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reality tv
'Simon Cowell's Gladiators' To Be Even Gayer Than Its 'American' Inspiration
The revisiting of gladiatorial TV trends championed by '80s-plundering perfect exec storm Ben Silverman has proven to be a non-risk worth taking for NBC. Now, with news that a British edition will be following suit, American Idol sourpuss Simon Cowell has announced plans to produce his own version of the arena bloodsport. While details are still under wraps, industry insiders predict Simon Cowell's Gladiators will veer from the original in several key regards: More » -
defamer
NBC Demanding Mental, Physical Perfection From Next Crop Of Super-Gladiators
Having already ordered a second season of instant midseason hit American Gladiators, NBC now must undertake another nationwide search for both new contestants and candidates to replace whatever civilian-pummeling warriors eventually fall out of favor with their notoriously mercurial Peacock Emperor. More » -
defamer
Fiscal Insanity Returns To Sundance With Rumored $10 Million 'Hamlet 2' Deal
· NBC's Jeff Zucker has been strongly hinting that his network's upfront presentation to advertisers may be scaled back this year, if not eliminated entirely; in lieu of the customary "dog and pony show," Zucker may instead ask lieutenant Ben Silverman to show a 30-second clip of American Gladiators injuries to a ballroom full of media buyers, then circle the room with a burlap sack into which they can place the portion of their ad budgets they'd like to spend on the Peacock's new primetime schedule. [Variety] More » -
harry potter
The comparison of American Gladiators' winner-take-all final event, The Eliminator, to the Harry Potter series' Qudditich matches never would have occurred to us, but seem pretty apt: Something about the way that contenders with huge leads always seem to collapse in an exhausted heap at the foot of that conveyor belt obstacle to give their opponents catch-up time makes the whole thing feel just as fixed as the fictional contests J.K. Rowling has rigged in favor of her Snitch-collecting wizard. [Geek Toob] -
trade roundup
America Not Particularly Interested In Billy Bush's Announcement Of Golden Globes Winners On NBC
· NBC's Billy Bush-enhanced Reading of the Golden Globes Winners telecast draws just 5.8 million viewers, lower Nielsen numbers than even last week's public-access-quality People's Choice Awards delivered to CBS. Meanwhile, the premiere of Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles was huge for Fox. [THR] More » -
defamer
NBC 's Ben Silverman has heard your cries for more American Gladiators, TV fans starved for anything that's not a CSI rerun, and is now reportedly mulling how many more episodes of his just-launched hit series to order. (His initial instinct is restraint: "We don't want to order 60 of them.") Also, he's cooking up something so super-secret for the new show's finale lead-in to his upcoming Knight Rider movie that, "If I [told you], Wolf and Hulk would show up at your door." Our best guess: a live WGA Nerds Vs. Gladiators deathmatch between scribes kidnapped from the picket line and his well-muscled minions, during which the prom-ruining meanies he so disdains will be pummeled in front of millions of viewers for his amusement. [TV Week] -
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defamer
Size Queens Rejoice: American Gladiator's Gay Porn Past Revealed
Well, that didn't take very long: The first new American Gladiator with a gay porn past has been revealed by our foam-baton -and- sandal-fetishist cousins over at Fleshbot. As he's described in his official website bio, Militia is a force to be reckoned with, measuring at "6-foot, 3-inch, 220-pounds," with "an impressive arsenal of skills at his disposal," including, but not limited to, the tennis ball cannon he appears to be smuggling in his shorts. More » -
defamer
More American Gladiators:
Mayhem: We told you Isaiah Washington would land on his feet. [AmGlad] -
defamer
We get out of bed for days like these: The new American Gladiator bios are up on the NBC website. The return of American Gladiators. How has it taken this long? It's a mystery almost as profound as how a show about dedicated steroid-users shooting tennis balls out of a tennis-ball-shooting-gun at casual steroid-users ever went off the air in the first place. Regardless, it could not have picked a better moment for its triumphant return to the airwaves, as the unprecedented bloodlust of the American public's taste in entertainment dovetails perfectly with the unprecedented aversion of moguls and execs to give any money to talented people. We'll be glancing at the bios throughout the day. These are the real heroes. (Sorry, Hayden.) More » -
hulkamania reborn
Ben Silverman Chooses Hulk Hogan As Emperor of His 'American Gladiators'
When NBC's Ben "The Perfect Storm" Silverman appeared on Michael Eisner's talk show last week to serve notice to his network rivals that his resurgent Peacock would soon be feasting on their rotting, Nielsen-dead entrails, the full extent of his programming vision was not yet clear. But since then, Silverman has made two stunning moves that demonstrate he's utterly unafraid to strip-mine the past if that ensures a better-rated future: the revival of Knight Rider, and, according to TV Week, the appointment of '80s wrestling icon and recently recycled VH1 celebreality star Hulk Hogan to American Gladiators hosting duty: More » -
defamer
A Chance To Chase Your Gladiatorial Dreams
Because we know that you'd never forgive us if we neglected to inform you of the opportunity to possibly fulfill your childhood dream of battling intimidatingly muscled spandex-unitard models while encased in an enormous steel hamster ball, we want to make sure you know that the Gold's Gym in Venice will be holding an opening casting call tomorrow for NBC's recently announced American Gladiators revival. Excitingly, they'll be looking both for potential gladiators and their civilian quarry during the mass audition: More » -
defamer
NBC Resurrecting American Gladiators
"We've been circling around this property for a long time now," said Craig Plestis, exec VP of alternative programming, development and specials at NBC Entertainment. "It's truly what's not in the TV landscape right now. While everyone's zigging, I'm attracted to doing a zag."—Variety More »
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