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{{more citations needed|date=January 2008}}
{{Multiple issues|fansite=December 2010|npov=December 2010|original research=December 2010|refimprove = January 2008}}

{{Infobox television
{{Infobox television
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| image = ECWTNN.PNG
|show_name=ECW on TNN
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| caption =
⚫
|image=[[Image:ECWTNN.PNG]]
⚫
| camera = [[Multiple-camera setup|Multicamera setup]]
⚫
|caption=
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| runtime = 60 minutes (with commercials)
|format=[[Hardcore wrestling]]
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| creator = [[Paul Heyman]]
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|camera=[[Multicamera setup]]
⚫
| developer =
|picture_format=
⚫
| executive_producer =
⚫
|runtime=60 minutes (with commercials)
⚫
| starring = See [[List of Extreme Championship Wrestling alumni|Extreme Championship Wrestling alumni]]
⚫
|creator=[[Paul Heyman]]
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| opentheme = "This is Extreme!" by [[Harry Slash & The Slashtones]]
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|developer=
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| endtheme =
⚫
|executive_producer=
| country = United States
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|starring=See [[Extreme Championship Wrestling alumni]]
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| location = [[Asylum Arena|ECW Arena]], [[South Philadelphia]]
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|opentheme="This is Extreme!" by [[Harry Slash & The Slashtones]]
[[Burt Flickinger Center]], [[Buffalo NY]]
⚫
|endtheme=
⚫
| network = [[The Nashville Network]]
|country={{USA}}
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| first_aired = {{Start date|1999|8|27}}
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|location=[[The Arena (Philadelphia)|ECW Arena]], [[South Philadelphia]]
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| last_aired = {{End date|2000|10|6}}
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|network=[[The Nashville Network]]
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| num_episodes = 59
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|first_aired={{Start date|1999|8|27}}
| related = {{ubl|[[ECW Hardcore TV]]|[[WWE ECW]]}}
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|last_aired={{End date|2000|10|6}}
⚫
|num_episodes=59
|followed_by=
|status=Ended
}}
}}
'''''ECW on TNN''''' was a weekly [[United States|American]] [[professional wrestling]] [[television program]] that aired on [[The Nashville Network]] (TNN, now [[Spike (TV channel)|Spike]]) from August 27, 1999 to October 6, 2000. Created by [[Paul Heyman]], the owner of [[Extreme Championship Wrestling]] (ECW), it presented original ECW matches on Friday nights and was the first (and only) national television exposure that ECW received.
'''''ECW on TNN''''', also known as ''''' ECW Wrestling''''', is an [[Americans|American]] [[professional wrestling]] [[television program]] that was produced by [[Extreme Championship Wrestling]] (ECW) and aired on [[The Nashville Network]] (TNN, now [[Paramount Network]]). Created by [[Paul Heyman]], the owner of HHG Corporation (parent company of ECW), it presented original ECW matches on Friday nights and was the only national television program in ECW's history. It debuted on August 27, 1999 - five years to the date that [[Shane Douglas]] threw down the [[NWA World Heavyweight Championship]] and rechristened ECW (then known as Eastern Championship Wrestling) as Extreme Championship Wrestling. The final episode aired on October 6, 2000. All episodes are available on [[WWE Network]] and [[Peacock (streaming service)|Peacock]].

Despite the high [[Nielsen ratings|ratings]] that the ECW broadcast generated for TNN, relations between ECW and TNN were strained from the beginning. TNN's demands that ECW tone down more controversial aspects of its broadcasts and that it produce a high-quality show on a limited budget were large stumbling blocks to the success of the program. Almost immediately after the show's debut in 1999, the network began negotiations with the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now [[World Wrestling Entertainment]] or WWE) to bring that promotion's flagship show, ''[[WWE Raw|RAW is WAR]]'', over to TNN from the [[USA Network]]. The negotiations were successful, and ''RAW is WAR'' aired its first episode on TNN in late September 2000. Although there was brief speculation that ECW and WWF programming could co-exist on TNN, ''ECW on TNN'' was cancelled shortly thereafter. The promotion itself met its demise few months later, and all ECW footage is currently owned by WWE.


==History==
==History==

===Origin===
===Origin===
In 1999, Heyman signed a three-year contract with TNN in the hopes of expanding national awareness of his company. Prior to ''ECW on TNN'', ECW shows were only televised via [[broadcast syndication|syndication]]. For its part, TNN added ECW to its "Friday Night Thrill Zone" lineup in an attempt to help build on the increase in teenager/young male viewership that ''[[Rollerjam]]'' had brought to the network.<ref>Hoping to Put a Hold on Viewers, TNN to Air Friday Night Wrestling, ''Daily News (New York)'', July 1, 1999, p. 110</ref> Into 2000, the network claimed a vast improvement in the young male demographic on Friday nights due to ECW's addition.<ref>Wrestling has choke-hold on cable fans; WWF, WCW, ECW score with young male target market, ''Advertising Age'', April 10, 2000, p. S20</ref>
In 1999, Heyman signed a three-year contract with TNN in the hopes of expanding national awareness of his company. Prior to ''ECW on TNN'', ECW shows were only televised via [[broadcast syndication|syndication]]. For its part, TNN added ECW to its "Friday Night Thrill Zone" lineup in an attempt to help build on the increase in teenager/young male viewership that ''[[RollerJam]]'' had brought to the network.<ref>Hoping to Put a Hold on Viewers, TNN to Air Friday Night Wrestling, ''Daily News (New York)'', July 1, 1999, p. 110</ref> Into 2000, the network claimed a vast improvement in the young male demographic on Friday nights due to ECW's addition.<ref>Wrestling has choke-hold on cable fans; WWF, WCW, ECW score with young male target market, ''Advertising Age'', April 10, 2000, p. S20</ref>


===ECW–TNN differences===
===ECW–TNN differences===
Early signs of a rocky relationship between ECW and TNN came when TNN president David Hall implied that the program would be "toned down" from the usual ECW fare<ref>Fighting Words From a Bantamweight, ''The Washington Post'', July 2, 1999, p. C07</ref> &ndash; which featured more violent matches and explicit content than that offered by the two leading professional wrestling companies of the day, the WWF and [[World Championship Wrestling]] (WCW). On WWE's ''[[The Rise and Fall of ECW]]'' DVD, Heyman alleged that the requests from TNN to tone down ECW's content, including the removal of references to hatred ("intense dislike" was preferred) and objections to the show's theme music on the grounds that it sounded "demonic", were excessive.
Early signs of a rocky relationship between ECW and TNN came when TNN president David Hall implied that the program would be "toned down" from the usual ECW fare<ref>Fighting Words From a Bantamweight, ''The Washington Post'', July 2, 1999, p. C07</ref> &ndash; which emphasized more violent matches and explicit content than that offered by the two leading professional wrestling companies of the day, the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now [[WWE]]) and [[World Championship Wrestling]] (WCW). On WWE's ''[[The Rise and Fall of ECW]]'' DVD, Heyman alleged that the requests from TNN to tone down ECW's content were excessive.


The first episode of ''ECW on TNN'' was broadcast on August 27, 1999, five years to the date that [[Shane Douglas]] threw down the [[NWA World Heavyweight Championship]] and rechristened ECW (then known as Eastern Championship Wrestling) as Extreme Championship Wrestling. The first episode of ''ECW on TNN'' also became a source of contention, since it did not consist of original programming. Unsatisfied with the first TNN shoot, Heyman instead chose to air a compilation of [[Glossary of professional wrestling terms#Promo|promos]] and old ECW matches designed to act as an introduction to the company for those who had never before heard of it or seen it. ECW commentator [[Joey Styles]] said that "the network crapped on" this episode,<ref>{{cite video|title=Forever Hardcore|medium=DVD|publisher=Franchise Promotions, LLC|date=2005}}</ref> and ECW wrestler [[Tommy Dreamer]]'s recollection supported this assertion.<ref name=risedvd>{{cite video|title=The Rise and Fall of ECW|medium=DVD|publisher=[[World Wrestling Entertainment]]|date=2004}}</ref> The network also had reportedly placed a great deal of importance on ECW retaining top star [[Tazz|Taz]], and initial publicity indicated that this helped him sign a lucrative deal with ECW.<ref>TNN PINS DOWN TAZ: Cabler secures grappler on eve of ECW debut, ''Daily Variety'', August 13, 1999, p.4</ref> Instead, the deal fell through and Taz signed a contract with the WWF just months after the show's premiere. His departure, coupled with that of the [[Dudley Boys]] (who also joined the WWF), forced the company to build storylines around new champions only weeks after starting their first, and only, national cable television show.
Another source of contention was the lack of original programming. Unsatisfied with the first TNN shoot, Heyman instead chose to air a compilation of [[Glossary of professional wrestling terms#Promo|promos]] and old ECW matches designed to act as an introduction to the company for those who had never before heard of it or seen it. ECW commentator [[Joey Styles]] said that "the network crapped on" this episode,<ref name="Forever Hardcore">{{cite video|title=Forever Hardcore|medium=DVD|publisher=Franchise Promotions, LLC|date=2005}}</ref> and ECW wrestler [[Tommy Dreamer]]'s recollection supported this assertion.<ref name=risedvd>{{cite video|title=The Rise and Fall of ECW|medium=DVD|publisher=[[WWE]]|date=2004}}</ref>


The network also had reportedly placed a great deal of importance on ECW retaining top star [[Tazz|Taz]]. Initially, the company announced that he signed a lucrative deal to remain with the company.<ref>TNN PINS DOWN TAZ: Cabler secures grappler on eve of ECW debut, ''Daily Variety'', August 13, 1999, p.4</ref> However, the deal fell through shortly thereafter and Taz signed a contract with the WWF just months after the show's premiere.
Heyman and former ECW producer Ron Buffone have since complained that TNN's production expectations were unreasonable. On ''Rise and Fall'', Buffone stated that TNN provided ECW with a very small budget to produce the program while simultaneously asking for high-quality production on par with ''[[WCW Monday Nitro]]'' and ''[[WWE Monday Night Raw|WWF RAW is WAR]]''. This expectation irritated Heyman, due not only to the difficulty of meeting the standards, but also because he felt the more bare-bones ECW "look" was part of its appeal. Heyman also took umbrage with what he felt was a lack of promotion of the show by the network specifically and by its parent company [[Viacom (1971-2005)|Viacom]] in general, as well as the fact that almost immediately following ECW's debut on TNN, the network began negotiations with the WWF to bring ''[[WWE Raw|RAW is WAR]]'' over to its lineup from the [[USA Network]]. Many wrestlers echoed this point on both the ''Rise and Fall'' DVD as well as the independently produced ''[[Forever Hardcore]]'' documentary. Heyman's dissatisfaction with TNN culminated in an on-air promo in which he made known his disdain for the network, as well as in a [[The Network (professional wrestling)|running storyline]] in which [[manager (professional wrestling)|manager]]/commentator [[Don Callis|Cyrus]] portrayed a TNN representative that continually interrupted ECW proceedings that he felt were inappropriate. TNN muted the audio during Heyman's promo and ran a [[news crawl|crawl]] across the bottom of the screen that poked fun at Heyman's sanity. The full promo, with audio and without the news crawl, was featured on [[ECW Hardcore TV|ECW's syndicated programming]], which continued to air and was regularly used as a back-up program to display anything TNN removed from the show.


On ''Rise and Fall'', former ECW producer Ron Buffone stated that TNN provided ECW with a very small budget to produce the program while simultaneously asking for high-quality production on par with ''[[WCW Monday Nitro]]'' and ''[[WWE Raw|WWF Raw]]''. Heyman and former ECW wrestlers also alleged a lack of promotion of the show by the network specifically and by its parent company [[Viacom (1971–2005)|Viacom]] in general.<ref name="risedvd"/>
⚫
===Cancellation and aftermath===
''ECW on TNN's'' run would only last thirteen-and-a-half months. As part of its effort to rebrand itself ''The National Network'', TNN acquired WWF programming as part of an extensive WWF-Viacom agreement. The WWF's ''RAW Is WAR'' debuted on TNN on September 25, 2000. Despite brief rumors that the two shows might co-exist on TNN for an extended period of time,<ref>TV Show Was a One Shot Deal, ''The Toronto Sun'', September 30, p. S15</ref> ''ECW on TNN'' was canceled only two weeks thereafter.


The relationship between the promotion and the broadcaster was reflected in [[The Network (professional wrestling)|The Network]] stable, which became part of ECW's storylines during period the program aired.
Having lost a significant part of its national exposure and left with various contracts to fulfill, ECW ran its final [[pay-per-view]] event (the third [[ECW Guilty as Charged#2001|Guilty as Charged]]) in January 2001. The company folded soon afterwards, and Heyman appeared in the WWF shortly thereafter, with the WWF incorporating the ECW brand into its [[The Invasion (professional wrestling)|Invasion storyline]] later that year. Heyman has speculated that a new television deal would have left ECW a strong #2 in North American wrestling due to the sale of [[World Championship Wrestling]] (WCW) to the WWF only weeks after ECW collapsed.<ref name=risedvd/>


⚫
===Cancellation===
TNN eventually rebranded itself as Spike TV in 2003 (and again as simply Spike in 2006) and featured WWF/E programming until late September 2005. Immediately thereafter, it began airing [[Total Nonstop Action Wrestling]]'s ''[[TNA Impact!|Impact!]]'' program.<ref>Get Ready for a Little TNA, ''The Toronto Sun'', September 25, 2005, p. SP14</ref> Since ''ECW on TNN's'' debut, the network has consistently featured professional wrestling on its schedule.
''ECW on TNN's'' run lasted thirteen and a half months. As part of an agreement between the WWF and TNN owner Viacom, ''Raw'' moved to TNN on September 25, 2000, coinciding with a major relaunch of the channel as The National Network. Heyman delivered a [[shoot (professional wrestling)|shoot promo]] live on air (announcing it as such). In the promo, he stated ECW hated TNN for "abandoning" them for not putting out commercials for them, demanding they throw ECW off the air and threatened to sue.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.cagesideseats.com/wwe/2015/12/19/9860176/cageside-countdown-top-25-kayfabe-killing-moments-ever-part-1 | title=Cageside Countdown: Kayfabe Killers (Part 1) | date=19 December 2015 }}</ref> Despite brief rumors that the two shows might co-exist on TNN for an extended period of time (in spite of the WWF agreement having an exclusivity clause),<ref>TV Show Was a One Shot Deal, ''The Toronto Sun'', September 30, p. S15</ref> ''ECW on TNN'' was canceled only two weeks later. Paul Heyman stated on the ''Rise and Fall of ECW'' DVD that he felt that the ECW show was aired as a test run for TNN to see how wrestling would perform on the channel; former ECW wrestler Jerry Lynn would later agree with this opinion.<ref name="Forever Hardcore"/> In later years, Heyman also acknowledged that an effort he made to put ECW on the [[USA Network]] proved unsuccessful.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.newsday.com/sports/pro-wrestling/q-a-with-wwe-s-paul-heyman-1.8944224|title=Q&A with WWE's Paul Heyman|first=Alfonso A.|last=Castillo|publisher=Newsday|date=August 1, 2014|accessdate=May 12, 2021}}</ref>

However, ''Raw'' continued to air on TNN/Spike TV (renamed to [[Paramount Network]]) until 2005 when it moved back to USA Network. Spike later reached an agreement with a competitor, [[Impact Wrestling|TNA Wrestling]], to air its program [[Impact! (TV series)|''TNA Impact!'']] on the channel instead. TNA's run would last through 2014.

==See also==
{{Portal|Television}}
*[[ECW Hardcore TV]]
*[[List of professional wrestling television series]]


==References==
==References==
{{reflist|2}}
{{reflist}}


== External links ==
== External links ==
* [http://www.100megsfree4.com/wiawrestling/pages/ecw/ecwarc.htm Wrestling Information Archive: ''ECW on TNN'' results]
* [http://www.cygywrestling.com/ecw/resultsarchive/index.html CygyWrestling.com: "ECW on TNN" Results Archive]
* [http://www.wwe-zone.com/ecw/results/tnn/index.htm Pro-Wrestling Edge: ''ECW on TNN'' Results History]
* {{IMDb title|0217203}}
* {{IMDb title|0217203}}
* {{tv.com|4823|ECW on TNN}}


{{Extreme Championship Wrestling}}
{{Extreme Championship Wrestling}}
{{Spike (TV network) programming}}
{{Professional wrestling in the United States}}


{{DEFAULTSORT:Ecw On Tnn}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ecw On Tnn}}
[[Category:Extreme Championship Wrestling shows|TNN]]
[[Category:Extreme Championship Wrestling shows|TNN]]
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[[Category:American professional wrestling television series]]
[[Category:1999 American television series debuts]]
[[Category:1999 American television series debuts]]
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[[Category:1990s American television series]]
[[Category:2000 American television series endings]]
[[Category:2000 American television series endings]]
[[Category:2000s American television series]]
[[Category:The Nashville Network original programming]]
[[Category:Spike TV network shows]]

[[fr:ECW on TNN]]
[[ko:ECW on TNN]]
[[pt:ECW on TNN]]

Latest revision as of 22:28, 18 August 2024

ECW on TNN
Created byPaul Heyman
StarringSee Extreme Championship Wrestling alumni
Opening theme"This is Extreme!" by Harry Slash & The Slashtones
Country of originUnited States
No. of episodes59
Production
Production locationsECW Arena, South Philadelphia Burt Flickinger Center, Buffalo NY
Camera setupMulticamera setup
Running time60 minutes (with commercials)
Original release
NetworkThe Nashville Network
ReleaseAugust 27, 1999 (1999-08-27) –
October 6, 2000 (2000-10-06)
Related

ECW on TNN, also known as ECW Wrestling, is an American professional wrestling television program that was produced by Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) and aired on The Nashville Network (TNN, now Paramount Network). Created by Paul Heyman, the owner of HHG Corporation (parent company of ECW), it presented original ECW matches on Friday nights and was the only national television program in ECW's history. It debuted on August 27, 1999 - five years to the date that Shane Douglas threw down the NWA World Heavyweight Championship and rechristened ECW (then known as Eastern Championship Wrestling) as Extreme Championship Wrestling. The final episode aired on October 6, 2000. All episodes are available on WWE Network and Peacock.

History

[edit]

Origin

[edit]

In 1999, Heyman signed a three-year contract with TNN in the hopes of expanding national awareness of his company. Prior to ECW on TNN, ECW shows were only televised via syndication. For its part, TNN added ECW to its "Friday Night Thrill Zone" lineup in an attempt to help build on the increase in teenager/young male viewership that RollerJam had brought to the network.[1] Into 2000, the network claimed a vast improvement in the young male demographic on Friday nights due to ECW's addition.[2]

ECW–TNN differences

[edit]

Early signs of a rocky relationship between ECW and TNN came when TNN president David Hall implied that the program would be "toned down" from the usual ECW fare[3] – which emphasized more violent matches and explicit content than that offered by the two leading professional wrestling companies of the day, the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE) and World Championship Wrestling (WCW). On WWE's The Rise and Fall of ECW DVD, Heyman alleged that the requests from TNN to tone down ECW's content were excessive.

Another source of contention was the lack of original programming. Unsatisfied with the first TNN shoot, Heyman instead chose to air a compilation of promos and old ECW matches designed to act as an introduction to the company for those who had never before heard of it or seen it. ECW commentator Joey Styles said that "the network crapped on" this episode,[4] and ECW wrestler Tommy Dreamer's recollection supported this assertion.[5]

The network also had reportedly placed a great deal of importance on ECW retaining top star Taz. Initially, the company announced that he signed a lucrative deal to remain with the company.[6] However, the deal fell through shortly thereafter and Taz signed a contract with the WWF just months after the show's premiere.

On Rise and Fall, former ECW producer Ron Buffone stated that TNN provided ECW with a very small budget to produce the program while simultaneously asking for high-quality production on par with WCW Monday Nitro and WWF Raw. Heyman and former ECW wrestlers also alleged a lack of promotion of the show by the network specifically and by its parent company Viacom in general.[5]

The relationship between the promotion and the broadcaster was reflected in The Network stable, which became part of ECW's storylines during period the program aired.

Cancellation

[edit]

ECW on TNN's run lasted thirteen and a half months. As part of an agreement between the WWF and TNN owner Viacom, Raw moved to TNN on September 25, 2000, coinciding with a major relaunch of the channel as The National Network. Heyman delivered a shoot promo live on air (announcing it as such). In the promo, he stated ECW hated TNN for "abandoning" them for not putting out commercials for them, demanding they throw ECW off the air and threatened to sue.[7] Despite brief rumors that the two shows might co-exist on TNN for an extended period of time (in spite of the WWF agreement having an exclusivity clause),[8] ECW on TNN was canceled only two weeks later. Paul Heyman stated on the Rise and Fall of ECW DVD that he felt that the ECW show was aired as a test run for TNN to see how wrestling would perform on the channel; former ECW wrestler Jerry Lynn would later agree with this opinion.[4] In later years, Heyman also acknowledged that an effort he made to put ECW on the USA Network proved unsuccessful.[9]

However, Raw continued to air on TNN/Spike TV (renamed to Paramount Network) until 2005 when it moved back to USA Network. Spike later reached an agreement with a competitor, TNA Wrestling, to air its program TNA Impact! on the channel instead. TNA's run would last through 2014.

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Hoping to Put a Hold on Viewers, TNN to Air Friday Night Wrestling, Daily News (New York), July 1, 1999, p. 110
  2. ^ Wrestling has choke-hold on cable fans; WWF, WCW, ECW score with young male target market, Advertising Age, April 10, 2000, p. S20
  3. ^ Fighting Words From a Bantamweight, The Washington Post, July 2, 1999, p. C07
  4. ^ a b Forever Hardcore (DVD). Franchise Promotions, LLC. 2005.
  5. ^ a b The Rise and Fall of ECW (DVD). WWE. 2004.
  6. ^ TNN PINS DOWN TAZ: Cabler secures grappler on eve of ECW debut, Daily Variety, August 13, 1999, p.4
  7. ^ "Cageside Countdown: Kayfabe Killers (Part 1)". 19 December 2015.
  8. ^ TV Show Was a One Shot Deal, The Toronto Sun, September 30, p. S15
  9. ^ Castillo, Alfonso A. (August 1, 2014). "Q&A with WWE's Paul Heyman". Newsday. Retrieved May 12, 2021.
[edit]
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