Sparks fly as metal clangs on metal with the ultimate goal of your opponent’s demise. “BattleBots,” an army of homemade remote-control robots, has raided Comedy Central with an array of competitors wielding a variety of weapons, including battle-axes, saw blades and giant knife blades.

Contestants come from around the world with their homemade remote-controlled robots to compete in four weight classes, ranging from super heavyweight to lightweight, in single elimination tournaments. Matches have a three-minute time limit, unless one of the competitors has been knocked out. Judges award points based on aggression, strategy and damage inflicted.

Donna D’Errico, sideline interviewer, believes the show cannot be compared to anything else on television.

“There’s nothing really out there like it because the stars of the show are not human. There isn’t any other show like that and so it’s really unique, and that’s why I think it’s taking off,” she said. “There’s absolutely no show on television like that.”

Twins Randy and Jason Sklar join the former “Baywatch” star on the arena floor to conduct interviews with the creators of the combatants. Color commentator Bil Dwyer and play-by-play announcer Sean Salisbury call the action from the studio and technical expert Bill Nye gives the technical breakdown on the competitors’ attributes.

The competition is furious and the participants take it very seriously, D’Errico said.

“I would say 90 percent take it really seriously – almost too serious. They don’t like to joke around about it and understandably so, because they put so much time and energy and thousands and thousands of dollars into these robots,” she said.

In D’Errico’s opinion, certain devices of destruction have a greater advantage over their opponents.

“All the ones that were able to lift up and flip over their opponent and have like a saw blade or something like that did the best,” she said.

“BattleBots” looks at all aspects of the competition, from the creation of the robots and behind-the-scenes information with profiles on the combatants and inventors to all of the sheer destruction from the “BattleBox” arena.

The action takes place in the “BattleBox,” a 48-foot by 48-foot enclosure surrounded by shatterproof glass rising nearly 20 feet off the ground. The “BattleBox” is also an obstacle for the competitors, featuring kill saws, ramrods, sledgehammers and other various traps that pop-up to wreak havoc on the contestants. D’Errico would like to see more destructive elements added to the “BattleBox,” however.

Men are attracted to the show due to its macho, testosterone-filled nature, D’Errico explained.

“For guys, just the total destruction of the machines within a few minutes is enough for anyone to watch,” she said.

But the show isn’t limited to only a male audience, D’Errico said.

“There’s things that are funny about it, but there’s also a sporting kind of feel that appeals to everybody,” she added.

D’Errico’s favorite part of the show is the battling, the screaming and the mystery of who is going to take the match.

“That’s the biggest draw for me,” she said.

As for the show being considered too violent for children, D’Errico doesn’t believe it could lead to aggressive behavior.

“In fact, my own kids even watch it, and they really love it a lot. It’s absolutely fine for them to watch and a lot of fun,” she said.

The show could also possibly lead to people becoming more inventive, D’Errico said.

Randall Huff, adjunct assistant professor of English, agreed the show might help people to become more creative and further the acceptance of robots.

“It’s a good thing if it popularizes what robots can do,” he said. “It may encourage people to accept robots.”

Huff, who teaches a course on science fiction, could even see the premise of the show leading to other adaptations, including military applications that would prevent the unnecessary sacrifice of human lives.

Huff isn’t quite as supportive of the destructive nature of the show.

“It seems like a waste of good robots,” he said.

D’Errico sees the show as “fun,” however, and doesn’t believe it will become stale anytime soon.

“There are going to be new robots and improvements in the ones that are on, and I don’t see it as being able to get stale,” she said. “Like any car racing, wrestling or boxing I don’t think those could ever get stale either. It’s just the format of the show, and that’s all it needs. It doesn’t really need to change.”

Comedy Central evidently doesn’t think so either and has already ordered 13 more episodes of the series. The shows will air in December from the site of the next competition in Las Vegas.

D’Errico believes the show will challenge the top-rated programs on cable.

“It’s gained popularity so quickly and really taken off. I can see it as having no limits and really [becoming] a regularly watched show the longer it is on,” she said.