WWE Raw recently turned twenty three years old, which is a remarkable feat when you consider just how close it came to extinction in its first five years. Bouncing back from a tumultuous beginning, it has gone on to become one of the longest running episodic shows in television history. This feature will chart the important episodes which pushed Raw to where it is today. The key ratings and turning points will be analysed, explaining how Vince McMahon established his monday night powerhouse to the point where it is now USA Network's crown jewel. Indeed, even with recent ratings drops, Raw is still an industry heavyweight in weekly broadcast television. Around four million viewers each week in primetime? USA can only dream of more shows having that kind of appeal. Many of the fans bemoaning current Raw ratings weren't even alive when the show began. That puts in perspective just how enduring the show is, and how far WWE have progressed since the real dark days of the mid nineties. Today's lull can't be considered anywhere near as bad those times, and current ratings are more to do with viewing culture and sports competition. Raw is still a sensation in sports entertainment. The following, ranked in order of importance, are the episodes that made Raw WWE's biggest asset.
15. Honourable Mention
Before getting to specific episodes, it is worth noting that one of the most important factors in Raw's success has been its live format. However, it wasn't really a specific episode that ushered in live episodes, it was more of a case that WWE did live whenever possible. In fact, in 1993, it actually started out as a live show. They only later went to taped due to cost cutting measures. Raw would then become a mix of live and taped events, before eventually going fully live in 1999. There's no doubt that going live was a turning point, as there was an air of anything could happen, especially with the likes of Austin on the shows. Fans started to feel like they simply had to watch, ratings went up, and WCW Nitro went down. It was a slow progression to go fully live, so it isn't like one episode can be singled out in this instance.
