'Talking Smack' and the Greatest WWE Network Shows of All Time

Along with the archived pay-per-views and other old episodes of Raw and SmackDown, one of the main selling points of the WWE Network when it initially launched in February 2014 was that it offered original content. This included a slew of shows that had been recorded years earlier (when the Network was first rumored back in late 2011), but they were enjoyable nevertheless.

Original programming continues to be a staple of the WWE Network, and as big of a plus as having NXT and 205 Live on there is, it has been shows such as Unfiltered, Legends' House and Breaking Ground that have kept viewers coming back for more and staying subscribed. Unfortunately, similar to most good things in WWE, most of them eventually met their demise.

There was recently an uproar over Talking Smack getting cut from the weekly schedule and rightfully so. It was arguably the best show produced by WWE each week, and without it, the WWE Network is significantly weaker. That said, this is far from the first time WWE has canceled a program beloved by fans, and it probably won't be the last.

Thankfully, a handful of exceptional original programs remain on the Network that are brought back on occasion with new episodes, typically after Raw airs each Monday night. Regardless of whether WWE is producing fresh content of the following seven shows or not, fans can rewatch them in all of their glory in the on-demand section of the streaming platform.

These are the WWE Network shows that have earned the right to be called the best that the service has had to offer in its three-and-a-half years.

Talking Smack

Truth be told, Talking Smack seemed really unnecessary when it debuted on the WWE Network following the first episode of SmackDown Live of the Brand Extension.

By that point, we already had five hours of television between Raw and SmackDown in addition to all the meaningless pre-shows we were getting. A wrap-up show was pretty pointless in theory, but it quickly proved to be the best show on the entire network.

Unlike the pre-shows, Talking Smack was completely unscripted, and as a result, Superstars would say whatever they pleased. It was clear Renee Young's co-host, Daniel Bryan in particular, couldn't have cared less and was more concerned with having fun, which resulted in some hilarious moments with him, Young and their guests.

The show's unscripted nature also allowed people to show off their personality for a change and not be limited to a dialogue that wasn't written by them. Baron Corbin, The Miz and many others benefited hugely from the program and were at times more must-see than either Raw or SmackDown.

On July 14, it was announced that the show would be held only after pay-per-views, similar to Raw Talk. It has been rumored (h/t WrestleZone) WWE chairman Vince McMahon wasn't a Talking Smack fan and that viewership wasn't where it needed to be, but whatever the case, it will be dearly missed.

WrestleMania Rewind

The debut of WrestleMania Rewind coincided perfectly with the road to WrestleMania 30 when the WWE Network launched in February 2014.

Every episode gave fans an in-depth look at some of WrestleMania's most memorable and monumental matchups using interviews with past and present Superstars and replaying the 'Mania match in its entirety. It was basically a one-hour documentary on any one match in particular.

To Hulk Hogan vs. Andre the Giant to Chris Jericho vs. Edge, the show spanned the entire history of WrestleMania and hit upon almost every milestone matchup to ever transpire on the grandest stage of them all. The program continued well past WrestleMania 30 and into the summer, yet it was canceled abruptly that August.

That led to speculation from fans that WWE was working on a similar show for SummerSlam or one of the other Big Four pay-per-views, but no such luck. Instead, they aired the rest of whatever they had recorded years earlier and decided not to create any new ones.

It's been three years since its cancellation and it doesn't look like it will ever be brought back. On the off chance it is, it would be interesting for 'Mania matches from recent years to be analyzed as well, such as The Undertaker's (likely) final match and Seth Rollins cashing in Money in the Bank at WrestleMania 31.

Legends' House

Soon after the WWE Network was announced in September 2011, WWE sent out a survey to fans asking who they would want to see on a show that involves WWE Legends living under one roof for a week. The program called Legends' House was finally filmed in early April 2012 with Roddy Piper, "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan, Jimmy Hart and several others, but due to the delay of the Network's launch, it was kept in the can for another two years.

Miraculously, all eight WWE Legends were still alive and well when it aired at long last in the spring of 2014, and it was critically acclaimed by fans. Not every episode was the most exciting, mind you, but it felt way more real than Total Divas or any other reality television show, and it was interesting to see how they could coexist.

The first few episodes were fairly uneventful, but the longer they were forced to live under one roof together, the quicker tensions ran high. As the show came to a close, everyone was sharing their deepest and darkest secrets, including unknown tales about loved ones who had passed away.

This led to the most memorable moment in the show's brief run on the season finale, where Pat Patterson came out as bisexual after many decades of hiding his orientation from the public. It was a cool way to end what had been a fun little show that brought all eight legends together for the first (and last) time.

Once Season 1 concluded, it seemed to be inevitable that a Season 2 would be ordered, this time with different WWE Hall of Famers and alumni. Unfortunately, it was reported (h/t WrestleZone) that a second season had been nixed because it would cost too much money to make, and there has not been any discussion of one since. Legends' House, we hardly knew ye.

WWE Breaking Ground

As noted, Legends' House was entertaining albeit uneventful. In the second half of 2015, WWE announced another reality series for the WWE Network, this time following around the up-and-coming stars of NXT and WWE's Performance Center.

WWE Breaking Ground was a much more realistic program that gave viewers a closer look at the talent of tomorrow as well as a better understanding of how the PC functions. The show shared a format similar to HBO's Hard Knocks and was met with critical acclaim.

Each episode featured fresh faces and invited fans to get to know the wrestlers when they weren't inside the ring. In fact, the show gave guys like Baron Corbin, Apollo Crews and Tino Sabbatelli more character development than WWE ever did as well as giving fans a reason to care about them and their journey.

Breaking Ground wrapped up in early 2016 with a "Reloaded" special airing a few months later, offering the aftermath with the stars of the show. Nothing has been said about a second season, and at this point, it has been well over a year.

One would think WWE would want to make more seasons with all the new talent they have in their developmental system, but it apparently isn't in the cards.

Table for 3

WWE Network's Table For 3 is exactly what the title suggests: three wrestling personalities sitting down at dinner to shoot the breeze about the business. The show launched in August 2015 and has been one of the best original programs on the platform since then for its sheer entertainment value.

Essentially, WWE brings together three Superstars from the past and/or present that typically have some sort of a common bond. Whether they were former rivals or tag team partners or simply each held the Intercontinental Championship, they have stories to share that each of them can relate to.

In some cases, the three people will have never met before but know of each other, such as when Jim Cornette, Eric Bischoff and Michael P.S. Hayes had dinner a few months back and hilarity ensued. Other times, a stable such as The New Day will converse and you'll find out something about them you weren't aware of before (such as how their group came to be).

The sole complaint fans tend to have about Table For 3 is that at approximately 20 to 25 minutes in length, it should be longer. People who have participated in the program have said they could have up to an hour taped, but only a portion of it is used for the actual episode.

Table For 3 provides fans the perfect opportunity to sit back, relax, enjoy themselves while watching their favorite WWE talent and perhaps learn something in the process.

Stone Cold Podcast

The WWE Network lacked truly compelling original content in 2014 until the Stone Cold Podcast debuted that December. Steve Austin's first guest was none other than Vince McMahon, which was a heck of a way to kick off the anticipated program.

The two did not disappoint in producing a very newsworthy episode that touched on taboo topics such as Randy Savage, CM Punk and Vince's thoughts on the current roster.

Of course, it was such a success that it returned two months later with Triple H being interviewed by The Texas Rattlesnake, which was another high-profile episode. From there, the Stone Cold Podcast was brought back every other month, with some conversations being more captivating than others.

For example, Austin's interview with Paige was fine albeit totally forgettable, yet his interviews with Brock Lesnar and AJ Styles were exceptional. Stone Cold wouldn't hesitate in asking the hard-hitting questions and delving deeper into the backstories of certain Superstars.

Unfortunately, his latest podcast with Dean Ambrose that aired one year ago was labeled a disappointment, and along with Stone Cold's deal with WWE wrapping up, which was to feature 12 podcasts, another one hasn't been hosted since.

Surely enough time has passed that WWE can put that podcast in the past. Besides, there are several stars from Raw and SmackDown who would make for great guests on the show.

WWE 24

WWE's documentaries have been receiving rave reviews for many years, as there is no questioning that the company's production team is second to none. Thus, it was amazing when it was announced at the onset of 2015 that a new show called WWE 24 was set to debut on the WWE Network with an inside look at what went into WrestleMania 30.

The way WWE 24 is filmed is no different to most documentaries, which is exceptional quality, but it's the nature of the content and what's featured that makes the show stand out. It takes viewers behind the scenes of various events as well as explores the lives of certain Superstars.

The last few installments have been nothing short of spectacular, with one highlighting Kurt Angle's return to WWE over WrestleMania 33 weekend and another following Finn Balor on his road to recovery from injury last year. Each of them has had something special to offer and touch upon topics that aren't normally acknowledged on WWE TV.

In what is basically WWE's version of ESPN's 30 for 30, WWE 24 pulls back the curtain and allows fans to invest in WWE personalities like never before. The running time of one hour tends to fly by and does a fantastic job of covering every peak and valley in a Superstar's story.

There are a number of outstanding shows on the WWE Network—of course including the monthly pay-per-views—but WWE 24 alone is well worth the purchase price of $9.99.

Graham Mirmina, aka Graham "GSM" Matthews, is an Endicott College alumnus and aspiring journalist. Visit his website, Next Era Wrestling, and "like" his official Facebook page to continue the conversation on all things wrestling.