When I heard NBC was bringing back American Gladiators on the strength of good ratings for the reruns, I was both excited and apprehensive. Excited because a staple of my youth was returning to TV and apprehensive because I thought NBC would go ahead and ruin it. So it was with great anxiety that I watched the premier last night.
Unfortunately, some of my fears were well grounded. The original version of the show was over the top, but ultimately it was about athletic competition. The current incarnation was so slickly produced and entertainment-centric that you almost forgot that there was an actual sporting event going on. As someone who watches virtually any televised sport*, the focus on the theatrical aspects was frustrating. Hiring Hulk Hogan and Laila Ali to host certainly didn't help.
Having said all that, the show partially redeemed itself with the sheer awesomeness of the eliminator. One of the few problems with the original show was that the eliminator was usually anticlimactic, with one contender grabbing a lead and cruising to victory. Now, however, the course is so draining that just about anything could happen. It really made for compelling television.
* Seriously, I'll watch just about anything remotely athletic as long as it's competitive. Come Winter Olympics, I'm watching curling. When ESPN used to show putt-putt in the afternoon, I was all over that. Golf, tennis, bowling, ping pong, I'm there. My only exception is women's basketball. No one should ever be forced to watch that.
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