Jump to content

WWE SmackDown: Difference between revisions

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Content deleted Content added
added a ref forcananda's move to wed night
Line 20: Line 20:
}}
}}


'''''SmackDown''''' is a [[professional wrestling]]/[[sports entertainment]] [[television program]] that debuted on August 26, 1999. Prior to September 1, 2005, ''SmackDown'' was broadcast on Thursday nights; from September 9, 2005 to present, it has broadcast on Friday nights. The show originally debuted in the United States on the [[UPN]] [[television network]] on April 29, 1999, but after the [[2006 United States broadcast TV realignment|merger of UPN and the WB]], ''SmackDown'' began airing on [[The CW]] in September 2006. The show remained on the CW network for two years until it was moved to [[MyNetworkTV]] in October 2008.<ref name="CW08">{{cite news|url= http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/television/news/e3i55bff7bc1a68ecef11e4dc915b1479f8|title=CW, "SmackDown" Part Ways|date=2008-02-08|accessdate=2008-02-09|last=Wallenstein|first=Andrew|publisher=[[The Hollywood Reporter]] |archiveurl = http://web.archive.org/web/20080502192425/http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/television/news/e3i55bff7bc1a68ecef11e4dc915b1479f8 |archivedate = 2008-05-02}}</ref><ref name="MyNetworkCrowns">{{cite web|url=http://corporate.wwe.com/news/2008/2008_02_26.jsp|title=MyNetworkTV Crowns WWE Its New Programming Champ|publisher=[[World Wrestling Entertainment]]|date=2008-02-28|accessdate=2009-10-07}}</ref> ''SmackDown'' moved to [[Syfy]] on October 1, 2010, where it remains today.<ref name=SyfyMove>{{cite web|url=http://corporate.wwe.com/news/2010/WWECorporate-2010_04_13.jsp|title=SmackDown Goes SyFy|work=[[World Wrestling Entertainment]]|date=2010-04-13|accessdate=2010-04-13}}</ref><ref name=SyfyLATimes>{{cite news|url=http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/entertainmentnewsbuzz/2010/04/wwes-smackdown-moving-to-syfy-.html|title=WWE's "SmackDown" Moving to Syfy|first=Joe|last=Flint|work=[[Los Angeles Times]]|date=2010-04-12|accessdate=2010-04-13}}</ref> On November 6, 2014, it was reported by Marc Graser of ''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]'' that the show would move back to Thursday nights beginning January 15, 2015, shifting ''[[WWE NXT (TV series)|WWE NXT]]'' to Wednesday nights at 8:00pm ET, according to Michelle Wilson, WWE's chief revenue and marketing officer.<ref name="Thursdays">{{cite web|url=http://www.wwe.com/shows/smackdown/2014-11-07/smackdown-moves-to-thursday-26779849|title=SmackDown moves to Thursday night|work=WWE|date=November 6, 2014|accessdate=November 6, 2014}}</ref><ref name="Middleton">{{cite web|url=http://www.lordsofpain.net/news/wwe/WWE_Announces_SmackDown_Move_to_Thursday_Nights.html|title=WWE Announces SmackDown Move to Thursday Nights|last=Middleton|first=Mark|work=Lords of Pain|date=November 6, 2014|accessdate=November 6, 2014}}</ref><ref name="Graser">{{cite web|url=http://variety.com/2014/tv/news/wwe-syfy-move-smackdown-to-thursday-night-in-january-exclusive-1201347349/|title=WWE, Syfy to Move 'SmackDown' to Thursday Night in January (EXCLUSIVE)|last=Graser|first=Marc|work=Variety|date=November 6, 2014|accessdate=November 6, 2014}}</ref>
'''''SmackDown''''' is a [[professional wrestling]]/[[sports entertainment]] [[television program]] that debuted on August 26, 1999. Prior to September 1, 2005, ''SmackDown'' was broadcast on Thursday nights; from September 9, 2005 to present, it has broadcast on Friday nights. The show originally debuted in the United States on the [[UPN]] [[television network]] on April 29, 1999, but after the [[2006 United States broadcast TV realignment|merger of UPN and the WB]], ''SmackDown'' began airing on [[The CW]] in September 2006. The show remained on the CW network for two years until it was moved to [[MyNetworkTV]] in October 2008.<ref name="CW08">{{cite news|url= http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/television/news/e3i55bff7bc1a68ecef11e4dc915b1479f8|title=CW, "SmackDown" Part Ways|date=2008-02-08|accessdate=2008-02-09|last=Wallenstein|first=Andrew|publisher=[[The Hollywood Reporter]] |archiveurl = http://web.archive.org/web/20080502192425/http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/television/news/e3i55bff7bc1a68ecef11e4dc915b1479f8 |archivedate = 2008-05-02}}</ref><ref name="MyNetworkCrowns">{{cite web|url=http://corporate.wwe.com/news/2008/2008_02_26.jsp|title=MyNetworkTV Crowns WWE Its New Programming Champ|publisher=[[World Wrestling Entertainment]]|date=2008-02-28|accessdate=2009-10-07}}</ref> ''SmackDown'' moved to [[Syfy]] on October 1, 2010, where it remains today.<ref name=SyfyMove>{{cite web|url=http://corporate.wwe.com/news/2010/WWECorporate-2010_04_13.jsp|title=SmackDown Goes SyFy|work=[[World Wrestling Entertainment]]|date=2010-04-13|accessdate=2010-04-13}}</ref><ref name=SyfyLATimes>{{cite news|url=http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/entertainmentnewsbuzz/2010/04/wwes-smackdown-moving-to-syfy-.html|title=WWE's "SmackDown" Moving to Syfy|first=Joe|last=Flint|work=[[Los Angeles Times]]|date=2010-04-12|accessdate=2010-04-13}}</ref> On November 6, 2014, it was reported by Marc Graser of ''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]'' that the show would move back to Thursday nights beginning January 15, 2015, shifting ''[[WWE NXT (TV series)|WWE NXT]]'' to Wednesday nights at 8:00pm ET, according to Michelle Wilson, WWE's chief revenue and marketing officer.<ref name="Thursdays">{{cite web|url=http://www.wwe.com/shows/smackdown/2014-11-07/smackdown-moves-to-thursday-26779849|title=SmackDown moves to Thursday night|work=WWE|date=November 6, 2014|accessdate=November 6, 2014}}</ref><ref name="Middleton">{{cite web|url=http://www.lordsofpain.net/news/wwe/WWE_Announces_SmackDown_Move_to_Thursday_Nights.html|title=WWE Announces SmackDown Move to Thursday Nights|last=Middleton|first=Mark|work=Lords of Pain|date=November 6, 2014|accessdate=November 6, 2014}}</ref><ref name="Graser">{{cite web|url=http://variety.com/2014/tv/news/wwe-syfy-move-smackdown-to-thursday-night-in-january-exclusive-1201347349/|title=WWE, Syfy to Move 'SmackDown' to Thursday Night in January (EXCLUSIVE)|last=Graser|first=Marc|work=Variety|date=November 6, 2014|accessdate=November 6, 2014}}</ref> Since 1999, ''SmackDown'' has been aired in Canada matching the U.S. airtime and currently airs on [[Sportsnet 360]]. With ''SmackDown'' returning to Thursday nights in 2015, the show will move to Wednesday nights instead because of the [[NHL on Sportsnet|national NHL coverage]] is being aired on Sportsnet 360 Thursday nights for the next 12 years.<ref name="Canada Wed">{{cite web|url=http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Wrestling/2014/11/07/22058041.html|title=Canada to get Smackdown on Wednesdays|last=LaPrade|first=Patric|work=Slam! Sports|date=Movember 7, 2014|accessdate=November20, 2014}}</ref>


Since its first episode, ''WWE SmackDown'' has been broadcast from 162 different arenas, in 147 cities and towns, in seven different nations (the [[United States]], [[Canada]], the [[United Kingdom]], [[Iraq]] in [[WWE Tribute to the Troops#2006|2006]] and 2007 for specials [[WWE Tribute to the Troops|Tribute to the Troops]], [[Japan]] in 2005, [[Italy]] in 2007 and [[Mexico]] in 2011).
Since its first episode, ''WWE SmackDown'' has been broadcast from 162 different arenas, in 147 cities and towns, in seven different nations (the [[United States]], [[Canada]], the [[United Kingdom]], [[Iraq]] in [[WWE Tribute to the Troops#2006|2006]] and 2007 for specials [[WWE Tribute to the Troops|Tribute to the Troops]], [[Japan]] in 2005, [[Italy]] in 2007 and [[Mexico]] in 2011).


Due to time differences, ''SmackDown'' premieres a few hours earlier in [[Ireland]] and the [[United Kingdom]] and a day earlier in [[Australia]], [[Singapore]], [[Philippines]] and [[India]] than the [[United States]]. For international broadcast listings, [[#International Broadcasters|see below]]. The show celebrated its 15th anniversary on October 10, 2014.<ref name ="Smackdown 15 Years" />
Due to time differences, ''SmackDown'' premieres a few hours earlier in [[Ireland]] and the [[United Kingdom]] and a day earlier in [[Australia]], [[Singapore]], [[Philippines]] and [[India]] than the [[United States]]. For international broadcast listings, [[#International Broadcasters|see below]]. The show celebrated its 15th anniversary on October 10, 2014.<ref name ="Smackdown 15 Years" />




==History==
==History==
Line 145: Line 147:
{{See also|List of current champions in WWE}}
{{See also|List of current champions in WWE}}


Before the "supershows," the brand extenstion championships were exclusive to ''Smackdown'' were seen. On the special live August 30, 2011 episode, it was announced that wrestlers from ''Raw'' could now appear every week on ''SmackDown.'' This mirrored the proclamation made on ''Raw'' the previous day where ''SmackDown'' wrestlers could now appear every week on ''Raw.'' These moves made both programs full roster "supershows", effectively ending the Brand Extension. All championships can occur now on either show.
Before the "supershows", the brand extenstion championships were exclusive to ''Smackdown'' were seen. On the special live August 30, 2011 episode, it was announced that wrestlers from ''Raw'' could now appear every week on ''SmackDown.'' This mirrored the proclamation made on ''Raw'' the previous day where ''SmackDown'' wrestlers could now appear every week on ''Raw.'' These moves made both programs full roster "supershows", effectively ending the Brand Extension. All championships can occur now on either show.


==International Broadcasters==
==International Broadcasters==
Line 155: Line 157:
Since 1999, SmackDown has been aired in Canada matching the U.S. airtime and currently airs on [[Sportsnet 360]].
Since 1999, SmackDown has been aired in Canada matching the U.S. airtime and currently airs on [[Sportsnet 360]].


With SmackDown returning to Thursday nights in 2015, the show will move to Wednesday nights instead because of the [[NHL on Sportsnet|national NHL coverage]] is being aired on Sportsnet 360 Thursday nights for the next 12 years.
With SmackDown returning to Thursday nights in 2015, the show will move to Wednesday nights instead because of the [[NHL on Sportsnet|national NHL coverage]] is being aired on Sportsnet 360 Thursday nights for the next 12 years.<ref name= "Canada Wed"/><ref name= "Sportsnet 360">{{cite web|url=http://www.wwe.com/schedules/television/rw/country/Canada|title=WWE's Canada Schedule|publisher=[[World Wrestling Entertainment]]|accessdate=2009-10-07}}</ref>




{| class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%; text-align:left;"
{| class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%; text-align:left;"
|-
|-
!Country||Network||References||Notes
!Country||Network||References
|-
|-
|[[Arab World]]
|[[Arab World]]
Line 196: Line 198:
|[[Canada]]
|[[Canada]]
|[[Sportsnet 360]]
|[[Sportsnet 360]]
|<ref name= "Sportsnet 360"/>
|<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wwe.com/schedules/television/rw/country/Canada|title=WWE's Canada Schedule|publisher=[[World Wrestling Entertainment]]|accessdate=2009-10-07}}</ref>
|-
|-
|[[Chile]]
|[[Chile]]

Revision as of 04:39, 21 November 2014

WWE SmackDown
File:WWE SmackDown.png
Created byVince McMahon
StarringWWE roster
Opening theme"This Life" by CFO$ (main)
"Born 2 Run" by 7Lions (bumper)
Country of originUnited States
No. of seasons15 [1]
No. of episodes795 (as of November 14, 2014 (2014-11-14))
Production
Running time127 minutes (including commercials)
Original release
NetworkUPN (April 29, 1999 (1999-04-29)–May 25, 2006 (2006-05-25))
The CW (September 22, 2006 (2006-09-22)–September 26, 2008 (2008-09-26))
MyNetworkTV (October 3, 2008 (2008-10-03)–September 24, 2010 (2010-09-24))
Syfy (October 1, 2010 (2010-10-01)–present)
ReleaseApril 29, 1999 (1999-04-29) –
present
Related
WWE Raw
WWE NXT
WWE Main Event
WWE Superstars

SmackDown is a professional wrestling/sports entertainment television program that debuted on August 26, 1999. Prior to September 1, 2005, SmackDown was broadcast on Thursday nights; from September 9, 2005 to present, it has broadcast on Friday nights. The show originally debuted in the United States on the UPN television network on April 29, 1999, but after the merger of UPN and the WB, SmackDown began airing on The CW in September 2006. The show remained on the CW network for two years until it was moved to MyNetworkTV in October 2008.[3][4] SmackDown moved to Syfy on October 1, 2010, where it remains today.[5][6] On November 6, 2014, it was reported by Marc Graser of Variety that the show would move back to Thursday nights beginning January 15, 2015, shifting WWE NXT to Wednesday nights at 8:00pm ET, according to Michelle Wilson, WWE's chief revenue and marketing officer.[7][8][9] Since 1999, SmackDown has been aired in Canada matching the U.S. airtime and currently airs on Sportsnet 360. With SmackDown returning to Thursday nights in 2015, the show will move to Wednesday nights instead because of the national NHL coverage is being aired on Sportsnet 360 Thursday nights for the next 12 years.[10]

Since its first episode, WWE SmackDown has been broadcast from 162 different arenas, in 147 cities and towns, in seven different nations (the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Iraq in 2006 and 2007 for specials Tribute to the Troops, Japan in 2005, Italy in 2007 and Mexico in 2011).

Due to time differences, SmackDown premieres a few hours earlier in Ireland and the United Kingdom and a day earlier in Australia, Singapore, Philippines and India than the United States. For international broadcast listings, see below. The show celebrated its 15th anniversary on October 10, 2014.[1]


History

Original format (1999–2001)

The official set used from the show's debut in August 26, 1999 to August 9, 2001

The early set featured an oval-shaped Titantron entrance and stage (dubbed the "Ovaltron") which made it stand out from the Raw set with its rectangular Titantrons. Later productions gained the ability to move the Ovaltron either to the left or to the right of the stage. Throughout the show's early existence, The Rock routinely called SmackDown "his" show, in reference to the fact that the name was derived from one of his catchphrases, "Lay the smackdown."[11] In August 2001, as part of celebrating SmackDown's second anniversary, the show received a new logo and set. The last SmackDown to use the previous entrance stage saw Alliance member Rhyno gore federation member Chris Jericho through the center screen, destroying part of the set. As a result of that incident, the new set consisted of a fist centered above the entrance, and many glass panes along the sides strongly resembling shattered glass

Brand Extension (2002–2005)

In spring 2002, WWE underwent a process which it called the "Brand Extension".[12] WWE divided itself into two de facto wrestling promotions with separate rosters, storylines and authority figures.[12] Raw and SmackDown would host each division, give its name to the division and essentially compete against each other. The split resulted from WWE purchasing its two biggest competitors, World Championship Wrestling (WCW) and Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW), which resulted in the roster and championships doubling in size. The brand extension was publicly announced during a telecast of Raw on March 18, 2002, initiated with the first-ever draft a week later on the March 25, 2002 edition of Raw and became official the following week on the April 1, 2002 edition of Raw.

Wrestlers became show-exclusive, wrestling for their specific show only. At the time this excluded the WWE Undisputed Championship and WWE Women's Championship, as those WWE titles would be defended on both shows.[12] In August 2002, WWE Undisputed Champion Brock Lesnar refused to defend the title on Raw, in effect causing his title to become exclusive to SmackDown[12] The following week on Raw, General Manager Eric Bischoff awarded a newly-instated World Heavyweight Championship to Raw's designated #1 contender, Triple H. Because since the WWE Undisputed Championship was now SmackDown exclusive it was no longer seen as "Undisputed." Following this, the WWE Women's Championship soon became Raw-exclusive as well. As a result of the Brand Extension, an annual "draft lottery" was instituted to exchange members of each roster and generally refresh the lineups.

On June 6, 2005, WWE Champion John Cena switched brands from SmackDown to Raw as part of the month-long Draft Lottery. This effectively left SmackDown without a world title. On June 23, 2005, SmackDown General Manager Theodore Long announced a six-man elimination match between John "Bradshaw" Layfield, Booker T, Chris Benoit, The Undertaker, Christian (replacing The Big Show, who was picked by Raw in the lottery) and Muhammad Hassan to crown the first SmackDown Champion. On the June 30 episode of SmackDown, JBL won the match. Long appeared afterward and stated that even though JBL had won the match, SmackDown did not need a Championship anymore, instead revealing that JBL was the number one contender for the World Heavyweight championship, at which point Batista, the World Heavyweight Champion, entered the ring as SmackDown's final draft lottery pick.

Move to Friday nights with various networks (2005–present)

WWE's "lame duck" status with Viacom on Spike TV may have prompted it to move SmackDown to the Friday night death slot for the Fall 2005 season. UPN received better ratings on Fridays than it did before with its movie night. In addition, UPN had been able to hold on to the ratings from Thursday nights, most notably with comedian Chris Rock's sitcom Everybody Hates Chris. In January 2006, prior to the announcement of the CW Network, it was announced that UPN had renewed SmackDown for two more years.[13]

Following the cancellation of Star Trek: Enterprise, SmackDown (renamed Friday Night SmackDown) moved into Enterprise's former timeslot in the United States. WWE promoted this move with the tagline "TV that's changing Friday nights." Friday Night SmackDown made its season premiere on September 9, 2005. The program still aired on Thursdays in Canada on the Score. In the United Kingdom, Ireland and Australia, their stations Sky Sports and Fox8 air SmackDown on Fridays before the United States due to the time difference. This is the first time a major weekly WWE show airs internationally before it hits screens in the U.S.A.

The events of Hurricane Katrina affected the first edition of Friday Night SmackDown in the U.S. due to the special fund-raising concert that aired on UPN at the same time that the first edition would have gone out, resulting in only the second hour of the show being shown on UPN. The first hour was instead streamed from WWE's website. Other countries, including Canada, United Kingdom, Australia and the Philippines, received the full two-hour show. WWOR-TV (My 9, New York, New York) also aired both hours of the show on tape delay on Saturday, due to a previous commitment to broadcast the New York Yankees on Friday nights.

At the SmackDown taping on January 10, 2006 that aired January 13, Batista had to forfeit the World Heavyweight Championship because of a triceps injury suffered at the hands of Mark Henry the previous week. SmackDown General Manager Theodore Long decreed a Battle Royal for the vacant title. The winner was Kurt Angle, who, at the time, was on the Raw brand, but switched to the SmackDown brand for the duration of his reign as champion.

On the April 7, 2006 edition of SmackDown, General Manager Theodore Long announced that the King of the Ring tournament would return after a four-year hiatus as a SmackDown-exclusive tournament. The tournament ended at Judgment Day 2006 with Booker T as the winner, defeating Bobby Lashley in the final.

On June 9, 2006, Tazz left the SmackDown brand to join the new ECW brand, leaving the color-commentator position vacant. However, on June 11, at One Night Stand 2006, JBL revealed that he would be the new color commentator for SmackDown, a position he held until December 2007 when he left to become an in-ring competitor on Raw. Jonathan Coachman replaced him afterwards. Eventually, Coachman was released by WWE the following year.

The CW

Variations of the SmackDown fist and mirrors set were used from August 16, 2001 to January 18, 2008.

On September 22, 2006, Friday Night SmackDown debuted on The CW, a joint venture between CBS Corporation (owner of UPN) and Warner Bros. Entertainment (a subsidiary of Time Warner, majority owner of The WB).

For four weeks before the official premiere of Friday Night SmackDown on the CW on September 22, 2006, Tribune Broadcasting television stations in six major markets (including WPIX in New York City and KTLA in Los Angeles) aired WWE's Friday Night SmackDown.[14] (This formed part of the preparation for the impending removal of UPN in several markets due to the debut of MyNetworkTV on September 5, 2006.) Two other future affiliates of The CW, WCWJ in Jacksonville, Florida and WIWB in Green Bay, Wisconsin, also aired SmackDown in early September.

The transition to the CW caused an interruption in the broadcast of SmackDown in the state of Utah beginning in June when KPNZ in Salt Lake City stopped airing all UPN programs early. As of 2009, KUCW broadcasts the show. In Hawaii, SmackDown returned in late 2006, airing on a CW digital subchannel of Honolulu's FOX affiliate KHON-TV (Channel 2), which has received statewide carriage over Oceanic Time Warner Cable. Since the move to the CW Network, Friday Night SmackDown has shown a major increase in ratings now averaging a 3.0 national rating. In addition, SmackDown has become the second-highest-watched program on The CW.

On April 20, 2007, SmackDown celebrated its 400th episode.[12] Ratings success soon followed. On June 8, 2007, Friday Night SmackDown made CW history by making a three-way tie with CBS and ABC in the key ad demographic (adults, 18-49) by drawing a 1.5 rating each. Two weeks later, on June 22, 2007, Friday Night SmackDown again made CW history by tying the network for first place in the key ad demographic (adults, 18-49) and being the second-most-watched network program at 9 p.m. for the night. The CW had not performed as well at any time slot since America's Next Top Model the previous March. The following week, on June 29, 2007, Friday Night SmackDown helped The CW claim the top spot in the key demographic (adults, 18-49) for Friday. CBS got the overall lead but The CW got top spot for the Adults 18-49 by registering a 1.4 rating followed by CBS and NBC at 1.3, ABC at 1.2, and FOX at 0.9.[15][16] Then two weeks later, on Friday, July 13, 2007, Friday Night SmackDown made network history by placing first in the 18-49 demographic and becoming the most watched show at the 9 p.m. hour on network television. This is the first time anything has placed this well on The CW. SmackDown became a hit show on Friday nights winning the demographics for young males, and ranking second on the demographics (18-49) for Friday nights.

On October 16, 2007, it was announced that the SmackDown and ECW brands would begin a "talent exchange," allowing their respective talent to appear and compete on either brand, as ECW was broadcast live from the same arena where Smackdown is taped.[17][18]

SmackDown's first version of the universal WWE HD set used from January 25, 2008 to July 15, 2011.

Jim Ross became the new play-by-play announcer for SmackDown, while Michael Cole (SmackDown commentator for nine years from its launch in 1999 until June 23, 2008) moved to Raw. WWE also drafted the WWE Champion Triple H to SmackDown, which allowed SmackDown to feature two world championships on the brand, as Edge was World Heavyweight Champion. With Triple H bringing the WWE Championship to SmackDown, Raw was left without a world title, but on the June 30, 2008 edition of Raw, after Edge was attacked by Batista, CM Punk cashed in his Money in the Bank contract and became the new World Heavyweight Champion, bringing the World Heavyweight Championship back to Raw for the first time since 2005. In August 2008, Tazz returned to SmackDown as color commentator, due in part to Foley's departure from WWE as his contract was not renewed. A couple of months later in late-2008, Tazz decided to let his contract expire, so he was replaced by Todd Grisham, who was the color commentator on Raw, making the SmackDown announce team consist of Grisham and Ross. Also that year, for the first time in the brand's history, a women's exclusive championship was introduced, the WWE Divas Championship, a counterpart to the WWE Women's Championship which up until this time was the only active championship competed for by divas, but it was exclusive to the WWE Raw brand, meaning that the divas on SmackDown had no championship to compete for until now. Michelle McCool became the inaugural champion by defeating Natalya on July 20, 2008 at The Great American Bash 2008.

MyNetworkTV

Friday Night SmackDown debuted on MyNetworkTV in the United States on October 3, 2008, featuring performers from the Raw, SmackDown and ECW programs. WWE SmackDown also debuted with a new theme-song. The premiere episode on MyNetworkTV attracted 3.2 million viewers. While the viewership dropped, SmackDown pulled the highest ratings to date for MyNetworkTV and pushed the network to fifth place, ahead of its former network The CW. The premiere was also first place in male 18-49 demographics.[19]

On February 15, 2009, at No Way Out, Edge won the World Heavyweight Championship in Raw's Elimination Chamber match, thus making it a SmackDown exclusive title and giving SmackDown two top tier championships.[20] On March 20, 2009, WWE SmackDown celebrated its 500th episode.[21]

As a result of the 2009 WWE Draft in April, WWE Champion Triple H was drafted to the Raw brand, while the World Heavyweight Championship also moved to the Raw brand after Edge lost the title to John Cena at WrestleMania XXV.[22] SmackDown would regain the World Heavyweight Championship at Backlash (2009) when Edge defeated John Cena to win the championship.[23] In addition, SmackDown and Raw would exchange both women-exclusive championships with Raw gaining the WWE Divas Championship and SmackDown gaining the WWE Women's Championship. Also, SmackDown and Raw exchanged the WWE United States Championship (which became exclusive to Raw) and the WWE Intercontinental Championship (subsequently exclusive to the SmackDown brand), for the first time since August 25, 2002.[22]

On September 15, 2009, WWE Home Video released a DVD set entitled The Best of SmackDown 10th Anniversary.

On April 19, 2010, the eruption of Eyjafjallajökull in Iceland left ash hovering over Europe and caused the grounding of many flights, leaving most of the WWE Raw superstars stranded in Belfast, Northern Ireland. To keep the WWE Universe from thinking that Raw was cancelled for the night, SmackDown took over Raw (with the exception of former SmackDown superstars Triple H and Vladimir Kozlov, who were current Raw superstars) and fought over there. The superstars included Rey Mysterio, Edge, CM Punk, Chris Jericho and more. This was the first (and so far, the only) time that Raw was titled Monday Night SmackDown, although it was never mentioned as such on the air.

Syfy

File:WWE SmackDown current stage.jpg
SmackDown's version of the universal WWE HD set used from July 22, 2011 to July 27, 2012.

On April 12, 2010, it was announced that SmackDown would move from MyNetworkTV to Syfy, a network which previously aired NXT and ECW, in a two-year deal that also includes an optional third year.[5][6][24] Retaining its Friday night timeslot, SmackDown made its live premiere on Syfy on October 1, 2010 and there's been talk about having live editions of the show on WWE PPV weekends.[5] According to the Los Angeles Times, the move sees Syfy paying close to $30 million for the show as opposed to the $20 million paid by its former network MyNetworkTV.[6] The premiere of SmackDown on Syfy followed a special "pre-game" show hosted by Michael Cole. In 2011, the Brand Extension came to an end, resulting in Raw talent being able to appear on SmackDown and vice versa. Also in late 2011, a special episode of SmackDown debuted branded Super SmackDown Live which would then be the name of all live editions of SmackDown, taking place on a Tuesday.

Due to the move to an NBC Universal Cable network, SmackDown is now advertised more frequently on Syfy's sister network, USA Network, which airs Raw. Same-week encores of SmackDown were also added to Universal HD's, and mun2's Saturday night schedule as a result of the move in the spot previously held by NXT and ECW. On February 4, 2011, Booker T made a return on SmackDown as a commentator replacing Matt Striker.

On the special live August 30, 2011 episode, it was announced that wrestlers from Raw could now appear every week on SmackDown. This mirrored the proclamation made on Raw the previous day where SmackDown wrestlers could now appear every week on Raw. These moves made both programs full roster "supershows", effectively ending the Brand Extension.

October 14, 2011's broadcast of SmackDown (episode 635) made the show the second-longest-running weekly episodic television series of American television history (behind Monday Night Raw, which surpassed that mark on August 2, 2005). On April 1, 2012, at WrestleMania 28, John Laurinaitis became GM of Raw and SmackDown after Team Johnny defeated Team Teddy. However, on June 17, 2012, at No Way Out, after John Cena defeated Big Show in a Steel cage match, he was fired by Vince McMahon. On the August 3, 2012 episode of SmackDown, Mr. McMahon named Booker T SmackDown General Manager. In addition, Booker named Theodore Long and Eve as his assistants. Josh Matthews replaced him on the commentary table along with Michael Cole. John Layfield returned to WWE in September 2012 and became a commentator for the show as well. On January 18, 2013, SmackDown celebrated its 700th episode. Vickie Guerrero became General Manager on July 19, 2013 and was fired the previous year. The show is also run frequently by WWE COO Triple H. Past episodes of Smackdown are now viewable on the video streaming website Hulu along with episodes of WWE Superstars and ECW.[25]

In August 2014, it was rumored that the show would move back to Thursday nights.[26] As of October 4, 2014, Smackdown will remain on Friday nights.[27]

On October 10, 2014, Smackdown celebrated its 15th anniversary.[1] The 15th season premiere opened with a new theme, "Centuries" by Fall Out Boy. To help celebrate the 15th anniversary Stephanie McMahon came out first, then John Laurinaitis and Theodore Long, respectively. Laurinaitis and Long kept one uping each other for the main event of the night until McMahon decided to keep the 15 tag team match that Long suggested with Laurinaitis and Long being the head of each team like WrestleMania XXVIII.[28][29] Long's team won the match.

On November 6, 2014, the rumor to move SmackDown back to Thursday nights was made official by Syfy and WWE.[7] NXT currently airs on Thursday nights, although with SmackDown beginning to air on Thursday nights starting January 15, 2015, NXT will move to Wednesday nights on WWE.com to accommodate the move of SmackDown back to Thursday nights. [8] The return to Thursday nights is expected to help attract a younger audience to Syfy, as well as more premium advertising dollars from marketers, who tend to spend more to promote their products, especially film releases, on the night as consumers head into the weekend.[9]


Inclusion in Merriam-Webster

On July 10, 2007, Merriam-Webster announced it would include the word smackdown in Webster's Dictionary.[30][31] Merriam Webster defined a "smackdown" as:

  • The act of knocking down or bringing down an opponent
  • A contest in entertainment wrestling
  • A decisive defeat
  • A confrontation between rivals or competitors

(The Oxford English Dictionary traces the use of the word smackdown in English back at least as far as 1990, but notes that a professional wrestling television show "popularised" the term.)

Production

From October 26, 2012 to April 2014, WWE SmackDown began using "Born 2 Run" by 7Lions as its theme song, with "This Life" by Cody B. Ware serving as the secondary theme, then a swap was made, as "Born 2 Run" is used as a secondary theme, when "This Life" is used as SmackDown's main theme. Prior to October 26, 2012, SmackDown opened with "Know Your Enemy" by Green Day while "Hangman" by Rev Theory served as the secondary theme song.[32] Upon SmackDown's debut on Syfy in 2010, it replaced the previous theme song "Let it Roll" by Divide the Day.[33]

WWE tapes SmackDown on Tuesday evenings to air Friday evenings on Syfy the same week. However, SmackDown has aired occasional live specials on Tuesday nights (which are then replayed in its usual Friday night timeslot).

The show began broadcasting in HD beginning with the January 25, 2008 edition of SmackDown, where a new set (which became universal for all WWE weekly programming) debuted. Following the first broadcast in HD, the exclamation mark used since the show's inception disappeared from all references pertaining to "SmackDown", including the official logo, which resembles the 2001-08 logo but with a darker blue scheme. As of August 3, 2012, the show has used the modified WWE HD universal set, which debuted at Raw 1000 on July 23.[34]

From September 21, 2012 – October 26, 2012, October 4, 2013 – November 1, 2013 and October 3–31, 2014, WWE worked in conjunction with Susan G. Komen for the Cure to raise awareness for breast cancer by adorning the SmackDown set with pink ribbons and a special pink middle-rope in the ring. SmackDown's ring ropes were usually blue from 1999-2012 (although they were black for a period between 2001 and 2002). They remained blue until December 2012 when they were permanently changed to white, with all WWE programming now using white ring ropes.

On August 22, 2014, SmackDown switched to a full 16:9 letterbox presentation, with a down-scaled version of the native HD feed on a 4:3 SD feed. Like Raw (which also switched to a full 16:9 letterbox presentation four days earlier on August 18), the new WWE logo is seen on the ring's turnbuckle covers and also, on the lower-right hand corner of the screen. A week later (August 29), the Syfy network logo moved to the lower left-hand corner of the screen. Although the graphics have been re-positioned, SmackDown still uses a variation of the graphics package that has been in use since its first HD broadcast in January 2008.

Special episodes

Throughout its broadcast history, the show has aired editions that have different themes. These include tributes to various professional wrestlers who have recently died or retired from actively performing, as well as episodes commemorating various show milestones or anniversaries.

On-air Personalities

The show features various on-air personalities including the wrestlers themselves, ring announcers, divas, commentators and on-screen authority figures. SmackDown also has had various recurring on-air segments hosted by members of the roster.

Champions

Before the "supershows", the brand extenstion championships were exclusive to Smackdown were seen. On the special live August 30, 2011 episode, it was announced that wrestlers from Raw could now appear every week on SmackDown. This mirrored the proclamation made on Raw the previous day where SmackDown wrestlers could now appear every week on Raw. These moves made both programs full roster "supershows", effectively ending the Brand Extension. All championships can occur now on either show.

International Broadcasters

In addition to broadcasts on Syfy, Universal HD, mun2 and AFN Xtra in the United States,[4][35] WWE SmackDown also appears on-air internationally.

Canada

Since 1999, SmackDown has been aired in Canada matching the U.S. airtime and currently airs on Sportsnet 360.

With SmackDown returning to Thursday nights in 2015, the show will move to Wednesday nights instead because of the national NHL coverage is being aired on Sportsnet 360 Thursday nights for the next 12 years.[10][36]


Country Network References
Arab World OSN Sports [37][38][39]
Argentina Fox Sports Latinoamérica [40]
Australia Fox8 [41][42]
Belgium AB1 [43]
Brazil FOX Sports [44]
Bolivia Fox Sports Latinoamérica, Unitel [40][45]
Bulgaria bTV Comedy [46]
Cambodia Cambodian Television Network [47]
Canada Sportsnet 360 [36]
Chile Fox Sports Latinoamérica, La Red [40][48][49]
Colombia Fox Sports Latinoamérica [40]
Costa Rica Fox Sports Latinoamérica, Repretel: Canal 11 [40][50]
Czech Republic Repretel: Eurosport, TV Fanda, Nova Sport [50]
Dominican Republic Antena Latina 7, Fox Sports Latinoamérica [40][51]
Ecuador Fox Sports Latinoamérica, Teleamazonas [40][52]
El Salvador Fox Sports Latinoamérica, VTV [40][53]
Fiji Sky Pacific and Sky Fiji [54]
France NT1 and AB1 [55]
Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Luxembourg and Liechtenstein ProSieben Maxx, ProSieben Fun [56]
Guatemala Canal 3, Fox Sports Latinoamérica [40][57]
Honduras Canal 5, Fox Sports Latinoamérica [40][58]
India and South Asia TEN Sports [59][60]
Indonesia MNC Sports 2 [61]
Israel Sport 5 |Sport +5 LIVE [62]
Italy Sky Italia |Cielo [63]
Japan J Sports Plus [64]
Kenya Kenya Broadcasting Corporation [65]
Malaysia TV3, Astro Supersport3 [66]
Malta Melita Sports 1 [67][68]
Mexico Azteca 7, Fox Sports Latinoamérica [40][69]
New Zealand The BOX [70]
Nicaragua Canal 10 (Nicaragua), Fox Sports Latinoamérica [40][71]
Panama RPC (Canal 4), Fox Sports Latinoamérica [40][72]
Paraguay Canal 5, Fox Sports Latinoamérica [40][73]
Peru ATV, Fox Sports Latinoamérica [40][74]
Philippines Fox [75]
Poland Extreme Sports Channel [76]
Portugal SIC Radical [77]
Puerto Rico WAPA [78]
Romania Sport.ro [79]
Russia 2×2 [citation needed]
Samoa SBC [citation needed]
Serbia FOX Televizija [80]
Singapore SuperSports [81]
South Africa e.tv [82]
South Korea FX Korea [83]
Spain Neox [84]
Sweden Eurosport |TV10 [85]
Taiwan Videoland Max-TV [86]
Thailand TrueVisions [87]
Turkey Smart Spor/Smart Spor 2
Ukraine QTV [88]
United Kingdom and Ireland Sky Sports 3 [89][90]
Uruguay Fox Sports Latinoamérica [40]
Venezuela Fox Sports Latinoamérica [40]

Theme Music

1. April 29, 1999 – August 9, 2001 (WWF): "Everybody On The Ground"

2. August 16, 2001 – May 15, 2003: Marilyn Manson - "The Beautiful People"

3. May 22, 2003 – September 16, 2004 (WWE): "I Want It All"

4. September 23, 2004 – October 3, 2008: Drowning Pool - "Rise Up"

5. October 10, 2008 – September 25, 2009 (WWE): "If you Rock Like Me"

6. October 2, 2009 (10th Anniversary)– October 1, 2010: Divide the Day - "Let it Roll"

7. October 1, 2010 – October 26, 2012: GreenDay - "Know Your Enemy"

8. October 26, 2012 – April 4, 2014: 7Lions - "Born 2 Run"

9. April 4, 2014 – Present: CFO$ - "This Life"

10. Oct 10, 2014 (15th Anniversary): Fall Out Boy - "Centuries"

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c "Celebrate the 15th Anniversvary of Smackdown - Friday Oct 10". WWE.com. WWE. September 22, 2014. Retrieved October 3, 2014.
  2. ^ "WWE Slams Into HD". TV Technology. Retrieved March 9, 2008.
  3. ^ Wallenstein, Andrew (2008-02-08). "CW, "SmackDown" Part Ways". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on 2008-05-02. Retrieved 2008-02-09.
  4. ^ a b "MyNetworkTV Crowns WWE Its New Programming Champ". World Wrestling Entertainment. 2008-02-28. Retrieved 2009-10-07.
  5. ^ a b c "SmackDown Goes SyFy". World Wrestling Entertainment. 2010-04-13. Retrieved 2010-04-13.
  6. ^ a b c Flint, Joe (2010-04-12). "WWE's "SmackDown" Moving to Syfy". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2010-04-13.
  7. ^ a b "SmackDown moves to Thursday night". WWE. November 6, 2014. Retrieved November 6, 2014.
  8. ^ a b Middleton, Mark (November 6, 2014). "WWE Announces SmackDown Move to Thursday Nights". Lords of Pain. Retrieved November 6, 2014.
  9. ^ a b Graser, Marc (November 6, 2014). "WWE, Syfy to Move 'SmackDown' to Thursday Night in January (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved November 6, 2014.
  10. ^ a b LaPrade, Patric (Movember 7, 2014). "Canada to get Smackdown on Wednesdays". Slam! Sports. Retrieved November20, 2014. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= and |date= (help)
  11. ^ Shields, Brian; Sullivan, Kevin (2009). WWE: History of WrestleMania. p. 56. {{cite book}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help)
  12. ^ a b c d e Shields, Brian; Sullivan, Kevin (2009). WWE: History of WrestleMania. p. 57. {{cite book}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help)
  13. ^ Adalian, Josef; Martin, Denise (January 24, 2006). "Mixed views on WB, UPN merger". Variety.com. Retrieved 2006-08-04.
  14. ^ WWE, Tribune announce September SmackDown! schedule. WWE.com
  15. ^ Friday Night SmackDown!delivers Rajah.com
  16. ^ WWE Ratings Come In Strong Rajah.com
  17. ^ "Partnership Forming?". WWE. October 16, 2007. Retrieved 2007-10-25.
  18. ^ "Setting the night on fire". ECW results. WWE. Retrieved 2007-10-25.
  19. ^ "MyNetworkTV Largest Audience Ever Tunes in to the Premiere of "WWE Friday Night SmackDown"". TVbytheNumbers.com. 2008-10-06. Retrieved 2008-10-07.
  20. ^ Tello, Craig. "Elimination chamber result at no way out". wwe.com. Retrieved 2009-02-17.
  21. ^ Burdick, Michael (2009-03-20). "Layin' the SmackDown 500 times over". World Wrestling Entertainment. Retrieved 2009-07-28.
  22. ^ a b Sitterson, Aubrey (2009-04-13). "Rough Draft (Televised draft results)". World Wrestling Entertainment. Retrieved 2009-04-14.
  23. ^ "Results:Fueled by hatred and desperation". World Wrestling Entertainment. 2009-04-26. Retrieved 2009-04-26.
  24. ^ Stelter, Brian (2010-03-13). "WWE's "SmackDown" Is Moving to Cable TV". New York Times. Retrieved 2010-03-14.
  25. ^ "Hulu to stream full episodes of SmackDown, ECW". WWE. Retrieved 2009-06-12.
  26. ^ "WWE SmackDown Moving to Thursday Nights Starting October 2". Bleacher Report. August 24, 2014. Retrieved October 4, 2014.
  27. ^ "WWE Smackdown To Remain On Friday Nights". What Culture. October 4, 2014. Retrieved October 4, 2014.
  28. ^ Tayloer, Scott (October 10, 2014). "SmackDown results – Oct. 10, 2014: Team Teddy battled Team Johnny on SmackDown's historic 15th Anniversary Celebration". WWE.com. WWE. Retrieved October 10, 2014.
  29. ^ Paglino, Nick (October 10, 2014). "Non-Spoiler Match Listing for Tonight's WWE Smackdown 15 Special: Cena & Ambrose Appear, 16 Man Tag Match & More". Wrestlezone. Retrieved October 10, 2014.
  30. ^ "It was a ginormous year for new words". msnbc.com. 2007-07-10. Retrieved 2007-07-23.
  31. ^ "m-w.com/dictionary/smackdown". Retrieved 2007-07-23.
  32. ^ Hillhouse, Dave (2010-10-02). "Smackdown: Live from Oklahoma City, it's Friday night!". Slam! Sports. Canadian Online Explorer. Retrieved 2010-10-02.
  33. ^ Medalis, Kara A. (2009-10-02). "Friday nights 'Let It Roll'". WWE.com. Retrieved 2009-10-02.
  34. ^ "WWE Goes HD". WWE. Retrieved 2008-01-15.
  35. ^ "WWE(R) and American Forces Network Partner To Provide The Great American Bash(R) Pay-Per-View Free To Troops". Business Wire. 2005-07-19. Retrieved 2009-10-07.
  36. ^ a b "WWE's Canada Schedule". World Wrestling Entertainment. Retrieved 2009-10-07.
  37. ^ "WWE's Algeria Schedule". World Wrestling Entertainment. Retrieved 2009-10-07.
  38. ^ "WWE's Qatar Schedule". World Wrestling Entertainment. Retrieved 2009-10-07.
  39. ^ "WWE Smackdown on OSN". Osnetwork.com. Retrieved 2012-06-08.
  40. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q "WWE and Fox Sports Latin America Announce Partnership". WWE. Retrieved 2014-10-14.
  41. ^ "Entertainment List". Foxtel channels. Retrieved 2008-02-03.
  42. ^ "WWE's Australia Schedule". World Wrestling Entertainment. Retrieved 2014-02-12.
  43. ^ "WWE's Belgium Schedule". World Wrestling Entertainment. Retrieved 2014-02-12.
  44. ^ "WWE "Brazil"". World Wrestling Entertainment. Retrieved 2014-02-12.
  45. ^ "WWE's Bolivia Schedule". World Wrestling Entertainment. Retrieved 2014-02-12.
  46. ^ "WWE's Bulgaria Schedule". World Wrestling Entertainment. Retrieved 2009-10-07.
  47. ^ "WWE's Cambodia Schedule". World Wrestling Entertainment. Retrieved 2009-10-07.
  48. ^ "WWE's Chile Schedule". WWE. Retrieved 2013-03-18.
  49. ^ "La Red Schedule". La Red. Retrieved 2013-03-18.
  50. ^ a b "WWE's Costa Rica Schedule". World Wrestling Entertainment. Retrieved 2009-10-07.
  51. ^ "WWE's Dominican Republic Schedule". World Wrestling Entertainment. Retrieved 2009-10-07.
  52. ^ "WWE's Ecuador Schedule". World Wrestling Entertainment. Retrieved 2009-10-07.
  53. ^ "WWE's El Salvador Schedule". World Wrestling Entertainment. Retrieved 2009-10-07.
  54. ^ "WWE's Fiji Schedule". World Wrestling Entertainment. Retrieved 2009-10-07.
  55. ^ "WWE's France Schedule". World Wrestling Entertainment. Retrieved 2009-10-07.
  56. ^ "WWE and Prosiebensat.1 Announce Multi-Platform Partnership" (in English). World Wrestling Entertainment. Retrieved 2014-04-04.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link)
  57. ^ "WWE's Guatemala Schedule". World Wrestling Entertainment. Retrieved 2009-10-07.
  58. ^ "WWE's Honduras Schedule". World Wrestling Entertainment. Retrieved 2009-10-07.
  59. ^ "WWE's India Schedule". World Wrestling Entertainment. Retrieved 2009-10-07.
  60. ^ "WWE's Pakistan Schedule". World Wrestling Entertainment. Retrieved 2009-10-07.
  61. ^ "WWE "Indonesia"". Schedules.wwe.com. 2012-03-10. Retrieved 2013-01-25.
  62. ^ "WWE's Italy Schedule". World Wrestling Entertainment. Retrieved 2009-10-07.
  63. ^ "WWE's Italy Schedule". World Wrestling Entertainment. Retrieved 2009-10-07.
  64. ^ "WWE's Japan Schedule". World Wrestling Entertainment. Retrieved 2009-10-07.
  65. ^ "WWE's Kenya Schedule". World Wrestling Entertainment. Retrieved 2009-10-07.
  66. ^ "WWE's Malaysia Schedule". World Wrestling Entertainment. Retrieved 2009-10-07.
  67. ^ "WWE's Malta Schedule". World Wrestling Entertainment. Retrieved 2009-10-07.
  68. ^ "Melita Sports 1 Television Schedule". Melita Sports 1. Archived from the original on January 8, 2010. Retrieved 2009-10-07.
  69. ^ "WWE's Mexico Schedule". World Wrestling Entertainment. Retrieved 2009-10-07.
  70. ^ "WWE's New Zealand Schedule". World Wrestling Entertainment. Retrieved 2009-10-07.
  71. ^ "WWE's Nicaragua Schedule". World Wrestling Entertainment. Retrieved 2009-10-07.
  72. ^ "WWE's Panama Schedule". World Wrestling Entertainment. Retrieved 2009-10-07.
  73. ^ "WWE's Paraguay Schedule". World Wrestling Entertainment. Retrieved 2009-10-07.
  74. ^ "WWE's Peru Schedule". World Wrestling Entertainment. Retrieved 2009-10-07.
  75. ^ "WWE's Philippines Schedule". World Wrestling Entertainment. Retrieved 2009-10-07.
  76. ^ "WWE's Poland Schedule". World Wrestling Entertainment. Retrieved 2009-10-07.
  77. ^ "WWE's Portugal Schedule". World Wrestling Entertainment. Retrieved 2009-10-07.
  78. ^ "WWE's Puerto Rico Schedule". World Wrestling Entertainment. Retrieved 2009-10-07.
  79. ^ "WWE's Romania Schedule". World Wrestling Entertainment. Retrieved 2009-10-07.
  80. ^ "WWE's Serbia Schedule". World Wrestling Entertainment. Retrieved 2009-10-07.
  81. ^ "WWE's Singapore Schedule". World Wrestling Entertainment. Retrieved 2009-10-07.
  82. ^ "WWE's South Africa Schedule". World Wrestling Entertainment. Retrieved 2009-10-07.
  83. ^ "WWE's South Korean Schedule". World Wrestling Entertainment. Retrieved 2011-01-29.
  84. ^ "WWE's Spain Schedule". World Wrestling Entertainment. Retrieved 2009-10-07.
  85. ^ "WWE's Sweden Schedule". World Wrestling Entertainment. Retrieved 2009-10-07.
  86. ^ "WWE's Taiwan Schedule". World Wrestling Entertainment. Retrieved 2009-10-07.
  87. ^ "WWE program schedules in TrueVisions" (in English-Thai). TrueVisions. Retrieved 2010-06-06.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link)
  88. ^ "WWE's Ukraine Schedule". World Wrestling Entertainment. Retrieved 2009-10-07.
  89. ^ "WWE's United Kingdom Schedule". World Wrestling Entertainment. Retrieved 2009-10-07.
  90. ^ "WWE's Ireland Schedule". World Wrestling Entertainment. Retrieved 2009-10-07.

Template:WWE programs