Gladiators Ready?

[Icehaven]

One of the new Gladiators has a drugs scandal in the press already.

I actually did find myself wondering who'll be the first one to be accused of something unpleasant.

Called it.

[pingus]

The one girl gets a 2.5 second head start, but the ref blows the second whistle after 1.5 seconds. Pretty useless. Just use a stopwatch if you don't know how long a second lasts

[Huxleys Babkins]

The one girl gets a 2.5 second head start, but the ref blows the second whistle after 1.5 seconds. Pretty useless. Just use a stopwatch if you don't know how long a second lasts

The first lass jumped the start, so maybe he was trying to redress that.

[Icehaven]

LIMMY.

[Brian Freeze]

Just watched the first two tonight, the kids loved it.

Youngest had her own Gladiator name and pose within five seconds of it finishing , not telling you lot as she's not copyrighted them yet.

On the first show, did they slow the travelator down so the second fella could get up it? Looked to be going slower than at the start or so I thought.

[Old Thrashbarg]

On the first show, did they slow the travelator down so the second fella could get up it? Looked to be going slower than at the start or so I thought.

They did it on the second episode too for both female contestants. I think once you've failed a couple of times at full speed there's roughly zero chance of getting up until you've had a long rest unless they slow it down.

[greencalx]

We sensed it had slowed down too. I wonder how they decide how and when to do it.

[Brian Freeze]

Brilliant, glad I didnt imagine it!

[Captain Z]

I think they used to do that back in the day also. It struck me that the new travelator design looks more difficult than the old version, which used to come all the way down to the floor. The new version has about a metre of solid slope before you step onto the conveyor and it looked like it was really throwing some of the contestants off balance.

[pingus]

The first lass jumped the start, so maybe he was trying to redress that.

I think you're giving him too much credit

[Huxleys Babkins]

Also struck by how hopeless the new gladiators are at the Gauntlet. Rhino used to be able to run half the clock down before they got out of zone one and Hunter used to batter the fuck out of them with the big block pads, but they are just breezing straight past the lot of them now.

[GMTV]

Another brilliant episode, bloody love this. The eliminators were both fairly epic, they womens ones was amazing had no idea who was getting up first.

Thank you bbc for getting a faithful reboot of this going. Almost makes me feel a bit better about my yearly paying for the licence fee through gritted teeth, fantasising about being a non paying criminal.

I'm not a one for talking about fancying folk much, but Sabre.... Especially when she was giving the east coast Scotland chat. Aye I was trying to get the contender aayyy.

And the press can go and fuck themselves. The gladiators and possibly some of the contenders are clearly juiced up. No one cares.

[Bobloblawslawbomb]

Is the ref/announcer guy Scottish again in this? That was the only bit I liked in the original.

It's former premier league ref Mark Clattenburg. Geordie accent rather than Scottish. He's no John Anderson of course.

Who all has met a Gladiator then?

Warrior used to play poker at the casino I used to work in. Very intimidating man. Especially after finding out that...

"After the sixth series in 1997, Warrior (Michael Ahearne) was sacked from the show after been implicated in trying to foil the prosecution of Philip Glennon Jnr, who had been accused of firing a handgun at a police officer outside a nightclub in 1996"

[GMTV]

Was there not someone here way back who used to go on about getting off with Jet on a night out? Was it supposed to be a joke/ fantasy thing? I remember it being mentioned somewhat sincerely.

[confettiinmyhair]

Also struck by how hopeless the new gladiators are at the Gauntlet. Rhino used to be able to run half the clock down before they got out of zone one and Hunter used to batter the fuck out of them with the big block pads, but they are just breezing straight past the lot of them now.

The length of Gauntlet also looks shorter?

[superthunderstingcar]

The length of Gauntlet also looks shorter?

Used to be five Gladiators instead of four:

I wonder if we'll see Contenders (Ready!) struggle with it later in the series, or if they have accidentally made this too easy. I think every Contender has breezed through it so far?

[Ron Maels Moustache]

Used to be five Gladiators instead of four:

I wonder if we'll see Contenders (Ready!) struggle with it later in the series, or if they have accidentally made this too easy. I think every Contender has breezed through it so far?

I think they definitely made it too easy, all four contenders got straight through in the most recent episode which was unheard of in the original series.

[Icehaven]

I think they definitely made it too easy, all four contenders got straight through in the most recent episode which was unheard of in the original series.

In episode one the first contender banjaxxed his knee during it so I wonder if they've told them to go easier? Bit pointless though if they have.

[Good Hank]

My colleague used to live across the road from Diamond. Apparently she turned 'hench' without them really noticing.

Another vote for Sabre here.

[JesusAndYourBush]

I might still have 2 Gladiators autographed photos.  Someone had attended some BBC event or something and pocketed a massive stash. Nightshade and the other I forget.

[Gurke and Hare]

Was there not someone here way back who used to go on about getting off with Jet on a night out? Was it supposed to be a joke/ fantasy thing? I remember it being mentioned somewhat sincerely.

It sounds like the kind of thing Lisa JAMC would make upsay.

[Blue Jam]

Who all has met a Gladiator then?

I went to see Liverpool play Wrexham at the Racecourse for the Joey Jones Testimonial and the match was "kicked off" by Wolf standing on the centre spot and kicking the ball as high into the air as he could before the players ran in and scrambled for it. I guess that makes Wolf the first proper celebrity I have seen in real life. That'll do me.

[Blue Jam]

Warrior used to play poker at the casino I used to work in. Very intimidating man. Especially after finding out that...

"After the sixth series in 1997, Warrior (Michael Ahearne) was sacked from the show after been implicated in trying to foil the prosecution of Philip Glennon Jnr, who had been accused of firing a handgun at a police officer outside a nightclub in 1996"

All true. Warrior was part of the reason Mersey Blues was canned before the series could air in full:

Spoiler alert

"MERRRRRHHHDEH?"

[close]

[Blue Jam]

LIMMY.

Watched the second episode last night and was womdering why the whole of CaB wasn't talking about Limmy on Gladiators. There was another Limmy who won Masterchef, it's getting weird.

Loving the reboot and I think it works because it's exactly the same as the original. Bradley Walsh's nepo baby is a bit crap but I like the way even his dad seems to find him a bit crap and can't quite hide it.

All the nicknames and logos on the lycra and walk-on music is very Barry Hearn isn't it? I have to wonder why he never attempted a knock-off.

[greencalx]

Although I'm not a fan of the pundit's tendency to view originals as unimprovable, I do think that combining the original event music, a more hard-case (ideally Scottish) referee and a more partidge commentator would elevate the whole thing a bit more.

[BlodwynPig]

it's fucking rank this. The forced 'baddie' - Viper? - what a joke. Sub-WWF shit. The camera work is rubbish and I may as well be watching two slugs at it from half a mile away.

[elliszeroed]

Viper jumped?

[Famous Mortimer]

Bring back Battledome, which was like Gladiators mixed with pro wrestling, and was a very early gig for Terry Crews.

[Poobum]

Amazing how little chemistry a father and son can have.

[Utter Shit]

Loving it. Bionic demolishing a contestant in Gauntlet was amazing. Viper is brilliantly hammy.

 Maybe I'm a little bit biased because I have such fond memories of it as a kid AND, because my kids are three and six, it's the first show we've really watched together as a family where everyone is enjoying it on its own terms (rather than watching some shite the kids like and enjoying it because they're happy). But it's just fabulously silly, entertaining fun.

The woman in red was great as well, usually any member of the public trying to show that they're a bit of a character on a gameshow is bound to come across as a twat, but she seemed naturally funny and charismatic.

Now bring back Robot Wars you dickheads.