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{{short description|Robot combat competition}}
{{about|the British television series|the video game franchises in Japan|Super Robot Wars}}
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{{Lead too long|date=July 2024}}
{{More citations needed|date=February 2022}}
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{{Infobox television
| image                = New Robot Wars logo.jpg
| alt_name             = Robot Wars Extreme
| genre                = [[Robot competition]]
| creator              = [[Tom Gutteridge]]<br />Stephen Carsey
| presenter            = [[Jeremy Clarkson]]<br />[[Craig Charles]]<br />[[Dara Ó Briain]]<br />[[Angela Scanlon]]
| starring             = {{Nowrap|[[Philippa Forrester]]<br />[[Julia Reed]]<br />[[Jayne Middlemiss]]}}
| judges               = {{Nowrap|[[Noel Sharkey]]<br />Eric Dickinson<br />Adam Harper<br />[[Martin Smith (academic)|Martin Smith]]<br />[[Myra Wilson]]<br />Mat Irvine<br />[[Sethu Vijayakumar]]<br />[[Lucy Rogers]]}}
| narrated             = [[Jonathan Pearce (commentator)|Jonathan Pearce]]
| language             = English
| country              = United Kingdom
| num_series           = 9 (Original)<br />3 (Revival)<br />12 (Overall)
| num_episodes         = 155 (Original)<br />22 (Revival)<br />177 (Overall)
| location             = [[London Docklands]] (1998–1999)<br />[[Elstree Studios (Shenley Road)|Elstree Studios]] (1999–2000; 2001–2002)<br />Park Street Studios (2000–2001)<br>[[RAF Newton]] (2002–2004)<br>Westway Park (2016–2018)
| runtime              = 30 minutes (1998–1999)<br />45 minutes (1999–2003)<br />60 minutes (2003–2018)
| company              = [[Tinopolis|TV21]] (1998–2001)<br />[[Tinopolis|Mentorn International]] (2001–2002)<br />[[Tinopolis|Mentorn]] (2002–18)
| network              = [[BBC Two]]<br />[[BBC One]] (2000, one episode)
| first_aired          = {{Start date|df=y|1998|02|20}}
| last_aired           = {{End date|df=y|2004|03|28}}
| first_aired2         = {{Start date|df=y|2016|07|24}}
| last_aired2          = {{End date|df=y|2018|01|07}}
| network3             = [[BBC Choice]]
| first_aired3         = {{Start date|df=y|2001|10|08}}
| last_aired3          = {{End date|df=y|2003|02|07}}
| network4             = [[Channel 5 (UK)|Five]]
| first_aired4         = {{Start date|df=y|2002|11|02}}
| last_aired4          = {{End date|df=y|2004|03|28}}
}}

Robot Wars is a British robot combat television series that aired from 1998 to 2004 and was revived from 2016 to 2018. The show features teams controlling remote-operated robots in battles within an arena filled with hazards and powerful "House Robots."

The original run aired on BBC Two, later moving to Channel 5, with spin-offs like Robot Wars Extreme. Hosts included Jeremy Clarkson, Craig Charles, Dara Ó Briain, and Angela Scanlon, with Jonathan Pearce as the announcer throughout.

At its peak, Robot Wars attracted six million UK viewers and became a global success, airing in 45 countries. It also inspired live events and a successful toy range. Its merchandising was commercially successful, being one of the best-selling toy ranges of 2002.<ref name="bbc.co.uk">{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/bbcworldwide/worldwidestories/pressreleases/2002/05_may/robot_wars_xbox.shtml |title=Robot Wars Activated on Xbox |publisher=BBC |access-date=2013-12-01}}</ref>

The show also inspired live events, with The Fighting Robot Association founded in 2003 and Roaming Robots acquiring the brand rights in 2013. <ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.roamingrobots.co.uk/newsrobotwars |title=Home - Robot Wars |website=Roamingrobots.co.uk |access-date=2017-04-27}}</ref> Live shows continued under the name Extreme Robots from 2017 onward.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.extremerobots.co.uk/history |title=History |publisher=Extreme Robots |access-date=2017-04-27}}</ref>

==History==
===US Robot Wars events===
''Robot Wars'' was the brainchild of [[Marc Thorpe]], a designer working for the LucasToys division of [[Lucasfilm]].<ref name=marcthorpe>{{cite web |url=http://www.marcthorpe.com/robot.html |title=Robot Wars History |access-date=2006-11-19 |work=Marc Thorpe |archive-date=2 November 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061102032809/http://www.marcthorpe.com/robot.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> In 1992, Thorpe had the initial idea for robot combat sport after unsuccessfully attempting to create a radio-controlled vacuum cleaner.<ref name=robotcombat>{{cite web |url=http://www.robotcombat.com/history.html |title=Robot Wars History |access-date=2006-11-19 |work=RobotCombat.com}}</ref> In 1994, Marc Thorpe created ''Robot Wars'' and held the first competition at the [[Fort Mason Center]] in [[San Francisco]]. Approximately one month prior to the event, Thorpe formed a partnership with New York-based record company Sm:)e Communications, later [[Profile Records]], who provided additional funding.<ref name=marcthorpe />

===Original television series===
[[File:Robot Wars.jpg|thumb|right|Original ''Robot Wars'' logo from 1998 to 2004]]
[[File:Razer side-on view.jpg|thumb|Razer, one of the most successful robots in the original series.{{citation needed|date=February 2022}} It had the ability to puncture competitors.]]
Gutteridge and one of his producers Steve Carsey created a television format based on the ''Robot Wars'' concept. They produced a live event opposite [[BBC Television Centre]] in [[Wood Lane]], [[Shepherd's Bush]], London and hired Derek Foxwell to build 3 combat robots, 2 of which were named The Mouse and Grunt who would eventually take part in the first UK series of ''Robot Wars'', to take on three American robots, Thor, La Machine and The Master, all of which were veterans of the original American competition. The Controller of BBC Two, [[Michael Jackson (TV executive)|Michael Jackson]], attended the event, which was not filmed and he promised to commission a series. However, it was not until 1998 that a subsequent Controller of BBC Two, [[Mark Thompson (media executive)|Mark Thompson]], fulfilled Jackson's promise and actually commissioned 6 episodes. Gutteridge and Carsey were producers and Foxwell was the technical supervisor and senior technical consultant. He drafted the rules and regulations and was in charge of the pit area and the technical team, which scrutinised the robots, got them on and off stage and helped the contestants prepare and repair their robots. [[Mat Irvine]], initially a member of the technical team, served as a member of the judging panel in 2002 and 2003.{{citation needed|date=February 2022}}

The three person judging panel consisted of [[Noel Sharkey]] (head judge on every series: 1998–2003, 2016–), Eric Dickinson (1998), Adam Harper (1998–99), Martin Smith (1999–2003), [[Myra Wilson]] (2000–01), [[Mat Irvine]] (2001–03), [[Sethu Vijayakumar]] (2016–) and Lucy Rogers (2016–).{{citation needed|date=February 2022}}

{{Blockquote|text=On the first day, I was in the dressing room and looking in the mirror and looking down at the arena. And they were pulling the robots into the arena on an invisible twine because nothing was working. And I was thinking: "Oh my God, what have I done with my career?" And you know, within the blink of an eye, it was the most watched show on BBC2.|title=Presenter [[Craig Charles]] on the success of ''Robot Wars'' in the late 1990s and early 2000s which aired at 6:30 on Friday evening and attracted over six million viewers.<ref>{{cite web |title=Interview with Craig Charles |url=http://www.outlineonline.co.uk/music/interviews/interview-with-craig-charles |work=outlineonline.co.uk |access-date=2016-03-07}}</ref>}}

Profile sought no input or consent from Thorpe before doing this, which aggravated the already troubled relationship between Thorpe and Profile Records and indirectly spurred legal disagreements surrounding the ownership of the ''Robot Wars'' concept. The legal proceedings surrounding these would last until 6 February 2002.<ref name=robotcombat/> Mentorn used Thorpe as a Consultant on the series, however and the initial series of ''Robot Wars'' in the UK was broadcast over six weeks in February and March 1998. It was an immediate hit, with more than two million viewers and a further 18 episodes were commissioned by the BBC that year. 155 episodes were produced in total and the show was seen in 26 countries. Two series were produced in the US for [[Paramount Network#The National Network, the New TNN, and professional wrestling (2000–2003)|The National Network]] (now [[Paramount Network]]) and a version was also shown on [[Nickelodeon]]. [[TechTV]] (and later [[G4techTV]]/[[G4 (American TV network)|G4]])<ref>{{Cite web |title=Robot Wars |url=http://www.g4tv.com/robotwars/index.html |website=G4 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050301022958/http://www.g4tv.com/robotwars/index.html |archive-date=1 March 2005 |url-status=dead}}</ref> in the US aired the UK series proper. Series were also produced in many European countries. Although the series had various directors and producers, all were produced in the UK by Mentorn and executive produced by [[Tom Gutteridge]] and Steve Carsey. The initial series were staged in various film studios around London but the stage and pit area became too large to fit into any of the conventional studios, so filming was later moved to an aircraft hangar at [[RAF Newton]].{{citation needed|date=February 2022}}

Viewing figures dropped significantly in the early 2000s, reaching only 1.2 million in the sixth series - the final to be broadcast on BBC Two. It was cancelled by the BBC in March 2003, and [[Tinopolis|Mentorn]] announced it was making 22 episodes for Channel 5,<ref>{{cite news |date=25 March 2003 |title=Robot Wars leaves BBC |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/tv_and_radio/2883697.stm |publisher=BBC News}}</ref> concluding with The Third World Championships broadcast in March 2004. Following its move to Channel 5 in November 2003, the show first began airing in a new Sunday night slot and launched with one million viewers; however ratings fell quickly to 800,000 resulting in the show moving to Saturday nights after just three episodes.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2003/nov/21/broadcasting.channel5|title=Saturday night switch for Robot Wars|work=The Guardian|date=21 November 2003|access-date=30 July 2016}}</ref> Channel 5 later axed the show after one series due to low ratings.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2004-08-06 |title=news. (Accessibility) |url=http://www.five.tv:80/accessibility/programmes/robotwars/news/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040806170148/http://www.five.tv:80/accessibility/programmes/robotwars/news/ |archive-date=2004-08-06 |access-date=2022-10-24}}</ref> After Robot Wars ended, an edited half-hour version of this series aired on [[Disney XD (UK and Ireland)|Fox Kids]] (later Jetix) from 2004, on [[Bravo (British TV channel)|Bravo]] from after 2004, on [[Dave (TV channel)|Dave]] from 2010 and on [[Challenge (TV channel)|Challenge]]  & [[Sky History]] from before 2016.

===Revival===
[[File:Robot Wars Carbide (cropped).jpg|thumb|Carbide, the winning robot in the second rebooted series. A fast-spinning bar is its primary weapon.]]
On 13 January 2016, the BBC confirmed that it would be rebooting the show for a six-part series.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/latestnews/2016/robot-wars-returns | title= Robot Wars rebooted for BBC Two |publisher= BBC |access-date=2016-01-13}}</ref> The revived series was hosted by [[Dara Ó Briain]] and [[Angela Scanlon]] with Jonathan Pearce returning as commentator.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://twitter.com/bbcpress/status/694815721843474432|title=BBC Press Office on Twitter|work=Twitter}}</ref>{{Primary source inline|date=March 2018}} The first episode was broadcast on 24 July at 8pm, the same slot as ''[[Top Gear (2002 TV series)|Top Gear]]''. Some robots from the original series returned, including Behemoth and Storm II, as well as four of the original [[House Robots]], which were upgraded to be heavier, faster, better armed and with new looks.<ref>{{cite news|author=Graeme Virtue |url=https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2016/jul/16/the-return-of-tv-show-robot-wars |title=There will be shrapnel: the return of Robot Wars &#124; Television & radio |newspaper=[[The Guardian]] |access-date=2017-04-27}}</ref> The 2016 series was filmed in a warehouse at Westway Park in [[Renfrew]], Scotland.<ref>{{cite web |title=VIDEO: Robot Wars set to return to our screens ... filmed in a warehouse in Renfrew°|url=http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/14259156.VIDEO__Robot_Wars_set_to_return_to_our_screens_____filmed_in_a_warehouse_in_Renfrew/|newspaper=The Herald|location=Glasgow|date=7 February 2016|access-date=2016-03-21}}</ref>

The first episode received about two million viewers and was the top trending topic on [[Twitter]] with over 20,000 tweets.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.theweek.co.uk/69657/robot-wars-2016-the-machines-battling-it-out-in-episode-two |title=Robot Wars 2017: Is new series winning over critics? &#124; The Week UK |website=Theweek.co.uk |date=2017-03-06 |access-date=2017-04-27}}</ref>

A second rebooted series was commissioned with a first celebrity special in 16 years, in which celebrities, such as Olympians [[Kadeena Cox]] and [[Alistair Brownlee]] and [[Jonny Brownlee]], TV presenters [[Suzi Perry]], [[Neil Oliver]] and [[Maggie Aderin-Pocock]], singer [[Rizzle Kicks|Jordan Stevens]] and radio presenters [[Scott Mills]] and [[Robbie Savage]] had bespoke robots designed for them by eight major roboteers, who mentored them during the specials.<ref>{{cite web|last=Harrison |first=Ellie |url=http://www.radiotimes.com/news/2016-12-02/robbie-savage-suzi-perry-and-the-brownlee-brothers-join-robot-wars-battle-of-the-stars-line-up |title=Robot Wars: Battle of the Stars line-up: Robbie Savage and the Brownlee brothers join Christmas show |website=Radio Times |date=2016-12-02 |access-date=2017-04-27}}</ref>

During its original airing, the first rebooted series was sometimes referred to as 'Series 1', presenting itself as a completely new show. Starting in 2017, however, the BBC began referring to it as Series 8, with the following second series appropriately dubbed Series 9, acknowledging itself as a continuation of the original show.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0873k9n/episodes/guide |title=BBC Two - Robot Wars - Episode guide |publisher=BBC |date=1970-01-01 |access-date=2017-04-27}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p04sj8td |title=BBC Two - Robot Wars, Series 9: Teaser |date=10 February 2017 |publisher=BBC |access-date=2017-04-27}}</ref> Following the 10th series, it was revealed that the BBC had decided not to renew the show for an 11th, and Robot Wars has been axed for the second time, the complete cancellation was met with backlash from fans.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://inews.co.uk/culture/television/robot-wars-cancelled-bbc-two-axed/|title=Robot Wars has just been axed again by the BBC and the fans are mad|date=18 March 2018 |publisher=inews|access-date=2019-02-22}}</ref>

==Battle rules==
A robot could lose a match in several ways during the knockout format of the show:
*'''Immobilisation''': A robot that is unable to move is counted out. In the original series 30 seconds of immobility were necessary, in later series this was reduced to 10 seconds.
*'''Pit''': One of the arena hazards is the ''pit of oblivion'', a large square hole in the arena. A robot that falls or is pushed into this is eliminated.
*'''Removal from arena''': If a robot is ejected from the arena – typically by the flipper or vertical flywheel of an opponent, it is eliminated. In the original series the perimeter of the arena was a short barrier, in later series the wall was higher, making this type of elimination harder. In the rebooted series, only certain areas of the arena were not fully walled off. This meant that removal from the arena was only practical in certain areas.
* If none of the above conditions were satisfied, a panel of three judges (listed [[#Transmissions|below]]) scored the competitors on style, control, damage and aggression.
:The judges' decisions are based on the following categories: 
:*'''Aggression:''' The extent to which the robot was on the 'front foot' against the opposing robot as opposed to staying out of trouble.
:*'''Damage:''' The amount of damage inflicted on the opposing robot.
:*'''Control:''' The ability of the driver to push opposing robots, avoiding the arena hazards and if they're attacking how they're meant to. 
:*'''Style''' (original series only): The extent to which the robot demonstrated its abilities such as self-righting. For the revived series, the style category was omitted.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.robotwars.tv/the-show/|title=The Show - Robot Wars|website=Robotwars.tv|access-date=2016-07-16}}</ref>
:In the original series, the Aggression, Damage, Control and Style points were weighted 3:4:2:1 respectively. In the 2016 series the weightings for Aggression, Damage and Control were 3:2:1,<ref name="PressPack">{{cite web|title=Robot Wars Press Pack|url=https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/28463935/Robot%20Wars%20Press%20Pack.pdf?dl=1|publisher=BBC Two|access-date=12 September 2016}}</ref> with "Style" no longer a judged criterion.

Although the format changed several times over the years, these rules remained the same across all series and competitions.

==Format==
===Domestic===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Series !! Competition Format !! The Heats !! The Semi-finals !! The Final !! Side and Trial Events 
|-
| 1 || Six robots in six heats. The winners met in a single melee fight to determine the champion. || rowspan=2|All six robots took on the Gauntlet with one eliminated. The remaining five took part in a trial with a further one eliminated. The final four took part in one-on-one Arena battles in a knockout format. || There was no Semi-Final held || The Final was held as a melee at the end of the final heat. || 'British Bulldog', 'Football', 'Labyrinth', 'Snooker Octagon', 'Stock Car' and 'Sumo Basho'.
|-
| 2 || Six robots in twelve heats. The winners of each heat went into one of two semi-finals. Two robots from each semi-final reached the final show. || All six robots took on the Gauntlet with one eliminated. The remaining five took part in a trial with a further one eliminated. The final four took part in one-on-one Arena battles in a knockout format, with the two winners advancing to the Grand Final. || rowspan=6|Arena battle knockout of two rounds plus a third place playoff. || 'Joust', 'King of the Castle', 'Pinball Warrior', 'Football', 'Skittles', 'Sumo Basho' and 'Tug of War'.
|-
| 3 || Eight robots in sixteen heats. The sixteen heat winners reached one of two semi-finals. Two robots from each semi-final reached the final. || Arena battle knockout of three rounds. || rowspan=2|Arena battle knockout of two rounds. || 'Pinball Warrior', 'Football', the 'Middleweight Melee' and 'Walker Battles'.
|-
| 4 || Six robots in sixteen heats. The sixteen heats winners reached one of two semi-finals. Two robots from each semi-final reached the final. || Three-way Arena melee first round before two Arena knockout rounds. || 'Pinball Warrior' and 'Sumo Basho'.
|-
| 5 || rowspan=2|Eight robots in twelve heats. The twelve heat winners reached one of two semi-finals. Two robots from each semi-final reached the final. || Arena battle knockout of three rounds || rowspan=2|Arena battle knockout of two rounds, with the three losers of the first round having to compete in a second-chance three-way melee for a place in the second round. || rowspan=2|There were no Side or Trial events or Qualifying bouts held
|-
| 6 || rowspan=2|Arena battle knockout of three rounds. The first round as a four-way melee with two qualifiers.
|-
| 7 || Eight robots in sixteen heats. The sixteen heat winners reached one of two semi-finals. Two robots from each semi-final reached the final. || Arena battle knockout of two rounds.|| Qualifying bouts for the World Championships and fights from other weight classes 
|-
| 8 || rowspan=2|Eight robots in five heats. The five heat winners would move on to the grand final along with a wildcard robot chosen by the judges. || rowspan=2|Round 1 was done the same way as series 6 and 7, but the two winners of each group battle go into a mini league where they fight its three opponents once each, with 3 points for a knockout win, 2 for a judges' decision win and 0 for a defeat of either form, with the top 2 advanced into the heat final and the bottom 2 eliminated. In the event two robots are tied for a qualifying position, the robot who won their bout against the other proceeds. || rowspan=3|There was no Semi-Final held || rowspan=2|The final works the same as the heats except the group battles feature three robots as opposed to four, with one robot being eliminated in each melee, similar to the heats of series 4. || rowspan=3|There were no Side or Trial events or Qualifying bouts held
|-
|9
|-
|10
|Six robots in five heats. The heat winners move on to the grand final. Robots in second and third place entered into 10 way wild card battle of which the winner would also move into the grand final.
|Round 1 was two 3 way battles similar to series 4 which the winners would progress to the heat semi-final. Losers would compete against the losers from the opposite round 1 from which the winners would progress to the heat semi-final. After the two semi-finals, there was a third-place match for a place in the 10-way wild card battle and a first-place battle of which the winner would proceed and the loser would also compete in the 10-way battle.
|The 10 way wild card battle took place then the winner joined the 5 heat winners. The rest of the final worked the same as the heats except for the omission of the third-place match.
|}

===Extreme===
There were also two series made for the UK, ''Robot Wars Extreme'', which did not focus on a single championship.

'''Bold text''' indicates robot wars extreme events that debuted ahead of the actual debut series.

'''''Bold Italic text''''' indicates robot wars extreme events that made separate debuts ahead of the added event of the second series of robot wars extreme.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
!Extreme 1 and 2 Events !! These tournaments and themed battles continued over the entire series 
|-
| All-Star Tournament || Knockout tournament featuring the most well-known competitors. 
|-
| '''Annihilator''' || Six-way battles with one robot eliminated per round.
|-
| Challenge Belt || Where robots would try to defend their honour for the challenge belt.
|-
| Mayhems || Three-way battles to progress to the series annihilators.
|-
| '''Tag Team Terror''' || Two robots team up and fight tag-team style (though usually all four robots were out).
|-
| Vengeance Battle || This allowed robots with unfinished business or grudges to settle things once and for all.
|-
| Wildcard Warriors || Newcomers take on established robots.
|-
| Robot rebellion || Robots Face the House Robots 
|-
! Extreme 2 Added Events !! This series followed one theme over each episode
|-
| New Blood || A new robot tournament.
|-
| Iron Maidens || Women took control.
|-
| Minor Meltdown || Children took control.
|-
| Robot Rampage || A tournament with robots in lower weight classes such as '''''antweight''''', '''''featherweight''''', '''''lightweight''''' and '''''middleweight'''''.
|-
| University Challenge || All robots were entered by Universities.
|-
| Commonwealth Carnage || All robots were from teams based in the Commonwealth. (Similar to the World Championship)
|-
| European Championship || All robots were from teams based in Europe. 
|}

==Presenters==
{{Multiple image|direction=horizontal|align=right|header=Main presenters|image1=Jeremy Clarkson.jpg|image2=JonathanPearce.jpg|image3=Craig Charles.jpg|image4=Dara Ó Briain 2011 BAFTAs.jpg|width1=105|width2=135|width3=112|width4=118|caption1=[[Jeremy Clarkson]] (1998)|caption2=[[Jonathan Pearce (commentator)|Jonathan Pearce]], commentator |caption3=[[Craig Charles]] (1998–2004)|caption4=[[Dara Ó Briain]] (2016–2018), co-host with [[Angela Scanlon]]|alt1=Clarkson|alt2=Pearce|alt3=Charles|alt4=Ó Briain}}

The first series of ''Robot Wars'' was presented by [[Jeremy Clarkson]] and co-hosted by [[Philippa Forrester]]. In keeping with his edgy persona established on ''[[Top Gear (2002 series)|Top Gear]]'', Clarkson frequently made tongue-in-cheek jokes about competitors and their robots, such as remarking that a contestant robot called "Skarab" looked like "cheese on toast".<ref name=SphereTV>{{cite web |url=http://www.spheretv.com/site/television/game-show/robot-wars.html |title=Robot Wars |access-date=2006-11-18 |publisher=SphereTV |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061205043836/http://www.spheretv.com/site/television/game-show/robot-wars.html |archive-date=5 December 2006 }}</ref>

Clarkson left ''Robot Wars'' after the first series and was replaced with [[Craig Charles]].<ref name=robotsrule>{{cite web |url=http://www.fightingrobots.co.uk/robotsrule/presenters.htm |title=The Presenters |access-date=2006-11-18 |work=Robots Rule}}</ref> Charles, well known as playing the character [[Dave Lister]] in the [[science fiction]]-themed [[sitcom]] ''[[Red Dwarf]]'',<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.sadgeezer.com/RedDwarf/lister.htm |title=Dave Lister Biography |access-date=2006-11-19 |work=The SadGeezers Guide |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20061021020427/http://www.sadgeezer.com/RedDwarf/lister.htm <!-- Bot retrieved archive --> |archive-date = 2006-10-21}}</ref> was seen as taking the programme and its contestants more seriously than Clarkson and was more enthusiastic while presenting it. He was also often known as the "Master of Mayhem" when introduced at the start of episodes from Extreme 1 onwards.<ref name=SphereTV /> Charles would close each episode with a four line poem ending with the words "''Robot Wars''". Charles presented ''Robot Wars'' until it ceased production in 2004.{{citation needed|date=February 2022}}

{{Blockquote|"My son, Jack, was a fan of the first series and said I should get involved. So I made a few phone calls and the rest is history."|source=[[Craig Charles]] speaking on how he got involved with ''Robot Wars''.}}

In comparison to Charles' background in science fiction, Philippa Forrester was best known as co-host of the [[science]] and [[technology]] programme ''[[Tomorrow's World]]''.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/bristol/content/articles/2006/01/12/forester_feature.shtml |title=Philippa Forrester |access-date=2006-11-19 |work=BBC Radio Bristol}}</ref> Her role on ''Robot Wars'' was as the pit reporter<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0286741/ |title=Philippa Forrester |access-date=2006-11-19 |publisher=IMDb}}</ref> who would speak to contestants about their robots before and after battles. Forrester was pit reporter for six of the show's nine series; [[Julia Reed]] took the role for Series 4 and Extreme 1 since Forrester was unable to participate in the programme due to [[pregnancy]], but Forrester returned for Series 5, Series 6 and Extreme 2. When the programme moved to [[Channel 5 (UK)|Channel 5]] for the seventh series, Forrester did not return for unknown reasons, so [[Jayne Middlemiss]] took over the pit reporter duties.<ref name=robotsrule/>

[[Jonathan Pearce (commentator)|Jonathan Pearce]] was the show's commentator throughout its entire run, becoming one of only two people (the other being judge Noel Sharkey) to appear in every episode of the programme; he commentated in the same loud and enthusiastic manner as his [[association football|football]] commentaries.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://metro.co.uk/2009/10/27/jonathan-pearce-635833/ |title=Jonathan Pearce &#124; Metro News |work=Metro|location=UK |date=2009-10-27 |access-date=2013-12-01}}</ref> The programme was well known for phrases such as "Roboteers, stand by", "3. 2. 1. Activate" and "Cease!". These phrases were announced by the director, Stuart McDonald and became a recognisable part of the series for the entire duration of its run.<ref>{{cite web |title=Robot Wars is Finally Coming Back to BBC After 12 Years |url=http://screenrant.com/robot-wars-returns-bbc/ |work=screenrant.com |date=13 January 2016 |access-date=2016-03-03}}</ref>

In 2016, [[Dara Ó Briain]] and [[Angela Scanlon]] were announced as the hosts of the eighth series, with Jonathan Pearce returning as commentator. They reprised their roles in the ninth and tenth series.

==House robots==
Throughout the series, house robots acted as obstacles to competing robots in battles and challenges. House robots were permitted to attack robots that were in the Corner Patrol Zones at the corners of the arena or upon the submission of a competing robot. The house robots were an intrinsic part of the programme's success and merchandising of these robots was highly successful.<ref>{{cite web |title=Robot Wars returns: How well do you remember the House Robots? |url=http://metro.co.uk/2016/01/14/robot-wars-returns-how-well-do-you-remember-the-house-robots-5622838/ |work=Metro |date=14 January 2016 |access-date=2016-03-01}}</ref> Furthermore, the house robots were not subject to the {{Convert|100|kg|4=0|abbr=on}} weight limit or weapon rules that contestant robots had to adhere to, the most notable example of this was Sergeant Bash's [[flamethrower]].

From the Fourth Wars, a non-competitive "Refbot" was present during fights. This robot conveyed officiating signals (such as counting out immobile competitors) on the arena, gave occasional nudges to help battles along and could deploy a fire extinguisher where necessary.{{citation needed|date=February 2022}}

For Series 8, new versions of Matilda, Shunt, Dead Metal and Sir Killalot were constructed. They are considerably heavier with improved weaponry. All the house robots are over {{Convert|300|kg|4=0|abbr=on}} in weight and Sir Killalot now weighs {{Convert|741|kg|abbr=on}}. Visually, all four look similar to their predecessors, but with significant differences: Dead Metal's head has been enlarged with glowing eyes, Matilda's back-mounted fins have been replaced with smaller crocodilian scales, spikes appear on her frill, her eyes are now red and her whole head section now flips up; Shunt has enlarged wheel protectors and metal chimneys replacing the smokestack; and Sir Killalot's armour and helmet has been entirely redesigned. This was said to be to show the actual shape of Sir Killalot's head, rather than the helmet he is wearing. The other house robots did not return for this series.<ref name="Gill">{{cite news|url=http://www.radiotimes.com/news/2016-06-23/this-is-the-first-proper-look-at-the-upgraded-robot-wars-2016-house-robots|title=The first proper look at the upgraded 2016 Robot Wars House Robots|last=Gill|first=James|date=23 June 2016|work=Radio Times|access-date=12 July 2016}}</ref>

'''Bold text''' indicates house robots that returned for the new series.

{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! House robot !! First competed !! Weight<br /> kg (lb) !! Speed<br /> km/h (mph) !! Height<br /> cm (in) !! Length<br /> cm (in) !! Width<br /> cm (in) !! Power !!class=unsortable| Weaponry !! class=unsortable|Strengths !! class=unsortable|Weakness !! class=unsortable|Method
|-
| Cassius Chrome ||data-sort-value="7"| Seventh War || {{Convert|250|kg|lb|abbr=values|sortable=on}} || {{Convert|20|mph|abbr=values|order=flip|sortable=on}} || {{Convert|85|cm|in|abbr=values|sortable=on}} || {{Convert|130|cm|in|abbr=values|sortable=on}} || {{Convert|100|cm|in|abbr=values|sortable=on}} || data-sort-value="magnetic drive motor"|2x24V magnetic drive motors || Two rotary driven interchangeable "fists" and front shovel. || Fastest house robot, interchanageable weaponry || Requires time to build attack || High speed ramming
|-
| '''Dead Metal''' ||data-sort-value="1"| First War || {{Convert|112|kg|lb|abbr=values|sortable=on}} (original)<br /> {{Convert|343|kg|lb|abbr=values|sortable=on}} (revival)|| {{Convert|13|mph|abbr=values|order=flip|sortable=on}} || {{Convert|70|cm|in|abbr=values|sortable=on}} || {{Convert|160|cm|in|abbr=values|sortable=on}} || {{Convert|100|cm|in|abbr=values|sortable=on}} ||data-sort-value="battery-motor"| Battery driven motors || CO<sub>2</sub> power driven 1.4m wide pincers with {{Convert|300|kg|abbr=on}} grip and overhead circular saw arm (S1-2) / 4000rpm magnesium circular saw mounted on hydraulic cradle which spins at {{Convert|340|km/h|abbr=on}} (S3 onwards) || Weapons synergy || Poor manoeuvrability || Grab a competitor robot and engage circular saw
|-
| Growler ||data-sort-value="6"| Sixth War || {{Convert|375|kg|lb|abbr=values|sortable=on}} || {{Convert|17|mph|abbr=values|order=flip|sortable=on}} || {{Convert|76|cm|in|abbr=values|sortable=on}} || {{Convert|152|cm|in|abbr=values|sortable=on}} || {{Convert|130|cm|in|abbr=values|sortable=on}} ||data-sort-value="battery-motor"| Six batteries and two electric motors || {{Convert|3000|psi|abbr=on}} front jaws and rear-mounted flame jet (Extreme 2 only) || Speed and sheer destructive power || Unpredictable || Grab with jaws & push around arena, grab & ram into side walls
|-
| '''Matilda''' ||data-sort-value="1"| First War || {{Convert|116|kg|lb|abbr=values|sortable=on}} (original)<br /> {{Convert|350|kg|lb|abbr=values|sortable=on}} (revival)|| {{Convert|14|mph|abbr=values|order=flip|sortable=on}} || {{Convert|66|cm|in|abbr=values|sortable=on}} || {{Convert|140|cm|in|abbr=values|sortable=on}} || {{Convert|66|cm|in|abbr=values|sortable=on}} ||data-sort-value="batter-engine"| Battery driven engine || {{Convert|800|psi|abbr=on}} pneumatic tusks that can lift {{Convert|1.5|tonne|abbr=on}} rear mounted chainsaw (S1 to 4) / vertical {{Convert|35|kg|abbr=on}} Hardox flywheel spinning 25 times per second; (Extreme 1 onwards) || Tough exo-skeleton || Lacks self-control || Lift/flip with tusks, hit with rear weaponry
|-
| Mr. Psycho ||data-sort-value="6"| Sixth War || {{Convert|750|kg|lb|abbr=values|sortable=on}} || {{Convert|8|mph|abbr=values|order=flip|sortable=on}} || {{Convert|150|cm|in|abbr=values|sortable=on}} || {{Convert|163|cm|in|abbr=values|sortable=on}} || {{Convert|145|cm|in|abbr=values|sortable=on}} ||data-sort-value="battery"| 12 batteries || {{Convert|30|kg|abbr=on}} hammer and grabbing claw of {{Convert|5|tonne|abbr=on}} force || Heaviest and tallest house robot || High power usage || Hammer strike, grab/lift with claw
|-
| Refbot ||data-sort-value="4"| Fourth War || {{Convert|120|kg|lb|abbr=values|sortable=on}} || {{Convert|7|mph|abbr=values|order=flip|sortable=on}} || {{Convert|130|cm|in|abbr=values|sortable=on}} || {{Convert|140|cm|in|abbr=values|sortable=on}} || {{Convert|90|cm|in|abbr=values|sortable=on}} ||data-sort-value="battery"| Battery power || Front and rear scoops; electric countout; fire extinguisher and coloured card medallion || N/A - Non-combative || N/A - Non-combative || N/A - Non-combative
|-
| Sergeant Bash ||data-sort-value="1"| First War || {{Convert|120|kg|lb|abbr=values|sortable=on}} || {{Convert|8|mph|abbr=values|order=flip|sortable=on}} || {{Convert|90|cm|in|abbr=values|sortable=on}} || {{Convert|140|cm|in|abbr=values|sortable=on}} || {{Convert|90|cm|in|abbr=values|sortable=on}} ||data-sort-value="battery"| Four Batteries || Propane fueled flamethrower (S1-7), Front ramming spike and rear grinding disc (S1-2) / front hydraulic pincers (S3 onwards) || Long-range weaponry || Limited fuel capacity || Engage flamethrower, grab with crushing jaws
|-
| '''Shunt''' ||data-sort-value="1"| First War || {{Convert|105|kg|lb|abbr=values|sortable=on}} (original)<br /> {{Convert|327|kg|lb|abbr=values|sortable=on}} (revival)|| {{Convert|11|mph|abbr=values|order=flip|sortable=on}} || {{Convert|70|cm|in|abbr=values|sortable=on}} || {{Convert|130|cm|in|abbr=values|sortable=on}} ||{{Convert|110|cm|in|abbr=values|sortable=on}}||data-sort-value="electric-motor"|Prototype electric motor || Rear ramming plough, Front lifting {{Convert|300|psi|abbr=on}} pneumatic scoop {{Convert|350|kg|abbr=on}} and titanium-tipped axe that can strike at the speed of 0.25 seconds with up to 1000&nbsp;kg of force|| High pushing power || Prone to being flipped and has no self-righting mechanism || Strike with axe, push/lift with scoop
|-
| '''Sir Killalot''' ||data-sort-value="2"|Second War || {{Convert|520|kg|lb|abbr=values|sortable=on}} (original)<br />{{Convert|741|kg|lb|abbr=values|sortable=on}} (revival)|| {{Convert|10|mph|abbr=values|order=flip|sortable=on}} || {{Convert|130|cm|in|abbr=values|sortable=on}} || {{Convert|120|cm|in|abbr=values|sortable=on}} || {{Convert|120|cm|in|abbr=values|sortable=on}} ||data-sort-value="petrol"| Petrol engine || Hydraulic claws mounted on lifting arm with {{Convert|2.5|tonne}} of crush force and spike lance (S2) / rotating drill lance (S3-S7); || Heavy with powerful weaponry || Easily Toppled, Flammable || Spike with lance, grab/lift with claw
|}

==Arena and hazards==
===Arenas===
[[File:Robot Wars Arena.jpg|thumb|The Renfrew arena used for the rebooted series]]
There were numerous arena incarnations used during the original run of ''Robot Wars'' on the BBC. These arenas were also used by international versions such as ''Robot Wars: Extreme Warriors'' in the United States. The arena was approximately {{Convert|32|by|48|ft}}. For Series 1 to 3 the arena was not enclosed as such, as the audience were raised above the arena. The increasing sophistication of weaponry from contestant robots – most notably demonstrated by [[Hypno-Disc]] in Series 3 – as well as arena hazards prompted producers to enclose the arena entirely in a perspex box {{Convert|20|ft}} high from Series 4 onwards, to protect the audience and production team from debris.{{Citation needed|date=September 2016}}

In early 2004, the Robot Wars arena was purchased from the television production firm Mentorn by a company called Robot Arenas Ltd., based in the UK, an organization set up by a past competitor in Robot Wars to continue the sport of robot combat in the UK. The arena – valued originally at £11,000 – was sold for scrap in 2005 for £250 by the new owners of the former [[RAF Newton]] air base, where the arena was housed. A suit filed against RAF Newton by Robot Arenas Ltd. found that RAF Newton had acted reasonably in the matter and owed no compensation to Robot Arenas Ltd.<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/7187699/Robot-wars-battle-arena-case-decided.html | location=London | work=The Daily Telegraph | title=Robot wars battle arena case decided | date=8 February 2010}}</ref>

In 2016, a new arena was constructed in a warehouse in [[Renfrew]], on the outskirts of [[Glasgow]], for use in the rebooted series. This arena is {{Convert|15|m}} square, with a {{Convert|6|mm|abbr=on}} steel floor<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.fightingrobots.co.uk/threads/12907-bbc-robot-wars?p=460519&viewfull=1#post460519 |title=BBC Robot Wars - Page 9 |website=Fightingrobots.co.uk |access-date=2017-04-27}}</ref> and higher bulletproof walls, making it harder for robots to be thrown out of the arena.

===Hazards===
{{Unreferenced section|date=September 2016}}
Throughout Robot Wars' run, arena booby-traps were introduced and amended. Generally, traps which proved ineffective were omitted in later series, however some traps proved to be a success (such as the Pit of Oblivion, Floor Flipper and the Drop Zone) and were retained. The assorted traps in the arena that changed from one series the next included:{{citation needed|date=February 2022}}

*'''Arena Sidebars''' - The First Wars Only - These were parts of the arena side fence that were on the floor. These trapped robots and potentially immobilised them if they could not drive off.
*'''The Patrol Zone (commonly known as PZs)''' - The First Wars only - Four large squares in the corners of the arena marked with striped tape, each occupied by one House Robot and a booby-trap. Once a competitor robot entered one of these zones, it was open to attack by the House Robot within. The Patrol Zones were much like the CPZ's that appeared in later series but were much larger.
*'''Floor grilles''' - The First Wars Only - Grille floor panels that, like the arena sidebars mentioned above, were designed to trap robots and not allow them to drive off. Proved much more effective than the sidebars. (similar to the flame pit introduced in the second wars)
*'''Floor spikes''' - The First Wars to The Third Wars and Series 8 onwards - These were pneumatic spikes located in several positions on the arena floor that came up whenever a robot drove over them. They trapped robots and on occasion flipped them. They were removed for Series 4 after causing many upsets during The Third Wars, where robots currently winning battles would be overturned and then lose. This most notably happened during Heat B when Behemoth was flipped, could not self-right and its opponent Pitbull won by default. For Series 8, a group of five large spikes form one of the four main traps of the arena. They are powerful and large enough to lift and trap robots for a brief moment (as happened to Bonk in the opening episode), but are not as fast as their predecessors. In theory, this will avoid the sort of upsets seen in Series 3. One spike 'hole' is capable of emitting sparks.
*'''The Perimeter Patrol Zones (commonly known as PPZs)''' - The Second Wars only – A narrow band around the perimeter of the arena that replaced the Patrol Zones. A competitor robot that entered this area was open to attack by any or all of the House Robots stationed there.
*'''The Side Patrol Zones (commonly known as SPZs (Pinball Only))''' - The Second Wars to The Fourth Wars - the House Robots guard three tyre targets in the sides of the arena during the Pinball Warrior Tournament (Two of the side tyre targets score 50 points and one scores 75 points if any tyre target is pressed).
*'''The Pit of Oblivion''' - The Second Wars onwards - Arguably the arena's most iconic feature, this was a {{Convert|4|ft|adj=on}} square hole in the arena floor, painted black on the inside and partially filled with old tyres. If a robot drove, fell, or was pushed into the Pit, it would be instantly eliminated. In The Second Wars, pits were added to both lanes of The Gauntlet. For The Third Wars the Pit was open during the first two rounds of each heat, then covered during the heat final and following matches. In The Fourth Wars, the Pit was redesigned, with a yellow-and-black [[Chevron (insignia)|chevron]]-tape outline and was covered until halfway into a battle, whereupon it would "descend". From its very first appearance in The Second Wars, the Pit included a small [[pyrotechnic]] "explosion" that formed a large ball of white smoke. This would activate when a robot fell into the Pit, primarily used to show that a competitor had fallen in. This was changed to a small firework explosion for The Third Wars but the smoke returned for The Fourth Wars and remained until the end. From Extreme 1 onwards there was a device on the arena wall that competitor or house robots could use to activate the pit opening. In Extreme and The Fifth Wars that device was a tyre. For The Sixth Wars the tyre was replaced by a metal bumper. The tyre returned in Extreme 2 and remained for the remainder of the shows' run. The pit was enlarged and given an LED decoration on the inside for the eighth series, with the pyrotechnic no longer used. Since Series 9, the pyrotechnics have returned to the Pit.
*'''Flame Pit''' - The Second Wars onwards - A large square grill located close to the right bottom corner of the arena resembling a kitchen stove. Used to set fire to flammable robots and damage electronics. For the eighth series, this was moved to the upper left corner of the arena. (similar to the floor grills which only appeared in the first wars)
*'''The Corner Patrol Zones (commonly known as CPZs)''' - The Third Wars onwards - the House Robots were now confined to the four corners of the arena much like in The First Wars. Which house robot was used in which battle was defined by a rota system but would also sometimes depend on if a house robot was being repaired. In The Fourth Wars, the house robots switched to a rota system of Shunt, Matilda, Sgt. Bash and Dead Metal. Sir Killalot consistently appeared every round excepting battles 3 & 4 of the War of Independence when the original 4 house robots occupy all the CPZs. From The Fifth Wars and Extreme 1 onwards only two house robots were allowed in the arena at a time and this moved in a rota through all of the machines. However some House Robots did not appear in a show or on some occasions missed several shows before making an appearance. For Series 8, the CPZs are larger and L-shaped. The house robots no longer attack competitors who enter any CPZ, but stick to guarding their own and can still attack robots that have been immobilised.
*'''The Floor Flipper''' - The Third Wars onwards - A powerful pneumatic flipper set into the floor resembling an aircraft carrier catapult, capable of throwing a robot across the arena. It was generally only used on robots that had already been defeated, but was occasionally fired during events such as the House Robot Rebellion. When originally introduced, it just looked like a part of the arena floor. For The Fourth Wars the flipper was given a yellow/black paint scheme similar to the redesigned Pit of Oblivion. For Extreme 1/Series 5 the power of the flipper increased, allowing it to hurl even the heaviest robots into the air and flip featherweight robots out of the arena. For Series 8, this is no longer used as a coup de grace for defeated robots, but fires independently during a fight. It is positioned diagonally on the floor and is capable not only of launching robots into the air but also trapping robots as it closes.
*'''Red & Blue Perimeters (Sumo & Tag Team Terror only)''' - The Fourth Wars only - The Red Perimeter zone is for two robots in the red tag team and the Blue Perimeter zone is for two robots in the blue tag team.
*'''Angle Grinders''' - The Third Wars and Extreme 1 to The Seventh Wars - Abrasive grinding wheels built into the arena railings. The grinders were replaced with small pneumatic spikes in The Fourth Wars but brought back from Extreme 1 onwards.
*'''Pneumatic Spikes''' - The Fourth Wars only - As mentioned above, they replaced the Angle Grinders but proved ineffective so were omitted after one series.
*'''[[Carbon Dioxide|CO<sub>2</sub>]] geysers''' - The Fifth Wars and Extreme 1 onwards - High pressure CO<sub>2</sub> outlets designed to cause internal damage to robots, but were more useful for extinguishing fires.
*'''The Drop Zone''' - The Fifth Wars and Extreme 1 to The Seventh Wars - A square on the arena floor where heavy objects (television sets, ocean buoys, refrigerators, washing machines, etc.) fell from the top of the arena. Like the Floor Flipper, it was only used on robots that were already immobile. It was actually first used in Series 6 and Extreme 2, although the spot where the object would fall, a black square with a yellow 'X' shape across it, although it first appeared in The Fifth Wars and Extreme 1. Viewers did not know the purpose of this at the time. It is believed it was due to be used in Extreme 1 and The Fifth Wars Semi-Finals and Grand Final but technical difficulties meant it was abandoned.
*'''The Disc of Doom''' - The Sixth Wars and Extreme 2 only - A circular spinning panel set into the arena floor activated by a buffer similar to the pit release. This trap was used to disrupt a robot's driving and worked well on lighter competitors, but proved ineffective against Heavyweight robots. It first appeared in both The Sixth Wars and Extreme 2 but was removed for The Seventh Wars to be replaced by The Dial of Doom in the near future.
*'''The Dial of Doom/Doom Dial''' - Series 9 to Series 10. A dial that will activate when the arena tyre is pressed. If the dial swings left, it will open up the pit and if the dial swings right, it will activate "Rogue House Robot" which allows a house robot to leave the CPZ and attack a competitor robot for up to 10 seconds. Additionally, from the Tenth Wars, swinging right may trigger "The Fog of War" in which the arena is filled with CO<sub>2</sub> for 10 seconds, obscuring the robots from view.{{citation needed|date=February 2022}}

==Competitors and results==
[[File:Chaos_2.jpg|thumb|right|[[Chaos 2]] was the only robot to be the show's British Champion twice and the first to flip opponent robots over the fence and out of the arena.]]
{{see also|List of Robot Wars robots}}
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
|-
|+ Domestic Championships results
|-
!colspan="3"|Series
!Winner
!colspan="3"| Grand Finalists
|-
|colspan="3"|'''1'''
|Roadblock
|colspan="3"|Bodyhammer, Robot The Bruce, Recyclopse, Cunning Plan, T.R.A.C.I.E.
|-
!colspan="3"| Series
!Winner
!Runner-up
!Third Place
!Fourth Place
|-
|colspan="3"| '''2'''
|Panic Attack
|Cassius
|Roadblock
|Killertron
|-
|colspan="3"| '''3'''
|Chaos 2
|Hypno-Disc
|Fire Storm/Steg-O-Saw-Us 
|Panic Attack/Mace 2
|-
|colspan="3"| '''4'''
|Chaos 2
|Pussycat
|Stinger
|Hypno-Disc
|-
|colspan="3"| '''5'''
|Razer
|Bigger Brother
|Firestorm 3
|Hypno-Disc
|-
|colspan="3"| '''6'''
|Tornado
|Razer
|Firestorm 4
|Terrorhurtz
|-
|colspan="3"| '''7'''
|Typhoon 2
|Storm 2
|Tornado
|X-Terminator
|-
|colspan="3"| '''8'''
|Apollo
|Carbide
|TR2
|Thor
|-
|colspan="3"| '''9'''
|Carbide
|Eruption
|Ironside3
|Aftershock
|-
|colspan="3"| '''10'''
|Eruption
|Carbide
|Behemoth/Nuts 2
|Magnetar/Rapid
|}

{|class="wikitable"
|-
|+Special Championships Results
|-
!colspan="3"| Championship
!colspan="2"| Winner
!colspan="2"| Runner-up
|-
|colspan="3"| International League Championship
|colspan="2"| Razer <small>(England)</small>
|colspan="2"| Diotoir <small>(Republic of Ireland)</small>
|-
!colspan="3"| Championship
!Winner
!Runner-up
!colspan="2"| Semi-Finalists
|-
|colspan="3"| First World Championship
|Razer <small>(England)</small>
|Behemoth <small>(England)</small>
|101 <small>(England)</small>
|Diotoir <small>(Republic of Ireland)</small>
|-
|colspan="3"| First Celebrity Special
|Pussycat <small>([[Adam Woodyatt]])</small>
|Diotoir <small>([[Vic Reeves]])</small>
|Gemini <small>([[Anthea Turner]] & [[Wendy Turner Webster|Wendy Turner]])</small>
|Sir Chromalot <small>([[Shane Lynch]])</small>
|-
!colspan="3"| Championship
!Winner
!Runner-up
!Third Place
!Fourth Place
|-
|colspan="3"| Tag Team Terror
|King B3 & 101
|Firestorm 2 & Scorpion
|Bigger Brother & Plunderbird 4
|X-Terminator 2 & Invertabrat
|-
!colspan="3"| Championship
!colspan="2"| Winner
!colspan="2"| Runner-up
|-
|colspan="3"| Annihilator North
|colspan="2"| Spikasaurus
|colspan="2"| Dominator 2
|-
|colspan="3"| Annihilator South
|colspan="2"| Razer
|colspan="2"| Onslaught
|-
!colspan="3"| Championship
!Winner
!Runner-up
!colspan="2"| Semi-Finalists
|-
|colspan="3"| War of Independence
|Mortis <small>(UK)</small>
|Frenzy <small>(USA)</small>
|Ming 2 <small>(UK)</small>
|Panic Attack <small>(UK)</small>
|-
|colspan="3"| Second World Championship
|Razer <small>(UK)</small>
|Drillzilla <small>(USA)</small>
|Manta <small>(USA)</small>
|Tornado <small>(UK)</small>
|-
|colspan="3"| The Forces Special
|Anvil <small>([[Royal Air Force]])</small>
|Mega-Hurts <small>([[Royal Navy]])</small>
|Oblark <small>([[Fire services in the United Kingdom|Fire Brigade]])</small>
|Sub-Version <small>([[Royal Navy Submarine Service|Submariners]])</small>
|-
!colspan="3"| Championship
!colspan="2"| Winners
!colspan="2"| Semi-Finalists
|-
|colspan="3"| UK vs. Germany
|Fluffy <small>(UK)</small>
|Das Gepäck <small>(Germany)</small>
|259 <small>(UK)</small>
|Delldog <small>(Germany)</small>
|-
!colspan="3"| Championship
!colspan="2"| Winner
!colspan="2"| Runner-up
|-
|colspan="3"| Annihilator
|colspan="2"| Kan-Opener
|colspan="2"| Ripper
|-
!colspan="3"| Championship
!Winner
!Runner-up
!colspan="2"| Semi-Finalists
|-
|colspan="3"| All-Stars
|Pussycat
|Dantomkia
|Kat 3
|Panic Attack
|-
|colspan="3"| Third World Championship
|Storm 2 <small>(UK)</small>
|Supernova <small>(Sri Lanka)</small>
|Crushtacean <small>(South Africa)</small>
|Tough As Nails <small>(Netherlands)</small>
|-
!colspan="3"| Championship
!colspan="2"| Winners
!colspan="2"| Runners-up
|-
|colspan="3"| Battle of the Stars
|Arena Cleaner <small>([[Scott Mills]] & [[Chris Stark]])</small>
|Kadeena Machina <small>([[Kadeena Cox]])</small>
|The Cat <small>([[Suzi Perry]])</small>
|Robo Savage <small>([[Robbie Savage]])</small>
|-
!colspan="3"| Championship
!colspan="2"| Winners
!colspan="2"| Runners-up
|-
|colspan="3"| World Series
|UK (Apollo, Terrorhurtz, Sabretooth, Gabriel 2)
|UK (Eruption, Thor, Concussion, Big Nipper) 
|Rest of the World (Diotoir, Cobra, Rabid M8, TMHWK) 
|Rest of the World (Cathadh, Terror Turtle, THE BASH / Tough As Nails*, Weber)
|}
*Note: After THE BASH was found to be irreparable in the World Series after its first and only battle, it was directly replaced by Tough As Nails.{{citation needed|date=February 2022}}

==Merchandise==
===Toys (from Logistix Kids & Hexbug)===
[[File:Sir Killalot spear.jpg|thumb|A Sir Killalot toy]]
Pullback and Friction toys were made of all the House Robots, with the exception of Cassius Chrome as the toys from Logistix Kids had stopped production when it was introduced for The Seventh Wars and the toys would have resumed production by Series 8, 9 or 10, but this did not happen until [[Hexbug]] took over and did so rather late in 2018 after Series 10 ended. There were also pullback and ripcord toys of the Series 3, 4, 5, 6, Extreme 1 and Extreme 2 Competitor Robots, with the exception of Apollo, Behemoth, Carbide, Eruption, Kronic the Wedgehog, Mute, Road Block, Storm 2 and Typhoon 2 as Hexbug took over from Logistix Kids which are Chaos 2, Dantomkia, Firestorm, Hypno-Disc, Panic Attack, Pussycat, Razer, Stinger, Tornado, Wheely Big Cheese and X-Terminator 2. Each came with an accessory.{{citation needed|date=February 2022}}

There were remote controlled versions of Shunt, Matilda, Sir Killalot and Growler. There were also smaller remote control battlers, which had "immobilisation spots" on the rear of the toy. Sgt. Bash and the competitor robot Tornado were the only two made. These were smaller than the other remote control robots mentioned above.{{citation needed|date=February 2022}}

There were customisable kit toys of the House Robot Matilda and competitors [[Hypno-Disc]] and [[Panic Attack (robot)|Panic Attack]]. A Sergeant Bash pitstop kit was prototyped but never released.{{citation needed|date=February 2022}}

Minibots were a series of small die-cast replica robots. The range included all of the Series 3, 4, 5 and Extreme 1 House Robots along with competitor robots Chaos 2, Dominator 2, Firestorm, Gemini, Hypno-Disc, Mega Morg, Panic Attack, Plunderbird 5, Pussycat, Razer, Suicidal Tendencies, Tornado, Wheely Big Cheese, Wild Thing and X-Terminator 2. They had an interactive replica arena and two additional playsets.{{citation needed|date=February 2022}}

===Home media===
Several [[VHS]] videos were released of the show. These included "The First Great War" a look at the making of Series 1, "The First World Championship" which was released exclusively on video and the "Ultimate Warrior Collection" featuring exclusive access to the teams of [[Chaos 2]], [[Hypno-Disc]] and [[Razer (robot)|Razer]], along with footage of their battles. Along the same lines an "Ultimate Archive Collection" was released showing exclusive footage of the House Robots and their operators along with some of their greatest battles and most embarrassing moments.{{citation needed|date=February 2022}}

The Ultimate Warrior Collection and Ultimate Archive Collection were also released on [[DVD]]. The footage and content remained the same as the VHS releases. Series 8 was released on DVD and Blu-ray on 29 August 2016, making it the first full series of ''Robot Wars'' to be released on home media. It was later released digitally. The Complete Compendium 2017 contained Series 9 and 10, along with the "Battle of the Stars" specials, were released on 11 December 2017 as a 5-disc DVD box set.{{citation needed|date=February 2022}}

===Video games===
''[[Robot Wars: Metal Mayhem]]'' is the first game based on the show, released on [[Game Boy Color]] in 2000. It was followed in 2001 by ''[[Robot Wars: Arenas of Destruction]]'' on [[PlayStation 2]] and [[Microsoft Windows]] and ''[[Robot Wars: Advanced Destruction]]'' on [[Game Boy Advance]]. After the first three titles sold over 250,000 copies, a fourth and final game, released on [[Game Boy Advance]], [[Microsoft Windows]] and [[Xbox]] in 2002 was called ''[[Robot Wars: Extreme Destruction]]''.<ref name="bbc.co.uk"/>

===Other===
A large array of other merchandise was produced due to the success of the show. Items available included mugs, glasses, mobile phone covers, toiletries, stationery, clocks, watches, bedding, curtains and clothing. The show even produced an unsuccessful single, which peaked at number 51 in the UK singles charts in December 2000, called "Sir Killalot Vs. Robo Babe - Robot Wars (Android Love)".<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://binarytradingclub.com/binary-options-robot/|title=Trading Robot|work=Trading Club|access-date=2017-05-13|language=en-US}}</ref> A custom made game officially licensed under Robot Wars LLC was started on in October 2013, using the [[Robot Arena 2: Design and Destroy|Robot Arena 2]] video game as the base engine. It featured many robots from the TV series as well as robots competing in the newer live events. It also included the original Robot Wars arena and various live arenas. It was released to the public in September 2015 and an updated version which included more robots was released in February 2016. A smaller update was released in January 2017, adding two new robots. Another update came in August 2017 which added the new Robot Wars arena from the current series and another new arena as well as some unreleased robots from the beta and robots that were due to be released in a cancelled expansion. It is only available for [[Microsoft Windows]].{{citation needed|date=February 2022}}

==Transmissions==
{{unreferenced section |date=April 2017}}
All episodes were announced by [[Jonathan Pearce (commentator)|Jonathan Pearce]].

===Domestic series===
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
|-
! Series !! Start date !! End date !! Network !! colspan="2" | Hosts !! colspan="7" | Judges<ref name="series5" group="note">For series 5 and Extreme series 1, Martin Smith, Myra Wilson and Mat Irvine took it in turns.</ref> !! Commentator !! Episodes
|-
! colspan="15"| Original series
|-
| '''1''' || 20 February 1998 || 27 March 1998 || rowspan="3" | [[BBC Two]] || [[Jeremy Clarkson]] || rowspan="3" | [[Philippa Forrester]] || rowspan="7" | [[Noel Sharkey]] || rowspan="2" colspan="3" | Eric Dickinson || rowspan="3" colspan="3" | Adam Harper || rowspan="7" | [[Jonathan Pearce (commentator)|Jonathan Pearce]] || 6
|-
| '''2''' || 6 November 1998 || 5 March 1999 || rowspan="6" | [[Craig Charles]] || 15
|-
| '''3''' || 3 December 1999 || 21 April 2000 || rowspan="2" colspan="3" |  [[Martin Smith (academic)|Martin Smith]] || 19
|-
| '''4''' || 22 September 2000 || 23 February 2001 || [[BBC Two]]/[[BBC One]]<ref name="bbcone" group="note">The Celebrity Robot Wars special was broadcast on BBC One, the only episode of the series to do so.</ref>|| [[Julia Reed]] || colspan="3" | [[Myra Wilson]] || 19
|-
| '''5''' || 6 May 2002 || 27 May 2002 || rowspan="2" | [[BBC Choice]]/[[BBC Two]] || rowspan="2" | [[Philippa Forrester]] || colspan="2" |[[Martin Smith (academic)|Martin Smith]]|| colspan="2" | [[Myra Wilson]] || colspan="2" | [[Mat Irvine]] || 15
|-
| '''6''' || 16 September 2002 || 4 October 2002 || rowspan="2" colspan="3" | [[Martin Smith (academic)|Martin Smith]] || rowspan="2" colspan="3" | [[Mat Irvine]] || 15
|-
| '''7''' || 2 November 2003 || 7 March 2004 || [[Channel 5 (UK)|Channel 5]] || [[Jayne Middlemiss]] || 19
|-
! colspan="15"| Revived series
|-
| '''8''' || 24 July 2016 || 28 August 2016 || rowspan="3"| [[BBC Two]] || rowspan="3" | [[Dara Ó Briain]] || rowspan="3" | [[Angela Scanlon]] || rowspan="3" | [[Noel Sharkey]] || rowspan="3" colspan="3" | [[Sethu Vijayakumar]] || rowspan="3" colspan="3" | [[Lucy Rogers]] || rowspan="3" | [[Jonathan Pearce (commentator)|Jonathan Pearce]] || 6
|-
| '''9''' || 5 March 2017 || 16 April 2017 || 6
|-
| '''10''' || 22 October 2017 || 3 December 2017 || 6
|}

===Extreme series===
All Extreme episodes premiered on [[BBC Choice]].
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
|-
! Series !! Start date !! End date !! colspan="2" | Hosts !! colspan="7" | Judges<ref name="series5" group="note"/> !! Episodes
|-
| '''1''' || 8 October 2001 || 26 October 2001 || rowspan="2" | [[Craig Charles]] || [[Julia Reed]] || rowspan="2" | [[Noel Sharkey]] || colspan="2" | Martin Smith || colspan="2" | [[Myra Wilson]] || colspan="2" | [[Mat Irvine]] || 15
|-
| '''2''' || 13 January 2003 || 7 February 2003 || [[Philippa Forrester]] || colspan="3" | Martin Smith || colspan="3" | [[Mat Irvine]] || 16
|}

===Specials===
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
|-
! Date aired !! Title
|-
| 31 December 1998 || The Making of Robot Wars
|-
| 12 March 1999 || The Grudge Matches
|-
| 19 March 1999 || The Best of Robot Wars
|-
| 15 September 2000 || International League Championship
|-
| 27 December 2000 || Celebrity Special Championship
|-
| 28 December 2000 || Tag Team Terror
|-
| 29 December 2000 || Northern Annihilator
|-
| 30 December 2000 || Southern Annihilator
|-
| 31 December 2000 || War of Independence
|-
| 16 November 2001 || The First World Championship
|-
| 20 December 2001 || The Second World Championship
|-
| 21 December 2001 || Forces Special 
|-
| 10 January 2003 || UK vs. Germany
|-
| 14 March 2004 || Annihilator
|-
| 21 March 2004 || All-Stars 
|-
| 28 March 2004 || The Third World Championship
|-
| 11 July 2016 || Meet the House Robots
|-
| 28 December 2016 || Battle of the Stars: Episode 1
|-
| 29 December 2016 || Battle of the Stars: Episode 2
|-
| 31 December 2017 || World Series: Episode 1
|-
| 7 January 2018 || World Series: Episode 2
|}

==See also==
{{Portal|BBC}}
*[[Robot combat]] - includes types of robots
*''[[BattleBots]]''
*''[[Robotica (TV series)|Robotica (TV Series)]]''
*''[[Robot Combat League]]''
*[[Robot Fighting League]] - competitions in the U.S., Canada and Brazil.
*''[[Techno Games]]''
* [[Robot Wars grand finalists|''Robot Wars'' grand finalists]]
* [[Survival Research Laboratories]]
*''[[Airmageddon]]''

==Notes and references==
===Notes===
{{Reflist|group=note}}

===References===
{{Reflist|30em}}

==External links==
{{Wikiquote}}
{{Commons category|Robot Wars}}
* {{BBC programme|b0873k9n}}
* {{UKGameshow|Robot_Wars}}
* {{IMDb title|0163488}}
* {{epguides|RobotWars}}
* [http://members.toast.net/joerger/whowon.html List of Major Combat Robotics Tournament Winners]

{{Robot Wars}}
{{Spike (TV network) programming}}

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