Dara O Briain has said he is 'thrilled' to be co-presenting Robot Wars when the series is rebooted for BBC Two.
The comedian and former host of BBC Two’s The Apprentice: You’re Fired! will be joined by Irish broadcaster Angela Scanlon.
The duo will report on the robots and the teams, and obtain feedback from the judges.
Dara O’Briain to co-host Robot Wars (Ian West/PA)
Jonathan Pearce, best known for his work in sports broadcasting, will return as commentator.
The BBC has announced all the Robot Wars action will come from a new purpose-built fighting arena in Glasgow.
State-of-the-art cameras capable of capturing every saw, claw and flame-thrower will allow viewers to feel even closer to the action.
Angela Scanlon will co-host Robot Wars with Dara O’Briain (Ian West/PA)
Following the format of the original series, which was broadcast on the BBC from 1998 to 2002, teams of amateur roboteers will see their imaginatively armed creations go head to head with the sole purpose of destroying their competitor.
The new six-part series promises a 'raft of technological advances'.
Dara 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.”
He added: “It’s war, and how I love it so.”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iy71djXqf3E&feature=oembed
Angela, who has also worked for Irish broadcaster RTE, said: “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.”
Jonathan said: “Robot Wars is an immensely enjoyable programme to commentate on. I am delighted to be involved and back among the cut and thrust of the robot battles.”
Dara O’Briain (Ian West/PA)
The series was last broadcast on Channel 5 from 2003 until 2004, but fans fondly recall house robots such as Sir Killalot, Shunt and Sergeant Bash.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Nlmbu5zBFw&feature=oembed
Adam Barker, channel editor of BBC Two, said: “I’m thrilled that Dara O Briain and Angela Scanlon will be fronting BBC Two’s reboot of Robot Wars.
“Alongside the welcome return of Jonathan Pearce bringing his unique commentary to proceedings, they are the perfect team to bring to life all the excitement and drama from the arena and explain the innovation and technological advances being showcased in the new and improved robots.”
