Vegas Hilton with him, thinking that he looked like someone I know, but not someone famous. Exactly the kind of guy Americans liked letting into their homes. And over time, Sajak, Trebek, and their breed became famous for being the kind of people we let into our homes.

I have no idea if Seacrest will be one of those. Personally, I'm not sure I'd want him in mine, but I have no doubt "Wheel's" ratings will hold up, if only because it will continue to have someone else they like having over: Vanna White -- who generated 49 stories indexed on Google News in the past 24 hours, partly because Seacrest's appointment solidified her role as the show's ongoing co-host, but also because of a sidebar that she is long overdue for a pay raise.

My advice to Sony Pictures Television: Give Vanna a bump, if you want to stay inside America's homes.