7 hours ago
14
The robots are coming. And one of them happens to look a lot like Philomena Cunk in a wig. This week sees the arrival of Ann Droid, the BBC’s new odd-couple comedy. Diane Morgan stars as a secondhand elderly care bot, foisted upon Sue Johnston’s sceptical pensioner.
Ann Droid is the latest in a long line of TV tinheads. We tentatively toast the rise of the machines by counting down the all-time Top 20. Stand by, cybernetic selection is now loading …
20. Twiki (Buck Rogers in the 25th Century, 1979-1981)
Swashbuckling sci-fi hero Buck Rogers began life as a 1929 newspaper comic strip. By the time he got an NBC adaptation half a century later, starring square-jawed Gil Gerard, he was accompanied by cute robo-assistant Twiki. Played by Felix “Cousin Itt from the Addams Family” Silla and voiced by Looney Tunes favourite Mel Blanc, Twiki served drinks, said “Biddi-biddi-biddi!” and carried a Frisbee-sized sentient computer called Dr Theopolis around this neck. Because this is what the 25th century will look like, apparently.
19. Awesom-O (South Park, 2004)
The Awesom-O 4000 “from Japan” is the robotic alter ego of Eric Cartman. OK, so he’s actually Eric in a cardboard suit, speaking in a robotic voice, but that’s enough to fool gullible Butters Stotch and pose as his robot friend to glean useful intel. Naturally, the plan backfires. Awesom-O is not only forced to help Butters insert anal suppositories but he gets headhunted by a Hollywood studio and captured by the US military to be used as a secret weapon. Naturally, Cartman eventually gives himself away by farting. Rivalled only in the animated comedy stakes by Heistotron from Rick and Morty.
18. Robert the Robot (Justin’s House, 2011-2023)
CBeebies fixture Justin’s House was a pint-size remix of Noel’s House Party, starring Justin “Mr Tumble” Fletcher. He’s kept company by his pet green little monster and humanoid butler Robert the Robot (NB: not a real robot, just a bloke painted silver). Cue custard pies, the Wiggle Your Bottoms song, rapt preschoolers and eye-rolling parents.
17. Cameron (Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, 2008-2009)
Fox’s underrated TV spin-off from the film franchise starred Firefly’s Summer Glau as butt-kicking Cameron, a Terminator sent back from the future to protect resistance fighter Sarah Connor (Lena Headey) and her teen son John (Thomas Dekker). Named in homage to original director James Cameron, the ballet-dancing killer cyborg could mimic human mannerisms better than any previous model and was even able to eat. Naturally, John soon developed romantic feelings for his metallic bodyguard. Her foes included, brilliantly, Shirley Manson from Garbage as a shapeshifting Terminator. It was canned after two seasons, despite a fan campaign.
16. Robot B-9 (Lost in Space, 1965-1968)
“Danger, Will Robinson!” This benevolent bot protected the Robinson family as they roamed the galaxy in the CBS classic, warning them of hidden dangers on alien planets. Often confused with Robby the Robot from Forbidden Planet (schoolboy error), accordion-armed, claw-handed B-9 had a love-hate relationship with villainous Dr Smith (Jonathan Harris), who was partial to alliteratively insulting him – see “You bubble-headed booby”, “You tin-plated traitor” and “You transistorised toad”.
15. Dolores Abernathy (Westworld, 2016-2022)
HBO’s remake of Michael Crichton’s 1973 cult movie was visually sumptuous, chillingly dystopian and soon disappeared up its own biomechanical backside, becoming impenetrably convoluted. A wild west theme park was populated by androids, who were designed to be hunted or seduced by high-paying human guests, but gradually developed dangerous levels of sentience. Rancher’s daughter Dolores (Evan Rachel Wood) experienced flashes of past trauma at the hands of the villainous Man in Black (Ed Harris), leading her to join a robo-rebellion. Yee-hardware!
Boogie, boogie, boogie! After debuting on ITV kids’ show The Saturday Banana, breakout character Metal Mickey landed his own star vehicle. Created, controlled and voiced by musician Johnny Edward – a former bandmate of David Bowie’s – the 5ft tall automaton lived with the Wilberforce family, helping with household chores, while granny Irene Handl looked on suspiciously. His favourite treat was Atomic Thunderbuster sweets, which – in a canny bit of merchandising – briefly went on sale in real life. The Saturday teatime series was directed by Edward’s friend, Micky Dolenz from the Monkees, pulling in 12 million viewers at its peak. He even had a Suede song named in his honour. “She sells hearts, he sells sweets … ”
13. Murderbot (Murderbot, 2025-present)
Alexander Skarsgård was suitably imposing and stony-faced in the Apple TV comedy, adapted from Martha Wells’ novellas. We follow his private security droid, or “SecUnit”, who hacks his own programming and hides its newly acquired autonomy while protecting a team of scientists on their mission to map an alien planet. Murderbot mocks the “stupid fucking humans”, while binge-watching reruns of a Star Trek-alike soap called The Rise and Fall of Sanctuary Moon. Bored but wryly cool, the character is widely thought to be coded as autistic and agender. A second season is in production.
12. Mia, AKA Anita (Humans, 2015-2018)
Channel 4’s Bafta-winning drama worked as a high-class sci-fi soap and a metaphor for society’s attitude towards migrant workers. Anthropomorphic android servant Mia (Gemma Chan) had glowing green eyes and was named Anita by her owners, the Hawkins family, but eventually “woke up” and joined the fight for robotic freedom. In preparation for the role, Chan was sent to “synth school” to rid herself of human physical tics. “It was a relief to go home and slouch,” she said.
11. Android Ash (Black Mirror, Be Right Back, 2013)
This melancholic early episode of Charlie Brooker’s anthology remains among its very best. When Ash (Domhnall Gleeson) is killed in a car crash, his pregnant girlfriend Martha (Hayley Atwell) signs up to a service that uses his social media posts and online footprint to create an AI imitation. At first, she eased her grief by interacting with virtual Ash via instant messaging and video calls. The next step was the arrival of a synthetic android version. What could possibly go wrong?
10. IG-11 (The Mandalorian, 2019-2023)
Viewers of the Star Wars spin-off first met “Eyegee” when he was a deadly assassin droid trying to capture Baby Yoda. He was destroyed by the titular helmeted bounty hunter (Pedro Pascal) but resurrected as IG-12 – now reprogrammed by wise Ugnaught farmer Kuiil (Nick Nolte) to be “nurse and protector” of the adorable green Grogu. Taika Waititi pitched his voice performance as a cross between Apple’s Siri and Hal from 2001: A Space Odyssey.
9. Eto Demerzel (Foundation, 2021-present)
This “gynoid”, or female-presenting humanoid robot, arrived in Apple’s Isaac Asimov adaptation as royal adviser to the revolving triumvirate of Emperor Cleon clones. By season two, it was revealed that Demerzel (chillingly played by Finnish actor Laura Birn) was the real power behind the imperial throne. Having lived more than 20,000 years, she’s the last remaining survivor from the Robot Wars and is now guiding humanity’s survival. Gulp.
8. Sir Killalot (Robot Wars, 1998-2018)
The cult BBC Two series, which drew 6 million viewers at its peak, saw teams of amateur roboteers send their remote-controlled creations into a fighting arena. Sir Killalot was the pick of the show’s “house robots”. Topped with his signature armoured helmet, he boasted a rotating drill lance, wide jaws, powerful arms and hydraulic crushing claws. He could, and occasionally did, chop an opponent in half. He even released a pop single titled Robot Wars (Android Love), credited to Sir Killalot vs Robo Babe. It reached 51 in the UK singles chart.
7. Number Six (Battlestar Galactica, 2004-2009)
“Are you alive? Prove it.” The most memorable humanoid Cylon in the space opera reboot was statuesque Six – named after Patrick McGoohan’s character from The Prisoner and portrayed by Canadian ex-model Tricia Helfer. She used sex and seduction to coerce government scientist Gaius Baltar into giving up defence secrets that helped the “skin jobs” conquer their human creators.
6. Vision (WandaVision, 2021)
The stylishly retro Marvel miniseries was way more avant garde than anyone expected. Courageous, confident and lovingly crafted, it followed newlyweds Wanda “Scarlet Witch” Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen) and superpowered android Vision (Paul Bettany) in the idyllic suburb of Westview. Picket-fenced life was peachy until their false reality began to warp and move through different decades of sitcom tropes. His own spin-off, VisionQuest, is due to land in October.
5. K-9 (Doctor Who, 1977-2010)
Affirmative, master! The robot canine companion first trundled through space and time alongside the Fourth Doctor (Tom Baker), before popping up in various Who spin-offs and the 21st-century revival. The loyal electronic hound proved useful at battling alien foes, thanks to his encyclopedic knowledge and the powerful laser weapon concealed in his nose. Good boy.
4. Marvin the Paranoid Android (The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, 1981)
Created as part of a program to give robots personalities, the Sirius Cybernetics Corporation prototype was depressed and bored because his planet-size brain is never sufficiently challenged and he’s stuck doing menial tasks. In Douglas Adams’ seminal sci-fi comedy, miserable Marvin travelled through space alongside the last surviving Earth man, Arthur Dent. Radiohead named one of the tracks on OK Computer after him. It still didn’t cheer him up.
3. Kryten (Red Dwarf, 1988-present)
“Spin my nipple nuts and send me to Alaska!” Played by Robert “Scrapheap Challenge” Llewellyn, the block-headed sanitation mechanoid – duly nicknamed “Captain Bog-bot” and “Commander U-Bend” – travels aboard the titular mining ship with a crew of fellow misfits. Kryten will happily debase himself to serve humanity, although having lost his obedience programs, he soon learns to lie and insult people. Indeed, he achieved the dubious honour of being the first robot in sci-fi history to give a human the finger. Smegging hell.
2. Data (Star Trek: The Next Generation, 1987-1994)
In the first reboot of Gene Roddenberry’s 1960s space western, albino-like android Data (Brent Spiner) performed the same function as Mr Spock in the original – a mega-brained outsider who struggled to understand the emotions of his human crewmates. The second officer aboard the USS Enterprise was more soulful than the average synthetic lifeform. He kept a pet cat, had romantic affairs (memorably declaring himself versed in a “broad variety of pleasuring”) and even had an evil twin. As he longed to become fully human, Data became the beating heart of the show. Even though he didn’t have a heart.
1. Bender (Futurama, 1999-present)
To quote the tin terror himself, Bender’s story is a lot like yours – except more interesting because it involves robots. In Matt Groening’s sci-fi sitcom, Bender Bending Rodríquez is a potty-mouthed, heavy-drinking, cigar-chomping, womanising, work-shy, kleptomaniac, nihilistic, bad-tempered robot who was originally programmed to bend steel girders. Named after Judd Nelson’s character from The Breakfast Club – also the inspiration for Bart Simpson’s “Eat my shorts” catchphrase – he became the first friend protagonist Fry makes after being trapped in a cryogenic tube for a millennium. And if you don’t agree with his No 1 placing, you can bite his shiny metal ass.
