Before today’s reality TV, there was American Gladiators.
In the 1990s, I watched American Gladiators as a kid, a popular show that spawned toys and video games. Johnny Ferraro, who originated the concept for the show, is a tough, gruff guy, somebody you didn’t mess with it.
Ferraro became an Elvis impersonator, but he wanted more out of the entertainment industry and flew to Hollywood to seek fame and fortune. He had a concept in mind and began pitching it to producers as a film.
Nobody bit at first, but eventually, one producer did, saying he thought it could work as a TV show rather than a film. That concept turned into American Gladiators, an idea Ferraro and partner Dann Carr had piloted in Erie, PA.
Carr was a kindred spirit, a big man who had been working in construction. The two men started promoting competition games—one event involved crossing a goal line with the football before getting tackled. Ferraro financed and produced the competitions, and fans packed a local facility with waiting lines outside.
Hollywood aired the concept in 1989, and the show lasted until 1996. Sports figures served as hosts–Joe Theismann, Larry Czonka, and Mike Adamle were three–which helped elevate the presentation.
Over the years, there have been multiple attempts to return American Gladiators to the screen, but none of the reboots has been successful, at least so far. So let’s see what the future brings.
