Tuesday Night Titans
| Tuesday Night Titans | |
|---|---|
| Tuesday Night Titans Logo used by WWE Network The Logo That is used by WWE Network | |
| Created by | Vince McMahon |
| Starring | Vince McMahon (1984-86) Lord Alfred Hayes Gene Okerlund (1986) |
| Opening theme | "1980" by Herb Alpert |
| Country of origin | USA |
| Production | |
| Running time | 60 minutes |
| Original release | |
| Network | USA Network |
| Release | 1984 – 1986 |
Tuesday Night Titans (abbreviated TNT)[1] is a professional wrestling television program produced by the World Wrestling Federation (WWF). It aired on the USA Network from 1984 to 1986.
Overview
This format is best remembered for being a loose parody of a standard late-night talk show, with host Vince McMahon and "sidekick" Lord Alfred Hayes conducting in character interviews with WWF wrestlers and participating in skits. Later in the run, Gene Okerlund replaced McMahon as host.
The program was named after the WWF's then-parent company, Titan Sports. It was taped at the Video One facilities in Owings Mills, Maryland, a suburb of Baltimore.
Episodes of TNT were re-aired on WWE Classics on Demand from November 2004 to February 2009 with select episodes now available to view on the WWE Network.
Notable moments
- The first televised wrestling wedding with Paul Vachon, the reception afterward involving a large food fight in which both Vince McMahon and Lord Alfred Hayes were hit in the face with pies.
- Then-WWF champion Hulk Hogan introduced his protein drink, which everyone on the set liked with the exception of Lord Alfred Hayes, who vomited immediately after he drank it.
- Roddy Piper playing Ebenezer Scrooge in a takeoff of Dickens' A Christmas Carol.
- Mr. Fuji and Don Muraco did a parody of Miami Vice called Fuji Vice. This was part of a series of ersatz "pilots" that Fuji and Muraco were supposedly shopping to television producers; others included Fuji General (a soap opera in the vein of General Hospital) and The Fuji Bandito (a Western). The duo also performed a live comedy skit that notably and humorously featured Fuji messing up lines (including "how about some tropical stuff" instead of "topical stuff").
- George Steele undergoes electroshock therapy in order to cure his speech problem, but only manages to say "How now, brown cow?".
- Dr. "D", David Schultz accidentally firing a loaded gun while showing his collection to Vince McMahon and Alfred Hayes.
- Fred Blassie bringing a live chicken onto the set and boasting that Kamala would eat it live on the air.[2] A cutaway shot was immediately shown—after Vince McMahon tried in vain to stop it—of feathers flying out of Kamala's mouth (to illustrate Kamala's kayfabe chicken dinner).
- During a segment with Piper as a guest, a replay is shown of Piper's Pit where Piper struck Jimmy Snuka in the head with a coconut, after which Piper defends his actions and eventually slaps Hayes before storming off the set.
- Lanny Poffo wearing a suit of armor and reciting his first poem, the latter which gained him popularity as a babyface.
- In a segment promoting André the Giant's upcoming "$15,000 Bodyslam Challenge" match vs. Big John Studd at WrestleMania, a replay is shown of the "Haircut Match" (where Studd and Ken Patera beat André into unconsciousness before helping Bobby Heenan cut his hair). McMahon attempted to talk about a stipulation wherein André would retire if he failed to slam Studd. A visibly annoyed André tried to decline the stipulation but when McMahon pressed on, André grabbed McMahon by the throat and told him to back off on the "retirement" stipulation and vowed he would slam Studd at Wrestlemania. A noticeably upset Andre walked off the set afterwards.
- Piper and "Cowboy" Bob Orton—along with McMahon—visit the doctor about Orton's arm injury and prolonged wearing of an orthopedic cast (a gimmick which had grown out of Orton's legitimate arm injury). When the doctor revealed that the injury had healed and Orton could remove the cast, Piper—who throughout the segment disputed the doctor's findings—began imitating a duck.
- André the Giant sings the Fish song which was actually him pantomiming a fish.
- Paul Orndorff fires Bobby Heenan shortly after Wrestlemania.
- Roddy Piper guests hosts with Cowboy Bob Orton replacing Lord Alfred Hayes.
- During a segment with Randy "Macho Man" Savage and Miss Elizabeth as guests, a delivery man arrives on the set to deliver a package to Elizabeth. Inside: roses, packed with turnbuckle stuffing (indicating the sender, George "the Animal" Steele).
- Vince McMahon hosts a show-long "This Is Your Life" segment for Nikolai Volkoff.
References
- ^ TNT Show: Tuesday Night Titans (TNT) was the WWF's answer to the Sonny & Cher variety hour, as superstars danced, told jokes, and basically made asses of themselves.
- ^ Ellison, Lillian (2003). The Fabulous Moolah: First Goddess of the Squared Circle. ReaganBooks. p. 169. ISBN 978-0-06-001258-8.