THE SECRET LIFE OF GLADIATORS

Josh Bernstein at a Roman amphitheater in El Jem, Tunisia.

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The program might have been more timely in May 2000, when Russell Crowe stormed movie theaters in “Gladiator,” or in October 1960, when Kirk Douglas and “Spartacus” ruled the land, but the Discovery Channel’s look at “The Secret Life of Gladiators” on Monday is engaging nonetheless.

Credit the host. The program is the first installment of “Into the Unknown With Josh Bernstein,” a new series featuring the genial fellow who made archaeology entertaining as the original host of “Digging for the Truth” on History.

Mr. Bernstein promises a broader focus in his latest series, though that’s hardly necessary; ancient history has plenty of mysteries that could use his lively approach. In this episode, of course, his concern is the Roman Empire, and his premise is that those gladiators familiar from the movies are only part of the story, and what we know about them is not especially accurate.

That’s no surprise — when has Hollywood ever not distorted history? — but it’s a decent enough excuse to explore the far more interesting and more nuanced reality. Mr. Bernstein begins at a gladiator school in Rome, even doing a little gladiating himself. (Why is there a school to teach ancient gladiator skills? Who knows?) But he is smart enough not to let that silly bit go on too long, and soon we are hearing from well-chosen experts, including some who have found what they believe is a gladiator graveyard.

By the program’s end we learn that gladiators did not always fight to the death; that though they were slaves, they had a certain celebrity status; that sometimes free citizens voluntarily became gladiators for that reason.

Gladiators emerge as people who were simultaneously worshiped and reviled. Just like so many of those in the modern-day spotlight.

Fresh off of Digging for the Truth adventurer Josh Bernstein leaves the confines of History and moves his exploration to The Discovery Channel in Into the Unknown a kind of reboot of Digging where Josh takes on a subject and meets with various experts to get to the bottom of burning questions, as well as participating in some reenactments.

The premiere episode deals with Gladiators and how Hollywood’s portrayal of them may not correctly match up with how they lived and fought in Ancient Rome. As a reference, Bernstein mentions the Kirk Douglas vehicle Spartacus in making Gladiators slaves, fighting for their lives, and fights ending in death nearly 100% of the time. However the reusing of the same clips from the film does become boring and there’s no mention of the Hollywood gem of gladiator movies, Ridley Scott’s Gladiator. Whether it is a rights issue or not springing the money for the crème de la crème of gladiatorial combat would have certainly aided the program.

Bernstein is his usual charismatic self able to interview the experts and get his hands dirty fighting with wooden weapons and sawing bones to pieces.

A few misconceptions are brought into light such as Gladiators being akin to Hollywood royalty with worshipers and groupie’s. Experts now believe they were vegetarians and almost certainly survived each and every fight they were in, which doesn’t make for good movies, hence when we usually see them decapitated by a crusty Australian.