How Miz's WWE Career Helped Develop His Reality Series

While Miz just had a battle with Shane McMahon at the WWE PPV Money in the Bank, he and wife Maryse are wrapping up the first season of their reality series on USA Network Miz and Mrs. on May 21. Neither of them are strangers to television, with nearly 30 years combined experience on WWE programming.

18 years ago, Mike "The Miz" Mizanin appeared on the Real World, and following that, he had a career on the Real World/Road Rules Challenge, so jumping into a new reality series following he, his wife Maryse, and their newborn daughter Monroe Sky isn't uncharted territory. Their USA Network series was actually in the works long before filming actually began. "It was actually pitched to us three years before," explained Miz. "They saw the way we were together on Total Divas a little bit and, from there, they were like, 'They need their own reality show,' but I was a little hesitant because I was on The Real World about 20 years ago. I loved being on The Real World and I always thank MTV and Bunim/Murray for putting me on that show because it gave me, I feel like, everything."

There was a stigma on reality stars the first decade the genre existed on television, as early reality TV was a lot more reality-based and a whole lot less scripted. "Hollywood looked at it as that I had no talent," continued Miz. "Whoever is on a reality show, like, you have no talent, you're just standing in front of a camera, and that's who you are, and that's what you did, back in those days. But things have changed in the world and back then, we didn't have camera phones. We didn't have social media. So now, everything has changed to where everything is a reality show, whether it's YouTube, internet, Instagram, and Twitter. Everything. I know exactly what people are doing. The biggest stars in the world, I know what they're doing because they're on their Instagram all the time doing stories.

"So, I looked at that and I said, 'You know what? We can make something really special here.' And my wife and I looked at each other and we were like, 'We really could.' We have the family, we have the friends, and we have the support we need. And our stories are so well done and my experience on The Real World and on The Challenges, as well as being at WWE has taught me how to tell a story. How to create characters. How to make sure that you entertain an audience while being true to who you are, who we are."

Three years later, both Maryse and Miz are executive producers on USA's Miz and Mrs., and they're doing the show the way they want to. "I feel like Maryse and I have made a show that both of us are very proud of," Miz explained. "And when people watch it, the only negative thing that I ever see or ever hear is that it's not long enough, it's not 60 minutes, and I like the 30 minutes, though, because I think it's fast-paced, it's fun, and you can watch it with your whole family."

The season finale of Miz and Mrs. airs on Tuesday, May 21 on USA Network at 10 PM. For more from the "It Couple," check out Maryse talking about her potential return to WWE and the women's revolution.