Its Officail Thursdays at 9

[Guest 2TuffTony]

impact is moving to thursdays at 9 for a 1 hour show. replay is now the current time slot

 

 

I think thats kind of crappy. they should have moved the show to mondays at 8 and made it 1.5 hours. cause TNAs main event can beat the first 30 minutes of RAW imo.

[TNABaddboi 0]

Here's a recap of Dixie's conference call with the workers:

 

As noted last night and this morning here on PWInsider.com, TNA and Spike TV officially announced that Impact would be moving to Thursdays at 9 PM starting 4/13. TNA management held a conference call with their staff and wrestlers this morning to break the news (which was pretty much out of the bag anyway at this point) personally. I was told by several that that it was a completely positive call with the wrestlers excited and jovial about the move.

 

The big notes coming out of the conference were that TNA's existing timeslot on Saturdays at 11 PM will be used as a replay for the Thursday show come April. I don't know if the current Monday replay was addressed at all. UFC Unleashed and The Ultimate Fighter will follow Impact on Thursday nights. There may be plans to change the Impact taping schedule at Universal Studios, but nothing is set in stone. There are no plans currently for a second TNA TV show in one of the other timeslots.

 

When Dixie Carter joined the call, she congratulated everyone and said that the deal was ironed out in just a few weeks, which was quick for the TV industry (as someone who worked in the entertainment industry, I can tell you that she's isn't kidding either). Carter noted that the change to prime time after just three months of being on Spike TV was a major move. She praised Spike for being wonderful partners with TNA, but noted that there was a lot of work to still be done by everyone across the board.

 

At this point, Impact will remain at one hour. When TV time was brought up, I was told that Carter told the wrestlers that getting more TV time is a goal and asked everyone to make every minute they have now count. She said that can understand the frustration of wrestlers not having enough time and also reminded everyone to remember to play to the cameras. Dixie told the crew that they need to keep their segments at the times they are given, in order to prepare for the possibility of one day going live.

 

One of the veterans (possibly BG or Kip James, I heard both names) reminded everyone that TNA is a TV show first, and advised everyone to get along and for the veterans to share advice while keeping their egos aside.

 

Carter noted that the Final Resolution PPV (Sting & Christian Cage vs. Jeff Jarrett & Monty Brown) was the highest buyrate in company history, to date. She asked the boys not to believe everything they read on the Internet. Carter said that bringing in Sting was a chance for a new audience to find TNA and learn about everyone in the company. She said the goal is to bring in an audience that doesn't know the names of some of the wrestlers and make them want to come back to see everyone.

 

Bob Carter joined the call at one point and thanked the wrestlers, praising TNA as one of the best investments he ever made. Jeff Jarrett also addressed everyone, thanking them for their hard work.

credit: PWI

[JustJoe2k5 0]

I think it's a great move, since they don't have to worry about any competition. They could draw some of the crowd that used to watch Smackdown on Thursday, maybe they're looking for some wrestling to fill their Thursday nights.

[TNABaddboi 0]

I posted this in the other thread, but if the discussion is moving here, I figured I'd put it here too:

 

I guess the next question is do they try to load up the primetime debut like they did the first Spike show? The first show will be a few weeks before LockDown, which they're planning a big blowoff show apparently, so they can't hotshot too much. But maybe that's the night Sting returns or this 2nd major star they've been talking too debuts? Thoughts?

[hyperchord24 0]

All I can say is great. I now have a wrestling show to watch on Thursdays that's not on too late. Congrats.

[Guest 2TuffTony]

I posted this in the other thread, but if the discussion is moving here, I figured I'd put it here too:

 

I guess the next question is do they try to load up the primetime debut like they did the first Spike show? The first show will be a few weeks before LockDown, which they're planning a big blowoff show apparently, so they can't hotshot too much. But maybe that's the night Sting returns or this 2nd major star they've been talking too debuts? Thoughts?

 

 

I think a debut of someone like Brock, Goldberg, Jericho, etc would be great for TNA and the debut.

[Dangerous A 0]

One thing that needs to happen is getting the title off of Jarrett this upcoming weekend and making sure the title is still on Christian by the time the Thursday slot comes up. Christian needs to hold onto the title for at least 5-6 months. If TNA is pushing that "changing the face of professional wrestling" tagline, then they need to really do it and Christian is the guy to do it with. I don't think Sting should hold the title. He should be a featured attraction, but I think his overness will end sooner than later.

[Carnival 0]

I wouldn't be oppossed to a Christian title reign. I think now is a better time than 6 months from now after he's feuded with the likes of bobby roode.

[Dangerous A 0]

Thats what I'm thinking, Carn. The iron is kind of hot right now for Christian. Now, he's not white hot or anything, I just think right now is the time to try Christian out as champ and see if he has any kind of drawing power. Christian hasn't been put in this kind of position ever and it may be fresh enough to get a buzz going.

[TNABaddboi 0]

I gotta agree with you there, Dangerous A. While I think ultimately Christian will draw more money for TNA as a heel, I think his first run at the top should be as a face...and I think he'll do fine. The question is do they do it here or do they stretch this thing with Jarrett out to LockDown, which they're building as one of their major shows and is supposedly going to be feature all the blowoffs. I fully expect to see AMW/3D stretched that long, with the Duds winning the belts in AMW's speciality match, but what about Jarrett/Christian? Does it have the legs to make it until April, and even if it does, should it?

[2GOLD 0]

Thats what I'm thinking, Carn. The iron is kind of hot right now for Christian. Now, he's not white hot or anything, I just think right now is the time to try Christian out as champ and see if he has any kind of drawing power. Christian hasn't been put in this kind of position ever and it may be fresh enough to get a buzz going.

 

Not to mention after Sting gets done feuding with Jarrett, you could have Christian decide to give Sting one final shot at the title. Almost a "a chance for the glory once again" and have Christian beat him with a handshake at the end. No interference, no false finishes, just a straight up match filled with near falls and close escapes.

 

The one thing I have a question about is this. Is SPIKETV and TNA going to really promote the move or is it just going to be a, "SURPRISE! We're on Thursday!" kind of move that Spike has been known to do?

[Carnival 0]

Not to mention after Sting gets done feuding with Jarrett, you could have Christian decide to give Sting one final shot at the title. Almost a "a chance for the glory once again" and have Christian beat him with a handshake at the end. No interference, no false finishes, just a straight up match filled with near falls and close escapes.

 

It sounds good for us smarks, but I think fans would shit on it. They would turn on Christian.

 

Especially if it's face vs face...Orlando would shit all over it just to be fucking "cool".

[2GOLD 0]

Not to mention after Sting gets done feuding with Jarrett, you could have Christian decide to give Sting one final shot at the title. Almost a "a chance for the glory once again" and have Christian beat him with a handshake at the end. No interference, no false finishes, just a straight up match filled with near falls and close escapes.

 

It sounds good for us smarks, but I think fans would shit on it. They would turn on Christian.

 

Especially if it's face vs face...Orlando would shit all over it just to be fucking "cool".

 

If they turn on him, you make it the start of his heel run. It works anyway you want to play it. It's not like the feud wouldn't happen for months from now. Anyone who holds the belt longer than three months will have fans turn on him. It just happens.

[TNABaddboi 0]

Anyone who holds the belt longer than three months will have fans turn on him. It just happens.

 

This is especially true of the TNA crowd. The most over face champion in the 3 1/2 years it's been around is Jarrett, believe it or not. At the start of the SEX angle, Jarrett was the leader of the tradition side as NWA Champion and the crowd's were behind him as Russo tried to unseat him. They turned on him about 3 months into the reign, because became cooler to cheer the heel Raven. That's probably why we haven't seen many face runs since in TNA, except for Raven's run this year (well that and Jarrett's death grip on the belt, but's that's a story for another show). They TNA crowd has always enjoyed rebelling. They're turning on AJ now and he doesn't even have the belt, probably because AJ's been the poster boy super face since September of 2003.

[2GOLD 0]

It's true in any sport. If a man/team is on top too long, even if the fans loved them at first they start to hate them with a passion that makes you scratch your head. If you hold a belt for longer than two months, eventually the crowd will start to turn on you or stop caring because they have seen you do the same shit over and over again.

 

It doesn't matter who is on top, eventually the fans have enough.

[Guest SavageRulz]

Awesome news all round really. It's a really good timeslot for them, and if they continue to impress there's potential for more tv time, and possible going live. The atmosphere, and the comments from guys like BG or Kip, are all really positive. Awesome news whether you're a TNA fan or not as it's great for the industry.

[TNABaddboi 0]

Todd Martin over at the WO wrote an interesting article about TNA's move to primetime. Here it is:

 

The Time is Now

 

By Todd Martin

 

When TNA Wrestling began, few gave it any chance to succeed. There were too many obstacles in its path, and the biggest question seemed to be how long until the promotion folded. Three and a half years later, just about every obstacle has been removed. TNA has proved its critics wrong just by surviving. Now, with the announcement of a prime time weekly time slot on a major cable network, TNA is on the cusp of true success. There are no more obstacles. There are no more excuses. It is time for TNA to give the public everything it has, and see if it just can’t make it.

 

The initial weekly PPV format was not going to work. The nature of pro wrestling is to build and pay off. The weekly format disrupted that basic dichotomy, and it required customers to invest money not for special events, but for all events. That problem is gone, with monthly PPV events the norm. TNA originally was built mostly around surprise appearances by former stars. Now the promotion is built around a regular roster of talented stars signed to long term deals.

 

The talent level of that roster has also improved. TNA at its inception was built around a host of name wrestlers who had little left to offer, and unknown younger wrestlers. Most of those unmotivated former talents are gone, and replaced with hungrier name talent. Scott Hall, Brian Christopher and the like appeared to view TNA as nothing more than a paycheck. Sting, Christian Cage, Team 3D and Rhino seem much more invested in the product, and their performances reflect that. Talent that wasn’t well known to national audiences now is, such as A.J. Styles, Christopher Daniels, Abyss and America’s Most Wanted. Samoa Joe and Monty Brown seem future superstars in the making. The rest of the card has been loaded with real talent like Chris Sabin, Austin Aries, Alex Shelley and Petey Williams. TNA could still use additional talent, but it has a real core to work with.

 

Perhaps even more important is the turnaround in creative direction. This was the biggest problem for TNA from day one. It felt like clean finishes happened once every three months. The most ridiculous of gimmicks were introduced regularly. The promotion came across as incredibly desperate. Truth be told, the booking was still not very good as recently as a year ago. However, since the implementation of a booking committee in the middle of 2005, the promotion has real direction. The storylines are more compelling, the PPV lineups are better, and the characters are better defined. In short, it is a fresher product.

 

The best product in the world is not going to succeed if it does not have the proper promotional and financial alignment behind it. Luckily, TNA has just that. Panda has shown a real commitment to the promotion, even through the absorption of millions of dollars in losses. It isn’t about to quit on the promotion now. Advantageous business deals have been worked out. Excellent TNA DVDs are widely available, for casual fans to sample the product. Further merchandising and licensing agreements have been arranged. TNA has built a financial infrastructure.

 

This strength is not solely internal. Spike TV is solidly behind the promotion. It has promoted the product more strongly than many expected. It has given the promotion a time slot that shows even greater faith in the product. It has invested capital to acquire Sting, and presumably could assist in the acquisition of additional stars that will establish the promotion to casual wrestling fans.

 

Perhaps the strongest asset TNA has is a secret that has the potential to get out in a major way. TNA presents a drastically superior product to WWE. Wrestling fans have become so accustomed to the mediocrity of WWE wrestling, and the incompetence of WWE booking. TNA is not without its faults, but they are easy to list and correct. Jeff Jarrett needs to be out of the main event picture, they need to better define midcard wrestlers, and they need to slow down the pace of their shows. WWE’s problems couldn’t be contained to ten pages, let alone one such sentence. If TNA is available at a convenient time slot for wrestling fans, rapid growth is not out of the question.

 

TNA can stop worrying about “the big break.” The proper setup is in place. Now TNA simply has to produce the best product possible. Get people to tune into television, and get people to order the PPVs. Establish stars, and get wrestling fans excited about wrestling again. The battle with the rest of the world is over. Now TNA’s primary battle is against itself. Let’s see what they have got.

 

Thoughts?

[Guest SavageRulz]

I posted this in the other thread, but if the discussion is moving here, I figured I'd put it here too:

 

I guess the next question is do they try to load up the primetime debut like they did the first Spike show? The first show will be a few weeks before LockDown, which they're planning a big blowoff show apparently, so they can't hotshot too much. But maybe that's the night Sting returns or this 2nd major star they've been talking too debuts? Thoughts?

 

See that first Spike show I think they got almost perfectly right. They had the big debut of Team 3D which was bound to attract some fans, but they did a great job of introducing some of their key talents who people might not have been so aware of, like AJ and Monty. The Thursday night debut will be interesting, I don't see that they need to change that much this time (whereas they needed to change things a fair bit from the pre Spike shows), but they will want something big. I really have no idea at this point what it'll be but I can imagine there'll be something major lined up, that will hopefully peak interest even more going into the PPV.

[Guest SavageRulz]

Nice article, agree 100% with basically everything the guy's said in it. It really is TNA's time to show the world how much better their current product is than the WWE's. You all watched the Royal Rumble right?

[SuperJerk 0]

I wouldn't be oppossed to a Christian title reign. I think now is a better time than 6 months from now after he's feuded with the likes of bobby roode.

I'd much rather enjoy seeing Christian chase the title for a while. Maybe not six months, but at least 2-3. Get himself even more over before winning it, then turn heel and feud with Sting.

[Guest El Satanico]

April is just two months away, so it's possible for Christian to chase JJ leading to primetime and not win the belt until the ppv before the primetime debut.

 

...but are the fans willing to wait, alittle longer.

[Hunter's Torn Quad 0]

No, but you can bet Jarrett will use that as reasoning to not drop the NWA title.

[TNABaddboi 0]

Saw this in Rick Scalia's Online Onslaught site and thought it'd be good to post here:

 

Heard something interesting: it wasn't so much the 1.1 rating last week that sealed the deal for TNA to make the move.... it was the week before, when the Monday midnight replay (following a UFC special event) did a huge 0.9 rating (and in doing so, was watched by more people than the original airing of the show on Saturday). Spike saw that synergy, saw that TNA held onto a respectable portion of UFC viewers (even with a midnight replay), and figured they needed to keep the two properties together on the schedule. It's not the same if TNA is leading into UFC (as they will on Thursdays), rather than UFC creating the audience for TNA, but keeping the two together can create a sense of "stickiness" for a network that's trying to polish its identity and create a Guys Night where you just tune to Spike and leave it on Spike for 3 hours.

 

Everyone's been crediting the 1.1...hadn't seen much talk about the big replay rating leading to this, but I'd kinda assume both played large roles. Any thoughts?

[SuperJerk 0]

Maybe I'm off the mark here...but how many of the people tuning into the replays didn't watch it on Saturdays? The combined viewership of Saturday night and Monday night's a pretty good chunk of audience, it would seem. Unless I'm totally misinterpreting the ratings, Impact has the potential to score in the 2.0s.

[Dangerous A 0]

While I don't think there is a way to find out if the same people watching the first airing are also watching the replay, I can just tell you that I have never watched the replay. Don't need to. I would never watch a replay of a regular tv show for either TNA or WWE.

[Carnival 0]

No, but you can bet Jarrett will use that as reasoning to not drop the NWA title.

WTF!?!?!

 

He didn't do that last ti...............er....wait

He didn't do it the time befo.........um.

 

I love you Jeff!

[CubbyBr 0]

I definitly agree with everything said in the column. Apiril looks like a big month for them where it will probably be Jeff vs. Sting and Raven's return for the big blowoff to the "controversy in Canada" storyline. One thing that I think would be a good idea, and people might laugh at this but w/e, is to bring in Kevin Nash and make him a color commentator. The guy is entertaining as hell on the mic and he'd add a lot of realism to the show. I remember he used to commentate on Thunder for a little and i used to tune in just to listen to his smartass remarks. They got him under contract and he's not doing anything anyways so why not? What do you guys think?

 

I hope some of the guys rumored to be coming in really do get signed. If they go through with all the signings being rumored like Low Ki, Teddy HArt, Matt Morgan, etc their roster would really start resembling WCW circa 97 which is definitly good.

[TNABaddboi 0]

While I don't think there is a way to find out if the same people watching the first airing are also watching the replay, I can just tell you that I have never watched the replay. Don't need to. I would never watch a replay of a regular tv show for either TNA or WWE.

 

I haven't watched the replay once either....Even if I'm out and don't catch the show on Saturday, I record it and watch it on Sunday morning.

[TheBostonStrangler 0]

I watch the replay every week, so it's definitely a good idea.