Lists of Gladiators events

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Lists of Gladiators events cover sporting game events from the Gladiators TV franchise, which has had local versions broadcast in several countries since the 1990s.

Events

There have been 35 events involving The Gladiators (as well as the Eliminator) across the incarnations. Four of the events have an alternate name in certain territories. A different selection of the events will be played in each episode. No single territory has had all thirty-five events on its roster. The UK had the largest number of events during its initial run with twenty-three events.

All events were created by either the American or UK series with the exception of Soccer Shootout in the South African version and Spidercage in the Swedish version. The UK notably adapted some of the American events, with the adaptations becoming the standard design for the concept. For example the UK version of Skytrack would later be adopted by the Australian and American revival series whereas the UK concept of the American event Tug-o-War, known as Tilt, eventually superseded Tug-o-War for the 2008 American revival and used in many of the 2020 revivals.

Over the course of the original UK and American series, several events were dropped, often due to safety reasons. The Eliminator was the only event which was played in every episode across every territory.

Second revivals

The following events made appearances during the revival series aired since 2024. All the new events, highlighted below, originated in the United Kingdom; the majority of which are based on or inspired by classic events from the original ITV series. Notably the German revival brought back the game Swingshot which had not been featured in any of the 2000s revivals.

Event United Kingdom Australia France Russia Germany United States
AtlaspheresYes[a]YesYes
Breakthrough & ConquerYes
CollisionYesYesYes
Crash CourseYesYes
DestructionYes
DuelYesYesYesYesYesYes
EarthquakeYes
EliminatorYesYesYesYesYesYes
EverestYes
GauntletYesYesYesYes
Hang ToughYesYesYesYes
PowerballYesYesYesYesYesYes
PyramidYesYes
Sumo BallYes
Suspension BridgeYes[b]Yes[c]
SwingshotYes
The EdgeYesYesYesYesYes
The RingYesYesYesYesYes
The WallYesYesYesYesYesYes
TiltYesYes[d]Yes
UnleashYesYes
WhiplashYesYesYes
Notes
  1. Atlaspheres was reintroduced to the roster of events in the second series and inspired a new "sister-event" called Crash Course
  2. In pre-production of the first series, an adaptation of the event named 'Battlebridge' was listed in the programme but ultimately dropped before filming. Suspension Bridge itself returned in the third series.
  3. The event is referred to as 'Duel' despite Duel itself being in the event roster
  4. The event was slightly modified so that both platforms were at the same height, similar to the US event Tug O War, though in keeping with the original event, both tables tilt forwards and backwards.

First revivals

The various revivals in the 2000s and 2010s mostly used events previously seen during the show's original airing in that country.

Australia introduced UK events Pendulum, Sumo Ball and Vertigo for the first time and the United States introduced Hit & Run, Tilt and Vertigo. Snapback, whilst re-introduced to the US, had a completely different gameplay to previously and Skytrack would adopt the gameplay from the original UK and Australian series.

All the brand new events, highlighted below, for the revivals originated in the United States. Whilst Sideswipe only aired in the US, Rocketball would be used in the UK revival and Earthquake amongst almost all revivals.

Event Arab League Australia Finland Sweden United Kingdom United States
Assault/Danger ZoneYesYes
AtlaspheresYesYesYes
BreakthroughYes
Duel/JoustYesYesYesYesYesYes
EarthquakeYesYesYesYesYes
EliminatorYesYesYesYesYesYes
GauntletYesYesYesYesYesYes
Hang ToughYesYesYesYesYesYes
Hit & RunYesYesYesYesYesYes
PendulumYes
PowerballYesYesYesYesYesYes
PursuitYes
PyramidYesYesYesYesYesYes
RocketballYesYes
SideswipeYes
SkytrackYes
SnapbackYesYes
Sumo BallYes
Suspension BridgeYesYesYesYes
SwingshotYes
TiltYes
The WallYesYesYesYesYesYes
VertigoYesYes
WhiplashYes

Original series

Event Australia Denmark Finland Nigeria South Africa Sweden United Kingdom United States
Assault/Danger ZoneYesYes[a]Yes[b]
AtlaspheresYesYesYesYesYes[a]Yes
Breakthrough & ConquerYes—N/a[c]Yes
CatapultYes
Cyclotron—N/a[d]
DogfightYes
Duel/JoustYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYes
EliminatorYesYesYesYesYesYesYes[a]Yes[b]
GauntletYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYes
Hang ToughYesYesYesYesYes[a]Yes
Hit & RunYesYesYesYesYesYes[a]
Human CannonballYes[e]
JoustYes[f]Yes[g]
Pendulum/Rat Race—N/a[h]YesYes
Pole-AxeYes[i]
PowerballYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYes
PursuitYesYes[j]
PyramidYesYesYesYes[k][a]Yes[b]
SkytrackYesYes[a]Yes
Soccer ShootoutYesYes
SnapbackYesYes[l]Yes[b]
SpidercageYes
Sumo BallYesYesYes
Suspension BridgeYesYesYesYesYesYes
SwingshotYesYesYesYes
The MazeYes[m]
The WallYesYesYesYesYesYesYes[a]Yes[b]
TightropeYesYes
TiltYesYesYes[n]
Tug O WarYes
VertigoYes
WhiplashYesYesYesYesYes

Notes

  1. An adapted version of this event was played in the British children's spin-off, Gladiators: Train 2 Win
  2. An adaptation of this event was played in the American children's spin-off, Gladiators 2000
  3. Breakthrough & Conquer was roadtested at the Wembley Live 1993 shows but was not taken forward for the televised series
  4. Cyclotron was planned for the sixth series and appeared in the opening credits in CGI format. However problems persisted throughout pre production and the event was scrapped before making a televised appearance
  5. Human Cannonball was axed mid way through series 2, was brought back for Series 4 before being retired
  6. The apparatus of Joust was that from the UK series, which was shipped to Australia after the event was axed in the UK
  7. Joust was retired following Series 4 due to consistent negative feedback
  8. Pendulum was intended to be introduced to the Australian series should a fourth series have been commissioned
  9. Pole-Axe would be axed prior to filming of Series 5 after severe injuries to both a Gladiator and contender. The event would return in Series 6 in safer form
  10. Pursuit would be retired following Series 5 for unspecified reasons
  11. Pyramid was axed prior to production on Series 5 following several severe injuries. It returned in a modified, safer version in Series 6 only to be axed again the following year
  12. Sweden had both versions of Snapback in their original series run
  13. The Maze was retired after Series 4
  14. Tilt was axed following Series 4 due to severe injuries

Lists

See also