"Gladiators" a gift for "Smackdown" crowd
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LOS ANGELES  - Desperate for original programming, NBC put a revamped "American Gladiators" on its schedule card with a two-hour premiere Sunday night. The show had been off the air for a decade. Even then, it appeared only in syndication, presumably too embarrassing a spectacle to interest network programmers.
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The first few months of the year are  an ideal time for rising acts to grab their share of attention  and, they hope, sales. That's true for upcoming releases and  new promotional boosts for sets already on hand.
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A product named Egyptian Magic, sold mainly by word of mouth, attracts celebrities.
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Touring events, exhibits and other promotional efforts are becoming more popular as advertisers seek to forge closer emotional bonds with consumers.
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The superstar springs a surprise.
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A funeral director uses billboards to warn against becoming his "guest of honor." Sports heroes and business leaders offer up a boxing ring.
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There's hype. There's hysteria. And there's history.
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NBCâs remake of âAmerican Gladiatorsâ muscled to a strong start on Sunday. The amateur athletic tournament, based on the early 1990s series, delivered the highest ratings among adults 18 to 49 of any new show this season on any network, matching the debut of âHeroesâ in September 2006, Nielsen estimated. In total viewers, however, âAmerican Gladiatorsâ was less impressive, drawing an average of 12 million from 9 to 11 p.m. ABCâs âCashmere Mafia,â by comparison, which made its debut on Sunday at 10 p.m., attracted 10.7 million viewers but markedly lower ratings in the 18-to-49 set. âCashmere Mafiaâ also benefited from a plum time slot following ABCâs âDesperate Housewivesâ (19.8 million), the only show to outpace âAmerican Gladiatorsâ on the night among adults 18 to 49. ABC, NBC and CBS finished in a virtual tie for first in that demographic over all on Sunday. CBS, buoyed by an overrun of its afternoon football coverage during the 7 p.m. hour that was followed by one of the highest rated editions of â60 Minutesâ in recent years (19 million), won the race in total viewers.
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Inspired by âAmerican Idol,â voter-based competitions are proliferating in every corner of the entertainment world.
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A popular hobby among devotees of anime and manga, cosplay -- costume combined with play -- pays tribute to fans' favorite characters.
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David Beckham attracts Hollywood stars the same way he draws defenders on the soccer field. In large numbers.
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Bruce Springsteen is a hard act to follow, and Senator John Kerry was not born to perform. But the huge, high-voltage crowds who gathered this week to cheer on the
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After the recent  successful launch of the new "American Gladiators" on NBC,  MGM's domestic TV distribution is digging into the archives to  bring out the mid-'90s kids series "Gladiators 2000," hosted by  Ryan Seacrest.
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Talent isn't required, but screams, cheers  and lots of gyrations are.
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Gabe:  We had our annual Enforcer wrap party on Monday night over at Gameworks. It's a chance for all the Enforcers to get together and relax after the show. It's also a chance for Tycho and I to thank them for all their help. We played a lot of games and heard a ton of great stories. There's so much of the show that Tycho and I miss but the Enforcers see it all and this year they saw some crazy shit.   For example I had no idea that e for all had hired guerrilla marketers to wander the streets in front of PAX with T.V's in their shirts. They were passing out glow sticks and postcards with the e for all logo on them. PAX Enforcers and attendees started a game that involved masking tape and replacing the "for all" with other things the e might stand for.   That's certainly funny but it's not the best story about other exhibitions invading PAX. At one point during the evening a table full of Enforcers told me a tale that was so awesome I just had to pass it along.Late Friday night Amber was called down to the lobby of the convention center to deal with a drunk and belligerent member of the media who was apparently yelling at a couple of our Enforcers. Amber arrived to find the man obviously hammered and harassing our security. She approached him and explained that the show was over (which it wasn't) and that he should just go home and sleep. Upon seeing Amber his behavior changed quite drastically. He stopped arguing with the Enforcers and instead stared hitting on her. He bragged that he'd been out all night drinking with Incubus. Then he suggested the two of them go see a movie, get some drinks and "see where it goes." I think we all know where it goes. Sloppy drunks twice her age really aren't Amber's type so she politely declined the offer while still trying to move him towards the door. He leaned in at this point and said "this Penny Arcade shit is weak!" and then asked her if she wanted to know a secret. He said it would "impress her" and with that he produced his business card.  He pointed at it and slurred "this is where it's at baby."Now we'd seen this guy all weekend taking photos of our game rooms and exhibition hall. Since he was pretending to be media he also interviewed all our Enforcers about how the show was organized and managed. A few of our Exhibitors even complained that he was in the exhibition hall trying to sell them on his convention. Amber took the card and asked him to find her the next day after he had sobered up. She had every right to pull his badge right then but was a little worried about how he might react. The next morning she happened to meet up with him on the escalators in the main hall. "Hey I remember you" he said, "but I don't remember your name." "I'm Amber the event coordinator for PAX and I need you to give me your badge." she replied.He looked around at the group of colleagues around him and laughed. I guess he thought she was joking. Security arrived and she pressed him again for his badge. He tried to apologize for hitting on her but she informed him that while that was certainly inappropriate it was the drunken tirade that we didn't appreciate at PAX. He reluctantly handed over his badge and was escorted out by a group of Enforcers. I was told this story by a dozen or so other Enforcers who witnessed or took part in the event. When they gave me Ed's business card as physical proof of their encounter I couldn't believe it. I was already laughing when I turned the card over and noticed the back.   -Gabe out
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The NFL, being as imbued with the holiday spirit as much as anyone else, is prepared to offer fans that ubiquitous gift that keeps on giving.
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Redskins owner Daniel Snyder has created a way for fans to vault over the 75,000 names on the waiting list for season tickets and get prime seats.