‘American Gladiators’ Netflix Doc Directors on Telling ‘Nostalgic Story’ of the ’90s Phenomenon and Exploring ‘Sensitive Topic’ of Steroid Use
Charna Flam “American Gladiators” aired in the 1990’s, but the competition still remains a phenomenon decades later. Last month, ESPN’s “30 for 30” explored the show, and now, Netflix is getting into the game. Netflix’s five-part docuseries, “Muscles & Mayhem: An Unauthorized Story of ‘American Gladiators,” dives into the hit, chronicling the meteoric rise and sweeping impact the superhero-like athletes had on both fans across America and their “average Joe” competitors. Co-directors Jared Hess and Tony Vainuku were fans of “American Gladiators” as teens, so it was natural to revisit the TV show when Netflix presented the opportunity. In their series, the filmmakers explore the good, the bad and the ugly, bringing audiences insight through access to executives who greenlit the production in the ’80s, original crew members and gladiators, including Nitro (Dan Clark), Storm (Debbie Clark), Diamond (Erika Andersch Bunker), Laser (Jim Kalafat), Ice (Lori Fetrick), Zap (Raye Olson), Blaze (Shari E Pendleton Mitchell), Sky (Shirley Eson-Korito) and Tower (Steve Hennebery).