The excellent five-part documentary series “Muscles & Mayhem: An Unauthorised Story of American Gladiators” on Netflix goes above and beyond to fully justify its title. This is because it uses archive footage and in-depth interviews with some important figures to highlight the rise and fall of the once-stunt-heavy show “American Gladiators.” The latter’s director, Robert “Bob” Levy, was among a number of people who regularly made appearances here to progress the narrative. Therefore, if you’re eager to find out more about him, continue reading.
Note: This list was updated on July 24th by our editorial team.
Who is Bob Levy?
Bob Levy initially became interested in the entertainment sector when he was a young man, but as the years went by, it continued to grow to unimaginable heights. When he finished his foundational studies, he therefore didn’t hesitate to accept any potential linked chance, eventually securing a few fantastic projects under the auspices of NBC Sports. In reality, Bob had already led the coverage of NFL ’80, NFL ’81, as well as the Super Bowl XV Pre-Game Show by the time he was hired to join ‘American Gladiators’ at the end of the first half of season 1 in 1989.
Bob still adamantly asserts, “I was the best director who ever did ‘American Gladiators,'” because it is evident that he changed the movie’s look to become more appealing to the audience. He stated openly in the streaming production, “The first 13 episodes of ‘Gladiators’ didn’t feel like a show.” I was doing everything at NBC Sports, and I had the proper kind of experience.”
This was echoed by executive producer Julie Resh, who said, “[Bob] had a great sports sensibility… He actually, I believe, contributed to the show’s improvement both in terms of athletic content and coverage. The reality is that he was the one to have invented helmet cameras, the go-pros before the go-pros, as seen here. He was particularly brilliant at putting up creative ways to track the action in some of the games.
It should therefore come as no surprise that Bob, although being quite the character with his avowed obsession with adult entertainment, open admiration for powerful women, and wild partying habits, was regarded by many as one of the most important pioneers in his area. The director, who was just a member of the extravaganza for two years, left this competitive series in 1993 after 67 episodes, but alas, nothing can truly last forever.
Bob, however, did not leave the world of television or cinema in any manner, shape or form; rather, the 1973 New College Liberal Arts alumnus worked for Fox Sports for almost 20 years. He directed all of them, including NHL 1995, Super Bowl XXXIX (2005), and episodes of “Marilu,” “Battle Dome,” “Greed: The Series,” and “Weakest Link,” as well as films like “State of the Union: Undressed.”
Where is Bob Levy Now?
According to what we know, Bob’s professional career, personal hobbies, and overall passions haven’t changed much over the years, despite the fact that he now wants to avoid the spotlight. The only distinction is that he is currently in his early 70s and works as a filmmaker for Woody Fraser Productions and NFL Network, with his most recent effort being the 2019 documentary “Holistic Healers.”
However, it’s important to note that Bob reportedly struggled to find employment after being fired from the popular daytime talk show “Home & Family” on the Hallmark Channel in July 2015. On the grounds of ageism, he had even brought a wrongful termination action against Woody Fraser, Woody Fraser Productions Inc., Woody Fraser Enterprises Inc., and Channel owner Crown Media United States LLC. Unfortunately, it is yet uncertain how everything will turn out in the end.
