ECW Hardcore TV
Opening Theme:
- "Closer" / "Thunderkiss '65" mix by Nine Inch Nails & White Zombie (1994-1997)
- "This Is Extreme!" by Harry Slash & The Slashtones (1997-2000)
Number of Episodes: 401
Executive Producer: Paul Heyman (September 1993-December 2000)
Production locations: ECW Arena, South Philadelphia, Burt Flickinger Center, Buffalo NY
Production locations: ECW Arena, South Philadelphia, Burt Flickinger Center, Buffalo NY
Running Time: 58 minutes (with commercials)
Network: Syndicated
ECW Hardcore TV was a syndicated wrestling program by the Philadelphia based promotion Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) composed of footage from live events and recorded interviews. It ran in syndication from April 6th, 1993 to December 31st, 2000.
Even after ECW gained a nationally-available television program on TNN, Hardcore TV was still considered to be ECW's flagship program. The rights to the show now belong to the WWE. The show was voted as Best Weekly Television Show in the 1994, 1995 and 1996 Wrestling Observer Newsletter Awards.
ECW Hardcore TV was edited from footage of ECW's live events from the ECW Arena and other events. It included backstage promos and vignettes, which were not shown to the live crowd or included on home video releases of the events. A segment called Hype Central advertised upcoming events and ECW merchandise in a tongue in cheek manner.
Music videos from major musical acts were sometimes show, interspersed with footage detailing the history of current feuds, as well as spectacular spots. Frequently, the ending of the show would feature a montage of several different promos, with Dick Dale's cover version of "Misirlou" as background music. These became known as "Pulp Fiction" promos. The purpose of these promos was to maximize the show's limited airtime in order to keep fans up to date with current wrestling storylines.
In keeping with ECW's unconventional approach, episodes were not structured with a build toward a main event as with typical professional wrestling programming. Any given week's program could feature any number of matches or match type. Owner/producer Paul Heyman's intent was to keep things fresh by providing variety for the viewers.
Censorship and Content:
Hardcore TV showed graphic violence (including blood), sexual frankness, and harsh language, all of which were key elements of the ECW product itself. Due to the late night time slots, expletives and violence were not edited from early broadcasts, and this helped to get ECW noticed. After the ECW on TNN program became available, this was a major difference between the syndicated Hardcore TV and the more mainstream program on TNN.
Broadcast History:
Philadelphia Market:
Hardcore TV aired in permanent time slots in ECW's home territories of Philadelhia and New York City, and was also syndicated. Shows were broadcast on a Philadelphia local cable sports station, SportsChannel America's local affiliate, SportsChannel Philadelphia, on Tuesday evenings at 6 PM until January 9th, 1997 when the show moved to Thursdays at 11 PM. In April 1996, the ECW SportsChannel airings were upgraded to 6 PM and 11 PM on Tuesdays, with a late-night Friday replay at 2 AM. After SportsChannel Philadelphia went off the air in 1997, the show moved to WPPX-TV 61 on Wednesdays at 9 PM. It later moved to a former independent broadcast station, WGTW 48 in Philadelphia, on late Friday or Saturday night broadcasts.
Chicago/Northeast Indiana Market:
In the Chicago and Northeast Indiana market, the show traded back and forth among WCIU 26 on Saturdays, and UPN station WPWR 50, broadcast in both Chicago and Gary, on Friday nights, a week behind. Meanwhile, KBS Chicago (a Korean station that also carried Big Japan shows at midnight) broadcast Hardcore TV on Friday nights.
Orlando Market:
WRBW in Orlando aired Hardcore TV in a very late night timeslot on Saturdays. Also, WNFM (then known as WSWF), a cable only WB affiliate in Fort Myers, aired Hardcore TV in a primetime slot on Saturday nights. The rest of Florida got Hardcore TV on regional sports network the Sunshine Network very late on Friday nights. WRBW invoked syndex, meaning ECW was blacked out in the Orlando market on Sunshine.
New York Area:
Beginning on January 7th, 1995, ECW Hardcore TV aired on the MSG Network in New York City and the surrounding area at 1 AM (late Friday night/early Saturday morning). Empire Sports Network (western NY) and WBGT-LP (Rochester) also carried the show.
Pittsburgh Market:
WPTT-TV in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania aired Hardcore TV late on Saturday nights.
Other Markets in the United States:
Shows were aired on KJLA in Los Angeles on Saturday nights, WUNI in Worcester-Boston very late on Friday nights, WBVC TV-61 in Traverse City, Michigan late Friday nights, WUCT TV-52 in Dayton, Ohio, The Cat in Cleveland and Akron, Ohio late Friday nights, WPEN in Hampton Roads, Virginia on Saturday evenings, and WGMB Fox 44 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana on Saturday afternoons and late night. It also aired very late on Friday nights on KTSF TV-26 in San Francisco, California, on Fridays at 11 on KGMC 43 in Fresno, California, KCNG-TV and UPN25 in Las Vegas, Nevada at 1 pm on Saturdays and on SportsSouth in Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee, Kentucky, North Carolina and South Carolina.
Online Streaming:
Episodes are now available for viewing on Peacock in the United States and WWE Network internationally.
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