Dewar Posted July 14, 2017 Share Posted July 14, 2017 That's brutal re: Talking Smack. Low cost, actually interesting network content and they cancel it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cristobal Posted July 14, 2017 Share Posted July 14, 2017 They set up a table and a studio setting, film a 25 minute live show, then break it down. All talent used is already under contract. That's gotta take so few man-hours I can't imagine the cost is anything but marginal. I don't get this at all. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eivion Posted July 14, 2017 Share Posted July 14, 2017 That is a shame to hear about Talking Smack. It was something a bit different that helped it stand out from Raw and gave the talent another place to showcase. Unless the ratings for it were just terrible I don't see why they shutting it down to post-ppv only. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RIPPA Posted July 14, 2017 Author Share Posted July 14, 2017 Per Pro Wrestling Sheet Quote WWE released a statement saying, “We continuously review WWE Network’s programming based on a variety of factors, including viewership and subscriber research. Talking Smack and Raw Talk will air following pay-per-view events, and Tuesday will continue to feature 205 Live.“ So either they are claiming no one watched Talking Smack (which is horse shit) or they were getting so many complaints about not having RAW Talk every week that their choice was to just cancel Talking Smack 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hammerva Posted July 14, 2017 Share Posted July 14, 2017 The only complaints they should have had with RAW Talk was that it was actually on. Especially when Lawler was there because it was like the anti-Talking Smack 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RIPPA Posted July 14, 2017 Author Share Posted July 14, 2017 Well I wouldn't be surprised if there were internal complaints from guys on the RAW side Because when you have people like Baron Corbin saying that he doesn't have to do scripted promos anymore because folks saw he can handle himself via Talking Smack - you have to figure some RAW guys were jealous Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChesterCopperpot Posted July 14, 2017 Share Posted July 14, 2017 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HumanChessgame Posted July 14, 2017 Share Posted July 14, 2017 I wonder if some of the higher ups (or other workers who were on Raw/not featured much on TS) complained about the kayfabe-breaking and shooty, unscripted stuff that may have rubbed other people the wrong way. That's hard to believe considering that Ride Along and several other shows have people doing stuff out of character though. I also wonder if maybe Bryan was finding it hard to fit into his schedule and couldn't do it anymore (and it was nowhere near as good when it wasn't he and Renee). He seemed to genuinely enjoy being there so that's also a bit hard to buy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clintthecrippler Posted July 14, 2017 Share Posted July 14, 2017 I would also be curious what viewership numbers for Talking Smack were like compared to before and after 205 Live debuted. I wouldn't be surprised if the failure of 205 Live caused people to not want to bother with Talking Smack an hour later, whereas before if Smackdown ended with a hot angle there is more urgency to turn over to the WWE Network "right now!" for the follow up on Talking Smack. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChesterCopperpot Posted July 14, 2017 Share Posted July 14, 2017 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zakk_Sabbath Posted July 14, 2017 Share Posted July 14, 2017 I loved talking smack but at that point you're talking about a 7th hour of WWE in two days so it didn't get a lot of play in my house once the time slot was changed to make way for 205. Plus I never went back and watched them the next day because all the great promos and funny moments would all be up on Reddit or somewhere. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NikoBaltimore Posted July 14, 2017 Share Posted July 14, 2017 1 hour ago, clintthecrippler said: I would also be curious what viewership numbers for Talking Smack were like compared to before and after 205 Live debuted. I wouldn't be surprised if the failure of 205 Live caused people to not want to bother with Talking Smack an hour later, whereas before if Smackdown ended with a hot angle there is more urgency to turn over to the WWE Network "right now!" for the follow up on Talking Smack. Checking the recent Observer it was the 18th most watched which surprised me because I thought it was higher. I'm going to miss Talking Smack a ton. Bryan and Renee were spectacular together and Bryan's dorkiness was funny and oddly charming. The wrestlers had a no-pressure chance to talk freeform and see what works and what doesn't. Many did pretty damn well for themselves like Baron, and the Miz/Bryan feud was one of the most talked about segments in WWE TV for quite some time. It brought the seriousness when need be, but watching a light-hearted episode talking about a fun Smackdown episode made for a damn good time. I know there's the post-PPV shows, but those better be damn good to make up for it. And hopefully they'll still have just Bryan and Renee, no Shane or especially JBL. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RIPPA Posted July 14, 2017 Author Share Posted July 14, 2017 Right when the news came out I check and it was the 5th highest for the week. But that being said - if you kind look at the various hash tags right now a lot of people are saying the stopped watching when it got moved a hour later Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RIPPA Posted July 14, 2017 Author Share Posted July 14, 2017 Alvarez is insistent that the only reason it was cancelled is because no one was watching it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Niners Fan in CT Posted July 14, 2017 Share Posted July 14, 2017 I admit I stopped watching because of the time change. I don't watch 205 Live either. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Casey Posted July 14, 2017 Share Posted July 14, 2017 Then why the fuck is 205 Live not cancelled?! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Niners Fan in CT Posted July 14, 2017 Share Posted July 14, 2017 1 minute ago, Casey said: Then why the fuck is 205 Live not cancelled?! To undermine Hunter's guys I imagine Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RIPPA Posted July 14, 2017 Author Share Posted July 14, 2017 Well the argument was that for the time being 205 Live has more eyeballs (such as it might be) and it is utilizing under contract guys in the ring I mean no one watches Main Event but they keep doing it for contractual reasons. Again this was Alvarez - I will put more faith in it when Dave chimes in - but he said that someone basically told him that 205 Live will be gone by the end of the year too if things don't change Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Casey Posted July 14, 2017 Share Posted July 14, 2017 Last I heard, 205 Live was near the bottom of the Top 25 shows watched on the Network. I'm pretty sure Dave himself even said that. That was a few months ago, but still. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Black Angel Posted July 15, 2017 Share Posted July 15, 2017 Translation: WWE Writers: "Hey the SD roster is cutting better promos on Talking Smack. Much better than the promos we write." Vince: "Well it's time to cancel that shit then." 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mattdangerously Posted July 15, 2017 Share Posted July 15, 2017 FFS, the Network is on demand content. You know you can watch it whenever you want, right? That "it's an hour later now" shit is weak. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Sweetser Posted July 15, 2017 Share Posted July 15, 2017 I would imagine that the vast majority of the Network's content gets his greatest number of viewers on its original airing, and it's diminishing returns from that point on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sydneybrown Posted July 15, 2017 Share Posted July 15, 2017 Dave lists the most watched Network shows every week. Talking Smack rarely ever cracks the top 10. Hell, one week a Bash at the Beach 1992 airing somehow scored more viewers. And 205 Live is dead in the water because those numbers are even worse. Meanwhile, a new Table for 3 is almost ALWAYS in the top 5. Even week-old Tables destroy Smackdown Live. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
piranesi Posted July 15, 2017 Share Posted July 15, 2017 Can anyone explain why Enzo can't just be a weird funny manager with a menagerie of cartoon goofballs involved in different random midcard feuds? I mean Albano was a shitty worker once too, right? 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Niners Fan in CT Posted July 15, 2017 Share Posted July 15, 2017 3 hours ago, mattdangerously said: FFS, the Network is on demand content. You know you can watch it whenever you want, right? That "it's an hour later now" shit is weak. I get what you're saying but I'd watch SDL and then thrown on the network to watch the aftermath right away. Then I gave 205 Live a chance and while i did like some of the stuff I was seeing, most of it bored me. So then I'm in a position where I'm waiting an hour for Talking Smack. Eventually I gave up on both. I could watch it Wednesday but I watch NXT when I can. It just gets to the point where I forget about Talking Smack now and it's due to the hour change. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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