# Robot Wars v. Battlebots

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/robot-wars-v-battlebots/30564>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [August 24, 2000, 6:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/robot-wars-v-battlebots/30564 "2000-08-24T06:48:20Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Kallessa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/7993a0/32.png) [@Kallessa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kallessa)\
**Post date:** [August 24, 2000, 6:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/robot-wars-v-battlebots/30564/1 "2000-08-24T06:48:20Z")

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Okay, I’m really disappointed. I love Robot Wars–it’s a fun, campy competition with wit and style–and I was kind of hoping a U.S. version would be made. Unfortunately, I got my wish. Comedy Central has a new show called Battlebots–same concept, but done like a hokey sports show–a combination of ESPNSports Night and CBS Football coverage. Like WWF wrestling with robots–no charm, no displays of styly, showmanship, skill or grace–just bam bam, let’s see parts fly!! Bummer!!! Did anyone else see this atrocious show? Did anyone–who’s seen the original British show–like this better? Is there any hope for it?

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**Author:** ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\
**Post date:** [August 24, 2000, 8:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/robot-wars-v-battlebots/30564/2 "2000-08-24T08:09:22Z")

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All I want is a show that is not version of some other show.

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**Author:** ![EnochF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/779978/32.png) [@EnochF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EnochF)\
**Post date:** [August 24, 2000, 8:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/robot-wars-v-battlebots/30564/3 "2000-08-24T08:21:56Z")

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The British _Robot Wars_ has the benefit of being hosted by Craig Charles, _Red Dwarf_’s Dave Lister. Unfortunately, it also has the drawback of being filmed in the UK, where the audiences just sit there in dead silence looking at these cool robots until Craig says, “C’mon, let’s give them a round of applause.” I saw a few minutes of _Battlebots_ today, and I noticed that the crowd is a lot more enthusiastic, without any prompting from the announcers whatsoever. Not that the announcers are anywhere near as cool as Craig. I miss the “house robots,” too.

spooje: To be fair, these amateur robot competitions predate the _Robot Wars_ program by quite a bit, in San Francisco and on campus at MIT and CalTech and all sorts of places. I saw one on _Beyond 2000_ almost ten years ago…

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**Author:** ![SPOOFE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c5a1d2/32.png) [@SPOOFE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SPOOFE)\
**Post date:** [August 24, 2000, 11:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/robot-wars-v-battlebots/30564/4 "2000-08-24T11:14:46Z")

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Gah! All these robot-fighting mediums!

The world only needs _Robot Jox_ and the _Mechwarrior_ series. 'Course, neither of those are TV shows… pity…

Ah, _Robot Jox_… that was a great flick… crappy acting, but still a great flick…

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**Author:** ![ChiefScott](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/58f4c7/32.png) [@ChiefScott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ChiefScott)\
**Post date:** [August 24, 2000, 12:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/robot-wars-v-battlebots/30564/5 "2000-08-24T12:21:45Z")

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I always liked _Rock 'em Sock 'em Robots_…

as long as I got the blue one.