Skip to content
American Gladiators poster
5.8 / 10(29 votes)IMDbTV-PGFirst Aired: 19887 Seasons

American Gladiators

Series Overview

American Gladiators is an American competition television program that aired weekly in syndication from September 1989 to May 1996. The series matched a cast of amateur athletes against each other, as well as against the show's own gladiators, in contests of strength and agility. The concept was created by Dan Carr and John C. Ferraro, who held the original competition at Erie Tech High School in Erie, Pennsylvania. They sold the show to The Samuel Goldwyn Company where the concept was enhanced and became American Gladiators. An effort in 2004 to launch a live American Gladiators show on the Las Vegas Strip became mired in a securities fraud prosecution. However, the television series was restarted in 2008. Episodes from the original series were played on ESPN Classic from 2007 to 2009. Several episodes are available for download on Apple's iTunes Service.

Broadcast Schedule & Network Information

Airing status, episode counts, upcoming schedule, and network syndication.

EndedReality
Original Network
USA Network
Episodes & Seasons

7 Seasons • 167 Episodes

60 min per episode

Air Date Window

1988 – 1994

Premiered: Sat, Dec 31, 1988

Created By
Dan Carr
Johnny C. Ferraro

Latest Aired Episode

Aired: Thu, Sep 1, 1994

Season 6, Episode 1: “Qualifying Round 1”

Seasons & Episodes Breakdown

Creative Leadership & Key Crew

Director

Dan Carr, Johnny C. Ferraro

Age Classification & Content Advisories

Official viewer rating standards and content warnings across international classification boards.

Primary: TV-PG

TV-PG: Parental Guidance Suggested — Contains material parents may find unsuitable for younger children.

International Certification Matrix

France (CNC)12

Interdit aux moins de 12 ans — 12+ only.

United States (MPAA)TV-PG

Parental Guidance Suggested — Contains material parents may find unsuitable for younger children.

Germany (FSK)12

FSK 12 — Restricted to viewers aged 12 and older.

Official cinematic photography and background stills for American Gladiators.

Shows Similar to American Gladiators

Series sharing comparable tone, character dynamics, and narrative themes

  • 9.0
  • 7.0
  • 9.5
  • 6.0
  • 4.0
  • 5.1
  • 8.8
  • 5.4
  • 6.6
  • 7.1
  • 5.0
  • 7.5
  • 8.0

More Series Like American Gladiators

Shows sharing similar genres, audiences, and storylines.

6.6
6.5
8.2
7.7
6.2
7.4
6.8
6.9
6.9
6.9
6.1
7.2

Frequently Asked Questions About American Gladiators

Key facts, seasons breakdown, and credits for search engines and AI assistants.

What is American Gladiators about?

American Gladiators is an American competition television program that aired weekly in syndication from September 1989 to May 1996. The series matched a cast of amateur athletes against each other, as well as against the show's own gladiators, in contests of strength and agility. The concept was created by Dan Carr and John C. Ferraro, who held the original competition at Erie Tech High School in Erie, Pennsylvania. They sold the show to The Samuel Goldwyn Company where the concept was enhanced and became American Gladiators. An effort in 2004 to launch a live American Gladiators show on the Las Vegas Strip became mired in a securities fraud prosecution. However, the television series was restarted in 2008. Episodes from the original series were played on ESPN Classic from 2007 to 2009. Several episodes are available for download on Apple's iTunes Service.

How many seasons does American Gladiators have?

American Gladiators comprises 7 seasons available to explore.

Who stars in American Gladiators?

Key cast members in American Gladiators include Mike Adamle.

Who created or directed American Gladiators?

American Gladiators was developed and directed by Dan Carr, Johnny C. Ferraro.