5 Reality Show Concepts That Would Thrive on Potential WWE Network

The WWE Network is still something that could possibly happen in the near future, and WWE needs programming to fill up the 24-hour schedule. That's where this slideshow comes in.

They have plenty of archive footage from defunct promotions they own the rights to as well as a massive library of their own content, but in order to make people want to pay for a whole network they need more original programming.

WWE has expanded their brand over the years beyond wrestling to include a few reality shows like Total Divas and Tough Enough, but that's still not enough to fill a whole schedule.

What they need are shows with formulas that have been tested and proven to work. Almost every show on television appeals to someone, and most shows appeal to large cross sections of people.

Two years ago I proposed 10 ideas for WWE Network shows. This will be somewhat of a follow-up to that original piece.

This slideshow will propose five ideas for shows that not only WWE fans would enjoy, but viewers outside the wrestling world might also find entertaining enough to give the WWE Network a shot.

Chris Jericho's World Tour

Chris Jericho is a journeyman in every sense of the word. He is a wrestler, singer, actor, writer, host and a plethora of other things.

His band Fozzy has given Jericho the ability to feed his creative side, and fans of both music and wrestling would love Chris Jericho's World Tour.

This is a show that would follow Jericho as he and his band tour the world performing at various venues for audiences both large and small.

Everyone would win with this idea. WWE would get to keep Jericho on their radar while he is not in the ring, Fozzy would be given the chance to perform for much larger audiences on television and fans of both his music and wrestling ability would be brought into his personal life, seeing how his real-life persona and wrestling character often align.

The other members of Fozzy would be brought to the forefront, and there is no denying that his record sales would spike with the increased exposure.

Vince McMahon and WWE want to be known as more than just a wrestling promotion, and this show would help them break that perception amongst non-wrestling fans.

The WWE Comedy Hour

The next idea on the list might work better as a monthly or semiyearly special instead of a weekly episodic show, but the concept would still be something WWE could find great success with.

The WWE Comedy Hour is a show that would feature WWE Superstars, both past and present, preparing and performing comedy shows.

Mick Foley has been performing stand-up comedy here and there, Dolph Ziggler has expressed interest in pursuing the craft and other talents like William Regal and Jim Ross have either performed already or plan to do speaking tours.

This show would follow them in the weeks leading up to the actual show as they prepare their material, refine it and perform in front of a crowd.

The format would work best in a two-hour block. The first hour would be the documentary portion showing them preparing, and the second hour would be the actual performance.

Once the concept caught on WWE could start bringing in comics from outside the wrestling business to help continue expanding the brand beyond the ring.

If the WWE Network never comes to fruition then this might also work on Comedy Central or one of the television channels WWE has a good relationship with (like USA or NBC).

Keeping Up with the King

Keeping up With the King would be a reality show at its very core. Jerry Lawler is the perfect person for WWE to base a reality show around for several reasons.

He has a well-documented family life both inside and outside the wrestling business, and if his son, Brian Christopher, were to be on board it would make things even more interesting.

The show would feature all the reality TV staples like scripted dialogue, situations that are obviously staged and enough drama to make anyone appreciate their own dysfunctional families even more.

Even if Lawler wasn't on board this could still work. Plenty of WWE names like JBL, Michael Cole and the McMahons could also work as subjects.

This might not appeal to the average wrestling fan as much as it would the average fans of reality TV, but that is sort of the point. WWE wants to be more than a wrestling company, and this would be one way to meet that goal.

And before anyone thinks the title is a rip-off of Keeping up With the Kardashians, I would like to point out that they stole the idea from the idiom "Keeping up with the Joneses."

WWE's Physical Challenge

WWE's Physical Challenge would be a show that would appeal to fans both young and old for many reasons.

The basic concept of the show would borrow from programs like Double Dare, Nickelodeon Guts and Finders Keepers. I realize that referencing these TV shows is probably bringing back a lot of memories for some of you. Take a moment to reflect on the fun times you had as children watching these classics.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with the titles mentioned, the program would be competition-based, with kids being paired with WWE Superstars and Divas. The teams would compete in trivia contests, strategy games and physical challenges.

The WWE Superstars could compete for their favorite charities while the children would be competing for small college scholarships, cash rewards or various prizes like WWE merchandise and other entertainment rewards.

WWE could have heels and babyfaces take playful jabs at one another during the game to remind everyone that they are enemies, but it would all be in good fun.

Shows like this are a lot less common than they used to be. The kids who once watched them are now adults raising their own families, and that means it could appeal to multiple generations.

This would be good, family oriented fun that parents could feel comfortable letting their children watch while also enjoying the nostalgic feel themselves.

WWE would benefit from this idea in several ways. They would be appealing to a wide audience, they could deduct the charitable contributions and college scholarships and they would be expanding their brand, which is the overall goal of the WWE Network.

And the easy part would be the product integration. Manufacturers would probably supply most of the prizes for free just so they could get the free advertising.

The only downside would be...

Let me know if you can think of a downside, because I can't.

Behind the Barricade

Behind the Barricade would be a docuseries about the behind-the-scenes happenings in WWE.

For fans like you and I, WWE is something that we get to enjoy for three hours on Monday, an hour on Wednesday, two hours on Friday and a few hours on pay-per-view Sunday, but for the WWE crew it's a job that never stops.

The men and women who work behind the scenes to make everything in WWE run like a well-oiled machine don't get to go home when Raw is over. It's a process that goes on 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year.

The amount of work that goes into making a live event or TV taping happen is something that most fans don't even think about, and a show like this would help all of us realize just how hard everyone works to put the shows together.

The ring crew, production staff, office staff, writers and all the other people who work for WWE each play a pivotal role in making the product what it is, and they deserve some recognition for their hard work.

While this kind of program would skew more towards the hardcore fan, it would also give the casual and less-educated fans a deeper appreciation for just how much effort gets put into entertaining us week after week.

The format could be a straight documentary style, with a different department or aspect of the job being featured on each episode.

And considering WWE already owns their own cameras and production staff, the cost of making a show like this would be minimal.

It might not get massive ratings, but it would be a peak behind the curtain that many fans would enjoy.

Conclusion and a Special Message

This is just the tip of the iceberg. WWE has so many options for reality and documentary-based shows that it almost seems odd that some of them have not been created yet.

This list featured five very different ideas that all borrow from existing concepts that have been proven to be successful outside of WWE.

WWE now just needs to figure out what they want their network to be, and then they need to fill the schedule with shows that fit within their vision.

And if any of these shows ever make it to air, I expect a "Created by" credit or a big, fat check.

Which of the shows listed would you be most likely to watch, and what ideas do you have for shows the WWE Network could feature outside of actual wrestling?

A Special Message From Chris Mueller:

I would like to wish everyone a very happy Thanksgiving. This is the time of year when friends and families gather to give thanks, eat until they have to loosen their belts and watch parades, movies and Football. I understand that this is a U.S.-based holiday, but that doesn't mean only Americans can enjoy it. Make a big meal, tell your friends and family you love them and make Thursday a special day no matter what part of the world you live in. But most importantly, be safe. Just because you aren't being irresponsible doesn't mean everyone else is.

As for me, I would like to thank all of YOU. Without the support of the readers, writers like myself would have no voice at all. You make it worth coming back every week to do what we love, and I love you for it. Yeah, I'm a sap and I said I love you. Deal with it. I do not get to respond to as many comments as I would like, but you can always drop me a message on my profile and I will almost always respond.

And I wouldn't feel right if I didn't also thank all the extremely hard-working people at Bleacher Report. You have given me an outlet to express myself for over five years, and without the editors, team leaders , other writers and other staff who make this site work I would not be where I am today. I send my love to all of you, and trust me when I say that your hard work is greatly appreciated from the bottom of both my hearts. (See what I did there)

Thanks for reading, and follow me on Twitter @BR_Doctor.