# Robot Wars (1998)

> Amateur robot builders pit homemade machines against one another in a huge purpose-built arena in pursuit of the Robot Wars Champion title.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/889

## Facts

- Seasons: 7
- Episodes: 120
- Episode runtime: 60 min
- Status: Ended
- Genres: reality
- Created by: Marc Thorpe
- Network: BBC Two
- Cast: Jeremy Clarkson, Craig Charles, Jayne Middlemiss, Julia Reed, Philippa Forrester, Jonathan Pearce, Noel Sharkey, Martin Smith
- TMDB rating: 7.3/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0163488/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: brisk
- Intensity: moderate
- Complexity: simple
- Violence: mild
- Tone: breezy, energetic, gleeful, playful, tense

## Synopsis

Robot Wars (1998-2004) is a British robot combat competition series created by Marc Thorpe for BBC Two. Teams of amateur robot builders bring homemade machines into a huge purpose-built arena, where each machine must survive a series of rounds against rival robots and the arena's hazards in pursuit of the title of Robot Wars Champion. Presenter Craig Charles and Jayne Middlemiss host the action, with Philippa Forrester and Jonathan Pearce providing commentary, while judge Martin Smith and referee Noel Sharkey keep the bouts fair. Across seven seasons and roughly 120 episodes, the show runs as a case-of-the-week tournament, each episode a fresh round of brutal mechanical clashes. The engine is simple: a clever build, a sharp driver, and nerve under pressure. The tone is breezy and gleefully energetic, with a crowd-pleasing spectacle of sparks, crushing claws and flipping chassis. It is a family-friendly reality competition that rewards gadget enthusiasm, and fans of BattleBots, Top Gear and The Apprentice will find resonance in its tournament structure and hands-on competitive joy.

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