WWE Raw: Why the Three-Hour Timeslot Must Be Killed off Immediately

Let’s be honest: Monday Night Raw, WWE’s flagship show, is in a bit of a state right now.

John Cena, the show’s top star, is out of commission as he recovers from elbow surgery. Heavily pushed WWE Champion CM Punk has failed to be a suitable replacement—he may satisfy and entertain the base, but has failed to connect with a wider audience.

He’s not helped by Raw’s muddled and convoluted storyline direction—why was AJ Lee replaced as GM of Raw for “fraternizing with talent” when her replacement, Vickie Guerrero, is also famous for dating performers?

Why was Cena so happy to see Ryback get the title shot against CM Punk at Hell in a Cell when he’s spent the best part of a month talking about how eager he was to get that spot?

These problems are all hugely significant. However, the main issue may be that Raw is currently burdened by an unworkable three-hour format that is stretching the resources of Vince McMahon and his staff to breaking point.

Oh, sure, when the move was announced back in May, there were ways of justifying it. The extra time would give the company more time to pace out and develop storylines.

It also would give the booking team more time showcase under-utilized stars like Zack Ryder and Jack Swagger who would, in theory, have more exposure with the new format.

Of course, three months into this, and things haven’t quite worked out that way. Indeed, the likes of Ryder and Swagger as are over-looked and misused as ever.

Rather than spending the extra time on younger stars, the company has instead squandered it on useless recap segments, endless backstage skits and promoting social media giants Twitter and YouTube.

The creative process wasn’t helped at all by the additional time, either; Raw’s storylines feel as rushed and erratic as ever.

On paper, the only real advantage looks to be the extra cash the USA Network, which broadcasts Raw, is paying them for the third hour. This figure has yet to come out, but will presumably be revealed in the next stockholders’ meeting.

However, regardless of how financially lucrative the deal is short-term, it remains to be seen whether the deal is worth it when it’s sapping so much energy and enthusiasm from their main show.

Raw truly does feel like a marathon to get through these days, something the ratings trend would back up and as PWTorch recently noted—fans are tuning out for the third hour in droves. People just don’t want to stick around for that last hour.

So thanks to this format and stiff competition from Monday Night Football, ratings are plummeting (the 2.5 rating for the Oct. 1 edition was an absolute disaster). Long-term head writer Brian Gerwitz is gone, as owner Vince McMahon desperately tries to turn the ship around. As some reports say, others may be on their way out.

Unsurprisingly, a beleaguered Vince is apparently demanding changes from his staff—reportedly warning them that he wants “results or resignations.” It’s all very dramatic, of course and Vince is essentially correct to think that the creative team could be a lot more efficient than it is.

However, he may want to look to the strenuous three-hour format for the real root of the problems instead—hopefully sooner rather than later.