American Gladiators

[Dartful Dodger]

Who saw it and how was it?

I was looking forward to it for months, but yesterday went by in a blur I didn't think about the show until this morning.

[JimmyU]

It was alright.  It's on again tonight at 8 EST if you're interested.  They need to bring back the human cannonball though.

[CCM]

I liked it...

[ChadTower]

If you took the original show, pumped in a lot of money for production, and dropped it into the staging for Who Wants to be a Millionaire, you'd have today's version.  It felt roughly the same, though.

[tommy]

It felt roughly the same, though.

Generic and worthless?

[Hoopz]

It's not as good as Ninja Warrior.

[JackTucky]

The interviews with the contestants were so corny.  " I went to med school so I can handle this"

"I'm a skateboarder so I can handle being chased by cops"

--cream-filled twinkie--.

=J

[hypernova]

Crush is haaawwwwwwwwwwwwwwt!

They revamped the eliminator.  The handbike is in the middle of the course...it's incredibly hard for people to do it.  And the reverse treadmill?  That's at the very end.  It has made it nearly impossible to finish races.

I think they may need to eliminate powerball.  Some woman got her leg screwed up on the first show, and the preview for next week looks like a man has to splint his leg after it.  With so much tackling, it's no stretch that these are only the beginning of the injuries in it.

Seriously.  If you watch it, watch it for Crush.  She whaled on some woman today in joust.  It was a bona fide beatdown.

And did I mention she was amazingly hot?

[Lutus]

I saw it.  It was over produced.

What I mean by that is, as soon as an event was over, 2 seconds later they were interviewing the contestant.  It was ridiculous, as soon as the contestant burst through the wall Ali's daughter had a mic in their face saying "what were you thinking as you were running the gauntlet?"

Alot of fast camera cuts, and the referee was killing me.

You just have to watch it to see what I mean.

[Howard_Casto]

The good thing about it is they didn't change a thing.  The bad thing about it is they didn't change a thing. 

I'm not sure what the others are talking about regarding "increased production values" cause I didn't see them.  Of course the camera work is better, because it's been 15 years since it was on and they gave everyone updated uniforms.  Other than that, it looks like they literally got the old set out of moth-balls and just gave the rusted stuff a fresh coat of paint.  The over-serious ref and the stupid camera cuts are left over from the old show btw, so they aren't anything new.

The only real change from prime time is Hulk and Leyla and although both are quite personable, they are used quite poorly.  Horribly canned and generic questions are the extent of their "interviews" which seem like nothing more than time filler.  This whole getting to know the contestant crap is a bad trend that started with millionare a few years back and continues on every single frikkin primetime gameshow.  You see the problem with getting to know these contestants is taht it becomes clear immediately that either they are totally uninteresting or a complete cliche, obviously picked to be on the show to get a cheap ratings boost. 

  I swear to god, allah, buddah, the flying spaghetti monster and anybody else who'll listen, if I see one more New York fireman, Iraqi vet, housewife who married their childhood sweetheart, guy who married their childhood sweetheart, ethnic stereotype or person that sure thinks they have to say a clever pun after each question is asked (and those puns are NEVER funny) I'm going postal and killing every single frikkin television producer that's ever made a reality show in the last 10 years!!!!!!!  And is it me or are these people always terribly one-dimensional?  I mean it's nice you are a vet, but is your life so sad that this the sole thing that defines your entire life?  Every question to these people is replied with "well I'm a soldier/marine/fire fighter/some city worker still bragging that he DID HIS DAMN JOB on 9-11 6 YEARS after the fact/ect. so ....."  I feel sorry for these people.  I mean I'm a single loser and a dork and I have more going on then them.  I have friends and family and obligations and hobbies and interesting stories to tell regarding all of that.  I think they exploit the one decent quality they have hoping the gameshow people will rig the contest in their favor or something.  Well that's illegal so it ain't gonna happen so get over yourselves.  Also true heroes are modest so quit getting on television and embarrasing yourself and everyone associated with you.

Why did Bob barker have to retire?  Ever watched how he handled it on TPIR?

Bob:  "Well hi Patty where are you from and what do you do?"
Patty:  "Well I'm a US marine who just got back from Iraq"
Bob:  "That's great!  Let's go play plinko!"

See that's how you do it... merely pretend to be interested to be polite and when they start going on and on cut em off and be sure to make them understand that nobody really gives a crap what they do, we just wanna see if they win the showcase. 

Oh and btw, yes, Crush is quite hot.  She's *almost* hot enough to make me watch it regularly, but I'm sure somebody will start posting clips of her being all hot on the tubes pretty soon. 

[jfunk]

Thank goodness for DVRs...  Skip all the pseudo-trash-talk and sob stories and get straight to the smackdowns 

[Hoopz]

Thank goodness for DVRs...  Skip all the pseudo-trash-talk and sob stories and get straight to the smackdowns 

Ditto!  I agree that the canned questions are just terrible.  I like some of the changes with the new events though.

[shardian]

I saw the last half hour Sunday, and amde sure to watch all of it last night. I LOVE that it is back on TV. They can ditch Ali, she sucks. Hulk sucked Sunday night, but did a little better last night.

I both like and dislike the eliminator now. On the one hand, it is absoutely hilarious to see the contestants get totally pwned by how hard it is. The escalator thing at the end is so wrong it is right.
On the other hand, I was very disappointed by the hand bike, and the barrel roll. IIRC, if you didn't finish a portion or fell off, a referree held you up for a time penalty before you could climb out of the pit on the original. They aren't doing that. Hell, it would be much quicker to just ignore the hand bike and jump straight into the pit! Noone is ever going to finish the handbike after swiming and climbing a 40 foot rope wall.

That was great to see that girl try to hunker down on joust and get her ass beat.
Hulk: I've wrestled for 30 years and in all the time I never got ---my bottom--- beat like you just did.
...I think he was serious.

Final thoughts, I loved this show then, and I love it now.

[ChadTower]

IIRC the ref held you back because you could just fall off and run faster... there wasn't a pit.  Now you have to actually climb out of a pit via the "ladder", which takes about the same amount of time the penalty took.

Guaranteed Hulk won't be back.  They filmed all of this before his son's accident.

[CCM]

I thought there used to be gladiators in the pits that would hold you up if you fell off the hand bike...   

[Hoopz]

I thought there used to be gladiators in the pits that would hold you up if you fell off the hand bike...   

Come on...like someone was going to try and take their wallet, watch and keys during the contest...  Get real.

 

[CCM]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4e9ncxaAZpM&feature=related[/youtube]

It was the penalty pit...

[Jdurg]

I too was excited to see American Gladiators back on the air, but for some reason this new version isn't nearly as good as the old one.  It did seem to be a bit too "overproduced" and the personalities of the Gladiators just isn't what it used to be.  Back in the old days, Nitro, Gemini, Laser, Turbo, Thunder, etc. all had this look of "I'm going to kill you right now", but then they'd snap out of it and become normal human beings.  Yet you could still kind of see some roid-rage inside of them. 

The Gladiators in the new show just seem like they're trying to hard and overacting SEVERELY.  None of them appeared to be real people.  They all seemed like overacting oafs.

The contestants also seemed as if they were pulled out of a random hat.  Granted, the Eliminator did appear to be a bit harder, but these people couldn't even come close to making it through.  Also, the old show had the Eliminator as a completely separate event.  This version seemed to just throw random stuff into the arena and make you run around like a chicken with your head cut off.  It looked as if they were doing everything in a closet and just forced you to run around the set with a few extra things put in for the Eliminator.

The show was okay, but I still get more enjoyment out of watching the original show on ESPN Classic.

[shardian]

The contestants also seemed as if they were pulled out of a random hat.  Granted, the Eliminator did appear to be a bit harder, but these people couldn't even come close to making it through. 

After watching that video, it is obvious that the new elimator is WAY harder than the original. And the people they had on last night were not cupcakes. Well, the karate lady with big boobs didn't have a chance - but the other three were in great shape.

[ChadTower]

I felt bad for the Marine that swam headfirst into the iron bar.  She pretty much effed her chances to win on that move alone.

[shardian]

I felt bad for the Marine that swam headfirst into the iron bar.  She pretty much effed her chances to win on that move alone.

The dude on Sunday night did the same thing and had a blood geyser by the time he finished.

[ChadTower]

I didn't watch monday but I did watch Sunday and don't remember either man doing that.  The blonde woman did it Sunday night.

[shardian]

Yeah, the whiny white dude who kept saying he has waited 15 long years to be on American gladiators. It was at the end of the show, which didn't end until 11.

[ChadTower]

It's still on the Tivo... I remember the guy but don't remember that happening.  I do remember his whiny interview afterwards.  I'll go back to look just to see if I'm insane or not.

[Hoopz]

Chad's right; it was the former Marine that got the bloody nose on Sunday night not the guy.

Her move during "Hang Tough" when she got the Gladiator locked onto her was incredible.  The fact she could hang on with the Gladiator on her was a shock but then to get the Gladiator off of her... She was incredibly tough to do that.

[ChadTower]

One thing obvious from this version... they chose the men gladiators based on ability and the women based on looks.  The men contestants can't do jack against these gladiators but the women contestants are routinely beating their gladiators.

[Hoopz]

Did you get the first part backwards?

One thing obvious from this version... they chose the men gladiators based on ability and the women based on looks.  The men contestants can't do jack against these gladiators but the women contestants are routinely beating their gladiators.

I agree, from what I saw on Sunday, that the women seemed much tougher than the men.

[ChadTower]

I agree, from what I saw on Sunday, that the women seemed much tougher than the men.

No, I didn't.  The women were scoring regularly and the men couldn't score at all on many of the events.  The women were all making it through the gauntlet, for example, but the men were getting the piss beaten out of them.  The only scores on the joust were because the gladiator DQed himself.  The rings was impossible for the men.

[shardian]

One thing obvious from this version... they chose the men gladiators based on ability and the women based on looks.  The men contestants can't do jack against these gladiators but the women contestants are routinely beating their gladiators.

You did see Crush brutally beat down both females in joust right? BTW the girl who plays crush is a world champ Muy Thai fighter and undefeated in MMA. She could totally kick your ass...and she's HOT.

Helga is a beast, but she is probably quite limited to events because I doubt she is very agile.

[Hoopz]

I agree, from what I saw on Sunday, that the women seemed much tougher than the men.

No, I didn't.  The women were scoring regularly and the men couldn't score at all on many of the events.  The women were all making it through the gauntlet, for example, but the men were getting the piss beaten out of them.  The only scores on the joust were because the gladiator DQed himself.  The rings was impossible for the men.

Sorry, I misread what you wrote.  I didn't read the word gladiators in your post. 

[ChadTower]

You did see Crush brutally beat down both females in joust right? BTW the girl who plays crush is a world champ Muy Thai fighter and undefeated in MMA. She could totally kick your ass...and she's HOT.

That's just one event.  Most of the rest were winnable for the women.  Sunday night both women (when it was the marine and the fat camp worker) won on the rings, in the gauntlet, and on the wall.

[shardian]

Last night Wolf sucked it up on the rings.

It is also easier for women to ring up points because the size difference is much less. The men gladiators are HUGE compared to the competitors. Last night, the girl winner was cut. She could pass for a gladiator if you put her in a fancy costume.

[Hoopz]

I think a part of it is that the Gladiators in the old series had a lot of experience with their events.  The newer Gladiators don't have that experience yet. 

On the Hang Tough, the black competitor (fat camp worker) out maneuvered the Gladiator pretty easily.  She took a better angle and landed pretty quickly.  That almost never happened in the old series as the Gladiators knew how to play the angles better.

[CCM]

You did see Crush brutally beat down both females in joust right? BTW the girl who plays crush is a world champ Muy Thai fighter and undefeated in MMA. She could totally kick your ass...and she's HOT.

Damn, I didn't recognize Crush, it's Gina Carano.  She is one tough chick.  I've seen a few of her MMA fights, very impressive.  And hot as hell.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4aTd5bLxKBM[/youtube]

[ChadTower]

Nothing makes your career like being a white woman beating the piss out of a Vietnamese woman in front of dozens of toothless old Vietnamese men.   

[CCM]

It's a big deal for any  Western Muy Thai fighter that competes and wins in Thailand. 

[ChadTower]

She should fight the guy from Wild World of Spike.  She's almost as pretty as he is.

[Jouster]

Was she on Fight Girls??  I see Master Toddy there...I never saw the end of that show...anyone know who ended up the champ?

Jouster

[shardian]

Chad's right; it was the former Marine that got the bloody nose on Sunday night not the guy.

Her move during "Hang Tough" when she got the Gladiator locked onto her was incredible.  The fact she could hang on with the Gladiator on her was a shock but then to get the Gladiator off of her... She was incredibly tough to do that.

Wow, I have no clue how I ---fouled up beyond all recognition--- that one up. It must have had something to do with the fact I had been asleep for an hour and half before I tuned in, and was still kind of drowsy. I suppose it all blended to together a bit.

(I DL'ed the ep so I could re-watch the end.)

[ErikRuud]

I haven't had a chance to see any of the new series yet.

I DID just find out that one of my neighbors was a contestant on the old show.  I'll have to see if I can get a look at the video from it.

[ChadTower]

They show the old one regularly on ESPN2.

[shardian]

They show the old one regularly on ESPN2.

What about the Nickelodeon ripoff?  What the heck was that thing.... "Guts"?

Are you talking about Double Dare? that show had an elimination course at the end.

[AtomSmasher]

I think they may need to eliminate powerball.  Some woman got her leg screwed up on the first show, and the preview for next week looks like a man has to splint his leg after it.  With so much tackling, it's no stretch that these are only the beginning of the injuries in it.

Theres going to be plenty of injuries with or without powerball.  With the full contact type events, theres just no way around it.  My uncle was actually one of the "gladiators" on the AG ripoff show Battle Dome, and he broke his ankle in the first season (a very nasty break, done on camera so we could see the replays of it snapping) and tore a bicep in the second season.

Overall the show seems very similar to the original with a couple noticable exceptions.  Obviously the eliminator has been ramped up big time, but they also seem to be giving "personalities" to the gladiators.  It seems like in the original they were barely mentioned, but now some of them wear costumes and even say a few lines in character (most notably is Wolf and Hellga).

[shardian]

Are you talking about Double Dare? that show had an elimination course at the end.

Nope.  Guts:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nickelodeon_GUTS

I mean, obviously it was toned down, but it was definitely an American Gladiators ripoff.

I remember that show. It was pretty neat.

Legends of the hidden temple was another of the neat Nickelodeon shows back in the day. Ahhh, the good ol' days of youth.

[JackTucky]

I swear to god, allah, buddah, the flying spaghetti monster and anybody else who'll listen, if I see one more New York fireman, Iraqi vet, housewife who married their childhood sweetheart, guy who married their childhood sweetheart, ethnic stereotype or person that sure thinks they have to say a clever pun after each question is asked (and those puns are NEVER funny) I'm going postal and killing every single frikkin television producer that's ever made a reality show in the last 10 years!!!!!!!  And is it me or are these people always terribly one-dimensional?  I mean it's nice you are a vet, but is your life so sad that this the sole thing that defines your entire life?  Every question to these people is replied with "well I'm a soldier/marine/fire fighter/some city worker still bragging that he DID HIS DAMN JOB on 9-11 6 YEARS after the fact/ect. so ....."  I feel sorry for these people.  I mean I'm a single loser and a dork and I have more going on then them.  I have friends and family and obligations and hobbies and interesting stories to tell regarding all of that.  I think they exploit the one decent quality they have hoping the gameshow people will rig the contest in their favor or something.  Well that's illegal so it ain't gonna happen so get over yourselves.  Also true heroes are modest so quit getting on television and embarrasing yourself and everyone associated with you.

I'm beginning to like you Howard.

=J

[hypernova]

Wolf may have sucked in Hang Tough, but he beat ass in Pyramid on Sunday night against the old guy.  Pyramid looks like a sweet event to watch for the men.

Will they make Hellga do Hang Tough?  I don't think she could do that for 30 ticks alone, AND pursue a contestant.  I honestly don't see that happening.

There better be some more events...here's what I remember so far:
Old:                                          New:
Assault                                     Earthquake
Pyramid                                    Hit and Run
Hang Tough
Powerball
Wall
Joust
Gauntlet

Looking at the site, that looks like everything.  Back in the day, You got the football one, the upside down pyramid thing with balls and the bungee cords and jumping.  What's some more old games?

Theres going to be plenty of injuries with or without powerball.

I would agree.  But powerball seems to have far more potential.

[shardian]

Atlasphere baby!

[ChadTower]

I want the rolling ball thing (was that Atlasphere?)!

Did hypernova miss the one with the bungee jumping grabbing balls off the cylinder?  I can never remember the names of these things.

[shardian]

I want the rolling ball thing (was that Atlasphere?)!

Yep. Man I always wanted to do that event. I think that is why I liked Fusion frenzy on X-box so much. That is one of the mini games on it.

[ChadTower]

I went to a small carnival once where they had one of those for kids.  I wanted to get in the thing so badly... except it was only 4' tall so that would be more like a tiny little prison cell.

That's actually not a bad idea.  When prisoners act up, put them in an atlasphere small enough that they can't stand up and put it on a conveyor belt for a while.

[JimmyU]

Human Cannonball = Best Event Ever!!

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uEssSgC4w4w&feature=related[/youtube]

[Jdurg]

What was that game where they were upside down on this strange velcro racetrack and where attached to slots by some harness and they had to outrace the Gladiators to the finish line?  That one was pretty cool.

Also, Double Dare was super sweet on Nickelodeon.  I always wanted to get on that game show.  Kind of ironic that Marc Summers who openly admits to having pretty bad OCD, was the host of one of the messiest shows on earth. 

Time for a physical challenge!!!!   (gotta wash my hands, gotta wash my hands, gotta wash my hands).

[ChadTower]

Also, Double Dare was super sweet on Nickelodeon.  I always wanted to get on that game show. 

Me too.  Badly. 

[Howard_Casto]

I went to a small carnival once where they had one of those for kids.  I wanted to get in the thing so badly... except it was only 4' tall so that would be more like a tiny little prison cell.

That's actually not a bad idea.  When prisoners act up, put them in an atlasphere small enough that they can't stand up and put it on a conveyor belt for a while.

Wasn't that the plot for the running man?

[ChadTower]

I thought Running Man was where they deemed a guy an "enemy of the state" and then sent killers to hunt him as a reality tv show?

[Samstag]

Wasn't that the plot for the running man?

You must be thinking of another movie.  Running Man didn't have a plot.

[shardian]

Wasn't that the plot for the running man?

You must be thinking of another movie.  Running Man didn't have a plot.

I loved that movie as a kid. Now that I have read the REAL Steven King story, that movie sucks. I wish they would remake it as originally envisioned. It could be a KICK ASS movie - of course they would have to change the ending though due to the airplane thing.

[hypernova]

Heh, I remembered Atlasphere as I was writing, but forgot it when I was listing.

I mentioned the upside down pyramid.  That's the one with bungee cords and balls.

I remember the upside down track.

I'm looking these up.

So we have:

Atlasphere
Human Cannonball
Whiplash (a glad and contestant grab a "bone" and try to yank it from each other, or the cont. gets the glad out of the ring while holding it.)
Breakthrough and Conquer (the football thing with a wrestling match afterwards.
Sky Track (upside down race)
Swingshot (pyramid, balls, bungee)
Huh....what do ya know.  Maze (just like it sounds)
Tug of War
Snapback-this is listed on the wiki, but there's no video on youtube of it that I've found.  I've found keywords associated with it...bungee cords.  Was this one where they ran with a bungee attached?  I can't remember the object of the game if it was.

[xar256]

Snapback-this is listed on the wiki, but there's no video on youtube of it that I've found.  I've found keywords associated with it...bungee cords.  Was this one where they ran with a bungee attached?  I can't remember the object of the game if it was.

I think I remember that one.  Basically the contestant and a Gladiator were each hooked up to a bungee cord that was tied to a wall.  At the whistle both people ran as far as they could and stick a marker to the marker wall before they were "Snapped Back". 

[Cakemeister]

Heh, I remembered Atlasphere as I was writing, but forgot it when I was listing.

I mentioned the upside down pyramid.  That's the one with bungee cords and balls.

I remember the upside down track.

I'm looking these up.

So we have:

Atlasphere
Human Cannonball
Whiplash (a glad and contestant grab a "bone" and try to yank it from each other, or the cont. gets the glad out of the ring while holding it.)
Breakthrough and Conquer (the football thing with a wrestling match afterwards.
Sky Track (upside down race)
Swingshot (pyramid, balls, bungee)
Huh....what do ya know.  Maze (just like it sounds)
Tug of War
Snapback-this is listed on the wiki, but there's no video on youtube of it that I've found.  I've found keywords associated with it...bungee cords.  Was this one where they ran with a bungee attached?  I can't remember the object of the game if it was.

Are you making a list? Don't forget Assault, the wall climbing event, the rings, the eliminator, I'm sure there are others I'm forgetting.

[hulkster]

i for one thought the new AG.....SUCKS!  im obviously a huge hulk hogan fan, and he did alright....but the show sucks horribly.  they took the olympic feel out of the events, and so much of it looks staged.  i watched the first episode, but ill never watch another. 

[shardian]

I never liked human canonball. Wow, I swung on a rope and hope the gladiator screws up. Yep, that was a real skilled event there.

[Howard_Casto]

i for one thought the new AG.....SUCKS!  im obviously a huge hulk hogan fan, and he did alright....but the show sucks horribly.  they took the olympic feel out of the events, and so much of it looks staged.  i watched the first episode, but ill never watch another. 

Maybe you have yoru nostalgia glasses on, but the original Ag was incredibly cheesy as well.  There wasn't any "olympic quality" to be had back then either, but you were young at the time so you probably didn't notice.

[hulkster]

i for one thought the new AG.....SUCKS!  im obviously a huge hulk hogan fan, and he did alright....but the show sucks horribly.  they took the olympic feel out of the events, and so much of it looks staged.  i watched the first episode, but ill never watch another. 

Maybe you have yoru nostalgia glasses on, but the original Ag was incredibly cheesy as well.  There wasn't any "olympic quality" to be had back then either, but you were young at the time so you probably didn't notice.

well yeah, i remember thinking xmen the cartoon was the greatest cartoon ever created, but when i watched it recently, it wasnt as "awesome" as i remembered.  still, the old AG concentrated more on the event than where the contenders had for breakfast during the interviews.  the camera shots are too quick in the new one, and the fake drama just blows.

[Jdurg]

i for one thought the new AG.....SUCKS!  im obviously a huge hulk hogan fan, and he did alright....but the show sucks horribly.  they took the olympic feel out of the events, and so much of it looks staged.  i watched the first episode, but ill never watch another. 

Maybe you have yoru nostalgia glasses on, but the original Ag was incredibly cheesy as well.  There wasn't any "olympic quality" to be had back then either, but you were young at the time so you probably didn't notice.

Sadly, I think that is pretty true.  I LOVED the original American Gladiators, but less so as the series went on.  Thinking about it now, it's probably because I was getting older and that, in it of itself, is kind of depressing.  There is something about this new version that seems really different from the older version and yet I can't seem to put my finger on it.  As time goes on, I'm beginning to think that it's because I'm just getting older and don't have the same view on life and my surroundings as I did when I was 12 years old. 

[hulkster]

i for one thought the new AG.....SUCKS!  im obviously a huge hulk hogan fan, and he did alright....but the show sucks horribly.  they took the olympic feel out of the events, and so much of it looks staged.  i watched the first episode, but ill never watch another. 

Maybe you have yoru nostalgia glasses on, but the original Ag was incredibly cheesy as well.  There wasn't any "olympic quality" to be had back then either, but you were young at the time so you probably didn't notice.

Sadly, I think that is pretty true.  I LOVED the original American Gladiators, but less so as the series went on.  Thinking about it now, it's probably because I was getting older and that, in it of itself, is kind of depressing.  There is something about this new version that seems really different from the older version and yet I can't seem to put my finger on it.  As time goes on, I'm beginning to think that it's because I'm just getting older and don't have the same view on life and my surroundings as I did when I was 12 years old. 

well im not so sure....i still watch the old AG on espn classic and enjoy it.  yes it was a little cheesy, but the events were very real.  not to say the events now arent real, but it just seems like nbc is really trying to FORCE drama into the show that doesnt need to be forced.  they add dramatic music, the contenders falls look staged and fake, the contenders taunt way too much which serves no purpose.  i dont know, the old one just had an olympic "may the best man/woman win" type of deal that wasnt THAT campy. 

[hypernova]

Heh, I remembered Atlasphere as I was writing, but forgot it when I was listing.

I mentioned the upside down pyramid.  That's the one with bungee cords and balls.

I remember the upside down track.

I'm looking these up.

So we have:

Atlasphere
Human Cannonball
Whiplash (a glad and contestant grab a "bone" and try to yank it from each other, or the cont. gets the glad out of the ring while holding it.)
Breakthrough and Conquer (the football thing with a wrestling match afterwards.
Sky Track (upside down race)
Swingshot (pyramid, balls, bungee)
Huh....what do ya know.  Maze (just like it sounds)
Tug of War
Snapback-this is listed on the wiki, but there's no video on youtube of it that I've found.  I've found keywords associated with it...bungee cords.  Was this one where they ran with a bungee attached?  I can't remember the object of the game if it was.

Are you making a list? Don't forget Assault, the wall climbing event, the rings, the eliminator, I'm sure there are others I'm forgetting.

Already did in a previous post.  These were the ones we couldn't think of the name, or just downright forgot about.

[Jdurg]

Sadly, it looks as if NBC told ESPN that they no longer have the rights to show the old American Gladiators shows.  Ever since the new version came on the air, ESPN Clasic quit showing the classic, older series.  So this gives me one more ultimate reason to hate the new series.   

[shardian]

Who all is still watching? We look forward to it every week, the wife is a bigger fan than I am I think. Wolf is a riot to watch. They should just put him in every event...which they almost did last night.

Anyways, There is no way Evan can lose in the finals. It doesn't even matter if the other guy has a 20 second head start. The guy is a freak. I thought he was gonna have a heart attack on the show during his interviews. I didn't catch a word he said they came so fast. He so totally has to be hopped up on something. 1:23 in the eliminator? Good Lord!

Oh and if you haven't watched the show, catch this clip of pwnage. You have to be in super shape to even finish the eliminator.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Qo_rGV1AxE[/youtube]

[Jdurg]

I also see that ESPN Classic is showing American Gladiators again like they normally did.  Phew!  I thought NBC told them they couldn't play it anymore.  Thank god that's not the case.  Just two or three weeks of no AG!

[AtomSmasher]

I don't think the new AG wasn't doing too well since last week they moved it to 10pm and from the looks of the leader board they also skipped a whole bunch of episodes in order to quickly get to the finals.  Although this week they did move it back to 8pm, so who knows.

[Jdurg]

Frankly, I don't consider "American Gladiators" to be a primetime show.  Move it to Saturday Afternoon at like 1:00 or 2:00 when people are more apt to watch it.  When the original was on, I don't remember it being shown on Primetime Television.  I always remember watching it after Saturday Morning Cartoons were over.   

[ChadTower]

Frankly, I don't consider "American Gladiators" to be a primetime show. 

It is when you drop the 7 figures it costs to get Hulk Hogan to host.  He doesn't do anything cheap.

[shardian]

I don't think the new AG wasn't doing too well since last week they moved it to 10pm and from the looks of the leader board they also skipped a whole bunch of episodes in order to quickly get to the finals.  Although this week they did move it back to 8pm, so who knows.

Umm...what? Where are you located? The show was on at 8 as usual last week, and they haven't skipped any episodes.

[AtomSmasher]

I don't think the new AG wasn't doing too well since last week they moved it to 10pm and from the looks of the leader board they also skipped a whole bunch of episodes in order to quickly get to the finals.  Although this week they did move it back to 8pm, so who knows.

Umm...what? Where are you located? The show was on at 8 as usual last week, and they haven't skipped any episodes.

I'm near Los Angeles, California and it was definitely on at 10pm for me.  I almost made a comment about it here last week, but since this thread was drifting into obscurity I thought that no one else was still watching it.  Also, the top scores on the leader boards suddenly jumped way up, which tells me they skipped some episodes.  It is possible I'm wrong about that, but I remembered two weeks ago a women had finished the eliminator with a time faster then all but one of the men, and then last week all but one of the men had times faster then all of the women.   

[shardian]

Must be a West Coast thing then. Does the show normally air at 8pm for you in CA? If so, then that explains why it was bumped to 10. The President thing started at 9pm here, and lasted for a good while.

Still, you shouldn't be missing episodes. The last few episodes were set up so that the highest times were bumped from the top 4, which is why the mens board got low. There were three guys who posted crazy fast eliminator times. The last few women winners stunk it up, so even though they won they went home. Either way, all of the episodes are online at nbc.com
Take a look thru them and see if you are indeed missing some eps.

[AtomSmasher]

Must be a West Coast thing then. Does the show normally air at 8pm for you in CA? If so, then that explains why it was bumped to 10. The President thing started at 9pm here, and lasted for a good while.

Still, you shouldn't be missing episodes. The last few episodes were set up so that the highest times were bumped from the top 4, which is why the mens board got low. There were three guys who posted crazy fast eliminator times. The last few women winners stunk it up, so even though they won they went home. Either way, all of the episodes are online at nbc.com
Take a look thru them and see if you are indeed missing some eps.

Ya, the late start could of just been a west coast thing.  I understand how the top board works, but it shouldn't have changed from the end of one show to the beginning of the next, and especially shouldn't have changed that much.  I'd also like to point out that there were only 5 episodes before the semifinals aired.  (Jan. 6, 7, 14, 21, and 28). That means there was a total of 5 winners (per gender), which then means there would of only been one winner who didn't make it to the top 4.  I dunno, seems like they skipped a bunch of episodes to me.

[shardian]

The first episode was a double episode - there were 2 male and 2 female winners. There were then 2 "elimination" episodes at the end before the semi's. You have seen them all. Pretty short season huh?

[AtomSmasher]

The first episode was a double episode - there were 2 male and 2 female winners. There were then 2 "elimination" episodes at the end before the semi's. You have seen them all. Pretty short season huh?

I never said I saw them all.  I missed the first episode, didn't feel like watching the semi's last night, and I think I also missed one in the middle.  It's one of those shows I only watch if nothing else is on.  But still, it sounds like there were only 6 winners per gender total (unless the 2 elimination ones your talking about happened last night before the semifinals, which would make it 8 winners total, still not very many, but at least believable for a full season)  and it still doesn't explain how the leader board significantly changed from the end of one episode to the beginning of the next 

It looks like you were right about the presidential speech being the reason it was pushed to 10pm, it wasn't because of bad ratings like I thought.  A quick check online and I see that the show is actually getting decent ratings and is even signed up for a season 2, so it looks like my assumptions about the bad ratings were wrong.  I still think they skipped a couple episodes, but it doesn't really matter since I have no proof one way or the other.

[hulkster]

i cant believe the ratings are good for this show.  its gotta be staged, and even if it isnt, they totally botched the show.  all they needed to do was to take the old formula, get a new set, throw in some new events and boom...done.  id season pass on my dvr, and be totally content.  but NO....they had to make it all dramatic and crap. 

[shardian]

i cant believe the ratings are good for this show.  its gotta be staged, and even if it isnt, they totally botched the show.  all they needed to do was to take the old formula, get a new set, throw in some new events and boom...done.  id season pass on my dvr, and be totally content.  but NO....they had to make it all dramatic and crap. 

I agree that some of the new events are weak ( earthquake, and the glass bridge with big bean bags), but the highlights of the show is Wolf doing his thing, and Crush totally beating down people in Joust. I could watch a whole hour of Crush I tell ya.

[shardian]

Bumping this up because me and the wife still watch it. The new season started with the episodes being 1.5 hours long. There wouldn't even be an event until they bull-crapped about the contestants life stories for the first 20 minutes or so. Apparently the realized that noone cared and have cut the episodes back to 1 hour. Since they had already filmed the whole season, that meant they had to cut already filmed events and chatter. Now, the events start fairly quickly into the show. They also cut the two most boring events from the original longer format and just recap them. The result is a much tighter show...but still too long on crappy interviews and fed lines.

I do have a funny story from watching last week:

I basically watch every week just to see Crush kick ass. If it wasn't for her I wouldn't even watch. I totally have the hots for her...but more for her skills than her looks (Don't get me wrong, she is still very good looking and I wouldn't be near as interested if she looked like a man). My wife asked me if I thought she was pretty and I said "not really". She of course did the whole "you're lying and you have a thing for her" diatribe. I started to try and wiggle my way out of it and she said "are you attracted to her?", and I said yes...but... and then she interrupted and said "...because she is tough and kicks ass?" and I said "Hell YES!". Then she let it go and was totally cool with it! I can only guess it was because she could tell I was telling the truth. I personally think that Crush turns her on too. 

And just to show how all-out this girl goes, here is a clip from last week in which Crush annihilates some 52 year old granny that shouldn't have even been on the show. Props to granny though for taking her beating and still moving on. I dare you to hold a drink of pop in your mouth and not spit it everywhere while watching.

[ChadTower]

I wonder why the Tivo didn't get that.  I'll have to check.

I love how the granny lands on her feet after a 10' high sunset flip.   

[hypernova]

Crush is the only thing that keeps that show alive, I would bet.

Wolf is fun to watch as well, but I'm fairly certain he's not bringing the "sexy" to the women viewers.

I taped one episode a few months ago, on a VCR.  Even manually FFing, I finished it in less than 15 minutes, just watching events.  Which means they should cut out ALL the interviewing, (they could save on the host salaries!) and just have one person do it, then all events, all the time.  One line of smack here and there could be fitted in as well.  This would all fit in one HALF HOUR show!

[hypernova]

Just watched tonight's episode for once...

Unveiled a new Gladiator, called Beast.  7' tall, over 300 lbs (318?)  He played Joust.  Against two people not even half his size.

I wonder...If someone like him just took that giant Q-tip, and swung it like a baseball bat.  He needs to try that.  Prior to the start of the fight, just take a batter's stance, and swing for the fences as soon as the whistle blows.  Not sure if a rule states that two hands must be on the stick at all times, so that could mean no follow-through, but I don't think that would change much in terms of sheer force being applied.

Is Crush still undefeated in Joust?

[Namco]

I watch the show for Crush (Gina Carano). She is by far the most badass person on the show. Go on youtube or bittorrent and watch her fights, she's awesome. She just had a spread in Muscle & Fitness that was really good. I also like Siren (Valarie Waugaman), she's a competing bodybuilder, just because she's so smoking hot. Gone are the days of flat chested female bodybuilders. Thank god for Silicone
... also she's great on Hang Tough (the swingy ring event).

For the dudes, get a load of Justice. His real name's actually Justice Smith. The guy's as big as a house 6'8" 300something with arms as long as long as redwoods. His profession? Kickboxer! Man, I'd hate to step in the ring with that dude.

As far as the competition, I like the events but there's no penalty for not scoring points. 2 weeks ago one chick scored 0 points then won the eliminator because she only had a few seconds penalty. The thing I hate the most is that the eliminator punishes you if you're big. All the climbing is hard for a bigger person because it's proportionally more work to move that body up nets, ropes, pyramids and ramps than for a little person.... so we have last week where a 150 pound annoying twig sets a record on the eliminator and advances to the next round and the bigger guys are huffing and puffing trying to outrun speedy gonzalez. What they need to do is put a few strength obstacles in place. Put Titan with a baseball bat and shield at the bottom of the treadmil ramp and let's see those little squirts push past that in record time