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A Winning Show For AEW

Posted: Mar 30th 2023 By: Mick Foley

After watching the sneak peek episode of AEW’s new behind-the-scenes reality show #AEWAllAccess, I do believe All Elite Wrestling has a very good show on their hands. While WWE has done some great behind the scenes programming on the WWE Network (and subsequently on Peacock,) the major edge for this new AEW program is that it airs in primetime on a major cable network, with a lead-in from Dynamite itself.
While airing intriguing and well-produced programming on a online wrestling network is perfect for diehard fans... it kind of amounts to preaching to the choir. Now juxtapose this to the new AEW offering, which has a chance to accomplish what “Tough Enough”, “Total Divas”, “Total Bellas”, and "Most Wanted Treasures" did for WWE. That is --- putting new eyeballs on the AEW product and offering the opportunity for their talent to be seen as STARS, and not just "wrestlers on a wrestling show" to the outside world.
After participating in several "pop culture" conventions with some of the AEW stars, it seems like they have been doing their thing in something of a very successful vacuum.... they are huge stars to the diehards who come specifically to see them, but largely unknown to the wider general audience.

While the fans wearing AEW gear make mad dashes to the AEW tables, the family dressed as Care Bears, the woman cosplaying as Velma Dinkley or the middle aged guy squeezing into a Batman outfit are much more likely to stop by the WWE tables. I believe this show is one step closer to carving out a much wider path of acceptance among more casual fans, and to the media at large.

Take the case of Dr. Britt Baker, DMD. All of us in the wrestling universe are very aware that Dr. Baker is the Bret Hart of wrestling dentists (with all due respect to Isaac Yankem from Decatur, Illinois.) But, to the public at large, such a noble distinction might seem like either a wrestling fabrication, or a curiosity...

Saying Britt Baker is a "wrestling dentist" is one thing - but seeing her rushing from work in her scrubs to accompany her boyfriend, Adam Cole to a serious medical appointment, with his long term health and career hanging in the balance is absolutely captivating and should serve as a serious eye-opener to morning show/late night-TV and major podcast booking agents.

The return of the Young Bucks also makes for some captivating television, although it remains to be seen how deep AEW and TBS will be willing to delve into the very personal issue --- the infamous post-show brawl --- that led to their temporary departure.

There are plenty of moving parts to this first show - and time will tell how well AEW can juggle those moving parts - ie. following through on these first few storylines, while introducing more of their deep talent pool to the general public. But if this first show is any indication, I do believe that AEW has a hit on their hands...