Welcome to the second edition of The Mailbag! When I asked for your questions last week, I wasn’t even convinced that I’d get any response. Just 7 days later, I’m already backlogged for several weeks worth of columns! But please, continue to contact us with your mailbag question. I give my word that I’ll get to all of them and will even bump up topical queries as best I can.
Without any further pontificating, let’s get to the questions!
What WWE Network original series has the most episodes?
See, there are multiple ways to answer this question that depend on how strict you want to be. If we’re going with the loosest definition of whatever WWE dumps into the “Originals” category, the answer is Total Divas. At 73 currently available episodes, it’s easily in the lead. However, Total Divas didn’t premiere on the Network, so it’s not really a true “original”.
Another potential winner is the “Original Specials” subcategory. At 38 shows, it’s quite substantial. personally, I’d discount that too though because it isn’t a true series and rather just a grouping of random videos. You can put “First Look” under that proviso too, which stands at 26 editions.
So, what’s the winner if we’re sticking to a series with some kind of narrative or cohesive theme that premiered on WWE Network? That would be…
Slam City. Seriously. The show first appeared on the service in March 2014 and reached 28 episodes. As a final note, Table For 3 is poised to take over the top spot at its current production rate, currently standing at 23 instalments.
Jim Cornette said on his podcast that the table for 3 he did actually lasted 90 minutes, but wwe edited to 20? Why do you think they wwe edited to so little and what do you think of the table for 3?
Table For 3 is one of my favourite shows on the Network. Although its quality can vary depending on the chemistry of the people involved, generally it brings together interesting trios in a format that stands out from the gluttony of shoot interviews on the market. The Cornette/Hayes/Bischoff group gelled well and had a little more intrigue than the series usually does.
As I answer the next part of this question, let me be clear that I’d love to see Table for 3 expand to 30 or 60 minutes. I’m merely saying why I think WWE shortens the show. I’m definitely not endorsing the decision by any means.
Put simply, WWE are likely reacting to to engagement statistics. While more people can watch a live PPV for 3 hours, WWE possibly noticed a trend of viewership starting to trail off on shows like Table For 3 at around 20 minutes and adapted accordingly. Of course, we know they’re happy to release 60-minute documentaries, so perhaps we’ll see an extended Table For 3 one day if they find a trio that they deem special enough.
Why no MITB or TLC matches in [the] ladder [match] collection?
There seems to be a little confusion here as some TLC matches were included in the Ladder Match collection. Edit: I was actually mistaken. Several of the matches took place at the TLC PPV, but there were no actual TLC matches. However, Money in the Bank is very conspicuous in its absense. The simplest and therefore most likely answer is that MITB is pretty much its own gimmick at this point and WWE are leaving the possibility of a seperate collection open for the future.
Lastly for today, we have a questions from Ross (it’s nice to put a name to the questions occasionally) about the newly resurrected Music Power 10:
Do you think they could do Music Power 10 episodes for past events?
Theoretically, yes. If WWE were willing to pay the license fees. Because let’s be honest, a show like a WrestleMania relies on its mainstream music. So if WWE were willing to pay, retro versions of Music Power 10 could happen. In practice though, it’s unlikely to happen. Music Power 10 took over two years to get a second outing. So, it’s unlikely to be a high priority. WWE only shell out money when they feel they can generate more income than what they invested. Music Power 10 is unlikely to draw in many new subscribers, so WWE
In practice though, it’s got a vert low probability of coming to fruition. Music Power 10 took over two years to get a second outing, so it’s not a high priority. WWE only shell out money when they feel they can generate more income than what they invested. Music Power 10 is unlikely to draw in many new subscribers, so WWE are unlikely to invest in it beyond the bare minimum. As a fan, it feels like a cool idea, but it isn’t really worthwhile from a business perspective.
That’ll do it for this week. Once again, don’t forget to submit your mailbag questions! I’ll answer anything to do with WWE Network, I’ll field questions about my opinion on the WWE product or even take queries about the site itself. Just keep ’em rollin’ in!