SERIES PREMIERE: Sight unseen, which is the way NBC wants it until this new 10-part competition series begins tonight, The Titan Games sounds like it’s borrowing from several already successful formats. From American Ninja Warrior (which itself borrowed wholesale from a Japanese TV show), there are the giant, outrageous physical challenges. From Iron Chef (again, a Japanese show eventually adapted by a U.S. network), there’s a roving reporter and some sideline commentary. From Ellen’s Game of Games, there’s a very likable host, presiding over lots of fanciful oversized sets. But in this case, the show’s host, who also concocted this particular series, doubtless could win the game against all comers, should he decide to compete rather than present. He’s Dwayne Johnson, and this series – with its built-in affirmative messages and intentional room for contestants with various levels of abilities – is the latest smart move in his long career of image molding and changing. The Titan Games, in each episode, presents four male athletes, and four female ones, in two rounds of paired battles. The episode’s finale showcases a battle between the best of both groups. At the end of the series, 64 contestants will have taken part, and the ultimate winners – one man, one woman – will be crowned Titans, and awarded $100,000 each. But the way Johnson is approaching and hosting The Titan Games, the journey of these athletes, and their individual backstories, is at least as important as the crowning of the eventual winners.