Cult TV show "American Gladiators" celebrates German-language revival
Once a pop culture phenomenon, now a modern reboot: "Gladiators - The Show of the Giants". Prime Video and RTL are bringing the cult format back next year.
After a break of over 30 years, a TV classic is celebrating its comeback. «American Gladiators», the legendary competition show from the 1990s, is being relaunched as a German-language version under the title: «Gladiators - Die Show der Giganten».
The show is a collaboration between Prime Video and RTL, produced by RTL Studios. Filming will take place at Messe Düsseldorf in spring 2026. Afterwards, you will probably still be able to watch the new edition exclusively on Prime Video in 2026 before it is also broadcast on RTL and RTL+ four weeks later.
The fascination of the gladiators: Why the format became cult
Back in the 1990s and early 2000s, «American Gladiators» was more than just a show. It was a pop culture phenomenon. Muscle-bound gladiators with names like Nitro, Blaze or Gemini fought in colourful costumes against ambitious amateurs. The duels were spectacular, the obstacle courses nerve-wracking and the audience cheered the competitors on enthusiastically.
The mixture of top physical performance, dramatic staging and clear rules was captivating. The gladiators were characters with recognition value, the challengers the supposedly weaker ones: the classic «David versus Goliath» principle. And that's exactly what made the show emotional and exciting.
The format also ran in Germany between 1992 and 1994 on RTL, later on RTL2 and from the 2000s on DSF. Although only briefly, it made a lasting impression. The German-language remake aims to pick up on this nostalgic fascination and give it a modern twist.
Much of the content remains the same
The basic principle remains the same: Candidates compete against a fixed team of gladiators in the most spectacular competitions possible. These come from areas such as bodybuilding, weight training and other high-performance sports. Well-established disciplines such as «Joust», «Hang Tough», «Gauntlet» and the final obstacle course «The Eliminator» are set to return, complemented by new challenges.
The show will therefore remain a mix of sporting competition and staged action, inspired by ancient gladiator fights.
A revival with an international tailwind
The German-language version is part of a worldwide reboot produced by MGM Alternative and Amazon MGM Studios. A new season has already been produced and filmed in the USA and will be shown exclusively on Prime Video. WWE star Mike «The Miz» Mizanin will host the show there.
Australia and the UK have also launched new editions. In the UK, the BBC version in early 2024 achieved the broadcaster's best show launch in seven years with six million viewers.
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