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| Synopsis: The Roman arena, with
its cruel and bloody games, remains one of the greatest mysteries of the
Ancient World. For over 500 years, lethal gladiatorial contests, staged
to entertain the common people, dominated Roman society. Gladiators fought, often to the death, in front of 55,000 cheering spectators who regularly filled the Colosseum, an immense oval stadium bigger than many modern football stadiums. Making its North American premiere on the Discovery Channel on Sunday, March 14 from 9-10 PM (ET/PT), COLOSSEUM: A GLADIATOR'S STORY travels back in time to the brutality and glamor of ancient Rome, to shed light on the true manner in which gladiators fought and trained. Why was the spectacle of death so important to Roman society? Why did the Romans go to such lengths to construct special buildings in which to display those spectacles and how did those buildings really work? And what was it like to be a gladiator, the star of such a spectacle? Called "one of the best dramatic documentaries ever screened" by the London Evening Standard when it premiered last October on BBC One, the special is a BBC/Discovery Channel/RTL co-production. COLOSSEUM: A GLADIATOR'S STORY features lavish sets, innovative CGI techniques and intricate battle scenes choreographed by Andreas Petrides, who also arranged the fight scenes in the Ridley Scott movie, Gladiator. Throughout the special, historical facts about gladiators and the Colosseum are told via the true story of the gladiator Verus. Like the fictional character Maximus in the movie Gladiator, Verus was a slave who rose through the ranks of gladiatorial combat to win his freedom. But unlike Maximus, he actually existed, and is one of the only gladiators to have had one of his fights recorded in history. In COLOSSEUM: A GLADIATOR'S STORY, Verus escapes the relentless grind of slave labor in the stone quarries and is taken on as a trainee fighter to learn the complex and highly skilled techniques of the gladiator. He forges friendships with other trainee gladiators and learns that life as a gladiator can be nasty, brutish and short. But he also learns that, with luck, skill and sheer courage, a star gladiator can become rich, attract admiring hordes of women and ultimately earn his freedom. COLOSSEUM: A GLADIATOR'S STORY follows Verus' rise to fame and relives his spectacular fight during the inaugural games at the Colosseum. The program also explores the building of the Colosseum, using computer animation to reveal the original beauty and ambition of its design. With corridors and staircases leading from 76 public entrances to convey 55,000 spectators to their seats in minutes, the Colosseum also had a maze of subterranean passages and chambers that kept gladiators and wild animals in readiness below. Platforms raised by pulleys to concealed trap doors in the arena floor provided additional excitement. Production Credits: COLOSSEUM: A GLADIATOR'S STORY is a BBC/Discovery Channel/RTL co-production. Executive producer for the Discovery Channel is Steven Manuel. For the BBC, co-executive producers are Jonathan Stamp and Laurence Rees; writer, producer, director is Tilman Remme. |
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