User:SpaceManiac888/Television ratings

Series 2
The series proved to be a ratings success for BBC 2, since no episode fell below the top three highest weekly rated BBC 2 shows according to BARB. Heat A was the lowest rated episode in the series, but still managed to attract 5 million viewers. From Heats A to F, episodes were consistently behind Have I Got News for You and The Simpsons. However, by Heat G the series had successfully managed to beat Have I Got News for You, with the ratings for Heat H enabling the series to defeat The Simpsons for the first time. Heat H was also the first episode of the series to reach the top two highest weekly rated BBC 2 shows, behind only a then-new series of Gimme Gimme Gimme.

The broadcast of Heat K enabled the series to set three new Robot Wars ratings records. By attracting 6.13 million viewers, it became the first Robot Wars episode to top six million viewers, beating the previous record holder for the highest television rating for Robot Wars, Heat C, by 180,000 viewers. According to BARB, Heat K became the first episode to top the highest weekly rated BBC 2 shows, by attracting 290,000 more viewers than Gimme Gimme Gimme. Two other episodes, Heat L and the Grand Final, also topped the highest weekly rated BBC 2 shows, the latter achieving the all-time highest rating for the show at 6.94 million.

Series 3
When compared with the previous series, the first four Series 3 episodes received low ratings, with none reaching the top three highest weekly rated BBC 2 shows. Heat A attracted 4.3 million viewers, a decrease of 700,000 viewers when compared with Heat A of Series 2. Heat D received the lowest television rating and BARB ranking for the series, attracting only 2.72 million and becoming the only episode of the series to rank below the top ten. However, the broadcast of Heat E helped the series to ultimately become a ratings success for BBC 2, receiving 6.13 million viewers and topping the thirty highest weekly rated BBC 2 shows. With the exception of Heat F, no other episode ranked below the top three.

Series 3 was notable for achieving the highest number of episodes that finished first in the highest weekly rated BBC 2 shows, at nine. They included heats E, H, I, K, L, M, P, Semi-Final 1 and the International League Championship. The series also set a Robot Wars ratings record by having three consecutive episodes, heats K, L and M, reach the top of the thirty highest weekly rated BBC 2 shows.

Series 4
The series' television ratings record was mixed. The series started promisingly, with Heat A reaching 3rd in top thirty highest weekly rated BBC 2 shows by attracting 4.05 million viewers. Heat B managed to earn second place with 3.97 million viewers, and although heats C and D ranked outside the top ten, Heat E became the first episode of the series to top the ratings with 4.68 million.

However, from Heat F to the Northern Annihilator, the ratings for the series began to tank, with no episode prior to the Northern Annihilator reaching the top ten. Heat K became the lowest rated heat in the series, attracting only 2.72 million viewers and placing 19th in the rankings. By being broadcast on BBC 1, the Celebrity Special notably became the only episode in Series 4 to rank outside the top thirty.

Ultimately, once the Northern Annihilator was broadcast, the ratings for the series generally began to recover, ranking 9th with 2.74 million viewers. The remaining episodes all ranked within the top ten highest weekly rated BBC 2 shows, with the Southern Annihilator and Heat O both topping the list, and Heat N finishing second.