Series synopsis
American Gladiators is an American reality television series that premiered on Prime Video on April 17, 2026. It stars Mike Mizanin, Eric Bugenhagen, Jessie Godderz and Michael Wardlow.
American Gladiators is an American competition TV show that aired on NBC and Citytv in Canada. Hosted by Hulk Hogan and Laila Ali, the show matches amateur athletes against each other and the show's own "gladiators" in contests of strength, agility, and endurance. It is a remake of the original series of the same name which ran from 1989–1996, with elements of the UK version of the 1990s. The show is refereed by Al Kaplon, a former American League umpire, who can also be seen as the referee in D ...
Premise
American Gladiators is an American competition TV show that aired on NBC and Citytv in Canada. Hosted by Hulk Hogan and Laila Ali, the show matches amateur athletes against each other and the show's own "gladiators" in contests of strength, agility, and endurance. It is a remake of the original series of the same name which ran from 1989–1996, with elements of the UK version of the 1990s. The show is refereed by Al Kaplon, a former American League umpire, who can also be seen as the referee in Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story. Play-by-play narration is handled by Van Earl Wright.
Season 1 was taped at Sony Pictures Studios in Culver City, California. Beginning with Season 2, the show moved to the Los Angeles Sports Arena. It is produced by Reveille Productions and MGM Television.
American Gladiators premiered on Sunday, January 6, 2008; an average of 12 million people watched the two-hour premiere. All other Season 1 episodes aired Mondays at 8:00 ET/PT, except for the finale, which aired Sunday February 17, 2008 at 7:00 ET/PT. Season 2 premiered May 12, 2008, on NBC, with a two-hour episode. The two-hour Season 2 finale aired on August 4, 2008 at 8:00 ET/PT. While the final two-hour episode of Season 1 was devoted entirely to the finals, the Season 2 finale consisted of the third semifinal round followed by the finals.
Cast and characters
Leading cast
- Mike Mizanin as Self - Host
- Eric Bugenhagen as The Bull
- Jessie Godderz as Steel
- Michael Wardlow as Fang
Guest cast
Episodes
This series spans 2 seasons with 22 episodes.
| Season | Episodes | First aired | Last aired |
|---|---|---|---|
| Season 1 | 10 | April 17, 2026 | May 1, 2026 |
| Season 2 | 12 | May 12, 2008 | August 4, 2008 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Heat 1 A new generation of Contenders step into the Gladiator Arena to take on 16 fierce new Gladiators in Whiplash, Powerball, Joust, and The Eliminator. |
April 17, 2026 |
| 2 |
Heat 2 New contenders clash with the Gladiators in Collision, The Ring, Hang Tough, and The Eliminator. |
April 17, 2026 |
| 3 |
Heat 3 Four new contenders take on The Wall, The Gauntlet, The Edge, and The Eliminator in a night packed with surprises. |
April 17, 2026 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Episode 109 The women's side finds single mom and black belt Melissa Trinidad vs. firefighter and Chernobyl survivor Elena Maskalik, while the men's event pits grocery store owner Toby Gordin goes head to head with carpenter Randee Haynes. The second hour kicks off with Para-Olympian John Sciliano battles with teacher Gerry Garcia, and the female side finds Air Force Major Vanessa Warren takes on feisty bartender Nikki Key. |
May 12, 2008 |
| 2 |
Episode 110 A pair of Chicago police officers battle it out against the gladiators, as does a couple of female officers from Denver. |
May 19, 2008 |
| 3 |
Episode 111 A SWAT officer and a tree climber take on the Gladiators for the men's team and going up against the female Gladiator's is a business consultant versus and adventure junkie. |
May 26, 2008 |
Production
Release
| Original network/platform | Prime Video |
|---|---|
| First aired | April 17, 2026 |
| Last aired | May 1, 2026 |
| Runtime | 60 minutes |
| Status | continue |
| Schedule | Friday at 20:00:00 |