Season 2
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.
Season 2
Hulk Hogan and Laila Ali host American Gladiators, the iconic competition series, with a fresh modern reinvention for the 21st century.
The second season returns with new events, new gladiators in a new state-of-the-art Gladiator Arena.
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.
Celebrating the everyday, true American heroes - weekend warriors who excel and take pride in their physical fitness - 40 contenders will go up against the show's gladiators, charismatic and eclectic warriors - in the ultimate David & Goliath battle.
As in MGM's traditional American Gladiators franchise, everyday amateur athletes compete against the gladiators in contests of physical strength and endurance.
The gladiators are action-adventure stars ready to take down the everyday challengers with hard knocks and explosive attitudes.
All contenders will have a unique story to tell and a compelling reason why they need to win. These unsung heroes combine brawn and heart in their effort to be worthy competitors, winning over the audience and turning them against the villainous gladiators.
Each episode will feature two male and two female contenders competing against each other for points, all while the incredulous gladiators are lurking.
Every competition will be unique, but all will end with a strenuous obstacle course known as the "Eliminator", the winners of which will be named as that episode's champions and will have the chance to move on in the competition.
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