Rate the Robots

Whenever I can't sleep, I usually engage in some sort of mental game or inner-discussion. After 7-8 minutes, I generally bore myself to sleep. Last night was one such night, but, for better or worse, it was the impetus for this post.

Last night I started thinking about different robots as portrayed on film and TV, and began to judge them. I judged them in terms of whether or not they were believable, then and now. I asked my non-drowsy self; Was the robot a good idea at the time of its inception? Does the robot still stand up today? What are the "Pros" and "Cons" of said robot?

I rated said robots on a scale of 1-10, 1 being lame, 10 being Nostradamus-like. Now, by "robot" I mean any sort of artificial intelligence. We are not prejudiced here at Annoying Joe. We accept all artificial lifeforms, ambulatory or not. Anyway, I thought I would begin to present each robot one at a time over the next few weeks, in no particular order. Great filler material.

So, without further ado, let us Rate the Robots!

Robot: Dr. Theopolis from the Buck Rogers TV program, circa 1978.

Overview: Theopolis, or Theo for short, was an intelligent computer who was part of Earth's Computer Council. He was assigned with the process of assimilating Captain William "Buck" Rogers when he first arrived on Earth.

Pros: Lightweight. Please note hook-shaped ears for easy carrying. And how hot was Erin Gray?

Cons: Forget what I said about not being ambulatory-biased. Really, it's the 25th century and your being carried around by a leather strap?

Reality Check: Sorry Theo, I'll take Google over your seizure-inducing face anyday.

Rating: 1 out of 10. Only because Erin Gray is hot.

Fun Fact: Mel Blanc was the voice of Twiki, Theo's annoying steed.