American Gladiators (original) release - 7/14 (1 Viewer)

[Scott_J]

Not sure where you got the impression I got "all bent out of shape" about it. But I certainly did not. In fact, I'm kind of happy. It'll save me money, which I'll use on another, complete release. If I ever feel the need to watch it, I can always rent it. But I won't be buying it unless I eventually find it at a bargain-bin-type price.

 

[supes78]

I wrote Dan "Nitro" Clark to verify that we were not getting the first 12 episodes from season 1 and this is what he wrote back:

"You are correct. They decided not to include the first 12. The set would have been too big -- meaning too expensive for consumers. They wanted to price it right and make it accessible to a wide base of Gladiator fans! That being said, there is a recap episode of the first 12 that shows all the highlights including the viral sensation - clip of Malibu taking it in the chops on the Human Canon Ball!"

Dan "Nitro" Clark

So, there you go guys, it was a cost-cutting measure by Shout Factory.

 

[vnisanian2001]

Oh well. At least he was being honest about the reason why.

BTW, ESPN Classic is currently showing episodes from Season 1A on the weekends, so if you wanna see those again, there you go.

 

[supes78]

I emailed tvshowsondvd.com about updating their product info. I'm surprised they hadn't done it sooner. Shout Factory's had an episode listing for the discs for a while now.

 

[Scott_J]

That explanation doesn't make much sense. If their goal was to include fewer episodes to make it cheaper for consumers, why not split the season into volumes and make this release a "season one, volume one" with the first half of the season, then release the second half of the season in volume two? Studios do that all the time. Shout's doing it with G.I. Joe the week after this comes out.

There must be more to the story than just what Nitro said. I'm convinced it's something involving Joe Theismann - either he wouldn't sign off on it or he was asking for too much money for his episodes to be released.

 

[vnisanian2001]

Okay, I'm confused. What does it mean to "Sign off on something"?

And also, he will be featured in the Highlights show. So it's not like he won't be seen on the DVD at all. Could the reason be because fans would be turned off by sitting through all of the first 12 episodes (which they viewed to be "painfully bad" compared to the rest of the series)?

Also, like I said before, the competition wasn't even the same as it was in the rest of the series; originally, all it was about was to make it to the finals for $10,000, and the possibility of returning next year as an American Gladiator. By the end of the first half of season one, that concept was dropped in favor of making it to the Grand Championship. I don't think the Grand Championship round was a thought originally.

So maybe they didn't want fans to be bothered by the inconsistency in the competition?

 

[David Rain]

I think they're just trying to get people to buy this. By dropping the first half of the season they can sell it cheaper because there is less content and they get rid of the low-quality early episodes. I think fans would want everything but I understand why they're doing it this way.

The idea of a "Season One, Volume One" works well on paper but I don't think it would be practical. Why would anyone pay for just the first half of the season ? Those eps are really bad. Low sales for a volume one would likely kill any chance of a volume two. The show would be dead in the water. So they've just cut to the chase and are starting with the more familiar format.

I just hope future sets will be full seasons or at least split seasons. AG is a real guilty pleasure for a lot of people who remember it. I'd also love to see some of the other versions released such as the international versions from the 90's as well as the recent updated versions that aired in the US and England.

 

[supes78]

I agree with the others. They're trying to test the waters with this release to see how much interest there is for it. So, they need to price it cheaply and give people episodes they actually want to own. And the first 12 episodes are really painful to sit through, even for fans such as myself. I probably would have waited for the bargain bin to buy a collection of just those episodes if they split up the season and released it as a volume first. And who knows, if this set and future releases sell well, they could always backtrack and release the original 12 as "The Lost Episodes." I wouldn't bet on that kind of sales for these sets, though. I hope they keep releasing these until we get to the Diamond episodes. What kid didn't have a crush on her?

 

[supes78]

Just got through listening to all of the commentaries. Nitro, Laser, and Zap were definetly candid about their experiences on the show and their feelings about the new show that is no gone. Nitro was very funny as usual and all of them kept plugging their individual sites and products. I wish we could have seen a photo of them in studio doing the commentaries. I kept wanting to see what Zap looked like. The audio and picture quality on the episodes are not spectacular but the best the show is ever going to get, I'm sure. I hope these sets sell well enough to warrant more releases, even if extras aren't included.

 

[David Rain]

I'm shocked that there would be any extras, especially commentaries. Pleasantly surprised, though. I've read a few brief interviews with former Glads over the years who have said some interesting things about the show. Mainly the use of painkillers, steroids (allegedly) and the true sexuality of some of the Glads. Quite a bit of gossip for a family show.

I just wonder if anyone will ever acknowledge what a d-bag Turbo was ?

 

[supes78]

Zap did touch on the rumored relationship between her and Ice and Nitro mentioned trying to get Zap in the sack when they first met. I also liked how they all commented on how Todd Christiansen wasn't a good host. Again, these were some of the best commentaries I've ever listened to.

I'm distressed the sales ranking for this set is around 11,000 on Amazon. I was hoping it would crack the top 1,000. I don't know what this means for future releases but I think it's a safe bet there won't be any more commentaries.