Robot Wars Returning to BBC Two

Robots, re-activate! Late-Nineties battle game show Robot Wars is returning to our screens, the BBC has announced. Robot Wars invites budding engineers to build their own remote-controlled war machine, to be pitted against other entrants’ creations and the “house robots”. Mentorn Scotland has been commissioned to produce the show for BBC Two, with a new custom-built fighting arena currently in construction in Glasgow.

The original Robot Wars, presented by Red Dwarf’s Craig Charles, ran from 1998 to 2001 on BBC Two, switching to digital channel BBC Choice, and later being picked up by Channel 5 for an additional year until its cancellation in 2004. Commentary was provided by the excitable Jonathan Pearce, while Philippa Forrester gave us a glimpse behind-the-scenes at the “roboteers” hard at work refining (and often repairing) their robotic war machines.

“Robot Wars is an absolute TV classic and I’m thrilled to be updating it for the next generation of viewers,” Kim Shillinglaw, Controller of BBC Two and BBC Four, said. “With new technological advances making for an even more exciting and immersive experience, this is a fantastic example of the kind of content-rich factual entertainment that BBC Two excels at.”

Advances in technology – both in robotics and television production – since Robot Wars was cancelled promises to make a new iteration of the show a greater spectacle.

“Bringing back Robot Wars to our screens is hugely exciting,” Chris Brogden, Creative Director of Entertainment at Tinopolis, added. “Its return will see new and improved robots, with extraordinary innovation and power in these updated machines – it promises to be quite the competition.”

“The redeveloped Robot Wars proved compelling, offering a mix of real people, real passion and raw power,” said Alan Tyler, BBC Acting Controller of Entertainment Commissioning. “It is remarkable to see how much more powerful these robots have become since the series last aired, with battles now staged in an arena that is literally bullet proof. And yet, the show is still fundamentally driven by the eccentricity of the brilliant brains behind the machines. We are excited to bring this clever new incarnation not only to an audience who loved the original but also to those who may be discovering it for the first time.”

It is yet to be announced if Charles will return as host