Trivia / WWE SmackDown

• Channel Hop: UPN -> The CW -> MyNetworkTV -> Syfy -> USA Network -> Fox.
  • During the Fox run, FS1 (which airs reruns of SmackDown on Tuesday nights) would air the series in lieu of Fox whenever the parent network was busy broadcasting the MLB World Series or the Pac 12 Championship.
• Contractual Obligation Project: Its run on The CW is this. UPN had renewed the series for two more seasons before the announcement that the network would merge with The WB, which meant that the successor network would be stuck with it for at least two years before they dropped it.
• Dueling Works: With WCW Thunder when it first aired. Later, with Raw in kayfabe.
• Executive Meddling: Part of why SmackDown was somewhat censored after some weeks of originally debuting in 1999 was because of the Parents Television Council seemly targeting the show. The PTC led a very hard fought campaign to have sponsors pull advertising dollars from the show, citing the infamous Lionel Tate case. Though they could've went after ANY show WWE produced, because of the PTC's influence on network television at the time (and the stigma of what they thought network television should be along with the FCC^note The FCC's rules on network television do not apply to cable television. being somewhat in their back pocket), they seemed to only focus on SmackDown. Didn't help the PTC, though, that several companies they did cite as no longer sponsoring the WWE either didn't sponsor them at all, their real reasons didn't fit what the PTC said they were, or never did cease sponsorship.
• Long-Runners: It's been airing since 1999.
• Long-Runner Cast Turnover: With a show that is 22 years old, and with the wrestling business being what it is, this is kind of a given.
• Milestone Celebration: SmackDown's 20th Anniversary on October 4, 2019, which coincided with its Channel Hop from USA Network to Fox.
• Real Song Theme Tune:
  • Marilyn Manson provided the theme song "The Beautiful People" for the blue brand (which was originally used for Raw when it became Raw is War before legal issues arose).
  • Drowning Pool wrote the song "Rise Up" for SmackDown, and the song was used from 2004 to 2008. The theme had various lead singers due to Drowning Pool's Revolving door of lead singers.
  • For SmackDown's tenth anniversary, Divide the Day provided "Let It Roll".
  • When the show moved to Syfy, the theme became "Know Your Enemy" from Green Day. Bumpers used "Hangman" from Rev Theory.
  • From October 4th, 2019 to October 14, 2022, AC/DC provided the theme "Are You Ready".
  • Although later demoted to bumpers, SmackDown used "Born 2 Run" from Seven Lions between 2012 and 2014.
• Screwed by the Network:
  • Surprisingly averted. UPN, upset over WWE returning the broadcast rights of sister program WWE Raw to USA Network from Spike TV (which was owned by UPN's parent Viacom), tried to sabotage SmackDown by shafting it to the Friday Night Death Slot from Thursday nights. WWE, however, got a few tricks up their sleeve and began promoting the series as Friday Night SmackDown, which not only prevented any major ratings drops, but it made it one of the few programs that were carried on to UPN's successor network, The CW, who broadcast the series for another two years (likely for contractual reasons) before the jump to MyNetworkTV.
  • Another aversion, but at the expense of another organization: Fox took the broadcasting rights to SmackDown at the expense of their previous deal with sports organization Ultimate Fighting Championship, whom they snubbed out of belief they couldn't market that organization effectively to audiences under the seven years broadcasting their fights. The snub gave ESPN the perfect opportunity to bolster their streaming service with UFC fights, in addition to replacing Fox as the UFC's media partner.
  • In an example of Screwed by the Affiliate, Fox affiliates that air NFL preseason games for their local team preempt the show to midnight, unless they're part of a duopoly with a MyNetworkTV or independent affiliate.
• Short Run in Peru: During the show's taped days, SmackDown aired in countries such as Australia, the Philippines, India, the UK, Ireland and Canada before it reached the U.S. due to time zone differences.