A Santino Marella sitcom?
WWE is developing a sitcom starring Santino Marella and co-starring Vladimir Kozlov as his best friend and Beth Phoenix as his girlfriend, according to a report by AOL. The Web site also said that the show will air initially on wwe.com and then WWE will try and shop it to networks.
Is this a joke?
It very well could be. I don’t doubt that a scripted comedy show could be in the works for WWE’s Web site, but I have to question whether there’s anything more to it than that. Marella, who rarely breaks character in media interviews, is quoted in the story and he sounds as if he might have been working the reporter.
“They call me the next one to cross over, the next Hollywood star. ... It will air at first on the dot com, then after that we will get it to a network television,” he said.
One would think that USA Network, the home of WWE's flagship show, would get first dibs on such a project, but an executive from the network told AOL that he knows nothing about it and the company is not actively looking for sitcoms.
Marella is a talented guy for sure, but if his appearance with Kozlov last week on ECW is an indication of what the show will be like, I would suggest that WWE use a laugh track instead of filming before a live studio audience.
Comments
"One would think that USA Network would be the logical destination for such a project"
Now I KNOW you must be kidding there. This whole idea is worse than bringing the Nasty Boys to TNA.
RESPONSE FROM KE: I'm rephrasing that to clarify my meaning. This make more sense:
One would think that USA Network, the home of WWE's flagship show, would get first dibs on such a project, but an executive from the network told AOL that he knows nothing about it and the company is not actively looking for sitcoms.
Posted by: MitZi | January 26, 2010 11:19 PM
A Santino Show?
No. Oh God no! ANYTHING BUT THAT!!!
Seriously, I am now convinced that McMahon and Co. have completely lost any connection to reality.
Posted by: Sean | January 26, 2010 11:22 PM
I understood what you meant Kev, but thanks for clarifying.
I still think it's a pretty horrendous idea and that the Nasty Boys Show featuring Team 3D and co-starring "The Band" would make for better ratings - that is, a 0.2 rating instead of 0.1 for Santino's Kaka.
Posted by: MitZi | January 27, 2010 12:12 AM
I don't know.. this could - and I highly stress the could - be the greatest thing to ever grace television since "Steven Seagal - Lawman"....
Posted by: Tim K | January 27, 2010 2:05 AM
whats it gonna be called rocky 7? revenge of the glamzon?
Posted by: delliott | January 27, 2010 8:45 AM
Now this I would watch. Santino is one of the few good things about Raw. My favorite Santino line is when he broke up with Beth. "I faked all my Organism's"
Posted by: Jim C | January 27, 2010 9:24 AM
I know they have WWE 24/7 as a pay channel, but I've always wanted Vince to start a 24 hour Wrestling Network. It could be part of the sports package that Comcast charges more for monthly.
All the archives from the other territories from the 70's & 80's, original programming, and the return of TUESDAY Night Titans! How cool would that be!
Posted by: Matt | January 27, 2010 9:39 AM
This would be more interesting than that other program they do, the one on Monday nights, whatever its called...with that midget and his grandparents
Posted by: theorangechimp | January 27, 2010 10:23 AM
Typical Vince McMahon BS. This idea makes about as much sense as the Workd Bodybuilding Federation (WBF) and the XFL that McMahon bankrolled and lost extreme amounts of money on.
Posted by: Ken Myers | January 27, 2010 10:52 AM
sounds like a joke to me.
Posted by: Loco | January 27, 2010 11:25 AM
Are they bringing back Tuesday Night Titans? If so, can we bring back Mr. Fuji for a few guest appearances?
Posted by: Peter | January 27, 2010 11:41 AM
santino is a funny dude so i would watch it but leave kozlov out
Posted by: Wyman | January 27, 2010 11:55 AM
This has to be a joke. That said, it's so ridiculous an idea it brightened my morning.
If it really does air, whether on the dot com or elsewhere, I WILL totally watch it... but it has to be a joke.
I am picturing a standard Eighties living-room sitcom set, a la "Three's Company" or "Perfect Strangers," with these three goofs wandering around on it, arguing about the phone bill or the boss coming over for dinner... and a canned laugh track... totally surreal.
Posted by: Jules B. | January 27, 2010 12:19 PM
I actually like Santino's work on RAW. He's about the closest thing I've ever seen to true comic relief from the WWE. But I wouldn't take it any farther than that; making him the star of a sitcom reminds me of taking a decent "Saturday Night Live" sketch and trying to make a movie out of it.
Anyway, I suspect this is nothing but an angle. The quote sounds exactly like the TV Marella character, and it strikes the same tone: comical clueless egotist. I think AOL just fell for it.
Posted by: jvwalt | January 27, 2010 12:52 PM
Just one question. Will Marella use this line on his show
"I don’t want to buy a subscription to Playboy magazine. Why buy the cow when someone will let you milk them for free!"
PS Its the coolest line ever
Posted by: Kunal | January 27, 2010 1:31 PM
Oh No! Say it ain't so Kev, you changed your pic! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! Actually it makes your head not look so abnormally large.
Posted by: Anonymous | January 27, 2010 3:50 PM
Why, who's that handsome fellow atop yon Ring Posts blog?
Posted by: Chris Jericho's Midlife Crisis | January 27, 2010 4:51 PM
Completely unrelated but...the new pic freaked me out...not saying its a bad pic, but I thought I was on the wrong blog for a sec!
Posted by: Ryan | January 27, 2010 5:05 PM
nice head shot.
Posted by: Richard | January 27, 2010 5:39 PM
Hey Eck great new photo.
Posted by: Taka | January 27, 2010 6:06 PM
orangechimp, good one.
Eck's new masthead reminds me of the revamped US Currency.
"Oh, there's CHANGE comin' to Ring Posts, brother! And if you don't like it, you better hold on, 'cause we're turnin' this failed, crummy blog full of boring deadweight into somethin' new, bigger and better! ...From here on, Eck is gonna be co-blogging with Ed Leslie and Jimmy Hart!"
Posted by: Jules B. | January 27, 2010 6:21 PM
You need a camo cowboy hat and a supersweet D-Ecks Army graphic.
Posted by: Alvaro | January 27, 2010 7:01 PM
I think eck's wanting to be part of santino's sitcom with the new picture! You been on the botox or photoshop?!? You look about 30years younger!
RESPONSE FROM KE: I appreciate -- and am surprised by all the compliments. I thought people would say I looked older because of the hair color. I bleach it blond every so often and sometimes people mistake the blond for gray.
Posted by: Dave | January 27, 2010 7:29 PM
Hey, who's the new guy?
Posted by: Steve Rood | January 27, 2010 8:26 PM
Fuji Bandito!
Posted by: Matt | January 27, 2010 9:13 PM
WOW, the headshot change made me realize how often I come to this site. This reminds me of when the WWF changed to WWE, nothing really wrong with it, but just a change to an old habit. That or like getting a new piece of furniture.
Posted by: Brian | January 27, 2010 10:03 PM
Bah, now we'll never get the WWE Diva reality TV show that everyone has been wanting to see... Well, rounding up to the nearest "everyone."
Posted by: Mr. Sarcasm | January 28, 2010 2:20 PM