Gladiators

well in an attempt to relive my childhood i tuned into Gladiators... and well - all the cheesiness was there and a whole lot more. I found it SO scripted it was painful - the gladiators all seemed like they couldn't believe what the show was making them say e.g. "you've just been Viperised..." com'on seriously...whats more is that i'm amazed that for the first show the gladiators already had a massive fan base in the audience with we love you and your the best posters with them and neatly spread apart so the camera could cut to them for a "cheer" cutaway...i seem to think the producers had something to do with this. At least it feels a little Australian but it is still nothing without Mike Whitney.. just another show of light entertainment can't be too critical i supposed.

In comparison to the older (mid-1990s) edition of Australian Gladiators, this one feels too cramped and underlit. The Gladiators don't pop off the screen like Flame, Storm and Vulcan did (Thunder is the one who gets the most into the spirit of things). And like all the other versions I've seen so far, there's WAY too much talk and way too many interviews before and after every event. Nonetheless, it's typically entertaining, with a satisfying winner especially on the female front. I also liked the new event, Sumo Ball. 6.5/10, but closer to a 7 than a 6. Worse programs have been renewed for a second season for sure.

The original (Australian) Gladiators was one of my favourite game shows of all time - it was always much more interesting watching grown men and women beat each other with giant pompoms than sit in a chair and answer questions.

This new version is practically a carbon copy of the older one. If you were looking for something new, exciting and different, you won't find it here. If you were looking for good quality, cheesy entertainment you'll find it by the bucket load.

'Amazon' and 'Thunder' are rapidly shaping up to be the Gladiators to watch in terms of pure showmanship, but I have a feeling they'll all give a good chuckle and a great show.