WWE’s creative department have been at the helm of criticism from fans for a significant number of years now. Storylines on weekly TV have recently been either rushed, not thought through or scrapped entirely. Sometimes, this is even before the storyline has gained proper traction. But it cannot be denied that the WWE creative team must have a tough job. Trying to find hours worth of fresh, compelling content every week is a job that people are quick to critique, yet passive to experience for themselves. This is why I have decided to put myself in the creative shoes. How difficult is it to keep 5 hours of television per week consistently entertaining?
WHAT AND WHY AM I DOING THIS?
I want to be able to fully understand the effort and it takes to write, produce and create 7 hours of television per week. Therefore, starting with Extreme Rules 2020, I am going to be creating my own weekly television plans, and producing ‘MyWay’ variants of RAW, Smackdown and all Main Roster Pay-Per-View events all the way through to WrestleMania 37.
‘MyWay’ shows will be completely separate from the programming we see on TV, and will feature new storylines, champions and gimmicks.
RULES:
I decided to set myself some ground rules. The rules I have set for myself are as follows:
- I must start with the exact same rosters as in real life, I am only allowed to trade superstars between brands if a trade is made on TV (I can trade different superstars).
- I must begin with the exact same champions, matches and storylines that are currently planned for Extreme Rules 2020. However, once Extreme Rules has passed, I then have free reign with the creative direction of both shows.
- I must have scheduled Pay-Per-View events on the exact date that WWE has them. However, I don’t need to use that exact event. Example, if TLC is planned for the 9thDecember, I must have a Pay-Per-View scheduled for the 9th December. But it does NOT have to specifically be TLC. The only events that disregard this rule are Extreme Rules 2020, SummerSlam 2020, Survivor Series 2020, Royal Rumble 2021 and WrestleMania 37.
ADMIN
In order to keep this fair, I will attempt to keep some things similar to how the shows run in real life. To achieve this, I will be scripting promos for any superstars that get promo time. Scripted promos have been widely criticised by fans, citing that they sound bland and completely void the superstars of any character. By keeping the scripted promos in tact, an extra challenge comes in adding character development to each superstar. Also, I will be hosting Pay-Per-View shows as often as WWE. This adds to the challenge as I will have an extra few hours of programming to book ever 4 weeks or so.
WHEN DOES IT BEGIN?
Raw and SmackDown ‘MyWay’ will be published on Chops, Kicks and Nearfalls on Mondays and Thursdays respectively. ‘MyWay’ will begin with Extreme Rules 2020 on the 19th July, with the first RAW ‘MyWay’ being published the next day. Pay-Per-Views being produced and released the same days as the events are aired in real life.
GET INVOLVED!
Let me know what you’re enjoying about the shows and what you would like to see. I will be listening to thoughts and possibly implementing them into the programming as we progress through.