Robot Wars: Series 8 (lost unaired pilot of BBC robot combat game show; 2016)

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Robotwars2016logo.jpg

Series 8 logo

Status: Lost


After a twelve-year hiatus, the popular BBC robot combat gameshow Robot Wars returned for a new series in 2016. A total of six episodes were commisioned for the series, which were filmed in March 2016.

Before filming of the six episodes began, however, a pilot episode was recorded in a single day, on 1 March 2016. It was created so that the production team were able to practice handling the programme, such as testing camera equipment, prior to shooting the televised series.

A total of eight robots competed in the pilot, all of whom did not compete in televised battles in Series 8. This includes Basher, Ka-Pow!, Merlin, Monte, Reaper, Tanto, Turbulence and Wraith, the latter of whom would withdraw prior to the first battle due to internal fire damage. The remaining seven robots would compete in a battle format that would be used in the televised episodes. This would include four-way Group Battles, a second round consisting of Head-to-Heads, and a Heat Final whereby the two highest scoring robots in the Head-to-Heads would compete. However, only three Head-to-Head battles could be filmed in time, so Turbulence and Ka-Pow (who was actually outscored by Merlin), competed in the Heat Final, with Turbulence picking up the victory.

Availability

Image of Ka-Pow! vs Merlin, showing Dead Metal cutting into Merlin

Footage and images of the pilot are scarce; an image of the battle between Ka-Pow! and Merlin, which sees the latter being attacked by house robot Dead Metal, as well as a behind-the-scenes video recorded by Team Tauron, remains the only recordings of the Pilot that are accessible to the public.[1] No footage from the production team has yet been publicly released.

Gallery

Behind-the-scenes footage of the pilot

References