Esquire Network to encourage stealth teamwork with American Ninja Warrior spinoff

By Sam Barsanti | October 12, 2015 | 2:32am

Aux Features TV

For centuries, people have recognized the shinobi as some of history’s greatest stealth assassins. Their ability to hop over obstacles, run up walls, and swing over pits of shallow water on elaborate playground-like equipment is unmatched…although we may just be thinking of NBC’s American Ninja Warrior. Either way, the Esquire Network has announced a new American Ninja Warrior spinoff show that will encourage these covert killers/obstacle course experts to work in teams, putting all of feudal Japan’s daimyo in danger of being executed by shuriken attacks and/or unnecessarily high rope challenges.

Fittingly dubbed Team Ninja Warrior, Deadline says the show will feature competitors from previous seasons of American Ninja Warrior making their way through a “newly designed dual course.” This new course reportedly includes challenges related to “speed, agility, skill, and strategy,” with “using a katana to behead your target” most likely popping up somewhere in there. Team Ninja Warrior will begin filming later this month and will premiere at some point next year. (Probably when you least suspect it, as is the way of the ninja.)