The show’s been on several channels over the years but there’s still no sign that Friday Night Smackdown is going away any time soon. The wrestling series was previously seen on UPN, The CW, MyNetworkTV, and is now on Syfy (of all places) and the show remains very popular. The series is about to have a big milestone, surpassing Lassie.
Here are the details…
“FRIDAY NIGHT SMACKDOWN” WILL SURPASS LASSIE IN TOTAL WEEKLY EPISODES — THIRD MOST IN TV HISTORY — WHEN 600TH TELECAST AIRS FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 18 ON SYFY
Syfy and WWE Celebrate with 12 Man Tag Team Match at 8PM (ET/PT)
NEW YORK – February 16, 2011 – After more than a decade on television, Friday Night SmackDown will reach its milestone 600th episode this Friday, February 18, at 8 PM (ET/PT) on Syfy, moving past Lassie into third place for the most weekly episodic programs in TV history. SmackDown also has aired more total episodes than iconic television shows such as The Simpsons, Married With Children and Law & Order.
For the first time ever on SmackDown, a 12 man tag team main event combining Monday Night Raw and Friday Night SmackDown Superstars, will make the 600th episode an historic night.
The main event will feature WWE Superstars:
– John Cena – CM Punk
– Rey Mysterio – Sheamus
– R-Truth VS. – Drew McIntyre
– Edge – Dolph Ziggler
– John Morrison – Wade Barrett
– Randy Orton – KaneFriday Night SmackDown debuted on August 26, 1999 and has been watched more than 2.7 billion times by viewers in the U.S. It is seen in 79 countries internationally and airs in 22 languages.
About Syfy
Syfy is a media destination for imagination-based entertainment. With year round acclaimed original series, events, blockbuster movies, classic science fiction and fantasy programming, a dynamic Web site (www.Syfy.com), and a portfolio of adjacent business (Syfy Ventures), Syfy is a passport to limitless possibilities. Originally launched in 1992 as SCI FI Channel, and currently in more than 98 million homes, Syfy is a network of NBCUniversal, one of the world’s leading media and entertainment companies. (Syfy. Imagine greater.)About WWE, Inc.
World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc., a publicly traded company (NYSE: WWE), is an integrated media organization and recognized leader in global entertainment. The company consists of a portfolio of businesses that create and deliver original content 52 weeks a year to a global audience. WWE is committed to family-friendly, PG content across all of its platforms including television programming, pay-per-view, digital media and publishing. WWE programming is broadcast in more than 145 countries and 30 languages and reaches more than 500 million homes worldwide. The company is headquartered in Stamford, Conn., with offices in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, London, Shanghai, Singapore, Tokyo, Toronto and Mexico City. Additional information on World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. (NYSE: WWE) can be found at wwe.com and corporate.wwe.com. For information on our global activities, go to http://www.wwe.com/worldwide/.
If the show is still very popular, why has it been moved from the CW to Syfy? Is Syfy still bringing in the ratings that the show had on the CW?
From what I remember reading it was because even though it had good ratings, CW thought that the viewers weren’t interested in any of the other CW programming and were tuning in and then right out just for SmackDown.
A sad milestone and a sadder reflection on our society.
I can’t believe that choreographed crap has an audience. Pathetic….right up there with reality TV.
Wrestling has been around for a very long time, it’s nothing new. This reality show stuff is a semi recent fad that hopefully will die off soon. You have to actually have some talent and athletic ability to be a pro-wrestler, the same can’t be said for the cast of Jersey Shore.