Tom Baker

Louise Jameson

Russell Hunter

Pamela Salem

David Bailie

David Collings

Brian Croucher

Tania Rogers

Tariq Yunus

Rob Edwards

Gregory de Polnay

Miles Fothergill

Philip Hinchcliffe

Chris Boucher

Michael E. Briant

Dudley Simpson

Robert Holmes

Duncan Brown

Elizabeth Waller

Peter Grimwade

Ann Briggs

Tony Millier

Peter Chapman

Dick Mills

Kenneth Sharp

Richard Conway

Chris D'Oyly-John

John Gatland

Delia Derbyshire

Science Fiction

Drama

Adventure

Doctor Who: The Robots of Death

United Kingdom

CinemaSerf

The Christmas pantomime was always a firm favourite when I was growing up and it was usual to see accomplished Scots comedian Russell Hunter hamming it up as widow someone or other. He had more to do back then than here, though, as his "Uvanov" character captains a mining vessel churning through the dirt on an asteroid looking for a very valuable mineral. The "Doctor" (Tom Baker) and his companion "Leela" (Louise Jameson) arrive just as his crew start to drop like flies. Naturally, the travellers are the prime suspects but as the body count continues to mount, the Captain, his deputy "Toos" (Pamela Salem) and "Poul" (David Collings) begin to think it's the unthinkable. The humanoid robots who make up most of the crew are on the warpath. The company had the foresight to put a friendly robot "D84" on the ship so it falls to the Time Lord, "Leela" and their new metallic friend to find out just who is overwriting their plumbing and thwart the attempts to destroy the crew and take over the ship. This was always one of my favourite "Dr. Who" adventures with plenty of action, some glowing eyes and even a bit of helium thrown in for added squeak. I will admit that I'm still not quite sure why the ship was a target - stuck, as it was, on a world with no light or water - but I don't suppose that matters in the mind of a megalomaniac.

English