American Gladiators was both loved and misunderstood when it premiered 30 years ago this week

Deadspin

The competition TV show that premiered in syndication in September 1989 was considered the lowest low-brow entertainment. "The name definitely evokes such a response, but treating the show as complete shlock leaves out a lot of interesting stuff, and obscures why American Gladiators worked, and why most attempts at similar shows haven’t," says David Bixenspan. "Alternative sports-adjacent programming—call it 'junk sports' for short—was a big deal in syndication for the Fall 1989 season, to the point where even the notoriously behind he times American Wrestling Association took a shot at a pilot that would fit that market. The same week that American Gladiators premiered, it was joined by Rollergames, a roller derby revival on a figure eight track that involved an alligator pit, as well as the Monster Truck/tractor pull show Tuff Trax. Only Gladiators was a clear hit, but the show that launched three decades ago was not quite the one that everyone remembers. It was notably unpolished, shot on a dark, tiny soundstage, and there were no standardized uniforms for the contestants, who were officially dubbed 'contenders.' The titular Gladiators each had villainous personas, the referee was a medieval executioner, and an uncomfortably dry Joe Theismann was the host." He adds: "By the time season two started, everything clicked into place...The emphasis on the particular rules and the eventual addition of locker room interviews and training videos just further emphasized the point: This game show was a big deal in the world of athletics because it was so confidently presented as one. 'Confidently' is a key word there, because as some varieties of bad pro wrestling have shown, constantly begging for legitimacy is a quick way to look thirsty and second-rate. The action on American Gladiators was effortlessly framed as if the show’s tournaments were already there." ALSO: American Gladiators found something special in sports competition that NBA, MLB and NFL were lacking.