Muscles and Mayhem : An Unauthorized Story of The American Gladiators will be streaming on Netflix. The show ran from 1989 to 1996 and was a popular game show that featured a number of bodybuilders facing off against various contestants. The show was the essence of 1990s American culture. Sports, prevalent commercialization, and the image of action hero are the best way to describe the American Gladiators craze . The documentary will look at the rise of popularity, the lives of the gladiators, and the challenges that came with producing such a unique show. There have been attempts to revive the series. The 2008 version only lasted two seasons. The original American Gladiators ran for 208 episodes and seven seasons. The Netflix documentary will cover some of the controversial elements surrounding the show. Performance enhancing drug use, conflict during competition, and injury rates were concerns. Granted the Netflix production will have a good amount of sensationalism to gain viewership. While their documentaries are fascinating they sometimes feel too much like a tabloid. ESPN also has produced a documentary about the show. The fact these two documentaries are being produced indicates there could be interest in having the franchise revived. At its height the show had products like shirts, lunchboxes, video games, and action figures. A cartoon was rumored to be in development, but nothing came of this. Although it seems that American Gladiators remains in pop-culture dormancy, it hold a special place in nostalgic memory. Muscles and Mayhem : An Unauthorized Story of The American Gladiators should be a must watch for any devoted fan.
