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WWE Executive Bruce Prichard has opened up on WWE SmackDown's move from Thursday to Friday Nights on UPN in 2005.
Previously, SmackDown had always been taped on a Tuesday night and broadcast on Thursday nights since it's debut in 1999. However, beginning with the September 9, 2005 episode, SmackDown was moved to a Friday Night time slot and renamed "Friday Night SmackDown".
During a recent episode of Bruce Prichard's "Something To Wrestle With" podcast, the current Executive Director of Monday Night RAW and Friday Night SmackDown admitted that there were some challenges associated with moving the blue brand from a Thursday time-slot to a Friday time-slot, especially during the summer months in 2005:
"I think if you had your choice, I'm not sure that Friday night would be your first or your second choice some nights of the week to put a live television show on. So yeah, it's challenging, It's definitely challenging when you get into the summer and nicer weather. People are staying out more and going out more, so it's challenging to say the least." (h/t Wrestling INC)
Friday Night Smackdown aligning with the network's wishes
Continuing to discuss SmackDown's move to Friday Nights on UPN in 2005, Bruce Prichard revealed the driving force behind SmackDown's time-slot change.
The former Brother Love admitted that despite circumstances not being ideal, it was important to align with the network's wishes and attempt to bring an audience to Friday nights that had not been watching the network previously during that time-slot:
"However, you got to do what the networks want you to do and you need to make moves that align with your network, and sometimes they are looking at you to be able to fill that void and hopefully bring an audience that wouldn't necessarily normally be watching television on a Friday night to that night of the week to watch TV." (h/t Wrestling INC)
What are your favourite memories of SmackDown's move to Friday Nights in 2005?
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