The True Lurid Story Of Free WWE UK Pay-Per-Views
In 1991, Channel 4 presented its first 'Banned Season' - a selection of films and documentaries previously outlawed by various regulators. This proved unwise.
The long-running 'Eurotrash' was an irreverent magazine-format look at mainland lowbrow culture complete, more often than not, with excessive cleavage and innuendo. 'The Word' is tame, in retrospect, but at the time shocked and appalled Little England by platforming homophobia and tacitly encouraging shock-merchants to perform sans clothes. The soap operas Channel 4 optioned were far grabbier than those shown on the BBC and ITV. In a sense, Channel 4 and the WWF were a perfect fit - and yet the Rumble was too much.
Channel 4 didn't conduct due diligence. The pay-per-view offerings were a bonus; the real money was to be made through its weekly broadcast of a weird, exposition-heavy version of 'Heat' intended for younger daytime viewers. C4 expected the bulging pecs of the golden years, and were instead confronted by sagging tiddies.
Madison Square Garden officials were equally appalled, but the WWF actually slapped an N for Nudity rating on the event. Had Mae Young actually got 'em out for the lads, Vince McMahon would have fallen afoul of New York City and New York State morality laws. Officials released a statement claiming to have been "disturbed" by the Mae Young stunt. Channel 4 meanwhile made the immediate decision not to renew the deal and fulfil through gritted teeth the two-year contractual obligation.
Vince McMahon, in effect, failed to establish an enormous sets-per-home advantage because he has a childish sense of humour.
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