SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)...
The Associated Press published a report on WWE Network’s new “Breaking Ground” show, which WWE hopes will be a hook for the Network after Raw goes off the air.
WWE is set to release the first episode on Sunday, but off-Network. The plan is for WWE’s Facebook and YouTube to host the first episode at 12:00 p.m. EST on Sunday afternoon before the traditional start of NFL Sunday.
The new series will then shift to a post-Raw timeslot on Monday nights on WWE Network.
If WWE wants the series to be like HBO’s “Hard Knocks” NFL training camp show, then WWE needed a voice to bring video to life. Playing the role of Liev Schreiber will be celebrity Hall of Famer William Shatner, who will narrate the 10-episode series.
The series was mainly shot at the Performance Center in Orlando, focusing on wrestlers trying to make it to the WWE main roster. TV executive Kevin Dunn said it’s different than WWE’s recently-completed Tough Enough season because “the NXT stars are not competing for a contract, just a spot on the main roster.”
“It’s not about NXT,” Dunn said. “It’s about making it to the WWE. We’re telling real stories of these real people and the hardships and difficulty of making it to the WWE. I don’t think we’re giving it away (pulling back the curtain). You’re just going to see how this process actually works.”
Overall, WWE hopes the series is a new and compelling way to introduce new stars to the WWE audience.
The series was co-produced by 3 Ball Entertainment, whose credits include “Bar Rescue” on Spike TV.
*** WWE issued a press release after the AP report was published drawing attention to the “sneak peek” on Facebook and YouTube this Sunday. WWE also released a trailer, below.
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