BattleBots

drbits

Reviews: 5

Very Good Show, but Too Much Hype.Rating: 0 likes, 0 dislikes

In this show, teams build remote controlled machines (bots) that try to destroy each other. Some of the teams spend years trying to perfect their bots. The bots use saws, hammers, spikes, torches, and other weapons to disable their opponent. The bots compete in a tournament.

This incarnation of BattleBots has more hype than a boxing match (more like a football game). The flashing lights, the behavior of the two play-by-play announcers detract from the show. Although it is the bots that fight, the emotional involvement of the teams is what creates the real excitement. The hype may rev-up the audience, but it distracts from the emotions of the competitors.

BattleBots is a new incarnation of a decades old "sport" that is popular in all industrialized countries. An earlier incarnation of the show was based in the US and there was a British series (titled Robot Wars).

An important part of the show is interviews with the teams who build the bots. Unfortunately, they only interview one of the two teams in each competition. They also evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of each bot before the bout, and try to guess the winner (more hype).

Rules

The Bots are limited in size (about 125cm or 4ft), bigger than in classic competitions. In addition, teams are allowed to use "minibots" to assist their main bot (not allowed in classic competition). The competition takes place in a shrapnel resistant enclosure to protect the audience from flying parts as the bots destroy each other (some parts of the bots move at over 500km/hour - over 300mph).

In this new show the enclosure includes some tools that can be used against the opponent bots (saws in the floor, hammers in the corners, and screw-like augurs at each end of the enclosure. Classic competitions had no extras in the arena - all weapons were part of the bots.

Review posted on Monday, June 22nd 2015 at 1:19 pm

BattleBots

Classification: Game Show
Genre: Competition | Discovery/Science
Status: New Series
Network: ABC (

USA)
Airs: Sundays at 09:00 pm
Runtime: 60 Minutes
Premiere: June 21, 2015
Episode Order: 6

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