Pete Rose and former Playboy Playmate fiance reality show ready to debut

TLC is launching a Pete Rose reality show which focus on the oft-troubled all-time hits leader's upcoming marriage his much younger former Playboy Playmate model fiance, Kiana Kim.

Rose's adult children are reportedly not too thrilled about his impending nuptials to the sexy Kim but network execs believe the contentious family members will make for some riveting low-brow television viewing.

"Pete Rose: Hits and Mrs.," will follow the current life of Rose — who is banned from baseball for life for gambling — and his young fiance who has two young children, 14 and 11, of her own.

The 71-year-old Rose has been married twice and has two grown children from each marriage. The younger Roses will be seen in the new show expressing their disapproval at his relationship with the 31-year-old Kim.

Television has treated us with everything from the mind-numbing dialog of the self-promoting Kardashians to the the alligator-catching stars of "Swamp People.  This sounds like it might be something in between.

Rose has never let go of his dream of making the Hall of Fame, so you can expect him to launch another formal appeal.  It might be futile, but hey, it's good television.

Still, the show will focus primarily on the loving couple as they get ready for the wedding.  The Korean-born Kim — who once posed nude for Playboy — lives in Los Angeles where she has a hair salon while Rose is based in Las Vegas where he is involved in the sports memorabilia business.

Rose has been a controversial figure throughout his whole professional career.  He earned the nickname "Charlie Hustle" for his rugged style of play on the field and famously battled with opposing players, the IRS and the baseball commissioner over the years.  Rose was eventually banned for baseball and finally admitted he was a compulsive gambler.

The former major league great's ineligibility for the Hall of Fame is a touchy subject among baseball fans, although Rose finally relented to the ban after years of resistance.

Rose's anticipated quest for the Hall and the expected bickering among family members gives the premise a lot of potential in the world of reality television — which may not say too much about the state of TV.

The show will debut on January 14.