197.💪 American Gladiators from Past to Present

Dan, Manny, & Billy put the American Gladiators franchise to the ultimate test—THE NOSTALGIA TEST!   “It'd be a lot more American if they walked in the ring and just shot each other.” -Billy D’Elia   While this episode was being recorded, the orange lunatic who’s technically our “president” was building a UFC octagon on the front lawn of The White House, which was ultimately a disaster (F Joe Rogan). We all should’ve seen the free-fall of America coming in the late 80s when we were all watching American Gladiators on TV. This episode attempts to figure out what this show is, why were people into it, and why was it resurrected, twice! That’s right, there is currently a new version with two seasons hosted by The Miz. Oh, and the first season of the 2026 version WAS FILMED IN FRANCE!? Now, all credit goes to each and every gladiator that was on this show because in 1989 they were treated like trash. Safety wasn’t a thing, people were being knocked out, and gladiators were being forced to compete injured. Watching the “evolution” of American Gladiators is so interesting, because as the series continued the only thing that got updated were the games and the arena. They made it bigger and got rid of the cardboard cutout audience members. That’s right! They did that. At the same time, the gladiators remained overworked, injured, and forced to literally fight people like they were circus animals in an underground fight club. This episode travels along a zig-zag path to get the controversial conclusion of the 2026 episode they watched, how The Miz is just screaming in people’s faces, some of the best knockouts, faceplants, and announcer quotes, all the way to the guys talking about how they need a 100% win for an episode because this is killing their souls. So, grab your American flag bandanas, an oversized tank top, scream at the top of your lungs for no reason, and kick your best friend in the face, because it’s time to talk American Gladiators! ***   If you love what we’re doing and want to support the podcast so we can keep this show going with better equipment and maybe meet up with each other to do some in-person recording, sponsor to The Nostalgia Test: buymeacoffee.com/nostalgiatest   Lastly, we’re looking to be booked for podcast appearances, hosting gigs and parties, maybe you have a block party coming up, a BBQ that you want to be Nostalgia themed and you’re looking to make it seriously memorable, a reunion, etc., contact us to book the podcast. We’re ready to Get Nostalgic With You:  Contact For Booking   *** Email us ([email protected]) your thoughts, opinions, and topics for our next Nostalgia Test! Suggest A Test & Be Our Guest! We're always looking for a fun new topic for The Nostalgia Test. Hit the link above, tell us what you'd like to see tested, and be our guest for that episode! *** Approximate Rundown 00:00 American Gladiators Setup 01:16 Show Format Challenge 02:18 Main Era Gladiators 03:20 Reboots & Hosts 05:34 Saturday TV Memories 07:44 Early Seasons Chaos 08:47 Games Evolve Over Time 10:17 Joust & Judge Bits 11:18 Reality TV Before Reality 13:12 Behind the Scenes Grind 14:48 Brutal Interviews &Trauma 17:33 Downfall & Exploitation 19:11 Injuries & Rule Nonsense 24:09 America Culture Context 25:38 Does It Pass Nostalgia 26:51 Competition Show Landscape 32:07 Steroids & Wild Stories 35:41 Trash TV Reboot Setup 36:50 Peak Games And 1996 40:10 Rewatch Reality Check 40:25 Hogan Ali Reboot 41:47 Schlock Backstories 43:00 Bad Names Bad Vibes 44:12 Water Hazards 50:32 Why It Failed 51:54 Miz Era Rant 54:45 Finale Disqualification 57:35 Filmed in France 01:06:06 Fixing the Format 01:11:22 Nostalgia Verdict 01:15:26 Next Episode Pick 01:17:10 Major League Storytime 01:19:25 Wrap Up & Plugs   Book The Nostalgia Test Podcast Bring The Nostalgia Test Podcast's high energy fun and comedy on your podcast, to host your themed parties & special events!  The Nostalgia Test Podcast will create an unforgettable Nostalgic experience for any occasion because we are the party! We bring it 100% of the time! Email us at [email protected] or fill out the form at this link. LET'S GET NOSTALGIC!       Keep up with all things The Nostalgia Test Podcast on Instagram | Substack | Discord | TikTok | Bluesky | YouTube | Facebook   The intro and outro music ('Neon Attack 80s') is by Emanmusic.