Fifty Years of Shit Robots cover art

Fifty Years of Shit Robots

Fifty Years of Shit Robots

By: Matt Brown
Listen for free

About this listen

Between Metropolis and Star Wars lies a 50 year wasteland of terrible movie robots. FIFTY YEARS OF S**T ROBOTS is a podcast that celebrates them all. Hosted by writer and broadcaster, Matt Brown and Stephen Murray, senior lecturer in TV, Film & Journalism at Teesside University. WARNING! The S**t-bomb is sometimes uttered but nothing more.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Matt Brown
Art Science Fiction
Episodes
  • 190. STAR TREK 10: THE WRATH OF KHAN
    Apr 6 2026

    Between Metropolis and Star Wars lies a 50 year wasteland of terrible movie robots. Today, we look at the beloved Star Trek sequel THE WRATH OF KHAN. It's a film doesn't have a robot but does have a very naughty man who needs a jolly good botty spanking.


    WARNING! The S**t-bomb is said but nothing more.

    TikTok: @FiftyYOSR

    Insta: @FiftyYOSR


    NOTES

    BRITAIN TOPS ROBOT ANXIETY TABLE

    https://workplaceinsight.net/the-british-seem-more-worried-about-robots-than-anybody-else/

    A HISTORY OF DYSTOPIAN FICTION

    https://electricliterature.com/the-rise-of-dystopian-fiction-from-soviet-dissidents-to-70s-paranoia-to-murakami/

    10 MOVIES THAT DESTROYED THE STUDIOS THAT MADE THEM

    https://listverse.com/2020/10/28/top-10-movies-that-destroyed-the-studios-that-made-them/

    WHAT IS OTHERING?

    https://fiveable.me/film-and-media-theory/key-terms/othering

    THE NAZI’S LEBENSBORN PROGRAM

    https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/lebensborn-program

    THE MAN WHO CREATED VULCAN LANGUAGE

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iljSsV0CwpA

    STAR TREK BEVERAGES RANKED

    https://www.ex-astris-scientia.org/rankings/beverages-ranked.htm

    WHY ISN’T THERE MONEY IN STAR TREK

    https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Money

    FIRST CGI FRACTAL LANDSCAPE

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tq_sSxDE32c

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Show More Show Less
    53 mins
  • 189. STAR TREK 9: LIVE LONG AND PROSPER
    Mar 30 2026

    Between Metropolis and Star Wars lies a 50 year wasteland of terrible movie robots. Today, we complete our mission to explore Star Trek: the Motion picture. It's a film that we've spoken a lot about in other episodes so we thought we'd go where no/lots of podcasters have been before. Today, we meet V'GER!


    WARNING! The S**t-bomb is said but nothing more.

    TikTok: @FiftyYOSR

    Insta: @FiftyYOSR


    NOTES

    WHEN DID PINK BECOME ASSOCIATED WITH GIRLS?

    https://www.forbes.com/sites/kimelsesser/2023/07/11/heres-how-pink-became-a-girly-color/


    NORMAN WILKINSON’S DAZZLE SHIPS

    https://www.bbc.co.uk/teach/articles/zmkx8xs

    THE VOYAGER PROGRAM

    https://science.nasa.gov/mission/voyager/

    NIXON’S RESHAPING OF NASA

    https://www.planetary.org/articles/20141003-how-richard-nixon-changed-nasa

    APPREHENSION ENGINE

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lzk-l8Gm0MY

    THE BLASTER BEAM

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cj4f5z6nRhs

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Show More Show Less
    49 mins
  • 188. STAR TREK 8: PROBE AHOY-HOY
    Mar 23 2026

    Between Metropolis and Star Wars lies a 50 year wasteland of terrible movie robots. Today, we continue our mission to explore Star Trek: the Motion picture. It's a film that we've spoken a lot about in other episodes so we thought we'd go where no/lots of podcasters have been before. Today we meet a new robot who wears the skin of an old friend.


    WARNING! The S**t-bomb is said but nothing more.

    TikTok: @FiftyYOSR

    Insta: @FiftyYOSR


    NOTES

    CARL SAGAN ON THE DRAKE EQUATION

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nvBWiZi99Dk

    “LESS THAN HUMAN”: THE PSYCHOLOGY OF CRUELTY

    https://www.npr.org/2011/03/29/134956180/criminals-see-their-victims-as-less-than-human

    THE SCALE OF THE UNIVERSE

    https://scaleofuniverse.com/en-gb

    SPOCK’S VULCAN NERVE PINCH EXPLAINED

    https://www.cbc.ca/archives/how-leonard-nimoy-came-up-with-spock-s-signature-pinch-1.4764925

    WILLIAM SHATNER ROASTS GEORGE LUCAS

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oEZVwQptvWw&t=50s

    WILLIAM SHATNER SNL SKETCH

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rqb4V9GxaBo

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Show More Show Less
    40 mins
All stars
Most relevant
Great little fun podcast about the history of film and TV robots. As it’s radio there’s some serious memory work at play. I’ve spent hours looking up robots from my youth and comic books due to this

They’re Shit and we Know They Are

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

Likeable hosts, interesting content and weird shite old films - what’s not to love! Also some newer films because we bloody love a robot.

Best Robot film review podcast

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

There’s robots lots of robots but more much more is the rich history and downright hilarious background. Love it on my second listen.

Informative, fun and addictive

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.