I figured with all of the complaining about how Raw was booked I could at least offer my two cents on what I would do if I were in charge. I’m not going to get into who I would push or not push and why, or even offer any specific angles I’m going to talk more about show structure and general direction than anything else, because that is one of the biggest problems I have with the current show.
I won’t dispute that the show isn't benefiting from the additional hour but they have it so there is no point complaining about it. they need to make the best use of the extra hour they have now. In a 3-hour TV program you have approximately my best estimation being about 2 and a half hours of content and 30 minutes of commercial time. This week’s show had approximately 35 minutes of actual match time air on the show, which means that fans actually saw more than twice as many commercials for Triple H and commercials that plug their product and recaps on a wrestling program. This to me is crazy and I would NEVER have less match time that commercial time on the program. I would aim for closer to 60 minutes of match time as a show minimum.
There are those out there that will say you can’t build enough angles, or tell enough stories with so much of the show dedicated to matches but I disagree. I think the problem is they are currently trying to tell too many stories in one show, and over looking the fact that some stories can be told in the ring.
I would break the show into 3-4 segments an hour. If commercial breaks require it, some segments would span commercial breaks, 3 of those segments will almost always feature matches. One of those segments each week would be devoted to the midcard, and I would focus less on “Story Lines†with the midcard and give it more of a pure wrestling feel. You can book some angles along the way but predominantly it would be about competitive high-end action. I would also keep these finishes as clean as possible. I think most of the appeal to the midcard is the action so by simplifying the angles here will allow for more story based stuff elsewhere. There are a lot of “jobbers†out there, this will give them there fill, and by giving the midcard guys 10-15 minutes of actual bell to bell ring time they will be able to get their personalities over more during matches.
The other main Segment each week would focus on the Heavy Weight Title. As far as I’m concerned if your Championship program isn’t the focus of your show you have the title on the wrong guy. You make the WWE Title important by featuring that program. This segment may not always be a match but it needs to be strong and important. You also almost NEVER beat your champion, he needs to be strong, you cant’ be Mr. Nice guy and try to protect all of his challengers. If you have a match for this segment give it serious time 15-25 minutes and trim minutes from the least important segment which won’t need to be a match segment anyway.
The 3rd segment would alternate each week, featuring your #2 and #3 angles, either the Tag Title picture or a featured non-title program. This should also feature a 8-15 minute match. I would avoid trying to get 2 or more angles over with one match, each segment would be more strictly focused on the one specific angle. I find when you book a match between 2 guys with unrelated angles just to have their respective angles run together to avoid a finish, both issues get watered down. You want to focus and paint vivid pictures for the audience to follow.
The 4th Segment would vary depending on the rest of the show. If the WWE Title segment featured a match, their extra minutes would come out of this segment and the minutes left could be evenly spread out on the show and would consist of the needed interviews, video packages, PPV plugs, angle re-cap, and DVD release information type stuff. The interviews and recaps would remind fans of the angles and talent not featured on this show. If there wasn’t a match involved in the title segment, this segment could highlight a shorter strong win type match for someone needing a clean win on TV or involve a minor underneath angle, and still get the other recap and video stuff covered.
With this structure, there will be weeks where guys aren’t on the show, but that's what Smackdown! is for. This format will be able to feature atleast 5-6 strong angled matches for PPV purposes but I think if your top 4 angles aren’t selling the show a weak 5th, 6th and 7th angle won’t do it either. You still announce and plug the other matches and when possible slide them into that variable 4th segment.
With the show set up this way we get 9 matches per show with an average length of 8-16 minutes, which would give fans 60 to 75 minutes of wrestling, and still allow ample minutes for promos, angle recaps, etc. Before you math majors out there tell me that that only totals blah, blah, blah minutes, I’m allowing for ring entrances etc, which take time as well. If there is a need once in a while for 2 strong talking, non-wrestling segments we are still left with 2 10-minute matches and more wrestling minutes than commercial minutes.
With this you still need to book all of the angles, but you’ve got a structure and format that is easy to follow and gives 9 current programs time to focus each week. Fans need to care about and remember what they see; if you do too much it just all blends together and becomes forgotten. I think it far better to feature and get over 18-20 guys than cram the entire roster on to one show and have most of those get forgotten in the shuffle.
I won’t dispute that the show isn't benefiting from the additional hour but they have it so there is no point complaining about it. they need to make the best use of the extra hour they have now. In a 3-hour TV program you have approximately my best estimation being about 2 and a half hours of content and 30 minutes of commercial time. This week’s show had approximately 35 minutes of actual match time air on the show, which means that fans actually saw more than twice as many commercials for Triple H and commercials that plug their product and recaps on a wrestling program. This to me is crazy and I would NEVER have less match time that commercial time on the program. I would aim for closer to 60 minutes of match time as a show minimum.
There are those out there that will say you can’t build enough angles, or tell enough stories with so much of the show dedicated to matches but I disagree. I think the problem is they are currently trying to tell too many stories in one show, and over looking the fact that some stories can be told in the ring.
I would break the show into 3-4 segments an hour. If commercial breaks require it, some segments would span commercial breaks, 3 of those segments will almost always feature matches. One of those segments each week would be devoted to the midcard, and I would focus less on “Story Lines†with the midcard and give it more of a pure wrestling feel. You can book some angles along the way but predominantly it would be about competitive high-end action. I would also keep these finishes as clean as possible. I think most of the appeal to the midcard is the action so by simplifying the angles here will allow for more story based stuff elsewhere. There are a lot of “jobbers†out there, this will give them there fill, and by giving the midcard guys 10-15 minutes of actual bell to bell ring time they will be able to get their personalities over more during matches.
The other main Segment each week would focus on the Heavy Weight Title. As far as I’m concerned if your Championship program isn’t the focus of your show you have the title on the wrong guy. You make the WWE Title important by featuring that program. This segment may not always be a match but it needs to be strong and important. You also almost NEVER beat your champion, he needs to be strong, you cant’ be Mr. Nice guy and try to protect all of his challengers. If you have a match for this segment give it serious time 15-25 minutes and trim minutes from the least important segment which won’t need to be a match segment anyway.
The 3rd segment would alternate each week, featuring your #2 and #3 angles, either the Tag Title picture or a featured non-title program. This should also feature a 8-15 minute match. I would avoid trying to get 2 or more angles over with one match, each segment would be more strictly focused on the one specific angle. I find when you book a match between 2 guys with unrelated angles just to have their respective angles run together to avoid a finish, both issues get watered down. You want to focus and paint vivid pictures for the audience to follow.
The 4th Segment would vary depending on the rest of the show. If the WWE Title segment featured a match, their extra minutes would come out of this segment and the minutes left could be evenly spread out on the show and would consist of the needed interviews, video packages, PPV plugs, angle re-cap, and DVD release information type stuff. The interviews and recaps would remind fans of the angles and talent not featured on this show. If there wasn’t a match involved in the title segment, this segment could highlight a shorter strong win type match for someone needing a clean win on TV or involve a minor underneath angle, and still get the other recap and video stuff covered.
With this structure, there will be weeks where guys aren’t on the show, but that's what Smackdown! is for. This format will be able to feature atleast 5-6 strong angled matches for PPV purposes but I think if your top 4 angles aren’t selling the show a weak 5th, 6th and 7th angle won’t do it either. You still announce and plug the other matches and when possible slide them into that variable 4th segment.
With the show set up this way we get 9 matches per show with an average length of 8-16 minutes, which would give fans 60 to 75 minutes of wrestling, and still allow ample minutes for promos, angle recaps, etc. Before you math majors out there tell me that that only totals blah, blah, blah minutes, I’m allowing for ring entrances etc, which take time as well. If there is a need once in a while for 2 strong talking, non-wrestling segments we are still left with 2 10-minute matches and more wrestling minutes than commercial minutes.
With this you still need to book all of the angles, but you’ve got a structure and format that is easy to follow and gives 9 current programs time to focus each week. Fans need to care about and remember what they see; if you do too much it just all blends together and becomes forgotten. I think it far better to feature and get over 18-20 guys than cram the entire roster on to one show and have most of those get forgotten in the shuffle.
