Ninja Warrior is back
Yes, American Ninja Warrior aired an all-stars special in February, and a celebrity edition last month — which Arrow star Stephen Amell tore up like a toddler with a roll of toilet paper. But on Monday, the obstacle course competition returns in earnest for Season 9.
The physically demanding format is based on a Japanese series, but some argue it’s the contestants’ backstories that make the U.S. version a winner.
“It does affect you emotionally. You do get hooked into these stories. You do care about these people,” executive producer Arthur Smith told reporters. “And it’s always difficult every year because there’s a limited amount of people we can run on the course. This year, we have about 50 per cent returners and 50 per cent new.”
There’s also freshness in the course itself: The tryouts will feature six new obstacles submitted by viewers. Past obstacles include Snake Crossing (players cross tilting S-shaped balance beams and large static stones) and Invisible Ladder (players grab two rings and use their upper-body strength to move 30 feet upward).
Last Sunday, on the special American Ninja Warrior: U.S.A. vs. The World, Team U.S.A. member Jessie Graff became the first woman to complete Stage 2.
She’ll also appear on Season 9 of the show, airing on NBC and CTV.
SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE
So You Think You Can Dance debuts Season 14 — a return to adult contestants. (Screamin’) Mary Murphy returns as judge after a few years off, alongside newbie Vanessa Hudgens and original judge Nigel Lythgoe. Cat Deeley hosts for the 14th time.
“I do feel a little bit like a dinosaur, though, sometimes,” she told AOL. “I feel like I was probably walking the land when velociraptors were around, because some of the kids that come on the show were like ‘I’ve been watching the show since I was eight. And I’m like, ‘Never say that again! Don’t darken my door again.’ ”
So You Think You Can Dance, which has won 14 Emmys, airs on Fox.
SPARTAN
And since there’s no better way to honour physically superior humans than to park your caboose on the couch, Spartan: Ultimate Team Challenge debuts Season 2 Monday on NBC/Global. Inspired by the Spartan Race phenomenon and from the American Ninja Warrior team, the show features friends, families and coworkers tackling a halfmile long obstacle course for a chance at $250,000. The announcers include Olympian Apolo Ohno and ESPN’s Kelvin Washington.