Television series
The Titan Games
Dwayne Johnson hosts this NBC obstacle-course competition where ordinary strivers try to unseat six reigning "Titans" through feats of raw strength and grip endurance. It's loud, sincere, and unapologetically earnest — big arena, bigger biceps, and Johnson's boundless enthusiasm carrying every commercial break. Watch it for spectacle and heart, not subtlety.
If you liked this
American Ninja Warrior2009
The gold standard of obstacle-course TV — inventive courses, genuine underdog stories, and a community of competitors who train for this like it's the Olympics. Endlessly bingeable and family-friendly.
But Fifteen-plus seasons deep, the format can feel repetitive if you binge too many episodes in a row.
American Gladiators2008
The spiritual ancestor of Titan Games, right down to costumed superhuman hosts guarding events with names like Assault and Powerball. Pure 2000s cheese, gloriously committed to its own mythology.
But Dated production values and a slightly campier tone than Titan Games' more polished spectacle.
Wipeout2008
Obstacle-course chaos stripped of all sincerity — contestants get launched, dunked, and humiliated while sardonic hosts narrate the carnage. Perfect for when you want laughs over inspiration.
But If you liked the earnest, athletic core of Titan Games, this comedic pratfall show might feel too silly by comparison.
The wildcard
Something you would not have found on your own.
Gladiator2000
Titan Games borrows its entire vocabulary — arenas, titles, mythic personas — from Roman gladiatorial spectacle; this film examines what that spectacle actually costs and means.
Ridley Scott's Roman epic gives you the literal ancestor of the Titan mythology — arena combat, crowd-pleasing spectacle, and a hero forging a new identity through physical trial. Visceral, operatic, unforgettable.
But It's a two-and-a-half-hour historical drama with real violence and death, a much heavier register than a family game show.
More like this (6)
Spartan: Ultimate Team Challenge2016no page yet
Based on real Spartan Race events, this leans harder into mud, grit, and team strategy than pure individual glory. Great if you want the competition format with more tactical texture.
But Less star power and slicker production than Titan Games — feels more grassroots, for better or worse.
Holey Moley2019
Also a Dwayne Johnson production, this swaps Titans for a giant obstacle mini-golf course, keeping the same over-the-top commentary energy but with far lower physical stakes and way more comedy.
But Golf-based obstacles are inherently sillier and lower-intensity than Titan Games' feats of strength.
Gladiators2024no page yet
The BBC's glossy reboot of the Gladiators format brings enormous arena production and charismatic athlete-hosts battling everyday challengers. Feels like Titan Games' British cousin, equally sincere.
But If you've already watched the American version's tropes play out, this covers very similar ground.
Ninja Warrior UK2015no page yet
Britain's answer to the obstacle-course craze, with its own memorable course design and competitors. A solid ninth pick if you've exhausted the American shows and want more of the same thrill.
But By this point in the list you're deep into format repetition — obstacle shows all start to blur together.
GLOW2017
Both shows are about ordinary people building larger-than-life costumed personas to compete for glory — Titan Games just does it with real muscle instead of scripted drama.
Netflix's comedy-drama about a scrappy 1980s women's wrestling promotion is funny, moving, and sneakily sharp about who gets to be a hero in the ring. Great performances, real heart underneath the spandex.
But It's a scripted drama with soap-opera plotting, not an actual competition — no real physical stakes to root for.
The Alpinist2021
Both are about pushing the human body past reasonable limits, but this strips away every commentator, crowd, and title belt to ask what that pursuit means when nobody's watching.
A quiet, gorgeous documentary about free solo climber Marc-André Leclerc, who scaled terrifying peaks with no ropes and almost no audience at all. The opposite of arena spectacle — just one person and gravity.
But It's slow, meditative, and carries real weight — this is not a hype-up watch, and the ending is genuinely upsetting.
People
Cast
Dwayne JohnsonHost
Production
- Anthony StormExecutive Producer
- Arthur SmithExecutive Producer
- Brian GewirtzExecutive Producer
- Dany GarciaExecutive Producer
- David FriedmanExecutive Producer
- Dwayne JohnsonExecutive Producer
- Hiram GarciaExecutive Producer
- Toby GormanExecutive Producer
Recommended by
American Gladiators, Habilidad física 100: México, Physical: 100, American Ninja Warrior, American Gladiators