Gladiators Australian Series 1
Encyclopedia
The first series of Australian Gladiators
began airing on Channel 7
on 29 April 1995 following successful versions of the Gladiators format in America
, the UK and Finland
. The series closely resembled the UK series albeit with just four events and the Eliminator.
Fifteen episodes were filmed in a progressive competition at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre
between 24 March and 2 April. Kimberley Joseph
and Aaron Pedersen
presented the show whilst play by play commentary was by Tony Schibeci. John Alexander acted as referee and John Forsyth
as assistant referee. The Kix cheerleaders performed in the background of the events.
Winners of the heats received a Sony
music system and a selection of CD's valued to $2,000. The runners up received a set of gym apparatus. The winners of the final won a car.
Force suffered an injury in Atlasphere in the Quarter Finals and had to retire from the show.
, Gauntlet
, Hang Tough
, Hit & Run
, Powerball
, Pyramid
, Suspension Bridge
, Tilt
and Wall
were played over Series 1. The Eliminator
featured as the final event in every show.
Winning challengers are in bold.
1 The challengers in this episode were actually members of the production crew and changed throughout the episode. The names given were just for filming purposes. The headstarts given in the Eliminator were not based on points scored in the events.
2Replaced Donna after she fell on her pugil stick and injured her leg.
3Replaced Gina Goode who having won her heat was unable to continue in the Quarter finals due to an ankle injury.
(where it was decided the show would be filmed), Melbourne
and Sydney
. Fourteen Gladiators and a number of challengers were selected.
The apparatus was delivered to the Brisbane Entertainment Centre
in March requiring 35 trucks and 100 riggers whilst the Gladiators filmed the opening credits at Dee Why. Challengers arrived at the BEC on 16 March to begin training.
An unaired pilot episode was filmed using the Gladiators and production crew as chaallengers. There was no audience and Force, Rebel and Cheeta did not compete in any events.
Filming commenced on 24 March and wraps on 2 April. Initially audiences numbered 2,000 but grew to 5,000 as filming progressed. St John's Ambulance personnel were on site during filming.
The first episode aired on Channel 7
on 29 April and immediately entered the top 10 most watch shows in Australia. A second series entered production in May.
Gladiators (Australian TV series)
Gladiators is an Australian television series which aired on Saturday nights on the Seven Network from 1995 until 1996 almost consecutively for eighteen months. It was based on the American version of the same name...
began airing on Channel 7
Seven Network
The Seven Network is an Australian television network owned by Seven West Media Limited. It dates back to 4 November 1956, when the first stations on the VHF7 frequency were established in Melbourne and Sydney.It is currently the second largest network in the country in terms of population reach...
on 29 April 1995 following successful versions of the Gladiators format in America
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, the UK and Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
. The series closely resembled the UK series albeit with just four events and the Eliminator.
Fifteen episodes were filmed in a progressive competition at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre
Brisbane Entertainment Centre
The Brisbane Entertainment Centre is a centre, located in Boondall, a Brisbane City suburb, in Queensland, Australia.The arena has an assortment of seating plans, which facilitate the comfort of its users, subject to performance. Specific seating plans usually are allocated, depending on the...
between 24 March and 2 April. Kimberley Joseph
Kimberley Joseph
Kimberley Joseph is a Canadian-Australian actress who is based in the United States. Joseph was born in Canada, raised on the Gold Coast in Australia, and educated in Switzerland. After returning to Australia, she began a degree at Bond University but dropped out at the age of 19 when she was cast...
and Aaron Pedersen
Aaron Pedersen
Aaron Pedersen is an Australian television and film actor of Arrente/Arabana Australian Aboriginal descent.-Career:Prior to Aaron's acting career, Aaron plied his trade as a journalist with ABC2 at Elsternwick studios in Melbourne....
presented the show whilst play by play commentary was by Tony Schibeci. John Alexander acted as referee and John Forsyth
John Forsyth
John Forsyth may refer to:* John Forsyth , American politician* John Forsyth, Jr. , American newspaper editor and son of the namesake politician* John Forsyth , Australian major general...
as assistant referee. The Kix cheerleaders performed in the background of the events.
Winners of the heats received a Sony
Sony
, commonly referred to as Sony, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan and the world's fifth largest media conglomerate measured by revenues....
music system and a selection of CD's valued to $2,000. The runners up received a set of gym apparatus. The winners of the final won a car.
Male
- Condor - Alistair Gibb
- Cougar - Ashley Buck
- Force - John Gergelifi
- Hammer - Mark McGawMark McGawMark McGaw is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer of the 1980s and 90s. He achieved national and state representative honours in the sport and following his retirement became one of the Gladiators in the Australian version of the TV show...
- Taipan - Michael Melksham
- Tower - Ron Reeve
- Vulcan - John SeruJohn SeruJohn Seru is an actor and former professional wrestler. He is best known as "Vulcan" in the Australian version of TV series Gladiators, as well as joining the British Gladiators team in Seasons 7 and 8. He is also known for his part in the James Bond film, The World Is Not Enough, where he plays...
Force suffered an injury in Atlasphere in the Quarter Finals and had to retire from the show.
Female
- Blade - Bev Carter
- Cheeta - Nicky Davico
- Delta - Karen Alley
- Flame - Lynda Byrnes
- Fury - Julie Saunders
- Rebel - Barbara Kendell
- Storm - Charlene Machin
Events
Atlasphere, DuelDuel (Gladiators)
Duel is an event played in several incarnations of the television series Gladiators. In this event, a contender and Gladiator engage in battle on raised podiums using pugil sticks. The object is to knock your opponent off....
, Gauntlet
Gauntlet (Gladiators)
Gauntlet is an event played in several incarnations of the television series Gladiators. In this event, a contender must run through a narrow alleyway defended by five Gladiators.-Rules:...
, Hang Tough
Hang Tough
Hang Tough is an event played in several incarnations of the television series Gladiators. In this event, a contender and Gladiator engage in what is often described as 'a game of aerial chess' on a grid of rings hanging from the ceiling.-Rules:...
, Hit & Run
Hit & Run (Gladiators)
Hit & Run is an event played in several incarnations of the television series Gladiators. In this event, a contender must run across the Suspension Bridge as many times as possible, avoiding the four demolition balls being swung by Gladiators on platforms adjacent to the bridge.-Rules:One contender...
, Powerball
Powerball (Gladiators)
Powerball is an event played in several incarnations of the television series Gladiators. In this event, two contenders simultaneously face three Gladiators on a field with the contenders trying to score by putting balls into scoring baskets whilst the Gladiators try to prevent this.-Rules:The...
, Pyramid
Pyramid (Gladiators)
Pyramid is an event played in several incarnations of the television series Gladiators. In this event played on a giant sponge Pyramid, two contenders must climb to the top whilst two Gladiators attempt to halt their progress.-Rules:...
, Suspension Bridge
Suspension Bridge (Gladiators)
Suspension Bridge is an event played in several incarnations of the television series Gladiators. In this event, a contender and Gladiator engage in battle on a simple suspension bridge. The object for the contender is to reach the Gladiator's platform....
, Tilt
Tilt (Gladiators)
Tilt is an event played in several incarnations of the television series Gladiators. In this event, a contender and Gladiator engage in a tug of war on tilting platforms. Due to their weight advantage, the Gladiator is located on the higher of the two tilt platforms.-Rules:One Gladiator faces one...
and Wall
The Wall (Gladiators)
The Wall is an event played in several incarnations of the television series Gladiators. In this event, contenders race against each other up a climbing wall with Gladiators pursuing them.-Rules:...
were played over Series 1. The Eliminator
Eliminator (Gladiators)
The Eliminator is an event played in the television series Gladiators. This is the final event of the show in which the shows contenders race against each other over an assault course, ending with the Travelator, with the first to finish becoming the winner of the show moving on to the next round...
featured as the final event in every show.
Shows
Fifteen shows along with an unaired pilot were filmed with the televised shows taking the form of a progressive competition. Each show featured four events along with the Eliminator. The winner of the Eliminator would progress to the next round.Winning challengers are in bold.
| Episode | Contest | Original airdate | Challengers (Female) | Challengers (Male) | Events |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | Unaired Pilot1 | N/A | Lisa Vs Jane | Brian Vs James | Powerball, Wall, Hang Tough, Duel |
| 01 | Heat 1 | 29 April 1995 | Gina Goode Vs Heather Marychurch | Clinton Barter Vs Howard Abuthnct | Gauntlet, Pyramid, Powerball, Hit & Run |
| 02 | Heat 2 | 6 May 1995 | Sabrina Hoyman Vs Carol-Anne Horrath | David Wallis Vs Paul Vella | Hit & Run, Wall, Duel, Powerball |
| 03 | Heat 3 | 13 May 1995 | Bernie Vs Tracy | Andrew Vs Adam | Suspension Bridge, Hang Tough, Atlasphere, Tilt |
| 04 | Heat 4 | 20 May 1995 | Karen Swansborough Vs Hilary | Tony Vs Corey | Pyramid, Tilt, Gauntlet, Suspension Bridge |
| 05 | Heat 5 | 27 May 1995 | Kerry Warman Vs Annie | Ian Jacobs Vs | Wall, Duel, Powerball, Hit & Run |
| 06 | Heat 6 | 3 June 1995 | Nellie Baker Vs Fernanda Lacey | Ashley Martin Vs Alex | Atlasphere, Wall, Duel, Hang Tough |
| 07 | Heat 7 | 10 June 1995 | Theresa Brett Vs Alison Jackson | Rod McQueen and John Powell | Gauntlet, Atlasphere, Hang Tough, Suspension Bridge |
| 08 | Heat 8 | 17 June 1995 | Tania Vs Donna/ Kathy katzourakis2 | Rhett Foreman Vs Andrew Strickland | Pyramid, Gauntlet, Duel, Powerball |
| 09 | Quarter Final 1 | 24 June 1995 | Sabrina Hooyman Vs Nellie Baker | Ashley Vs David Wallis | Pyramid, Tilt, Wall, Suspension Bridge |
| 10 | Quarter Final 2 | 31 June 1995 | Kerry Warman Vs Bernie Withers | Andrew Halliday Vs Ian Jacobs | Powerball, Duel, Hit & Run, Pyramid |
| 11 | Quarter Final 3 | 1 July 1995 | Teresa Brett Vs Karen Swansborough | Rod McQueen Vs Tony | Wall, Atlasphere, Hang Tough, Gauntlet |
| 12 | Quarter Final 4 | 8 July 1995 | Fernanda Lacey3 Vs Tania | Howard Vs Rhett Foreman | Duel, Pyramid, Hit & Run, Powerball |
| 13 | Semi Final 1 | 15 July 1995 | Teresa Brett Vs Nellie Baker | Dave Wallis Vs Rod McQueen | Suspension Bridge, Pyramid, Powerball, Hang Tough |
| 14 | Semi Final 2 | 22 July 1995 | Fernanda Lacey Vs Bernie Withers | Andrew Halliday Vs Rhett Foreman | Duel, Wall, Tilt, Gauntlet |
| 15 | Final | 29 July 1995 | Teresa Brett Vs Bernie Withers | Dave Wallis Vs Andrew Halliday | Gauntlet, Duel, Pyramid, Hang Tough |
1 The challengers in this episode were actually members of the production crew and changed throughout the episode. The names given were just for filming purposes. The headstarts given in the Eliminator were not based on points scored in the events.
2Replaced Donna after she fell on her pugil stick and injured her leg.
3Replaced Gina Goode who having won her heat was unable to continue in the Quarter finals due to an ankle injury.
Production
Production began in January 1995 when the producers began their search for Gladiators and challengers. The long list was cut to 100 people who attended tryouts in BrisbaneBrisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
(where it was decided the show would be filmed), Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
and Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
. Fourteen Gladiators and a number of challengers were selected.
The apparatus was delivered to the Brisbane Entertainment Centre
Brisbane Entertainment Centre
The Brisbane Entertainment Centre is a centre, located in Boondall, a Brisbane City suburb, in Queensland, Australia.The arena has an assortment of seating plans, which facilitate the comfort of its users, subject to performance. Specific seating plans usually are allocated, depending on the...
in March requiring 35 trucks and 100 riggers whilst the Gladiators filmed the opening credits at Dee Why. Challengers arrived at the BEC on 16 March to begin training.
An unaired pilot episode was filmed using the Gladiators and production crew as chaallengers. There was no audience and Force, Rebel and Cheeta did not compete in any events.
Filming commenced on 24 March and wraps on 2 April. Initially audiences numbered 2,000 but grew to 5,000 as filming progressed. St John's Ambulance personnel were on site during filming.
The first episode aired on Channel 7
Seven Network
The Seven Network is an Australian television network owned by Seven West Media Limited. It dates back to 4 November 1956, when the first stations on the VHF7 frequency were established in Melbourne and Sydney.It is currently the second largest network in the country in terms of population reach...
on 29 April and immediately entered the top 10 most watch shows in Australia. A second series entered production in May.