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WWE ECW

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This article is about World Wrestling Entertainment's ECW brand. For the independent promotion that operated from 1992–2001, see Extreme Championship Wrestling.
WWE ECW
File:Ecw2.jpg
ECW logo
Created byPaul Heyman
Vince McMahon
StarringECW Brand
Opening theme"Bodies" by Drowning Pool
Country of originUnited States
No. of episodes22 (as of November 7, 2006)
Production
Camera setupMulticamera setup
Running time45 minutes per episode
(60-65 including commercials)
Original release
NetworkSci Fi Channel
ReleaseJune 13, 2006

Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) is a professional wrestling brand for World Wrestling Entertainment, based on the independent promotion that lasted from 1992 to 2001, Extreme Championship Wrestling. It debuted on June 13, 2006 with a weekly television series. The brand is one of WWE's three brands - the other two being RAW and SmackDown!.

The brand has sought to differentiate itself from WWE's other two brands. In a break from the other brands, ECW's male performers are referred to as "Extremists", (previously having been called "Wrestlers", then "Rebels") as opposed to the SmackDown! and RAW performers who are called, "Superstars".[1] ECW's female performers are referred to as "Vixens", as opposed to WWE's "Divas". In other ways, the brand has also differentiated itself from the original promotion upon which it is based.

This series can be seen on the Sci Fi Channel in the United States, X-Treme Sports and Global in Canada, Lativi in Indonesia, Sky Sports 3 in the United Kingdom, FX in Latin America, Ten Sports in India, Astro Supersport in Malaysia, Solar Sports in Philippines, FOX8 in Australia, SKY 1 in New Zealand and e.tv in South Africa.

History

WWE, which acquired the Extreme Championship Wrestling name and video library in 2003, began reintroducing ECW through a series of DVDs and books, most notably The Rise and Fall of ECW, a documentary (and later a book) of the promotion's history. The enormous popularity of this and other ECW merchandise prompted WWE to organize an ECW "reunion show" pay-per-view in 2005 dubbed ECW One Night Stand. The financial and critical success of the show motivated WWE to organize a second One Night Stand the following year. With rejuvenated interest in ECW, WWE began exploring the possibility of reviving the promotion full time.

On May 26, 2006, WWE announced the relaunch of ECW as a stand-alone brand that would complement WWE's RAW and SmackDown! brands and emanate on the Sci Fi Channel. [2] Although a puzzling decision, Sci Fi Channel's President Bonnie Hammer believed that ECW would fit the channel's theme of stretching the imagination. Sci Fi Channel is owned by NBC Universal, parent company of USA Network, the exclusive cable broadcaster of WWE programming.

To boost the success of the new brand, ECW was cross-promoted on WWE programming in the weeks leading up to the 2006 One Night Stand. A prime time WWE vs. ECW Head to Head special was aired to promote the event as well.

The ECW brand was initially headlined by such long-time ECW performers as Rob Van Dam, Sabu, Tommy Dreamer, Balls Mahoney, Al Snow and The Sandman with former ECW owner Paul Heyman entrusted with operating the brand. However, following the second episode, his role was somewhat reduced. According to an interview in the UK newspaper The Sun, Heyman writes the weekly scripts with his staff and submits them to Vince McMahon for approval and possible changes.

Eventually changes were made to the brand that differentiated it from the original ECW promotion, including changing the original promotion's rules - where weapons were legal in all matches and there were almost never count outs or disqualifications. The WWE incarnation typically has only one match of this type (said to be fought under "Extreme Rules") per taping schedule. By default other matches on the card are fought under the same rules as other WWE matches.

ECW's first pay-per-view appearance after One Night Stand was at the August 2006 SummerSlam, where an ECW World Heavyweight Championship match was contested between Big Show and Sabu. The brand's presence at the event was the start of ECW being part of WWEs "Big Four" pay-per-view productions: Survivor Series, Royal Rumble, SummerSlam and WrestleMania.

The first pay-per-view event featuring solely ECW brand stars is to occur on December 3 and will be called December to Dismember. It will be from Augusta, Georgia.

ECW on Sci Fi

ECW's weekly series was originally given a run of a thirteen episode "summer series" by the Sci Fi Channel. Because of its better than expected ratings, it was granted an extension of episodes to the end of 2007 as the original 13 episodes came to an end.[3]

The premiere of ECW's weekly show on the Sci Fi Channel received a 2.79 rating, making it the highest rated show on cable in its time slot.[4]

Unlike the original promotion, which primarily ran shows in smaller arenas, the shows are held in larger arenas around the country -- as a part of SmackDown!'s Tuesday taping schedule -- instead of the smaller venues to which the original played. ECW typically airs live, directly after SmackDown! has finished taping.

While the show has been a ratings success for the Sci Fi Channel and WWE, it has drawn criticism from some fans of the original ECW and critics in the Internet wrestling community. This was especially evidenced by the extremely negative crowd reaction the "old school" fans gave the main event (Batista vs The Big Show) on the August 1, 2006 show from the Hammerstein Ballroom (a favorite arena of the original ECW) which included chants of "Change the channel!" and prolonged "Boos" directed at both men no matter what they did.[5][6]They also started throwing toilet paper and other junk into the ring to show their disdain for them.

Along with the Sci Fi show, WWE.com introduced an online streaming video site, Hardcore Hangover, that allows fans to stream video matches/interviews/promos through out the week and continue to watch episodes that have already aired on Sci Fi.

Key on-air personalities

References

  1. ^ "ECW: Extremists". WWE.com. Retrieved June 21. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  2. ^ "WWE brings ECW to Sci Fi Channel". WWE.com. Retrieved August 2. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  3. ^ "Sci Fi Channel Extends ECW". Retrieved October 11. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  4. ^ "Sci Fi Channel pins the competition with ECW's triumphant return to television". www.thefutoncritic.com. Retrieved July 8. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  5. ^ http://www.onlineonslaught.com/features/20060801.shtml
  6. ^ http://www.pwtorch.com/artman/exec/view.cgi/15/17507

See also

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