At the other end of the spectrum, when an episode of the show was pulled in favour of tennis coverage last Feburary, the Radio Times letters page was bombarded by youthful complainants. The diversity of such an audience can present problems, says Mike Collier, editor of the BBC's Robot Wars Magazine. The most difficult thing is catering for all the types of people who enjoy Robot Wars. Cheer leaders Robot Wars is aired in several time slots. Children watching the early evening edition respond to Robot Wars' showmanship, says Mr Collier.
Younger audiences graft characters onto the robots.
They cheer for some and boo others. Entries from the back-garden school of roboteers tend to be the most successful and imaginative. This goes back to its earliest days, when its creator, Star Wars model maker Marc Thorpe, decided to attach power tools to his vacuum cleaner. There's a genuine sense of community. Such contradictions are perhaps part of the show's charm.