A story arc is an extended or continuing storyline in episodic storytelling media such as television, comic books, comic strips, boardgames, video games, and in some cases, films. In a television series, for example, the story would unfold over many episodes. In television, the use of the story arc is much more common in dramas than in comedies, especially in soap operas.
-----In the territory days, you know what we call “old school”, the promotions relied more on storytelling and making every match mean something. Not only did every match mean something, but you also had performers that could carry out the storylines and get them over. From top to the bottom of the card, most shows had guys that could work. That is why you might see guys like Koko Ware and Bobby Eaton, who were a middle level team, get pushes upward. Ware would get a big heel push into the main event and Eaton went on to tag in Mid-South with Dennis Condry. The promoters also relied on every match not only meaning something on that card, but also meaning something about something about the next week or so on. Clear as mud; huh??
----Today on the local shows I see a lot of booking where the angle is only for that night or for even a half of a night. The successful bookers in this area and those that will be successful take their time in telling the stories. They pull you in and keep you until the very end. And other bookers and promotions have no idea what I am even talking about. LOL This site and wrestling is a big part of my life, but I am an avid TV series fan. I use to be big into comics in the early eighties. A TV series or comics present a story arc that brings you from point A to point B with a finish. I know I hardly ever mention anything but wrestling here and there is a reason – this is a wrestling site. But..I thought the storylines of two of my favorite TV shows could illustrate how a story arc could be so helpful for local promotions.
----First, let’s look at “House”. Gregory House is the main character of this successful drama. He is in the mold of a “Stone Cold” type babyface. He is an asshole who takes no crap from anyone, but it is hard for you to hate him. He has that extra sympathy with the bad leg and cane, which makes him hard to boo. In the middle of Season One , House is confronted with an evil rich billionaire that becomes the head of board of directors of the hospital - Edward Vogler.[pictured on the right above with House on the left] Vogler is excellently played by Chi McBride. McBride is a huge black man with a deep voice and his portrayal of Vogler is right on the money as the new heel leader. The smart thing here is that they did not make him the owner of the company, like many wrestling promotions do – he put a lot of money into the promotion and becomes the boss now. For five episodes during this arc, he makes life miserable for House. House is the top babyface here and did I tell you he is a drug addict [“Stone Cold” was an alcoholic], the heel Vogler is slowly building a case to get rid of House out of the promotion..I mean hospital. What does it finally come down to?? Does House defeat Vogler in a “Loser Leave the Hospital” match?? When Vogler tries to eliminate friends of House off the board, so he can eliminate House, then his friend turns on Vogler [who she has had to support because he has so much money] and he is voted him off the board. The heel is defeated not by the top babyface, but by another babyface to help the top babyface. The objective of the arc was not to get the top babyface over, it was to get someone else over, and so you would have two babyfaces at the same level.
----“Smallville” is a loosely based on the famous “Superman” comic. They have taken the basis of the story and made it more of a drama. This arc is one that from time to time in the 8 seasons of the show has been presented. It becomes the background arc of almost the whole show – the battle between good and evil – Clark Kent vs Lex Luthor. [Spoiler alert for those guys that watch this in seasons instead of weekly.] Each season has featured something of a battle between these two guys – heel vs babyface in a feud that will not end. Luthor at one point took Clark’s woman – Lana Lang [pictured below with Luthor's hand on her and Clark to the right] and was the cause of many misfortunes in Clark’s life. Clark, the ultimate babyface, has always prevailed. At times with Clark was fighting other heels, then Luthor was messing with babyfaces that were friends of Clark. This lead to the final matchup of Luthor/Clark just a few weeks back. Did Clark destroy Luthor and finally win his lady back?? In the twists of the storyline, Green Arrow [babyface that also hated Luthor] blew up Luthor and killed him [Clark would never do that] without Clark even knowing he did it. Lang has super powers now, but can’t be with Clark because her suit [made by Luthor] is made of kryptonite. You can see this storyline going in many directions, but wouldn’t it fit right in with a wrestling storyline?? The babyface wins his big match sending someone out of town, but when he is down during the match, it is his best friend that “cheats” [he would never win a match like this] to help him win, but he does not know that. He also won his girlfriend in the “Loser Leaves Town – Winner Gets Girlfriend” Match, but it is revealed the next week, that even though the heel that had to leave town is not there anymore, even though she might be his gf, she is still under contracted with the heel’s manager. Even though he is gone, you still keep his memory alive, because you never know when down the road you might bring him back for another storyline. You also still got a new storyline alive as the top babyface was helped by his friend who cheated – will he confront him and start a feud with him or will he never know??
----I hope you have enjoyed by venturing off the beaten path this time. I thought it was fun taking some TV series storylines and adapting them to wrestling storylines. It also gives bookers in this area an idea to look at different ways of accomplishing the end result of a storyline. It is important to follow them and make the fans want to come back for more. It is also very important to have something waiting after that storyline is done as it was shown in the “Smallville” storyline. I also wanted the local bookers to see that you don’t have to give the same old tired storylines over and over like with the heel buys the company – make him part of the board like they did on “House”. Finally, take a look at both the storylines on the shows – it is not always about the top babyface – it has to be about the whole show to make the fans want to come back over and over.
Coach's Corner is a bi-weekly feature at RRO by Brian Tramel. Tramel was wrestling manager Coach BT in a former life with Coach's Corner being published on the internet during those days. He has since added it to RRO as his signature column.
