Now Netflix Is Taking A Turn At Reliving The Days Of ‘American Gladiators’ With “Muscles & Mayhem”
deadline.comThe fascination over American Gladiators isn’t over just yet: Three weeks after ESPN aired 30 for 30: The American Gladiators Documentary, Netflix is now shining a spotlight on the inimitable ’80s competition show that gave us Nitro, Gemini and thrilling jousts with what looked like giant, padded Q-tips.
Like ESPN’s penetrative two-parter from director Ben Berman (The Amazing Jonathan Documentary), the new Muscles & Mayhem: An Unauthorized Story of American Gladiators (dropping June 28 on Netflix) reminds us that TV’s first big reality show stars weren’t privileged women who throw wine in fits of rage.
They were pumped-up athletes who donned patriotic colors while playing Goliath to some poor civilian’s David in a makeshift battledome.
But while ESPN’s documentary from Vice Media focuses more of its narrative on Johnny Ferraro, the infamous figurehead behind the memorable franchise, Muscles & Mayhem keeps the attention on the gladiators and how, even after all those painful hits in the ring and to their pocket books, they were still grateful for the experience. “It’s not this VH-1, Behind the Music retrospective of how it broke us and how we’re sorry we did it,” explains Danny Lee “Nitro” Clark, who executive produced the five-parter for Netflix with Kyle McCutcheon, Tony Vainuku, Jared Hess, Ross M.
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