What Lucha Underground has done is so simple, yet completely new and revolutionary for the industry. Lucha Underground uses an unusual structure for pro-wrestling in that it's filmed in season form well in advance. This hasn't been done before because of the fear of spoilers and the business being revealed. These days those things aren't really issues anymore, so they're able to play around with the format. By taking away the live element, they're able to produce very slickly produced backstage segments that heighten the drama and hide the flaws of the performers. Bringing in an actor to play evil boss Daario Cueto was in my view a stroke of genius.
Lucha Underground clocks in at an hour with add breaks, which is the perfect length for a wrestling show, especially when compared with Raw's excruciating three hour show. The show never gets bogged down by lingering on segments too long. Everything on the show serves a purpose. The wrestling however doesn't get lost as they aren't afraid to dedicate much of the show to a single contest.
They've done a great job in scoring Ricochet, performing as Prince Puma, as he's one of the world's standout wrestlers currently. Having Del Rio has also been a coup for them. I will say that Lucha Underground doesn't on the whole have the best wrestlers, but what they've been able to do is emphasise their stars positive attributes to get the most from them. Every wrestler has their own unique character, and they're all interesting and unique.
What I enjoy most about Lucha Underground is the storytelling. Backstage segments and teases are frequently the highlights of the show. As well as bringing us exciting angles, they are able to build toward plot points further down the line. We'll get more immediate story lines that are furthered only a few weeks down the line, but we also have wider mysteries, such as Cueto's key, and Pentagon's Master. This is how good TV works, but wrestling writers in the past generally can't be bothered to write for the long haul. Overall Lucha Underground is a highly watchable television show. The wrestling is just a bonus.
Lucha Underground clocks in at an hour with add breaks, which is the perfect length for a wrestling show, especially when compared with Raw's excruciating three hour show. The show never gets bogged down by lingering on segments too long. Everything on the show serves a purpose. The wrestling however doesn't get lost as they aren't afraid to dedicate much of the show to a single contest.
They've done a great job in scoring Ricochet, performing as Prince Puma, as he's one of the world's standout wrestlers currently. Having Del Rio has also been a coup for them. I will say that Lucha Underground doesn't on the whole have the best wrestlers, but what they've been able to do is emphasise their stars positive attributes to get the most from them. Every wrestler has their own unique character, and they're all interesting and unique.
What I enjoy most about Lucha Underground is the storytelling. Backstage segments and teases are frequently the highlights of the show. As well as bringing us exciting angles, they are able to build toward plot points further down the line. We'll get more immediate story lines that are furthered only a few weeks down the line, but we also have wider mysteries, such as Cueto's key, and Pentagon's Master. This is how good TV works, but wrestling writers in the past generally can't be bothered to write for the long haul. Overall Lucha Underground is a highly watchable television show. The wrestling is just a bonus.