“Wheel of Fortune” Designer Knew Fans Would Be ‘Reluctant’ About New Set: 'We'll Earn Their Trust' (Exclusive)

PEOPLE chatted with Emmy winning production designer James Pearse Connelly about the game show's new look that has divided fans

Wheel of Fortune got a makeover for its 42nd season — and the show’s production designer is spilling all the details behind the modern refresh!

While fans gave a warm welcome to Ryan Seacrest when he took over for longtime host Pat Sajak on Sept. 9, some were hesitant to embrace the updated look of the set as the classic game show moves into its next era.

PEOPLE chatted with production designer James Pearse Connelly all about the fresh layout — from the inspiration behind the design to his reaction to it dividing the fanbase.

“Everybody's reluctant to change. That's just normal,” Connelly tells PEOPLE. “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.”

Related: Ryan Seacrest Says Seeing Updated Wheel of Fortune Set for 'New Era' as Host Was 'Magical' (Exclusive)

The three-time Emmy Award winner notes that while fans may have been skeptical at first, he believes they will learn to love the new setup as much as he does.

“My reaction was, ‘of course it's going to be like that, and then we'll earn their trust.’ And if it's good, and of course it will be, they'll feel right at home,” says Connelly, who has also designed sets for The Voice, The Masked Singer and The Kelly Clarkson Show.

Connelly adds that he and his team worked hard to preserve the nostalgia that the previous sets evoked while still making sure it would be able to adapt in future seasons to come.

“Yes, we made changes, we updated it — but it's ultimately for the best,” he says. “It's about setting up a new space that fixes problems, prepares for the future and makes people feel comfortable.”

Related: Ryan Seacrest Traveled with a Homemade Wheel to Practice for Wheel of Fortune Hosting Gig (Exclusive)

Referring to the commission as a “bucket list item” for him, Connelly says it was an even greater feeling to get a nod of approval from Seacrest himself.

“I think he was really touched to see it at first, and I think that he was really impressed,” he says, adding that the American Idol host was filled with “nothing but compliments” during a special reveal.

Related: Ryan Seacrest Says He's Got 'Very Big Shoes to Fill' in Hosting Debut for Wheel of Fortune: 'A Dream Job'

Connelly compares the new set to Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour, as the design borrows from each layout the show has seen since its premiere in 1975.

“The show has been through so many eras, literally like Taylor Swift,” he jokes. “So when I approached this design, I wanted to capture all of them.”

He adds that the new letterboard was actually inspired by a specific memory from when he was a kid growing up in New Jersey.

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“What I remember as a kid was I had the board game, and you had to take the cardboard pieces out and clip it onto the letterboard. And those two big wheels that clipped on were gold and you had the green letterboard — it really was iconic. Selfishly, I wanted to throw back to that era and still feel a part of the new millennium in the 2000s.”

He continues, “So I blended them all together and I really sort of looked back at what I thought the golden era was. And I also wanted to do a secret nod to the premiere 1970s version of it with a little bit of a frame around the letterboard."

Connelly notes that an "intellectual challenge" for him as a designer was to make sure that each piece was technology-driven and could adapt as the show continues to air for decades to come.

"There are so many capabilities in this set that it's never had before because we thought about different theme weeks, different capabilities for lighting and more video technology. It's really exciting," he explains.

In addition to Wheel of Fortune, the acclaimed designer and his team at JPConnelly, the design firm he founded in 2009, are currently working on crafting the perfect setting for The Real Housewives of Orange County season 18 reunion, as well as some top-secret Christmas installations coming up this holiday season.

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Read the original article on People.