American Gladiators is an American sports game show developed by John Ferraro and Dan Carr as a remake of the original series of the same name which ran from 1989-1996, which matches amateur athletes against each other and the show's own "gladiators" in contests of strength, agility, and endurance.
The series aired in the USA on NBC from 6 January to 4 August, 2008. There are 21 episodes in two seasons. It was not renewed for a third season.
American Gladiators premiered in South Africa on e.tv on Monday 20 October 2008, at 20h00. See "Seasons" below for seasonal broadcast dates and times.
Season 2 premiered on e.tv on Saturday 5 June 2010, at 18h05. New episodes air weekly. There are 13 episodes in the second season.
Synopsis
American Gladiators celebrates the everyday, true American heroes - weekend warriors who excel and take pride in their physical fitness.
These contestants will go up against the show's gladiators - charismatic and eclectic warriors - in the ultimate David and Goliath battle.
As in the traditional American Gladiators franchise, everyday amateur athletes compete against action stars and stunt professionals in contests of physical strength and endurance.
The series includes such classic events as The Joust, The Wall, Hang Tough and the Eliminator, but the competition show also returns with a fresh modern reinvention for the 21st century.
Using splashy twists including special effects, water skills and the latest technology, the classic games have been upgraded with even higher thrills, impact, energy and spectacle.
Format
Season 1 of the revival features 24 contenders (12 male, 12 female). Men and women compete in separate tournaments, with two men and two women competing in each episode.
In each episode, contenders take part in several events against the Gladiators, trying to earn as many points as possible before the final event, the Eliminator.
Each point separating the contenders translates into a half-second advantage for the leader (or a half-second handicap for the trailing contender).
Preliminary round matches consist of four events plus the Eliminator; semifinals and finals matches are extended to five events plus the Eliminator (by comparison, the original series had either six or seven events plus the Eliminator).
The four male contenders and the four female contenders who win their respective preliminary matches with the fastest Eliminator times advance to the semifinals; the winners of the two semifinals matches compete in the finals.
The grand prize in Season 1 is $100,000, a 2008 Toyota Sequoia, and the right to become a Gladiator in Season 2.
Seasons
(All seasons aired exclusively on e.tv)
Season 1 (8 episodes)
Premiere: 20 October 2008 | Finale: 8 December 2008 | Mondays, 20h00
Season 2 (13 episodes)
Premiere: 5 June 2010 | Finale: 28 August 2010 | Saturdays, 18h05