TotalTelly.co.uk

Devoted to Popular, Cult and Retro TV

Doctor Who - Robot [1974] [1963]


RRP: £19.99
Our Price: £5.50 (subject to change)

Editorial
Amazon.co.uk Review

Tom Baker's reign as the venerable British science fiction hero Doctor Who began with this four-part serial from 1974-75; it also marked the dawn of what was arguably the most popular period in the program's history. Written by Terrance Dicks, Robot also introduces the late Ian Marter as the Doctor's companion-to-be Harry Sullivan, a UNIT medic who is pulled into the adventure after treating the Doctor, who is recovering from his fourth regeneration (third Doctor Jon Pertwee appears briefly at the beginning of the first episode). Meanwhile, Sarah Jane (Elisabeth Sladen) and the Brigadier (Nicholas Courtney) investigate a series of robberies involving a top secret weapons project that seem to have been carried out not by humans, but a colossal object. Could the mysterious "Think Tank" and its robotics division be involved? Robot is a terrific launching point for "The Baker Years"--the star himself is charming and amusing, and the story itself is brisk, involving, and quite suspenseful at times. In short, it's an excellent point for Who newcomers to introduce themselves to this most well-loved of Doctors.

The single-disc DVD includes commentary by Baker, Sladen, Dicks, and producer Barry Letts, as well as a 40-minute documentary titled "Are Friends Electric?" which recalls the production of Baker's first serial via interviews with the cast and production team, including producer Phillip Hinchcliffe and director Christopher Barry. "The Tunnel Effect" is a 13-minute interview with graphic designer Bernard Lodge on how he created the memorable "infinite tunnel" titles for the Baker stories, and there's a clip from children's program Blue Peter, which was broadcast from the set of Robot. The by-now standard photo gallery, production notes, and a PDF of the Radio Times listings round out the extras. --Paul Gaita


Suprisingly Good!
Review date: 2008-01-24 Rating: 10 out of 10

I didn't expect a lot from this tale but was pleasantly suprised to find that this is one of the best old school Doctor Who tales I have viewed in some time. Tom Baker is excellent as The Doctor and comes out of the starting blocks with a fully formed character right from the start.

I would reccomend this one to fans of the new series who would like to check out the old stuff as the feel is quite similar in tone. We have Sarah Jane Smith on her own quest much like the modern Sarah Jane Adventures and the Doctor's eccentric behaviour after his regeneration reminded me a lot of David Tennant's performance in 'The Christmas Invasion'. Harry is introduced to the team (yay) and the Brig is left behind as the doctor leaves earth at the end of episode 4.

Great extras, and it's interesting to listen to Tom Baker in the Commentary as it is the first time he has actually seen the show himself!

All in all - this is great fun and full of energy - well recommended!

Similar Products

Reviews


It Begins!
Review date: 2007-08-20 Rating: 10 out of 10

That's right, Tom baker's era as The Doctor begins here. This is back when Tom baker was an un-heard of actor, struggling for any role at the time.
Robot, as a story, works very well with the 'mostly' convincing effects. I was never much a fan of Terrance Dick's writing on Doctor Who. However, here, Dick's pens a truely brilliant opening story for Baker. The contrast from Pertwee is immediate and a chemestry between Baker and Sladen is almost immediately established.
Robot is a quaint and rewarding story, showing from the (very) later days of The Doctor's career with UNIT. Also, just as a point, watch out for the action man 'tank' at the end of Part Three. It's BBC budgeting at its absolute best.
The Documentary, 'Are Friends Electric' is a good, thirty-nine minute affair, pading out the extras nicely. I'm sure after such a good serial as Robot, extras can only seem like a 'sweetener'.
So, finally, all to be said is: 'Enjoy Baker's first day'.

A very important story, but not the very best
Review date: 2007-08-04 Rating: 6 out of 10

Story: 3/5 - Extras: 4/5

"Robot", by Terrance Dicks, is a transitional story designed to ease the viewer from the earthbound UNIT era into the new era of the show, which would see the Doctor and his companion(s) freed from the established Earth ties of the Jon Pertwee years. The newly regenerated Doctor, played for the first time by Tom Baker, and established companion Sarah Jane Smith (Elisbeth Sladen) are joined in their travels by the old-fashioned and highly British UNIT medic Harry Sullivan (Ian Marter), a likeable character making his first appearance in this story.
The first episode is devoted partly to the aftermath of the Doctor's regeneration, with ample clownery by the boggle-eyed Tom Baker in his scenes with the exasperated Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart (Nicholas Courtney), interspersed with Sarah Jane undertaking her own investigation into goings-on at the scientific organisation Think Tank. It is Sarah Jane's investigations at Professor Kettlewell's lab that leads the Doctor and UNIT into contact with the robot. After that, the robot takes centre stage in the story, along with its creator (an eccentric performance by a flyaway-haired Edward Burnham).
Unlike the Cybermen, however, the robot is a much more "human" creature, and we actually feel a certain amount of sympathy for the confused machine, as it wrestles with instructions to kill that are contrary to its prime directive. After Sarah shows it compassion, the story takes on "King Kong"-like overtones that play out in the story's crazy fourth episode (I shan't spoil it, but it involves some very bad CSO special effects!).
Although there are some good guest performances and Tom Baker is on splendid form from the off, I wouldn't describe "Robot" as being much more than average, with episode four being over-ambitious, resulting in it being rather silly and badly put together. However, the story occupies a very important position in the show's continuity, and sets the Doctor, Sarah and Harry off on the journey that would link the rest of the stories in "Doctor Who"'s acclaimed twelfth season under new producer Philip Hinchcliffe ("Robot" itself being produced by outgoing producer Barry Letts).
The DVD features aren't quite as comprehensive as sometimes, but as well as a feature commentary with Tom Baker, Elisabeth Sladen and writer Terrance Dicks, there's a documentary on the casting of Tom Baker and the making of "Robot", and a featurette on the creation of the Fourth Doctor's well-known title sequence, plus other extracts from the archives.

Workman-Like Start
Review date: 2007-07-20 Rating: 8 out of 10

This was the first of Tom Baker's stories so obviously, no-one had any knowledge of how Tom would develop the role.

There's little evidence of the eccentricity that he would bring to the role very quickly after this and that had attracted the production staff to him in the first place. Sarah, as always, was in fine fettle as she investigated the mysterious disappearing equipment and we're introduced to Ian Marter as permanent companion Harry Sullivan who actually gets to play the role in a serious fashion - later stories would see him sinking to Mickey like comedic side kick.

There are a number of interesting extras ranging from how the new Doctor was cast and the rest of the cast assembled round him to how the various title sequences were constructed (this *was* interesting - honest!).


Dr Who goes King Kong
Review date: 2007-07-14 Rating: 8 out of 10

The one with the Robot. I was too small to remember the program, but had the Robot as a toy up to my early teens. And what a Robot. Fantastic design, impressive, scary, imposing and practical... on BBC children's TV budgets. Did anyone win an award for that?
The acting between the Robot and Elisabeth Sladen... we've seen little better. Just great stuff, mixed with the Nazi scientists and the whole King Kong thing makes this a wonderful story.
It does have its problem The first episode falls into silly Douglas Adams type stupidness... the skipping? Whose idea was that? And the costume changing?
Also the Robot when it grows is not convincing, and the rag doll Sarah and toy tank are terrible.
But it was all about Tom. And indeed Tom was great, dramatic, odd and funny. This was to most (Myself included) a golden age of Who. Indeed in this fans humble opinion, only David Tennant can touch Tom Baker.

Product Details/Specifications


Actor(s):
Jon Pertwee
William Hartnell
Patrick Troughton
Tom Baker
Peter Davison

Creators:
William Hartnell (Primary Contributor)
Patrick Troughton (Primary Contributor)
Glenn Hyde (Editor)
Ian McKendrick (Editor)
John Dunstan (Editor)
Barry Letts (Producer)
Peter Bryant (Producer)
Sydney Newman (Writer)
Terrance Dicks (Writer)

Director(s):

Recording label: 2 Entertain Video
Manufacturer: 2 Entertain Video
EAN: 5014503233228
Binding: DVD
Number of items: 1
Format: Full Screen, PAL,
Release date: 2007-06-04
Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
Audience rating: Parental Guidance
Region code: 2
Running time: 100 minutes
Theatrical release date: 1963-11-23
Language: English (Original Language)

Add to Cart

© 2006 Darren Hester, DesignsByDarren.com, Some Rights Reserved.
Valid XHTML 1.0 Transitional