Gladiators (2024 Australian TV series)

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For the 2024 British TV series, see Gladiators (2024 British TV series).

Gladiators
GenreSports entertainment
Created by
  • Dan Carr
  • John Ferraro
Based onGladiators
by Dan Carr and John Ferraro
Presented by
StarringMark McGaw
Voices ofMatt Russell
Country of originAustralia
Original languageEnglish
No. of series1
No. of episodes12
Production
Executive producers
  • John Ferraro
  • Barry Poznick
Camera setupMulti-camera
Production companyWarner Bros. International Television Production
Original release
NetworkNetwork 10
Release15 January 2024 (2024-01-15) –
present
Related
Gladiators (1995–1996)
Gladiators (2008)

Gladiators (also known as Gladiators Australia) is an Australian television series, which premiered on 15 January 2024 on Network 10.[1][2][3] It is hosted by Beau Ryan and Liz Ellis. It is based on the earlier Australian iterations of the American version of the franchise.[4] The first iteration being broadcast from 1995–1996 and a short-lived revival being the second in 2008.

The referee of the show is the former Australian Gladiator and rugby league player, Mark McGaw, also known as "Hammer".[5][6]

Casting for contenders for the first series began in August 2023[7] and the twelve "Gladiators" were announced on 26 September 2023.[8]

Production[edit]

The second possible revival of the Australian version of Gladiators was rumoured to be produced soon after the second British revival was announced.[9] Casting for contenders to compete against the Gladiators was announced in August, and it was revealed that the show would air in early 2024 on Network 10.[7] Distribution rights are held by Amazon MGM Studios Distribution, with the show being executively produced by John C. Ferraro and Barry Poznick.[10] The episodes were filmed at Disney Studios Australia in Sydney, New South Wales.[6]

The series was initially announced as premiering on 7 January 2024, within the summer non-ratings period; however, one month prior to the premiere, it was postponed by a day.[3] It was later announced that the series would instead premiere on 15 January 2024, to enable a wider audience to view the revival series.[2]

Marketing[edit]

The series was announced to air in early 2024. It is sponsored by a wide range of companies, including QSR International and auto home delivery services, and will include "back-to-school" marketing. Similar to the original series, it is a comedic sports entertainment show with "cartoon-ish violence" for a family audience.[11]

The first official teaser trailer for the series was released on 6 November 2023, featuring eight of the Gladiators of the show (females Arrow, Chaos, Comet, Halo, and males Cyclone, Phoenix, Spartan and Viking).[12]

Format[edit]

The show involves permanent competitors known as "Gladiators" that compete against "Contenders" in several events made to test out both their physical and mental capabilities.

In each episode, two men and two women compete for points against the Gladiators across four different events, with separate events for males and females. After this, each pair then competes against each other in "The Eliminator", a grueling obstacle course, of which any points they have won previously go towards time for a head start on their opponent. The winner of this is dubbed the champion of the episode, and will advance to the Finals, in hope to be crowned as the overall champions.

The winners of the series will have the opportunity to become a Gladiator in the next series of the show and face off against new contenders.[3]

Events[edit]

Further information: Gladiators (1995 Australian TV series) § Events

On the show, the Contenders will face the Gladiators in events testing their speed, strength, stamina, agility and power.[13] The series sees the return of some classic events, with a few brand-new events.[14] Each episode featured four events chosen at random, with every episode finishing with The Eliminator obstacle course.[15]

In the first series, the following events were introduced in this order:

  • In the Heats, events Duel, Powerball, Pyramid and The Wall were played with a rotation.
  • In the Quarter-Finals, two new events, Tilt and Hang Tough were introduced.
  • In the Semi-Finals, new events Whiplash and The Edge premiered.

The Edge[edit]

The Edge is a brand new event in Gladiators Australia, in which the contender goes head-to-head against one gladiator in a criss-cross-shaped platform 5 metres above the arena floor. The contender must make it to the other side without being knocked off the Edge by the gladiator. Each cross is worth a point.

The game is based on the British event with the same name.

The Eliminator[edit]

The final Eliminator obstacle course includes 9 different obstacles:

  1. Over-under bars
  2. Balance beams
  3. 6 meter rope climb
  4. Hand ladders
  5. Climbing up and down the Pyramid
  6. Cargo net climb
  7. Fire pole dismount
  8. Travelator
  9. Through the "foam brick" wall

Gladiators[edit]

The 12 Australian and New Zealander athletes, appearing as Gladiators, were announced on 26 September 2023.[8]

However, in November 2023, it was revealed that a seventh male Gladiator would appear on the show. Named "Dragon", light heavyweight mixed martial artist Tyson Pedro was revealed.[16][17] Black Ops—real name Bertrand Venail—was also revealed during the airing of the series – bringing the total to 14 Gladiators.

The grand prize for the winners of the season, Kalani Lenehan and Taylah Bisshopp, was the title of Gladiator.[18]

Female Gladiators
Alias Name Series Age Stats State/Territory Biography
Arrow Harriet Roberts 1– 31 170 cm (5 ft 7 in)
74 kg (163 lb) 		QLD
Chaos Jaymi-Lee Morris 1– 30 164 cm (5 ft 5 in)
82 kg (181 lb) 		NSW
  • Bodybuilder and powerlifter
Comet Tatyanna Pogonza-Dumas 1– 24 170 cm (5 ft 7 in)
65 kg (143 lb) 		NSW
Elektra Alethea Boon 1– 39 161 cm (5 ft 3 in)
64 kg (141 lb) 		NSW
Halo Chanique Greyling 1– 30 179 cm (5 ft 10 in)
68 kg (150 lb) 		NSW
  • Hollywood stuntwoman, model and mixed martial artist
Raven Katelin van Zyl 1– 31 173 cm (5 ft 8 in)
67 kg (148 lb) 		QLD
  • CrossFit Games athlete and former Australian field hockey player
Male Gladiators
Alias Name Series Age Stats State/Territory Biography
Black Ops Bertrand Venail 1– 36 NSW
Cobra Damien Rider 1– 48 190 cm (6 ft 3 in)
95 kg (209 lb) 		SA
Cyclone Blessings Chilufya 1– 22 191 cm (6 ft 3 in)
104 kg (229 lb) 		QLD
  • Fitness coach
Dragon Tyson Pedro 1– 31 188 cm (6 ft 2 in)
99 kg (218 lb) 		NSW
  • UFC mixed martial artist
Maximus Kwame Duah 1– 30 178 cm (5 ft 10 in)
108 kg (238 lb) 		SA
  • Bodybuilder and influencer
Phoenix Sandor Earl 1– 33 192 cm (6 ft 4 in)
105 kg (231 lb) 		NSW
  • Former NRL player for New Zealand
Spartan Khan Porter 1– 33 182 cm (6 ft 0 in)
92 kg (203 lb) 		NSW
  • CrossFit Games athlete
Viking Jett Kenny 1– 30 188 cm (6 ft 2 in)
93 kg (205 lb) 		QLD
  • Australian ironman, television personality and model

Episodes[edit]

Episode Contest Original airdate Contenders (Female) Contenders (Male) Events
1 Heat 1 15 January 2024 Ana v Makedonka Jonny v Ben/Kurt[a] Duel, Powerball, The Wall, Pyramid
2 Heat 2 16 January 2024 Taylah v Caitlin Chris v Alex Powerball, Duel, Pyramid, The Wall
3 Heat 3 17 January 2024 Tee v Yani Zak/Danny[b] v Chris The Wall, Duel, Powerball, Pyramid
4 Heat 4 18 January 2024 Julia v Emilia/Bec[c] Leo/Daine[d] v Dan Powerball, Duel, Pyramid, The Wall
5 Heat 5 19 January 2024 Sam v Rachelle Kalani v Torey Duel, Powerball, Pyramid, The Wall
6 Heat 6 21 January 2024 Michelle v Janice Jason v Sohrab The Wall, Duel, Powerball, Pyramid
7 Quarter Final 1 22 January 2024 Tee v Julia Jason v Chris Pyramid, Tilt, Hang Tough, The Wall
8 Quarter Final 2 23 January 2024 Makedonka v Janice Jonny v Kalani Hang Tough, Tilt, Pyramid, The Wall
9 Quarter Final 3 24 January 2024 Taylah v Sam Daine v Danny Tilt, Hang Tough, The Wall, Pyramid
10 Semi Final 1 25 January 2024 Taylah v Tee Daine v Chris The Edge, Pyramid, Whiplash, The Wall/Duel
11 Semi Final 2 26 January 2024 Janice v Julia (wildcard) Kalani v Jason (wildcard) The Edge, The Wall, Duel, Pyramid, Whiplash
12 Grand Final 28 January 2024 Taylah v Janice Daine v Kalani Hang Tough, The Wall, The Edge, Pyramid
Notes
  1. ^ Ben got injured in Powerball, so he was replaced by reserve contender Kurt.
  2. ^ Zak got injured in Duel, so he was replaced by reserve contender Danny.
  3. ^ Emilia got injured in Pyramid, so she was replaced by reserve contender Bec.
  4. ^ Leo got injured in The Wall, so he was replaced by reserve contender Daine.

Episode summary[edit]

In the final eliminator round, each point is equal to 0.5 second head start for the winning contender.

Heat 1[edit]

Female
Events Ana Makedonka Gladiators
Duel 0 0 Chaos
Powerball 1 0 Arrow, Chaos, Elektra
The Wall 5 0 Halo & Elektra
Pyramid 0 0 Halo & Arrow
Total scores 6 0
Male
Events Jonny Ben/Kurt Gladiators
Duel 0 0 Phoenix
Powerball 1 2 Cobra, Phoenix, Spartan
The Wall 0 0 Spartan & Cobra
Pyramid 0 0 Cyclone & Phoenix
Total scores 1 2
The Eliminator
  • Winners: Makedonka and Jonny

Heat 2[edit]

Female
Events Taylah Caitlin Gladiators
Powerball 7 2 Chaos, Elektra, Arrow
Duel 0 0 Halo
Pyramid 0 5 Halo & Elektra
The Wall 0 0 Elektra & Arrow
Total scores 7 7
Male
Events Chris Alex Gladiators
Powerball 3 5 Cobra, Viking, Cyclone
Duel 0 0 Phoenix
Pyramid 5 0 Cobra & Spartan
The Wall 0 10 Cobra & Phoenix
Total scores 8 15
The Eliminator
  • Winners: Taylah and Chris

Heat 3[edit]

Female
Events Tee Yani Gladiators
The Wall 10 5 Halo & Elektra
Duel 5 0 Chaos
Powerball 5 4 Arrow, Elektra, Halo
Pyramid 10 0 Arrow & Chaos
Total scores 30 9
Male
Events Zak/Danny Chris Gladiators
The Wall 10 5 Spartan & Black Ops
Duel 0 0 Phoenix
Powerball 5 4 Cobra, Phoenix, Spartan
Pyramid 5 0 Cobra & Spartan
Total scores 20 9
The Eliminator
  • Winners: Tee and Danny

Heat 4[edit]

Female
Events Julia Emilia/Bec Gladiators
Powerball 2 2 Chaos, Arrow, Comet
Duel 10 5 Chaos
Pyramid 0 10 Arrow & Halo
The Wall 0 0 Elektra & Comet
Total scores 12 17
Male
Events Leo/Daine Dan Gladiators
Powerball 4 3 Viking, Phoenix, Cyclone
Duel 5 0 Spartan
Pyramid 10 0 Cobra & Cyclone
The Wall 0 10 Viking & Spartan
Total scores 19 13
The Eliminator
  • Winners: Julia and Daine

Heat 5[edit]

Female
Events Sam Rachelle Gladiators
Duel 0 0 Raven
Powerball 2 0 Comet, Arrow, Chaos
Pyramid 0 0 Halo & Elektra
The Wall 5 10 Raven & Elektra
Total scores 7 10
Male
Events Kalani Torey Gladiators
Duel 0 0 Maximus
Powerball 3 7 Spartan, Phoenix, Maximus
Pyramid 5 0 Cyclone & Phoenix
The Wall 10 0 Cobra & Black Ops
Total scores 18 7
The Eliminator
  • Winners: Sam and Kalani

Heat 6[edit]

Female
Events Michelle Janice Gladiators
The Wall 10 0 Comet & Elektra
Duel 0 0 Halo
Powerball 3 1 Arrow, Raven, Chaos
Pyramid 0 0 Comet & Raven
Total scores 13 1
Male
Events Jason Sohrab Gladiators
The Wall 10 0 Black Ops & Cobra
Duel 10 0 Phoenix
Powerball 3 2 Phoenix, Spartan, Maximus
Pyramid 5 5 Cyclone & Cobra
Total scores 28 7
The Eliminator
  • Winners: Janice and Jason

Quarter Final 1[edit]

Female
Events Tee Julia Gladiators
Pyramid 10 0 Arrow & Comet
Tilt 5 0 Elektra & Chaos
Hang Tough 0 5 Raven & Halo
The Wall 10 5 Raven & Elektra
Total scores 25 10
Male
Events Jason Chris Gladiators
Pyramid 0 0 Dragon & Cyclone
Tilt 5 0 Phoenix & Maximus
Hang Tough 5 5 Dragon & Spartan
The Wall 10 5 Phoenix & Cobra
Total scores 20 10
The Eliminator
  • Winners: Tee and Chris

Quarter Final 2[edit]

Female
Events Makedonka Janice Gladiators
Hang Tough 5 0 Comet & Halo
Tilt 0 0 Elektra & Arrow
Pyramid 10 0 Raven & Chaos
The Wall 0 10 Comet & Arrow
Total scores 15 10
Events Jonny Kalani Gladiators
Hang Tough 0 5 Spartan & Cobra
Tilt 0 0 Maximus & Dragon
Pyramid 0 5 Maximus & Phoenix
The Wall 0 10 Spartan & Cobra
Total scores 0 20
The Eliminator
  • Winners: Janice and Kalani

Quarter Final 3[edit]

Female
Events Taylah Sam Gladiators
Tilt 0 0 Strongwoman
Hang Tough 0 0 Raven & Elektra
The Wall 0 0 Comet & Arrow
Pyramid 0 0 Halo & Chaos
Total scores 0 0
Male
Events Daine Danny Gladiators
Tilt 5 0 Strongman
Hang Tough 0 5 Dragon & Spartan
The Wall 10 0 Phoenix & Cobra
Pyramid 10 5 Maximus & Cyclone
Total scores 25 10
The Eliminator
  • Winners: Taylah and Daine

Semi Final 1[edit]

Female
Events Taylah Tee Gladiators
The Edge 4 2 Elektra & Raven
Pyramid 0 0 Comet & Arrow
Whiplash 10 10 Chaos & Comet
The Wall 0 10 Arrow & Elektra
Total scores 14 22
Male
Events Daine Chris Gladiators
The Edge 10 6 Cyclone & Spartan
Pyramid 0 5 Maximus & Cyclone
Whiplash 10 0 Spartan & Cobra
Duel 10 0 Dragon
Total scores 30 11
The Eliminator
  • Winners: Taylah and Daine

Semi Final 2[edit]

Female
Events Janice Julia Gladiators
The Edge 3 0 Elektra & Halo
The Wall 10 0 Arrow & Raven
Duel 0 0 Chaos & Comet
Pyramid 0 0 Halo & Arrow
Whiplash 0 10 Elektra & Comet
Total scores 13 10
Male
Events Kalani Jason Gladiators
The Edge 5 1 Cyclone & Spartan
The Wall 10 0 Cobra & Dragon
Duel 5 0 Phoenix
Pyramid 10 0 Cyclone & Phoenix
Whiplash 0 10 Black Ops & Maximus
Total scores 30 11
The Eliminator
  • Winners: Janice and Kalani

Grand Final[edit]

Female
Events Taylah Janice Gladiators
Hang Tough 0 0 Halo & Chaos
The Wall 0 10 Comet & Arrow
The Edge 7 2 Elektra & Raven
Pyramid 0 5 Halo & Arrow
Total scores 7 17
Male
Events Daine Kalani Gladiators
Hang Tough 10 5 Dragon & Cobra
The Wall 0 0 Phoenix & Cobra
The Edge 6 9 Spartan & Cyclone
Pyramid 10 5 Maximus & Cyclone
Total scores 26 19
The Eliminator
  • Winners: Taylah and Kalani

Contenders progress[edit]

Color key:

  Series champions
  Runners-up
  The contender won the episode and advanced
  The contender was medically withdrawn from the competition
  The contender was a wildcard and qualified
  The contender lost the episode and was eliminated
Contenders Episodes
Heats Quarter Finals Semi Finals Final
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
Kalani — WIN — WIN — WIN WINNER
Taylah — WIN — WIN WIN — WINNER
Daine — WIN — WIN WIN — RUNNER-UP
Janice — WIN — WIN — WIN RUNNER-UP
Jason — WIN WC — OUT —
Julia — WIN — WC — OUT —
Chris — WIN — WIN — OUT —
Tee — WIN — WIN — OUT —
Danny — WIN — OUT —
Sam — WIN — OUT —
Jonny WIN — OUT —
Makedonka WIN — OUT —
Sohrab — OUT —
Michelle — OUT —
Torey — OUT —
Rachelle — OUT —
Dan — OUT —
Bec — OUT —
Leo — WDR —
Emilia — WDR —
Chris — OUT —
Zak — WDR —
Yani — OUT —
Alex — OUT —
Caitlin — OUT —
Kurt OUT —
Ben WDR —
Ana OUT —

Reception[edit]

Critical reception[edit]

The return of Gladiators has received mixed–to–poor critique. The series received a lot of negative comments via social media, relating to the "poor set design", and the slow pacing. The lack of audience and variety of events were also denounced.[19]

Ratings[edit]

Ratings data is from OzTAM and represents the top 20 viewership from the five largest Australian metropolitan centres (Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth).

No. Title Air date Timeslot Overnight ratings Consolidated ratings Total
viewers 		Ref(s)
Viewers Rank Viewers Rank
1 Premiere 15 January 2024 Monday 7:30 pm 395,000 8 — — 395,000 [20]
2 Episode 2 16 January 2024 Tuesday 7:30 pm 196,000 20 — — 196,000 [21]
3 Episode 3 17 January 2024 Wednesday 7:30 pm 219,000 17 — — 219,000 [22]
4 Episode 4 18 January 2024 Thursday 7:30 pm – NR — — – [23]
5 Episode 5 19 January 2024 Friday 7:30 pm – NR — — – [24]
6 Episode 6 21 January 2024 Sunday 7:30 pm 176,000 16 — — 176,000 [25]
7 Episode 7 22 January 2024 Monday 7:30 pm 161,000 20 — — 161,000 [26]
8 Episode 8 23 January 2024 Tuesday 7:30 pm – NR — — – [27]
9 Episode 9 24 January 2024 Wednesday 7:30 pm – NR — — – [28]
10 Episode 10 25 January 2024 Thursday 7:30 pm – NR — — – [29]
11 Episode 11 26 January 2024 Friday 7:30 pm – NR — — – [30]
12 Grand Final 28 January 2024 Sunday 7:30 pm – NR* — — – [31]

NR = Did not rank in Top 20

*From 28 September 2023, OzTAM ratings changed. The Grand Final ranked 21 on the Total TV Overnight Top 30 Programs with a reach of 697,000.[32]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Paramount Upfront - A wave of premium content in 2024". AdNews. 24 October 2023.
  2. ^ a b Knox, David (12 December 2023). "10 bumps Gladiators to January 15". TV Tonight. TV Tonight. Retrieved 13 December 2023.
  3. ^ a b c Knox, David (7 November 2023). "Airdate: Gladiators". TV Tonight. TV Tonight. Retrieved 7 November 2023.
  4. ^ Molk, Steve (11 September 2023). "Channel 10 confirm LIZ ELLIS and BEAU RYAN to host GLADIATORS AUSTRALIA in 2024". TV Blackbox. Retrieved 28 September 2023.
  5. ^ Saint, Sinner, Shoosh (9 December 2023). Ex-NRL star lines up for Gladiators. Townsville Bulletin. Retrieved 9 December 2023.
  6. ^ a b Knox, David (15 January 2024). ""We need heroes": Gladiators a return to fun says Liz Ellis". TV Tonight. TV Tonight. Retrieved 15 January 2024.
  7. ^ a b Lu, Garry (1 August 2023). "'Gladiators' Is Returning To Aussie Screens (And It's Now Casting)". Boss Hunting. Retrieved 28 September 2023.
  8. ^ a b Magazine, B&T (26 September 2023). "10 Unveils Gladiator Plans & Reveals This Season's Cast". B&T. Retrieved 28 September 2023.
  9. ^ "Reality TV classic GLADIATORS set to return to Australian screens". TV Blackbox. 19 July 2023. Retrieved 28 September 2023.
  10. ^ Parry, Kevin. "Cast revealed for 2024 reboot of GLADIATORS AUSTRALIA". TV Blackbox.
  11. ^ Jolly, Nathan (2 October 2023). "Gladiators, ready! But will the cartoon violence translate in 2024?". Mumbrella. Retrieved 5 October 2023.
  12. ^ Smith, Guy (29 November 2023). "Put on Your Fighting Tights — We Now Know When 'Gladiators' Will Drop". The Latch. Retrieved 29 November 2023.
  13. ^ "Gladiators, Ready! Hosts, Ready!". Paramount ANZ.
  14. ^ Gracie, Elizabeth (26 September 2023). "Australian Gladiators 2024: Everything you need to know about the reboot". New idea. Retrieved 29 September 2023.
  15. ^ Watson, Tara (26 September 2023). "Meet the fierce cast of the Australian Gladiators 2024 reboot". Mamamia. Retrieved 28 September 2023.
  16. ^ Perry, Kevin (7 November 2023). "AIRDATE + FIRST LOOK – Channel 10's GLADIATORS return this Summer!". TVBlackbox.
  17. ^ "Gladiators Australia - Dragon (Tyson Pedro)". GladiatorsTV.
  18. ^ Mediaweek (28 January 2024). "Channel 10 finds its next Gladiators as the show crowns its winners". Mediaweek. Retrieved 28 January 2024.
  19. ^ "'Miserable': Fans slam Gladiators reboot for faking it". PerthNow. 15 January 2024. Retrieved 27 January 2024.
  20. ^ Knox, David (16 January 2024). "Monday 15 January 2024". TV Tonight. Retrieved 16 January 2024.
  21. ^ Knox, David (17 January 2024). "Tuesday 16 January 2024". TV Tonight. Retrieved 17 January 2024.
  22. ^ Knox, David (19 January 2024). "Wednesday 17 January 2024". TV Tonight. Retrieved 18 January 2024.
  23. ^ Knox, David (19 January 2024). "Thursday 18 January 2024". TV Tonight. Retrieved 22 January 2024.
  24. ^ Knox, David (20 January 2024). "Friday 19 January 2024". TV Tonight. Retrieved 22 January 2024.
  25. ^ Knox, David (22 January 2024). "Sunday 21 January 2024". TV Tonight. Retrieved 22 January 2024.
  26. ^ Knox, David (23 January 2024). "Monday 22 January 2024". TV Tonight. Retrieved 23 January 2024.
  27. ^ Knox, David (24 January 2024). "Tuesday 23 January 2024". TV Tonight. Retrieved 25 January 2024.
  28. ^ Knox, David (25 January 2024). "Wednesday 24 January 2024". TV Tonight. Retrieved 26 January 2024.
  29. ^ Knox, David (26 January 2024). "Thursday 25 January 2024". TV Tonight. Retrieved 26 January 2024.
  30. ^ Knox, David (27 January 2024). "Friday 26 January 2024". TV Tonight. Retrieved 27 January 2024.
  31. ^ Knox, David (29 January 2024). "Sunday 28 January 2024". TV Tonight. Retrieved 29 January 2024.
  32. ^ Knox, David (29 January 2024). "Sunday 28 January 2024". TV Tonight. Retrieved 29 January 2024.

External links[edit]

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