Monday, April 28, 2008

Contenders...Ready!! Gladiators....Ready!!



Been on a bit of a nostalgia trip tonight as Sky TV screened the "A to Z of Gladiators", a look back at the popular 90s TV gameshow. When "Gladiators" began in the UK in 1992, it became a ratings hit and was a Saturday night must-see for this blogger. It had all the ingredients for a successful run - the "Contenders" - members of the public who had to pass gruelling audition tests - versus the "Gladiators" - a group of fit, muscular men and women with quite frankly ridiculous, character names, competing in a massive arena in front of a frenzied audience waving big foamy fingers in the air. How could it fail?

But like every TV formula, my fascination with it soon wore thin after a couple of years, although it remained on our screens for - believe it or not - 8 series.

Fast forward to 2008 - and "Gladiators" is ready to be resurrected on Sky One. The likes of boo-hiss-baddie Wolf and high-kicking glamour girl Jet (pictured above) have now been replaced by a new set of gladiators (pictured below) ready to take on a new set of contenders. The series will find a whole new audience and I'll be glad to see it back on our screens as it will provide a refreshing change from all the celebrity-this, celebrity-that, talent-searching weekend TV fare. Bring it on....

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