As I watch night two of NBC's rollout of American Gladiators, I'm struck by one word: unlikeable.

While I'm bothered by the fact that no strains of the familiar theme song from the original Gladiators can be heard today, I'm glad they brought back the majority of the old events like Joust, Assault, the Wall and the Eliminator. Even the new competition like the Pyramid, Earthquake and the bridge thing are pretty awesome. Despite what you might believe, it's ok to take a look back and bring some of the past along with you.

But that's where the positives end. Some gripes:

-The forced interviews. It's painfully obvious that the contestants are coached beforehand with scripted lines, which makes these segments almost impossible to watch. Where's the human factor here? They obviously have stories to tell, but it's hard to cut through the cheese to get through to the substance.

-The hosts. When I heard that Hulk Hogan and Layla Ali were the hosts, I thought those were good moves as they were both recognizable stars in their own right. After three hours of watching though, I couldn't be more annoyed. They also talk as if they're cardboard cutouts, even in their normal banter with the contestants. The 'do it for the paycheck' factor is apparent as Hogan and Ali don't seem like they're having a good time.

I think the major issue is that in the original show, Mike Adamle and Larry Csonka were entrusted with presenting the show and not overtaking it. While Hogan and Ali are stars, they're not meant to be the stars of the show: the contestants are.

-The Gladiators. I don't understand: are they supposed to be likable or unlikable? Faces or heels? Almost every one of the Gladiators is inherently despicable in their own way, spandex-clad extensions of the bullies in high school. With scowling faces and bulging muscles, you get the feeling that superiority is something they honestly think they have, not part of "the act." (The one exception is Crush, aka Gina Carano, an amazing kickboxer/MMA fighter that has arguably more chops than anyone on the show. Interestingly enough, she seems to be the only one having any fun out there, often breaking character with her engaging smile.) I have no issue with the Gladiators acting like villains if that's the idea. In that case, play it up to the fullest and really be bad guys. Make the fans cheer against you and love it when you lose. Spit on them, swear at them and treat them like trash. How many millions of dollars has pro wrestling made on that formula? The majority of the country don't like bullies, so why not create the full effect?

-The editing. I understand this version of AmGlad is supposed to be flashy, sexy and at breakneck pace. But does that mean the editing does as well? It'd be nice to actually see the competition unfold rather than quick jump cuts to every angle imaginable, all the while having sound effects of grunting thrown in. It's sports entertainment, but treat it like a sporting event and let us see what's happening in full, not in editing. Too much post-production can kill an otherwise effective product.

Through three episodes, I give this a C. It could be a lot worse, but the amount of post-production and lack of human emotion really hurt the show overall. It hasn't shown in the ratings yet as AmGlad scored the highest-rated debut of the 2007-08 season, but even bright burning stars flame out.