The Robots of Death (TV story): Difference between revisions

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==DVD, Video, and Other Releases==
==DVD, Video, and Other Releases==
'''DVD Releases'''
[[Image:4r-dvd.jpg|right|76px]]
[[Image:4r-dvd2.jpg|right|76px]]


Released as ''Doctor Who: The Robots of Death''.
Released as ''Doctor Who: The Robots of Death''.


Robots of Death was released on DVD in 2000 by BBC Worldwide.
Released:
*Region 2 [[November 13th]] [[2000]]
::PAL - [[BBC DVD]] BBCDVD1012
*Region 4 [[July 2nd]] [[2001]]
*Region 1 [[September 11th]] [[2001]]
::NTSC - [[Warner Video]] E1120
 
Contents:
*In-Studio - Section of material without sound effects, music, or voice-dubbing.
*Model Sequences
*Studio Floor Plans
*Photo Gallery
*Commentary: [[Chris Boucher]] and [[Philip Hinchcliffe]]


'''Video Releases'''
'''Video Releases'''
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:*[[UK]] [[February]] [[1995]]
:*[[UK]] [[February]] [[1995]]
::PAL - [[BBC Video]] BBCV5521
::PAL - [[BBC Video]] BBCV5521
Notes: Released unedited.


==Target Novelisations==
==Target Novelisations==

Revision as of 20:47, 3 March 2007

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Synopsis

The The Doctor and Leela land in the cargo hopper of a Sandminer, whose crew are being murdered one by one. Suspicion falls on the two visitors, but they are freed by Poul. He reveals that he is an undercover policeman sent to locate a mad roboticist named Taren Capel, whom he believes to have infiltrated the Sandminer. Unfortunately, Poul suffers a nervous breakdown upon learning that the murders are being committed by robots reprogrammed by Capel. It is revealed that Capel has assumed the guise of Dask, the ship's engineer. However, the Doctor manages to trick the robots into killing Dask by using helium to alter the madman's voice, so the robots don't recognize him...


Plot

to be added

Cast

The Doctor - Tom Baker

Leela - Louise Jameson

Uvanov - Russel Hunter

Toos - Pamela Salem

Dask/Taren Capel - David Bailie

Chub - Rob Edwards

Borg - Brian Croucher

Cass - Tariq Yunus

Poul - David Collins

Zilda - Tania Rogers

SV7 - Miles Fothergill

D84 - Gregory de Polnay

Robots - Mark Blackwell Baker, John Bleasdale, Mark Cooper, Peter Langtry, Jeremy Ranchev, Richard Seager

Uncredited Cast

Crew

Producer - Philip Hinchcliffe

Script Editor - Robert Holmes

Writer - Chris Boucher

Directors - Michael E Briant, Peter Grimwade

Designer - Kenneth Sharp

Costume - Elizabeth Waller

Incidental Music - Dudley Simpson

References

Story Notes

  • This is one of the few stories which goes some ways to explain (in relative simplicity) how the TARDIS is dimensionally transcendental. (using a demonstration with two boxes)
  • There have been several influences suggested for Robots of Death including:
  • This story was obviously based on Isaac Asimov's Robot mysteries, such as I, Robot. In particular, the human/robot police duo Elijah Bailey and R Daneel Olivaw from Caves of Steel and its sequels may be the inspiration for the Poul/D84 pair. Promiment mention is made of Asimov's First Law of Robotics: "A robot may not harm a human being, or through inaction allow a human being to come to harm."
  • Another inspiration for the story was Agatha Christie's novel, Ten Little Indians, in which several people on an island are murdered one by one.
  • The Sandminer setting is based on Frank Herbert's Dune.

Ratings

to be added

Myths

to be added

Location Filming

to be added

Discontinuity, Plot Holes, Errors

to be added

Continuity

  • This episode is the last one in which the wood-panelled TARDIS control room appears.
  • The characters from this episode reappear in several of Chris Boucher's later novels, starting with Corpse Marker, and continuing in the Kaldor City spinoffs.


DVD, Video, and Other Releases

DVD Releases

4r-dvd2.jpg

Released as Doctor Who: The Robots of Death.

Released:

PAL - BBC DVD BBCDVD1012
NTSC - Warner Video E1120

Contents:

  • In-Studio - Section of material without sound effects, music, or voice-dubbing.
  • Model Sequences
  • Studio Floor Plans
  • Photo Gallery
  • Commentary: Chris Boucher and Philip Hinchcliffe

Video Releases

4r-video.jpg
4r-video2.jpg

Released as Doctor Who: The Robots of Death.

Released:

  • First Release:
PAL - BBC Video BBCV4108
NTSC - Warner Video E1120

Notes: Released in an edited movie-format.

  • Second Release:
PAL - BBC Video BBCV5521

Notes: Released unedited.

Target Novelisations

to be added

External Links