BattleBots (2000–2002) User Reviews

A pale imitation.

[Wentloog · 6/10 · 20 March 2001]

Having thoroughly enjoyed four seasons of "Robot Wars" on UK TV, I watched with some expectation "BattleBots" advertised as the US equivalent, I think not!

It was wandering, disjointed, full of irrelevancies and, get this, the episode I watched had only TWO fights. A normal "Wars" would have 4 battles each with 3 robots for openers, followed by 7 more 2 "bot" battles to deliver a show champion to progress to the semi-finals.

I really expected more!

Battlebots was the best show Comedy Central ever had

[Minion33088 · 15 April 2006]

Before I go into the show Battlebots, I'd just like to point our friend TheUnholyArmpit to this web-page: http://robotcombat.com/history.html Combat robotics STARTED in San Francisco, not the UK. Yep, we copied you..

I first got caught up in the Battlebots craze in it's second season. Every preceding season after that I watched every week, never missing an episode. By it's 4th season Battlebots was Comedy Centrals 3rd highest rated show, following South Park and The Man Show (both extremely hard to beat). Then somewhere between the 5th and 6th seasons there was an executive change in Comedy Central and Battlebots got moved to a new, and worse, air time with no notification. Well of course if no one knows when the shows on, no one can watch it and the rating sank. This gave the new CEO enough leverage to cancel Battlebots in mid-season, or we can only assume that's what happened.

But there's still hope. After years and years of legal battles, the creators of Battlebots are now looking for a new channel to air their show. There had been rumors that a few channels were interested, including Bravo and possibly WGN. For us Battlebot fans we can only hope. That is, unless you feel like building your own bot or just going out to see a competition in person. There are now hundreds of events held every year for bots that weight 150 grams (~5.3 ounces), 1 pound, 3 pounds, 12 pounds, 30 pounds, 60 pounds, 120 pounds, 220 pounds, and 340 pounds. There's a list of upcoming events as well as bots competing in them here: http://www.buildersdb.com/index.asp

It's robot fighting time!

[deepthinker566 · 10/10 · 26 June 2008]

Battlebots is a robotic competition, located in San Fransisco, CA. It's the show where robots fight for victory in the battlebox, with massive weapons like flippers known for Toro (SHW) saw blades for Backlash (LW), Minion (SHW) axes for frenZy (HW) and spinner bots like Ziggo (LW). hydraulic lifters like Biohazard (HW). Bil Dwyer and Tim Green provide the voices through out the battles, That's a shame because Battlebots is not currently broadcasting in North America, it went through 2000 and 2002. Good thing I watched these videos on YouTube. It was on Comedy Central for five seasons and then canceled. It's a fun show to watch when you're not doing some other stuff around. With sparks flying, armor trashing, and flips that makes it kick ass.

Battlebots gets 10 stars.

This is what TV should have been. Instead we got politics and the Maury show

[ThunderKing6 · 10/10 · 4 July 2021]

Battlebots was a fun family oriented product. I don't know what's better than chilling on a weekend and watching neat robots smash the hell out of other robots.

Many of the bots were made by children, families, clubs and nerds. If this was a legit 100% real show and innovators then I tilt my hat to them all. If not then, I wouldn't be surprised.

Last words: A perfect show to be relaxtained to.

Bots FTW

[the_slvr_bullt · 9/10 · 11 May 2009]

Can't beat old school bashing, although I never seen Bill Nye on the show... According to their official site, they are coming back on TV though, so that is something I will have to catch when it comes on. The show had some interesting bots and kept things simple, which is why the show was awesome. Not sure why Comedy Central stopped airing it though...

Also, concerning TheUnholyArmpit's post...

Robot Wars was started in the US, not in the UK... You should REALLY do some research next time. Try robotcombat.com's history section, or head to Marc Thorpe's homepage (the man who may as well be called the father of robot fighting).

Yikes...

[sikfuk48 · 3/10 · 12 December 2011]

I am ashamed to say it, but America really can't seem to get it right. Just like we are doing now with kitchen Nightmares, Battlebots is a cheap imitation of a great UK show. The name of the show is exactly what the show should be about. Kitchen Nightmares(UK) was about the food, prices, and atmosphere of restaurants. The US version is about bickering jerks and family drama. Robot Wars was jam packed with amazing robots and lots of battles. Battlebots is crammed full of annoying announcers, commentators and interviews with robot builders. And the battles are only a small degree more entertaining than all the yapping.

Most of the robots look like they were made from shopping carts and old duct work, and are driven by people who seem to have no experience. With 2-3 battles per show, at 3 min. per battle, thats only 9 minutes max of a 30 minute show that features 'bots' in 'battle'.

There were some great bots, (ziggo for example) but so many were missing simple things like self righting mechanisms and more than a handful had no weapons whatsoever.

The poor designs mixed with the excessive amount of filler makes Battlebots a loser for me. I suggest just catching the better matches on youtube.

No more witch doctor

[beddoephiloe · 2/10 · 11 March 2022]

Witch doctor is not very much anymore and they do not deserve to be in there with the other 32 bots. They put it up against Rusty that's BS. They just want witch doctor to be in there because???????? Witch doctor is not worthy of the 32. Witch doctor does not deserve to be in the 32. Because it's attractive to five and six year old kids that's why they're in it hopefully they'll be out of it real soon. It's a rig job.

Fun show with some unique creations.

[yenlo · 16 November 2000]

A fun show but the actual robotic combat isn't long enough. The show is 30 minutes and sadly most of it is taken up by commercials. It appears that the actual tournament took place over just a couple of days and all the bouts were edited into these half hour shows. If more bouts could be shown in one episode it would be a big improvement. The robots are very interesting to see as well as some of the creators. The Tilford family with their "Mauler" and Jim Smentowski with his "Nightmare" and "Backlash" were certainly some of the best.

Rigged

[duanemcclelland · 1/10 · 8 April 2022]

Tantrum was defeated by the Hydra. They should never had advanced. The battle for the NUT should have been between Hydra and Witch Doctor. I have lost faith in this show and as much as I like it .I probably won't watch again. PS I have watched from the beginning.

Really short show with some amusing destruction

[Aylmer · 25 September 2000]

The problem with most of the robots on this show is that the builders work too long on armoring them up and then forget to give them a decent weapon. The battles usually either are 2 seconds long, consisting of one robot pulverizing the other with the first hit or they last forever with the robots just slamming into each other to no avail. I could see a future for the sport if they put stricter guidelines on the robots people submitted. As it is, there's a few which are basically Radio Shack remote control cars with a head welded on top. The show also needs to be longer than it is, only 1/2 an hour with 3 fights. Much more time is spent gearing up for the fight which could last as little as 5 seconds long. One thing I don't understand though... why was this show put on Comedy Central, of all networks?

Rage in the...Box?

[StarGaze-9 · 13 May 2001]

When I first heard of this show, I thought it would be incredibly stupid. Then I started watching, (we just got it here in Canada) and now I can't stop watching!

Call it my Y chromosome if you must, but I just like seeing stuff get destroyed. Add the fact that these robots are built by regular (though some are professionals) people, and that broadens the appeal.

If you've never seen the show, here it is broken down (no pun intended):

People build these robots that are designed to hurt and then turn them on each other (robots, not the people). The fights take place in a bulletproof cage (to prevent shrapnel from flying into the audience) called a "Battle Box", they last for three minutes (or five minutes for a battle royal), and the judges award points based on aggression, damage inflicted, and hits. Obviously, the bot with the most points (or KO) wins. Champions in the four weight classes receive $5000 and giant gold nut.

If there's one thing I dislike about the show, its the vignettes between matches which I suppose are there for comedic purposes. Well, it is on Comedy Central (The Comedy Network north of the border) after all. Still, the time these vignettes take up could be better used for more matches. Instead, we are "treated" to Mecha Tentoumushi on "The Tonight Show", a short on how TURBO is a great chick magnet, and watching Donna D'Errico's replacement (I forget her name) take Mauler's builder out to a fancy restaurant to teach him some class. Gimmie a break!!!

That being said, I still enjoy "BattleBots" and will continue to watch. My favorites from each weight class are Backlash (Lightweight), Deadblow (Middleweight), Mauler (Heavyweight), and Rammstein (Super Heavyweight).

In fact, I like this show so much, I'm thinking of entering myself. I'll even do those stupid vignettes if that's what it takes.

So in closing, watch "BattleBots". Its a half hour of good time fun.

After all, what other show features a big gold nut?

Breaking stuff!

[taddo · 1 August 2001]

This has to be one of my favorite shows on TV right now. I just absolutely love watching these robots kick the crap out of each other! The new seasons keep getting better and better, with the current 3rd season looking to be the best yet.

For those of you that haven't seen this show yet, or just saw the spots on the Tonight Show, here's a basic breakdown.

People build some robots in varying weight classes. They then sic the robots on each other in a large cage filled with "hazzards" such as a 200 pound sledge hammer that slams down on one of the robots, or "killsaws" that spring up out of the floor. Enter laughter at the silly excitement.

Watching newcomer Mechagore carve Vlad the Impaler (the odds on favorite for the heavyweight class) into metal sushi was a trip! It goes to show, that there's all sorts of new ideas out there. I personally like the bots that are designed to kill the largest design style of robots, that being the wedges.

Personal favorites:

Lightweight: Ziggo Heavyweight: Mechagore and Mauler Superheavyweight: Toro

Now that the show is one hour long, its even more of a treat. Even if you hate machines, its a show that touches on that primal urge to break expensive stuff. (Some of the bots had over $20k put into parts/design/etc!)

It's really fun to watch stuff get torn apart

[Carmen-5 · 18 July 2001]

I mean it. Robots getting torn to pieces has some serious "wow factor" as well as being good for laughs. Heck, I laughed as Ziggo tore through one of those Scrap Daddy 'bots. There wasn't anything left of that 'bot after that! One match I'll never forget was between Spaz and Buddy Lee. Bil Dwyer really wanted Buddy Lee to lose. All I remember hearing throughout that whole fight wasn't any commentary, rather screams of "Get the dogs! Get those stupid dogs! Hit that STUPID DOLL!" etc. I don't know why, but I laughed the whole fight.

I do miss Sean Salisbury though. He played the straight man well to Bil. The new guy has yet to prove himself to me. But, there's only been 2 shows prior to the date of this posting. Who knows? Maybe I'll eventually like him too.

It's fun to watch just how creative these bot builders can be. This competition is growing quite a bit in popularity. As it does, more and more robots are about to be displayed. I noticed that this season, the crew has actually shown some more fights than in the past. The show is now an hour's length, for starters. Also, in addition to showing whole fights, they also recap some previous battles that did not make it to television for a full fight airing. At least this gives the audience a chance to see more sparks flying.

Hey, what else can I say? It's fun to watch. Enjoy it!

Oh yeah, and go Ziggo! :)

Welcome to the Machine

[RestlessRust · 27 July 2001]

BattleBots rocks! Especially this season with some extremely dangerous hazards in the box. Wow! It's like small-scale demolition derby on steroids. Watching robots get absolutely shredded (which they have been lately) is more entertaining than I ever would have imagined. Coupled with brief scientific analysis by Bill Nye to satisfy those scientifically minded, BattleBots is can't-miss entertainment for virtually any sports/combat fan.

oh dear, oh dear, oh dear......

[TheUnholyArmpit · 14 May 2003]

Americans, dont you love `em? They see something they like, and then try to copy it. Thing is, they are like parrots, copying what ever they see with no comprehension of what they are doing. And this show is another example of this. Some US TV exec sees Robot Wars, thinks "we can do that", and makes a right mess of it. Robot wars has some structure behind it, the biggest part of the show is taken up with (sometimes brutal) competition - The US counterpart is mostly posturing. I could go on all night but, lets just put it this way.... Robot Wars` female presenter (Phillipa Forrester) has a PHd, Battle Bots has some woman out of Playboy. Watch the original, Robot Wars is still the best.

Oh, I miss seeing stuff get destroyed

[UMass95 · 26 December 2003]

Why, Comedy Central, why? Battlebots rocked, but they've seen fit to do away with it. And just when they really started marketing the toys, too. It was good, clean, violent fun. But I'd like to address the comments by "TheUnholyArmpit." Battlebots is not a ripoff of the British show "Robot Wars." "Robot Wars" is a pseudo-intellectual contest between various mechanical creations. Battlebots is simply the televised version of an exhibition of fighting robots that started in the early '90s. Robot Wars was actually the first show of its kind, but they used American robots, as that's where it all started. Battlebots was created by the guys who first started the original competition, then brought their bots to Britain for that show. (Check amazon.com for the Official Battlebots book for more history and info). In fact, the first time I ever heard of the competition was back in the '90s, when CNN (I think) did a story on it. So, in a way, neither show is entirely original, or a ripoff of something else. Regardless, I still miss it.

Why did they take this off the air?

[chadeley · 23 April 2004]

Bottom line. The only show Comedy Central had that was worth watching, other than maybe the Daily Show. Sure, SNL was great, but after I saw every episode, it wasn't worth it anymore. And 90% of the comics on any of the standup shows aren't really that funny. After about a year, they finally made another show worth watching, Chapelle's Show.

And as far as Robot Wars goes? I used to watch Robot Wars all the time when it used to be on PBS. After I discovered Battlebots, Robot Wars was out the door.

and for those who miss Battlebots, try buying Robot Arena: Design and Destroy for the PC. Pretty good game.

Kernel of a Neat Idea

[laissezfirearm · 23 April 2001]

There is way too much dead weight cluttering up the show.

The Sklar brothers are exasperating.

I have no clue what purpose Bill Nye serves. Was he the only guy the producers could find who was able to pronounce words like "titanium" and "actuated" without stumbling?

Donna D'Errico was actually fairly decent, so of course they replaced her with a woman who looks and talks like a a cheap tart. (Ms. D'Errico was at least a classy-looking, top-dollar tart.)

If they canned most of the jabber, there'd be time for many more fights.