The Daily Aztec

Issue date: 1/31/08 Section: Tempo

Media Credit: Courtesy of Wikipedia

After years of waiting and wishing, it's finally back - the hour-long, spandex-filled athletic competition show, "American Gladiators." NBC has revived the show, and while fans of the original series will find the overall format and many of the challenges unchanged, there have been a few updates to the show, but unfortunately the most notable is an increased level of cheesiness.
In a likely attempt to develop some strike-proof programming, the executives over at NBC have breathed new life into this '90s classic with a new, high-tech look, some brand new challenges, and most importantly, a fresh set of ultra-buff gladiators. On top of all this, the show is co-hosted (along with Laila Ali) by the king of all things muscular and spandex - Hulk Hogan.
For those unfamiliar with the premise, the show challenges ordinary people to go up against seemingly superhuman "gladiators" in difficult athletic challenges in hopes of eventually making it to the finals, where the winner will walk away with $100,000 and the opportunity to be a regular gladiator in future seasons. Four contestants, two men and two women, face preliminary challenges, such as "Joust" or the new "Hit & Run," in which they must compete against the gladiators. Their success in these challenges dictates the head start they'll get in the final, awesome-looking obstacle course that decides the winner.
Where the show goes wrong is in the back-and-forth repartee that the contestants take place in before and after the challenges. This tacky trash talk is usually provoked by the hosts' awkwardly posed questions, which sound scripted and forced. While Hogan's charisma and Ali's sassiness do add some fun to the show's mix, the two seem like a couple of cliché sideline reporters, spouting out cheeseball commentary just as the contestants finish their grueling challenges.
Also taking part in this banter are the gladiators themselves, who apparently have to say ridiculous things to sound tough, even though their burly appearance does the job just fine. The most memorable gladiator has to be Wolf, a hairy Wolverine-like character who literally howls at several points during the program.
During these dark days, when Hollywood has no writers to fuel regularly scheduled programming, "American Gladiators" isn't the worst thing that the networks have thrown out there, but that's not saying much.
If you're bored enough, "Gladiators" might be just the ticket to an hour of thought-free television, but beware - you may find cutting through this show's cheesiness not worth the trouble.

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