The BBC announced the new hosting line-up for the return of Robot Wars today, with comedian Dara O Briain and presenter Angela Scanlon heading up the upcoming BBC Two show, while Jonathan Pearce will return as commentator.
However, with Robot Wars fans having fond memories of Red Dwarf and Coronation Street actor Craig Charles’ stint as host during the show’s initial run, many are now taking to social media to bemoan the BBC’s decision. Even Charles’ friend Robert Llewellyn, who plays the role of Kryten on Red Dwarf, offered his opinion on the matter:
It’s an outrage that @CCfunkandsoul isn’t fronting #RobotWars although he seems fairly relaxed about it.
— Robert Llewellyn (@bobbyllew) February 3, 2016
Others questioned why Charles may have been overlooked by the BBC:
what has Charlesy done to offend the establishment? Other than all that coke
— #BRINGBACKCHARLESY (@joelgolby) February 3, 2016
And some may have been overreacting ever so slightly:
By not hiring Craig Charles, we know the BBC ignores, the views of its audience, about Robot Wars.
— Vicki Halsall (@vhalsall) February 3, 2016
But the overall reaction to the theme was “Dara O Briain’s okay, we’re not sure who Angela Scanlon is, but we really want Craig Charles back regardless.”
Unfortunately, that is not to be, though both O Briain and Scanlon released statements expressing how happy they were to be taking the helm of the new series. O Briain said: “I am thrilled to be presenting Robot Wars. For too long, the schedules have cried out for a show in which dedicated amateurs, toiling day and night, handcraft sophisticated automatons built on the delicate interplay of hand-wired servo motors with custom-built circuit boards and fingertip motion control, just to see them get smashed to pieces by a dustbin carrying a massive hammer. It’s war, and how I love it so.”
Scanlon added: “I’m so excited to be joining such a legendary show that, after all this time, still manages to make people squeal with joy. I cannot wait to see the robots in all their metallic glory playfully destroying each other!”
The new six-part series of Robot Wars will air on BBC Two, and will be produced by Mentorn Scotland.
