In the early 2000s, one of America’s favorite pastimes was watching two robotic gladiators attempt to destroy each other using a variety of weapons and traps. This “sport of the future” was ironically canned in 2002, but its popularity stumbled along to this day. This summer, ABC plans to bring this sport back to the living room: its name–BattleBots.
The original show, shown on Comedy Central, featured many small-time robot hobbyists strapping giant saws, hammers, and even flamethrowers to their robots and fighting to the death against others for the title of champion. This, coupled with the booby trap and fully-weaponized battle arena, made the show and sport a huge success and a cult classic in its own right, creating artificially intelligent celebrities and launching careers of the people who make them, most notably Adam Savage and Jamie Hyneman from MythBusters. Back then, there were very limited robot types and weapons. With today’s technology, there’s no limit to the craziness and effectiveness one can put on a single robot.
Now coming back as a six-episode revival, BattleBots will now focus more on the technology and machinery of the robots. Don’t be discouraged though because there will still be spectacular bouts of robotic blood sport thrown in for good measure. Although it will be short-lived, this show could give the sport the popularity it needs or needed to become a true “sport of the future.” Even if it doesn’t, BattleBots is still great fun to watch.
The revival premiers on June 21 on ABC and will feature many great battles of extreme robot-on-robot carnage. There’s no blood and guts, only shredded metal and broken wheels. A new “sport of the future” may come, but to me, BattleBots is the only ultra-cool future sport and the only sport somebody like me actually enjoys.