Remember BattleBots? Many cite MTV’s The Real World as the first modern reality television show, but I disrespectfully disagree. In what other reality show could you watch as rival individuals and teams took out their competitive frustrations on one another with remote-controlled robots equipped with saws, blades, and ramming speed? Sadly, nothing like it has existed since the show’s demise in 2003 — until now.
ABC ordered a six-episode limited run for the reality show’s revival, set to air this summer on the network. This isn’t Comedy Central back in the day, folks. This is PRIME TIME:
Like the original, the new series will feature homemade robots battling against each other in a single elimination tournament style format, until there is one champion. Of course, it will bring the franchise to 2015 with next generation robots – bigger, faster and stronger. The show also will have a greater emphasis on the design and build elements of each robot, the bot builder backstories, their intense pursuit of the championship and the spectacle of the event. There will be cash prizes for winners in the Championship Rounds.
Separate weight classes will be eliminated so that robots of all sizes will battle against each other. (In the original BattleBots tournaments, robots were divided into four categories: Lightweight – 60 pounds; Middleweight – 120 pounds; Heavyweight – 220 pounds and Superheavyweight – 340 pounds) (Via Deadline)
I’m concerned about the removal of the weight classes, though, as this could possibly prove unfair to some of the competitors. Then again, I just want to see advanced mechanical and electronic tools of bad *ssery destroy one another.
Let’s hope former myth buster Grant Imahara is involved somehow. Maybe “Deadblow” or one of his artificial offspring will make an appearance.
(Via Deadline)
