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American Gladiators (1989 TV series)

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American Gladiators was a TV show which ran between 1989 and 1997. It was a physical game show, in which the contestants (two male and two female) matched themselves against the program's stable of athletes in a variety of feats of strength and agility. The champions at the end of each season won a prize package, which varied from items that included a new car, a trip, and money (usually over $100,000 total). The contests were often quite extravagant and elaborate, with challenges featuring things such as highwires, steel cages, swinging ropes, and other obstacle course fare. Memorable among these were the human-size hamster ball and the elevated platforms with which opponents would attempt to joust each other off of.

Most of the first two seasons were taped at Universal Studios Hollywood. In 1991, they decided to move to CBS/MTM Studios. International episodes were taped in Birmingham, England, home of the British version.

The show was produced by Trans World International with Four Point Entertainment and was distributed by Samuel Goldwyn Television (now by Sony Pictures Television). Theme music was composed by Bill Conti.

Nickelodeon GUTS, a Nickelodeon kids game show that premiered in 1992, was compared to American Gladiators when it premiered due to being similarly physically demanding.

Hosts

List of Gladiators

Jim Starr (Laser) was the Gladiator with the longest run on the program. He appeared from 1990 to 1996, only missing the first half of season one (1989). The following Gladiators were with the show for the indicated years:

File:Http://www.americangladiators.com/images/amglad logo trans.gif

Events

Most of the events tested the contenders' physical abilities against the superior size and strength of the Gladiators. Rarely did an event call for the contenders to actually match up against each other. Rather, in events where both contenders did compete simultaneously, success was determined by who fared better against the gladiators rather than overmatching the contender directly. All events prior to The Eliminator were played for points, the value of which often varied from season to season.

Starting with the 1992 season, a "Crunch Time" game was played for bigger points before the Eliminator.

Only five events were used throughout the program's run on American television, all in the very first season. Other events were added and some discontinued for various reasons.

  • Assault (1989-1996): The two contenders competed separately against a single Gladiator. The object was to fire a series of five weapons to hit a target at one end of the playing field. Below the target, a Gladiator used a cannon to shoot tennis balls at speeds in excess of 100 miles per hour at the contender. The weapons used by the contenders were located near protective barriers and varied from season to season. The weapons included a crossbow, pneumatic "rocket launcher" and "cannon", as well as softballs at the final station. Hitting the bullseye scored 10 points (10 for the white circle & 7 for the red in earlier seasons) for the contender. In the most common version of the event the contender earned a point for each weapon fired as well as a bonus for crossing a finish line near the Gladiator's platform within 60 seconds. Getting struck directly by a tennis ball (ricochets off the floor or walls did not count) ended the round.
  • Breakthrough & Conquer (1989-1996): This was a two-part event that was part American football, part wrestling. A contender would have to carry a football 15 yards and into an endzone against a single Gladiator in the "Breakthrough" portion of the event. In the "Conquer" portion, the object was to freestyle wrestle a different Gladiator out of a ring that varied in size (12-15 feet in diameter). Each success was worth a number of points and in earlier versions there was a bonus for winning both parts of the event.
    • In the semifinal matches of the first half of season one, the Conquer ring was elevated. Unfortunately, Gladiator Sunny injured her knee when she landed wrong upon being pushed out of the ring. (The injury ended Sunny's career as a Gladiator.) The ring was lowered back to the ground as a result.
  • Human Cannonball (1989-1991, 1992-1993): Contenders stood on a raised platform, opposite a Gladiator standing on a lower platform, holding a pad. The object was to swing on the rope and knock the Gladiator off the pedestal. Contenders faced two to three Gladiators (this varied by season) and earned bonus points for knocking down all three Gladiators.
  • Originally, contestants could do whatever it took to get the Gladiator off the platform. This was changed by the semifinals of the first half of season one, after contender Brian Hutson kicked Gladiator Malibu in the eye during the preliminaries. After this, a "tuck rule" was put in place, where the contender had to stay in that position throughout the swing.
  • Joust (1989-1996): The contender competed against the Gladiator in a pugil stick battle; each trying to knock the opponent off his pedestal within 30 seconds. 10 points were awarded for knocking the Gladiator off, but 5 points were also awarded for a draw.
  • In the first half of season one, the object of the Joust was to push the opponent back towards a trap door, which would spring when touched and drop the competitor to the floor. Points were also awarded if the contender lost based on how long he/she stayed on the platform, making it the only event that ever guaranteed points.
  • Powerball (1989-1996): The two contenders competed against three Gladiators. The contenders would grab a colored ball from a bin, and try to deposit it into one of five scoring cylinders on the floor. Gladiators were to tackle or wrestle the contenders to the ground, or knock them out of bounds. If they did the contender had to get another ball and try again. Scoring varied from season to season but after the playing field changed from a semicircluar shape to a rectangle beginning in the second half of season one, the middle cylinder was worth more points than the outer cylinders. Also, when the field was changed, a second bin was added to the field, and contenders had to alternate between them when they grabbed their scoring balls. The only major Powerball rule was that the Gladiators could not tackle the contestants high (read head), and if they did they were automatically disqualified.
  • In the second half of season one, the "no tackle" rule was even more extreme after contender Zimbob Schwartze was excessively tossed around by the female gladiators, resulting in two stoppages of the game. After the preliminaries, the gladiators could not tackle the contenders in ANY fashion, but only push them down or out of bounds. This once resulted in one female gladiator getting left alone against the two contenders when the others got disqualified for tackling.
  • Atlasphere (1990-1995): Contenders climbed into large metal cage-like spheres, rolling them from within, and maneuvering them toward scoring pods on the playing field for points. Two Gladiators used their own spheres to obstruct the contenders from scoring. Contenders simultaneously tried to score as many points as they could in 60 seconds. The scoring pods changed over the years. At first the contestants needed to completely stop in the pod but later versions had a button located in the center of each pod that when compressed emitted smoke and awarded points. This change increased the scoring in the game and provided more action, and eliminated a problem with the previous pods, particularly present with the women- sometimes a contender would get into the pod, score, and then find themselves unable to get out.
  • Hang Tough (1990-1996): A 55-foot field of gymnastic rings separated two raised platforms. On one stood the contender; the Gladiator stood on the other. The object was for the contender to swing to the opposite platform without being pulled off by the gladiator within 60 seconds. Contenders were given 10 points for success. Points were also awarded if they were able to stay on the rings without getting pulled off. In later rounds during some seasons, the contender had to get at least halfway across the grid in order to earn the draw for staying on the rings (determined by a contestant passing a blue set of rings near their platform, this came into play after some contestants were content to stay in one place, completely avoiding the Gladiator). Also, a contender could be awarded the 10 points if the Gladiator hit them above the shoulders in order to bring them off the rings.
    • Hang Tough actually made its debut during the alumni show at the start of the second season, but it wasn't until the second half of that season that it became a regular event.
  • The Wall (1990-1996): Contenders would have to scale a rock climbing wall before being pulled off by the Gladiator chasing them. When The Wall was first introduced in the second half of season one, the contestants were given a head start of 20 seconds (the women may have been higher), but by the second season the time had gone down to 10 seconds (save for a point in season four where the head start was 15 seconds). The latest version saw the wall divided into partitions and Gladiators started at the same time as the contenders, but were forced to go over a vertical barrier to reach the contender's portion of the wall. Contenders were given one minute (the first incarnation of the event had a two-minute time limit) to climb the wall for 10 points. Finishing second earned 5 points. In the first two seasons, 5 points were also awarded to the contender who climbed to a higher point on the wall if both happened to fail. Gladiator Laser was particularly adept at this event, having grown up climbing mountains in Montana. If Laser was drawn by a contender, it generally meant that they were not going to make it to the top.
  • The Maze (1991-1993): Both competitors raced through a maze, attempting to find their way to the exit within 45 seconds. Four Gladiators positioned themselves inside the maze to obstruct the way, but had to stay in their assigned zones and not chase the contender if they got through. The Maze featured moveable partitions so that the maze could change each time the event was played. The record in this event was set by Tommy Knox, who won the event in 15 seconds on his first try. If a contender got out of the Maze, they would receive 10 points. If both contenders got out before time ran out, the second contender out got 5 points.
  • Swingshot (1991-1996): The two competitors would compete against three (later two) Gladiators to grab scoring balls from a center post hanging in the air. Connected to a bungee cord, players would leap off their designated platform, down to the ground and then spring upwards toward the post. The Gladiators would try to intercept the contenders by timing their jump to get in the way. The balls then had to be returned to a scoring bin on the contender's platform. Balls higher on the post were worth more points. Scoring was worth 1-3-5, later reduced to 1-2-3.
  • In the first half of season one, Swingshot was actually offered as an event for the women during the preliminary rounds, replacing Breakthrough & Conquer. However, none of the footage of this event aired, so it is uncertain if it was the same game.
  • Sky Track (1992-1995): Players, suspended by a harness, would race on an upside-down track suspended from the ceiling of the arena. The track was covered in Velcro and players would propel themselves using their gloved hands and their feet, racing against a Gladiator for points. Contenders got 10 points for finishing first, and 5 points for finishing second. This was the only event that gladiator Tower never competed in, as he was too big for the one-size harness used in the event. The most adept at this event was probably Turbo, as he only lost once in his Sky Track runs. The event was played sparingly after the 1992-93 season.
  • Super Powerball (1992-1993): This was a short-lived variation on the original "Powerball" event for the "Crunch Time" series of games. The rules were similar to Powerball, however there were only three scoring cylinders positioned in a horizontal line at the middle of the field. To compensate for the fewer number of cylinders, there were only two Gladiators to stop the condenders. Interestingly, this version did not officially replace the original Powerball, despite the fact show producers had frequently made minor rule changes to other events (even Powerball itself) in the past. Super Powerball was the only one dubbed a "new" event and both versions were played on different weeks before the new version was abandoned.
  • Gauntlet (1993-1996): Contenders ran through a chute past five (later four) gladiators armed with pads of varying size and shape, who tried to slow or stop their progress. 5 points were given for getting past all the Gladiators within the 25-second time limit (later 20), and 10 points were earned for completing the task with at least 5 seconds left over. Eventually the event was played for a straight 5 points, with no bonus awarded for fast times.
  • Pyramid (1993-1996): The premise of this event was similar to that of "The Wall". Contenders attempted to climb up a 42-foot tall stepped pyramid made of "crash mats". Two Gladiators began the event at the top of the pyramid to keep the contenders from reaching the top. Contenders earned 10 points for reaching the top first and 5 points if they could reach the top second within the 60 second time limit.
  • Tug-O-War (1993-1996): The contender and gladiator dueled in a one-on-one rope pull. The twist to this event was that each competitor stood atop a fulcrum-based platform that shifted position with the person's weight. The contender was given the physical advantage of having his platform in the "back" position to start the tug, while the Gladiator began the pull with his platform in the "forward" position. Pulling the Gladiator off within 30 seconds earned the contender 10 points. Staying on the platform and having pulled more rope to one's side earned the contender 5 points.
  • Whiplash (1993-1996): The contender and a Gladiator each grasped one half of a double-triangle-shaped item called "the bone". At the whistle, the competitors tried to wrestle the bone out of the grasp of his opponent. If the contender successfully pulled the bone away, or if he pulled the Gladiator off a raised circular platofrm within 30 seconds, he earned 10 points. If he lasted all 30 seconds without losing grasp of the bone, he earned 5 points. Neither contestant or Gladiator could place their second hand on the bone, doing so was an automatic disqualification and, if the Gladiator was disqualified, earned the contender 10 points.
  • Snapback (1994-1996): Both contenders and two Gladiators were attached by a bungee cord to walls opposide each other. Colored cylindrical markers were placed in the playing field between the contenders and the Gladiators. The contenders' task was to retrive the markers and return them to a bin for points. The bungee cords provided resistance and the Gladiators were assigned the task of keeping the contenders from scoring points, similar to their duties in "Swingshot." The markers were colored red and blue, with the blue markers hanging higher and being worth more points (3 to 2 for the red).
  • The Eliminator: The deciding event was unique in that it was the only event that pitted the two contenders against each other rather than directly against the Gladiators. The two competitors would race through an obstacle course for time. Originally, The Eliminator was a scored event, with a set time limit to complete it, with two points being awarded for every second left on the clock. (The time limit for both men and women was originally 1:00, but the women's limit changed to 1:30 and later 1:15 in season two.) This led to confusion among some fans, as the player who had "won" by finishing first had often actually lost through points deduction. Any fall on the course was a 5-point penalty (2 1/2 seconds) in early rounds, and occasionally 5-second penalties (10 points) in later rounds.

Later, points amassed during the previous events were converted into time in seconds that served as a head start for the contender in the lead. Each point resulted in a 1/2-second in time (Example: A 13-point lead would result in a 6 1/2-second head start).

The Eliminator went through several changes during the run of AG.

First Season: Contestants pushed a giant medicine ball up a ramp, then placed it in a bin. They then crossed a balance beam, where 6 of the gladiators would swing smaller medicine balls across the beam to try to knock them off. They then would negotiate a set of commando ropes, swing on a rope over a wall, then weave their way through a set of cones towards one of four paper barriers. Behind two were Gladiators, the other two were open (this is the only part of the competition where luck, rather than skill, played a decisive role in determining the winners). In the second half of the season, the end was changed where three out of the four barriers hid Gladiators, leaving only one door open.

Second Season: AG's second season Eliminator changed completely from the first season. First, the contestants would have up to three attempts to successfully run up a ramp by way of a reverse treadmill (if they couldn't, they would be allowed to run up the side of the ramp), then use a specially-designed "hand bike" (players hung below a rope and pedalled with their arms) to cross a pit. The balance beam was next (with weighted blocking dummies swinging in place of medicine balls, with two gladiators swinging the dummies and each contestant having to dodge their own), followed by a climb up a cargo net and a zipline ride back to the floor. Then came the barriers, but this time a contestant had to clear two high hurdles and only one of the barriers was open.

Third Season: In the third season, the Eliminator underwent the following changes.

  • Falls off handbike earned the contender a penalty (:10 for women, :07 for men)
  • Balance beam replaced by a rolling cylinder
  • Contestant climbed 2 walls after zipline (originally one wall and a medicine ball gauntlet, followed by a small hurdle), Gladiators threw medicine balls at contenders from an elevated platform after second wall
  • Contestant climbed a hurdle and broke tape to win

Fourth Season: Second wall taken down, contenders negotiated gauntlet of swinging blocking pads instead (which were operated by Gladiators), longer run to tape from final hurdle

Fifth Season: Another drastic Eliminator makevover:

  • Contestants started at a Versaclimber and used it to scale a tower, then slid down to the handbike. The rolling cylinder, cargo net, zipline, and wall climb remained, but the treadmill was moved to the end, and once cleared, the contestant swung on a rope through a paper barrier to win.
For the final two seasons, the rolling log was replaced by two ball-filled pits, which the contestant had to wade through and climb out of.
  • On the international tournament shows (which were taped in England at the home of the UK version of AG), The Eliminator consisted of the following:
  • Clearing a set of hurdles by alternating going over and under them
  • Climbing a rope to a platform
  • Clearing a pit using monkey bars (women) or the hand bike (men)
  • Running over the rolling log
  • Climbing the cargo net
  • Riding the zipline
  • Walking across a balance beam
  • Running up the travellator (treadmill)
  • Rope swing through barrier for finish

Champions

Season Men's Champion Women's Champion
1 Brian Hutson Bridget Venturi
2 Craig Branham Dorann Cumberbatch
3 Mark Ortega Kathy Mollica
4 Clifton "Cliff" Miller Cheryl Wilson
5 Wesley "Two Scoops" Berry Peggy Odita
6 Kyler Storm Adrienne Sullivan
7 Pat Csizmazia Tiziana "Tee" Sorge

Notes

  • A contestant on the show by the name of Billy Wirth, upset American Gladiator Gemini, when in powerball he was tackled by him and retaliated by throwing a ball at Gemini's head. Needless to say, Gemini made a statement by tackling Billy Wirth as he was putting a ball in the barrel. You can see this here
  • In the first half of season one, the scoring system was different. Instead of using the point system the show would use later in its run, the points were given on a ten point scale (for instance, winning in the Joust or winning both parts of Breakthrough & Conquer was worth 100 points, 10 times the 10 points offered under the later system).
  • Former contestant Rico Constantino, went on to become well-known as a professional wrestler in the WWE, under the name of "Rico." He was challenged by Gemini (Michael Horton) to find out if "he had what it took" to be a contestant for the show. He would end up defeating Gemini in his best event, the Joust, one of the few contenders to do so (Horton lost only 8 of his Jousts on his three seasons of AG, with the majority of losses to Constantino or Eldon Kidd). Rico went on to defeat all the other contestants and Gladiators to become the champion for the first half of the 1990-1991 season. In the Grand Championship, Rico came up just short, losing to Craig Branham by a mere two seconds in the Eliminator.
  • Season four was probably one of the most injury-plagued seasons in AG history. While the Gladiators were fairly injury-free (save for Elektra's broken nose in the Grand Championship), more than a few contenders were put out due to injury, including at least three winners who were unable to advance any further in the tournament due to their injury.
  • During season three, two contenders had accidents while finishing the Eliminator. One fell off the zipline shortly after taking to it, but emerged uninjured. In the first episode of the second half, a female contender landed wrong off the zipline and severely injured her ankle, rendering her unable to finish the course (although the contender, a police officer named Angela Shepard, got to return during a special police themed episode of AG a few years later).
  • AG held three alumni shows for past contenders. The first was during season two for four season 1 contenders, including men's runner up Lucian Anderson. The second took place in season six, featuring all six Grand Champions crowned in Gladiator Arena in seasons 3 through 5. The final alumni show took place in the final season, pitting the Grand Champions from seasons 5 and 6 against each other.
  • In the final alumni show, dubbed the "Battle of the Best", a famous moment took place when season six Grand Champion Kyler Storm performed a somersault leap over Turbo in Breakthrough to score (he had wanted to perform the move during his season, but he was told not to, so he kept his mouth shut this time around). The two would clash again in Swingshot, when Turbo caught Kyler in mid-air and got into a fistfight after Kyler had faked two earlier leaps from his platform, a violation of the rules. Both would be disqualified for their actions, although Kyler did receive some of the points he lost by his fake jumps.
  • Quite possibly the most dramatic finish in AG history came during the men's Eliminator in season three's Grand Championship. Runner up Joe Mauro held a four second lead over champion Mark Ortega and held it all the way down to the first wall, while Ortega pecked away at it. Mauro struggled with the first wall and gave up on his first attempt to scale it. Just as Mauro came back down, Ortega came off the zipline and caught up with him. They were nearly even scaling the second wall, and Mauro held a slight lead going down the straightaway to the hurdle. Ortega flew over the hurdle just as Mauro cleared it, and both landed at the finish line at approximately the same time, causing the officials to review the finish. It was determined that Ortega's hand crossed the finish line a split second before Mauro broke the tape at the line, and he was crowned Grand Champion.
  • Season Three's Second Half runner up, Darryl Gholar, would eventually compete on the short lived Battle Dome, advancing all the way to the finals of season one (falling to eventual champion George King).
  • Throughout the show's run, the uniforms for the contenders changed. In the first part of season one, the contenders did not have specific uniforms. For the rest of that season and the following year, contenders wore red and blue. Season three saw that change to blue and gray for the men and orange and yellow for the women (although for that year's Grand Championship, they returned to the red and blue). Season four saw purple for men and pink for women replace blue and orange, and from season five on the contenders wore silver and black.
  • As well as the contenders having uniforms, the Gladiators had their own. Although the designs varied from Gladiator to Gladiator, they always wore red, white, and blue uniforms paired with boxing shoes (first two seasons) or sneakers (last five seasons).
  • The show was featured in a episode of Family Matters in 1993, in which Carl and Urkel competed to settle a score. (The story line was that Sabre was Waldo's cousin, and he set the whole thing up). The Joust, Wall, and Eliminator were featured (the only difference being the Eliminator course was missing the wall prior to the gauntlet, for reasons never explained). The stipulation was that if Urkel lost, he would never be allowed back in the Winslow family house. If Carl lost, he would have to apologize to Urkel for the incident which led to them being there in the first place. They finished the Eliminator in a dead heat, but resolved their differences at the finish line.

International versions

See also

American Gladiators for the Nintendo Entertainment System

External links

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