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Gladiators a triumph of marketing

Posted in Media, Branwell Johnson, Latest reporters' blogs May 12th, 2008 by Branwell Johnson

Hats off to the BSkyB marketing and PR team for turning Gladiators into a must-see event over the weekend. The levels of media coverage have reached near hysteria fuelled by stories of on-set injuries and just how “tough” are the challenges on the new show.

Gladiators pulled in 1.5 million viewers yesterday for Sky One(11 May). Programme sponsor Nintendo Wii must be delighted with the show, which at times resembles a low powered 90s platform video game with chunky animated avatars slugging it out. It certainly provides more entertainment on a dull Sunday evening than Five’s Home And Away, for instance.

Gladiators is positioned as family fun and its stars marketed in the same way as American wrestlers. What’s the betting that action dolls have already been licensed for Christmas?

However, there’s one thing the new series does not have and that is Jet (or Diane Youdale to you and me). A very unscientific straw poll of both boys and girls reveals the raven-tressed one is the all time favourite Gladiator. She’s now a psychotherapist and counsellor. Who says dressing in spandex and wrestling with sweaty members of the public doesn’t lead to an enviable career?

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