Gladiators, ready! But will the cartoon violence translate in 2024?
Mention ‘Gladiators’ to any child of the 1990s, and watch the reaction. You’ll receive a misty-eyed nod, some muttering about how the uphill travelator was rigged, and then they will begin spouting seemingly-random words like ‘Storm’, ‘Flame’, ‘Tornado’, and ‘Glacier’, like some deranged weatherman.
Gladiators was a bona fide cultural sensation, with larger-than-life characters, and cartoonish battles on the ultimate padded playground. It was low stakes, gleefully violent, and seemed to merge the best bits from contact sport, video games, wrestling, and obstacle courses. It also inspired countless Gladiator battles in lounge rooms around the country, where couch arms became suspension bridges, end-pillows were weapons, and anything else served as a projectile to bat away.
The memory is an interesting thing, though. Although the show looms large in the minds of many, in reality, Gladiators lasted just 18 months on air, with Channel Seven running three seasons back-to-back before burning the concept out.
Seven first tried to revive the series in 2008, after airing a ‘Where Are They Now’ episode about the original cast to gauge public interest.
Although the show rated fantastically from a 2023 viewpoint — pulling 1.8 million for its debut, and never falling under a million viewers — it only lasted one season.
Now, Channel Ten has stepped into The Dome with another attempt to bring the show back.
The network has tapped Liz Ellis as host, Australian netball royalty who shone for the station on this year’s I’m A Celebrity…, as well as ex-NRL player Beau Ryan, who has become a fan favourite on The Footy Show. It seems like a clear ratings winner.
But television audiences are a lot different now then they were in 1995, when the show debuted. Micro-concussions are now in the public discourse, with research (and lawsuits) from overseas suggesting that the numerous jolts and bumps to the head that come with contact sport can be just as damaging as massive, singular concussions.
On the flipside, the UFC has become a global, multi-billion-dollar business since the original aired, and this past weekend’s footy finals suggest that the appetite for controlled physical combat is still insatiable.
Maybe the cartoonish violence of Gladiators, with padding and costumes and not a HIA to be seen will be just the ticket this coming summer. It’s a big nostalgia play, and advertisers love nostalgia.
Mumbrella spoke to Rod Prosser, chief sales officer at Paramount ANZ, about the upcoming revival, and what it means for Ten.
Gladiators is a great franchise to bring back. What drove this reinvention, and had this idea been in the pipeline for long?
We’re always looking for great, noisy content, particularly in summer, as an alternative to sport for viewers and advertisers.
Gladiators will supercharge summer entertainment as a strong alternative to sport, offering appointment viewing for families to enjoy the ultimate test of speed and strength with just a dash of comedy.
Australian viewers love competition, relish the contest and celebrate superhuman feats with challenge-based reality formats, like Gladiators, consistently the top viewed shows each year.
Gladiators was the biggest global smash hit of the ’90s, and we’re seeing a trend in ’90s nostalgia viewing on our new FAST channels, particularly with Gen Z, who are discovering this content for the first time.
What has the advertising/promo balance been like in appealing to old fans, while also drawing in new viewers?
Gladiators in 2024 is a fresh take on ’90s nostalgia, that will bring in new audiences as well as exciting nostalgic viewers. We’ve seen huge interest in ’90s genres, from audiences who lived it live the first time around, to Gen Z who are experiencing it for the first time.
We’re thrilled we’re able to bring back iconic Gladiators characters to screens for loyal fans and fresh faces for new audiences. Our hosts, Liz and Beau also appeal to broad audiences in their own rights.
Our audiences are watching our content in more places than ever, in more ways than ever, reaching a range of generations. While the bulk of our audience is on linear TV, 10 Play is having its biggest year since it was launched and continues to evolve to meet how TV is being consumed by viewers and advertisers.
In 2023, the idea of promoting a show with this kind of violence (albeit, cartoonish) is different to in the 1990s. Was this a consideration for Ten? How will you show this, while balancing the public responsibility?
Gladiators is solid family viewing that is a perfect blend of entertainment, sport, and comedy.
Obviously, there will be a lot of interest in the original Gladiators – will they be involved, or have you looked into a ‘where are they now’ type special?
In 2024 we’re focusing on bringing Australians fresh faces and a new generation of accomplished Gladiators. Even our hosts, Beau and Liz, are sporting heroes in their own rights with epic athletic skills.
What types of sponsors are you chasing for this program?
Gladiators is a genre that lends itself to such a wide range of advertising categories including retail, QSR, auto, home delivery services, finance, FMCG and more. The fact Gladiators is going to be airing at the top of the year over summer, makes it the perfect time for brands to reach families for back-to-school needs.
We’ve found that over summer, some brands may be locked out of premium integration or air time due to sporting sponsorship agreements, so Gladiators is also a fantastic premium option for those brands.
Which other franchises — if any — is Ten planning to bring back. There must be a bunch under consideration.
We are always reviewing our programming. Our team do such a wonderful job at looking at proposals across the year – and there a lot!
Right now, we’re focused on Gladiators kicking of our year in 2024.
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Nathan Jolly is the Deputy Editor of Mumbrella. He joined the team in July, 2023.
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