American Gladiators™
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"The Battle Begins..."
Here it is, for the first time ever on DVD… the thrilling first season of the hit competition series where two male and two female contestants pit their strength, speed and athletic skills against a group of highly trained professional athletes known as the American Gladiators.
Premiering in 1989, the weekly program began with Joe Theismann and Mike Adamle as the hosts – both shown here in a jam-packed recap episode. The Battle Begins then commences with the second half of Season One, just as Adamle was joined by Todd Christensen and the show’s arena expanded into a large soundstage on the back lot at Universal Studios. Season One featured contenders such as actor Billy Worth (The Lost Boys), Olympic hopeful Wendy Brown, and host of The Body Perfect television show, Cheryl Ann Silich. Cheryl Ann Silich eventually went on to win the
first-ever “Alumni Champion” title! Look for the souvenir booklet included in the 3-DVD box set which features a special interview with Cheryl.
The competition featured a total of six grueling events for each contestant: Assault, Breakthrough and Conquer, Human Cannonball, Joust, Powerball and The Eliminator. The second half of Season One saw the exciting addition of the spectacle know as The Wall, in which contenders had two minutes to scale a rock climber’s wall with a Gladiator in hot pursuit.
The original show was an instant hit and continued for seven seasons, and in 2008 it spawned a new version of the no-holds-barred television phenomenon that was an overnight ratings success.
PART GAME. PART BATTLE. ALL ACTION.
