''Gladiators'' is a
sports entertainment
Sports entertainment is a type of spectacle which presents an ostensibly competitive event using a high level of theatrical flourish and extravagant presentation, with the purpose of entertaining an audience. Unlike typical sports and games, whi ...
television show that was an international success during the 1990s and early 2000s with versions of the show being filmed for local broadcasters in the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
, the
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the European mainland, continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...
,
Finland
Finland ( fi, Suomi ; sv, Finland ), officially the Republic of Finland (; ), is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It shares land borders with Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of B ...
,
Japan,
Australia,
South Africa
South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the Atlantic Ocean, South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the ...
,
Sweden,
Nigeria
Nigeria ( ), , ig, Naìjíríyà, yo, Nàìjíríà, pcm, Naijá , ff, Naajeeriya, kcg, Naijeriya officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf o ...
, and
Denmark
)
, song = ( en, "King Christian stood by the lofty mast")
, song_type = National and royal anthem
, image_map = EU-Denmark.svg
, map_caption =
, subdivision_type = Sovereign state
, subdivision_name = Kingdom of Denmark
, establish ...
. However,
Russia
Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-eig ...
,
Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
,
South Korea
South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korean Peninsula and sharing a land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed by the Yellow Sea, while its eas ...
and
the Bahamas
The Bahamas (), officially the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, is an island country within the Lucayan Archipelago of the West Indies in the North Atlantic. It takes up 97% of the Lucayan Archipelago's land area and is home to 88% of the ar ...
would also compete in international shows during the series, despite the fact that they did not have their own domestic series.
After a lengthy break, ''Gladiators'' was revived in 2008 in the UK, the US and
Australia; in 2009
Lebanon
Lebanon ( , ar, لُبْنَان, translit=lubnān, ), officially the Republic of Lebanon () or the Lebanese Republic, is a country in Western Asia. It is located between Syria to Lebanon–Syria border, the north and east and Israel to Blue ...
created their own series featuring competitors from all over the
Arab
The Arabs (singular: Arab; singular ar, عَرَبِيٌّ, DIN 31635: , , plural ar, عَرَب, DIN 31635: , Arabic pronunciation: ), also known as the Arab people, are an ethnic group mainly inhabiting the Arab world in Western Asia, ...
region and in 2012
Sweden brought back their version which proved most successful of all revivals, with another revival airing in
Finland
Finland ( fi, Suomi ; sv, Finland ), officially the Republic of Finland (; ), is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It shares land borders with Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of B ...
during 2017 and 2019. A further British revival will be aired in 2023.
The concept of the show is that athletic members of the public battle against the show's own Gladiators (often semi-professional or ex-athletes) to claim points in several
events
Event may refer to:
Gatherings of people
* Ceremony, an event of ritual significance, performed on a special occasion
* Convention (meeting), a gathering of individuals engaged in some common interest
* Event management, the organization of ev ...
that require speed, strength and skill. In the final event of the show, "The Eliminator" the contenders race against each other (with starting times based on previous events), with the first to finish winning the episode and moving onto the next round.
A children's derivative of the concept was also made in the US, called ''
Gladiators 2000
''Gladiators 2000'' is a children's game show and spin-off of '' American Gladiators''. It was hosted by Ryan Seacrest and Maria Sansone (replaced by Valarie Rae Miller in Season 2). Season 5 ''American Gladiators'' grand champion Peggy Odita se ...
(a.k.a G2)'' (1994–1996). A UK variant of this was aired starting in 1995, called ''
Gladiators: Train 2 Win''. A one-off, celebrity derivative primetime special in the US, called ''Superstar American Gladiators'' aired on
ABC
ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet.
ABC or abc may also refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting
* American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster
** Disney–ABC Television ...
on May 4, 1995.
History
1990s success
The initial concept for the show by Dan Carr and John C. Ferraro was held in
Erie
Erie (; ) is a city on the south shore of Lake Erie and the county seat of Erie County, Pennsylvania, United States. Erie is the fifth largest city in Pennsylvania and the largest city in Northwestern Pennsylvania with a population of 94,831 a ...
,
Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...
, in the
USA
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
before being sold to Samuel Goldwyn Productions/MGM where the format was adapted and televised as ''
American Gladiators'' with the first series airing over 1989–90. As the show progressed, new events were introduced along with new Gladiators, sometimes retiring previous Gladiators.
Following the success of ''American Gladiators'', other countries began to produce their own versions of the show with the
UK and
Finland
Finland ( fi, Suomi ; sv, Finland ), officially the Republic of Finland (; ), is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It shares land borders with Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of B ...
starting production in 1992. ''American Gladiators'' had already picked up a cult following in the UK after being shown on late night TV. The
UK, most noticeably adapted the concept into a large arena (the
National Indoor Arena in
Birmingham
Birmingham ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands (county), West Midlands in England. It is the second-largest city in the United Kingdom with a population of 1. ...
), glamorising the show, often adapting events from the American series as well as introducing many of their own, often more high-tech. Winners from the UK and Finnish series would then go over to America, to film a special show of ''American Gladiators'' in which they competed against the current American champions along with selected athletes from other territories such as
Japan and the
Bahamas
The Bahamas (), officially the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, is an island country within the Lucayan Archipelago of the West Indies in the North Atlantic. It takes up 97% of the Lucayan Archipelago's land area and is home to 88% of the ar ...
and
South Korea
South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korean Peninsula and sharing a land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed by the Yellow Sea, while its eas ...
.
In early 1995, the first full scale international competition was launched in which selected Gladiators from the American, Finnish and British series competed against contender champions from those three countries. A fourth country, Russia was added but as they did not have their own domestic series, the Gladiators and contenders were hand-picked by Russian TV producers. The Finnish series ceased production after ''
International Gladiators 1
''International Gladiators 1'' was the first international competition of the ''Gladiators'' franchise, consisting of seven episodes. Held at the National Indoor Arena, Birmingham, England, the competition pitted contenders and Gladiators from ...
''.
In 1995,
Australia began production of their own show, basing it on the UK series. After the first series, a three part 'Ashes' mini series was filmed in Australia, in which a selection of British and Australian Gladiators faced champions from the opposing countries. Australia then went on to compete in ''
International Gladiators 2
''International Gladiators 2'' was the second international competition of the ''Gladiators'' franchise, consisting of seven episodes. The series was filmed at the National Indoor Arena in Birmingham during spring 1996.
Six countries were rep ...
'' along with the UK and the US. Russia also returned, even though they still did not have a domestic series.
Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
and
South Africa
South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the Atlantic Ocean, South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the ...
also competed even though they too did not have their own domestic series.
Decline
After ''
International Gladiators 2
''International Gladiators 2'' was the second international competition of the ''Gladiators'' franchise, consisting of seven episodes. The series was filmed at the National Indoor Arena in Birmingham during spring 1996.
Six countries were rep ...
'', the ''American Gladiators'' series ceased production due to falling ratings, although a live dinner show ran in Florida between 1996 and 1998. The UK and Australia continued to produce their own editions of the show, with the UK continuing to add new events to its roster (retiring some due to safety reasons) with Australia adding events from the UK series in its second and third series.
In 1996, the UK and Australia faced each other again in 'the Ashes 2' this time held in the UK Gladiator arena and an Australia vs. Russia mini series was filmed in Australia with two of the Russian Gladiators who had appeared in International Gladiators 2 appearing alongside new faces. After both of the mini series were filmed and aired, the Australian show was cancelled due to falling ratings, even though plans for a fourth domestic series had commenced, which would include a brand new event that would be exclusive to Australia. A third series of ''International Gladiators'' was planned to be filmed in Australia, but this was cancelled after
ITV and
LWT
London Weekend Television (LWT) (now part of the non-franchised ITV London region) was the ITV network franchise holder for Greater London and the Home Counties at weekends, broadcasting from Fridays at 5.15 pm (7:00 pm from 1968 un ...
refused to finance another series. A third Ashes series was also planned for 1997, but this was also cancelled by the time the UK's sixth domestic series aired.
In 1997, South Africa competed against the UK in the Springbok Challenge held in the UK Gladiator arena, despite the fact that they did not have their own domestic series. Only one of the South African Gladiators who appeared in International Gladiators 2 appeared.
In 1998, there were plans for the show to have a massive overhaul, however this was cancelled after it was announced that the UK series was to be axed due to falling ratings. A final mini series in which past champions competed was filmed instead. It was at this time that South Africa finally began production of
their own series and in 2000, a team of UK Gladiators and contenders went over to film the Springbok Challenge 2, a series filmed exclusively for South African TV only.
New millennium
With the South African production in full swing, other territories began producing their own versions.
Sweden began producing their own version in 2000 under the name ''Gladiatorerna'', with the old UK apparatus being shipped over. Short lived series in
Nigeria
Nigeria ( ), , ig, Naìjíríyà, yo, Nàìjíríà, pcm, Naijá , ff, Naajeeriya, kcg, Naijeriya officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf o ...
(2002) and
Denmark
)
, song = ( en, "King Christian stood by the lofty mast")
, song_type = National and royal anthem
, image_map = EU-Denmark.svg
, map_caption =
, subdivision_type = Sovereign state
, subdivision_name = Kingdom of Denmark
, establish ...
(2003) followed.
In 2001, the South African series was overhauled, but it proved unpopular with viewers and the show was axed. Sweden continued to produce ''Gladiators'', creating an event unique to the series, Spidercage, before being axed in 2004.
The revival
In August 2007,
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters are l ...
confirmed that a revival of ''American Gladiators'' would be produced by
Reveille Productions
Endemol Shine North America is the American division of Endemol Shine Group that was founded on March 15, 2002 as a merger of Shine Americas, Shine USA, and Reveille Productions.
Endemol Shine North America produces and distributes scripted and ...
and
MGM Television
MGM Television Worldwide Group and Digital (alternatively Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Television Group and Digital, commonly known as MGM Television and then-known as MGM/UA Television; common metonym: Lion) is an American television production/dis ...
to air mid season during early 2008. In addition to events from the original show, the series drew elements from the 1990s UK series as well as being updated for the new millennium in which several events would be played over water. The UK also produced a revival of ''Gladiators''. In September 2007, the
Seven Network
The Seven Network (commonly known as Channel Seven or simply Seven) is a major Australian commercial free-to-air television network. It is owned by Seven West Media Limited, and is one of five main free-to-air television networks in Australia ...
in Australia announced that it too was reviving ''Gladiators'', although unlike the American revival, the Australian revival was to follow the lines of its predecessor rather than be overhauled.
The first episode of the new ''
American Gladiators'' premiered on Sunday 6 January 2008 proving to be a ratings hit. A second season was instantly commissioned. At the same time, it was announced that
Sky One were commissioning a
UK revival which would follow the basis set by the American revival.
The
Australian revival premiered on 30 March 2008 with the UK series starting on Sunday 11 May. Both revivals proved instant ratings hits for their respective channels. On 12 May 2008, the second season of the American show began, with the series being moved to a bigger arena.
Due to low ratings, the Seven Network placed filming for a second series on hold and released the Gladiators from their holding contracts. NBC similarly have yet to commission a third series due to ratings for the second series being lower than expected.
The
UK revival first aired in August 2008, a second series aired in January 2009. On 20 May 2009, the UK series was axed by the new controller for Sky 1, Stuart Murphy.
The Arab World launched its own version in 2009 featuring Contenders and Gladiators from all over the Arab region. It only lasted one season.
In 2012, the Swedish Gladiators, known as "Gladiatorerna", made a return to television and the revived show has proved very successful with 3 seasons so far filmed and screened, making it the most successful and longest lasting revival of the franchise. In July 2014, it was announced a 4th season would be made. This is due to be screened in early 2015.
Potential revivals
In July 2014, Arthur A. Smith company announced plans to bring American Gladiators back again for the third time and were shopping the idea to networks to give it a home, this version would have incorporated elements that were inspired by films such as ''
The Hunger Games
''The Hunger Games'' is a series of young adult dystopian novels written by American author Suzanne Collins. The first three novels are part of a trilogy following teenage protagonist Katniss Everdeen, and the fourth book is a prequel set 6 ...
'' along with mixed martial arts.
In August 2018, actor
Seth Rogen
Seth Aaron Rogen (; born April 15, 1982) is a Canadian-American actor, comedian and filmmaker. Originally a stand-up comedian in Vancouver, he moved to Los Angeles for a part in Judd Apatow's series '' Freaks and Geeks'', and then got a part o ...
and
Evan Goldberg
Evan D. Goldberg (born September 15, 1982) is a Canadian-American filmmaker and comedian. He has collaborated with his childhood friend Seth Rogen on the films '' Superbad'', ''Pineapple Express'', ''This Is the End'', '' The Interview'', and '' ...
announced plans to bring ''American Gladiators'' back again for the fourth time and are shopping the idea to distributors who are interested in the revival.
In August 2019, former UK gladiator Wolf said in a ''Lorraine'' interview, he has been begging TV producers to bring back the UK version of the show for a third time.
Davina McCall
Davina Lucy Pascale McCall (born 16 October 1967) is an English television presenter. She was the presenter of the reality show '' Big Brother'' during its run on Channel 4 between 2000 and 2010. She also hosted Channel 4's ''Streetmate'' (199 ...
expressed an interest to host the show later that month.
In September 2021, it was reported that
MGM Television
MGM Television Worldwide Group and Digital (alternatively Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Television Group and Digital, commonly known as MGM Television and then-known as MGM/UA Television; common metonym: Lion) is an American television production/dis ...
has teaming up with
WWE
World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc., d/b/a as WWE, is an American professional wrestling promotion. A global integrated media and entertainment company, WWE has also branched out into other fields, including film, American football, and vari ...
for a reboot of ''American Gladiators'' that will featuring WWE wrestlers. The project is currently being pitched to broadcasters and streaming platforms.
In July 2022,
Metro
Metro, short for metropolitan, may refer to:
Geography
* Metro (city), a city in Indonesia
* A metropolitan area, the populated region including and surrounding an urban center
Public transport
* Rapid transit, a passenger railway in an urb ...
reported that
BBC One
BBC One is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's flagship network and is known for broadcasting mainstream programming, which includes BBC News television bulletins, ...
were in talks to bring back the UK version. Filming is rumoured to take place in
Sheffield Arena
Sheffield Arena, known for sponsorship purposes as Utilita Arena Sheffield, is a multi-purpose arena located in Sheffield, England. It is situated near Meadowhall and lies between Sheffield city centre and Rotherham town centre.
Opened in 1991 ...
early next year. The revival was confirmed by the BBC on 25 August 2022.
Format
In a standard Gladiators show, two female and two male contenders face each other and the Gladiators in anywhere from four to seven events. The line up of events differs across each show with different Gladiators playing the different events dependent on their skill type. Towards the end of the initial UK and American series, the male and female contenders did not necessarily play the same events. Contenders score points for winning against the Gladiators, with the winner having a time advantage in the last event the contenders compete in, the Eliminator.
The winner of the Eliminator goes through to the next round (or wins the series) unless a qualifying time is needed for the next round.
Shows are usually presented by a male and female host (with the exception of all but two seasons of the original American Gladiators, which were presented by two male hosts), as well as a main
referee (often wearing a striped black and white shirt, in the style of an American football referee) presiding over events, handing out disqualifications or red and yellow cards to contenders or Gladiators if needed. A
timekeeper
A timekeeper is an instrument or person that measures the passage of time.
Person
A timekeeper is a person who measures time with the assistance of a clock or a stopwatch. In addition, a timekeeper records time, time taken, or time remaining duri ...
is often present behind the referee but these are not always referred to or provide a speaking role. An unseen commentator will provide play by play accounts (again with the exception of the original American Gladiators series, where the on-screen hosts also provided the play by play)
The show is filmed in front of a live studio audience made up of fans and supporters of the contenders. It is not uncommon for the cameras to focus on particular crowd members or banners. Some incarnations of the show such as the Australian and original UK series have
cheerleaders
Cheerleading is an activity in which the participants (called cheerleaders) cheer for their team as a form of encouragement. It can range from chanting slogans to intense physical activity. It can be performed to motivate sports teams, to ente ...
to provide background entertainment.
Events
There have been 35 events involving Gladiators (as well as the Eliminator) across the incarnations. Four of the events have an alternate name in certain territories. A different selection of the events will be played in each episode. No single territory has had all thirty five events on its roster. The UK had the biggest number of events during its initial run with twenty three events.
All events were created by either the American or UK series with the exception of "Soccer Shootout" (South Africa) and "Spidercage" (Sweden). The UK notably adapted some of the American events, with the adaptations becoming the standard design for the concept. For example, the UK version of "Skytrack" would later be adopted by the Australian and American revival series whereas the UK concept of the American event "Tug-o-War" known as "Tilt" eventually superseded Tug-o-War for the 2008 American revival.
Over the course of the original UK and American series, several events were dropped, often due to safety reasons. The Eliminator was the only event which was played in every episode across every territory.
The Gladiators
There have been more than 300 Gladiators across all participating territories. Inevitably, there has been some repeat usage of names, and there have been seven instances where the same name has been used twice in a territory for a televised series. The original American Gladiators had two different Gladiators named Lace, and the names Siren and Titan have been used in both the original and revival formats of the American show. The names Amazon, Panther, Siren and Warrior have been used for both the original and revived UK shows. The name Valkyria was used both in the original and revived series in Sweden. The names Panther, Ice, Scorpio, Tornado, Lightning, Blade, Cyclone, Fierce/Hurja, Flash, Force, Shadow, Thunder, Viper, Nitro, Tiger (Tiikeri), Terminator, Cobra, Rebel, Hurricane, Laser, Phoenix, Destroyer, Rocket, Dynamite (as Miss Dynamite), Bullit as (Bullet) and Delta have been used for both male and female Gladiators.
Most Gladiators come from either a bodybuilding or athletic background. Seven Olympic athletes have competed as Gladiators: Amazon (
Sharron Davies
Sharron Elizabeth Davies, (born 1 November 1962) is an English former competitive swimmer who represented Great Britain in the Olympics and European championships and competed for England in the Commonwealth Games. Davies has attended 12 ...
) (UK), Nightshade (
Judy Simpson) (UK), Rebel (
Jennifer Stoute
Jennifer Elaine "Jenny" Stoute (born 16 April 1965) is female English former sprinter. She represented Great Britain at the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul and the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona, where she won a bronze medal in the 4x400 metres ...
) (UK), Olympia (
Tatiana Grigorieva) (AUS Revival), Hurricane (
Breaux Greer
Breaux Greer (born October 19, 1976) is a retired American track and field athlete who competed in the javelin throw. After attending Ouachita Parish High School and the University of Louisiana at Monroe, he went on to be the current American r ...
) (US Revival), Predator (
Du'aine Ladejo
Du'aine Ladejo (born 14 February 1971, in Paddington, London, England) is an English-born Athletics (sport), athlete and television personality. In his sports career, he was best known for winning the 400 metres sprint gold medal at the 1994 Eur ...
) (UK Revival) and Battleaxe (
Shirley Webb
Shirley Addison (née Webb) (born 28 September 1981) is a British former hammer thrower and performer in the ''Gladiators'' series as Battleaxe.
She was born in Whitley Bay, Tyne & Wear, England and is the daughter of Andrew Webb, a Scottish in ...
) (UK Revival).
There have been a few instances where contenders have become Gladiators. Minna Ryynänen, a quarter-finalist from the first series of Finnish Gladiators returned as Gladiator Safiiri for the next series. UK season 3 and International Gladiators 1 champion Eunice Huthart became Gladiator Blaze. However, Eunice only competed as Blaze in non televised live shows, opting to perform as herself in future televised episodes. Australian series 2 champion and International Gladiators 2 runner up Lourene Bevaart became Glacier, American Gladiators 2008 series 1 champions Monica Carlson and Evan Dollard becoming Jet and Rocket respectively (this was actually mentioned as part of the "prize package" for this season) and after a seven-year gap, Gladiatorerna season 5 winner Patrick Lessa joined the Swedish team for the 2012 revival as Gladiator Baron Samedi, series 4 Gladiaattorit champion Janica Timonen joined the 5th series as Siren (Seireeni).
Only two Gladiators have played for two different domestic series in differing countries; Vulcan (
John Seru
John Seru (born 12 January 1964) is a Fijian actor and former professional wrestler.
Biography
Seru was trained by father and son Boris and Dean Malenko at the renowned Malenko Wrestling Academy in Tampa, Florida (1994). He is best known as ...
) who was originally an Australian Gladiator who transferred to the UK team for Season 7 upon the end of the Australian series and Fox (Tammy Baker) who transferred from the UK to the South African team when the UK series finished. Laser (Tina Andrew), a UK Gladiator went on to compete as Sheena, a member of a South African team for the Springbok Challenge 1. However, she did not compete in the domestic South African series.
Some Gladiators have died since their Gladiator careers ended, including Siren, Havoc, Hawk, Rage, Atlas and Thunder from the original American Gladiators, Dynamite and Spartak from Russia, Zeke and Indra from Sweden, Sahara and Samson from South Africa, Ninja from Japan, Viking from Finland and Sapphire from Nigeria.
International versions
Domestic series
* France: ''Gladiateur'' (Gladiator) – Cancelled in production (1993)
* Spain: ''Gladiadors'' – Cancelled in production (1994)
* Poland: ''Gladiatorzy'' (Gladius) – Cancelled in pre-production (1999)
* Italy: ''Gladiatore'' – Cancelled in production (2008)
* Turkey: ''Gladyiators'' – Cancelled in production (2009)
Zodiac TV, who worked alongside TV4 and MTV Produktion to produce ''Gladiatorerna'' and ''Gladiatorerne'', also started to create series in Russia, Germany and Benelux (Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg) but they never materialised.
International series and specials
* International Challenge of Champions 1 - 1993 - 1 off episode, filmed in USA.
* International Challenge of Champions 2 - 1994 - 1 off episode, filmed in USA.
*
International Gladiators 1
''International Gladiators 1'' was the first international competition of the ''Gladiators'' franchise, consisting of seven episodes. Held at the National Indoor Arena, Birmingham, England, the competition pitted contenders and Gladiators from ...
- (UK, USA, Russia & Finland) - 1994 - 7 episode series, filmed in UK.
*
International Gladiators 2
''International Gladiators 2'' was the second international competition of the ''Gladiators'' franchise, consisting of seven episodes. The series was filmed at the National Indoor Arena in Birmingham during spring 1996.
Six countries were rep ...
- (UK, USA, Russia, Australia, Germany & South Africa) - 1995 - 7 episode series, filmed in UK.
* International Gladiators 3 - Cancelled in pre-production. - 1996 - The UK had held the previous 2 international series at considerable cost to broadcaster ITV and production company
LWT
London Weekend Television (LWT) (now part of the non-franchised ITV London region) was the ITV network franchise holder for Greater London and the Home Counties at weekends, broadcasting from Fridays at 5.15 pm (7:00 pm from 1968 un ...
, who both refused to finance another series. The show was due to be filmed in Australia but with the end of the Australian domestic series, this series was cancelled as no other country agreed to host it.
: This series would have featured Gladiators and contenders from Australia, United Kingdom, United States, Germany and Russia. Also interested in competing were
New Zealand
New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...
,
South Korea
South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korean Peninsula and sharing a land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed by the Yellow Sea, while its eas ...
, Japan, South Africa and a joint Scandinavian team consisting of Sweden, Finland and
Norway
Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and the ...
.
*
Gladiators: Battle of the Champions - 1995 - 1 off episode, filmed in UK.
*
Gladiators: The Ashes 1 - (UK vs Australia) - 1995 - 3 episode series, filmed in Australia.
*
Gladiators: The Ashes 2 - (UK vs Australia) - 1996 - 3 episode series, filmed in UK.
*
Gladiators: Australia vs Russia - 1996 - 3 episode series, filmed in Australia.
* Gladiators: The Ashes 3 - (UK vs Australia) - 1997 - Cancelled in pre-production due to the end of the Australian domestic series.
*
Gladiators: Springbok Challenge 1 (South Africa vs UK) - 1997 - 3 episode series, filmed in UK.
*
Gladiators: Springbok Challenge 2 (South Africa vs UK) - 2000 - 11 episode series, filmed in South Africa. This series has never been broadcast in the UK.
Spin-offs
Other ventures
Broadband website
On January 28, 2008 a broadband website will pay homage to the original series called ''americangladiators.com'' where it features clip of the original which all have been re-digitalized as clips would reintroduce original Gladiators and give fans an update on where they are today. Future segments would also include "Best Hits" and stunts that were performed on the show.
Tour
In 2008, MGM, Reveille and Flor-Jon Films Inc. revealed a special ''American Gladiators'' U.S. cross-country tour.
Cartoon
MGM along with Johnny Ferraro have put into development a cartoon series based on the show but has never aired.
Movie
In 2009, Johnny Ferraro wanted to bring a live-action movie of ''American Gladiators''. Former Legendary Pictures chief marketing officer Scott Mednick was producing the film where the goal was to create an action story that takes place inside the world Ferraro created.
30 for 30
On April 12, 2021; it was announced by Vice Studios & ESPN Films
that a documentary about ''American Gladiators'' has been set for an upcoming episode of the
ESPN
ESPN (originally an initialism for Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by ESPN Inc., owned jointly by The Walt Disney Company (80%) and Hearst Communications (20%). Th ...
series ''
30 for 30'' helmed by Ben Berman.
References
External links
*
*
{{Gladiators
Reality television series franchises
sv:Gladiatorerna (TV-program)