History Wrestling / WWESmackDown

''[=SmackDown=]'' was also the name of WWE's series of video games for the {{PlayStation}} and {{PlayStation 2}}. The games were ''WWF [=SmackDown!=]'' (2000); ''WWF [=SmackDown!=] 2: Know Your Role'' (2000); ''WWF [=SmackDown!=]: Just Bring It'' (2001); the first ''SD'' game on the PS2), ''WWE [=SmackDown!=]: Shut Your Mouth'' (2002); and ''WWE [=SmackDown!=]: Here Comes the Pain'' (2003). The first three sequels used various sayings of The Rock as subtitles, while the final game broke tradition by using the catchphrase of Brock Lesnar[[note]]Yes, it's actually Tazz who said it, but the catchphrase is not associated with him.[[/note]]. Following ''Here Comes the Pain'', the series was re-branded ''SmackDownVsRaw'' to emphasize the current multi-brand nature of the company, and eventually went MultiPlatform.

Soon after the brand extension, ''[=SmackDown=]'' was moved to Friday nights. Many were concerned about the show being ruined by the FridayNightDeathSlot, but in a total [[AvertedTrope aversion]] of that trope, it scored higher ratings for UPN than the network ever did with its Friday night movies. Prior to the actual move, WWE took the move in stride by using the slogan "TV that's changing Friday nights" and re-christening the series ''WWE Friday Night [=SmackDown=]''; the exclamation point that was a part of the show's logo since its creation was phased out. When Creator/TheWB merged with UPN to form Creator/TheCW, ''[=SmackDown=]'' retained its time slot on the new network, but despite the strong ratings it pulled in for the network, it was eventually [[ScrewedByTheNetwork booted off]]. The show moved on to Creator/MyNetworkTV, where it usually beat the Friday night lineup provided by Creator/TheCW in {{ratings}}; this could not save the fledgling network, however. Creator/MyNetworkTV became a syndication service in the 2009-10 season, with ''[=SmackDown=]'' being the only original programming on the "network". And in 2010, even that ended; in October of that year, ''[=SmackDown=]'' [[ChannelHop moved]] [[NetworkDecay to]] SyFy. Around this time the brand extension was slowly phased out. Currently wrestlers will appear on both ''Raw'' and ''[=SmackDown=]'' interchangeably.

* HalloweenEpisode: The 2002 Halloween episode featured a backstage costume party that was home to a number of zany antics throughout the night (as well as JohnCena's first rap, who had come to the party dressed as Music/VanillaIce).

** This seems to be no longer the case. SmackDown has [[RescuedgromtheScrappyHeap given Syfy some name recognition]], had the show moved back to Thursdays after years of being on Fridays, and an announcement came earlier in 2015 that the show would be moved to the USA Network in the fall (NBC Universal owns both networks).

** This seems to be no longer the case. SmackDown has [[SavedFromTheScrappyHeap given Syfy some name recognition]], had the show moved back to Thursdays after years of being on Fridays, and an announcement came earlier in 2015 that the show would be moved to the USA Network in the fall (NBC Universal owns both networks).

** This seems to be no longer the case. SmackDown has given Syfy some name recognition, had the show moved back to Thursdays after years of being on Fridays, and an announcement came earlier in 2015 that the show would be moved to the USA Network in the fall (NBC Universal owns both networks).

*** They seem to be using one now, too. The bumper was recently changed to "This Life" by the CFO$, who also did the Night of Champions theme.

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* ChannelHop: Creator/{{UPN}} -> Creator/TheCW -> Creator/MyNetworkTV -> {{Syfy}}.

* DuelingShows: With ''WCW Thunder'' when it first aired. Later, with ''Raw'' in {{kayfabe}}.

* ShortRunInPeru: Due to time zone differences, ''[=SmackDown=]'' is aired in Australia, the Philippines, India, the UK and Ireland before it reaches the U.S. It also previously aired a day earlier in Canada.

* ForceFeeding: In one episode, Mickie James (nicknamed Piggy James) is held down by BethPhoenix, Michelle McCool, and Layla El in the ring and gets stuffed in the face with a cake shaped like a pig. After that, she then has fruit punch dumped on her head.

Soon after the brand extension, ''[=SmackDown=]'' was moved to Friday nights. Many were concerned about the show being ruined by the FridayNightDeathSlot, but in a total [[AvertedTrope aversion]] of that trope, it scored higher ratings for UPN than the network ever did with its Friday night movies. Prior to the actual move, WWE took the move in stride by using the slogan "TV that's changing Friday nights" and re-christening the series ''WWE Friday Night [=SmackDown=]''; the exclamation point that was a part of the show's logo since its creation was phased out. When Creator/TheWB merged with UPN to form Creator/TheCW, ''[=SmackDown=]'' retained its time slot on the new network, but despite the strong ratings it pulled in for the network, it was eventually [[ScrewedByTheNetwork booted off]]. The show moved on to Creator/MyNetworkTV, where it usually beat the Friday night lineup provided by Creator/TheCW in {{ratings}}; this could not save the fledgling network, however. Creator/MyNetworkTV became a syndication service in the 2009-10 season, with ''[=SmackDown=]'' being the only original programming on the "network". And in 2010, even that ended; in October of that year, ''[=SmackDown=]'' [[ChannelHop moved]] [[NetworkDecay to]] SyFy. Around this time the brand extension was slowly phased out. Currently wrestlers will appear on both ''Raw and ''[=SmackDown=]'' interchangeably.

Soon after the brand extension, ''[=SmackDown=]'' was moved to Friday nights. Many were concerned about the show being ruined by the FridayNightDeathSlot, but in a total [[AvertedTrope aversion]] of that trope, it scored higher ratings for UPN than the network ever did with its Friday night movies. Prior to the actual move, WWE took the move in stride by using the slogan "TV that's changing Friday nights" and re-christening the series ''WWE Friday Night [=SmackDown=]''; the exclamation point that was a part of the show's logo since its creation was phased out. When Creator/TheWB merged with UPN to form Creator/TheCW, ''[=SmackDown=]'' retained its time slot on the new network, but despite the strong ratings it pulled in for the network, it was eventually [[ScrewedByTheNetwork booted off]]. The show moved on to Creator/MyNetworkTV, where it usually beat the Friday night lineup provided by Creator/TheCW in {{ratings}}; this could not save the fledgling network, however. Creator/MyNetworkTV became a syndication service in the 2009-10 season, with ''[=SmackDown=]'' being the only original programming on the "network". And in 2010, even that ended; in October of that year, ''[=SmackDown=]'' [[ChannelHop moved]] [[NetworkDecay to]] SyFy. Around this time the brand extension was slowly phased out. Currently wrestlers will appear on both shows.

Soon after the brand extension, ''[=SmackDown=]'' was moved to Friday nights. Many were concerned about the show being ruined by the FridayNightDeathSlot, but in a total [[AvertedTrope aversion]] of that trope, it scored higher ratings for UPN than the network ever did with its Friday night movies. Prior to the actual move, WWE took the move in stride by using the slogan "TV that's changing Friday nights" and re-christening the series ''WWE Friday Night [=SmackDown=]''; the exclamation point that was a part of the show's logo since its creation was phased out. When Creator/TheWB merged with UPN to form Creator/TheCW, ''[=SmackDown=]'' retained its time slot on the new network, but despite the strong ratings it pulled in for the network, it was eventually [[ScrewedByTheNetwork booted off]]. The show moved on to Creator/MyNetworkTV, where it usually beat the Friday night lineup provided by Creator/TheCW in {{ratings}}; this could not save the fledgling network, however. Creator/MyNetworkTV became a syndication service in the 2009-10 season, with ''[=SmackDown=]'' being the only original programming on the "network". And in 2010, even that ended; in October of that year, ''[=SmackDown=]'' [[ChannelHop moved]] [[NetworkDecay to]] SyFy.

A ProfessionalWrestling {{series}} that showcases the superstars of the Wrestling/{{WWE}} ''[=SmackDown=]'' brand (the name of the program, as of its move to [=SyFy=], is ''WWE [=SmackDown=]''). The name was derived from a CatchPhrase of [[DwayneJohnson The Rock]], who always looked forward to "laying the smack down" on the "roody-poo candy ass(es)" of his opponent(s). As such, The Rock often referred to ''[=SmackDown=]'' as [[ThirdPersonPerson "The Rock's show."]]

''[=SmackDown=]'' was also the name of WWE's series of video games for the {{Playstation}} and {{Playstation 2}}. The games were ''[=SmackDown=]'' (2000); ''[=SmackDown=] 2: Know Your Role'' (2000); ''[=SmackDown=]: Just Bring It'' (2001); the first SD on the PS2), ''[=SmackDown=]: Shut Your Mouth'' (2002); and ''[=SmackDown=]: Here Comes The Pain'' (2003). The first three sequels used various sayings of The Rock as subtitles, while the final game broke tradition by using the catchphrase of Brock Lesnar[[note]]Yes, it's actually Tazz who said it, but the catchphrase is not associated with him, now is it?[[/note]]. Following ''Here Comes The Pain'', the series was re-branded ''SmackDownVsRaw'' to emphasize the current multi-brand nature of the company, and eventually went MultiPlatform. The most current entry is ''[=SmackDown=] vs. Raw 2011''.

* DuelingShows: With WCW Thursday Night Thunder when it first aired. Later, with ''Raw'' in {{kayfabe}}.

* ForceFeeding: In one episode, Mickie James (nicknamed Piggy James) is held down by BethPhoenix, Michelle McCool, and Layla El in the ring and gets stuffed in the face with a cake shaped like a pig. After that she then has fruit punch dumped on her head.

** LongRunnerCastTurnover: With a show that is 13 years old, and with the wrestling business being what it is, this is kind of a given.

* NetworkRedheadedStepChild: ''Smackdown'' has been this on every channel it's appeared on, though it tends to bring in consistently superb ratings. Despite that, The CW eventually dumped the show because of this trope. Now it's on Sy Fy, which is decaying now anyway and had previously aired WWE's version of ECW.

** An early storyline in 2011 had Smackdown General Manager Teddy Long getting taken out. Since Wade Barrett had just formed TheCorre on that episode, had done something similar to the previous Raw GM (BretHart) during his time, and Teddy had just [[TemptingFate tempted fate]] by telling them that he would not allow himself to be cowed by their beatdown antics, they were naturally the first suspects. However, they denied having anything to do with it. It eventually turns out that [[spoiler:they were telling the truth. It was [[TyrantTakesTheHelm Vickie Guerrerro]] and [[UnholyMatrimony Dolph Ziggler]] that did it.]]

* ShortRunInPeru: Due to time zone differences, ''WWESmackDown'' is aired in Australia, the Philippines, India, the UK and Ireland before it reaches the US. It also previously aired a day earlier in Canada.

* StockFootage: The show spends a considerable amount of screentime recycling footage of what happened on Raw, particularly during the "Road to Wrestlemania" months.

** NoThemeTune: Like WWE Raw, the opening credits were seemingly dropped in late-2012 in favor of an opening recap.

*** DrowningPool wrote the song "Rise Up" for Smack Down, and the song was used from 2004 to 2008. The theme had various lead singers due to Drowning Pool's Revolving door of lead singers.
*** Before that, Marylin Manson provided the theme song "The Beautiful People" for the blue brand (which was originally used for Raw when it became Raw is War before legal issues arose).
*** For SmackDown's tenth anniversary, Divide The Day provided "Let It Roll".
*** When the show moved to SyFy, the theme became "Know Your Enemy" from GreenDay. Bumpers used "Hangman" from RevTheory.

** ThematicThemeTune: There were a few. When the show first debuted, it had an instrumental theme with someone doing a beatbox "boom bo-boom-boom" effect in the background. From 2003-2004, the theme was more rap oriented, and seemed to be called "I Want It All". Though it was never officially released, many have ripped it from the SmackDown Here Comes The Pain PS2 game and can be found easily. Finally, the move to Creator/MyNetworkTV provided what many see to be the worst theme the WWE had come up with, "Rock Like Me" (which was featured on a WWE The Music CD, no less).

''[=SmackDown=]'' was also the name of WWE's series of video games for the {{Playstation}} and {{Playstation 2}}. The games were ''[=SmackDown=]'' (2000); ''[=SmackDown=] 2: Know Your Role'' (2000); ''[=SmackDown=]: Just Bring It'' (2001); the first SD on the PS2), ''[=SmackDown=]: Shut Your Mouth'' (2002); and ''[=SmackDown=]: Here Comes The Pain'' (2003). The first three sequels used various sayings of The Rock as subtitles, while the final game broke tradition by using the catchphrase of Brock Lesnar. Following ''Here Comes The Pain'', the series was re-branded ''SmackDownVsRaw'' to emphasize the current multi-brand nature of the company, and eventually went MultiPlatform. The most current entry is ''[=SmackDown=] vs. Raw 2011''.

* SpotlightStealingSquad: Of the TropesAreNotBad variety; the "[=SmackDown=] Six" (KurtAngle, ChrisBenoit, {{Edge}}, EddieGuerrero, ReyMysterio...[[AndZoidberg and Chavo Guerrero]]) seemed to make it a mission to steal every TV show and PPV with astounding matches. Paul Heyman, who was the booker of the show, seemed to realize it and basically had the six face each other almost exclusively for the last six months of 2002 to great success.

** An episode during the {{Chyna}} / EddieGuerrero angle,had Eddie do something that had Chyna about to dump him - until he gave her a puppy.

* ADayInTheLimelight: The 21st of September 2012 episode was one for Wrestling/{{Kane}} and DanielBryan and loosely for the Tag Team Division. This counts considering the previous months of SmackDown episodes have revolved around Wrestling/{{Sheamus}} and AlbertoDelRio having the Main Event, whereas in this episode Wrestling/{{Sheamus}}, [[AlbertoDelRio Del Rio]], BookerT, RandyOrton and DolphZiggler all made their obligatory appearence, but the whole episode basically revolved around Wrestling/{{Kane}}, DanielBryan, DamienSandow and CodyRhodes with those 4 all appearing in the main event, at the time of writing, that essentially makes it one of these.

* LooksLikeCesare: JeffHardy sported this look on a recent episode, as he got in touch with his "extreme side" to take out TheUndertaker.

Originally airing on {{UPN}} on Thurday nights back in 1999, ''[=SmackDown=]'' was often considered the BShow, lacking quite a bit of the controversial mayhem of ''[[WWERaw Raw is War]]''. This was largely due to the fact that unlike ''Raw'', which aired on cable, ''[=SmackDown=]'' aired on network television, which has more stricter standards than cable in regards to objectionable content. ''Raw'', starting in late 1999, was also live, while ''[=SmackDown=]'' was (and still is) taped on Tuesdays.

Like ''Raw'' did with ''{{WCW}} Monday Nitro'', ''[=SmackDown=]'' had a competitor in the form of WCW's Thursday night show ''Thunder''. This competition was severely downplayed in comparison to the Monday Night Wars, however, and only lasted for six months (Thunder got moved to Wednesday nights on January 12, 2000 solely because SmackDown was creaming it in the ratings). WCW itself went out of business on March 26, 2001.

In 2002, following the company's acquisition of WCW and {{ECW}}, the rather bloated WWE roster was split into two brands: the ''Raw'' brand and the ''[=SmackDown=]'' brand. While ''Raw'' had well-known veterans at the center of things, ''[=SmackDown=]'' became unique in that it built up new blood, shaping the future of the company (as well as hosting WWE's former Cruiserweight division); eventually, WWE's third brand (the "revival" of ECW) began to function in this manner by introducing new talent, while ''[=SmackDown=]'' showcased both relatively new talent and veterans alike. Thanks to the brand extension arguably working in its favor, ''[=SmackDown=]'' is rarely considered a BShow now; in fact, several members of the IWC consider it either at the same level as - '''or better than''' - ''Raw''.

Soon after the brand extension, ''[=SmackDown=]'' was moved to Friday nights. Many were concerned about the show being ruined by the FridayNightDeathSlot, but in a total [[AvertedTrope aversion]] of that trope, it scored higher ratings for UPN than the network ever did with its Friday night movies. Prior to the actual move, WWE took the move in stride by using the slogan "TV that's changing Friday nights" and re-christening the series ''WWE Friday Night [=SmackDown=]''; the exclamation point that was a part of the show's logo since its creation was phased out. When TheWB merged with UPN to form TheCW, ''[=SmackDown=]'' retained its time slot on the new network, but despite the strong ratings it pulled in for the network, it was eventually [[ScrewedByTheNetwork booted off]]. The show moved on to MyNetworkTV, where it usually beat the Friday night lineup provided by TheCW in {{ratings}}; this could not save the fledgling network, however. MyNetworkTV became a syndication service in the 2009-10 season, with ''[=SmackDown=]'' being the only original programming on the "network". And in 2010, even that ended; in October of that year, ''[=SmackDown=]'' [[ChannelHop moved]] [[NetworkDecay to]] SyFy.

* ADayInTheLimelight: The 21st of September 2012 episode was one for {{Kane}} and DanielBryan and loosely for the Tag Team Division. This counts considering the previous months of SmackDown episodes have revolved around {{Sheamus}} and AlbertoDelRio having the Main Event, whereas in this episode {{Sheamus}}, [[AlbertoDelRio Del Rio]], BookerT, RandyOrton and DolphZiggler all made their obligatory appearence, but the whole episode basically revolved around {{Kane}}, DanielBryan, DamienSandow and CodyRhodes with those 4 all appearing in the main event, at the time of writing, that essentially makes it one of these.
* ChannelHop: {{UPN}} -> TheCW -> MyNetworkTV -> {{Syfy}}.

** ThematicThemeTune: There were a few. When the show first debuted, it had an instrumental theme with someone doing a beatbox "boom bo-boom-boom" effect in the background. From 2003-2004, the theme was more rap oriented, and seemed to be called "I Want It All". Though it was never officially released, many have ripped it from the SmackDown Here Comes The Pain PS2 game and can be found easily. Finally, the move to MyNetworkTV provided what many see to be the worst theme the WWE had come up with, "Rock Like Me" (which was featured on a WWE The Music CD, no less).

Also has its own [[Awesome/WWESmackDown Crowning Moments of Awesome page]].