Last night, an estimated 1.3 million people (according to Diva Dirt) tuned in to see Total Divas on E! and it was the biggest recent series premiere the network has had. I'm sure the fact that the Kardashians was the lead-in and wrestling fans who don't normally watch the network added to the mix helped.

I must say, I was surprised with the show.

That's not in a good way or bad way either. Just in general.

First off, I really liked the story that was told-- starting with life is just everything you would expect it to be as beautiful entertainer, then, slowly, bringing us to the reality that it's not as great as it seems, ending with the epic disappointment of being bumped last minute (maybe even last second) at WrestleMania. I almost feel bad for knowing it was going to happen, and blaming Ariane/Cameron and the seamstress for the bump before seeing it was actually Undertaker and CM Punk's fault. (Their match ran too long, in case you didn't see it.)

My problem was my doubts on how real it really was. I mean, it is the WWE, the masters of mixing reality with fictional storylines. The Divas are used to acting in front of the camera. I find it hard to believe the Bellas would still have jobs or the boyfriends they have if they really acted the way they do. (Maybe their West Coast/Arizona accent is also really annoying to me, as I'm sure my Jersey accent could be annoying to them. I've been left wondering all week why they are the ones WWE/E! sent out for promo interviews to all the talk shows.) I also don't think Nattie would have said what she said in, what I guess you could call confessional moments, unless she was sure he job was secure. I do think Ariane was real because she was just as annoying as she was on Tough Enough. I also think Eva Marie and JoJo were being real because as we all saw last Monday, Eva Marie needs a little (okay, a lot) more practice on the microphone.

I think the most real moment was when they were all together at WrestleMania in the aftermath of the match being dropped. All six genuinely appeared to be as I thought we would see them throughout the show-- as family. See, I was hoping the commercials were edited to make them look like their characters, and that we would find out those were acting moments and that in real life they are all really great women and friends.

And, if Natalya is by chance reading this, it looks like to me that the WWE gives you the jobs they do because not only are you extremely talented, but you are smart and good at resolving conflicts. They may even see you as a future VP of Talent Relations. It sucks right now, but it could be securing your future. I think signing up for this show could lead to you being on the card for SummerSlam.

Speaking of SummerSlam, who doesn't think it's awfully convenient that John Cena picked Daniel Bryan as his opponent? I mean, as I was announcing in my house "a Bella in every corner" it was tweeted by many others. Also, as I was watching, I started wondering how much the boyfriend has influence on Divas getting on the card. Cena is Nikki's boyfriend, and she gets on the card for WrestleMania right after returning to the company. Michelle McCool was at the top of the Diva world after she started her relationship with the Undertaker.

I hope this show opens up more opportunities for all the Divas and keeps more fans in their seats during their matches. I hope this is the plan the WWE has to revitalize the Diva division after the low it hit at WrestleMania. (And, I really hope the WWE didn't mess with these women's heads by setting up the match and knowing all along it wouldn't happen to bring more drama to the reality show.)