Telly Today: From Ant and Dec to a nobody

TV picks for Saturday, February 3rd…

It’s the BBC One hit they probably didn’t expect; a revamp of the old LWT show Gladiators has proved a hit with Saturday night audiences with a mix of nostalgia and up-to-date action. Tonight, more epic events as the Gladiators hit hard in Duel, the contenders hit back in Gauntlet and buckle-up for a nail biting Eliminator.

Father and son duo Bradley and Barney Walsh oversee proceedings – and the family have history with the original UK ITV broadcast show – Donna Walsh, Barney’s mum and Bradley’s wife, was head choreographer for the Gladiator cheerleaders on the original series while Bradley took part in a Celebrities vs Jockeys special in 1997.

One of the most recognisable voices in top-flight football, commentator Guy Mowbray provides the voiceover commentary on all the action format while the Beeb Gladiators are Apollo, Athena, Bionic, Comet, Diamond, Dynamite, Electro, Fire, Fury, Giant, Legend, Nitro, Phantom, Sabre, Steel and Viper.

The new series was filmed at the Utilita Arena in Sheffield.

BBC One, 7.10 pm

Movie Premiere, Bob Odenkirk of Better Call Saul and Breaking Bad fame stars as an apparently placid family man whose hidden past puts him in a unique position to defend his loved ones when the chips are down in director Ilya Naishuller’s ass-kicking action thriller.

The 2021 film opens with a handcuffed and bloodied Hutch Mansell (Odenkirk) lighting up a cig in an interview room. ‘Who the f*ck are you?’ he’s asked by the interviewing agent. The title of the film flashes up. He’s sodding nobody.

Viewers then get a montage of an average Joe going about his business. He’s got a family. He puts out the trash. He tries to keep fit. He avoids confrontation. He’s unremarkable. He’s a wimp.

Except… he used to be an assassin for hire.

But stuff’s about to go down that’s gonna make his repressed, ultraviolent, ‘manly’ true self rise to the surface like some crazed orca crashing through the seething ocean waves at a sniff of a seal. It ain’t gonna be pretty. But it’s sure gonna be exciting. And no doubt he’ll still be taking out the trash.

Also features Connie Nielsen, Christopher Lloyd and RZA.

Channel 5, 9 pm

There’s truly life-changing money on offer as Ant and Dec try to help more contestants climb as high up the never-ending money ladder as they can.

First up, Terri wants to take her sons to Disney, and her best friend Jess wants to travel the world. Can they cash out with an amazing total, or will they crash out and leave with nothing?

Then it’s husband and wife, Paul and Ellie’s turn to take on the Limitless Ladder. They play the game competitively when watching at home – but can they translate that into a huge win in the studio?

A limitless pot of cash and a stack of fiendish questions, the answers to which are all numbers…

ITV1 and STV at 8 pm