American Gladiators Premiere Review

I remember as a young girl, gathering up on the couch with my parents as the timeless theme song of American Gladiators began. Even as a non-athlete, I was hooked. Watching the series was like watching a contact-sports Olympics on a weekly basis; I had my favorite gladiators and even thought I might be on the competition one day. But after the series ended in 1996, it became a faded memory, missed but unhoped to return. Instead, I - and many of my generation - turned to similar television shows. Wrestling, professional sports, and in recent years, Ninja Warrior, have replaced our old days of gladiators in blue and red. Now, American Gladiators has returned with fan fare - and old fans will not be disappointed.

Over ten years since its last episode, American Gladiators has a new cast. Hosting the show are the aged muscles of Hulk Hogan and the younger spunk of Laila Ali, both professionals in the sporting world. The main referee is Al Kaplon, who, although a professional referee, may best be recognized by some as the referee of Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story. 13 new gladiators round out the cast, and while all appear to be in fine shape, most have small resumes for the "gladiator" sport.

The arena has also had a small makeover since the 90's. Although old events such as Assault, Power Ball, Hang Tough, Joust, Wall, Pyramid, and the Gauntlet are all returned, many favorite events made no showing - such as Atlasphere, The Maze, and Whiplash. Added instead are two new events: Earthquake, which consists of a wrestling match atop a free hanging 12 foot platform, and Hit & Run, in which contestants must run back and forth on a bridge without being knocked off by 100 pound balls swung by gladiators.