How do YOU book TV shows?

[redhilleagle]

 

I'll set my Judgement Day card in stone right after I finish writing Backlash. Things happen on the show and in the game, to 'set up' the following month. Injuries, turns, wins, losses, fun little trivial things etc.

 

 

Exactly how I do it. I may have already "planned" a couple of matches months in advance (story ending / developing, title matches etc. That I've written in my little notepad). So day after the PPV, I go to my little book and "pre-book" the matches into the game that I already have planned. I make sure my next PPV is at least MOSTLY pre-booked with the title matches and story ending/developing matches. I might also pre-book in a couple of other "filler" matches with people I want to get on the PPV (people I'm pushing/getting over). I sometimes leave a little space to book a couple of other filler matches on the actual night as well.

[SanX]

I book from PPV to PPV mostly, and it's easy - Two things are fixed for me - who is going over and who we are trying to push/build for next thing.

 

I have 5 stories with my Main cast - All the titleholders and current challengers + their next challengers + rest of the Main event guys. Furthermore, I also have 2-3 stories which revolve around a stable or a lower card guys I am trying to push. This will be going on in background. Angle and matches fill themselves up for TV due to the stories. I get 10-15 mins left on 2 hr shows, this is where I slot in guys to see if they are good enough for TV time in the future.

 

About stories for TV - I need a month or 3-4 shows to establish gimmicks for me. After that, wrestlers write angles and stories for themselves.

 

For example, Trent Shaffer will always try to flirt with Babyface' valet (Not with Dawn Gemmel though, I mean who even dates law-keeper Rick Law?), he will come to the ring after a babyface has already lost and just berate him - not beatdown, just laugh at the incompetence on display. He will screw with a monster heel(s) and will blame it on the babyfaces or guy he is feuding with. (Screw with cold warriors' locker room, of course, it was on 'All American' Nicky Champion who else!). If this plan succeeds, well Trent has new allies against Nicky, if it fails, Trent will need some backup against cold warriors themselves.

 

This way, after the first month, most of my main wrestlers get history, alliances, gimmicks, goals and this way the angles/matches write for themselves. The only time I need to actually do work is when I am actively trying to push someone from unknown, as he has no connections or history and I still don't know how momentum works in 2020.

[chm39]

I like this.

[SuperRamenmakerOkada]

The way how I do it is I go by minutes in total for matches, for example an 8 minute match being 10 mins total. For the main event I'll usually do steal the show, with storytelling being the semi main. Usually 6 matches on the card, and post-match segments/multiple segments being 2 minutes. I will admit though, I'm have a bit of a phobia against not using match aims or having a under 7 minute match. 

[SuperRamenmakerOkada]

I forgot to add, I don't really do stuff like backstage interviews. I have backstage segments sometimes, also announcing next week's matches (mind you, if it isnt apart of a storyline like what they do on AEW where Excalibur announcing matches for next week's show.)

[Mrwells1989]

My main is TCW which i book in a fashion somewhere between mid to late 90s WCW and modern AEW. I try to open with a big match or a big angle setting up the main event. If i want to get real role-play-y which i do too often, ill even book in entrances and segments taking place specifically during commercial breaks (Danny Fonzarelli presents Dr Love's Spread the Joy KissCam is one i came up with a while back) does it help worker improvements? oh HELL no. most segments end up being between 1 and 4 minutes. If I am playing to game, if you will, Ill take how long i think a segment leading into a Comm Break would take, and add 2 mins and hope the midcard guy doesnt tank the segment even with his cameo role.

[chm39]

I Book TV like 2005 WWE, at least Raw. Some times I have a threading story for Main Eventers or fit enough angles for my different Storylines. 

I do about 4-6 matches very competitive Midcard matches get about 10 Minutes. Main Event get about 10-15 mins rarely more than that on TV.

45%-50% of my TV shows are angles.

[CzarKyle]

I try to stick to a formula and have them match the storylines. Rinse, wash, repeat. 

With a WWWF 1970 save; the A-Show is four 15min matches and eight 6min angles. The B-Show is three 13min matches, one 12min match, six 6min angles. Each once a week. End of the month is an event (which by the mid80's will be in full swing PPV mode). I also cram the pre-show with developing talent. This is pretty much how I like to discover chemistry in tags and opponents. 

For a short story arc; the first 3 weeks of the month build the story for the 4th week.

For a long story arc; I'll go a minimum of 3 months and use the very last month to let the fireworks fly. 

I also use a spreadsheet to map out longer, more important storylines so I can stick to a script. Or the notebook in the upper right hand corner to jot down notes for future plans. 

There's a lot of ways to approach this, but as long as you work within your product specifications you should be fine. Try to find a formula that gets you into a rhythm and go for it. Best of luck. Here's a screenshot from my a-show.