BattleBots

In a BattleBots event the competitors are remote-controlled armed and armored machines, designed to fight in an arena combat elimination tournament. If both combat robots are still operational at the end of the match the winner is determined by a point system based on damage, aggression, and strategy. The television show BattleBots aired on the American cable network Comedy Central for five seasons, covering five BattleBots tournaments. The first season aired starting in August 2000, and the fifth season aired starting in August 2002. Hosts of BattleBots were Bil Dwyer and Sean Salisbury and correspondents included former Baywatch actresses Donna D'Errico, Carmen Electra, and Traci Bingham, former Playboy Playmate Heidi Mark, and identical twins Randy and Jason Sklar. Bill Nye was the show's "technical expert". After five 'seasons', Comedy Central terminated their contract with BattleBots Inc. in late 2002.

BattleBots (2000-2002) is an American reality competition series that aired on Comedy Central across five seasons and seventy-one episodes. Hosts Bil Dwyer and Sean Salisbury front the broadcasts, with correspondents Donna D'Errico, Carmen Electra, Traci Bingham, Heidi Mark, and the Sklar twins Randy and Jason Sklar adding sideline reports, while Bill Nye serves as the show's technical expert. Its engine is simple and mechanical: teams build remote-controlled combat machines, armed and armored, and send them into an arena where they grind, flip, and smash each other in elimination matches. When both robots survive a bout, a point system weighs damage, aggression, and strategy to name the winner. Each season is a tournament built from episode to episode, so the rhythm is one bout after another, with the same arena spectacle returning weekly. The tone is brash, boisterous, and playful, a cable-era blend of engineering curiosity and pop-culture showmanship. Fans of Robot Wars, American Gladiators, and Survivor will find a similar appetite for head-to-head competition and crowd-pleasing spectacle.

• Robot Warscompetition format, weekly elimination tournament, spectacle of technology in combat
• Survivorreality competition format with physical challenges and eliminations
• American Gladiatorstournament structure with a points system and hosted arena action

Release Date

2000-08-23

Episode runtime

30 min

Rating

7.1 / 10 (18)

What is BattleBots about?

Remote-controlled armored robots battle in an arena elimination tournament judged on damage and strategy.

What is BattleBots like to watch?

Ember's analysis rates the pacing of BattleBots as brisk, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as simple.

Is BattleBots violent?

Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in BattleBots as mild.

Which shows are like BattleBots?

Shows with a similar feel include Robot Wars, Survivor, and American Gladiators.

How long is BattleBots?

BattleBots: 5 seasons, 71 episodes.

Is BattleBots still running?

No, BattleBots has ended.