american gladiators

And the winner for The Jeopardy Award for 2008, given to the game show requiring the most skills, is ... American Gladiators!

Out of the five nominees, AG not only got the most votes from the TV Squad staff but also our readers (getting about 50 votes more than Are You Smarter than a 5th Grader?).

The show may not require a lot of brain power, but it is so physically demanding that some competitors leave the arena seriously injured.

Each week, four competitors (two women and two men) test their physical and mental strength, endurance and confidence in a series of wacky and challenging events such as the Joust, the Wall, Hang Tough and The Eliminator.

Last week, you had a chance to nominate shows for The Jeopardy Award. This award rewards the primetime game show requiring the most skill. Because of the fact that we are only looking for shows that air in primetime, a lot of game shows requiring skills are out of the running. So is the case for Cash Cab, which received a lot of nominations, Crosswords and Jeopardy.

After the jump you will find the nominees, listed in alphabetical order, for The Jeopardy Award, along with a poll for the Reader's Choice Award. Both winners will be announced next week.

• At 8, ABC has Vacation Swap, followed by a new episode of The Bachelorette.
• NBC has a new American Gladiators at 8, then a new Dateline.
• ABC Family has a new Greek at 8, then a new Wildfire.
• Also at 8: TV Land has an Andy Griffith Show marathon.
• At 8:30, ESPN has the NBA Playoffs.
• At 9, Larry King Live has all the finalists from American Idol.
• USA has a new Monday Night RAW at 9.
• A&E has the premiere of The Andromeda Strain at 9.
• At 10, Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives.
• E! has the premiere of Denise Richards: It's Complicated, then the premiere of Living Lohan.
• Also at 10: MTV has two new episodes of The Paper.

Check your local TV listings for more.

Some serious cross-promotion will take place on the June 9 episode of American Gladiators. NBC is airing a special Incredible Hulk-themed installment of the series known for its muscle-bound warriors decked out in spandex and oil.

The Incredible Hulk feature film, directed by Louis Leterrier and starring Edward Norton, Liv Tyler, Tim Roth and William Hurt, hits theaters four days later on June 13.

The Gladiators episode will feature guest star Lou Ferrigno (who played the green guy on the 1970s TV series) sharing the spotlight with host Hulk Hogan.

• At 8, ABC has a new Dancing with the Stars, followed by a new episode of Samantha Who? and the season finale of The Bachelor.
• CBS has a new Big Bang Theory, then new episodes of How I Met Your Mother, Two and a Half Men, Rules of Engagement, and CSI: Miami.
• NBC has a new, two hour American Gladiators at 8, then a new Medium.
• FOX has new episodes of Bones and House.
• The CW has a new Gossip Girl at 8, followed by a new One Tree Hill.
• There's a new Antiques Roadshow on PBS at 8.
• TNT has another NBA Playoff game at 8.
• At 9, USA has a new Monday Night RAW.
• Discovery has a new Dirty Jobs at 9.
• GSN has a new World Poker Tour, also at 9.
• At 10, Food Network has a new Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives.
• MTV has a new episode of The Hills at 10, then a new episode of The Paper.
• HBO has a new Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel at 10.

Check your local TV listings for more.

On Friday I attended the All-American Summer Press Event held by NBC Universal. The event was held at the Langham Hotel (formerly the Ritz-Carlton) in Pasadena, CA. It included the casts and producers of the following shows: American Gladiators, Nashville Star, Shear Genius, and Last Comic Standing. NBC also held panels for two new shows: Celebrity Circus and Baby Borrowers.

Find out what Wolf said and what's in store for next season on NBC and Bravo after the jump...

Hear that sound -- a nearly inaudible rumbling coming over the horizon? Everyday it is getting louder and louder. Soon, the stampede that is the return of scripted series back from the depths of the WGA strike will overrun our televisions and computer screens, bringing overwhelming joy to our lives.

Okay, that statement may be a little flowery, but the sentiment is still there. After a very long dry period a good many of our favorite comedies and dramas are returning to the television landscape. We've had a taste of it these last few weeks with the return of shows like The Big Bang Theory, How I Met Your Mother, Dirt, The Riches and Smallville. That was just a preview of what is to come. Over the next few weeks we will see the return of The Office, Scrubs, Ugly Betty, all of the CSIs, Battlestar Galactica, and Lost, among others.

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Last night was the grand finale of NBC's remake of American Gladiators. Hosted by former WWE Champion Hulk Hogan and professional boxer turned Dancing with the Stars contestant Laila Ali, contenders faced off gladiators in events such as Joust, Power Ball, Pyramid, Hang Tough, etc.

The finale crowned a female and a male champion who each won $100,000, a car, and a position as one of the gladiators in the series' second season.

• At 8, ABC has a new Dance War, followed by new episodes of Notes from the Underbelly and October Road.
• FOX has a new Prison Break at 8, then a new Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles.
• NBC has a new, 90 minute American Gladiators and a new, 90 minute Deal Or No Deal.
• PBS has a new Antiques Roadshow at 8.
• USA has the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show at 8.
• Also at 8: ABC Family has a new Kyle XY, then a new Wildfire.
• At 9, The CW has two new episodes of Girlfriends.
• There's a new Monday Night RAW on USA at 9.
• At 9:30, CBS has a new New Adventures of Old Christine.
• HBO has a new In Treatment at 9:30.
• At 10, Travel Channel has a new Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations.

Check your local TV listings for more.

A lot of people are worried that NBC has suddenly changed into a reality/game show channel. Not only has NBC had Deal Or No Deal, The Apprentice, 1 vs. 100, and The Biggest Loser on the schedule for a few seasons, they now also have American Gladiators, Nashville Star, a game show hosted by Dennis Miller called Amnesia, America's Favorite Mom, and My Dad Is Better Than Your Dad. And don't forget the Bernie Mac reality show Welcome to the Family. They aren't the only network to have reality/game shows, but they seem to be taking the lead in getting the most on the air (and canceling scripted shows).

Now NBC chief Ben Silverman tells The Los Angeles Times that he meant that this is just a temporary thing, because of the strike. They are still picking up scripted sitcoms and dramas and things will go back to normal after the strike is over.

• At 8, ABC has a new Dance War, followed by a new episode of 20/20.
• FOX has a new Prison Break at 8, then a new Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles.
• NBC has new episodes of American Gladiators and Deal or No Deal.
• PBS has a new Antiques Roadshow at 8, followed by a new American Experience.
• There's a new Kyle XY on ABC Family at 8, then a new Wildfire.
• Food Network has a new Good Eats at 8.
• Also at 8: History Channel has a new Modern Marvels, followed by new episodes of Cities of the Underworld and Ancient Discoveries.
• At 8:30, CBS has the premiere of Welcome to the Captain.
• At 9, The CW has a new episode of Girlfriends, then a new episode of The Game.
• USA has a new Monday Night RAW at 9.
• Larry King Live has Bill Maher, at 9 on CNN.
• At 9:30, CBS has the season premiere of The New Adventures of Old Christine.
• Food Network has a new Unwrapped at 9:30.
• At 10, Travel Channel has a new Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations.

Check your local TV listings for more.

Do you like American Gladiators? How about a version that has kids competing instead of adults?

That was a concept of Gladiators 2000, a spinoff of the original version of American Gladiators. It aired for a couple of years in the mid-1990s (which is odd, considering it had "2000" in the title - maybe they were optimistic), and now it's coming back to syndicated television because of the success of NBC's remake of the original AG. If you don't remember the show, it was a little bit like the Nickelodeon show Guts. Contestants would engage in all these tests of strength and speed and accuracy while at the same time learning why carrots were good for you and too much pizza wasn't.

The real gem about the video clip from the show (after the jump) isn't the game itself, it's the host -- American Idol host Ryan Seacrest co-hosted the show. Check out his hair

• At 8, ABC has a new Dance War.
• NBC has a new American Gladiators at 8.
• The CW has a new Gossip Girl at 8.
• There's a new Antiques Roadshow on PBS at 8.
• ABC Family has a new Kyle XY at 8, followed by a new Wildfire.
• At 9, ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX, PBS, CSPAN, and the news channels will have President Bush's State of the Union Address.
• GSN has a new High Stakes Poker at 9.
• USA has a new Monday Night RAW at 9.
• At 9:30, HBO has the premiere of In Treatment.
• At 10, Food Network has a new Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives.
• Travel Channel has a new Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations at 10.

Check your local TV listings for more.

Here are the weekly TV ratings, by number of viewers.

I wonder why football gets so many different parts of a broadcast to count as separate shows on the ratings list? The actual game, the pre-kick, the post game, the bridge (which I assume is...well, I don't assume anything anymore, though I would guess it's the time between the pre-kick and the kickoff, though I could be wrong), and now something called "gun." Or maybe it's "GUN." Not sure what that is, but it came at 10:16pm, just before the post game show, which started at 10:22pm.Why don't other shows get that sort of treatment? Why don't sitcoms and dramas get their shows split up like this?

1. NFC Championship (FOX)

NBC has brought back American Gladiators to good ratings, and now ABC wants to bring back a show from TVs past. The network is bringing back Circus of the Stars, the specials that had TV stars walking highwires, training tigers, swinging on a trapeze, and juggling. And NBC isn't staying out of the celebrity circus game. In fact, they have a new show coming up that's actually titled Celebrity Circus.

Eh. This isn't the 80s celebrity competition show I want to see come back. How about one of the networks (or all, they can rotate) bringing back Battle of the Network Stars? That might be fun strike viewing. And no, I'm not talking about that lame, horrifying Battle of the Reality TV Stars from a few years back. I want to see Jon Stewart steering a kayak, Matthew Fox throwing a football, but mostly I want to see the blond chick from Chuck in a wet bathing suit.

As for Circus of the Stars, I think the only thing that might make me tune in is the possibility of seeing Dr. Phil eaten by a lion.