Gladiators is a sports entertainment television show that was an international success during the 1990s and early 2000s with versions of the show being filmed for local broadcasters in the United States, the United Kingdom, Finland, Japan, Australia, South Africa, Sweden, Nigeria, and Denmark. Russia, Germany, the Netherlands, South Korea and the Bahamas would also compete in international shows during the series, despite the fact that they did not have their own domestic series.
After a lengthy break, Gladiators was revived in 2008 in the UK, the US and Australia; in 2009 Lebanon created their own series featuring competitors from all over the Arab region and in 2012 Sweden brought back their version which proved most successful of all revivals, with another revival airing in Finland during 2017 and 2019. A further British revival and an Australian revival began airing in 2024.
The concept of the show is that athletic members of the public battle against the show's own Gladiators (often semi-professional or ex-athletes) to claim points in several events that require speed, strength and skill. In the final event of the show, "The Eliminator" the contenders race against each other (with starting times based on previous events), with the first to finish winning the episode and moving onto the next round.
A children's derivative of the concept was also made in the US, called Gladiators 2000 (a.k.a G2) (1994–1996). A UK variant of this was aired starting in 1995, called Gladiators: Train 2 Win. A one-off, celebrity derivative primetime special in the US, called Superstar American Gladiators aired on ABC on May 4, 1995.
International versions[]
Domestic series[]
Country/Region | Name | Network | Filming location | Presenter(s) |
---|---|---|---|---|
Arab World | المصارعون | LBCI | LBC Television Studios, Adma wa Dafneh, Lebanon | Zeina Khoury, Nasser Abu Lafi |
Australia | Gladiators | Seven Network | Brisbane Entertainment Centre, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia | Kimberley Joseph, Aaron Pedersen, Mike Hammond |
The Dome, Sydney Showground, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia | Tom Williams, Zoe Naylor | |||
Network 10 | Disney Studios Australia, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia | Beau Ryan, Liz Ellis | ||
Denmark | Gladiatorerne | TV3 | Ikast Stadome, Ikast, Denmark | Lotte Thor-Jensen, Jakob Kjeldbjerg |
Finland | Gladiaattorit | MTV3 | Planet FunFun, Kerava, Finland (1993–1994) Tampere Exhibition and Sports Centre, Tampere, Finland (2019) |
Juha-Pekka 'JP' Jalo, Katariina Ebeling, Viivi Pumpanen |
Nelonen | Tampere Exhibition and Sports Centre, Tampere, Finland | Minna Aaltonen, Heikki Paasonen | ||
France | Gladiators: Qui osera les défier? | TF1 | Aren'Ice, Cergy, France | Denis Brogniart, Hélène Mannarino |
Japan | バン!バン!バン! Bang! Bang! Bang! |
Fuji Television | Yokohama Arena, Yokohama, Japan | George Tokoro, Silvia Tomoko Kane |
Nigeria | MTN Gladiators | M-Net | National Stadium, Lagos, Nigeria | Ken Cyril Nta, Rich Cyril Nta |
South Africa | MTN Gladiators | SABC 3 | Standard Bank Arena, Johannesburg, South Africa (1999–2000) Big Top Arena, Carnival City, Brakpan, South Africa (2001) |
Ursula Stapelfeldt, Glenn Hicks, James Lennox |
Sweden | Gladiatorerna | TV4 | Kupolen, Borlänge, Sweden (2000-2001) Växjö Tipshall, Växjö, Sweden (2001-2002) Nordichallen, Sundsvall, Sweden (2004) |
Gunde Svan, Agneta Sjödin |
Löfbergs Arena, Karlstad, Sweden (2012-2013) Nordichallen, Sundsvall, Sweden (2014-2018) |
Gry Forssell, Anders Timell | |||
United Kingdom | Gladiators | ITV | National Indoor Arena, Birmingham, England, U.K. | Ulrika Jonsson, John Fashanu, Jeremy Guscott |
Sky1 | Shepperton Studios, Shepperton, England, U.K. | Ian Wright, Kirsty Gallacher, Caroline Flack | ||
BBC One | Sheffield Arena, Sheffield, England, U.K. | Bradley Walsh, Barney Walsh | ||
United States | American Gladiators | Syndication | Universal Studios Hollywood, Universal City, California, U.S. (1989-1991) CBS Studio Center, Studio City, California, U.S. (1992-1996) |
Mike Adamle, Joe Theismann, Todd Christensen, Larry Csonka, Lisa Malosky, Danny Lee Clark |
NBC | Sony Pictures Studios, Culver City, California, U.S. (season 1) Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena, Los Angeles, California, U.S. (season 2) |
Hulk Hogan, Laila Ali | ||
Amazon Prime Video | TBA | TBA |
International series and specials[]
Name | Network(s) | Filming location | Participating countries |
---|---|---|---|
International Challenge of Champions | Syndication | CBS Studio Center, Studio City, California, U.S. | The Bahamas, Finland, Germany, Japan, Nigeria, Netherlands, South Korea, United Kingdom, United States |
International Gladiators | ITV, Syndication, MTV3, RTR 2, Sat.1, Seven Network, SABC 3 | National Indoor Arena, Birmingham, England, U.K. | Australia, Finland, Germany, Russia, South Africa, United Kingdom, United States |
Gladiators: Battle of the Champions | ITV | Australia, United Kingdom, United States | |
Gladiators: The Ashes | ITV, Seven Network | Brisbane Entertainment Centre, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia | Australia, United Kingdom |
Gladiators: Australia vs Russia | ITV | Australia, Russia | |
Gladiators: Springbok Challenge | ITV, SABC 3 | National Indoor Arena, Birmingham, England, U.K. (1999–2000) Standard Bank Arena, Johannesburg, South Africa (2001) |
South Africa, United Kingdom |
Spin-offs[]
Country/Region | Name | Network | Presenter(s) |
---|---|---|---|
United Kingdom | Gladiators: Train 2 Win | ITV | Sharron Davies, Daley Thompson, various Gladiators on rotation, Margherita Taylor, Kyran Bracken, Lee Sharpe |
United States | Gladiators 2000 | Syndication | Ryan Seacrest, Maria Sansone, Valerie Rae Miller |
Superstar American Gladiators | ABC | Pat O'Brien, Kim Alexis Duguay |