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Ryan Seacrest Makes ‘Wheel of Fortune’ Debut
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Ryan Seacrest Makes ‘Wheel of Fortune’ Debut

New set, new lighting, new gold laminate (or was that just more gold laminate?). Meanwhile, there was something else new on the September 9 season opener of TV’s most popular game show, “Wheel of Fortune.” New yet terribly familiar, he’s the ultimate one-size-fits-all host on TV, with those ready-to-wear vibes that neither irritate nor offend but have just enough edge to keep him from disappearing from the screen altogether.

Ryan Seacrest, a TV host with a silver lining, seemed just right for this latest gig (of many). And if perfection proves elusive in the days and weeks ahead, there’s always the fallback, because Pat Sajak — not quite out of the door yet — is returning in October to host ABC’s version of “Wheel.”

As they walked out arm in arm with Vanna White — no introduction needed — Seacrest immediately started the thank-you and happy-to-be-here gag: “I’m your host, Ryan Seacrest, and I still can’t believe how lucky I am to be here with you tonight and to continue the legacy of this incredible show with all of you.”

He called it a “dream job” and a show he’s been watching since he was a kid in Atlanta. And (to top it all off) he “knows how special it is that ‘Wheel’ has been in your living room for the past 40 years, so I’m grateful to have been invited.”

“I have big shoes to fill, so let’s play ‘Wheel of Fortune.’”

Of which shoes, exactly, went unmentioned — an unfortunate ellipsis that you can bet was noticed by the original owner of said shoes, along with a few million other viewers. It was an odd first-night misstep that didn’t feel like a misstep at all, just deliberate and scripted (or unscripted, as the case may be). It’s also the kind of thing that everyone will be talking about on Tuesday.

But get past that — even if Pat doesn’t — and opening night was a solid one for the new guy, who clearly knows both the alphabet and the game. He’s a bit more upbeat and cheerful than his predecessor, who (let’s be honest) got a little cranky toward the end. (43 years and 8,000 episodes do that.)

What Seacrest faces, though — besides a future that could also be measured in decades — is risk. He’s already one of the most overextended, if not overexposed, figures in TV and radio, and he’s the overseer of an entire empire, namely the various unscripted franchises (like the various Kardashian franchises) that he produces.

How much is too much? Only Ryan knows for sure, but for now, or at least for one night, he seemed born to be the new host of “Wheel.”

It is indeed bizarre how perfectly tailored it is. And now, about those shoes.