Gladiators Ready?

[Tony Tony Tony]

After being heavily promoted on pretty much every arm of the Beeb this burst on our screens last night.

Happily (to my mind at least) the change of channel didn't involve anything much by way of changes. It deffo brought back happy Saturday night memories of days gone by when I waited for a takeaway to be delivered before settling down for a night in front of some proper telly.

The only misstep seems to be the inclusion of robotic Barney Walsh who displayed all the charm of a Wetherspoons at closing time on a Friday night. I can only assume his dad, Brad, made his inclusion a condition of signing up. Otherwise it was a pumped up nostalgia fest that isn't one that will bite the dust anytime soon.

[Magnum Valentino]

I don't remember watching Gladiators well enough to get any real nostalgia buzz from it but enjoyed it a lot. The replacement Wolf (VIPER!) is perfectly hammy.

Is it going to be filmed in the same arena every week in Sheffield or does it tour so the crowds are new?

Also did was the travellator always so difficult looking? Not one of the four got off the top of it gracefully.

[greencalx]

Thanks Tony for starting the thread as I wasn't quite brave enough...

The original series burst onto our screens at the start of our lower sixth year, and provided us a series of catchphrases that sustained us through the year. We even ran our own rendition in the gym as a charity fundraiser. No idea what the events were (and, of course, there was no sense of us having to anything as tedious as a risk assessment) but a mate of mine who was passably good at impressions played the John Anderson role to good effect.

So a huge nostalgia buzz for me, and it's interesting that despite the fact that popular media has become increasingly intense and over-the-top in the intervening 30 years, this still feels intense and over-the-top with minimal changes to the format. I actually found that without the ad breaks the whole thing was a bit relentless - I presume there's an extra round of events before the eliminator to make up the run time. Also the gladiators and contenders seems a bit more touchy-feely than in the original, each saying after the events how amazing the others were, even when one grossly drubbed the other. Nice that one or two of the cast are playing up, Viper carrying on the Wolf role, and Legend acting (?) the poser.

I agree that Walsh Jr is a bit of a charisma vacuum. I'm wondering if the father-and-son casting is the BBC's attempt to minimise the probability of off-screen liaisons among the presenting cast... I also thought the referee and commentator had more personality in the original, but we'll see how it goes. I'm also wondering if they purposely chose the opening episode to feature a contender injury, so as to scream Duty of Care from the rooftops. I presume this sort of thing must be quite common on the show.

The travelator was always a bitch, I think.

[shoulders]

Yeah, the contestants legs are filling with lactic acid by that point so what becomes a doable obstacle becomes devilishly difficult even for people in peak fitness.

[thr0b]

Walsh Sr and Walsh Jr is apparently a single series deal. Should it return (and given how popular last night was), it'll be with different hosts.

[Gulftastic]

I hope it did not, repeat not, turn into an all night rave.

[GMTV]

I was also planning a thread for this, glad to see at least a few other people on here watched it too.

I thought it was brilliant, perfect Saturday evening telly. Hopefully proves a ratings success and gets another series.
 
When it was announced that the BBC were planning a Gladiators reboot in 2024 I was really surprised. Absolutely loved it as a child 30 years ago, but felt like it was a programme of its time.

The big secret of the time which almost no one understood was the key difference between the gladiators and the contenders. It was essentially ex professional athletes or bodybuilders on steroids (PEDs) vs members of the public who got themselves relatively fit naturally.

I thought that although a show fondly remembered, no tv company would have a go doing a remake due to the risk of negative publicity of gladiators being caught taking PEDs or maybe even other drugs. Additionally there were a few serious injuries over the years on the original show, and in today's more litigious climate could cost a lot of money and bad publicity if someone got seriously hurt. It's also an expensive show to run too.

In particular I never would have imagined the BBC would take on that risk, so anticipated them making a number of changes to sanitise it and guard against the risk of it all going wrong. Essentially what sky did with their remake in 2008, as they made some big changes that took a lot of what made the show a success out of it. I didn't watch much of it but the bits I've seen it looked fairly limp. The more modest costumes, (mostly I think) natty gladiators, and holding the contests over water for safety really took the sting out of the show.

Will this be the time the wider public finally understand anything above a modest gain of muscle can only be achieved with the use of PEDs?

I saw some nonsense articles about it being 'woke' due to the lack of cheerleaders and the costumes being covered. Whens the last time anyone saw a cheerleader? And not having young girls parading around in skimpy clothing is woke?! A term with almost no meaning... In any case, I'd say the sky 2008 reboot could have been described as more woke with the above mentioned changes they made on that show. This latest reboot has held very closely to the original format, with skimpy costumes, some risky looking games, and of course ginormous gladiators at least some of which would appear to be using PEDs.

Like everyone else it seems, I was really disappointed to hear the presenting lineup. Bradley walsh I could just about accept, but his son as well? They're both quite shit, although I would say not excessively so. They're bad but it's not impacting it too strongly.

The only explanation I can come up with their selection is cost. It does look like it's a fairly expensive thing to put together, and maybe the budget was stretched to the absolute limit. They decided to pour all the money of the first series getting everything right in terms of the set, new games etc and thought a more expensive but better presenting team was something that could be sacrificed. I'd say its the right decision as they seem to have gotten everything else right apart from the presenters.

Ideally both of them gone for the next series.

That's one thing the 2008 reboot got spot on, someone like Caroline flack (god rest her soul) was perfect for it. With Ian Wright they essentially copied the original setup with a chipper ex footballer and an established sexually charged telly presenter.

The guardian review made me laugh on the subject, and I think they're right. The vague prospect of the sexually desirable, well known telly presenters banging the gladiators gives it a further edge that's obviously utterly lacking at present.

My only other minor quibble is the music. They've kept the iconic theme which is great, the rest of the music is fairly generic and lacks the punch of some of the original show.

TLDR: Are you a Gladiators?

[Butchers Blind]

Which one has sex with Ulrika Jonsson this time?

[greencalx]

My only other minor quibble is the music. They've kept the iconic theme which is great, the rest of the music is fairly generic and lacks the punch of some of the original show.

I meant to mention this too. The original music for Hang Tough I remember being particularly atmospheric, and added a lot to the game.

I'd be very surprised for the risk-averse BBC going anywhere near the use of PEDs, but one does have to wonder how the gladiators get to the size and shape that they are...

[Mr Vegetables]

I was looking up what became of the Gladiators and apparently Shadow is in jail now, as is Des from Diggit

[dontpaintyourteeth]

more like diggit (a tunnel out of this prison!)

[Captain Z]

apparently Shadow is in jail now

They seek him here, they seek him there...

[thr0b]

Imagine this paired with Doctor Who.

That'd have been two hours of excellence.

[JesusAndYourBush]

Does anyone say AWOOGA?

[Rush Goalie]

Magnificent television and a very well observed, executed and appropriately updated rendition.

Genuine feelgood entertainment, devoid of irony or cynicism. I just had a fucking brilliant weekend and coming home to watch Gladiators with a couple of bottles of bitter is the ultimate topper on a Sunday evening. Now for the final snooker session and life is simply very good.

[Oosp]

Can't wait to get stuck in to the reboot, now that Jet has finally given up all hope of me ever marrying her

[Captain Z]

Watched this now and enjoyed it too, they were spot on to not mess with the format and pretty much nailed it apart from the presenters. I didn't mind Walsh Jr but his dad's teatime quiz show banter wasn't quite right for me. Cringed when he spent literally 15 seconds faux-laughing at his own "leg-end" joke.

Really hoping to see "Skytrak" again.

[Tony Tony Tony]

Don't think Bradley did such a bad job as other posters are making out. Having said that I did comment to Mrs TTT during the show that he did seem not to have his usual confidence and warmth. I put this down to him not being able to 'fill' the room on account of it being a huge arena. He always works best bouncing off those around him and wasn't getting much to work with from either the rest of the cast or the contenders. Maybe as the Gladiators characters develop over the run he might get a few quips in.

BTW when it does return with different hosts, as Thr0b predicts above, who you reckon should be lined up?

Eric Cantona and Holly Willoughby?

[curiousoranges]

Kriss Akabusi and Anne Robinson

[jobotic]

Didn't really watch it as I didn't like much as a teenager. Partner and kids did though and they enjoyed it.

I did see Walsh do his pretend corpsing bit though. Good to see that the stoney-faced Gladiators next to him found it about as amusing as I did.

[phantom_power]

My biggest problem with this was Walsh. It is such an inherently ridiculous show that I think you need presenters who take it deadly seriously. Walsh joking about and acting the giddy goat kept breaking the kayfabe of the whole thing

Otherwise it was good fun, though I could do without the little behind-the-scenes bollocks after each round

[Huxleys Babkins]

Hang Tough's not quite the same without that music is it?

[gilbertharding]

I never watched the original, but I'm dimly aware that they gave the black Gladiators names like Shadow, Nightshade, and amused myself by brainstorming increasingly racially inappropriate Gladiator names...

[touchingcloth]

I was trying to work out if they were going to setup anyone as an obvious heel, then in the first Bridge Fucker round there was a bit where Viper got sent off during a silent, sneering confrontation with the referee that did everything short of literally flashing "THIS IS THE NEW WOLF, OK?" on the screen.

Could they not have had a female host, or commentator, or referee? I like Bradley Walsh, but he has the wrong energy for a show like this given that they're not going for the ironic/meta style of, say, Richard Ayoade's Crystal Maze, or of anyone's Crystal Maze. And why was his son there? Off school and Brad couldn't arrange a sitter in time?

I noticed the foam hands were back, which I wasn't sure they would be - woke BBC encouraging children to wave landfill-bound fossil by-products in the air like they just don't give a fuck.

I never watched the original, but I'm dimly aware that they gave the black Gladiators names like Shadow, Nightshade, and amused myself by brainstorming increasingly racially inappropriate Gladiator names...

I had a thought of "didn't the original series have a Gladiator called "Saracen"?" and, er, it did.

[Shaxberd]

Also Rhino, as I recall.

That said my favourite Gladiator name is 'Battleaxe', a female Gladiator from the Sky version.

Haven't seen this one yet but hoping they have one called Bully XL.

[touchingcloth]

Skivvy, Harridan, Othello.

[Utter Shit]

Agree with what everyone's saying here, it recaptured the magic of the original brilliantly and the only negative was Barney Walsh, who wasn't exactly 'bad' so much as utterly redundant. Sam Wollaston replicant Joel Golby criticised him for being 'sexless', which seems like an odd comment as I don't remember the original series living or dying on whether you wanted to fuck John Fashanu.

Could have done without the confected drama with the injury though, if it was as serious as they made out he wouldn't have been allowed to continue let alone manage to come from behind and win.

[Utter Shit]

I had a thought of "didn't the original series have a Gladiator called "Saracen"?" and, er, it did.

The disrespect to Saracen! Arguably the most dominant sportsman of all time in his field, nobody could beat him at Hang Tough.

[George White]

Also Rhino, as I recall.

That said my favourite Gladiator name is 'Battleaxe', a female Gladiator from the Sky version.

Haven't seen this one yet but hoping they have one called Bully XL.

Rhino moved to LA, is often credited as Mark 'Rhino' Smith, and has been in loads of stuff like  Batman begins, Zootopia, Argo (as one of the villains in the in-film movie), Creed, Agents of Shield, nCIS, and err.. eastenders.

Anyone ever watched the original US version?
American Gladiators was shown on ITV Nighttime, but all I know about is Luanne van Houten's lover Pyro, who was based on a real American Gladiator called Nitro, confusingly also the name of a new BBC one.

[Gulftastic]

Blaze...Lazer...Blazer...