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"The peace has been shattered, diplomacy failed. The robots are back - it's all out war and the battle lines have been drawn. So prime your weapons and evict the faint-hearted, as we put the scrap back into metal!"
Jonathan Pearce's introduction to Heat A

Robot Wars: The Second Wars (also referred to as Series 2) was the second series of the British television game show Robot Wars. It was originally broadcast from 1998 to 1999 on BBC Two. The series was hosted by Craig Charles, the pit reporter was Philippa Forrester and commentary was provided by Jonathan Pearce.

Along with the rest of the Classic Series, The Second Wars is available to stream in its entirety on Mech+ as of 2024.

Format[]

The series consisted of twelve heats, with six robots competing in each heat. The twelve winners from the heats moved onto the Semi-Finals. In each heat, the six robots would compete through a series of three challenges - the Gauntlet, the Trial and the Arena.

  • The Gauntlet was an assault course with three separate routes, each filled with various hazards and guarded by the House Robots. Competitor robots had to make their way as far down the course as possible in the time allowed. The robot covering the shortest distance by the end of the stage was eliminated, leaving five robots to continue.
  • The Trial was a set challenge which varied from heat to heat. Events held during the course of the series included Sumo, Football, Skittles, Tug of War, King of the Castle, Joust and Pinball, each with their own specific objectives and goals. The lowest-performing robot from each Trial would be eliminated, allowing four robots to continue.
  • The Arena was the first combat stage for the remaining robots, which were paired off and fought in one-on-one battles. As the stage's name implies, each battle was held in the main Robot Wars Arena, which featured various hazards including the House Robots. In the Heats, two winning robots from the Arena stage would face each other in the Heat Final, where the winner would progress to the Semi-Finals.

The series had two Semi-Final shows, each with six heat finalists initially reprising the Gauntlet stage. Five robots would progress to the Pinball Trial, held exclusively during these Semi-Finals, where the lowest-scoring robot from each running would be eliminated. As with the heats, the remaining four robots from the Trial stage would then face each other in two one-on-one Arena battles. The two winners from each Semi-Final went through to the Grand Final, where the four remaining robots were paired off in two 'Eliminator' rounds. The winners of each 'Eliminator' met for a final battle to determine the series champion, with the losers also taking part in a 'play-off' to determine third and fourth place finishes.

Seeded robots[]

1. Roadblock
2. Mortis
3. Bodyhammer
4. Killertron
5. Cassius
6. Chaos

Heats[]

Heat A[]

Main article: Robot Wars: The Second Wars/Heat A

Robots competing in Heat A: Victor, Napalm, Panda Monium, Piece De Resistance, Demolition Demon, Caliban

Gauntlet: Caliban eliminated

Trial (Skittles): Piece de Resistance eliminated

Arena Semi-Finals

  • Napalm vs Panda Monium: Napalm won
  • Victor vs Demolition Demon: Demolition Demon won

Arena Final

  • Napalm vs Demolition Demon: Napalm won

Heat B[]

Main article: Robot Wars: The Second Wars/Heat B

Robots competing in Heat B: Mace, Leighviathan, Wheelosaurus, Death Trak, Tantrum, Chaos

Gauntlet: Death Trak eliminated

Trial (Tug of War): Tantrum eliminated

Arena Semi-Finals

  • Mace vs Leighviathan: Mace won
  • Chaos vs Wheelosaurus: Chaos won

Arena Final

  • Mace vs Chaos: Mace won

Heat C[]

Main article: Robot Wars: The Second Wars/Heat C

Robots competing in Heat C: Challenger, Dreadnaut, Mortis, Oblivion, Rameses II, Griffon

Gauntlet: Griffon eliminated

Trial (Joust): Challenger eliminated

Arena Semi-Finals

  • Dreadnaut vs Oblivion: Oblivion won
  • Rameses II vs Mortis: Mortis won

Arena Final

  • Mortis vs Oblivion: Mortis won

Heat D[]

Main article: Robot Wars: The Second Wars/Heat D

Robots competing in Heat D: Razer, Inquisitor, Milly-Ann Bug, Bodyhammer, Behemoth, Elvis

Gauntlet: Bodyhammer eliminated

Trial (Football): Milly-Ann Bug eliminated

Arena Semi-Finals

  • Razer vs Inquisitor: Inquisitor won
  • Elvis vs Behemoth: Behemoth won

Arena Final

  • Inquisitor vs Behemoth: Behemoth won

Heat E[]

Main article: Robot Wars: The Second Wars/Heat E

Robots competing in Heat E: Spin Doctor, Killertron, Pain, ORAC, Technophobic, Schumey

Gauntlet: Pain eliminated

Trial (King of the Castle): Schumey eliminated

Arena Semi-Finals

  • Killertron vs ORAC: Killertron won
  • Technophobic vs Spin Doctor: Technophobic won

Arena Final

  • Killertron vs Technophobic: Killertron won

Heat F[]

Main article: Robot Wars: The Second Wars/Heat F

Robots competing in Heat F: Disruptor, Panic Attack, Corporal Punishment, Whirling Dervish, Ron, The Parthian Shot

Gauntlet: The Parthian Shot eliminated

Trial (Sumo): Ron eliminated

Arena Semi-Finals

  • Panic Attack vs Whirling Dervish: Panic Attack won
  • Corporal Punishment vs Disruptor: Disruptor won

Arena Final

  • Panic Attack vs Disruptor: Panic Attack won

Heat G[]

Main article: Robot Wars: The Second Wars/Heat G

Robots competing in Heat G: Roadblock, Killerhurtz, Onslaught, Nemesis, R.O.C.S., Limpet

Gauntlet: R.O.C.S. eliminated

Trial (Skittles): Limpet eliminated

Arena Semi-Finals

  • Killerhurtz vs Roadblock: Roadblock won
  • Nemesis vs Onslaught: Onslaught won

Arena Final

  • Roadblock vs Onslaught: Roadblock won

Heat H[]

Main article: Robot Wars: The Second Wars/Heat H

Robots competing in Heat H: Sting, Loco, Cassius, GroundHog, Rampage, Wizard

Gauntlet: Rampage eliminated

Trial (Football): Sting eliminated

Arena Semi-Finals

  • Loco vs GroundHog: Loco won
  • Cassius vs Wizard: Cassius won

Arena Final

  • Loco vs Cassius: Cassius won

Heat I[]

Main article: Robot Wars: The Second Wars/Heat I

Robots competing in Heat I: King Buxton, Robo Doc, Prometheus, Rottweiler, All Torque, Cruella

Gauntlet: Cruella eliminated

Trial (Joust): Rottweiler eliminated

Arena Semi-Finals

  • Robo Doc vs King Buxton: King Buxton won
  • All Torque vs Prometheus: All Torque won

Arena Final

  • All Torque vs King Buxton: King Buxton won

Heat J[]

Main article: Robot Wars: The Second Wars/Heat J

Robots competing in Heat J: Talos, Ivanhoe, Kill Dozer, Broot, Penetrator, G.B.H.

Gauntlet: Broot eliminated

Trial (Tug of War): Penetrator eliminated

Arena Semi-Finals

  • Ivanhoe vs Kill Dozer: Ivanhoe won
  • G.B.H. vs Talos: G.B.H. won

Arena Final

  • Ivanhoe vs G.B.H.: G.B.H. won

Heat K[]

Main article: Robot Wars: The Second Wars/Heat K

Robots competing in Heat K: Enzyme, The Mule, Phoenix, Plunderbird 2, Mega Hurts, Demon

Gauntlet: Phoenix eliminated

Trial (King of the Castle): Mega Hurts eliminated

Arena Semi-Finals

  • The Mule vs Demon: The Mule won
  • Enzyme vs Plunderbird 2: Plunderbird 2 won

Arena Final

  • Plunderbird 2 vs The Mule: Plunderbird 2 won

Heat L[]

Main article: Robot Wars: The Second Wars/Heat L

Robots competing in Heat L: Tender Caress, Haardvark, Vercingetorix, Havoc, Angel of Death, Flirty Skirty

Gauntlet: Angel of Death eliminated

Trial (Sumo): Tender Caress eliminated

Arena Semi-Finals

  • Haardvark vs Vercingetorix: Haardvark won
  • Havoc vs Flirty Skirty: Havoc won

Arena Final

  • Haardvark vs Havoc: Haardvark won

Semi-Finals[]

Semi-Final 1[]

Main article: Robot Wars: The Second Wars/Semi-Final 1

Robots competing in Semi-Final 1: Napalm, Behemoth, Panic Attack, Mortis, Mace, Killertron.

Gauntlet: Mace eliminated

Trial (Pinball): Napalm eliminated

Arena

  • Mortis vs Panic Attack: Panic Attack won
  • Killertron vs Behemoth: Killertron won

Semi-Final 2[]

Main article: Robot Wars: The Second Wars/Semi-Final 2

Robots competing in Semi-Final 2: Roadblock, Cassius, Haardvark, King Buxton, G.B.H., Plunderbird 2.

Gauntlet: Plunderbird 2 eliminated

Trial (Pinball): G.B.H. eliminated

Arena

  • Cassius vs Haardvark: Cassius won
  • Roadblock vs King Buxton: Roadblock won

Grand Final[]

Main article: Robot Wars: The Second Wars/Grand Final

Robots competing in Grand Final: Cassius, Roadblock, Killertron, Panic Attack.

Eliminators

  • Cassius vs Roadblock: Cassius won
  • Killertron vs Panic Attack: Panic Attack won

Playoff

  • Killertron vs Roadblock: Roadblock won

Final

  • Cassius vs Panic Attack: Panic Attack won

Awards[]

Main article: Robot Wars Awards

These are the winners of the various awards given out at the end of the series:

The Grudge Matches[]

Main article: Robot Wars: The Second Wars/The Grudge Matches

After the main competition, a special episode was shown featuring a number of Grudge Matches. This gave robots the chance to settle old scores and also allowed robots that did not feature in the main series a chance to battle in the arena. Highlights from the battles of the other weight classes were also broadcasted during this episode too.

Other Weight Classes[]

In addition to the main heavyweight championship, the Second Wars also included several tournaments for robots from other weight classes. These are the final results from those weight classes:

Super Heavyweight Championship[]

Main article: Robot Wars: The Second Wars/Super Heavyweight Championship

Heats

Final

Middleweight Championship[]

Main article: Robot Wars: The Second Wars/Middleweight Championship

Final

Lightweight Championship[]

Main article: Robot Wars: The Second Wars/Lightweight Championship

Final

Featherweight Championship[]

Main article: Robot Wars: The Second Wars/Featherweight Championship

Final

Judgement Day[]

Main article: Robot Wars: The Second Wars/Judgement Day

This grudge dated back to a judges' decision in The First Wars when Recyclopse (the original robot of Team Cassius) controversially defeated Mortis for a place in the Grand Final.

Cassius vs Mortis

Winner: Mortis

Reserve Rumble[]

Main article: Robot Wars: The Second Wars/Reserve Rumble

This match was for the reserve heavyweight robots that did not feature in the main series.

Lateral Thought vs Malice vs Bumblebot vs Forklift vs Jim Struts

Winner: Jim Struts

Inferno Insurrection[]

Main article: Robot Wars: The Second Wars/Inferno Insurrection

This match featured Sergeant Bash and two flammable robots which were sprayed with paraffin before the event.

Sergeant Bash vs Nemesis & Ramrombit

Winner: None announced

Internet Insurrection[]

Main article: Robot Wars: The Second Wars/Internet Insurrection

This grudge match was to decide which team had the best website.

Griffon vs Killerhurtz vs Bodyhammer vs Corporal Punishment

Winner: Griffon

Judgement Day 2[]

Main article: Robot Wars: The Second Wars/Judgement Day

This grudge dated back to the Trial in the series semi-final when Mortis sustained damage to one if its tracks but was given a second chance by the production team and gained enough points (with a bit of help from the House Robots) to eliminate Napalm from the championship.

Mortis vs Napalm

Winner: Mortis

Television ratings[]

Episode Rating BARB ranking
Heat A 5 million 3rd
Heat B 5.8 million 3rd
Heat C 5.95 million 3rd
Heat D 5.94 million 3rd
Heat E 5.47 million 3rd
Heat F 5.72 million 3rd
Heat G 5.59 million 3rd
Heat H 5.94 million 2nd
Heat I 5.58 million 2nd
Heat J 5.66 million 2nd
Heat K 6.13 million 1st
Heat L 5.72 million 1st
Semi-Final 1 6.01 million 2nd
Semi-Final 2 6.21 million 2nd
Grand Final 6.94 million 1st
Grudge Matches 5.17 million 2nd

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.

Specials[]

During this series two specials and a behind-the-scenes series were also produced:

The Making of Robot Wars[]

Main article: The Making of Robot Wars

The first special was a behind-the-scenes special about the making of the first series of Robot Wars.

The Best of Robot Wars[]

Main article: The Best of Robot Wars

The second special featured clips of some of the best and worst moments of the series.

Robot Wars Revealed[]

Main article: Robot Wars Revealed

A behind-the-scenes series presented by Philippa Forester, including highlights, interviews and video diaries of the main series competitors. 15 episodes were aired on BBC Choice, each based on the individual Heats, Semi-Finals and Grand Final.

Trivia[]

  • At least three competitors from the lower weight classes of Series 2 went untelevised. The Featherweight Championship included only Demolisher, Armadillo and The Ripper in its broadcast (omitting Anarchy, Deadline and potentially another machine), while the Lightweight Championship showed only five of its six competitors, leaving one more robot unidentified.

External Links[]

Navigation[]

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