Gladiators (1992 British TV series, series 3)
| Gladiators | |
|---|---|
| Season 3 | |
| Starring | Ulrika Jonsson John Fashanu John Anderson John Sachs |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| No. of episodes | 18 |
| Release | |
| Original network | ITV |
| Original release | 3 September – 31 December 1994 |
| Series chronology | |
The third series of Gladiators aired in the UK from 3 September to 31 December 1994.
Gladiators[]
| Gladiator name | Portrayed by |
|---|---|
| Cobra | Michael Willson |
| Falcon | Bernadette Hunt |
| Hunter | James Crossley |
| Jet | Diane Youdale |
| Lightning | Kim Betts |
| Nightshade | Judy Simpson |
| Panther | Helen O'Reilly |
| Saracen | Mike Lewis |
| Scorpio | Nikki Diamond |
| Shadow | Jefferson King |
| Trojan | Mark Griffin |
| Warrior | Michael Ahearne |
| Wolf | Michael Van Wijk |
| Zodiac | Kate Staples |
This was the only series of Gladiators in which there were no changes to the Gladiator line-up. As such there were no changes to the opening credits and, despite the series’ popularity, there were no new photoshoots for promotional materials, with the photography from the 1993 series re-used for the programmes and merchandise.
Events[]
Events were cut from six to five (plus the Eliminator) per episode. This reduction coupled with the increased event pool meant that several events appeared sparingly throughout the series, in particular many of the events introduced the previous series.
Gauntlet received a significant change, having a 30-second time limit to pass through five Gladiators in a much narrower gauntlet (as opposed to passing through three as quickly as possible). Reaching the end within 20 seconds scored 10 points and within 30 seconds, 5 points. Power pads were utilised for the two additional Gladiators and all participants wore chest guards. The same chest guards would be worn in Danger Zone from this series onwards.
The Atlaspheres used from this season onwards were lighter and moved quicker across the arena floor (often referred to as “turbo charged”) with the contenders’ Atlaspheres coloured yellow and blue (rather than yellow and red as previous). Due to it being used as part of Hit & Run, the Suspension Bridge apparatus had ends added onto it - primarily to stop the contenders running off the end when the bridge was used for Hit & Run. Additionally, on Suspension Bridge, contenders and Gladiators started from opposite ends compared to the previous series. A minor amendment to the rules of Swingshot allowed contenders to now grab as many balls as they could in one jump.
Four new events were introduced in this series. Unlike previous series, the new events were gradually introduced throughout the series with this being the only series in which no new events debuted in the first televised heat (despite all being featured in the opening preview episode).
Pyramid[]
Contenders and Gladiators faced one another on a giant pyramid with the Gladiators at the top and contenders at the bottom. Contenders had 60 seconds to reach the top of the pyramid with the Gladiators trying to prevent them by grappling or pushing and rolling them down. The first contender to the top received 10 points with the second receiving 5. This event was taken from the American series and despite this being the most popular of the new events and frequently appearing in series 4, the event would later be axed twice during the show’s run.
Hit & Run[]
Contenders had to run across the suspension bridge as many times as possible in 30 seconds, scoring 2 points per successful crossing. Four Gladiators stood on two podiums either side of the bridge, each swinging a demolition ball and attempting to knock the contender off. This event initially appeared in the 1994 Wembley live shows under the name Cannonball Run. It did not prove popular, appearing sparingly in later series. It was the only new event introduced in 1994 that did not get axed and became one of the most frequently-played events in the American and British revivals.
Pursuit[]
Contenders raced against each other across an obstacle course with Gladiators chasing them after a three second headstart. The obstacle course consisted of a balance beam, wire bridge, hand ladder, web trap, low wall, web trap, high wall and sprint finish. 10 points were awarded for the first contender to pass the finish, 5 points for second with no points awarded if a contender was tagged.
Pole-Axe[]
Contender and Gladiator had to climb a 36-foot pole, hitting a button at the top which would retract the climbing pegs of their opponent’s pole, causing them to fall to a six-foot crash mat below. 10 points were awarded should the contender achieve this. Due to the amount of time it took to set up, Pole-Axe would be set up and played live as the first event (before the initial contender interviews) though would often be shown out of sync in televised shows. Pole-Axe had the latest debut of any new event and was axed a couple of series later.
Other changes[]
Andrew Norgate was replaced as timekeeper by Derek Redmond, whose wife Sharron Davies presented the junior spin-off series Gladiators: Train 2 Win before being asked to audition as a Gladiator the following year. The contenders’ outfits for the heats were different from the pink/yellow (women) and red/blue (men) pieces used for the majority of the show. The female contenders wore peach and lilac outfits with the male contenders wearing simple red and blue vests with black shorts. From the quarter-finals onwards, the contender outfits reverted to the familiar pink/yellow and red/blue colours.
Finally, between the women's and men's Eliminator, a Time Out section was added in which various Gladiators discussed their favourite events, pastimes and music.
Episodes[]
| Episode | Title | Original airdate | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "The Return" | 3 September 1994[1] | |
| 2 | "Heat 1: Erika Rogerson vs. Claire Hillman / Dean Pollen vs. Gladstone Mackenzie" | 10 September 1994[2] | |
|
Panther, Scorpio, Zodiac / Hunter, Shadow, Warrior
Jet, Nightshade / Cobra, Trojan
Scorpio, Lightning / Saracen, Wolf
Lightning / Saracen
Falcon / Trojan
Erika WINNER - LOSER Claire / Dean WINNER - LOSER Gladstone | |||
| 3 | "Heat 2: Jo Harrington vs. Rachel Culwick/Jo Neath,1 / Phil Campbell vs. Ken George" | 17 September 1994[3] | |
|
Jet, Scorpio / Wolf, Warrior
Falcon, Nightshade, Panther / Cobra, Saracen, Shadow
Nightshade, Zodiac / Hunter, Cobra
Scorpio / Trojan
Lightning / Shadow
Jo Harrington LOSER - WINNER Jo Neath / Phil WINNER - LOSER Ken | |||
| 4 | "Heat 3: Lorraine Stanley vs. Eunice Huthart / Andy Riddoch vs. Lee Blackledge" | 24 September 1994[4] | |
|
Scorpio, Jet / Wolf, Cobra
Panther, Jet / Saracen, Warrior
Nightshade, Zodiac / Hunter, Trojan
Falcon, Lightning / Hunter, Cobra
Nightshade / Shadow
Lorraine LOSER - WINNER Eunice / Andy WINNER - LOSER Lee | |||
| 5 | "Heat 4: Jo Banton vs. Clancy Connor / Sam Codjoe vs. Ric Brown" | 1 October 1994[5] | |
|
Falcon, Jet, Panther / Cobra, Saracen, Shadow
Lightning, Nightshade / Wolf, Warrior
Nightshade, Scorpio, Zodiac, Panther, Lightning / Trojan, Saracen, Warrior, Hunter, Shadow
Jet / Wolf
Panther / Hunter
Jo WINNER - LOSER Clancy / Sam WINNER - LOSER Ric | |||
| 6 | "Heat 5: Jayne Ludden vs. Kerryn Sampey / Mark Skipper vs. Neil Dorrell" | 8 October 1994[6] | |
|
Zodiac, Falcon / Cobra, Trojan
Panther, Scorpio / Warrior, Saracen
Panther / Hunter
Jet & Lightning, Nightshade & Zodiac / Shadow & Trojan, Saracen & Wolf
Zodiac / Wolf
Jayne LOSER - WINNER Kerryn / Mark WINNER - LOSER Neil | |||
| 7 | "Heat 6: Melissa Spackman vs. Katie Budd / Paul Beswick vs. Ian Simpson" | 15 October 1994[7] | |
|
Falcon, Lightning, Nightshade / Hunter, Trojan, Warrior
Lightning / Shadow
Falcon, Scorpio / Shadow, Warrior
Jet & Nightshade, Panther & Scorpio / Trojan & Wolf, Cobra & Hunter
Zodiac / Saracen
Melissa WINNER - LOSER Katie / Paul WINNER - LOSER Ian | |||
| 8 | "Heat 7: Nikki Wyatt vs. Sue Smith / Paul Field vs. Alex Lee" | 22 October 1994[8] | |
|
Panther, Falcon, Scorpio, Jet, Lightning / Trojan, Saracen, Warrior, Hunter, Shadow
Jet, Nightshade / Trojan, Wolf
Lightning, Scorpio / Saracen, Cobra
Lightning / Shadow
Zodiac / Wolf
Nikki WINNER - LOSER Sue / Paul WINNER - LOSER Alex | |||
| 9 | "Heat 8: Lisa Gibbs vs. Rowan Duxbury,2 / Matt Beeke vs. Richard Barnett" | 29 October 1994[9] | |
|
Zodiac, Scorpio / Saracen, Wolf
Falcon, Jet, Panther / Hunter, Trojan, Warrior
Nightshade / Hunter
Lightning, Jet / Cobra, Wolf
Scorpio / Shadow
Lisa WINNER - LOSER Rowan / Matt WINNER - LOSER Richard | |||
| 10 | "Quarter-final 1: Erika Rogerson vs. Jo Neath / Phil Campbell vs. Dean Pollen" | 5 November 1994[10] | |
|
Nightshade, Scorpio, Zodiac / Saracen, Shadow, Trojan
Lightning, Jet / Wolf, Cobra
Falcon / Hunter
Panther/Zodiac,3, Zodiac / Trojan, Warrior
Nightshade / Shadow
Erika WINNER - LOSER Jo / Phil WINNER - LOSER Dean | |||
| 11 | "Quarter-final 2: Jo Banton vs. Eunice Huthart / Sam Codjoe vs. Andy Riddoch" | 12 November 1994[11] | |
|
Jet, Scorpio / Saracen, Shadow
Nightshade, Jet, Zodiac, Scorpio, Falcon / Trojan, Saracen, Warrior, Hunter, Shadow
Lightning / Wolf
Lightning, Nightshade / Hunter, Wolf
Scorpio / Trojan
Jo LOSER - WINNER Eunice / Sam WINNER - LOSER Andy | |||
| 12 | "Quarter-final 3: Melissa Spackman vs. Kerryn Sampey / Paul Beswick vs. Mark Skipper" | 19 November 1994[12] | |
|
Zodiac, Lightning / Trojan, Wolf
Falcon, Jet, Scorpio / Hunter, Shadow, Warrior
Nightshade / Hunter
Falcon, Lightning / Hunter, Saracen
Nightshade / Shadow
Melissa LOSER - WINNER Kerryn / Paul WINNER - LOSER Mark | |||
| 13 | "Quarter-final 4: Nikki Wyatt vs. Katie Budd,4 / Matt Beeke vs. Paul Field" | 26 November 1994[13] | |
|
Lightning / Saracen
Falcon / Wolf
Scorpio, Falcon / Saracen, Shadow
Zodiac, Jet / Warrior, Hunter
Nightshade / Trojan
Nikki WINNER - LOSER Katie / Matt LOSER - WINNER Paul | |||
| 14 | "Semi-final 1: Erika Rogerson vs. Eunice Huthart / Phil Campbell vs. Sam Codjoe" | 3 December 1994[14] | |
|
Jet, Lightning, Nightshade / Shadow, Trojan, Warrior
Lightning, Jet / Wolf, Saracen
Nightshade / Hunter
Panther & Scorpio, Falcon & Zodiac / Cobra & Trojan, Hunter & Warrior
Nightshade / Shadow
Erika LOSER - WINNER Eunice / Phil LOSER - WINNER Sam | |||
| 15 | "Semi-final 2: Nikki Wyatt vs. Kerryn Sampey / Paul Beswick vs. Paul Field" | 10 December 1994[15] | |
|
Jet, Scorpio / Hunter, Cobra
Jet, Lightning, Nightshade / Hunter, Trojan, Warrior
Falcon, Zodiac / Shadow, Wolf
Nightshade / Saracen
Lightning / Wolf
Nikki LOSER - WINNER Kerryn / Paul Beswick LOSER - WINNER Paul Field | |||
| 16 | "Grand Final: Kerryn Sampey vs. Eunice Huthart / Sam Codjoe/Phil Campbell,6 vs. Paul Field" | 17 December 1994[16] | |
|
Lightning, Falcon, Zodiac, Scorpio, Panther / Trojan, Cobra/Wolf,5, Warrior, Hunter, Saracen
Zodiac, Scorpio / Trojan, Wolf
Lightning, Jet / Wolf, Saracen
Jet, Lightning, Nightshade / Hunter, Shadow, Warrior
Nightshade / Warrior
Kerryn RUNNER UP - CHAMPION Eunice / Phil RUNNER UP - CHAMPION Paul | |||
| 17 | "The Celebrity Challenge: Eddie Kidd vs. Barry McGuigan vs. Ellery Hanley vs. Martin Offiah vs. Mark Bosnich vs. Derek Redmond" | 24 December 1994[17] | |
|
Shadow and Trojan against Barry, Eddie and Ellery
Wolf, Shadow and Hunter against Barry, Eddie and Ellery
Falcon chasing Barry, Scorpio chasing Eddie
Jet chasing Eddie, Lightning chasing Derek
Hunter against Ellery, Shadow against Eddie, Trojan against Martin, Saracen against Derek
Martin LOSER - WINNER Derek | |||
| 18 | "The Fighting Forces Challenge: Paul Gellender vs. Simon Lovell vs. Richard Harbard vs. Simon Horridge vs. John Tredgett vs. Phillip Delbaugh" | 31 December 1994[18] | |
|
Paul 12
Simon 16
Simon 22
Phillip 26
Phillip 34
Simon LOSER - WINNER Phillip | |||
- ^1 Rachel slipped off her sky bike awkwardly during Joust with Scorpio and broke her back when she landed on the crash mat, which forced her to retire before the final event.
- ^2 Rowan was invited back to take part after making in through to the quarter-finals the previous year but being forced to pull out due to food poisoning.
- ^3 Panther picked up an injury against Erika on tilt and had to withdraw from the competmotion. Zodiac replaced her for the second pull.
- ^4 Lisa injured her foot on some stairs after training for her quarter-final and had to leave the show. Katie replaced her as the highest-scoring female loser from the heats.
- ^5 Cobra picked up an injury against Paul in the gauntlet and had to retire from the event. Wolf replaced him.
- ^6 Shadow came in with a high tackle on Sam in the opening seconds of Powerball, injuring Sam in the process and sending him to A&E. Phil replaced him as the loser with the fastest eliminator time from the semi-finals.
- ^7 These events had the female Gladiators against the male contenders.
- ^8 In these special episodes, there were 6 contenders with 2 being eliminated after event 4 (event 3 in the Fighting Forces special) and another 2 being eliminated after event 5.
References[]
- ^ "GLADIATORS (GLADIATORS THE RETURN)". ITN Source. Retrieved 15 July 2017.
- ^ "GLADIATORS (EPISODE 0001)". ITN Source. Retrieved 15 July 2017.
- ^ "GLADIATORS (EPISODE 0002)". ITN Source. Retrieved 15 July 2017.
- ^ "GLADIATORS (EPISODE 0003)". ITN Source. Retrieved 15 July 2017.
- ^ "GLADIATORS (EPISODE 0004)". ITN Source. Retrieved 15 July 2017.
- ^ "GLADIATORS (EPISODE 0005)". ITN Source. Retrieved 15 July 2017.
- ^ "GLADIATORS (EPISODE 0006)". ITN Source. Retrieved 15 July 2017.
- ^ "GLADIATORS (EPISODE 0007)". ITN Source. Retrieved 15 July 2017.
- ^ "GLADIATORS (EPISODE 0008)". ITN Source. Retrieved 15 July 2017.
- ^ "GLADIATORS (EPISODE 0009)". ITN Source. Retrieved 15 July 2017.
- ^ "GLADIATORS (EPISODE 0010)". ITN Source. Retrieved 15 July 2017.
- ^ "GLADIATORS (EPISODE 0011)". ITN Source. Retrieved 15 July 2017.
- ^ "GLADIATORS (EPISODE 0012)". ITN Source. Retrieved 15 July 2017.
- ^ "GLADIATORS (EPISODE 0013)". ITN Source. Retrieved 15 July 2017.
- ^ "GLADIATORS (EPISODE 0014)". ITN Source. Retrieved 15 July 2017.
- ^ "GLADIATORS (EPISODE 0015 - THE FINAL)". ITN Source. Retrieved 15 July 2017.
- ^ "GLADIATORS (CELEBRITY SPECIAL)". ITN Source. Retrieved 15 July 2017.
- ^ "GLADIATORS (SERVICES SPECIAL)". ITN Source. Retrieved 15 July 2017.
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| Related | |||||||
 Category | |||||||
- 1994 British television seasons
- Gladiators (1992 British TV series)