Gladiators is going to return to TV screens on the BBC, more than 30 years on from its debut in the early 1990s.
For Brits of a certain age, Gladiators simply was Saturday night. In an era when Roy Walker would still be saying 'say what you see' on Catchphrase and Cilla Black was the nation's number one matchmaker on Blind Date, Gladiators was one of the most watched shows on primetime weekend television.
After the American version proved to be a huge success, Gladiators premiered on ITV in 1992 and quickly became a big success with viewers of all ages. Hosted by Ulrika Jonsson, who up to then was best known for being a TV:AM weather girl and Wimbledon footballer John Fashanu, the programme introduced millions to the likes of Wolf, Jet, Hunter and Lightning, who all became household names, while referee John Anderson's 'Contenders readddyyyy, Gladiators readdddyyyy," line was instantly iconic.
