TVSquad

Before it became all cooking, gossip, fashion and interior decorating, Bravo used to be a fine arts network that aired classic drama, music, opera, etc.

TV viewers everywhere are hoping such sophistication returns to television with the news that World Wrestling Entertainment chairman Vince McMahon wants to create his own cable network.

McMahon wants to launch the WWE-dedicated channel for basic tier rates within the next two years. While a return to fine arts TV is unlikely, McMahon's wrestling product has been greatly softened in tone over recent months -- looking to attract a more family-based audience.

Back in the halcyon days of NBC's Bob Hope TV specials, the comedy legend would march out a list of the most bizarrely unrelated pseudo celebrities you could imagine.

You'd hear something like, "Join me this Sunday on NBC for 'Bob Hope's All-Star Salute to Existence' with great stars like Loni Anderson, Pink Lady and Jeff, the UPI All-American Football Team, Billy Carter, Steve Reeves and Brooke Shields!"

It looks like World Wrestling Entertainment is shooting for something equally bizarre with its list of upcoming Monday Night Raw guest hosts. Vince McMahon and company plan to continue the guest general manager routine through the end of 2009 and possibly all the way to Wrestlemania 26 next March.

The problem with reporting real news originating in the professional wrestling world is that you never know if you're being played as part of a story angle designed to drive up ratings or pay-per-view buys.

However, since the following hasn't been mentioned on any of World Wrestling Entertainment's television shows, it might be legit.

According to the WWE: "Linda McMahon, CEO of World Wrestling Entertainment, is considering a run for the United States Senate representing the state of Connecticut. Should she decide to run, Linda would step down as CEO, and Vince McMahon would assume the duties of CEO in addition to his current position as WWE Chairman."

To drive ratings up -- and to drive devoted pro wrestling fans up a wall -- Vince McMahon and World Wrestling Entertainment recently began welcoming guest hosts to take over Monday Night Raw -- the WWE's flagship show -- every week.

So far, everyone from the NBA's Shaq to Entourage's Jeremy Piven to ZZ Top has taken over the live two-hour wrestling show.

It seems that when the show producers can't find a celeb to fit the bill, they bring in a wrestling star from the past -- like The Million Dollar Man Ted DiBiase or Sergeant Slaughter.

What started out as just a TV wrestling stunt could have Vince McMahon and World Wrestling Entertainment in a headlock from federal authorities.

As we reported earlier this week, the WWE's Monday Night Raw is running an angle in which Donald Trump purchased the show from McMahon. It's all a big wrestling "work" -- a story element to drive the weekly show and entertain fans.

The trouble is that both WWE and Raw's parent network (USA) sent out official press releases announcing Trump's "purchase." And, WWE publicly held shares fell nearly 7% the next day.

On a three-hour edition of World Wrestling Entertainment's Monday Night Raw on USA, CEO Vince McMahon announced he had sold the show to Donald Trump.

Before a shock wave ripples through the sports entertainment and reality show worlds, it's safe to say this is "a work" -- as they say in grappling circles. Trump has his orange-topped mug back on TV as an on-screen performer with WWE. Behind the curtain, when the arena goes dark, McMahon is still in charge.

According to McMahon, Trump will take over running the show in person next Monday night when a special, commercial-free Raw originates from Green Bay, Wisc.

Here are the weekly cable ratings, by number of viewers.

I could have just put the picture of SpongeBob's smiling face (at least I think he's smiling) in this post and you could have figured out who ruled the cable ratings this week. And it wasn't just the regular show. In the top 10 we also see the Atlantis SquarePants special and something called Behind The Pantis, which sounds vaguely creepy. The only specials that didn't make the list are SpongeBob SquarePants: The Early Years and SpongeBob: May I Sleep With Danger?

1. Monday Night Football (ESPN)

Here are the weekly cable ratings, by number of viewers.

It's funny how cable is always seen as the varied, creative alternative to the shows that are on network television, but week after week it's always Monday Night Football and three or four episodes of SpongeBob in the top 10. And I still don't know why Monday Night RAW's two hour are considered two different hours in the ratings.

1. Monday Night Football (ESPN)

Here are the weekly cable ratings, by number of viewers.

1. NFL Football - Bengals vs. Ravens (ESPN)
2. The Closer (TNT)
3. NFL Football - 49s vs. Cardinals (ESPN)
4. Saving Grace (TNT)
5. WWE Monday Night RAW - 10pm (USA)
6. Monk (USA)
7. WWE Monday Night RAW - 9pm (USA)
8. Sunday Night Baseball - Red Sox vs. Yankees (ESPN)
9. Burn Notice (USA)
10. The Hills (MTV)

Here are the weekly cable rating, by number of viewers.

1. The Closer (TNT)
2. NFL Pre-season Game (ESPN)
3. High School Musical 2 (Disney)
4. Nextel Cup Bristol (ESPN)
5. Monk (USA)
6. Saving Grace (TNT)
7. WWE Monday Night RAW - 10pm (USA)
8. WWE Monday Night RAW - 9pm (USA)
9. Army Wives (Lifetime)
10. Spy Kids 3 (Disney)

Here are the weekly cable ratings, by number of viewers.

1. The Closer (TNT)
2. BET Awards (BET)
3. WWE Monday Night RAW - 10pm (USA)
4. WWE Monday Night RAW - 9pm (USA)
5. Nextel Cup (TNT)
6. Nextel Cup Post Game Show (TNT)
7. WWE Monday Night RAW - 8pm (USA)
8. SpongeBob SquarePants (Nickelodeon)
9. SpongeBob SquarePants (Nickelodeon)
10. SpongeBob SquarePants (Nickelodeon)

Here are the weekly cable ratings, by number of viewers.

1. WWE Monday Night RAW - 10pm (USA)
2. WWE Monday Night RAW - 9pm (USA)
3. Nextel Cup Michigan (TNT)
4. SpongeBob: The Movie (Nickelodeon)
5. WWE Monday Night RAW - 8pm (USA)
6. SpongeBob: The Movie (Nickelodeon)
7. SpongeBob SquarePants (Nickelodeon)
8. Army Wives (Lifetime)
9. SpongeBob SquarePants (Nickelodeon)
10. Mets/Yankees (ESPN)

Here are the weekly cable ratings, by number of viewers.

1. The Sopranos* (HBO)
2. WWE Monday Night RAW - 10pm (USA)
3. House of Payne (TBS)
4. Nextel Cup Racing (TNT)
5. WWE Monday Night RAW - 9pm (USA)
6. The Starter Wife (USA)
7. SpongeBob SquarePants (Nickelodeon)
8. Shrek (TBS)
9. SpongeBob SquarePants (Nickelodeon)
10. Ned's Declassified (Nickelodeon)

* After America's Got Talent, The Sopranos was the most watched show on TV last week, network or cable.

Here are the weekly cable ratings, by number of viewers.

1. WWE Monday Night RAW - 10pm (USA)
2. NBA Playoffs - Pistons/Cavaliers (TNT)
3. NBA Playoffs - Pistons/Cavaliers (TNT)
4. WWE Monday Night RAW - 9pm (USA)
5. SpongeBob SquarePants (Nickelodeon)
6. SpongeBob SquarePants (Nickelodeon)
7. NBA Playoffs - Pistons/Cavaliers (TNT)
8. SpongeBob SquarePants (Nickelodeon)
9. NBA Playoffs - Spurs/Jazz (ESPN)
10. SpongeBob SquarePants (Nickelodeon)

Here are the weekly cable ratings, by number of viewers.

1. The Sopranos (HBO)
2. SpongeBob SquarePants (Nickelodeon)
3. SpongeBob SquarePants (Nickelodeon)
4. SpongeBob SquarePants (Nickelodeon)
5. WWE Monday Night RAW - 10pm (USA)
6. SpongeBob SquarePants (Nickelodeon)
7. I Love New York (VH-1)
8. Charm School (VH-1)
9. SpongeBob SquarePants (Nickelodeon)
10. WWE Monday Night RAW - 9pm (USA)