American Gladiators
Created by Johnny C. Ferraro, Dan Carr
On USA Network
A high-energy, good-natured athletic competition show built on spectacle, physical prowess, and the underdog appeal of amateurs facing off against costumed champions.
American Gladiators is an American competition television program that aired weekly in syndication from September 1989 to May 1996. The series matched a cast of amateur athletes against each other, as well as against the show's own gladiators, in contests of strength and agility. The concept was created by Dan Carr and John C. Ferraro, who held the original competition at Erie Tech High School in Erie, Pennsylvania. They sold the show to The Samuel Goldwyn Company where the concept was enhanced and became American Gladiators. An effort in 2004 to launch a live American Gladiators show on the Las Vegas Strip became mired in a securities fraud prosecution. However, the television series was restarted in 2008. Episodes from the original series were played on ESPN Classic from 2007 to 2009. Several episodes are available for download on Apple's iTunes Service.
Genres
Questions people ask
Is American Gladiators scary? No. Less frightening than 92% of series.
Is American Gladiators sad? No. Less sad than 92% of series.
Does American Gladiators leave you hopeful? Yes. More hopeful than 81% of series.
Is American Gladiators easy watching? Yes. More comforting than 79% of series.
Is American Gladiators violent? Not especially. Less violent than 65% of series.
These describe how the series comes across across its whole run, compared with other well-known series. They are not a content list — nothing here was counted or checked episode by episode, so for age-suitability or specific content use a classification board or a dedicated content-warning service.
Cinnamon Score
How much this series gives you that nothing else will, and whether it delivers.
Familiar shape, done well.
How unlike any other series this one feels
How much more it delivers than it promises
How much audiences actually like it
Ensemble
Like American Gladiators
Nearest across the full emotional profile.
Same Mood as American Gladiators
Nearest on what's most distinctive about this one.
Like American Gladiators, But Darker
Similar, pushed toward heavier and more intense.
Like American Gladiators, But Lighter
Similar, pushed toward warmer and easier.
Like American Gladiators, But Less Popular
Same territory, far fewer people have seen it.
