WWE SmackDown Moving to Thursdays Is First Step in Revitalizing the Show

WWE SmackDown is returning home, sliding from Friday to Thursday nights.

The move is sure to boost ratings and have fans flashing back to the show's glory days, but it's not a cure-all. There's still work to be done to have SmackDown feel like more than a watered-down Raw. The show is still in need of SmackDown-specific stories, bigger moments and unique matches.

Pushing back SmackDown a day is a great start, though.

After months of rumors, WWE officially announced on Thursday that it would be making the switch:

Suddenly, one doesn't have to choose between kicking off the weekend by going out or settling in on the couch for clotheslines and superkicks. SmackDown moves away from a spot often dubbed the "Friday Night Death Slot," a move likely to increase viewership based on schedule alone.

Preston Beckman, Fox’s executive vice president of strategic program planning, told told Adweek that "Friday is a definite challenge for many reasons."

It's a challenge WWE won't be facing starting in January. Challenges related to WWE's creative direction now await.

SmackDown's Own Stories

With the dissolution of the brand split, SmackDown has become an extension of Raw rather than its own entity. The company's big rivalries and title chases begin on Mondays. SmackDown then provides a follow-up broadcast.

There aren't enough angles that exist solely on SmackDown. As a result, if a fan decides to skip SmackDown, it's not really a big deal. Once Raw airs, Michael Cole and company will catch you up on what happened on Friday.

Take the Halloween edition of SmackDown, for example.

The show featured a Miz TV segment where Mark Henry explained why he attacked Big Show on Raw. Bray Wyatt sent a message to Dean Ambrose in response to The Lunatic Fringe calling him out on Monday night. Dolph Ziggler's troubles with The Authority from Raw spilled over onto SmackDown.

Examples of a narrative continuing like these help build toward big matches and tie two of WWE's shows together. That's a great move in some cases. It's just that there's no feeling that SmackDown is special. 

Having a SmackDown-only story or two compels fans to tune in.

Just as WWE touts network-exclusive programs by saying, "You can only see it on the WWE Network," the company can do the same for SmackDown.

Rusev can issue open challenges for his newly won U.S. title. Ryback can look to stretch his latest undefeated streak. Luke Harper's emergence as a solitary monster can occur on Fridays.

If those narratives unfold on SmackDown alone, it's an incentive to add the show to one's weekly TV routine. 

Craft More Memorable Moments

SmackDown's recent 15th anniversary had fans reflecting on all of the show's biggest surprises and lasting images. Not often have those come in the last five or six years.

WWE recently produced a compilation of SmackDown's highlights over the years. Note how few of them occurred between 2009 and 2014.

Cody Rhodes flinging Damien Sandow's Money in the Bank briefcase is on that list, but what else? In the clip we see Rhyno goring Chris Jericho (2001), the ring collapsing under the weight of Brock Lesnar and Big Show (2003) and Eddie Guerrero leaping off the top of a steel cage (2004).

Those moments don't come SmackDown's way anymore. When there's a big return to be had or new Superstars debuting, they do it on Raw.

Paige, Rusev, Adam Rose, Emma and Xavier Woods all made their way from NXT via Raw first. Why not have a few of those newcomers make their first main-roster appearances on SmackDown?

Having the majority of WWE's surprise guests, celebrities and newcomers from NXT come to Raw leaves SmackDown feeling unimportant.

There's an exciting energy surrounding Raw. Anything can happen. Anyone can show up.

That's not true for SmackDown and hasn't been in years.

Stop the Echoing 

The motto for SmackDown should be: "If you miss it on Friday, don't worry. We'll just repeat it on Monday anyway."

Rather than SmackDown having matches unique to the show, WWE continually has the same combination of foes wrestle just a few nights later. That's where SmackDown's feeling of being special suffers the most.

On Halloween night, Ziggler battled Kane on SmackDown. He had just faced him on the Oct. 27 edition of Raw. AJ Lee and Alicia Fox went on a run where they seemed to go to battle every time WWE went on the air.

• Oct. 10, SmackDown
• Oct. 20, Raw
• Oct. 24, SmackDown
• Oct. 27, Raw

Those examples aren't quite as egregious compared to when SmackDown's main event is repeated. 

Leading up to Money in the Bank, SmackDown featured a star-studded bout pitting Roman Reigns, John Cena and Sheamus against Alberto Del Rio, Bray Wyatt, Randy Orton and Cesaro. The following Raw had the same exact main event.

Had WWE gone with a different combination of Superstars here, that SmackDown match would have been more significant, something unique that fans may seek out after it airs. As it stands, it had to have some folks thinking, "Guess it didn't matter that I skipped SmackDown."

That's where one of the major problems with the show lies. It comes off as an ancillary program, a supplement to Raw that fans can take or leave. Giving it more elements that belong solely to the show is key.

SmackDown has to not feel as skippable as it does now, improved time slot or not.