Robot Wars is back - and it's just as good as you remember

The popular Nineties game show makes a confidently retro comeback on BBC Two
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Ben Travis25 July 2016

In the glory days of Nineties weekend television, a few series truly stand out: Gladiators, Blind Date, and, of course, Robot Wars.

The BBC’s mechanical mêlée was a firm Friday night favourite with its key attractions: high-octane robo-battles, flamethrowers, and Craig Charles’ chainsaw-rev Scouse holler.

While the original series went out with a whimper on Channel 5, it’s back with a bang on BBC Two for a highly-anticipated reboot.

Even though it’s taking over the Top Gear slot on Sunday nights, Robot Wars is likely to be better-received than that other retooled series – it’s just as good as you remember it being from back in the day.

Wisely, the BBC haven’t changed much at all – the nostalgia for the original show is all they need.

That said, the robot battles themselves are more exciting than ever before. Technological advances in the intervening years mean that the amateur robots are faster and more powerful than ever, making the four-sided face-offs increasingly unpredictable.

The weapons are still the same though – all hydraulic-powered axed, lethal spinning discs, and chainsaws. The arena, too, is pleasingly familiar, with unnecessary flames everywhere and the perils of the pit.

One notable difference is the lack of Craig Charles – he’s been replaced as host by Dara O Briain. If his dulcet Irish accent seems a bit too lilting at first, don’t worry – there's a separate commentator on the battles who has nailed Charles’ excitable yell.

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And what of the house robots? Sir Killalot, Matilda, Dead Metal, and Shunt are all retuning, faster and deadlier than ever – though Sgt Bash hasn’t made it out of retirement.

If the battles are still thrilling, some of the behind the scenes stuff is still a bit slow. Even with an adult attention span, you can’t help but wish they’d just get on with the fights – but when they do, you’ll feel like it’s 1998 all over again. 3! 2! 1! Activate!

BBC Two, 8pm

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