Gladiators (I) (2024– ) User Reviews

Way better than expected.

[Sleepin_Dragon · 8/10 · 17 January 2024]

This came as something of a surprise, a nice bit of of 90's nostalgia, fun completions, you get to see the general public once again take on all manner of Greek gods and amazing Amazonians.

How nice to have a Saturday evening show that isn't a singing contest or dancing.....it is a lot less box ticking than I expected it to be

So, there are some new events, all all new lineup of Gladiators, there are locker room sequences, where you see the guys and girls interacting with one another.

Of course there's no Wolf, he made the classic show, but there is Viper, time will tell if he'll fill those boots.

We'll also see if Mark Clattenburg is a better Gladiator referee than football referee.

There are some of the classic events, there's plenty of old music sequences.

I'm a big fan of Bradley Walsh, but please....did he need to be presenting this as well, there seems to be a pool of about two presenters, Bradley and Stephen Mulhern, wasn't Ulrika available?

8/10.

Much better than expected, but why oh why the presenters

[a-01689-83096 · 8/10 · 21 January 2024]

The show works better than expected by sticking largely to the original format. Pity no wolf, he was a character! The pretend fights are a bit feeble and I do miss John Anderson's Scottish accent and authorititive manner, you'd not question him, though Mark Clattenberg isn't bad. Some gladiators lack the distinct image and personality of the originals and some don't get the gladiators are meant to be imperious and slightly scary, not friendly and chatty and often intimidated by the contestants.

But who does casting for the BBC? A show about youth and athleticism presented by two people making painful cheesy jokes? Must go down with Question of Sport and Doctor Who as the worst casting in living memory. Do they realise it's not just about picking someone who's popular? They have to fit the show. Someone who's good at quiz shows is totally the wrong image for a highly competitive, combatitive sports / fitness show?

Great nostalgia feeling, and hopefully inspire a new generation

[normalizer1977 · 8/10 · 17 February 2024]

Initially I thought I'll just watch the first episode to see how bad it might be, as the 2008 reboot was cringy and did not have the same feel as the beloved 1990s show. However I was plesently surprised - they have somehow managed to capture the heart & feel of the 90s show, but with a modern twist.

Yes its all camp, panto fun...but thats what also makes it great relaxing family weekend TV. We dont all need complex crime dramas or bland quiz shows...here is somethign that is unabashedly fun. It doesnt market itself as an aloof serious show...it just want to let 'superhuman' athletes (the nearest we will get in real life) to go up against 'normal' everyday folk (although most of the contenders here spend a fair about of time in the gym/fitness).

You have your 'Hero' and 'Villian' members which all adds to the fun - but there is also a great sense of admiration and positive feedback to each other and the contestants.

I concur with some other comments that whilst Bradley Walsh et al are OK as presenters, I feel they fall a little short in connection with the series - no Owogas being shouted here...but there is a great -CONTENDERS READY from the new Ref!!!

Great way to spend 60mins of your life sat with the family shouting at the screen without having to travel to Sheffield and purchase a giant foam finger!!!

Perfect comeback

[abinewton07 · 10/10 · 21 January 2024]

This was my favourite thing growing up i loved it, so i was really excited to hear about the new series but slightly worried it would be too modernised and take away the magic. I have to say, it couldn't have been any better. The gladiators, the games, music, the presenters were great.. just all of it was so spot on and reminiscent of the original series. I loved that they barely changed anything except add new games, it really kept the show what it was meant to be. I absolutely love this remake and can't wait to watch the rest of it. I'm just as excited to watch it again at 32 as i was at 7!!

Pretty decent

[Charmed-Angel88 · 8/10 · 21 January 2024]

I was pleasantly surprised by how well this show has been remade, despite not having the original and (IMO) best gladiators (remember Lightning?). The new ones are pretty good even if they look like they need to get used to the way some of the challenges work. There was one round that appeared in both of the first two episodes where the contestants seemed to run rings around the gladiators and their blockades whilst getting from one end of the arena to the other. I can't remember if it was that easy back in the 90s but I'm thinking it might just be that the gladiators are still getting into their stride.

Another reviewer has tried to slate the show and list Rhino as a terrible new gladiator, which is odd considering he was actually one of the originals whom I had the pleasure of meeting when I was a child, and just tells me that the reviewer has either not watched the new version or does not care enough to get their facts correct as they write a scathing and unfair review.

I think Bradley Walsh works ok as a presenter but am holding judgement on his son atm - again perhaps he is just finding his feet at this early stage.

To sum up, give the show a watch, it's definitely more entertaining than some of the other Saturday night options out there!

Another remake that doest quite make it

[jasonelford-88273 · 1/10 · 20 January 2024]

I loved the original show, I don't know if health and safety have taken over but it doesn't quite match up.

Bradley Walsh is an all round entertainer but why does he have to have his son, Mr eyebrows, on everything he does. The guy is useless.

The 'gladiators ' are a poor substitute for the original ones, dare I say, the originals would beat these lot now.

Viper should be renamed diaper. The guy is useless. The rest are there for there looks rather than there fitness.

That said, its entertaining enough, but hopefully it will get better. We know that barney will end up doing something he loves and get away from his dad's shirt tails bit he isn't the right person for this show.

Great fun

[SunnyDaise · 10/10 · 30 March 2024]

Didn't see the original, but this is a change from other Saturday night shows and the ubiquitous quizzes, most of which I love. It's brilliant to have a show all ages can watch together so it works well having Bradley and Barney (father and son) presenting, especially following on from ladies Tess and Claudia doing Strictly before Christmas - we don't need a male and female heading every show as that becomes too samey. There are loads of amazing role models for girls and boys as all competitors and most of the Gladiators are great sports and the remaining Glads make excellent panto villains! Look forward to Season 2.

Gladiators

[studioAT · 1/10 · 20 January 2024]

Rubbish.

There you go, there's the review.

Quite why the BBC were so gleeful in their reintroduction of this programme I don't know.

It's really just them sticking two fingers up at ITV, trying to turn Bradley Walsh and his son into the new big double act, and hope for the best.

It's cheap, silly entertainment, presumably trying to entice the same Gen Z viewers that they are going for with 'Doctor Who'. Look what a misfire that has been of late.

I'm afraid I find absolutely nothing good to say about this programme, and look forward to the corporation having as much luck with it as they did 'Survivor'.

Saturday Night Viewing is back!

[mclongmuir · 10/10 · 2 March 2024]

Enjoying every episode of this fantastic throwback with a modern update. Keep it up, BBC! We love the excitement, competitiveness, humour, and the demonstration of the rewards that can be gained from being physically fit! I don't want to pick a favourite, but Giant is immense, and I'd love to see him in movies! Sabre never loses her character, and all the gladiators are excellent. Please DO NOT CANCEL THIS SHOW. Men, women, and competitors at their best! Love it! Too often, modern programming is bogged down by political agendas, but not this time! This show offers top-notch entertainment based on tactical and physical competition. I'm really looking forward to seeing more of the same and finding out who will win! It's a great platform for showcasing potential talent from Ireland and the UK. If you haven't already, give it a shot!

Still kickass entertainment, though it needs minor revisions for the next season

[gridoon2024 · 8/10 · 15 May 2024]

"Gladiators" is an enduring classic of sports game shows, no matter what country it is made in. In 2024, perhaps unexpectedly, not one but two franchises were revived: the British and the Australian. Both were pretty good. The British version has a solid line-up of gladiators (Legend is a funny successor to Wolf), and the female winner & runner-up are soooo beautiful and humble. The two major changes that are needed for the second season, which has already been confirmed, are: 1) a longer format. 11 are too few episodes, which leads to some losers of the Heats actually qualifying for the next rounds. The ideal number of episodes has always been 15. 2) the Gauntlet MUST be made more difficult (narrower? One more glad added?), because as it stands now almost every contender is getting maximum points and that's boring. But apart from those two complaints, I have no others. Even the hosts, who seemed a little iffy at first, have grown into their roles. 7.5 out of 10.

Hit and Miss

[ThreePointFive · 8/10 · 28 March 2024]

The show has been something of a surprise, and certainly manages to bring some of the old magic back to the screen. There are problems though, the presenting team simply doesn't work. The Morecambe & Wise act that Brad & Lad seem to be going for completely misses the mark, it simply doesn't fit this show. The other issue is that we have two pantomine villains: Legend and Viper. Out of the two, Legend is more convincing, and at least has an element of cheek to his act, and he does look half-convincing as a competitor, but what is the point of Viper? A couple of changes and the magic might be complete.

Abysmal

[sinthemix-49649 · 1/10 · 20 January 2024]

This is just utterly abysmal television. Nothing but over steroid pumped hulks and scantily clad attention seeking saddos. The one called Nitro is just shocking to look at and not in a good way. Like he's had a couple of beach balls sewn into his shoulders. And the first female gladiator off the bench had such revealing shorts on they left literally nothing to the imagination. If this is what younger generations are having put in front of them to aspire to be like then it's everything wrong with society. A bunch of narcissistic vile sad acts with nothing to bring to the table but some over pumped muscles and no talent. And how cheesy is it they have Bradley and his son presenting it. I grew up in the 90s watching the original and I don't remember it being this dire and sycophantic. If there is any sanity left in this world then it won't get renewed for another series. If it does then I'm not going to bother getting a TV licence. I'll just stream things on a tablet or laptop and pay for better services than the BBC.