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American Gladiators
File:Ag reveal 01.jpgThe logo for the revision of American Gladiators on NBC, taken from a reveal promo spot.
Genre	Sports/Game Show
Directed by	J. Rupert Thompson
Starring	Hulk Hogan Laila Ali
Country of origin	United States
Original language	English
No. of seasons	1
No. of episodes	7
Production
Producers	MGM Television (inherited from Goldwyn) Reveille Productions
Production locations	Sony Pictures Studios
Camera setup	Multicamera setup
Running time	60mins (inc. comms)
Original release
Network	NBC
Release	January 6,2008

American Gladiators is an American competition television program airing on NBC and by Citytv in Canada, which is hosted by Hulk Hogan and Laila Ali that matches amateur athletes against each other, as well as against the show's own "gladiators", in contests of strength and agility. It is a revival of the original American Gladiators which ran from 1989-1996.

The show is refereed by Al Kaplon, a former American League umpire, who can also be seen as the referee in Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story.

The show is being taped at Sony Pictures Studios in Culver City, California. and is being produced by Reveille Productions and MGM Television.

American Gladiators premiered on Sunday January 6, 2008, moving afterwards to Mondays at 8:00 ET/PT on NBC.

Format

American Gladiators is conducted in a tournament style format. 24 contenders (12 men, 12 women) were selected from many potential candidates. The tournament is round- based. Prior to the Eliminator, both contenders face off against gladiators in various events worth points. Each point is worth one-half second in the Eliminator. Should a contender become injured and unable to continue, an alternate takes his or her place and inherits any points earned. In the Eliminator, the two contenders face off in a grueling obstacle course. The top 4 men and women by Eliminator time go on to the semi-finals, where they will face off in another round. The winners of each will go on the finals. The Grand Championship winners each will receive $100,000, a 2008 Toyota Sequoia, as well as the right to become a Gladiator.

History

When ESPN Classic launched reruns of the original series, ESPN.com had an online chat session. During the chat, MGM Television stated it wanted to restart the show. After discussions with MGM, NBC confirmed in August 2007 that a revival would be produced by Reveille Productions and MGM Television for a mid-season debut. Shortly thereafter, NBC announced a casting call on its website. The first ad for the revival aired during the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade on November 22, 2007.

Gladiators

Template:Multicol

• Blast - Jennifer Barry (Reserve)
• Crush - Gina Carano
• Fury - Jamie Kovac (Jamie Reed)
• Hammer - Michael Briehler (Reserve)
• Hellga - Robin Coleman
• Justice - Justice Smith
• Mayhem - Romeo Williams

| class="col-break " |

• Militia - Alex Castro
• Siren - Valerie Waugaman
• Stealth - Tanji Johnson
• Titan - Michael O'Hearn
• Toa - Tanoai Reed
• Venom - Beth Horn
• Wolf - Don "Hollywood" Yates

Template:EndMultiCol

Events

• Assault: The contender has 60 seconds to make it through a course that spans the entire arena floor, loading then firing off weapons to hit a target located near the Gladiator, while avoiding high-speed tennis balls fired at them from a cannon. The first weapon is a Slingshot, followed by a rotating turret that the contenders must rotate into position. The third station is a sand pit where an arrow is hidden for the crossbow waiting at station four. The contenders are given a smokescreen at station three to assist them in moving to station four. Contenders get one point for each weapon fired. If they hit the target, they get 10 points and the Gladiator is launched off the platform and into the water.
• Earthquake: The contender and Gladiator wrestle in a battle in a 12' diameter platform that is moving above the floor of the arena. Whoever throws their opponent off is the winner. If the Contender takes the Gladiator off the platform, they are declared the winner, even if they also come down in the process. Contenders get 10 points if they pull the Gladiator down, and 5 points if they last the entire 60 seconds. Holding on to the wires supporting the Earthquake ring is legal.
• Gauntlet: The contenders have to run through a half-pipe chute and get past four Gladiators, each holding a blocking pad to impede the contender's progress. Contenders get 2 points for each Gladiator they pass and an additional two points if they can break through a foam wall 10 feet away from the final Gladiator.
• Hang Tough: The contender has 60 seconds to negotiate a grid of gymnastics rings to get to a platform on the other side of the course, while trying to avoid a Gladiator who is swinging against the contender and trying to cause them to fall. Contenders get 10 points if they can cross over to the Gladiator's platform, and 5 points if they can last the entire 60 seconds without being pulled off.
• Hit & Run: The contender traverses a 50 foot suspension bridge hanging above the water tank. Four Gladiators, two on each side of the bridge, attempt to knock the contender off using 100-pound demolition balls. Contenders receive two points for each successful trip across the bridge, and must press a button on the platform to register the points.
• Powerball: The contenders have 60 seconds to place balls into one of five containers in the field, which are protected by three Gladiators. All balls placed into one of the four outer containers are worth two points, while scores in the center container are worth three points.
• Pyramid: The contenders have 60 seconds to scale a pyramid and press a scoring button while two Gladiators work to throw the contenders off of the pyramid. The first contender to reach the top gets 10 points. Contenders can also get 5 points if they can get their feet onto the top of the Pyramid tier marked with a white dotted line, which designates the scoring zone.
• Joust: The contender and Gladiator stand on 3-foot wide platforms and hit each other with pugil sticks, attempting to knock the other off. 10 points are earned by the contender if they knock the Gladiator off, and 5 points are earned if they can last for the entire 30 seconds.
• The Wall: The contenders scale a 40 foot tall wall while two Gladiators pursue them. The Contenders are given a 7 second head start. The first contender to reach the top wins 10 points, though the loser can still earn 5 points if they also reach the top.
• The Eliminator: The final event of every show in the main series, The Eliminator is an obstacle course. The first contender to finish wins the competition. The Contender with the most points entering The Eliminator is given a head start equal to 1/2 a second for every point they lead by. The contenders first climb onto an 8 foot platform with the help of a rope. They then dive off the platform into the pool and swim under the flaming surface. They exit the pool by climbing up a thirty foot cargo net to a rolling log. After they reach the bottom of the log, they must negotiate the Hand Bike before walking down an inclined balance beam. When they reach the bottom of the beam, they must climb up the Pyramid and descend using the Zipline. After the Zipline, the contenders must run up the "Travelator" - an inclined treadmill - before crashing through a foam wall that marks the finish line.

Contestants

Template:FnbReplaced Jessie Adams, who was forced to retire after suffering a leg injury in Powerball.

References

1. ""Laila Ali and Hulk Hogan are confirmed as new presenters of 'American Gladiators'"". Gladiators Zone (UK site). 2007-10-31. Retrieved 2007-10-31. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
2. "American Gladiators". Retrieved 2008-01-08.
3. ""NBC Slots 'Medium,' Firms Up Schedule"". Zap2It. 2007-12-07. Retrieved 2007-12-07. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
4. NBC.com: American Gladiators casting