American Gladiators Kind Of Rocked Tonight

There...I said it.

I caught the first hour of American Gladiators tonight and it was pretty fun. Don't confuse fun with amazing television, but it was a new way to spend the hour nonetheless.

I've made fun of the show in past but you have to commend the producers for doing their best to keep the format fresh. They introduce a new game every week and there are some new gladiators as well.

Speaking of, last year's winner Evan is now a full-time gladiator and he plays the part well. Here is Evan, now known as Rocket, taking on a grocery store owner named Toby in Vertigo.



The commentary is awful and the competitors get pretty grating but for summer TV, American Gladiators does not disappoint.

It's Memorial Day. Do You Know Where Your Remote Is?

In between grilling copious amounts of brats and burgers, remembering our troops and taking naps outside, please note that Memorial Day also offers a great opportunity for TV watching.

Like the days leading up to Christmas, Memorial Day is rife with TV marathons. If you have an addictive personality, just need to catch up on some old favorites, or if you just have nothing else to do and hate the sun, today is just for you. Here's what's coming on:

• TNT is showing 13 episodes of the original Law & Order today. With so many episodes at their disposal it would have made sense to have a theme for the episodes like "creepiest criminals," "make-ups and break-ups," etc. That was kind of a missed opportunity.
  

• Jon & Kate Plus 8 takes over TLC today.
  

• Oxygen is running back-t0-back episodes of Bad Girls Club this morning followed by Deion & Pillar: Prime Time Love this afternoon. I tell you this just so you can avoid that station at all costs today.
  

• Animal Planet is running their popular advice show It's Me Or The Dog. I always thought this show was truly an ultimatum and a boyfriend or girlfriend would have to decide between the dog and the partner. It's really just Dog Whisperer with a second-hand Cesar Milan. My show would've been a lot more interesting.
  

• In an odd choice, FX decided to run back-to-back episodes of That 70's Show. Even if their original shows (Nip/Tuck, It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia) are too raunchy for daytime, they could've at least picked a good comedy, or maybe just some old movies.
  

• MSNBC is running one of my favorite series' Lock Up. Sidenote, my roommate and I were watching the show last night and at Kentucky State Pen, prisoners with good behavior can get moved to the minimum security house. The house has cable, a stocked fridge, a vegetable garden and it's on the lake. Basically, it's better than our apartment.
  

• For those of you who like to kick it old school, BET is airing Diff'rent Strokes all day.
  

• And in an odd twist, MTV is running back-to-back eps of American Gladiators. I'm not quite sure how or why.
  

So have a safe and happy Memorial Day. Don't drink and drive, wear sunscreen, and avoid the Oxygen at all costs.

Howard Cosell She Is Not

I may have been snowed in at Mom & Dad's last night, but the season finale of American Gladiators kept things pretty hot, (though still not hot enough to avoid crappy cliches.)

Two hours of yelling, (potential) 'roid rage, homo-erotic outfits and nerf guns made for a banner evening. The icing on the cake came when my mother woke up from her near hibernation like slumber to share her witticisms and color commentary with my father and I. Here are a few of her gems:

" That guy, (eventual Gladiator champion Evan Dollard) looks like he's on speed. Somebody check his waterbottle."

"Why do the white people always win the games?"

"Do you think Hulk Hogan's doo-rag has that blond hair sewn to the edges?"

"Justice (Tall, Black Gladiator with a 1987 movie-villan hair cut) must have gotten into this show to legally assault white people."

Let's just say I wouldn't have minded if she kept sleeping. Though her constant questions and criticism were no match for the excruciatingly annoying post-competition jabber between the contenders and hosts Leila Ali and Hulk Hogan. It would've taken a few hits in the head with that joust stick to make that portion, (or perhaps the whole evening), tolerable.