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| Couldn't have put it better myself Source: https://twitter.com/BBCTwo/status/687261658855649280 |
What We Know
The show will be broadcast on BBC 2 and will consist of 6 hour-long episodes. Teams will have to apply and the selection process will likely be like that of BattleBots (i.e. applications are reviewed, then teams are selected to compete) but we can't be sure of that just yet. We also know that application forms are already going out to teams. The BBC promises "a new structure with more robots, more battles..." which may be difficult considering the limited number of episodes but it may be like the original Robot Wars, with lots of applicants trying to get through the qualifiers and only some getting through to the televised rounds.
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| The famous original logo Source: https://twitter.com/robotwarsuk |
Only one weight class will be featured and, just like BattleBots, it will be heavyweights plus a bit of weight. 110 kilograms is the weight limit apparently. On the one hand, robots built to that limit won't be able to enter live events (even under alter-egos) according to the current FRA rules. On the other hand, it might mean that there's enough weight to add that some current heavyweights can be altered and armoured up for full combat without too much redesigning. Unlike the live events, there won't be any other weight classes like featherweights. There will be a 10 kilogram weight bonus for shufflers and a 25 kilogram weight bonus for walkers. This might just encourage an extra bit of imagination, especially for shufflers which I wouldn't expect to get a weight bonus (it could be tricky to explain on TV the difference between a shuffler and walker). Images of Anarchy are flashing before my eyes right now, although at 167 kilos it would have been too heavy for the new series.
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| The most dangerous and successful shuffler in the old Robot Wars Anarchy was one of the most underestimated robots but lost its heat final to Tornado Source: http://robotwars.wikia.com/wiki/Anarchy |
What We Hope
One of the most iconic features of the old show was the house robots. Personally, I don't much like the idea of house robots - I feel like they allow the producers to intervene too much and that they can alter the competition too greatly. We know that all of the old house robots have been rediscovered but, just like Matilda's clone in the live events, the old house robots wouldn't be too menacing any more. Even back in the day, some competitors were able to frankly embarrass the house robots, flinging them on their backs. These days they'd most likely end up out of the arena. The question is, will new house robots be built or will the old ones get rebuilt so that they pose a threat again? I frankly doubt it, although the media refer to the old house robots so perhaps they will feature. Once again, we don't really know.
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| These two bots were found back in February 2015 We now know they were joined by the rest of the old guard Source: https://twitter.com/lucyhedges/status/566250094346133504 |
The arena will also be new. But of course it will, since there aren't any heavy-spinner-proof arenas in the UK. The admission of a new arena might mean a new layout though, perhaps with higher walls which don't benefit flippers too much so that we see plenty of variety (*ahem* more than we do at the moment *ahem*). Spinners ought to help the variety thing as well, since there's a bit of rock-paper-scissors theory in weaponry and I reckon most of the time spinner beats flipper. But then lifter beats spinner. And axe beats lifter. And so on.
What the BBC has said though is that there will be '...more science than ever before." This is absolutely fantastic news! Looking back at the show and when comparing it to BattleBots, both the old and the new, I can't help but feel it got a little bit reality-ish and a bit too kiddy. That was reinforced when I saw Robot Wars Live in Gloucester a few months ago. The promise of more science though, that means this is not going to be a show for children. Nor is it going to be all show and no trousers. It's going to look not only at the fights themselves but how the robots fight. Finally Robot Wars can see its target audience: the nostalgic and techy adults. And those who want to see machines break each other, of course.
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| Thanks to Robot Wars I knew hydraulic and pneumatic before I knew my left and right Source: http://robotwars.wikia.com/wiki/Tomahawk |
What About Live Events?
If you want to see it live, you can. The show will be filmed somewhere in Glasgow. When? Guess what: we don't now yet. You can bet that I'll be getting a seat though.
If Robot Wars is going to become a television show again, what does this mean for the rest of the live shows? Will they continue and suddenly have a lot more funding? Will they be a subsidiary and carry on more or less as normal but with more exposure? Will they reduce the number of live events or stop running them completely? RoboChallenge is also getting itself involved in the new Robot Wars so will they still be able to run their events at the Gadget Show? What will happen to the featherweight championships?
One way Robots Live could find even more competition in Robot Wars whilst the other way Robots Live could suddenly become the major live events company in Europe. Oh, and I imagine a lot of new people and veteran teams are going to see this and decide to get involved so whatever happens, we'll probably see a sudden great big influx in the popularity of the sport, both on and off the screens.
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