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.
Take the Wall, one of the only events to be played on all seasons of the original show. This event has two big and fierce gladiators chase two competitors as they try to climb up a rock climbing wall before being captured. Competitors must not only choose the right path during their climb, but they have to do it quickly and efficiently enough so that the gladiators following them won't get a hold of a foot or a leg and throw them off the wall and into the pool.
Each event brings its own series of challenges and risks. Contenders must make split-second decisions that could not only make the difference between winning or losing but could also lead to injuries. In Skytrack, competitors hang in an uncomfortable position on the ceiling and must race each other on an inverted figure of eight track while being pursued by the gladiators.
American Gladiators is a physical and a mind-over-matter game. In the May 26 episode, one contestant facing the famous Eliminator, dislocated a shoulder, popped it back in and finished the course in record time! Talk about skills and true dedication! If you want to watch him face the Eliminator, go to NBC.com's AG video page.
Because of the physical, strategic, and mind-over-matter requirements, American Gladiators is this year's The Jeopardy Award winner. It also won our Readers' Choice Award.
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