Pat Sajak was in the right place at the right time. Original WoF host Chuck Woolery wanted a big raise. Producer Merv Griffin balked. Merv offered the job to Sajak, who was doing the weather on the Los Angeles NBC station. Sajak turned down the offer, but eventually changed his mind. NBC executives weren't thrilled with Merv's choice, but Merv insisted, and the rest is history.
There are many factors to Sajak's longevity. He is a pleasant and likeable guy who didn't get in the way of the game. Plus, he's an old radio guy, part of the brotherhood (and sisterhood).
And, for the record, I really enjoyed the early days of Sajak's late night CBS talk show. He had a light and breezy style, and you didn't tire of him quickly. Unfortunately for Sajak and CBS, Johnny Carson was still king back then, and the NBC/Carson late night habit was impossible to break.
Getting back to "Wheel," Sajak made it look easy, and believe me, that is not as simple as it might seem.
To be honest, I'm not a WoF watcher. I always found it to be rather boring, but it has the hallmarks of a good game-- easy to learn, and simple to play at home. Having a host who knows what he's doing didn't hurt.
