How do you book your B-show?

[nutt2252]

I've always wondered how people approach a B-show, whether it be a Real World or CV mod.

 

I've always felt booking the show itself is better than using auto booker at times. My way of thinking that dates back to TEW10 has always been something akin to a hybrid Superstars/Worldwide from the 90s model to a Velocity/Dark model.

 

An hour show with a top tier talent against a lower card talent, or nothing but midcard matches.

 

Seeking advice because trying to run a G1-style tournament in America without running a lot of Tour dates but using the B show to have one match each week involved.

[Lex Star]

I generally just auto book it because I am lazy. Though, I am thinking about introducing a title that is defended exclusively on my B-Show, and I would manually book that then auto book everything else.

[SanX]

<p>Most of the matches are squash style - Wrestler above unimportant Vs Unimportant. Few angles for training lower carders with authority figures/interviewers. Main event with mid-card guy vs lower card guy (to test the waters in terms of grades). </p><p> </p><p>

Sometimes, tv title get a throwaway defense.</p>

[a0161613]

<p>A few things:</p><p>

Squashes</p><p>

Tag team chemistry tests</p><p>

Promos from those capable of giving decent ones.</p><p>

Giving wins to those who need a boost to momentum.</p>

[neslo024]

I use mine for undercard and development workers. I let people with potential cut promos, bring up people from development to get them some exposure and up their popularity. Sometimes I'll throw a tertiary belt specific to the show in to give the low cars people something to do.

[Self]

<p>I have my ripoff of the G-1 tournament; the Ultimate Showdown Series, which is typically an 8-person affair, which means I need 28 matches to squash into 8-10 weeks. So having the B-show for a few is handy. </p><p> </p><p>

I usually tape four episodes at a time, so I only have to think about the B-show once a month. I tend to start one whenever I have a glut of young Well-Known/Recognisable talents who are struggling to get TV time. Squash matches. A few tame feuds. I don't use it to test Tag Team chemistry, but I'll absolutely use if to bump up Tag Team experience quickly.</p><p> </p><p>

I usually get bored on B-shows really quickly. The ratings are massively penalised, to the point where the show feels worthless. I'll sign a 3-month contract and then let it die once the novelty wears off. Quickly followed by releasing a bunch of wrestlers. Next time I think I'll do a second A-show, using brands, and treat it as a 'weaker' brand for less talent. Just not too weak. Maybe something local, broadcasting in certain areas.</p>

[Blake Trask]

<p>honestly I'm such a fiend for storylines top to bottom that my b show ends up being taken over by things I couldn't fit onto the a show in terms of angles and storyline advancements.</p><p> </p><p>

It tends to be where whichever stars which aren't involved in the top feuds hang out so that they're still getting matches and wins to keep themselves relevant (since they're probably losing to the stars who <em>are</em> involved)</p><p> </p><p>

that said I'm a lot more loosey goosey about what kind of matches to put on and will let people lower down the card get a chance to beat jobbers or get promo time. I use development borrowing, development cycling (so people get up onto the main roster for a few months at a time, then sent back down) or local hires to ensure there's a good layer of workers who can freely eat losses against anyone.</p><p> </p><p>

My TV title is defended on the bshow very frequently and often is the main event.</p><p> </p><p>

I also use the bshow to try out workers in the main event slot of the show to see if they're able to perform well given enough time (this habit has come from TEW 2016 where the grades of matches were punished much worse in every product based on length, so you couldn't see the full potential of a match unless it went 20 minutes). So there are some combinations of workers I'm maybe not sure if they're ready to carry a main event grade match and want to see what they can do; I've had some pleasant surprises out of that and it lets me get a clearer picture of who I can count on.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>

My other use for a bshow was as almost its own separate programming, akin to its own company. Basically a means of letting some folks develop that would probably have got lost on the main roster, but getting a lot of time to work matches and come up with proper characters since it's less crowded. I also used it to rehabilitate one of my lower level groups, a heel trio who had kind of lost their credibility and so the story was that they were learning within this grittier atmosphere to get their fire back.</p><p> </p><p>

That show is kind of a pain to book because I created it with a specific storyline in mind that has a pay off quite a ways down the line and certain elements of it are feeling a bit generic. The whole reason it exists is to establish a history between two workers that I'd like to pit against one another in the long term, and they'd never have had sufficient screentime for such a long build on the main shows.</p><p> </p><p>

tl;dr: everyone needs screen time and the bshows are built around that.</p>

[Zero]

I use B-Shows for my B and C stories. A lot of tag team and lower card cruiserweight action. Women get a lot of screen time on the B show as well.

[dubb93]

I like to book it the same night as my A show and put people/storylines on it that didn’t make the A show cut that week. I’ll sometimes have guys that lost on the A show show up and get a win on the B show.

[EIOEIO]

My use of B shows changed dramatically when I went Titanic with TCW. I would previously use decent-ish pop local workers to put over my midcarders in the prelims and maybe have a competitive match or two in the semi and main event. But after I started multiple child companies this changed and I am now able to take developmental workers from my biggest CC (medium size) and use them against my TCW regulars for competitive wins for the bigger guys, which also pops better rating and attendances etc.