Granted, I’m a little late on this press release that Setta Entertainment put out… to WrestleZone. But still, it’s worth mentioning since a large part of this site is dedicated to actual TV episodes that feature pro wrestling in one way or another.
From Setta:
New York, NY – WRESTLING WITH JOEYLICIOUS is a single-camera half hour comedy, filmed in and around NYC. It will follow Joey’s trials and tribulations as he attempts to lead a normal life balancing work, family and a romance while desperately clinging to his dream of becoming the greatest professional wrestler of all time.
I can quite honestly say that nobody loves the idea of a TV sitcom or drama about wrestling more than me. Hell, I even tried writing a wrestling drama spec script before I gave up and swore that Jerry Bruckheimer and The Rock stole my idea. And therein lies the problem. If The Rock and Jerry Bruckheimer couldn’t get an 80’s wrestling drama that NBC actually bought on TV, what hope is there for Wrestling with Joeylicious?
Let’s not forget the 70’s wrestling drama legendary TV writer and producer Norman Lear had collaborated with HBO on. Or the countless web series/pilots you can watch on YouTube like Undisputed, which also starred Mick Foley.
The closest pro wrestling got to being on a mainstream sitcom or drama was through syndication of a Canadian-produced TV show about a high school teacher moonlighting as a wrestler (Learning the Ropes), and a produced pilot starring Roddy Piper and Jesse Ventura, as former wrestlers turned cops, that never got picked up (Tag Team). Okay, there was Nikki on The WB, but I won’t even get into that.
I remain doubtful that Wrestling with Joeylicious will become the show that breaks the pattern and actually becomes a thing you can watch on actual television. On the other hand, it might just be the wrestling TV show the world is finally ready for.
Cheap Pop Culture 