American Gladiators

Reviewed by:
Adam Bryant

We've been calling for the return of this show since it went off the air, and, thankfully, this slick, modern version of our favorite bone-crushing spandexfest met the lofty requirements we'd set for it in anticipation. Granted, it's not the greatest thing on television, but it's precisely what the original was—fun. Though we were a little disappointed with a few of the first competitors, the gladiators cover all the bases. There's the enormous but happy Titan, the hairy and angry Wolf—see Sabretooth in X-men—and the sexy but lethal Crush (MMA's Gina Carano). Laila Ali and Hulk Hogan do a decent job of pacing the show between the events, all of which are as fun as we remember (or sometimes even more). Add in water, a fire-breathing "Eliminator," two brand-new events, and the referee from Dodgeball(!), and we're well on our way to reserving a slot for Gladiators every week, even if it's sometimes a slot on our DVR.

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