Cutting Up Power Ball!

Having grown up with the first American Gladiators, I was super-pumped to watch NBC’s revival last January. Now, the second season has started, bringing a ton of new games and gladiators into the mix. It’s an awesome way to kill an hour.

But it’s not perfect.

American Gladiators is suffering from the modern network style of editing other TV competition/reality shows settle for: quick cuts, dramatically close camera angles, and disorienting geography. Focusing on close-ups rather than the big picture might have worked well for Survivor, but they muddy the waters of Gladiators. The cameras will be zoomed in so close on events like Power Ball and Hang Tough that it’s impossible to judge who is winning. I understand that the producers want to make these things look exciting and visceral for a new generation of fans, but what’s the point when the games become an indecipherable mess?

The great thing about the original American Gladiators was that it was extremely close to feeling like a real sports show. The commentators (who were actually there, and not some disembodied cheese-voice) were former sports stars. The bulk of the action was filmed with long-to-medium shots, with any of the close-up or helmet cam stuff saved for the replays. Things just felt more real.

Now, I don’t doubt the authenticity of the new Gladiators. I’m sure those people are really getting hurt and running around doing funny games. But I don’t understand the harm is just cooling it in the editing room and letting the camera run, rather than editing it like the show is a sequel to The Bourne Identity.