Ok, here it is…
My first official TV Show review since kicking off the new area…
WWE RAW – Monday Nights, 9pm – 11pm EST on TNN
I’ve been a casual fan of wrestling since I was a little kid. I grew up watching the likes of Hulk Hogan, Ultimate Warrior, Randy Savage, Brutus the Barber Beefcake, Roddy Piper and many others. Then I grew up. Now before you hit send on that email, let me explain. I grew up, went to college, got a degree in theatre, learned about the challenges of acting and staged combat in front of a live audience. So I have a greater appriecation of “sports entertainment” or what I’d call some of the best theatre for the masses.
Ok, now that I’ve probably upset both wrestling fans and classical theatre fans, I can start to explain myself. Theatre has always been a form of entertainment for the masses, since the invention of film and television, classical theatre has found its way to Broadway Elite and the local community theaters. However, they’ve isolated themselves from the majority of people who either have never seen a modern play or think its all about Shakespeare.
Well, lets take WWE for example. At its core, its theatre. A live audience, performers, stories, actors, and the all so important, stage or “ring”. Maybe it’s not just theatre, but theatre televised. Sure 20,000 fans show up, but really they are another part of the show. Which finally brings me to the fact that this is a TV Show. Granted a formula few have been able to successfully pull off year after year… A live show, week in and week out.
Ok, so, here’s where the review starts… The program WWE RAW has had its better days. Right now the WWE is struggling with Talent issues. Mainly the departure of one of their top stars, Stone Cold Steve Austin and The Rocks Hollywood career. On top of this, they have decided to “split” the WWE rosters into two separate shows, RAW and Smackdown. I realize that this allows alot of the new talent to get more exposure and experience but something is missing.
There is a diacotmy with the WWE, when the ratings were high, and at its height, one of the highest rated shows on cable tv, the WWE spewed rating numbers left and right. Today, they seem to dodge the falling ratings and the departure of fans left and right to several reasons (read, excuses). One, fads like the Osbornes and Anna Nicole Show. Two, they never worried about ratings, but was for the fans (read, rationalization). The reality is they are on a downward spiral and are in desparate need of reinventing themselves…
But can the WWE reinvent RAW and bring the magic back? Time will tell. For now, there’s nothing else on Monday nights, so I’ll continue to tune in and see what they’ll attempt next. Like my History teacher told me, Desparate people do desparate things. Right now, WWE is desparate for ratings, so lets see what they’ll do next…