Thanks to the reboot syndrome sweeping movie and television studios worldwide, reliving favorite pop cultural memories has never been easier. On TV and in theaters everywhere, the 90s and early 2000s have returned with a vengeance. Jurassic World is the 10-ton dinosaur dominating the summer box office, and a new Dragon Ball anime has just aired its first episode in Japan. From The Muppets to Star Wars, the entertainment staples of my early years are being reborn left and right. This got me thinking. What other cherished obsession from my childhood could come back next?
It turns out BattleBots was ABC's answer to both my impromptu question and wildest dreams. After a long absence, the competitive robot fighting sport has finally returned to TV, on a major network's primetime Sunday night lineup no less. That's right - a whole hour dedicated to robots smashing each other apart in no-hold-barred cage fights. Original ideas are so overrated.
Lasting from 2000 to 2002, the five original seasons of BattleBots offered unadulterated escapism for a sheltered 8-year-old boy obsessed with building robots out of Legos and collecting Transformers toys. Every week I tuned into Comedy Central to watch the show's homemade remote-controlled robots battle it out from the comfort of my boyhood man cave. Spinning blades sliced metal plates, sparks flew and a minefield of arena traps spelled doom to many a hapless driver. Sure, it had its downsides. Hot babes out of their element were shoehorned in at every chance, as were lame celebrity cameos. Jay Leno of all people fielded a bot in Season Two. But there was never a doubt in my mind that the likes of Bad Attitude, Biohazard and Nightmare were the real stars.
Now, with a long-overdue sixth season of BattleBots currently airing this summer, a new generation of these mechanized monsters are back in the limelight. As in its earlier incarnation, the show pits teams of robotic creations against each other in a gladiatorial tournament. Using a variety of makeshift weapons, including spinning blades, rams, wedges, lifting tools and even crowd-pleasing flamethrowers, opposing pilots attempt to score points from a panel of judges, or knock the opposing bot out of commission altogether. Familiar hazards like floor-mounted buzz saws and spiked walls lend the arena an authentic BattleBots vibe, as does the iconic verbal punch of "It's Robot Fighting Time!" that commences each match. Callbacks to the original series even extend to a few veteran competitors. Only a girl when she battled with a ladybug-shaped bot more than a decade ago, Lisa Winter is competing again with her new heavyweight contender Plan X.
Don't let these obvious references fool you into thinking this new season is only a quick nostalgic cash-in. The BattleBots of 2015 is a sleeker, smarter and altogether more well-rounded product. Taking a note from the ESports playbook, ABC's producers have taken clear steps to treat the property - inherently nerdy and absurdist as it is - with maturity. Besides flashy production values and enthusiastic commentary, the show simply knows how to nail its subject matter. Far more focus is given to the engineering that goes into these miniature death machines, giving hosts plenty of technical merits to discuss when sizing up the contenders. And boy, do these contenders mean business. Gone are the clunky contrapceptions of the sport's Comedy Central days. From Lock-Jaw and its versatile gripping tool to Witch Doctor and its voodoo wedge decals, the battling bots of today extol snazzy futurism and expert craftsmanship.
Welcome attention is also given to the brains behind the bots, with lovingly shot short documentaries that highlight the personal ambitions of individual teams. In one, Icewave captain Marc DeVidts talks about how watching BattleBots sparked his passion for animatronic tinkering, leading him to found his own robotic telecommunication company, Double Robotics. Enthusiastic personalities like his can come out during matches, adding a layer of personal drama expected from primetime reality television. An MIT student refuses to shake hands with a reigning champion after a late blow is landed on his immobile bot after the buzzer. A particularly devious team entangles their opponent with a concealed net, bending the rules so much that it leads to a rare do-over. The resulting grudge match brings the second episode to a climatic close, as engineering egos and metallic juggernauts clash in the ring.
After only two episodes, BattleBots has me hooked all over again. Whether it's to witness the terrifying Tombstone bash its opponent into submission with its whirling bludgeon or to see Bronco launch opposing bots 14 feet into the air with its formidable flipper, there's no question that the next few weekends will more than sate my hunger for metallic carnage and flying shrapnel. What I do question is whether or not the new BattleBots will actually catch on, or fade again as just another passing nostalgia fad. Does it have what it takes to ride the wave of appreciation for electronic sports and geek culture? Whatever the case, for now the kid in me couldn't be happier.