European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - July 10, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse                                T to Mem a Cdr. A f Iff Goldwyn Abc Turbo hangs Tough on tvs american gladiators which has recruited Dean Cain the Man of steel on Lois amp Clark the new adventures of  for a ratings lift with name by Daniel Ceryne los Angeles times. The american gladiators those muscle bound warriors in red White and Blue spandex tights have become a familiar sight on television. Maybe a Tittle too familiar. Their successful syndicated to show is 5 years old and their ratings last season dipped slightly for the second straight year. They need to recapture americans imagination. They peed an exciting new Challenge in their foam and velcro Arena. They need a contender who viewers might relish seeing tossed around like a rag  need Tonya Harding. And she has committed to take on the gladiators next season in a special episode of the show. She was working  details with her parole officer said Julie Resh vice president of television production and development for the Samuel Goldwyn co. A what we re very dependent on is Competition that intrigues the audience Quot explained Samuel Goldwyn jr., chairman of the Samuel Goldwyn co. A just watching the gladiators Isnit enough after five or six years. For the show to stay on the air you have to keep evolving to keep it . Gladiators and the Short lived roller games Ere ated a new genre of to in 1989, dubbed a crash and trash Quot by critics and no show in the category has a worked harder to stay fresh than gladiators. Through the years a horde of wild physical game shows have tried to joust the gladiators off their Perch the syndicated knights and warriors Usa network s gonzo games Nickelodeon a guts. Still More Are coming a tvs a Sand blast and the new. Syndicated series Blade warriors and Beac clash. But the gladiators have remained standing. They Are now in production on their sixth season. In fact despite a National rating last year of 3.9, compared to 4.3 for the series Peak season two years ago the gladiators Enterprise has never been stronger. The syndicated program can be seen in 52 countries and is in Cable reruns on Usa. One Hundred licensees worldwide Are Selling products based on the shows colourful characters a with names such As ice laser Nitro and Sabre a and licensing Revenue has been estimated near $30 million. The  and Finland Are producing their own versions of gladiators featuring local gladiators and contenders and Russia is scheduled to follow suit this year. Talks Are under Way to carry the show to Australia and Spain. Action director Renny Harlin Cliffy anger who. Personally directs and produces gladiators in Finland with a partner of his there plans to produce a feature film for the United states. Wyatt Earp writer Dan Gordon is working on the screenplay. And now Goldwyn is readying the first direct spinoff gladiators 2000, and an american gladiators companion piece wild West showdown for a syndicated launch in september. In gladiators 2000, kids will compete against each other in physical and mental competitions while being coached and instructed on matters of health nutrition cleanliness and physical fitness by the gladiators. Wild West meanwhile will drop three adult competitors each week into an 1880s Frontier town a the Disney ranch in Santai Clarita calif., actually. A the show is based Ort the idea that you secretly have always wanted to be Clint Eastwood and there a a town nobody has Ever been Able to clean up a said Goldwyn whose . Barnum image with gladiators is in Stark contrast to the films his Independent company releases including the upcoming Oleanna written and directed by David Mamet. For the new season beginning in september eight of the 27 episodes currently under production will play up existing rivalries to punch up the action and a Goldwyn Hopes a the ratings. Competing will be former us and notre Dame football players officers from the los Angeles and new York police departments the International gladiators from the foreign series and members of the army Navy air Force and marines who battled in the highest rated episode last season. Dean Cain. Who plays Superman in abcs Lois amp Clark the new adventures of Superman will also be featured in a celebrity episode. So what a next on the gladiators evolutionary scale. A a we re talking about a permanent show in Las vegas right on the strip a Goldwyn said