American Gladiators could finally be returning to the small screen.
According to Deadline, the WWE and MGM are looking to revive the classic competition series created by Dan Carr John Ferraro. MGM chairman Mark Burnett is said to be pitching the reboot to various broadcasters, though it remains unclear which, if any, network is showing the most interest.
Deadline reports the updated American Gladiators will feature a number of WWE stars. There’s no word on whether showrunners will continue the series’ original format, or if they plan to revise it to better compete with the slew of current competition shows like American Ninja Warrior, Floor Is Lava, Wipeout, and Holey Moley.
The original American Gladiators, which aired between 1989 and 1996, featured a group of amateur athletes going head-to-head in a series of physical competitions. Signature events included the Swingshot, Powerball, and Pyramid.
Since its debut, American Gladiators has had a dozen international adaptations, and was revived in 2008 with hosts Hulk Hogan and Laila Ali. NBC pulled the plug on the series shortly after the second season. It was reported that the decision was based on poor ratings; however, there was some speculation it would move to another network.
In 2018, Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg joined forces with Ferraro to give American Gladiators another life. The trio and MGM reportedly shopped the series to multiple broadcasters, but it ultimately never aired. Here’s hoping MGM has better luck this time around.
Stay tuned as more details about the American Gladiators reboot become available.
