By James Caldwell, Torch assistant editor

In next week's PWTorch Newsletter, I'll have a detailed review of the entire Victory Road Trip (it's a before & after) this past weekend covering the TNA live event experience in Orlando.

Before that, I want to look at tonight's TNA Impact based on what aired on TV compared to what was taped in Orlando on Monday night.

Watching the show tonight, it came across like a Tale of Two Episodes. One overall theme was consistent, though: too many gimmicks and stipulations trying to cover for a lack of long-term booking trying to take as many shortcuts as possible to potentially interest viewers in current storylines.

The first four matches on the show were a Street Fight, an I Quit match, a three-way match, and a ladder match, which had a double stipulation being part of a Best of Five series, with tonight's match helping determine the stipulation for the next match. It's too much and it's an undisciplined approach to presenting match-ups on wrestling TV.

As for the Tale of Two Episodes, the ECW Invasion angle came across tame compared to what unfolded at the Impact taping. One reason from my perspective is that it's just not that interesting seeing for the second time a group of past-their-prime former wrestling stars involved in the promotion's latest "big angle." I imagine viewers will have the same feeling as the angle centered on nostalgia plays out over the next few weeks.

Also, I don't believe the production team captured the angle as well as it unfolded it live in the Impact Zone. The camera shots were too fast-paced, per the Impact formula, and they over-did what should have been a simple story to tell.

In addition, TNA saved some of the better parts of the angle for "after the show went off the air." It also didn't make sense in the storyline for Al Snow - someone in TNA who was helping the ECW group - to act shocked when Dixie Carter said she invited "them" (the ECW crew) when the show went off the air.

Overall, the angle came across like the latest in a series of rapid-fire angles, segments, and matches that aired on Impact. At the live taping, the content seemed to flow better from segment to segment, with Jeremy Borash setting up what was happening next for the audience. On the actual broadcast, TNA cut corners trying to squeeze too much content into two hours.

One noticeable cut during the broadcast was Ric Flair's entire promo on Jay Lethal in the final segment of the show. Instead, TNA cut right to Flair addressing A.J. Styles and Kazarian being the first two members of Fortune.

One positive cut was during the Kevin Nash and Jeff Jarrett verbal exchange. Either someone in TNA figured out they had way too much nostalgia on the show or they had to cut out content again, but Nash's lines referencing WCW were completely cut out of his promo. It enhanced the exchange with Jarrett, as the live version made little sense in the context of TNA storylines.

At the end of the day, the theme of TNA's programming over the next few weeks will be the ECW Invasion angle leading to the Hard Justice PPV. The angle is TNA's latest attempt at a short-term fix to rebuild interest in the product.

There are two main concerns I see with the angle. One is TNA booking the promotion's top angle around nostalgia. TNA has tried the nostalgia formula throughout this year with Hulk Hogan, Ric Flair, and the NWO. The result is a promotion still trying to recover from the Monday night experiment and still trying to reach a ratings level they were at in 2007.

Also, it wasn't clear which characters involved in the ECW brawl are likable or why the audience was supposed to care in 2010. Early in the Nexus angle, WWE ran into the same problem with how the audience was supposed to react, especially when the group took out traditional heel Vince McMahon, who has played more of a sympathetic figure since WrestleMania 26.

I'm sure the ECW Invasion angle will lead to an uptick in interest in the short-term, but I don't have confidence in TNA having strong follow-through for weeks and months to come that will give viewers reason to continue watching.

Eric Bischoff said on his blog today that he's confident a long-term storyline will play out well over time. "The team has laid out a pretty compelling long range arc that should take us through the summer and into the fall with some great TV," he said.

I'm skeptical of this when I saw red flags on tonight's broadcast that have consistently plagued TNA's product. It's the same story: rushed storylines moving 1,000 MPH, corners being cut with the booking, over-use of gimmicks and stipulations, and matches that don't matter at the end of the day.

It's amazing to me that a company doing things right in other areas, which I'll detail in next week's PWTorch Newsletter, can do so many things wrong with their main TV product.

Keep reading! Below are links to the six most recent CALDWELL'S TAKE articles. Have you grayed out each of them yet?... (or click here to return to front page main listing).

CALDWELL & PARKS WEEKLY CHAT 11/18 - Chat is Back with in-depth discussion of Old School Raw, potential Survivor Series finishes, WM27 predictions, NXT cuts, State of Smackdown

CALDWELL: Piper & Ross spark big fourth quarter comeback on Raw, but glaring problems with WWE's product remain

CALDWELL FLASHBACK - Five Years Ago: "Eddie Guerrero's death should prompt changes to the wrestling industry"

CALDWELL: Linda McMahon's loss - how different could last night's result have been with an alternative approach Month One?

CALDWELL'S BLOG: What did we learn in the first 45 minutes of non-stop talking on TNA Impact?

CALDWELL'S BLOG: Examining numerous reasons for WWE Raw's alarming ratings decline on Monday night

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WWE News: Smackdown SPOILERS 11/26 - four wrestlers qualify for the King of the Ring tournament

WWE News: Raw ratings are in for Monday night's episode following the Survivor Series PPV

WWE News: Raw results - The Miz becomes WWE champion for the first time after two WWE Title matches

WWE News: Smackdown ratings are in for Friday night's show - ratings drop-off continues

WWE News: Survivor Series news & notes - one title change, five champions retain, Survivor Series, Miz and R-Truth's involvement

WWE News: Survivor Series results - John Cena "fired" after Randy Orton vs. Wade Barrett main event

TNA News: TNA Impact ratings are in for Thursday night's show - any movement with TNA's Thursday ratings? (w/Keller's Analysis)