History
The show's original concept was unusual for its time, since it aired on late Saturday nights from various New York City nightly locations. The promotion pushed the program as an "edgier" product than its normal weekly offerings, partially as a response to ECW's growing popularity.
Shotgun Saturday Night debuted on January 4, 1997 from the Mirage Nightclub in New York. One of the most memorable moments of the debut episode occurred when Marlena climbed on the ring apron during a match between Goldust and The Sultan, and removed her top, causing the Sultan to be distracted and lose the match. Though she was wearing pasties, and though her back was facing the camera, this incident was a precursor for the tone of WWF programming for the next several years.
Later episodes of Shotgun Saturday Night were broadcast from the All-Star Cafe in Times Square, the Mirage Nightclub in Long Island, and New York Penn Station.
There were several unique elements to the show that did not appear on any other WWF programming at the time. For example, due to the confining nature of the locales it was initially broadcast from, Shotgun Saturday Night used a somewhat smaller ring than a standard twenty foot by twenty foot WWF ring. All three ring ropes were taped yellow; something that was not replicated until WWE NXT debuted in 2010. Later in its broadcast run, Shotgun Saturday Night stopped being filmed live from New York City.
The show originally featured commentary by Vince McMahon and Sunny, with Jim Ross and Brian Pillman performing the same duties until mid-1997, when Pillman was pulled from commentary after beating up a fan on the June 28, 1997 episode. Kevin Kelly, Michael Cole, Jim Cornette and Vince Russo also served as commentators. Stone Cold Steve Austin also served as a surprise guest commentator on one episode along with Owen Hart.
Read more about this topic: WWF Shotgun Saturday Night
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