That didn't take long. Apparently, the absence of new Two and a Half Men episodes lead to the American Gladiator premiere getting the highest ratings of any new show this season, and an average of 12 million viewers sampling the first two episodes. All of this is enough for "starving-for-a-hit" NBC to sign up the competition show for another season. If the solid ratings continue, I'd look for NBC to go all Who Wants to be a Millionaire? with it and put it on every night of the week, sandwiched around new episodes of Deal or No Deal.

No word yet on when the new season will begin (this debut season is a short one wrapping next month) or how many episodes have been ordered, but this means it's not too late for me to try out to be on the show. Or better yet, if I start working out now, maybe I can be the thirteenth Gladiator. My Gladiator name will be Pudge, and luckily the giant cotton swab is already my weapon of choice in melee combat.