If you're not familiar with the concept, American Gladiators is an athletic competition in which four contestants (two male, two female) compete against each other and a collection of Herculean "gladiators" in a series of events. It was originally a syndicated show that aired for 8 seasons back in the early 90s. It became so popular in its day that they even had special celebrity competitions (check out Lois & Clark's Dean Cain vs. Scrubs' John C. McGinley). Incidentally, if you have ESPN Classic and are looking for a blast from the past, they've started airing original episodes recently. If I had a fancy setup, I'm sure I'd tell my DVR to record it.
This incarnation is a little on the WWF side (it even has Hulk Hogan as the host) as the Gladiators' personas are being played up a lot more this time around, but the athleticism is still real and entertaining to watch. They all have a schtick to go along with their character: a special salute, a unique pose, a Samoan dance, awesome quotes that sound like they came right out of Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!! You know the sort of thing I mean. The best of the lot is easily this guy named Wolf. His schtick is his look, and the fact that he howls like a wolf before, during, and after events. You'd think it would get old, but the guy delivers it with such panache.
Meaghan and I spend about half of our time marveling at the athletic prowess on display, half of it laughing at the ridiculous things everyone says, and half of it imagining what it would be like if we were on the show. If you were a fan of the original, or this sounds like your kind of thing, I highly recommend it. Just try your best to tune out the Hulkster. It's best if watched with a friend, as it's hard to fully enjoy if you don't have anyone to laugh with.
You can catch the new Gladiators on NBC Monday nights at 8:00/7:00.
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