Why WWE SmackDown's Debut Episode Confuses People

With current changes to how fans will watch WWE premium live events in the United States, many find themselves missing the WWE Network, in part for its simplicity. Not everything on the Network was clear, however, and when WWE potentially moves its library to another streaming service, or YouTube, there's one question that may crop up: What's the difference between the "WWE SmackDown" pilot and "SmackDown's" first episode?

While "WWE Raw" became a weekly television show beginning in January 1993, and is often touted as the longest running weekly episodic program in TV history, "SmackDown" isn't as old as the red brand. The pilot episode of "SmackDown" aired on April 27, 1999 as a test run before the show became official, and the next episode, which was labeled the first episode of the blue brand due to its more official nature, wasn't until August 26.

The pilot episode featured matches and even storylines, making it a bit confusing to viewers now, as it seems just like a regular episode of WWE television. However, the April 1999 show was only a test run for what would become the blue brand. The test was even taped close to WWE's headquarters in Stamford, Connecticut, just an hour's drive away in New Haven.

While the episode is a fun watch, and included multiple matches with stakes like X-Pac and Kane retaining the World Tag Team Championships over The New Age Outlaws, and matches that furthered storylines, like "Stone Cold" Steve Austin and The Rock defeating The Corporate Ministry's Triple H and The Undertaker, the main WWE action would take place on "Raw" until "SmackDown" officially began airing weekly in August.

A "pilot episode" isn't always synonymous with the first episode of a complete season of television, and that was the case for "SmackDown." Thankfully, the April 1999 show did well, giving us the blue brand we enjoy live on Friday nights today.