Celebrity Wrestling (partially found ITV professional wrestling reality show; 2005): Difference between revisions

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(Celebrities and professional wrestling seldom go well together, and this show is no exception. Imagine choosing this over Doctor Who, ha ha. Also, it was quite harrowing to talk about Mark Speight considering his tragic passing a few years later.)
 
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   |description3 =Review of the show containing otherwise inaccessible clips.
   |description3 =Review of the show containing otherwise inaccessible clips.
}}
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{{Video|perrow  =1
{{Video|perrow  =3
   |service1    =youtube
   |service1    =youtube
   |id1          =lfPvgc8RGhY
   |id1          =lfPvgc8RGhY
   |description1 =''Celebrity Wrestling'' advert.
   |description1 =''Celebrity Wrestling'' advert.
  |service2    =youtube
  |id2          =3Yw-D-i4Obg
  |description2 =''Celebrity Wrestling'' advert at 8:32.
  |service3    =youtube
  |id3          =iiQCiuBPAyY
  |description3 =Oliver Skeet's ''Celebrity Wrestling'' ident.
}}
}}


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Celebritywrestling4.jpg|Kate Thornton interviewing the combatants.
Celebritywrestling4.jpg|Kate Thornton interviewing the combatants.
</gallery>
</gallery>
 
==See Also==
==See Also==
*[[AJ Styles vs Kenny Omega (lost footage of professional wrestling match; 2006)]]
*[[Alberto Del Rio vs CM Punk vs Dolph Ziggler vs Jack Swagger vs John Cena (partially found master tape footage of untelevised Hell in a Cell match; 2011)]]
*[[Awesome Kong vs Melissa Anderson (lost footage of professional wrestling match; 2009)]]
*[[Bill Longson vs Whipper Billy Watson (lost footage of professional wrestling match; 1947)]]
*[[Blood Circus (partially found Santo Gold film; 1985)]]
*[[Braden Walker's "Knock Knock" promo (lost original pre-tapes of WWE backstage segment; 2008)]]
*[[Braden Walker's "Knock Knock" promo (lost original pre-tapes of WWE backstage segment; 2008)]]
*[[Bradshaw vs Christian (lost footage of professional wrestling match; 2001)]]
*[[Bret Hart-Hulk Hogan photoshoot (lost professional wrestling promotional photos; 1993)]]
*[[Bret Hart-Hulk Hogan photoshoot (lost professional wrestling promotional photos; 1993)]]
*[[Bret Hart vs Tom Magee (found untelevised professional wrestling match; 1986)]]
*[[Catch-As-Catch-Can Wrestling (lost early BBC televised professional wrestling matches; 1938-1939; 1946-1947)]]
*[[Catch-As-Catch-Can Wrestling (lost early BBC televised professional wrestling matches; 1938-1939; 1946-1947)]]
*[[Chowdaheads (partially found unaired professional wrestling cartoon show; 1999)]]
*[[Collision in Korea (found professional wrestling event in North Korea; 1995)]]
*[[Collision in Korea wrestler sketches (lost North Korean pencil sketch portraits of professional wrestlers; 1995)]]
*[[Cultaholic (lost debut video of professional wrestling YouTube channel; 2017)]]
*[[ECW Anarchy Rulz (lost build of cancelled Nintendo 64 port of professional wrestling game; existence unconfirmed; 2000)]]
*[[ECW at E3 2000 (partially found footage of professional wrestling at gaming trade event; 2000)]]
*[[ECW Hardcore TV final episodes (lost episodes of Professional Wrestling Show; 2001)]]
*[[ECW Hardcore TV final episodes (lost episodes of Professional Wrestling Show; 2001)]]
*[[FMW at E3 2000 (partially found footage of professional wrestling at gaming trade event; 2000)]]
*[[The Game (partially found Disturbed cover of professional wrestling theme song; mid 2000s)]]
*[[The Game (partially found Disturbed cover of professional wrestling theme song; mid 2000s)]]
*[[GFW Amped (partially found unaired professional wrestling show; 2015)]]
*[[The Giant's moonsault (lost footage of professional wrestling move; existence unconfirmed; 1990s)]]
*[[Girls Gone Wild: Live from Spring Break (found WWE/Girls Gone Wild crossover special; 2003)]]
*[[Girls Gone Wild: Live from Spring Break (found WWE/Girls Gone Wild crossover special; 2003)]]
*[[GLOW (lost unfinished final season of Netflix comedy-drama series; 2019-2020)]]
*[[Goldberg's pre-television debut matches (lost footage of professional wrestling dark matches; 1997)]]
*[[Gotch-Hackenschmidt Match Film (lost world championship match; 1908)]]
*[[Gotch-Hackenschmidt Match Film (lost world championship match; 1908)]]
*[[Gotch-Hackenschmidt Match Film (lost world championship match; 1911)]]
*[[Gotch-Hackenschmidt Match Film (lost world championship match; 1911)]]
*[[Jake "The Snake" Roberts DDTs Hulk Hogan (lost Snake Pit segment; 1986)]]
*[[Jake "The Snake" Roberts DDTs Hulk Hogan (lost Snake Pit segment; 1986)]]
*[[Johnny Gargano vs Velveteen Dream (lost footage of alternate finish to professional wrestling match; 2019)]]
*[[Kurt Angle vs Owen Hart (lost footage of professional wrestling match; 1999)]]
*[[The Last Battle of Atlanta (found untelevised professional wrestling steel cage match; 1983)]]
*[[Lita's training matches (partially found training videos of professional wrestler; late 1990s-2000)]]
*[[Low Ki & Mercury vs Ric Blade & TCK (partially lost footage of hardcore wrestling tag team match; 2000)]]
*[[Mark Jindrak in Evolution (partially found unaired vignettes of professional wrestling stable; 2003)]]
*[[Pat Tanaka vs Rocco Rock (lost footage of "Body Count" professional wrestling match; 1993)]]
*[["Plane Ride From Hell" (lost photographs of drunk wrestler incidents; 2002)]]
*[["Plane Ride From Hell" (lost photographs of drunk wrestler incidents; 2002)]]
*[[Radio WWF (lost professional wrestling radio show; 1993-1994; late 1990s-2000)]]
*[[Screwed: The Bret Hart Story (lost unfinished wrestling documentary film; 2005)]]
*[[Screwed: The Bret Hart Story (lost unfinished wrestling documentary film; 2005)]]
*[[Sex University (lost WWE webshow; 2006)]]
*[[Sex University (lost WWE webshow; 2006)]]
*[[Shin Nihon Pro Wrestling Gekitou Densetsu (lost build of unreleased Virtual Boy wrestling game; 1995)]]
*[[Shin Nihon Pro Wrestling Gekitou Densetsu (lost build of unreleased Virtual Boy wrestling game; 1995)]]
*[[Strange Kentucky People (lost recording of Chris Jericho "tribute"; 1994)]]
*[[TNA Impact! 2 (lost build of unfinished professional wrestling game; 2009)]]
*[[WCW 2000 (lost work on unfinished PlayStation 2 game; 2000)]]
*[[WCW 2000 (lost work on unfinished PlayStation 2 game; 2000)]]
*[[WCW All Nighter (partially lost professional wrestling compilation show; 1994-1995)]]
*[[WCW Classics (partially found professional wrestling compilation show; 2000-2001)]]
*[[WCW Internet-only Special Events and PPVs (lost audio streams; 1997-1998)]]
*[[WCW Internet-only Special Events and PPVs (lost audio streams; 1997-1998)]]
*[[WCW/nWo Live (lost build of cancelled PlayStation professional wrestling game; 1998)]]
*[[WCW/nWo Live (lost build of cancelled PlayStation professional wrestling game; 1998)]]
*[[WWE 24x7 (lost professional wrestling compilation show; 2007)]]
*[[WWE Brawl (lost build of cancelled fighting game based on professional wrestling; 2012)]]
*[[WWE Brawl (lost build of cancelled fighting game based on professional wrestling; 2012)]]
*[[WWE Crush Hour (lost build of cancelled Xbox port of vehicular combat game; 2002)]]
*[[WWE SmackDown vs Raw Online (lost build of cancelled online professional wrestling PC game; 2010-2011)]]
*[[WWE SmackDown vs Raw Online (lost build of cancelled online professional wrestling PC game; 2010-2011)]]
*[[WWF In Your House 8: Beware Of Dog (lost untelevised wrestling PPV matches; 1996)]]
*[[WWE Wrestlemania 36 (lost footage of alternate finishes to professional wrestling matches; 2020)]]
*[[WWF Attitude (lost professional wrestling recap show; 2001-2002)]]
*[[WWF Backlash (non-existent unfinished Nintendo 64 professional wrestling game; 2001)]]
*[[WWF Excess (partially found professional wrestling talk show; 2001-2002)]]
*[[WWF In Your House 8: Beware Of Dog (partially found untelevised professional wrestling matches; 1996)]]
*[[WWF Livewire (partially found professional wrestling recap and talk show; 1996-2001)]]
*[[WWF No Mercy (lost Game Boy Color games based on Nintendo 64 wrestling game; 2000)]]
*[[WWF No Mercy (lost Game Boy Color games based on Nintendo 64 wrestling game; 2000)]]
*[[WWF Shotgun (partially found July to December season of syndicated wrestling show; 1997)]]
*[[WWF Shotgun (partially found July to December season of syndicated wrestling show; 1997)]]

Revision as of 15:18, 26 February 2022

Celebritywrestling1.jpeg

The cast and their trainers.

Status: Partially Found

Celebrity Wrestling was a British professional wrestling reality show broadcast on ITV1. Lasting for a single series in 2005, it involved professional wrestling and wrestling-related events between two teams of celebrities.

Background

Following the success of BBC's revival of Doctor Who, ITV were looking to establish a programme that could challenge it for primetime ratings. In January 2005, ITV announced that it would broadcast a professional wrestling show called Celebrity Wrestling. As it titles suggests, it would involved twelve celebrities split between two teams who would be trained by American professional wrestlers over a few weeks, and would compete in various wrestling matches, including in a steel cage.[1]

The celebrities had received approximately three weeks of training prior to filming of the series, with some praising the physical demands of the show which encouraged them to take part initially. Filming was not without its issues, with some celebrities suffering injuries, Mark Speight for example breaking one of his right fingers. Nevertheless, although there was concern the show might set a negative example for children due to its violent content, some believed the "raw competition" might be enough to draw a significant audience.[2]

The show would be hosted by Kate Thornton and wrestling legend "Rowdy" Roddy Piper, while former WWF wrestler D'Lo Brown trained the Crusaders, and Joe Legend was responsible for the Warriors. The Warriors ended up winning all three competitions, including the team challenge, as well as Iwan Thomas and Annabel Croft being declared the best male and female wrestler respectively.[3]

Reception

Ultimately, Celebrity Wrestling was not a success. It was critically panned for a variety of reasons, including lack of actual professional wrestling in favour of more Gladiators-style challenges, treating wrestling as a "jokey affair",[4] and for being another failed attempt at combining an activity with celebrities. The Guardian's Stuart Heritage summarised the show as "a garish, amateurish puke-puddle of a series where a bunch of hapless nobodies unconvincingly thumped around a ring to the delight of no one."[5] Even winner Annabel Croft admitted that the programme "was an utter disaster".[6]

Celebrity Wrestling also struggled to obtain adequate ratings. The first episode drew only 3.8 million viewers, about a 21% audience share of Saturday primetime television, with the fourth episode drawing just 2.6 million and a 14% share. The show ultimately proved no match for Doctor Who, which had obtained 10.5 million viewers for its return episode, and an average of 7.5 million or approximately a 40% audience share.[7] Following consistently poor ratings, Celebrity Wrestling, which was eight episodes, was taken off its primetime slot by ITV once episode 5 aired, and placed into a "graveyard" Sunday morning slot for its remaining episodes.[8]

Availability

While the first four episodes of Celebrity Wrestling were broadcast on primetime television, the poor initial ratings combined with few repeats due to its poor reception has led to much of the show becoming lost media. While no full episodes currently exist, a segment and a match featuring Leilani Dowding against Kate Lawler were uploaded to YouTube in August 2006. Additionally, a review of the show contains clips that would otherwise be completely inaccessible.

Gallery

Videos

Build-up to Leilani Dowding vs Kate Lawler.

Leilani Dowding vs Kate Lawler.

Review of the show containing otherwise inaccessible clips.

Celebrity Wrestling advert.

Celebrity Wrestling advert at 8:32.

Oliver Skeet's Celebrity Wrestling ident.

Images

See Also

External Link

References