Vegas On Demand

Maintaining one of the oldest and most colorful traditions in television, the Monday night fights still leave rabid, die-hard audiences wondering whether the bouts are scripted or spontaneous, wondering, too, how a guy survives having chairs broken over his head before he lands on the bottom of a half-ton Dogpile. How does that work? WWE promotes their Monday night smack-arounds as "the longest-running episodic television show in US history," a claim which probably depends on the definition of "episodic." In each WWE Monday Night Raw "episode," slightly larger than life premier fighters battle one another en route to "the championship." The rules, of course, allow for epic rematches between and among audience favorites; and feuds, rivalries, and death threats fel audiences' frenzies. WWE Monday Night Raw favorites have included legend Hulk Hogan, Max Moon, Damien Demento, and Razor Ramon. In the last several seasons, women have made their way into the ring, proving that "Raw" nasty-ugly-sweaty brutality is not just for boys any more.

Rookies and pros alike can appreciate just how lasting the sport of wrestling is. Bare chested men grappling for the perfect hold to pin their opponent down for the count are reminiscent of Gladiators from centuries ago. Crowds root and scream for their hero as they yell words of encouragement to their chosen contender. This program, from World Wrestling Entertainment (the WWE) takes us behind the scenes of professional wrestling and combines reality television with scripts taken from live events. Watch to see who will emerge as the next super star of the sport and who will fade away into obscurity if they can't stand the heat of battle in the ring. Weekly matches and challenges test the skills and physical ability of rookies. Like other reality style shows they have to win contests and perhaps earn immunity from elimination in the next round. Contestants move up through the ranks much as they would in real competition but much faster through the magic of reality television. Winning contestants are usually rewarded with a career boost into stardom.

Football Follies TV show are collections of American football bloopers performed by National Football League players. Produced by NFL Films, these collections also spoof parts of popular culture. For every tight spiral, circus catch and textbook open-field tackle there are countless fumbles, bumbles and boneheaded goofs. Each episode shows that sometimes, even the best players screw up, coaches go ballistic, and fans find fresh ways to act wacky in the stands.

"Poker After Dark" invites questions about chickens and eggs: Did the show create the American poker craze, or did pokermania create the show? Filling the insomniac hours after NBC's languishing late-night line-up, "Poker After Dark" now is the drug-of-choice for let-the-cards-fly fanatics all over North America. For viewers immune to the thrilling contagion of Texas Hold "˜Em, "Poker After Dark" certainly must seem like snooze-fest supreme, because the show's drama and suspense live and flourish in the nuances, and they develop behind the hardest of hardcore poker faces. Unless the viewer knows the game, game theory, the identities and playing styles of the super-stars at the table, and the razor-thin line between skill and luck, "Poker After Dark" looks like nothing but six grizzled characters brooding over scraps of paper. For anyone with a working knowledge of "the flop," "the river," and "all-in," the subtle-but-intense drama is absolutely compelling, and "Poker After Dark" totally dominates its time-slot. In the show's fourth season, once it clearly had established a devoted following among poker addicts, "Poker After Dark's" producers began diversifying the program's format and content, pitting table players against online gamers, showing no-limit cash games, and scheduling head-to-head playoffs between seasoned professionals and dedicated amateurs. Texas Hold "˜Em, however, still has greatest hold on viewers' attention.

Friday Night Lights TV Show is set in a small town in Texas called Dillon where only one thing matters and that's football. So when Eric Taylor gets hired on as the new head coach of the town's famous football team, he has to do whatever it takes to keep them winning. The stress builds for players as the town puts pressure on them to win and Eric does his best to hold the team together and get them to victory. Will it be enough to get them through? Friday Night Lights TV Show gives a glimpse at the hope a high school football team can give to a small town.

HBO brought back a show called "Back on the Record with Bob Costas" in 2021. They changed the name a little to avoid confusion with a different show that came out in 2020. The first episode aired on July 30, 2021, and they planned to show up to four episodes a year.