This Saturday was the debut episode of
Unlocked on Destination America. I first heard Dixie describe the
idea of Unlocked being a “Director’s Cut” version of Impact
and, I was greatly intrigued. When they announced Tenay would host, I
was fully on board. I’m still invested in this concept for TNA’s
newest show, but I feel there are some key things that TNA should
think about (and I feel they will) to get more people returning to
the program weekly.
I enjoyed the first
episode of the show, but found myself thinking that this should lead
into the new episode of Impact on Friday – Pont: Tenay has
announced this will happen moving forward. A smart decision as this
first show was essentially a replay with some facts popping up, a
touching Magnus interview, and the debut of the top 5 Power Ranking.
The foundation is great because the pop ups are an excellent way for
Tenay to show off what we have all come to love from the Professor;
his brain. They should utilize more of these points and even include
some obscure facts about the talents involved in the segment. I’d
like to see Tenay expanding on which Florida promotions Joe, LowKi,
and MVP participated in as referenced by MVP in his promo. Little
bits can help further the enjoyment of the segment that many have
already watched.
The exclusive
interviews were a selling point for me and the Magnus interview
delivered what I was willing to buy. While it was a bit short, it
gave depth to his character as a person outside of the television
show while also tying it into his on screen character. I praise this
fact because I feel they could utilize these interviews to further
the storyline. This interview could easily set up Magnus to return to
his good guy status we all enjoyed while ascending in 2012/2013.
Imagine having fans connect with Magnus on a personal/emotional
level, and then Magnus helping whomever the BDC is bullying when they
tape in the UK. A major reaction from a crowd that is invested in him
due to nationality while fans of the show having investment due to
Unlocked; essentially, the show linking that moment will make sense
for both audiences who are seeing it occur weeks apart.
I was a bit
skeptical with the Power Rankings, I will admit. I had this idea that
when the first list came out, I’d just roll my eyes as Kurt Angle
was named the #2 on the list. I was pleasantly surprised to see the
ranking that Tenay came out with and he had great reasoning behind
where he placed each member. It should be noted that Tenay had a Q&A
on Twitter about the Power Rankings and I hope this continues. That
fan interaction was fun and it will drive traffic to want to see how
their lists compare.
I’d like to see
Tenay expand on this. He could have taken EC3, explained his
undefeated streak, and then Tenay could cut to the 3 biggest wins he
feel gets EC3 to the #4 position. They could show a 4-5 min video
package with archive footage of his wins over Sting, Angle, and Bully
Ray. The Professor could give feedback about the background for the
match as well as where the win lead him towards. I understand that it
would result in some of the replay being cut, but I’m always a fan
of Tenay giving us a history lesson and this would help the show
stand alone.
Moving forward, I’d
have Mike catching these guys post match for instant reactions shown
on Unlocked. As a kid I used to love the back stage interviews with
Mean Gene or the instant reaction promos from WCW at the podium.
Having the Roode vs. EY match finish on Unlocked, Tenay can throw it
to an exclusive reaction from EY where Young cuts a simple promo
promising more damage to come.
I also think the
idea of Tenay having a talent call the match with him rather than
using the Josh/Taz commentary would bring a lot to the “Director’s
Cut” aspect of the show. Imagine hearing Tenay guiding the Hardy’s
through their match with the Wolves this week. Tenay can have a
conversation with Matt on his thoughts of seeing the Revolution in
the balcony. He could ask Jeff what inspired him to take that walk of
faith, or even questioning the two about their tag finisher and
explaining it to the fans. I feel this is easily accomplished, would
give the guys on the roster a chance to showcase their potential
commentary abilities, and provides a major chance to add depth to the
storyline; which I feel Unlocked should ultimately be used for.
The debut of
Unlocked showed me promise. While I feel that it was basically
another replay show, Tenay shined brightly when involved and the new
content that was provided definitely stood out. However, I felt
myself wanting more of those moments by the time it ended, which I’m
sure you can all sense from this review. Much like with the Live
Debut of Impact, there are a lot of things that I feel will grow over
time if they focus on growing this show. With Mike Tenay at the helm,
I feel they will do just that and they can really make Unlocked a
must see show that helps to get fans further invested into the Impact
product. I must say, Great job Professor and I’m hopeful for what
you do with this project.
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