Gladiators
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- This is about the TV show. For historical Roman fighters see gladiator. For the other uses, see The Gladiators.
| Gladiators | |
|---|---|
 Gladiators Logo, 1992-2000 |
|
| Format | Game show |
| Run time | 60 minutes |
| Starring | Ulrika Jonsson, John Fashanu, Jeremy Guscott & The Gladiators |
| Channel | ITV |
| Production company | LWT |
| Air dates | 10 October 1992 – 1 January 2000 |
| No. of series | 8 |
Gladiators was a game show produced by LWT for ITV in the United Kingdom from 10 October 1992 to 1 January 2000, (though there was another series filmed in South Africa against the South African Gladiators in 2000 but this was not for UK broadcast) an adaptation of the United States game show American Gladiators, which had developed a cult following in the UK through its night-time TV showings, as well as an Australian spin-off. Repeats of Gladiators series are shown on Challenge, a satellite and cable channel.
The show pitted contestants in a variety of physical challenges against the 'Gladiators', who would attempt to prevent them from achieving maximum points on a variety of games.
After this, the two contestants would race each other on The Eliminator, a course containing climbing, balancing, cargo nets, etc. The contender with the most points received a headstart of .5 seconds per additional point.
The show was originally presented by John Fashanu and Ulrika Jonsson. Fashanu was replaced by Jeremy Guscott in 1996 before returning for the final mini series.
The referee was John Anderson and the time keepers were Andrew Norgate and Derek Redmond. John Sachs commentated for the show and the Gladiators were cheered on by a group of cheerleaders, named The G-Force.
There was also an Australian version of the show in the mid-1990s, hosted by Mike Hammond and Kimberley Joseph, refereed by Mike Whitney, and featuring voiceovers from Tony Schibecci.
Apart from the off-series live events, all the Gladiators tapings took place at the National Indoor Arena in Birmingham, England.
[edit] Series and shows
[edit] Series 1 (1992)
- Gladiator Team (12 Gladiators)
- Men: Cobra, Hawk, Saracen, Shadow, Warrior and Wolf
- Women: Flame, Jet, Lightning, Panther, Phoenix and Scorpio
- First appearances of: Cobra, Flame, Hawk, Jet, Lightning, Panther, Phoenix, Saracen, Scorpio, Shadow, Warrior and Wolf
- Events (6 Events)
- Atlaspheres
- The Wall
- Danger Zone
- Swingshot
- Hang Tough
- Duel
- Eliminator
- First appearances of: Atlaspheres, The Wall, Danger Zone, Swingshot, Hang Tough, Duel, Eliminator
The first series began in late October 1992 airing 9 episodes. The original format of the series was the top 4 contenders in the 6 qualifying heats will go through to the semi-finals. The series only had 6 events to begin with before having to add new events in the later series.
[edit] Wembley Live Shows (1993)
- Gladiator team (15 Gladiators)
- Women: Flame, Jet, Lightning, Panther, Phoenix, Scorpio and Zodiac
- Men: Bullit, Cobra, Hawk, Saracen, Shadow, Trojan, Warrior and Wolf
- First appearances of: Bullit, Trojan and Zodiac
- Last appearances of: Bullit, Flame, Hawk and Phoenix
The first set of Wembley live shows saw the roadtesting of both new Gladiators and new events. Some of the contenders from the live shows made it onto the televised shows. Tilt, Suspension Bridge and Joust were all road tested and carried forward onto the next series (albeit with slight modifications).
One of the road tested events, Breakthrough and Conquer, never made it onto the televised series. In this two part event, the contender would first have to pass a Gladiator whilst carrying a rugby style ball. The Gladiator would try to tackle the contender. 5 points were awarded for evading the Gladiator and crossing the end line. The second part was a 30 second "sumo style" but between the contender and a different Gladiator in which the contender had 30 seconds to remove the Gladiator from a circled area. 5 points were awarded for successfully doing this. Elements of this game formed the basis for future events Powerball and Whiplash.
Atlaspheres, The Wall and The Eliminator were also played.
Highlights from these shows were shown in a preview episode to the 1993 series. It was also rumoured that an altercation between Hawk and producer Nigel Lythgoe led to his sacking.
[edit] Series 2 (1993)
- Gladiator Team (14 Gladiators)
- Women: Falcon, Hunter, Jet, Lightning, Nightshade, Panther, Scorpio and Zodiac
- Men: Cobra, Hunter, Saracen, Shadow, Trojan, Warrior and Wolf
- First appearances of: Falcon, Hunter and Nightshade
This series saw a big change to the 1992 series in that there were new events, new Gladiators and an extended run of shows into what became the norm of 8 heats, 4 quarter finals, 2 semi finals and the grand final. This series also had a celebrity special in which presenter John Fashanu took part and ultimately won.
- The new events this series consisted of
- Powerball
- Gauntlet
- Skytrak
- Suspension Bridge
- Joust
- Tilt
The Eliminator course was also modified, comprising of two high and low hurdles, a rope climb, the hand ladder/ hand bike, rolling beams, an extended cargo net, zip line, balance beam and the travelator.
[edit] Wembley live shows (1994)
- Gladiator team (14 Gladiators)
- Women: Falcon, Jet, Lightning, Nightshade, Panther, Scorpio and Zodiac
- Men: Cobra, Hunter, Saracen, Shadow, Trojan, Warrior and Wolf
Although no new Gladiators were roadtested in these competitions, there was one new event tried out, Cannonball run, which went on to appear in the televised shows albeit under the name Hit & Run. Some of the contenders from these shows went on to be in the televised shows.
Atlaspheres, The Wall, Powerball, Hang Tough, Duel and The Eliminator were also played. Cobra had to be sidelined during the shows due to an ankle injury he picked up after an event.
[edit] Series 3 (1994)
Gladiator team:
Women: Falcon, Jet, Lightning, Nightshade, Panther, Scorpio and Zodiac
Men: Cobra, Hunter, Saracen, Shadow, Trojan, Warrior and Wolf
(14 Gladiators)
- First appearances of: n/a
- Last appearances of: n/a
This series has been thought of as the best series by many fans due to the impressive calibre of contenders. It was this and the 1995 series that attracted the most viewers.
Four new events were included to the event pool. They were:
- Pole-Axe
- Pursuit
- Hit & Run
- Pyramid
One of the more notable aspects of this series was the reduction of six events per show to just five. This was mainly due to time constraints in the NIA. A celebrity and Armed forces special formed part of this series.
[edit] International Gladiators 1 (1994)
- Cobra
- Falcon
- Hunter
- Jet
- Lightning
- Nightshade
- Saracen
- Scorpio
- Shadow
- Trojan
- Warrior
- Wolf
- Zodiac
(14 Gladiators)
- First appearances of: n/a
- Last appearances of: Shadow & Scorpio
[edit] Sheffield live shows (1995)
Gladiator team:
Women: Blaze, Falcon, Jet, Lightning, Nightshade, Panther, Vogue and Zodiac
Men: Cobra, Hunter, Raider, Rhino, Saracen, Trojan, Warrior, and Wolf
(16 Gladiators)
- First appearances of: Blaze, Raider, Rhino & Vogue
- Last appearances of: Blaze
Former women's domestic and international champion Eunice Huthart became Gladiator Blaze for this series of live events. However she retired from being a Gladiator before the televised series began filming to represent the UK as a contender in the first Ashes series.
One of the new events to be introduced in the 1995 televised series, Pendulum, was due to be premiered in the Sheffield live shows. However, the safety net used was not modified for the arena and the game could not be played. For the first few shows the pendulum could be seen stored in the ceiling before it was later taken down. Instead Joust was played, in a rather strange move as the event was hardly played during the televised series.
The other events to be played were Atlaspheres, Pyramid, Powerball, Gauntlet and Duel. These shows were notable in that it was the only time that Panther played Pyramid and the only time that Zodiac and Vogue played Joust.
[edit] Series 4 (1995)
- Amazon
- Cobra
- Falcon
- Hunter
- Jet
- Lightning
- Nightshade
- Panther
- Raider
- Rhino
- Saracen
- Trojan
- Vogue
- Warrior
- Wolf
- Zodiac
(16 Gladiators)
- First appearances of: Amazon
- Last appearances of: n/a
[edit] The Ashes 1 (1995)
- Hunter
- Jet
- Lightning
- Nightshade
- Rhino
- Vogue
- Warrior
- Wolf
(8 Gladiators)
- First appearances of: n/a
- Last appearances of: n/a
[edit] International Gladiators 2 (1995)
- Cobra
- Falcon
- Hunter
- Jet
- Lightning
- Panther
- Raider
- Rhino
- Trojan
- Vogue
- Warrior
- Wolf
- Zodiac
(12 Gladiators)
- First appearances of: n/a
- Last appearances of: Raider
[edit] Wembley Live Shows (1996)
Gladiator team:
Women: Amazon, Falcon, Jet, Lightning, Nightshade, Panther, Rebel, Rio, Vogue and Zodiac
Men: Ace, Cobra, Hunter, Saracen, Trojan, Warrior and Wolf
(18 Gladiators)
- First appearances of: Ace, Rebel & Rio
- Last appearances of: Amazon & Jet
The last set of live shows to be staged some quite a few injuries, particularly for the women's Gladiator team, resulting in both Amazon and Jet having to leave Gladiators due to injuries on the Pyramid event. This also resulted in the Pyramid event being axed for the 1996 series.
One new event was road tested, Sumo Ball, which went on to appear in the 1996 series.
The other events played were Atlaspheres, Powerball, Gauntlet, Hang Tough and The Eliminator.
[edit] Series 5 (1996)
Gladiator team:
Women: Falcon, Laser, Lightning, Nightshade, Panther, Rebel, Rio, Vogue and Zodiac
Men: Ace, Cobra, Hunter, Rhino, Saracen, Trojan, Warrior and Wolf
(17 Gladiators)
- First appearances of: Laser
- Last appearances of: Nightshade, Panther, Trojan & Zodiac
During training for this series, both Gladiator Zodiac and contender Nikki Claxton suffered bad injuries on the Pole-Axe event, leading to it being axed for this series. Pyramid had also been axed due to career ending injuries to Jet and Amazon. Tilt was also axed due to the injury to Nightshade the year before and Joust was also axed, although the reason for this was never fully explained.
Zodiac's injury meant that she had to sit out the majority of this series. In fact, the only event she competed in was Danger Zone, in its two appearances. Nightshade also made few appearances this season due to illness and injury including suffering a strained neck on Skytrak (she had suffered a neck injury the previous year on Tilt). Both Zodiac and Nightshade left after this series. Panther also made a reduced number of appearances in this series. Because of this, a last minute addition to the team was made, Laser, although because of the nature of her arrival, she never appeared in any of the souvenir programmes.
One new event, Sumo Ball, which was road tested in the Wembley Live shows, appeared. The Eliminator also had a slight adaptation in which a maze of elastic wires dubbed Spaghetti Junction, was added. This proved unpopular with viewers and was dropped after this series.
There was a slight format change to this series, in which the contenders were split into two teams, North and South, depending on where they came from. The Northern team was coached by Eunice Huthart and the southern team by 1993 male champion Phil Norman. The series saw the format of four Northern heats, Two Northern Semi finals, a Northern final, four Southern heats, two Southern semi finals, a Southern final and a Grand Final.
[edit] The Ashes 2 (1996)
- Ace
- Hunter
- Laser
- Lightning
- Rhino
- Rio
- Saracen
- Vogue
- Wolf
(9 Gladiators)
- First appearances of: n/a
- Last appearances of: Laser
[edit] Royal Tournament 1 (1997)
- Hunter
- Rhino
- Warrior
- Wolf
(4 Gladiators)
- First appearances of: n/a
- Last appearances of: n/a
[edit] Series 6 (1997)
- Ace
- Cobra
- Falcon
- Fox
- Gold
- Hunter
- Khan
- Lightning
- Rebel
- Rhino
- Rio
- Rocket
- Saracen
- Siren
- Vogue
- Warrior
- Wolf
(17 Gladiators)
- First appearances of: Fox, Gold, Khan, Rocket & Siren
- Last appearances of: Warrior
[edit] Springbok Challenge 1 (1997)
- Ace
- Hunter
- Lightning
- Rebel
- Rhino
- Rio
- Saracen
- Vogue
- Wolf
(9 Gladiators)
- First appearances of: n/a
- Last appearances of: n/a
[edit] Royal Tournament 2 (1998)
- Fox
- Hunter
- Khan
- Rocket
(4 Gladiators)
- First appearances of: n/a
- Last appearances of: Khan & Rocket
[edit] Series 7 (1998)
- Ace
- Cobra
- Diesel
- Falcon
- Fox
- Hunter
- Lightning
- Rebel
- Rhino
- Rio
- Saracen
- Siren
- Vogue
- Vulcan
- Wolf
(15 Gladiators)
- First appearances of: Diesel & Vulcan
- Last appearances of: n/a
[edit] Series 8 (1999)
- Ace
- Cobra
- Diesel
- Falcon
- Fox
- Hunter
- Lightning
- Rebel
- Rhino
- Rio
- Saracen
- Siren
- Vogue
- Vulcan
- Wolf
(15 Gladiators)
- First appearances of: n/a
- Last appearances of: Diesel, Falcon, Lightning, Rebel, Vulcan & Wolf
[edit] Springbok Challenge 2 (2000)
- Ace
- Cobra
- Fox
- Gold
- Hunter
- Rhino
- Rio
- Saracen
- Siren
- Vogue
(10 Gladiators)
- First appearances of: n/a
- Last appearances of: Ace, Cobra, Fox, Gold, Hunter, Rhino, Rio, Saracen, Siren & Vogue
[edit] The Gladiators
- Ace – Warren Furman (1996–2000)
- Amazon – Sharron Davies (1995–1996)
- Blaze – Eunice Huthart (1995) (also competed as a contender 1994–1995 and was the Team Coach in 1996)
- Bullit – Mike Harvey (1993), father of So Solid Crew rapper MC Harvey
- Cobra – Michael Willson (1992–2000)
- Diesel – Darren Crawford (1998–1999)
- Falcon – Bernadette Hunt (1993–1999)
- Flame – Kimbra Standish (1992–1993)
- Fox – Tammy Marie Baker (1997–2000) (South African Gladiators – 2001)
- Gold – Lize Van Der Walt (1997–2000)
- Hawk – Aleks Georgijev (1992–1993)
- Hunter – James Crossley (1993–2000)
- Jet – Diane Youdale Mayhew (1992–1996)
- Khan – Radosav Nekic (1997–1998)
- Laser – Tina Andrew (1996) (South African Gladiators – 1997)
- Lightning – Kim Betts (1992–1999)
- Nightshade – Judy Simpson (1993–1996)
- Panther – Helen O'Reilly (1992–1996)
- Phoenix – Sandy Young (1992–1993)
- Raider – Carlton Headley (1995)
- Rebel – Jennifer Stoute (1996–1999)
- Rhino – Mark Smith (1995–2000)
- Rio – Jane Omorogbe (1996–2000)
- Rocket – Pauline Richars (1997–1998)
- Saracen – Mike Lewis (1992–2000)
- Scorpio – Nikki Diamond (1992–1994)
- Shadow – Jefferson King (1992–1994)
- Siren – Alison Paton (1997–2000)
- Trojan – Mark Griffin (1993–1996)
- Vogue – Suzanne Cox (1995–2000)
- Vulcan – John Seru (1998–1999) (Australian Gladiators 1995–1996)
- Warrior – Michael Ahearne (1992–1997)
- Wolf – Michael Van Wijk (1992–1999)
- Zodiac – Kate Staples (1993–1996)
[edit] The Games
- Atlaspheres: The two contenders and two Gladiators were caged in large spheres that they would have to propel from within. The contenders task would be to roll the spheres onto one of four scoring pods. They were given 60 seconds to score as many points as they could in this fashion, whilst the Gladiators would use their own spheres to obstruct them.
- Danger Zone: Contenders, one at a time, would have to make their way across the arena whilst dodging tennis balls fired at high speed by the Gladiator. Between the start and finish were stations where contenders were shielded from the Gladiator's fire, and where they could choose to attempt using a provided weapon to hit a target near the Gladiator. Successful shots would end the game earning them 10 points. However, contestants could still earn 5 points by simply reaching the end of the course without being hit.
- Duel: A contender and a Gladiator were each placed atop an elevated platform a short distance apart. Armed with a pugil stick, they would attempt to cause the other to fall from their platform. This could be achieved with either an offensive or a defensive strategy.
- Gauntlet: A contender had to "run the Gauntlet" through 3 Gladiators who were armed with ramrods. To begin with, 3 points were awarded for each Gladiator passed with a bonus point being given for the contender with the quickest time. From the quarter finals onwards this was changed to 10 points to the fastest and 5 points for the runner up.
- Although not played much during its first season, Gauntlet became one of the staple events after a revamp in the 1994 series in which the contenders had to run a narrower Gauntlet against five Gladiators, the 2nd and 4th having power pads to slow the contenders down. 10 points were awarded for a Gauntlet run of under 20 seconds and 5 for completing the event in under 30 seconds.
- Hang Tough: Contender and Gladiator would bagin on opposite sides of the arena, on raised platforms. Between them hung a grid of suspended rings, similar to gymnastic rings. The contender's task was to reach the Gladiators platform by swinging between the rings, scoring 10 points if successful. The Gladiator meanwhile, swinging in the opposite direction, would attempt to intercept the contender.
- Hit & Run: This event had been roadtested in the earlier Wembley Live shows (albeit under the name Cannonball Run). The contender had 30 seconds to run back and forth across the Suspension Bridge getting two points for each crossing. Four Gladiators (two on each side of the bridge) had to knock the contender off using four four-foot demolition balls.
- Joust: Another adaptation of Duel in which contender and Gladiator were sat on skybikes which would twist, buck and spin like a rocking rodeo for the 30 second time limit. Both participants had combat clubs and would attempt to knock each other off. 10 points for the win, 5 for the draw. This event was quickly phased out, making very few appearances before being axed after the 1995 series.
- Pole-Axe: In which a contender and Gladiator had to climb (using spiraling pegs) a 30 foot pole. The first to the top had to hit a button which would retract the pegs on their opponents pole causing them to fall to the six foot crash mat below. 10 points were awarded for a contender win.
- Powerbal: A kind of cross between basketball and rugby in which 2 contenders faced 3 Gladiators on the Powerball pitch. Contenders had 60 seconds to place balls in the five scoring baskets on the pitch (2 points for a score in one of the four outer baskets and 3 points for the middle) whilst the Gladiators had to tackle the contenders, preventing them from scoring. This event became one of the most played events during Gladiators.
- Pursuit: Two contenders raced against each other over an obstacle course whilst being chased by two Gladiators. The course comprised of a snake beam, wire bridge, hand ladder, two web traps, a high and low wall and a sprint finish. 10 points for the first to finish, 5 for the runner up and no points if the contender was caught by the Gladiator.
- Pyramid: Two contenders and two Gladiators faced each other on a giant black and white Pyramid. The contenders had 60 seconds to reach the summit whilst the Gladiators had to keep them from getting to the top. 10 points were awarded for the first to the top, 5 for second.
- Skytrak: The most visually impressive event of the season in which two contenders and two Gladiators were suspended 40 feet in the air on the Skytrak course- an upside down scalextrix style figure of eight. Contenders had a 10 yard headstart over the Gladiators, with the first to cross the finish line getting 10 points, the second 5. No points would be awarded if the Gladiators managed to catch the contenders and set off the detonator button that the contenders had trailing behind them.
- Sumo Ball: The contender and Gladiator were on a large circular platform in which a large red sumo ball hung from the ceiling. Both participants had 30 seconds to push their opponent off the platform using the sumo ball. 10 points were awarded for the win, 5 for the draw.
- Suspension Bridge: An adaptation of the Duel event in which contender and Gladiator, armed with hammerheads, faced each other on the Suspension Bridge. 10 points were awarded if the contender knocked the Gladiator off or reached the Gladiators platform. 5 Points were awarded for the draw.
- Swingshot: In this bungee-fest, contestants had to grab yellow (1 point), blue (2 points) or red (3 points) balls from a central column then bounce back and put them in their scoring baskets. Glads would time their jumps so as to block the contestants movements.
- The Wall: Contenders scramble up a climbing wall with hand and footholds while the Glads are around 15 seconds behind. Get to the top of the wall before you get pulled off by your pursuing Glad and you're ten points the richer.
- Tilt: An aerial tug of war in which both contender and Gladiator would be on tilting platforms. The contender on the lower platform which was tilted back, the Gladiator on the higher platform tilted forwards (because of their weight advantage the Gladiators had the harder job of having to tilt their table back in order to get any leverage on the rope). Two 30 second pulls were played in which 5 points were awarded for the win and 2 points for the draw. This event proved unpopular with the Gladiators and after serious injuries to Panther and Nightshade, was axed after the 1995 series.
[edit] Controversies & Gladiators
Despite remaining a successful programme, particularly in its early years, Gladiators was not without controversy. One of the earliest criticisms to emerge was that the show seemed to glamorise the use of steroids and body-building, leading several tabloid newspapers to take a keener interest in the Gladiator's personal lives. In 1994, Jefferson King (Shadow) was caught snorting cocaine in a nightclub, and later admitted on daytime TV to using a large amount of steroids during training. He was subsequently fired from the show, due to producer Nigel Lythgoe's belief that he was an unsuitable role-model for children. Another controversy occurred in 1996 when John Fashanu was sacked as co-host of the show, allegedly because of Premiership football match-fixing. The tabloids also focused on the relationship between Gladiator Hunter (James Crossley) and presenter Ulrika Jonsson; the pair initially denied the affair, but later Jonsson admitted it in her 2003 biography. More controversy followed as Warrior, the biggest of the Gladiators, was involved in gun scandals. He was found in possession of a firearm and was charged.
[edit] Injuries
Only four of the original Gladiators lineup remained by the time the show finished in early 2000: Cobra, Wolf, Lightning and Saracen. Several of the Gladiators were forced to retire due to personal circumstances and/or injuries. The most notable of these was Gladiator Panther, who sustained a neck injury after falling awkwardly on the game Tilt in 1994. Judy Simpson-Cook who played Nightshade contracted Epstein-Barr syndrome and left in 1996, as did Jet, who sustained a damaged hip after a tackle on the game Pyramid. She later pursued a brief career as a television presenter. Contender Nikki Claxton sensationally broke her neck in training for the 1996 Season on the Pole-Axe event.
[edit] The role of 'The Wolfman'
Arguably the most famous Gladiator, as well as a hugely popular children's TV star, was Wolf (aka Michael Van Wijk), who remained in the show for its entire duration. The most outspoken and rebellious Gladiator, Wolf did everything to break the rules from fighting with contestants, arguing with the referee, pulling off contestant's trousers and bullying the presenters. Much of this was seen as a type of comedy/pantomime performance, yet he remained hugely popular with the show's younger fans, appearing in nearly every show aired. John Fashanu later commented that his popularity in the early seasons was so big, that if he didn't come out at least once during a show, some parents would ask for their money back, as children would have felt cheated. Wolf's villain role was later undermined by the introduction of Australian Gladiator Vulcan, who clashed with Wolf on several occasions. American Gladiators fans who have watched Wolf see him as the British equivalent to the American Gladiator Danny Lee 'Nitro' Clark.
[edit] The show's demise
Later seasons of Gladiators began to drop in terms of ratings, leading to the show to be axed at the beginning of 2000. The decline in ratings has been put down to two possible causes: firstly, that the show had become tiresome and repetitive, with the same games and Gladiators, and secondly the rise of reality TV, which had started with the "docusoap" format in the late 1990s, meant that viewership was drawn towards other forms of "infotainment", rather than action gameshows.
[edit] Spin-off
In the late 1990s, when the popularity of the programme began to wane, a spin-off entitled Gladiators: Train To Win was produced and aired on CITV. The show featured two teams of children, each captained by a Gladiator (varying each week) which sought to gain the most points. Some of the games differed from those on the parent show; for example, the "Eliminator" round was more similar to the "Pursuit" round (though it still featured the famous "Travelator").
The programme was presented by Sharron Davies, former Gladiator Amazon.
