From the moment that robots were first invented, human beings have had a bizarre obsession with wanting to see them fight. This hit the cinema screens when Robocop came out in 1987, but has also been seen on television on more than a few different occasions. One of the main ones was with the release of Robot Wars, which first aired on BBC2 in 1998 and ran until 2004, enjoying a brief revival between 2016 and 2018. The first live event inspired by Robot Wars took place in 2013, which Extreme Robots is a follow-on from.
Where Did Extreme Robots Come From?
Marc Thorpe was a designer who worked for the LucasToys division of Lucasfilm when he had an idea for a robot combat sport in 1992. The idea came from an unsuccessful attempt to make a radio-controlled vacuum cleaner, sparking unexpectedly violent results. From there, he created Robot Wars, which got its first public outing in San Francisco two years later. Over the years that followed, more such events happened throughout the United States of America, and simultaneously, work was carried out with a production company to make a TV show of it.
That TV show ended up being recorded at the BBC Television Centre in Wood Lane, Shepherd’s Bush. Derek Foxwell had been hired to build three combat robots, which would eventually feature in the television series, to take on three American robots. The initial event wasn’t filmed, but it was attended by the Controller of BBC Two, Michael Jackson, who said he would commission a series. It was actually a different Controller, Mark Thompson, who did so, but the show proved to be a hit and became one of the most-watched shows on BBC Two.
Live Shows
There is something interesting about the idea that Robot Wars began life as a live event, then became a TV series before becoming a live event again. The Fighting Robot Association was formed in 2003 to take the robots out on tour, whilst a company called Roaming Robots bought the right to the live event brand in 2013. It wasn’t until 2013 that Extreme Robots was formed, which was the point at which the live show began to take place in what is something approaching its current form. The idea behind the tour is the robots have gone ‘extreme’.
Obviously, it is something that appeals to young people, which means that most of the audience is made up of youngsters and their guardians. Not that people of any age will be disappointed to see robots crashing into one another in a violent and often extreme manner, of course. The whole point of the Extreme Robots tour is to bring the excitement of the TV show to an arena near you, giving you the chance to enjoy the thrills and spills of a robot battle that will often send sparks flying into the air and the smell of grease and grinding metal wafting up into your nostrils.
What You Should Expect
If you decide to go along to the Extreme Robots event in Guildford, perhaps taking some young fans of robotic battles with you, you will get to watch a two-hour show that is interactive in nature. There are different levels of tickets available, each having its own benefits, but all of them involve being able to see the battling robots going at it right in front of you. If you want to do something a little more interesting, such as a backstage tour of the pit area, you will be able to, but you will obviously have to pay more money for the privilege. This will be ideal for some people but not for others.
The basic ticket cost is for the unreserved seating area of the arena, which is worth beating in mind if you’re hoping to get a decent space from which to watch the action. There are two shows on in Guildford on each of the days, with the first being at 12pm and the second being at 4pm, so you would do well to get to the Spectrum early if you’re looking to jostle your way to one of the better seats in the unreserved area. That being said, the action will be pretty accessible for everyone, so you are almost certainly going to be well-placed to enjoy the show as it takes place.
A Show to Be Enjoyed
With around two hours of robot battling action taking place in front of you, there is plenty to look forward to if you decide to head along to the Extreme Robots event. The two hours of the event also includes a 25-minute interval, which presents you with a chance to do the likes of going to the toilet or getting something to eat or drink; ideal if you’re with young ones. The doors open 45 minutes before the show is due to get underway, with the obvious caveat that battling robots can’t always be expected to work exactly as you want them to, which could end up throwing any and all timing out of the window.
That is something to bear in mind when it comes to your travel plans. You should also note that there will be loud noises, flashing lights and pyrotechnics used throughout the event, which may not be the kind of thing that everyone in your party enjoys. You can get ear defenders from the merchandise store in the venue. When it comes to the family ticket, that is open to two adults and two children, or one adult and three children, with children being considered to be those up to the age of 16-years-old. If you like the world of robotics, then this is an event not to be missed.