Wow. I didn't expect that. Stuart Murphy, Sky1's new controller, has sensationally axed the channel's revival of Gladiators and Don't Forget The Lyrics. Speaking about his decision, Murphy said:
"Gladiators has done a great job for Sky1 over two seasons, resonating with our young audience and showcasing our entertainment credentials. But now we need to prioritise and allow for both new entertainment formats and genres not recently seen on Sky1, such as comedy. I have also decided not to re-commission Don't Forget the Lyrics for the same reasons. I would like to thank Shine and RDF for their hard work."
I'm no fan of Lyrics (a joyless, languorous karaoke gameshow), but I'll be sad to see Gladiators go. I never made a point to watch every episode, and it was certainly a shadow of the arena-filling ITV phenomenon in the '90s, but it was still decent family entertainment. And always worth watching to see Tempest do Hang Tough.
