ironworks
07-07-2012, 04:11 AM
Source: Bleacher Report
The 1,000th anniversary of WWE Monday Night Raw is quickly approaching. The milestone episode will be the first episode of Raw's switch to a three-hour broadcast.
There are many fans who are questioning the decision, and for good reason. After all, this is the very same move that WCW made during its final days.
In my opinion, a more consistent structure to the weekly show would help make the move to a three-hour broadcast a successful one.
More often than not, Raw begins with a segment that sets up something important later in the show. It would be imperative that they continue to do this.
Seeing as the first hour of a three-hour Raw is generally the lowest rated hour of the three, starting the first hour with something that establishes the tone for the show would give viewers a reason not to miss the beginning of the show.
The other focal points should be the top-of-the-hour segments. For example, they should feature one of the more prominent programs as they head into the beginning of the second hour.
The feuds surrounding the World Heavyweight Championship would fit nicely at the beginning of the old time slot or at the beginning of the final hour of the show.
The best way to utilize the additional hour at the beginning of the broadcast would be to move on from the opening segment and feature undercard programs. This time could be used to advance story-lines pertaining to the WWE Tag Team or United States Championships.
Really, anything that wouldn't normally get airtime on Raw should be featured in the first hour of the three-hour broadcast.
The idea is to make a strong effort to attract viewers at the very beginning of the show. During the top of each hour, they should strive not only to attract more viewers, but also to maintain the audience they already have.
Finally, it would be wise to use the extra hour not to overexpose current stars, but to give airtime to angles that wouldn't normally get attention on Raw.
The structure should be loose but regulated. After all, a too-predictable format for the WWE’s flagship show would do more harm than good.
It probably won't click right away, but this format could really help the weekly three-hour Raw be a successful venture.
The 1,000th anniversary of WWE Monday Night Raw is quickly approaching. The milestone episode will be the first episode of Raw's switch to a three-hour broadcast.
There are many fans who are questioning the decision, and for good reason. After all, this is the very same move that WCW made during its final days.
In my opinion, a more consistent structure to the weekly show would help make the move to a three-hour broadcast a successful one.
More often than not, Raw begins with a segment that sets up something important later in the show. It would be imperative that they continue to do this.
Seeing as the first hour of a three-hour Raw is generally the lowest rated hour of the three, starting the first hour with something that establishes the tone for the show would give viewers a reason not to miss the beginning of the show.
The other focal points should be the top-of-the-hour segments. For example, they should feature one of the more prominent programs as they head into the beginning of the second hour.
The feuds surrounding the World Heavyweight Championship would fit nicely at the beginning of the old time slot or at the beginning of the final hour of the show.
The best way to utilize the additional hour at the beginning of the broadcast would be to move on from the opening segment and feature undercard programs. This time could be used to advance story-lines pertaining to the WWE Tag Team or United States Championships.
Really, anything that wouldn't normally get airtime on Raw should be featured in the first hour of the three-hour broadcast.
The idea is to make a strong effort to attract viewers at the very beginning of the show. During the top of each hour, they should strive not only to attract more viewers, but also to maintain the audience they already have.
Finally, it would be wise to use the extra hour not to overexpose current stars, but to give airtime to angles that wouldn't normally get attention on Raw.
The structure should be loose but regulated. After all, a too-predictable format for the WWE’s flagship show would do more harm than good.
It probably won't click right away, but this format could really help the weekly three-hour Raw be a successful venture.