Gladiators Australian Series 2
Encyclopedia
The second series of Australian Gladiators
began airing on Channel 7
in August 1995, almost immediately after the first series
which had proved a ratings success.
Twenty one episodes were filmed for this series including a three part special 'Ashes' series between the UK and Australia and a thre part Team Sports Special. Once again the shows were filmed at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre
between 5 July and 19 July. A seven part International Gladiators series filmed in Birmingham was included in the series two block. A Behind the scenes special was also filmed.
Kimberley Joseph
returned to host along with Mike Hammond who replaced Aaron Pedersen
. Play by play commentary was again performed by Tony Schibeci. John Alexander was unable to return due to his commitments to Wimbledon and was replaced by Mike Whitney
. Once again, John Forsyth
acted as assistant referee and the Kix cheerleaders returned to perform in the background of the events.
Winners of the heats received a Sony
PlayStation
and sound system with CD's. Runners up received a titanium watch. The grand final winners won a car.
Force (John Gergelifi) retired after Series 1 due to injury. In his place were two new recruits, Commando and Predator. Neither of the new recruits took part in the Ashes series.
Hammer, Tower and Vulcan took part in the International Gladiators 2 series in Birmingham. The Australian Gladiators magazine stated that Taipan was due to compete but had to pull out due to injury. However there were reports that Cougar was to take part but had to pull out due to allegations of indecent behaviour with underage fans that he would later be cleared from.
Rebel would not appear after Heat 8 after apparently feeling disheartened that she lost the majority of the events she played. She did not take part in the Ashes series.
Delta, Flame Fury and Storm took part in the International Gladiators 2 series in Birmingham.
The other Gladiators to feature in International Gladiators 2
were;
, Gauntlet
, Hang Tough
, Hit & Run
, Powerball
, Pyramid
, Suspension Bridge
and Wall
returned from Series 1 as well as the Eliminator
which featured as the final event in every show.
Three new events, Swingshot
, Pursuit
and Whiplash
were introduced all of them having already featured in either the American
or UK series.
Tilt
also returned from Series 1 but was axed midway through the series.
A three part Ashes series between the Australia and the UK was filmed along with a three part Team Sports series in which professional sports players went against the Gladiators. The Ashes special was shown prior to the domestic series airing. A Behind the scenes special was also televised.
Several members of the Australian team went over to the UK to take part in International Gladiators 2
. These episodes were filmed in the UK Gladiators studios in Birmingham
and were aired before the Team Sports Special. There was a summer break between the domestic series and International Series.
An episode entitled 'Heart of a Gladiator' was made due to fan interest in the Gladiators themselves. The show was to air on 6 April 1996 but was pulled due to the election that occurred in Australia the week before. The episode was aired at a later date.
Winning challengers are in bold. Following her win of the domestic series and runner up position in International Gladiators 2, Lourene Bevaart became a Gladiator for the third series.
1This episode would mark Tilt's last appearance in the show.
2Mark was injured after falling from Hang Tough and withdrew from the competition before the Eliminator.
3This event marked Rebel's last appearance as a Gladiator.
4Replaced Sandra after she was injured on Pyramid.
5Replaced Andreas Sasse in after Andreas suffered a leg injury.
6Replaced Janet Allen after Janet suffered an elbow injury in Gauntlet.
7Standby for Mark Everitt.
8Replaced Elena Lebedenko after she picked up an ankle injury.
9Replaced Andrew Halliday after a shoulder injury in Powerball which was further aggravated in Hang Tough.
on 5 July with audience figures of 5,000. The three part Ashes series was filmed between 17 and 19 July. Former Gladiator Force attended the Series Two Wrap Party.
Prior to the second series airing, some of the Australian team headed to the UK to compete in International Gladiators 2
in August whilst another team appeared in a series of live shows in Malaysia in September.
Series two began broadcast in August 1995 with production for the next series beginning in October.
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...
in August 1995, almost immediately after the first series
Gladiators Australian Series 1
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....
which had proved a ratings success.
Twenty one episodes were filmed for this series including a three part special 'Ashes' series between the UK and Australia and a thre part Team Sports Special. Once again the shows were filmed 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 5 July and 19 July. A seven part International Gladiators series filmed in Birmingham was included in the series two block. A Behind the scenes special was also filmed.
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...
returned to host along with Mike Hammond who replaced 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....
. Play by play commentary was again performed by Tony Schibeci. John Alexander was unable to return due to his commitments to Wimbledon and was replaced by Mike Whitney
Mike Whitney
Michael Roy Whitney is an Australian television personality and former cricketer, who played in 12 Tests and 38 ODIs from 1981 to 1993....
. Once again, 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...
acted as assistant referee and the Kix cheerleaders returned to perform 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....
PlayStation
PlayStation
The is a 32-bit fifth-generation video game console first released by Sony Computer Entertainment in Japan on December 3, .The PlayStation was the first of the PlayStation series of consoles and handheld game devices. The PlayStation 2 was the console's successor in 2000...
and sound system with CD's. Runners up received a titanium watch. The grand final winners won a car.
Male
- Commando - Geoff Barker
- Condor - Alistair Gibb
- Cougar - Ashley Buck
- 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...
- Predator - Tony Forrow
- 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 (John Gergelifi) retired after Series 1 due to injury. In his place were two new recruits, Commando and Predator. Neither of the new recruits took part in the Ashes series.
Hammer, Tower and Vulcan took part in the International Gladiators 2 series in Birmingham. The Australian Gladiators magazine stated that Taipan was due to compete but had to pull out due to injury. However there were reports that Cougar was to take part but had to pull out due to allegations of indecent behaviour with underage fans that he would later be cleared from.
Female
- Blade - Bev Carter
- Cheeta - Nicky Davico
- Delta - Karen Alley
- Flame - Lynda Byrnes
- Fury - Julie Saunders
- Rebel - Barbara Kendell
- Storm - Charlene Machin
Rebel would not appear after Heat 8 after apparently feeling disheartened that she lost the majority of the events she played. She did not take part in the Ashes series.
Delta, Flame Fury and Storm took part in the International Gladiators 2 series in Birmingham.
Others
Jet, Lightning, Nightshade and Vogue along with Hunter, Rhino, Warrior and Wolf were the UK Gladiators who appeared in the Ashes series.The other Gladiators to feature in International Gladiators 2
International Gladiators 2
International Gladiators 2 was filmed in the National Indoor Arena in Birmingham during 1995 and was broadcast on ITV in 1996, the second series of Gladiators using the International moniker...
were;
- Ice, Jazz, Hawk & Sabre (US)
- Angel, Power, Flash & Giant (GER)
- Astra, Lynx, Dynamite & Titan (RUS)
- Delilah, Sahara, Impi & Samson (SA)
- Falcon, Jet, Lightning, Panther, Vogue, Zodiac, Cobra, Hunter, Raider, Rhino, Trojan, Warrior and Wolf (UK)
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....
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:...
returned from Series 1 as well as 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...
which featured as the final event in every show.
Three new events, Swingshot
Swingshot
Swingshot is an event played in several incarnations of the television series Gladiators. In this event, two Gladiators and two contenders are attached to bungee cords and must jump off a raised platform, bouncing up to a central pole with scoring balls....
, Pursuit
Pursuit (Gladiators)
Pursuit was an event played in several incarnations of the television series Gladiators. In this event, the contenders race against each other over an obstacle course whilst being pursued by Gladiators.-Rules:...
and Whiplash
Whiplash (Gladiators)
Whiplash is an event played in several incarnations of the television series Gladiators. In this event, a contender and Gladiator stand within a circle, each holding the end of a 'dogbone'...
were introduced all of them having already featured in either the American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
or UK series.
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...
also returned from Series 1 but was axed midway through the series.
Shows
Once again fifteen shows were filmed in a progressive competition. Each show featured four events along with the Eliminator. The winner of the Eliminator would progress to the next round.A three part Ashes series between the Australia and the UK was filmed along with a three part Team Sports series in which professional sports players went against the Gladiators. The Ashes special was shown prior to the domestic series airing. A Behind the scenes special was also televised.
Several members of the Australian team went over to the UK to take part in International Gladiators 2
International Gladiators 2
International Gladiators 2 was filmed in the National Indoor Arena in Birmingham during 1995 and was broadcast on ITV in 1996, the second series of Gladiators using the International moniker...
. These episodes were filmed in the UK Gladiators studios in Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
and were aired before the Team Sports Special. There was a summer break between the domestic series and International Series.
An episode entitled 'Heart of a Gladiator' was made due to fan interest in the Gladiators themselves. The show was to air on 6 April 1996 but was pulled due to the election that occurred in Australia the week before. The episode was aired at a later date.
Winning challengers are in bold. Following her win of the domestic series and runner up position in International Gladiators 2, Lourene Bevaart became a Gladiator for the third series.
| Episode | Contest | Original airdate | Challengers (Female) | Challengers (Male) | Events |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Behind the scenes special | 5 August 1996 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| 02 | Ashes Heat 1 | 12 August 1996 | Kerryn Sampey (UK) Vs Kerry Warman (AUS) | Phil Campbell (UK) Vs David Wallis (AUS) | Pyramid, Hang Tough, Wall, Suspension Bridge |
| 03 | Ashes Heat 2 | 19 August 1996 | Euince Huthart (UK) Vs Nellie Baker (AUS) | Matt Beeke (UK) Vs Andrew Halliday (AUS) | Powerball, Duel, Gauntlet, Wall |
| 04 | Ashes Final | 26 August 1996 | Eunice Huthart (UK) Vs Kerryn Sampey (UK) | Andrew Halliday (AUS) Vs Dave Wallis (AUS) | Gauntlet, Duel, Pyramid, Hang Tough |
| 05 | Heat 1 | 2 September 1996 | Kathy McMorrow Vs Claire Sudran | Scott Brewer Vs Jonathan | Powerball, Swingshot, Whiplash, Pyramid |
| 06 | Heat 2 | 9 September 1996 | Leanne Hickey Vs Bernadinne Wilde | Tommy Le Vs Rowan | Hang Tough, Powerball, Pursuit, Wall |
| 07 | Heat 3 | 16 September 1996 | Kim Vs Charity Crosby | Kris Lacey Vs Kane | Powerball, Duel, Pyramid, Tilt1 |
| 08 | Heat 4 | 23 September 1996 | Donna Talbort Vs Kim Knott | Scott Bannon Vs Neil Campbell | Hang Tough, Gauntlet, Atlasphere, Suspension Bridge |
| 09 | Heat 5 | 30 September 1996 | Lourene Bevaart Vs Rhonda | Martin Vs Dominic | Pyramid, Hit & Run, Duel, Swingshot |
| 10 | Heat 6 | 7 October 1996 | Melanie Vs Karen Trent | Mark Labourie2 Vs Joe Lukowski | Gauntlet, Duel, Pursuit, Hang Tough |
| 11 | Heat 7 | 14 October 1996 | Nicole Singleton Vs Tamsin | Steve Vs Russell | Suspension Bridge, Pyramid, Atlasphere, Whiplash |
| 12 | Heat 8 | 21 October 1995 | Sandra Nori Vs Belinda Panizza | Shane Saltmarsh Vs Matthew Dugard | Gauntlet, Swingshot, Pursuit3, Hang Tough |
| 13 | Quarter Final 1 | 28 October 1996 | Kathy McMorrow & Kim Knott | Shane Saltmarsh & Neil Campbell | Suspension Bridge, Powerball, Wall, Swingshot |
| 14 | Quarter Final 2 | 4 November 1996 | Charity Crosby Vs Sandra Nori/ Claire Sudran 4 | Dominic Vs Scott Brewer | Hang Tough, Pyramid, Pursuit, Duel |
| 15 | Quarter Final 3 | 11 November 1996 | Lourene Bevaart Vs Nicole Singleton | Tommy Le Vs Joe Lukowski | Gauntlet, Pursuit, Pyramid, Hit & Run |
| 16 | Quarter Final 4 | 18 November 1996 | Leanne Hickey Vs Karen Trent | Kris Lacey Vs Steve | Duel, Hang Tough, Atlasphere, Wall |
| 17 | Semi Final 1 | 25 November 1996 | Lourene Bevaart Vs Karen Trent | Joe Lukowski Vs Scott Brewer | Wall, Gauntlet, Swingshot, Hit & Run |
| 18 | Semi Final 2 | 2 December 1996 | Kathy McMorrow Vs Charity Crossby | Kris Lacey Vs Shane Saltmarsh | Powerball, Hang Tough, Suspension Bridge, Wall |
| 19 | Final | 9 December 1996 | Lourene Bevaart Vs Kathy McMorrow | Shane Saltmarsh Vs Joe Lukowski | Gauntlet, Swingshot, Duel, Pyramid |
| 20 | IG2 Heat 1 | 17 February 1996 | Myriam Losch (GER) Vs Peggy Odita (USA) | Mark Everitt (UK) Vs Alexander Maltsev (RUS) | Powerball, The Wall, Pendulum, Hang Tough, Gauntlet |
| 21 | IG2 Heat 2 | 24 February 1996 | Janet Allen (UK) Vs Lee-Anne Liebenberg (SA) | Andrew Halliday (AUS) v Andreas Sasse (GER)/Dennis Galli (GER)5 | The Wall, Skytrak, Pyramid, Duel, Hang Tough |
| 22 | IG2 Heat 3 | 2 March 1996 | Lourene Bevaart (AUS) Vs Ludmila Machtchenko (RUS) | Pat Csizmazia (USA) Vs Prince Sunney (SA) | Powerball, Pendulum, Pole-Axe, Suspension Bridge, Swingshot |
| 23 | IG2 Heat 4 | 9 March 1996 | Claudia Lederer (GER) Vs Elena Lebedenko (RUS) Vs Lee-Anne Liebenberg (SA) | Dennis Galli (GER) Vs Yuri Volkov (RUS) Vs Peter Brits (SA) | Atlaspheres, Pyramid, Gauntlet, Powerball, Duel |
| 24 | IG2 SF1 | 16 March 1996 | Janet Allen (UK)/Jackie Kinsella (UK)6 Vs Peggy Odita (USA) | Sean Clay (UK)7 Vs Andrew Halliday (AUS) | Skytrak, The Wall, Gauntlet, Swingshot, Duel |
| 25 | IG2 SF2 | 23 March 1996 | Lourene Bevaart (AUS) Vs Elena Lebedenko (RUS)/Ludmila Machtchenko (RUS)8 | Pat Csizmazia (USA) Vs Peter Brits (SA) | Pyramid, Atlaspheres, Suspension Bridge, Hang Tough, Gauntlet |
| 26 | IG2 Final | 30 March 1996 | Lourene Bevaart (AUS) Vs Peggy Odita (USA) | Pat Csizmazia (USA) Vs Andrew Halliday (AUS)/Shane Saltmarsh (AUS)9 | Pole-Axe, Powerball, Pendulum, Hang Tough, Duel |
| 27 | Sports Athletes 1 | 13 April 1996 | Karla Gilbert Vs Emma George | Chris Fydler Vs Peter Winters | Wall, Whiplash, Swingshot, Duel |
| 28 | Sports Athletes 2 | 20 April 1996 | Shelley Oates Vs Nikki Andronicos | Guy Andrews Vs Sean Carlan | Pyramid, Atlasphere, Hang Tough, Suspension Bridge |
| 29 | Sports Athletes Final | 27 April 1996 | Shelley Oates Vs Emma George | Guy Andrews Vs Peter Winters | Hang Tough, Suspension Bridge, Wall, Swingshot |
1This episode would mark Tilt's last appearance in the show.
2Mark was injured after falling from Hang Tough and withdrew from the competition before the Eliminator.
3This event marked Rebel's last appearance as a Gladiator.
4Replaced Sandra after she was injured on Pyramid.
5Replaced Andreas Sasse in after Andreas suffered a leg injury.
6Replaced Janet Allen after Janet suffered an elbow injury in Gauntlet.
7Standby for Mark Everitt.
8Replaced Elena Lebedenko after she picked up an ankle injury.
9Replaced Andrew Halliday after a shoulder injury in Powerball which was further aggravated in Hang Tough.
Production
Production began in May 1995 following the instant success of the first series. Tryouts were held in May whilst the producers decided to bring in new events. Filming began in the Brisbane Entertainment CentreBrisbane 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...
on 5 July with audience figures of 5,000. The three part Ashes series was filmed between 17 and 19 July. Former Gladiator Force attended the Series Two Wrap Party.
Prior to the second series airing, some of the Australian team headed to the UK to compete in International Gladiators 2
International Gladiators 2
International Gladiators 2 was filmed in the National Indoor Arena in Birmingham during 1995 and was broadcast on ITV in 1996, the second series of Gladiators using the International moniker...
in August whilst another team appeared in a series of live shows in Malaysia in September.
Series two began broadcast in August 1995 with production for the next series beginning in October.