| WCW Saturday Night | |
|---|---|
WCW Saturday Night logo (1994 - 2000) |
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| Format | Professional Wrestling |
| Created by | Jim Crockett Promotions / World Championship Wrestling |
| Starring | See World Championship Wrestling alumni |
| Country of origin | |
| Production | |
| Location(s) | WTBS' studios at 1050 Techwood Drive Center Stage Theater, in Atlanta |
| Camera setup | Multicamera setup |
| Running time | 120 minutes per episode |
| Broadcast | |
| Original channel | TBS |
| Picture format | 480i (SDTV) |
| Original run | January 1972 – June 24, 2000 |
| External links | |
| IMDb profile | |
| TV.com summary | |
WCW Saturday Night was the weekly Saturday night TV show on TBS produced by World Championship Wrestling. Professional wrestling, or pro wrestling, is a non-competitive professional Sport, where all matches are scripted by the promotion's booking staff Jim Crockett Promotions was a Professional wrestling promotion owned by Jim Crockett Jr This is a list of professional wrestlers and personalities that performed in World Championship Wrestling from 1991 to 2001. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the WPCH-TV, channel 17 is an independent Television station in Atlanta Georgia, owned by the Turner Broadcasting System subsidiary of Time The multiple-camera setup (aka multiple-camera mode of production is a method of shooting films and television programs TBS is an American Cable television network that shows sports and a variety of programming with a focus on comedy 480i is the shorthand name for a video mode The i, which is sometimes uppercase stands for Interlaced, the 480 for a vertical frame resolution Year 1972 ( MCMLXXII) was a Leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The year 1972 in television involved some significant eventsBelow is a list of Television -related events in 1972. Events 972 - Battle of Cedynia, the first documented victory of Polish forces takes place The year 2000 in television involved some significant eventsBelow is a list of Television -related events in 2000. A television program (US television programme (UK or television show (U TBS is an American Cable television network that shows sports and a variety of programming with a focus on comedy The program existed throughout various incarnations under different names before becoming WCW Saturday Night in 1992. Year 1992 ( MCMXCII) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1992 Gregorian calendar) It ended in 2000. 2000 ( MM) was a Leap year that started on Saturday of the Common Era, in accordance with the Gregorian calendar.
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WCW Saturday Night premiered on April 4, 1992 as the showcase for the company's top talent. Events 1581 - Francis Drake completes a circumnavigation of the world and is knighted by Elizabeth I. The year 1992 in television involved some significant eventsBelow is a list of Television -related events in 1992. It grew out of two previous wrestling programs on TBS - Georgia Championship Wrestling, which began on the station (then known as WTCG-TV) in January 1972 and ran under that name until August 1982, when it became World Championship Wrestling. Georgia Championship Wrestling was a Professional wrestling promotion whose self-titled TV program aired in the 1970s and 1980s on Atlanta Georgia superstation Year 1972 ( MCMLXXII) was a Leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The year 1972 in television involved some significant eventsBelow is a list of Television -related events in 1972. Year 1982 ( MCMLXXXII) was a Common year starting on Friday (link displays the 1982 Gregorian calendar) The year 1982 in television involved some significant eventsBelow is a list of Television -related events in 1982. In addition, there was also a Sunday edition of World Championship Wrestling; however, in later years, Sunday editions became infrequent. Best of World Championship Wrestling (aka Best of Championship Wrestling) was an hour-long Sunday evening edition of TBS' Saturday night In spring of 1988, TBS replaced the Sunday edition with a new Sunday wrestling show called NWA Main Event. The year 1988 in television involved some significant eventsBelow is a list of Television -related events in 1988. WCW Main Event was a televised wrestling program of World Championship Wrestling that aired from 1988 to 1998.
In all of its iterations, WCW Saturday Night would normally air for two hours. During baseball season, however, it would typically air for one hour, to be immediately followed by an Atlanta Braves game.
On Christmas Day of 1971, Georgia Championship Wrestling aired its first show, which was considered a Christmas special, since the rest of the programming didn't air until late January 1972. Braves TBS Baseball or Braves Baseball on TBS was a Major League Baseball broadcast on the TBS ( Turner Broadcasting System The year 1971 in television involved some significant eventsBelow is a list of Television -related events in 1971. Georgia Championship Wrestling was a Professional wrestling promotion whose self-titled TV program aired in the 1970s and 1980s on Atlanta Georgia superstation Year 1972 ( MCMLXXII) was a Leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The year 1972 in television involved some significant eventsBelow is a list of Television -related events in 1972. Beginning in 1972, the promotion switched its television outlet from its longtime home, WQXI-TV (now WXIA) to an upstart UHF station then called WTCG but later renamed WTBS (not yet a superstation, but still owned by Ted Turner; station in Atlanta is now WPCH-TV after being spun off from the national TBS cable channel). WXIA-TV channel 11 is an NBC -affiliated television station in Atlanta Georgia. Robert Edward "Ted" Turner III (born November 19, 1938) is an American Media proprietor and philanthropist. WPCH-TV, channel 17 is an independent Television station in Atlanta Georgia, owned by the Turner Broadcasting System subsidiary of Time TBS is an American Cable television network that shows sports and a variety of programming with a focus on comedy
When WTBS went on satellite in 1976, making the station available to cable systems all across the USA, the renamed Georgia Championship Wrestling became the first NWA promotion to be broadcast nationally. The year 1976 in television involved some significant eventsBelow is a list of Television -related events in 1976 Many of the NWA's regional promoters were unhappy, but promoter Jim Barnett claimed since he was only using Georgia-based wrestlers, that there was no harm. James E Barnett ( June 9, 1924 &ndash September 18, 2004) was a professional wrestling promoter Whether or not Barnett was in fact taking the promotion national is a matter of dispute, some wrestlers, such as Roddy Piper, say that he was in fact doing so, but prevented by fears of crossing organized crime figures involved with the sport. Roderick George Toombs (born April 17, 1954) Career After being expelled from junior high and having a falling out with his father Piper hit the "Crime syndicate" redirects here For the DC Comics group of villains see Crime Syndicate. Throughout the 1970s, Georgia Championship Wrestling was one of the main shows that kept the Superstation alive. [1]
The Georgia Championship Wrestling TV series, hosted by Gordon Solie, was taped before a small (yet enthusiastic), live in-studio audience, as were most pro wrestling TV shows of that era. Jonard Frank Labiak ( January 26 1929 &ndash July 27 2000) better known as Gordon Solie was a Florida -based The show featured wrestling matches, plus melodramatic monologues and inter-character confrontations -- similar to the programming offered by other territories, including the Northeast-based World Wrestling Federation (WWF). The Northeast is a region of the United States. As defined by the U World Wrestling Entertainment Inc ( WWE) is a publicly traded privately controlled integrated media (focusing in Television, Internet,
In 1982, Georgia Championship Wrestling changed its main programming name to World Championship Wrestling. The year 1982 in television involved some significant eventsBelow is a list of Television -related events in 1982. Ted Turner had requested the name change in hopes of giving the wrestling programming on the Superstation a less regional scope. Also, by this point, GCW had been running shows in "neutral" territories like Ohio and Michigan. Ohio ( is a Midwestern state of the United States. As part of the Great Lakes region, Ohio has long been a cultural and geographical crossroads Michigan ( is a Midwestern state of the United States of America. Much like Georgia Championship Wrestling, World Championship Wrestling was taped in Atlanta, Georgia, at WTBS' studios at 1050 Techwood Drive until 1989, when the taping location was moved to the Center Stage Theater, in Atlanta. WPCH-TV, channel 17 is an independent Television station in Atlanta Georgia, owned by the Turner Broadcasting System subsidiary of Time The year 1989 in television involved some significant eventsBelow is a list of Television -related events in 1989.
On July 14, 1984 (a. Black Saturday is the name given by wrestling fans on July 14, 1984, when Vince McMahon and his World Wrestling Federation (WWF Events 1223 - Louis VIII becomes King of France upon the death of his father Philip II of France. The year 1984 in television involved some significant eventsBelow is a list of Television -related events in 1984. k. a. Black Saturday), Vince McMahon, hoping to expand his national reach for his World Wrestling Federation (renamed World Wrestling Entertainment in 2002) promotion, bought the Georgia promotion for $750,000, retaining the World Championship Wrestling monicker. Black Saturday is the name given by wrestling fans on July 14, 1984, when Vince McMahon and his World Wrestling Federation (WWF Vincent Kennedy McMahon (born August 24 1945 popularly known by his Ring name Mr World Wrestling Entertainment Inc ( WWE) is a publicly traded privately controlled integrated media (focusing in Television, Internet, See also 2002 (disambiguation Year 2002 ( MMII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. The United States dollar ( sign: $; code: USD) is the unit of Currency of the United States; it has also been [2] Freddie Miller, an announcer, was the only member of the original Georgia Championship Wrestling on-air cast who did not quit in protest or just get replaced by the new owner. Freddie Miller (1929 – 1992 was a local television personality in Atlanta Georgia, United States, having worked for WXIA-TV in the 1950's'60's
McMahon had underestimated two major factors, however. The first was the differences in tastes between fanbases of different geographical regions. The WWF's soap operaish, "Sports Entertainment" style of wrestling sharply differed from that of GCW's more athletic, "Rasslin'" style. A soap opera is an ongoing episodic work of Fiction, usually broadcast on Television or Radio. Sports entertainment is a type of Spectacle which presents an ostensibly competitive event using a high level of theatrical flourish and extravagant presentation Whereas the Georgia promotion featured an emphasis on in-ring action with talented workers, the WWF show featured a bunch of one-sided "squash" matches. In Professional wrestling, a squash is an extremely short match in which one performer is booked as defeating another easily and quickly not out of luck but due to his overwhelming WWF World Championship Wrestling was mainly used as a recap show, featuring matches which had previously aired on the WWF's main programming venues such as WWF Championship Wrestling and WWF All-Star Wrestling. WWF Championship Wrestling was the original TV show of the World Wrestling Federation. This was despite the fact that McMahon had originally promised WTBS owner Ted Turner to produce original programming for the TBS timeslot in Atlanta. Eventually, the WWF would have in-studio squash matches on the show on an infrequent basis. During this time, the show was co-hosted by Freddie Miller and Gorilla Monsoon, with Monsoon serving as the play-by-play announcer and Miller serving as the ring announcer. Robert James "Gino" Marella ( June 4 1937 - October 6 1999) better known by his Ring name of Gorilla Monsoon
In hopes of appeasing the over 1,000 fans who complained to the Superstation over "Black Saturday", Turner gave Ole Anderson a 7:00 a. Alan Robert Rogowski (born September 22 1942) better known by his Ring name of Ole Anderson, is a retired Professional wrestler m. timeslot so that he could open up Championship Wrestling from Georgia, Inc. The following year, Turner gave Bill Watts' Mid-South Wrestling a one hour timeslot on Sundays. Bill Watts, (born May 5 1939 in Oklahoma City Oklahoma) is a former American Professional wrestler and promoter The Universal Wrestling Federation was owner Bill Watts ' attempt at taking his Mid-South Wrestling promotion to a national level in 1986 This upset Vince McMahon, who thought that his purchase of Georgia Championship Wrestling would give him an exclusive on WTBS. Ted Turner disagreed because he felt that McMahon reneged on the afordmentioned stipulation in the contract to required him to produce a separate weekly program from an Atlanta studio. To put things into proper perspective, Turner figured that if McMahon wasn't going to follow through on the deal, then Bill Watts would.
The decline in ratings for the Saturday evening show, and the fans clamoring for GCW, began to make the WWF's move one that lost the federation money. Nielsen Ratings are audience measurement systems developed by Nielsen Media Research to determine the Audience size and composition of television Also around this time, it is rumored that Ted Turner attempted to purchase the WWF, though Vince McMahon refused to sell. This chain of events and McMahon's refusal to sell to Turner were critical in Turner's later decision to purchase Jim Crockett Promotions and form WCW in its wake. Eventually, McMahon cut his losses and sold the ex-GCW timeslot to Jim Crockett Promotions (JCP) for $1 million in March 1985. Jim Crockett Promotions was a Professional wrestling promotion owned by Jim Crockett Jr The United States dollar ( sign: $; code: USD) is the unit of Currency of the United States; it has also been Year 1985 ( MCMLXXXV) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link displays 1985 Gregorian calendar) The year 1985 in television involved some significant eventsBelow is a list of Television -related events in 1985. Jim Crockett Promotions was a Charlotte, North Carolina-based promotion run by Jim Crockett, Jr. JCP ran National Wrestling Alliance-branded shows in the Mid-Atlantic states. Jim Crockett Jr (born 1944 is a former Professional wrestling promoter and the owner of the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA's Jim Crockett Promotions The National Wrestling Alliance ( NWA) is the largest governing body for a group of independent Professional wrestling promotions and sanctions various NWA The Mid-Atlantic States (also called Middle Atlantic States or simply Mid Atlantic) form one of the nine geographic divisions within the United States that
Crockett's first order of business was to merge his promotion with Championship Wrestling from Georgia. Georgia Championship Wrestling was a Professional wrestling promotion whose self-titled TV program aired in the 1970s and 1980s on Atlanta Georgia superstation This would bring talent from the Mid-Atlantic promotion to CWG's Saturday morning WTBS program and vice versa.
The deal (in which former Georgia Championship Wrestling promoter Jim Barnett helped broker), however, forced the elimination of the Mid-South Wrestling program from the TBS schedule. Ironically, Mid-South Wrestling quickly became the highest-rated program on TBS. Bill Watts had positioned himself to take over the two-hour Saturday block occupied by the WWF. But ultimately JCP became the exclusive wrestling promotion for TBS.
JCP retained the World Championship Wrestling name. Crockett filled the timeslot with two hours of original programming filmed in Ted Turner's Atlanta studios. The program name would also become the promotion's name following the purchase of JCP by Ted Turner in 1988. Year 1988 ( MCMLXXXVIII) was a Leap year starting on Friday (link displays 1988 Gregorian calendar) In addition, the Championship Wrestling from Georgia program would become Championship Wrestling and use the same set as the Crockett-era World Championship Wrestling Saturday evening program.
The February 7, 1987 edition of NWA World Championship Wrestling was a special called Superstars in Supertowns. Events 457 - Leo I becomes emperor of the Byzantine Empire. 1074 - Battle of Montesarchio in which the Prince The year 1987 in television involved some significant eventsBelow is a list of Television -related events in 1987. It promoted the return of Magnum T.A. (who was forced to retire due to a near fatal car accident in October 1986) and opened up with a first-person view of a car driving on the road. Terry Wayne Allen (born June 11 1959 is a Retired Professional wrestler who became famous under the name of Magnum T Terry Wayne Allen (born June 11 1959 is a Retired Professional wrestler who became famous under the name of Magnum T Year 1986 ( MCMLXXXVI) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link displays 1986 Gregorian calendar) Tony Schiavone and David Crockett, dressed in tuxedos, hosted the show which showed different matches from cities like Philadelphia, Atlanta, Los Angeles, and St. Noah Anthony "Tony" Schiavone (born on November 7 1957) (pronounced "sha- VAHN -ee" is a sports radio host and former Professional David Crockett was a Professional wrestling announcer and executive from Charlotte, North Carolina. Louis. The opening contest was Barry Windham vs. Barry Windham (born July 4 1960) is a professional wrestler and the son of wrestler Blackjack Mulligan. Arn Anderson from the Philadelphia Civic Center. Martin Anthony Lunde (born September 20 1958) better known by his Ring name Arn Anderson, is a former American professional wrestler The Philadelphia Civic Center was a complex of five or more buildings evolved out of a series of buildings dedicated to expanding trade which began with the National Export Exhibition in
The November 5, 1988 edition of NWA World Championship Wrestling began with "Nature Boy" Ric Flair cutting a promo and pointing out a large group of Turner executives in the crowd. Events 1499 - Publication of the Catholicon in Treguier ( Brittany) The year 1988 in television involved some significant eventsBelow is a list of Television -related events in 1988. Richard Morgan Fliehr According to WWE and PWI Flair is an eight-time National Wrestling Alliance (NWA Champion, six-time WCW Champion This was a subtle nod to Ted Turner purchasing Jim Crockett Promotions. This can be considered the first World Championship Wrestling, Inc. (Turner's name for the company) program. On the same program, the infamous Jim Cornette-Paul E. Dangerously feud took place as their versions of the Midnight Express went into a brief, but intense feud that would last until February 1989.
As previously mentioned, World Championship Wrestling would be renamed WCW Saturday Night on April 4, 1992. Events 1581 - Francis Drake completes a circumnavigation of the world and is knighted by Elizabeth I. The year 1992 in television involved some significant eventsBelow is a list of Television -related events in 1992. This reflected an overhauled look and a new home studio-arena at the CNN Center. The CNN Center is the world headquarters of the Cable News Network (CNN The show featured a hi-tech, futuristic design with a unique entry way of slide-open doors and billowing smoke as the performers made their way to the ring. High tech is Technology that is at the cutting edge —the most advanced technology currently available The future is commonly understood to contain all events that have yet to occur
When the show originally premiered, it was hosted by Jim Ross[3] and Jesse Ventura[4]. James William "Jim" Ross (born January 3 1952 in Fort Bragg California He is known affectionately as "good ol'" J Jesse Ventura (born July 15, 1951 as James George Janos) also known as "The Body", "The Star", and "The In later years, Tony Schiavone[5], Bobby Heenan[6], Larry Zbyszko, Dusty Rhodes (who affectionately referred to Saturday Night as "The Mothership"), Gene Okerlund, Scott Hudson, Mike Tenay, and Lee Marshall handled the show's announcing duties and backstage interviews. Noah Anthony "Tony" Schiavone (born on November 7 1957) (pronounced "sha- VAHN -ee" is a sports radio host and former Professional Raymond Louis Heenan (born November 1, 1944) better known as Bobby "The Brain" Heenan, is a former American Professional Lawrence (Larry Whistler (born December 5 1953 is a professional wrestler, better known by his Ring name, Larry Zbyszko. Virgil Riley Runnels Jr (born on October 12 1945) better known as "The American Dream" Dusty Rhodes, is a semi-retired American Eugene "Mean Gene" Okerlund (born November 29 1942) is a semi-retired American Professional wrestling Interviewer Raymond Scott Hudson is a professor of Electrical engineering and Computer science at Washington State University. Mike Tenay (born February 28, 1956, in Los Angeles California) is a Professional wrestling play-by-play announcer. Lee Marshall is a Professional wrestling announcer formerly of the American Wrestling Association (AWA
In the summer of 1996, WCW Saturday Night was taped at WCW Pro's Disney-MGM Studios set in Orlando, Florida due to all of Turner's mobile production units being used by other broadcasters for the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta. The year 1996 in television involved some significant eventsBelow is a list of Television -related events in 1996. WCW Pro was a televised wrestling show presented by World Championship Wrestling. Disney's Hollywood Studios is a Theme park at the Walt Disney World Resort. Orlando is a major City in central Florida, USA and is the County seat of Orange County Florida. The 1996 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXVI Olympiad and unofficially known as the Centennial Olympics, were an International
The nWo (New World Order) did their own version of WCW Saturday Night in late 1996 called nWo Saturday Night. The New World Order (commonly known as the nWo, the official typeset in the Logo) was a Professional wrestling stable that originally wrestled The year 1996 in television involved some significant eventsBelow is a list of Television -related events in 1996.
Episodes of WCW Saturday Night were usually filmed well in advance, with the exception of three live editions.
WCW Saturday Night aired three live shows in its history. The first one aired July 10, 1994. Events 48 BC - Battle of Dyrrhachium, Julius Caesar barely avoids a catastrophic defeat to Pompey in Macedonia. The year 1994 in television involved some significant eventsBelow is a list of Television -related events in 1994. Sting wrestled Ric Flair as voted on by fans. Richard Morgan Fliehr According to WWE and PWI Flair is an eight-time National Wrestling Alliance (NWA Champion, six-time WCW Champion Hulk Hogan made his first in-studio appearance, and he and Sting were attacked by Sherri Martel in drag. Terrance "Terry" Gene Bollea (born August 11 1953 better known by his Ring name Hulk Hogan, is an American Actor, and retired professional Sherri Schrull (born Sherri Russell) ( February 8 1958 – June 15 2007) was an American professional wrestler
The second aired from downtown Charlotte, North Carolina, on May 27, 1995. Events 927 - Simeon the Great, Tsar of Bulgaria, dies 1120 - Richard III of Capua is anointed The year 1995 in television involved some significant eventsBelow is a list of Television -related events in 1995. It started raining halfway through the show, causing the ring mat to become slippery at times.
The third live airing took place on August 10, 1996, from the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in Sturgis, South Dakota. Events 612 BC - Killing of Sinsharishkun, King of Assyrian Empire The year 1996 in television involved some significant eventsBelow is a list of Television -related events in 1996. The Sturgis Motorcycle Rally is an American Motorcycle rally held annually in Sturgis, South Dakota each first Sturgis is a city in Meade County, South Dakota, United States. The show took place right before the Hog Wild pay-per-view event, which was held on a Saturday night instead of the usual Sunday night slot for WCW pay-per-views. Pay-per-view (often abbreviated PPV) is the system in which Television viewers can purchase events to be seen on TV and pay for the private telecast of that event Hence, WCW Saturday Night was used as a lead-in to the pay-per-view show, much like WCW Main Event was used as a lead-in for Sunday pay-per-views until 1996. WCW Main Event was a televised wrestling program of World Championship Wrestling that aired from 1988 to 1998. Year 1996 ( MCMXCVI) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display full 1996 Gregorian calendar)
When WCW introduced live programs Monday Nitro and Thunder, Saturday Night became WCW's "C-show" (like WWE's Sunday Night Heat after SmackDown!'s introduction). "Live TV" redirects here For the British TV station formerly known by this name see L!VE TV. WCW Monday Nitro was a weekly Professional wrestling program produced by World Championship Wrestling. WCW Thunder was a Professional wrestling show produced by World Championship Wrestling which aired on TBS from January 8 WWE Heat (formerly known as WWE Sunday Night Heat and capitalized as WWE HEAT) was a Professional wrestling show for WWE Friday Night SmackDown is a Professional wrestling Television program for World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE that is currently airing The majority of airtime would be used to display up-and-comers and recent graduates of the WCW Power Plant (with the occasional squash match) as well recapping the major events of the other shows. The WCW Power Plant was a Professional wrestling school located in Atlanta and owned and operated by World Championship Wrestling. In Professional wrestling, a squash is an extremely short match in which one performer is booked as defeating another easily and quickly not out of luck but due to his overwhelming The main event would often feature mid-card performers such as the current Cruiserweight Champion, World Television Champion, or U.S. Heavyweight Champion in a non-title match. The World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE Cruiserweight Championship was a Professional wrestling championship in World Wrestling Entertainment and was The World Championship Wrestling (WCW World Television Championship was one of the more unusual belts in the history of wrestling as the championship (with rare exceptions could The World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE United States Championship is a Professional wrestling championship in World Wrestling Entertainment. Hudson, Tenay, and Marshall manned commentating and interviewing duties throughout this period.
In July 2000, the name of the show was changed to WCW Saturday Morning, which coincided with a change to an earlier timeslot and a new format: rather than feature new matches, Saturday Morning simply recapped the past week's Monday Nitro and Thunder. July 2000: January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August - September The year 2000 in television involved some significant eventsBelow is a list of Television -related events in 2000. On June 24, 2000, WCW Saturday Night aired for the last time. Events 972 - Battle of Cedynia, the first documented victory of Polish forces takes place The year 2000 in television involved some significant eventsBelow is a list of Television -related events in 2000. The last episode of Saturday Morning aired on August 19, 2000. Events 43 BC - Octavian, later known as Augustus compels the Roman Senate to elect him Consul. The year 2000 in television involved some significant eventsBelow is a list of Television -related events in 2000.