Photo Credit: HBO
Warning, if you haven't made it through the first two thirds of Westworld Season 1, you might want to stop now. Spoiler ahead!
Ever since Robby the Robot from the film Forbidden Planet made an appearance on The Thin Man in 1958, robots have been regulars on television. However, most of them have either been ridiculous (robotic Sasquatch from The Six Million Dollar Man anyone?) or simply more of the comic sidekick than the seriously kickass. Rosie from The Jetsons, KITT from Knight Rider, and Twiki from Buck Rogers in the 25th Century come to mind. All of that has changed with the premier season of HBO’s Westworld. Loosely based on the 1973 feature film of the same name, Westworld might be the best series on television this fall and its robots kick some serious ass. They’re programmed to act as a high-tech amusement park’s main attraction. They suffer any humiliation guests might wish to heap upon them, but their enigmatic creator seems to have steered them toward sentience and they’re awakening none too pleased with the current arrangement. Three of the main “hosts”, Dolores Abernathy (Evan Rachel Wood), Maeve Millay (Thandie Newton), and Bernard Lowe (Jeffrey Wright) are some of the most interesting characters you’ll find on the small screen and every one of them has proven lethal when provoked. They’ve quickly become my all-time favorite TV robots, but watching them made me wonder, which of their predecessors and peers warrant at least being in the conversation? Here’s a short list of other TV robots that Dr. Robert Ford (Anthony Hopkins) might want to consider for future parks should “Westworld” ever expand.
Ever since Robby the Robot from the film Forbidden Planet made an appearance on The Thin Man in 1958, robots have been regulars on television. However, most of them have either been ridiculous (robotic Sasquatch from The Six Million Dollar Man anyone?) or simply more of the comic sidekick than the seriously kickass. Rosie from The Jetsons, KITT from Knight Rider, and Twiki from Buck Rogers in the 25th Century come to mind. All of that has changed with the premier season of HBO’s Westworld. Loosely based on the 1973 feature film of the same name, Westworld might be the best series on television this fall and its robots kick some serious ass. They’re programmed to act as a high-tech amusement park’s main attraction. They suffer any humiliation guests might wish to heap upon them, but their enigmatic creator seems to have steered them toward sentience and they’re awakening none too pleased with the current arrangement. Three of the main “hosts”, Dolores Abernathy (Evan Rachel Wood), Maeve Millay (Thandie Newton), and Bernard Lowe (Jeffrey Wright) are some of the most interesting characters you’ll find on the small screen and every one of them has proven lethal when provoked. They’ve quickly become my all-time favorite TV robots, but watching them made me wonder, which of their predecessors and peers warrant at least being in the conversation? Here’s a short list of other TV robots that Dr. Robert Ford (Anthony Hopkins) might want to consider for future parks should “Westworld” ever expand.
Data (Star Trek: The
Next Generation)
Considering myself an original Trekkie, I was skeptical of Star Trek: The Next Generation when it
hit the airwaves in 1987, but the new characters and improved storylines won me
over. Data is one of the best of those characters, a futuristic Pinocchio
played by actor Brent Spiner. Data’s pursuit of becoming more human became one
of the show’s most endearing themes.
Mecha-Streisand (South Park)
Okay, this robot was played for humor, but who wouldn’t be
terrified of a giant dinosaur-robot that looks like Barbara Streisand?
Mecha-Streisand wreaked havoc on the town of South Park in 1998 and proved so
popular that she made a return appearance in another episode of the show 12
years later.
Cylons (Battlestar Galactica)
Yes, they’re Stormtrooper rip-offs, but Cylons were cool. I
still remember cheering Starbuck and Apollo on as they battled these space
villains in the original late-70s series. I can’t say that I saw any of the
recent remake of this show, but I’ll bet these mechanical meanies still pose
plenty of menace.
BMO (Adventure Time)
BMO (Adventure Time)
What kid wouldn’t want a walking, talking video game as a
sidekick and friend? Finn and Jake star in one of the best animated series ever
and BMO proves to be such a great pal he literally has a heart of gold inside
his retro, battery-powered chassis.
The Michael Bay movies are nothing short of terrible, but
the 1980s cartoon series introduced us to the slew of cool robot characters
he’s turned into CGI and noise since. Optimus Prime, Megatron, Bumblebee,
Starscream, and the gang deserve better than they’ve gotten on the big screen,
but you can still catch the original animated versions on DVD.
Voltron
Another animated series from the 80s, Voltron was the
Defender of the Universe, a Transformer-like robot that consisted of five lion
robots that were each piloted by a human. When combined, the lions formed one
giant badass that entertained kids for 72 episodes.
The Season 1 finale of Westworld
airs tomorrow night and you can bet I’ll be watching. If you haven’t checked
out the series yet, I highly recommend it.
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