Gladiators: Epic Pranks coming to CBBC
Gladiators is to receive a spin-off prank show, airing on CBBC next year.
The children's channel has ordered 15 15-minute episodes of Gladiators: Epic Pranks, in which secret prankster Nitro enlists the help of his teammates as they aim to pull off some epic pranks on their fellow competitors.
Will Bionic wear a bunny costume at a calendar shoot for April? Will Viper fall for a fake influencer's demands? And behind the scenes at the live Gladiators shows in Sheffield, there are even pranks on unsuspecting members of the public, as well as the Gladiators going head-to-head in games like Rock, Paper, Scissors, and Charades.
Presented by Bradley Walsh with his son Barney, the primetime Gladiators revival has been a ratings hit, averaging six million viewers on BBC One, and critically acclaimed, with the Guardian calling it a "phenomenal reboot" of the show, which began in 1992 on ITV and was briefly brought back on Sky One in 2008.
A celebrity special has also been filmed, featuring comedians Joel Dommett, Ellie Taylor and Rob Beckett competing alongside television presenter Louise Minchin.
Gladiators: Epic Pranks is made by Hungry Bear (Judge Romesh, All Round To Mrs Brown's) and MGM.
The series was commissioned by Sarah Muller, senior head of BBC Children's Commissioning 7+ and the commissioning editor for the BBC is Melissa Hardinge. The executive producers are Dan Baldwin and Lou Brown for Hungry Bear Media, and Barry Poznick and Dom Bird for MGM Alternative UK.
The commission signals a revival of the prank format for youthful audiences. On Friday, British Comedy Guide revealed that Matt Lucas is piloting a hidden camera show for ITV teatime audiences, Matt Lucas' The Joke's On You.