American Gladiators featured four competitors, two men and two women, in most episodes. The players, referred to throughout the series as "contenders", faced off in a series of physical games against each other and against a cast of costumed athletes looking to prevent them from succeeding (the titular "Gladiators"). Each match saw the competitors trying to advance in a tournament, with one man and one woman crowned champion at its conclusion.
Initial tournament format When the series premiered in the fall of 1989, ten men and ten women were selected to participate with several more chosen to be alternates in case one or more of the contenders had to withdraw due to injury. The tournament was spread out over the course of twelve episodes. The first five episodes served as the preliminary round, and the winners of those five matches automatically advanced to the quarterfinals of the tournament. To round the field out at eight, the three highest scoring runners-up would be given wild card berths in the quarterfinals. From this point forward, the tournament became single-elimination, and any alternates (if needed) would be taken from the pool of defeated contenders. Any contender that advanced beyond the quarterfinals was guaranteed to receive a prize. Reaching the semifinals of the tournament guaranteed that a contender would receive at least $2,500 in cash. A finalist was guaranteed to leave with at least $5,000, and the winner of the tournament would take home $10,000 for his/her efforts. Originally, as mentioned multiple times over the course of the first series of episodes, the male and female contenders who won the tournament would become Gladiators themselves for any subsequent competitions. However, as noted by male tournament winner Brian Hutson in a 2020 interview with the
Columbus Dispatch, the producers decided against this because both he and Tracy Phillips, the female winner, were both significantly undersized when compared to the troupe of Gladiators they had just finished facing. In addition, the response the initial series of episodes was positive, and the producers decided to conduct a second tournament to begin airing immediately after the conclusion of the first. Beginning in early 1990, an additional twenty men and women began competing in the second tournament. As before, the five winning contestants automatically advanced along with the three highest scoring runners-up. The male and female winners of this tournament would face Hutson and Phillips in one final match, dubbed the Grand Championship, with the winners becoming the overall season champion. Those contenders would receive an additional cash prize, and for the first several seasons would also receive a merchandise prize such as an automobile or a
Club Med vacation package. From then on until 1994, two tournaments per season were conducted with each comprising half of the season and the Grand Championship concluding the season. The second season used the same format as the first, while the format was changed for season three and again for season five.
Changes Season 3–4 For these two seasons, a total of twenty-four men and twenty-four women were selected to compete. Six preliminary matchups were played, with the winners advancing to the quarterfinals; unlike before, the preliminary round was single-elimination. The six remaining contenders on each side competed in three quarterfinal matches, with the winners automatically advancing. To even out the semifinal field at four, the highest scoring contender among the losing quarterfinalists advanced as the lone wild card in the competition. The two semifinal winners would then face each other for a berth in the Grand Championship.
Season 5 32 contenders competed over the course of the season. For the first time, there were no wildcard spots used in the tournament. Instead, the preliminary round was used for the purposes of seeding, as all eight of the competitors on each side were guaranteed a spot in the quarterfinals, known in this season as the elimination round. After the preliminaries, the contenders were seeded 1-8 based on their performance. The tournament then proceeded as normal.
Season 6–7 For the final two seasons, each contender that won a preliminary round matchup was awarded a cash prize of $2,500. The tournament for season six was held over the course of the entire season. A total of 64 competitors were selected, and the format used was similar to the one employed on the
British version of the program. In addition to winning, each contender hoped to have one of the four highest score totals of the season; the contenders that did so would face each other in the semi-finals, with the winners receiving an additional $7,500. The Grand Championship winners took home an additional $15,000 in cash, for a total of $25,000, and approximately $5,000 in prizes including a
Versaclimber fitness machine. Season seven's tournament was truncated significantly, as only sixteen contenders were selected. The format became single elimination, with a total of $25,000 ($20,000 of which was cash) available. The Grand Champions automatically qualified for the second
International Gladiators competition, which comprised most of the second half of season 7 and ultimately concluded the series.
The set During the first half of the first season, the show's set resembled that of an
ancient Roman gladiatorial arena, with the stands raised high above the ground. For the second half, the show's set was changed into a modern indoor sports arena style. An onscreen clock was added in the second half of the season, which allowed viewers to see how much time a contender had left to complete an event. The hooded figures that officiated the games were replaced by veteran
NFL referee Bob McElwee (No. 95). Starting in Season 2, former Pacific-10 football referee Larry Thompson became the referee. In case of ruling explanations, a host would interview the referee for an explanation.
Production base The first two seasons were recorded on Stage 27 at
Universal Studios Hollywood. Beginning with the third season and continuing for the rest of the run, the show relocated production to the
CBS Studio Center in Studio City,
Los Angeles. The studio used to tape the show was referred to on air as “Gladiator Arena”.
Events In each episode, the contenders competed in a series of events. Six to eight events were played per show, varying from season to season. Most of the events tested the contenders' physical abilities against the superior size and strength of the Gladiators, who were mostly pro or amateur bodybuilders and former football players. In most events, the contenders were not directly pitted against each other, but against the Gladiators. In each event, the contenders earned points based on their performance. In the first half of season one, the points in each event were given in minimum 5-point increments, with 100 points usually the maximum in every event. After the first half of the first season, single point increments were used, with most events offering a 10 point maximum. Some events had objectives where each contender had to perform a certain task against the Gladiator, while the Gladiator was trying to do the same thing to them (such as attempting to knock each other off the platforms in Joust). In these types of events, where a clear winner could emerge, contenders were usually awarded ten points for defeating the Gladiator and five points if the event was a draw. No points were awarded to the contender if the Gladiator won. Other events had no maximum score, with the objective being to perform a task as many times as possible (such as scoring goals in Powerball) within the set time limit for the event. Points in this case would be awarded based on how many times the contender accomplished the objective during the event. Starting with the fourth season, the final event before The Eliminator, was labeled "Crunch Time", and was played for more points. Season six used a format in which events were referred to as "rounds" due to more than one game played per round. Three games per show were played by both males and females and three were split between the males and females, two each in a round. In split rounds the men went first. Including the Eliminator, ten events appeared in each episode, and the lineup of single and split rounds changed during the season. The sole exception to this format was in the semi-finals and grand championship, in which each round was a single event. There were four lineups used during the season: The Eliminator was the final event played in each episode, and determined which contender would win that day's competition. The contenders competed side-by-side to complete a large obstacle course as quickly as they could. In the first two seasons, the Eliminator had a time limit, and both contenders started the course at the same time. Contenders scored points for every second left on the clock when they finished the course; the contender with the highest final score won the day's competition. Beginning in season 3, the contender in the lead was given a
head start with each point they led by worth a half-second; the first contender to cross the finish line won. Of the events that debuted in the show's first season, only six lasted the entire original run on American television: Breakthrough and Conquer, The Wall, Joust, Assault, Powerball, and the Eliminator, although The Wall did not debut until the second half of the first season.
List of gladiators ==Production==