repomark
Unicron
For Mash Get Smash
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Post by repomark on Jul 3, 2017 19:01:29 GMT -5
In the U.K. for years WWE (then F) was only available through satellite channel Sky. Yet in the year 2000 - with WWF peaking as the Attitude era wound to a close - something odd happened. Terrestrial TVs own Channel 4 took it upon themselves to start showing WWF on free telly.
It was a tentative dipping of the toe in wrestling waters, showing a version of Heat on a Sunday afternoon. The commentary was odd, with Kevin Kelly trying to explain the product to a new audience by trying to draw UK analogies. I distinctly remember them trying to explain one defection from WWF to the Alliance during the Invasion angle by saying "it would be like Roy Keene leaving the Manchester Unite." At least they were trying....
In addition to this UK centric version of Heat, Channel 4 actually bought the rights to four PPVs a year. They showed 8 in total over the period 2000-01, including some of the most critically acclaimed, anticipated and successful PPVs of the time such as Royal Rumble 2000 (Triple H v Cactus Jack); Royal Rumble 2001(stacked Rumble match); Backlash 2000 (Triple H v Rock with Austin run in); Armageddon 2000 (the six man hell in a cell); and Invasion 2001. Surely a recipe for success.
Yet for some reason, the experiment failed miserably. Heat was slowly moved to a much later and less accessible late Sunday/early Monday morning slot and after two years no more wrestling would appear on Channel 4 at all.
In my view the Channel was at fault for this not becoming a success. They didn't realise or understand the hot product they had in 2000; and somehow failed to advertise the PPVs they had in any meaningful way. And I mean literally not at all, other than on Heat itself. They also did not repeat the PPVs at more accessible times either - only showing them live at 1am.
When Heat was on Sunday afternoon, it was part of "T4", which was a supposedly trendy segment on the Channel for kids whose programming also included soap operas like Hollyoakes and interviews with the latest boyband. The hosts when introducing Heat would frequently make disparaging and mocking remarks about wrestling and basically make anyone who wanted to watch it feel like a moronic idiot. This was particularly suicidal and an incredible error in terms of trying to make the experiment work.
As they didn't get Raw or Smackdown it always meant they were not going to get the same viewing figures, but I do always wonder if this could happen again - especially with Sky seemingly struggling lately.
Could WWE on Channel 4 (or another free view Channel in the UK) work if done properly? Or does the Network mean that this will never happen?
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Post by I'm Team Bayley and Indi on Jul 3, 2017 19:18:42 GMT -5
I think even after a while they didn't even show the PPVs live at 1am, I think it was later in the early morning with adverts - maybe had something to do with the first event the showed RR2000 and Mae Young, but that might just be a rumour through the years - feel like the 2001 Rumble had Big Show's surprise entry have his music hit then almost straight away cut to adverts.
I don't know why it's never really took off on terrestrial, like WCW on Channel 5 with it's ridiculous Batman graphics the channels haven never shown it respect (and the less said about ITV's Celebrity Wrestling the better), which is sort of crazy considering how popular WOS was for many years
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thirteen3
Dennis Stamp
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Post by thirteen3 on Jul 3, 2017 19:36:33 GMT -5
Channel 4 was weird in that time period. They also had South Park and barley advertised that as well.
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Post by Nickybojelais on Jul 3, 2017 20:50:55 GMT -5
I just saw on the digital spy forum that apparently only 18,000 people watched the June 19th episode of Raw.
They also showed a comparison for the UK viewing figures of Raw for the past few years
I doubt those figures (if true) will entice terrestrial broadcasters to get involved with WWE. If it didn't work when the product was hot with a stacked roster of recognisable names, I can't see it working with today's product.
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Peeetah
Hank Scorpio
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Post by Peeetah on Jul 3, 2017 22:23:06 GMT -5
I just saw on the digital spy forum that apparently only 18,000 people watched the June 19th episode of Raw. They also showed a comparison for the UK viewing figures of Raw for the past few years I doubt those figures (if true) will entice terrestrial broadcasters to get involved with WWE. If it didn't work when the product was hot with a stacked roster of recognisable names, I can't see it working with today's product. I imagine most watch it on demand now though, why stay up til 4am when you can record it for the next day (I say at 4.22 am) |
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Jiren
Patti Mayonnaise
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Post by Jiren on Jul 3, 2017 22:29:38 GMT -5
I think even after a while they didn't even show the PPVs live at 1am, I think it was later in the early morning with adverts - maybe had something to do with the first event the showed RR2000 and Mae Young, but that might just be a rumour through the years - feel like the 2001 Rumble had Big Show's surprise entry have his music hit then almost straight away cut to adverts. I don't know why it's never really took off on terrestrial, like WCW on Channel 5 with it's ridiculous Batman graphics the channels haven never shown it respect (and the less said about ITV's Celebrity Wrestling the better), which is sort of crazy considering how popular WOS was for many years As for Channel 4 PPV's I hated watching em as they had adverts |
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Post by Nickybojelais on Jul 3, 2017 23:26:02 GMT -5
I just saw on the digital spy forum that apparently only 18,000 people watched the June 19th episode of Raw. They also showed a comparison for the UK viewing figures of Raw for the past few years I doubt those figures (if true) will entice terrestrial broadcasters to get involved with WWE. If it didn't work when the product was hot with a stacked roster of recognisable names, I can't see it working with today's product. I imagine most watch it on demand now though, why stay up til 4am when you can record it for the next day (I say at 4.22 am) I believe that figure includes Sky+ recordings which were accessed within seven days of the recording. Obviously it doesn't include those who watch the subsequent replays later on in the week (the sensible ones who don't waste three hours of their lives on today's product!)  |
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Post by disorganisedchaos v:2 on Jul 4, 2017 0:40:23 GMT -5
I think even after a while they didn't even show the PPVs live at 1am, I think it was later in the early morning with adverts - maybe had something to do with the first event the showed RR2000 and Mae Young, but that might just be a rumour through the years - feel like the 2001 Rumble had Big Show's surprise entry have his music hit then almost straight away cut to adverts. I don't know why it's never really took off on terrestrial, like WCW on Channel 5 with it's ridiculous Batman graphics the channels haven never shown it respect (and the less said about ITV's Celebrity Wrestling the better), which is sort of crazy considering how popular WOS was for many years It was a 2am start with adverts - which went on til about 5.30am. It was terribly edited, and the difference to the effort Sky was putting in was immense. However, I will always be thankful to them for allowing me to watch Jericho's title win 'live' in December 2001. As for Channel 5... they were still showing syndicated episodes of Thunder over a month after WCW had been bought with no mention that it was coming to the end. I had at least one friend who refused to believe that the purchase was real because of this - DESPITE the awkward 'WCW wrestlers' appearance at WM. I choose less stupid friends nowadays. |
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Post by "Gizzark" Mike Wronglevenay on Jul 4, 2017 9:52:01 GMT -5
They also would censor stuff that was airing at 1am. I remember Backlash 2000 ends with X-Pac blading after a chair shot, and they f***ing blurred out his forehead. At 1am. When a couple of channels over I could watch Television X with no issue.
Morons.
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Post by héad.casé on Jul 4, 2017 10:17:15 GMT -5
I'll never forgive them for cutting to adverts right in the middle of the Rocks promo at Royal Rumble 2000.
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A damn road sign
Samurai Cop
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Post by A damn road sign on Jul 4, 2017 10:28:26 GMT -5
I'll never forgive them for cutting to adverts right in the middle of the Rocks promo at Royal Rumble 2000. Me and my friends still riff about this to this day. We were furious. "It's gonna be you, Big Show, and The Ro--"  |
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jul 4, 2017 10:35:11 GMT -5
I'll never forgive them for cutting to adverts right in the middle of the Rocks promo at Royal Rumble 2000. Me and my friends still riff about this to this day. We were furious. "It's gonna be you, Big Show, and The Ro--" 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 WEEEEELLLLL ITS THE BIG SHOO....... |
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Post by government mule on Jul 4, 2017 12:00:53 GMT -5
I know that in my parents loft there are vcr tapes of Royal Rumble 2001 and WM 17 that i taped off Channel 4. My only access to WWE at that time was through C4 and i used to watch Heat religiously despite it being utter shite.
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Perfect Timing
Dennis Stamp
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Post by Perfect Timing on Jul 4, 2017 12:12:51 GMT -5
It was nice being able to watch Heat in any room of the house that had a TV.
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Post by dirtyoldman on Jul 4, 2017 12:37:23 GMT -5
Channel 4 really f`ed it up big time. They had wwf programming when it was red hot and they couldn't capitalise.. I never saw any advertising for the shows or ppvs.
What was also bloody stupid was during the show the commentators told us it would be on at 1a.m. Sunday. WRONG!!!!We're several hours ahead so it was 1am Monday. I had to convince so many people they weren't going to see the rumble after coming back from the pub on Saturday night.
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Post by Cvslfc123 on Jul 4, 2017 16:11:39 GMT -5
I had no idea they were showing PPVs at the time, which just shows how useless their advertising was
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Bo Rida
Fry's dog Seymour
Pulled one over on everyone.
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Post by Bo Rida on Jul 4, 2017 16:15:58 GMT -5
On the more positive side it helped get WWE over huge in my school at the time as it helped those without Sky keep up. WWF barely registered when we went on our '99 Christmas holidays but by the time the rumble came around it was the was the first thing we'd talk about on Mondays/Tuesdays*, even before football.
Many 3Ds were delivered, guess channel 4 cut to adverts during the "don't be a bonehead, don't be a clown" bits.
*Raw on Friday, PPVs taped and watched Monday nights
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Post by héad.casé on Jul 4, 2017 17:11:26 GMT -5
I used to love watching Heat on a Sunday afternoon on Channel 4. One of my best memories is watching Crash Holly win the Light Heavyweight Title from Dean Malenko from my dining room. I was a huge Crash fan at the time. Used to wear my baseball cap backwards like he did and everything.
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Post by northernmonkey on Jul 4, 2017 17:25:15 GMT -5
I started watching when my brother taped Royal Rumble 2000
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Post by ben:friendship frog on Jul 4, 2017 17:40:21 GMT -5
Yeah I remember the Big Show Rumble entry getting cut off by ads quite vividly haha, but it was long before the days of broadband and social media and I wasn't on any forums so waiting a bit longer was no issue really.
I do remember the T4 presenters speaking to us with the same disdain that WWE does nowadays. "Bayley wanted to watch RAW ! WHAT A NERD!"
WCW Worldwide on Channel 5 was brilliant though, I think it was Friday nights just before RAW started on Sky Sports. They had the Batman cartoon effects all over it for weapon shots, a steel chair shot with a big cartoon "BLAM!" was ace. Dreadful, but ace.
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