Popular 90s TV show Gladiators is set to make a comeback next year, the BBC has announced.
The programme will return with an 11-episode series and will welcome a new generation of “superhumans” who will compete against contestants in the “ultimate test of speed and strength,” the BBC said. The series, which will air on BBC One and BBC iPlayer, will include new games alongside classic challenges – with each episode ending with the fan favourite, gruelling obstacle course The Eliminator.
At its peak, Gladiators – broadcast from 1992 to 2000 – drew huge audiences to its Saturday evening ITV slot as the famous call of “Contenders Ready? Gladiators Ready?” echoed across TV screens. The likes of Trojan, Jet, Wolf and Hunter became household names and the format – based on US series American Gladiators – led to further adaptations around the world.
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The series was revived by Sky between 2008-2009 with Kirsty Gallacher and Ian Wright taking on hosting duties from original hosts John Fashanu and Ulrika Jonsson – with original referee John Anderson also returning. The BBC has not yet announced who will host the returning show, but filming will take place at the Utilita Arena Sheffield next year.
Kate Phillips, the BBC’s director of unscripted, said: “Gladiators is back and a whole new generation of viewers can now look forward to watching a Saturday night spectacle like no other. Will the contenders have the will and the skill to succeed against our mighty new Gladiators?
“You’ll have to tune in to find out.”
The series is to be made by Hungry Bear Media and MGM Television UK, with Dan Baldwin, managing director of Hungry Bear, saying: “It’s the perfect time for Gladiators to return. What other show combines electric excitement, superheroes, giant sponge fingers, elite athletes, and a pinch of pantomime?
“Watch out for the new breed of superhuman, supersized, superstars bursting on to your screens on BBC One and iPlayer.”
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