Watermark shown during Dessert Masters tonight only says “Gladiators - January”.
Is 10 having second thoughts about the January 7 premiere date?
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New watermark and revised promo shown during Dessert Masters tonight say it will now premiere on Monday, January 8.
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Hmm maybe they’ve moved it to the Monday because it’s the launch of the afternoon/ evening ( DOND launch) schedule?
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It could also mean The Bachelors finale will air on January 7 instead.
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Despite my thoughts, I will watch this, been watching the 90s Australian Gladiators on YouTube. I still like to pretend the 2008 version doesn’t exist though. 
Kind of looks like someone saw the promo shots from the last ABBA album and really liked the asthetic.
Two new individual promos aired tonight during Dessert Masters finale: Elektra and Phoenix. There was also a variation of the main promo with the narration replaced by Robbie Williams’ Let Me Entertain You as the background song.
Gladiators, Ready! Phoenix, Ready!
Gladiators Premieres Monday, 8 January At 7.30pm On 10 And 10 Play.
Meet Phoenix. Just like his totem, every battle is a new beginning for Phoenix, he will rise and never fall. With incredible speed, power, and strength, he thrives on adrenaline. Phoenix is rough around the edges, with an air of menace. He is resilient and fierce, welcoming any challenge in the Arena. Always playing to win – Phoenix will out-psych his opponent. Towering in height and physique, he is the ultimate competitor and knows it. Those who dare to enter the Gladiator Arena for combat must earn his respect.
The muscle and mind behind the character of Phoenix is Sandor Earl. New Zealand Māori international rugby league footballer for the Sydney Roosters, Penrith Panthers, Canberra Raiders, and the Melbourne Storm in the National Rugby League; Sandor Earl retired from the NRL three years ago. Born in Wellington, then raised in the Easter Suburbs of Sydney, he is now based in Newcastle, NSW. A hybrid athlete who focuses on strength, speed and power, Sandor has played competitive sports since the age of three and co-founded a fitness training business.
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Gladiators, Ready! Elektra, Ready!
Gladiators Premieres Monday, 8 January At 7.30pm On 10 And 10 Play.
Dare to flick the switch and watch Elektra become an absolute livewire! Reactive and explosive when in action, she’ll shock you to the core. With a fierce gaze that will unsettle any Contender, Elektra’s silence is unnerving. She may be unassuming in size, but Elektra is a force to be reckoned with. Delivering short bursts of electricity in the Arena - challenge her at your own risk.
The elite athlete behind the character of Elektra is Alethea Boon. Born in Suva Fiji, Alethea Boon grew up in Auckland, New Zealand. She represented her home country and Pasifika community for Weightlifting at the 2018 Commonwealth Games, and Artistic Gymnastics at the 2002 and 1998 Commonwealth Games. Eight months before becoming a Gladiator, Alethea gave birth to her daughter! She rebuilt her body after suffering a bilateral embolism in 2010 – an experience that gave her an even bigger appreciation for life.
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# Gladiators, Ready! Halo, Ready!
Gladiators Premieres Monday, 8 January At 7.30pm On 10 And 10 Play.
Halo is captivating. An angelic vision in white, with a sweet and playful nature. But Contenders beware, this is her secret power. Don’t mistake her poise for weakness. With elegance and grace Halo will lure you in whilst plotting your demise. She is bad ass, always ready for business. Halo is powerful, but also a merciful angel. While she’ll knock you down in the Arena, she will help you back up.
Chanique Greyling is a professional MMA fighter, Model, qualified Personal Trainer, and Stuntwoman. Having worked on Thor – Love and Thunder as a double for Natalie Portman; Chanique most recently worked on NCIS: Sydney, doubling for the lead in all fight scenes. Born and raised in South Africa, Chanique moved to Australia in 2004 and now calls Newcastle, NSW, home.
Looks like each of the 13 Gladiators will have his/her own promo. We could see all of them introduced before Christmas.
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New promo aired tonight during Jamie Oliver: Cooking for Less, with tiny bits of actual competition footage.
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Hi All
Just some random stuff about this version of Gladiators:
- Filmed in The Dome, Sydney showgrounds, early October.
- Only audience was family and friends because…
- All games (except possibly The Edge) are laid out in the arena. There is no room for an audience - Hang Tough was right against one wall.
- Means filming was probably a lot shorter as there was no equipment or audience to move in or out etc
- Two Gladiators injured - including Viking (Jet Kenny) from what I understand
- Pyramid, Duel, Hang Tough, Gauntlet all played. Possibly new games The Edge and The Ring also played. Cannot confirm.
- Set for Duel features “clouds” and gold spheres hanging above the action.
- Staging looks cheaply and quickly put together - lots of bare trusses with no padding.
- Contenders wear all red or blue shorts and tops.
- Helmet cams used for contenders in Hang Tough.
- Winners to be Gladiators next series + car & $$ prize
- Gladiator Dragon possibly introduced late due to another injury (can’t confirm this)
- the Eliminator ends with a cube wall, the same as the UK & US 2008 versions (both of which failed spectacularly, both of which this version is apeing somewhat)
- this seems like a schedule filler to plug the US strikes gap
The UK version looks massively different, much more like the original but updated with modern lighting, screen technology, projections. However, as its on the BBC, they cannot offer prizes, only a trophy.
The Australian version is nothing like this, going for a more “family” friendly “battlefield” vibe.
Pros:
- Gladiators lovely people, really excited and into the show
- Games at least are played faithfully to the originals
Cons:
- No audience, no atmosphere - its going to have lots of foley to make up for the lack of audience cheering
- Cramped setup, lots of black walls/draping - removes any sense of scale or spectacle of the show and makes it appear studio bound
- some frankly laughable set dressing - the clouds for Duel are just hilarious
- equipment lacks finesse - pugel sticks for duel are single coloured with no embellishments
- are Lis and Beau the right combination for this? She might be, him, I doubt
To be honest, I doubt 10 has any longer term commitment to this version of Gladiators. While I hope to be proven wrong, I don’t see it happening.
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Oh wow based on those images and what’s been -posted , I’m like what….the actual duck.
But I must watch the first episode.
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the capes and wings are so unnecessary
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Agreed. They’ve managed to make Gladiators look sillier than it already was. Not a fan of the capes as well. However, the Gladiators themselves seem like lovely people, so I’ll be watching anyway in the hope that my first impressions are proved wrong.
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