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Not to be confused with the UK series Robot Wars Extreme.

"ROBOT WARS: EXTREME WARRIORS on The New TNN is a revolutionary sport in which amateur teams design and build radio-controlled fighting machines to battle it out gladiatorial-style to see whose robot is supreme. The competitors rely on their lighting-fast [sic] reactions and driving ability along with the imaginative and effective design of their robots to defeat their mortal enemies."
— Official announcement for Extreme Warriors Season 2[1]

Robot Wars: Extreme Warriors was one of two dedicated US versions of the British television game show Robot Wars, the other being Nickelodeon Robot Wars. It was broadcast on The New TNN (later known as the Spike Network and presently the Paramount Network) from 2001 to 2002. The show ran for two seasons, featuring two US Championships and various other side competitions in a similar style to Robot Wars Extreme.

Despite being made for an American audience and featuring US competitors, Extreme Warriors was actually filmed in the main Robot Wars TV studio used for the UK and other international series - Season 1 at Earls Court, London, and Season 2 at Shepperton Studios. All battles took place in the then-most recent incarnation of the main Robot Wars Arena, with the series also featuring the House Robots and Judges from the original UK version.

History[]

In 1999, TNN parent company Viacom (now merged into the presently-known Paramount Global) was interested in broadcasting a robotic sports programme. Company executives Albie Hecht and Kevin Kay originally intended to produce a Nickelodeon series based on the FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) competitions, but passed on the opportunity after deeming a pilot of the show to be boring. They then negotiated with Trey Roski to air BattleBots, but were unsuccessful, as Roski opted for Comedy Central instead.[2]

Eventually, upon watching the unaired MTV pilot American Robot Wars 2000, Hecht and Kay took the option of commissioning a Robot Wars series for TNN, due to its simpler, more exciting premise compared to FIRST. A deal was therefore signed with Mentorn to produce six (later seven) episodes of an American spin-off, dubbed Robot Wars: Extreme Warriors, as part of the latter's newly-reached broadcasting agreement with Viacom.[3][4] Extreme Warriors would not be the only means in which Robot Wars would premiere on US television; the original UK Series was also aired by various PBS affiliates between 2000 and 2002.

At the time, Hecht and Kay were converting TNN into a pop station, which was soon to broadcast professional wrestling show WWF Raw is War. They felt that Robot Wars would be a match for World Wrestling Federation programming, since both franchises were considered sports entertainment, a genre where athletics were staged.[5] To further entice WWF fans, Mick Foley, who had then recently retired as a full-time WWF wrestler, was hired as the host of Extreme Warriors. TNN aimed to start broadcasting Extreme Warriors before Raw is War, in order to maximize viewership for the WWF show.[6][7]

The commissioning of Extreme Warriors marked the first time that Mentorn would produce and air a dedicated version of Robot Wars for an overseas market, followed by Dutch Robot Wars for BNN. Prior attempts had been made at creating a televised event focusing specifically on US competitors, including American Robot Wars 2000 and an unrealized 1998 proposal for an event to be filmed in San Francisco. However, the latter was shelved due to low interest from American robot builders, amidst separate controversies surrounding Profile Records and their co-founder Steve Plotnicki. These included - but were not limited to - a dispute with partner Marc Thorpe over ownership rights to the Robot Wars trademark.[8][9][10][11]

While the Viacom deal was being secured, other potential buyers for a Mentorn-produced US series included Comedy Central (whose head, Bill Hillary, maintained contact with Tom Gutteridge following Channel 4's rejection of the original UK version) and the Discovery Channel.[12][13]

Selection processes and competitors[]

"The US ROBOT WARS CHAMPIONSHIP
will take place from June 27 to July 1, 2001 in London, England.

Winners will automatically qualify for the
2001 ROBOT WARS WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
to be held on July 1, 2001 in central London
with prize money totaling over $50,000.

The qualifying process for the US Championship will take place throughout the United States over the next few months.
All teams who qualify will be flown to the United Kingdom to take part in
the mechanized mother of all wars being recorded exclusively for American Network TV.
"
— Official press release for Extreme Warriors Season 1 applicants[14]

According to an official letter issued to prospective applicants in early February 2001, Extreme Warriors: Season 1 involved a form of 'qualifying process' held across the United States to determine which competitors would appear in the televised show. Teams which were selected through this method would fly directly to the United Kingdom to compete, though no further details or accounts from roboteers regarding this process have since surfaced. Additionally, winners of the main US Championship would automatically qualify for the 2001 Robot Wars World Championship, which was also broadcast as part of the first series of Robot Wars Extreme as The Second World Championship. Mentorn provided all arrangements for international flights and shipping, along with associated costs for travel and accommodation.[14]

For Extreme Warriors: Season 2, Mentorn selected which robots would participate from applications sent to their website. The majority chosen, such as Snookums, were inexperienced, with many only previously competing in BattleBots or fellow US robot combat show Robotica for a year maximum. Few BattleBots veterans attempted to join the show; reasons for this included strong ties with the rival robot combat show, and refusal to participate in anything that Profile Records and Steve Plotnicki were associated with.[15]

Of the few veterans who successfully applied (including Todd Mendenhall, Robert Pitzer and Patrick Campbell), most had different reasons for jumping to Robot Wars. Some wanted to join the robot combat show that would prevail; others desired more toy royalties and television exposure they did not receive from BattleBots. One team - Team Run Amok - considered the additional costs of competing in BattleBots too expensive. Reservations were also expressed by the Robotica Season 1 champions concerning the rival show's televised format, on-site facilities, less extensive travel and accommodation arrangements, and multi-class competition structure. The latter meant that the majority of BattleBots fights in each weight division - including preliminary rounds - went untelevised.[16] The reduced exposure available to BattleBots teams was further compounded by the absence of side events, aside from the end-of season Rumbles.[17][18]

Some roboteers were simply loyal to neither side. Pitzer and Dan Danknick, however, felt Robot Wars would ultimately prevail over BattleBots in the United States.

"Trey is trying to prove something to his dad, but the writing is on the wall now. Robot Wars will come into the United States with Viacom's backing and Comedy Central won't matter... I'm making friends here. I'm trying to bring Team Raptor into every aspect of this sport. I don't owe anybody anything. I've spent tons, and nobody is really paying us back completely yet."
— Robert Pitzer[19]

Roboteer accommodations[]

Following criticisms from British roboteers over the production company's lack of treatment to them, Mentorn responded by generally adhering to the needs of the American teams. This included the aforementioned arrangements concerning flights, shipping and hotel stays, as well as providing three daily meals free of charge, situated in double-decker buses containing booths and tables. Aaron Joerger alludes to teams being given a 'daily stipend' covering food and travel costs over the course of filming.[18] The Robot Wars technical crew and production staff also assisted the teams, by providing the robots with specialised 40-Mhz radios and failsafes. Each team also received $2,000 for competing.[20][14]

Cancelation[]

Despite the show being a ratings hit for The New TNN - where it ranked second only to WWF coverage - Viacom decided against commissioning a third season of Extreme Warriors in late 2002. This was part of a strategy to 'reposition' the channel, which resulted in The New TNN being rebranded to Spike TV the following year.[21][22] Meanwhile, TechTV acquired the rights to air the original UK Series beginning in April 2003, which would maintain Robot Wars' presence on American television for a number of years.[23]

Presenters[]

Both seasons of Extreme Warriors were presented by Mick Foley. The pit reporter for the first season was Rebecca Grant, with Carol Grow taking over the role in the second season. Stefan Frank provided the commentary throughout the series, and would also do so for TNN's US broadcast of The Fourth Wars as well as Nickelodeon Robot Wars.

Format[]

Each season of Extreme Warriors featured a US Championship and various other competitions. The first season featured seven episodes, each containing a separate competition. The first US Championship was contained in one single episode, featuring 24 robots in four six-robot battles to decide the four semi-finalists. The second season focused more closely on the US Championship, with nine episodes devoted to it and only four episodes featuring other competitions. The second US Championship featured 48 robots divided into eight heats, with each heat champion progressing to the final show, which took the form of a straight knock-out between the eight competitors. Unlike in the UK version, robots and teams were allowed to display their sponsorships onscreen as Extreme Warriors was being aired on a commercial network.[24]

"We shot an entryway interview with all the teams for the tag-team finals. They took a couple of takes, and kept asking the builders to make it "beefier". It was real WWF stuff."
Mark Joerger, recollecting his experiences of Extreme Warriors Season 1 filming[25]

To appeal to WWF fans, filming for Extreme Warriors was made with the intention of promoting a "sports entertainment" feel. The robots and their teams became "actors", with the competitors being asked to stand in front of the tunnel entryway and "playfully yell at each other" during interviews. Other than the aforementioned $2,000 payments, no prize money was awarded in the domestic US competitions, nor were winning teams allowed to keep the trophies they had won in this version of the show.[26]

US Champions[]

Below is a list of champions, runners-up and semi-finalists of the two US Championships featured on Extreme Warriors.

Season Winner Runner-up Semi-Finalists
Extreme Warriors: Season 1 Panzer Mk 2 The Revolutionist Manta, The Brute
Extreme Warriors: Season 2 Panzer Mk 4 Tricerabot 3.0 Destructive Criticism, The Falcon Mark 2

Trivia[]

Extreme warriors 3 proof

Extreme Warriors Series 3 listed among "future series"

  • A third series of Extreme Warriors was hinted on the official Robot Wars website, and would have been filmed sometime during Robot Wars Extreme: Series 2, although this series ultimately never took place.
  • Unlike any other series except UK Series 7 (including the Dutch and German series, which were also broadcast on commercial networks), inserts were filmed with Mick Foley to transition in and out of commercial breaks in every episode.

References[]

  1. 'The New TNN Unveils New Season of High-Tech Action' - Robot Wars Discussion Forum (archived)
  2. Brad Stone (2003) Gearheads: The Turbulent Rise of Robotic Sports, pp.208-209
  3. ibid, pp.247-248, pp.170-171
  4. Ed Waller, 'Viacom picks up MBC's Robot Wars format' C21Media, March 30 2001
  5. WWF press release stating that its fans would be enticed to watch Extreme Warriors
  6. Gearheads: The Turbulent Rise of Robotic Sports, p.248
  7. C21Media article announcing Extreme Warriors would be broadcast before WWF Raw is War
  8. Letter from The Mentorn Group concerning the proposed 1998 Robot Wars US event, dated July 3 1998, reproduced on the Team Nightmare website
  9. Official Mentorn letter written by Tom Gutteridge concerning the proposed 1998 US event, July 10 1998, reproduced on robotcombat.com (Team Nightmare)
  10. Letter from The Mentorn Group confirming the cancellation of the proposed 1998 Robot Wars US event, dated July 27 1998, reproduced on the Team Nightmare website
  11. Gearheads: The Turbulent Rise of Robotic Sports, p.129
  12. ibid, p.171
  13. Tom Gutteridge, Robot Wars Wiki Q & A, February 19 2012
  14. 14.0 14.1 14.2 Official Robot Wars letter/press release to Extreme Warriors Season 1 applicants, dated February 4 2001, reproduced on robotcombat.com (Team Nightmare)
  15. Gearheads: The Turbulent Rise of Robotic Sports, pp.263-264
  16. 'BattleBots announcement from 4/27/01', robotcombat.com (Team Nightmare)
  17. 'Combat Robot Teams and Stories - The Ask Aaron Archives', Team Run Amok website
  18. 18.0 18.1 'Combat Robot Tournaments and Events - The Ask Aaron Archives', Team Run Amok website
  19. Gearheads: The Turbulent Rise of Robotic Sports, p.264
  20. ibid, pp.263-264
  21. Newspaper cutting mentioning the cancelation of Extreme Warriors, and TechTV's pickup of the UK Series
  22. 'TNN Hopes Mainly Men Will Watch 'Spike TV' - 4/21/2003', Allison Romano, Broadcasting & Cable, April 23 2003 (archived)
  23. http://web.archive.org/web/20030413141849/http://www.techtv.com/tvshows/story/0,23350,3418859,00.html
  24. 'Tornado - Robot Diary - Robot Wars Extreme 1', Team Tornado website
  25. 'Robot Wars Journal - Team Run Amok', Team Run Amok website
  26. Gearheads: The Turbulent Rise of Robotic Sports, p.263, p.265

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