WWF Superstars of Wrestling debuted on September 6, 1986, replacing WWF Championship Wrestling as the flagship program of the World Wrestling Federation. It aired through syndication on local independent television stations across the country, not on any major network. By 1987, it had become one of the highest-rated syndicated program in America, reaching viewers in over 200 US markets. ​ To understand what that meant in 1986, syndication was how television worked before cable reached most American homes. A handful of programs dominated the syndicated landscape. Wheel of Fortune was the most-watched syndicated show in the country. WWF Superstars occupied that same ecosystem, airing on the same types of local stations on Saturday mornings. Before Superstars came on, children had spent the morning watching cartoons like He-Man, The Smurfs, GI Joe, and Thundercats on the major networks. When those ended and the local station came on, Superstars was next. The format was simple: one hour,...