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

image=[[file:Robotsofdeath_title.jpg|250px]] |

==Synopsis==

The [[Fourth Doctor |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 [[police|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 [[Sandminer robot|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 recognise him...

==Plot==

==Cast==

*[[Fourth Doctor|The Doctor]] - [[Tom Baker]]

*[[Leela]] - [[Louise Jameson]]

*[[Uvanov]] - [[Russell Hunter]]

*[[Toos]] - [[Pamela Salem]]

*[[Dask]]/[[Taren Capel]] - [[David Bailie]]

*[[Chub]] - [[Rob Edwards]]

*[[Borg (The Robots of Death)|Borg]] - [[Brian Croucher]]

*[[Cass]] - [[Tariq Yunus]]

*[[Poul]] - [[David Collings]]

*[[Zilda]] - [[Tania Rogers]]

*[[D84]] - [[Gregory de Polnay]]

*[[SV7]] - [[Miles Fothergill]]

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

==Crew==

*[[Producer]] - [[Philip Hinchcliffe]]

*[[Script Editor]] - [[Robert Holmes]]

*[[Writer]] - [[Chris Boucher]]

*[[Director]]s - [[Michael E. Briant]], [[Peter Grimwade]]

*[[Designer (crew)|Designer]] - [[Kenneth Sharp]]

*[[Costumes]] - [[Elizabeth Waller]]

*[[Incidental Music]] - [[Dudley Simpson]]

*[[Assistant Floor Manager]] - [[David Tilley]]

*[[Film Cameraman]] - [[Peter Chapman]]

*[[Make-Up]] - [[Ann Briggs]]

*[[Production Assistant]] - [[Peter Grimwade]]

*[[Production Unit Manager]] - [[Chris D'Oyly-John]]

*[[Special Sounds]] - [[Dick Mills]]

*[[Studio Lighting]] - [[Duncan Brown]]

*[[Studio Sound]] - [[Tony Millier]]

*[[Theme Arrangement]] - [[Delia Derbyshire]]

*[[Doctor Who theme|Title Music]] - [[Ron Grainer]]

*[[Visual Effects]] - [[Richard Conway]]

==References==

===[[:Category:Astronomical objects|Astronomical objects]]===

*The Doctor claims to have seen similar 'moving mines' on [[Korlano Beta]].

===[[:Category:Biology|Biology]]===

===[[:Category:Locations|Locations]]===

*[[Kaldor City]] is mentioned.

===[[:Category:Minerals|Minerals]]===

*The [[sandminer]]s travel across the shifting deserts, extracting minerals such as [[Zelanite]], [[Keefan]] and (most importantly) [[Lucanore]].

===[[:Category:Psychology|Psychology]]===

*[[Robophobia]], an irrational fear of robots, is at one point referred to as '[[Grimwade's Syndrome]]'.

==Story notes==

*This story had the working titles '''The Storm-Mine Murders''' and '''Planet Of The Robots'''

*Robophobia, an irrational fear of robots, is at one point referred to as 'Grimwade's syndrome'. This was an in-joke reference to production assistant [[Peter Grimwade]] (later to become a director and writer on the series) who had bemoaned the fact that the stories on which he was assigned to work almost always involved robots. However, the description of robophobia given by the Doctor in fact coincides with a real-life phenomenon called [[Wikipedia:Uncanny valley|the Uncanny Valley]].

===Ratings===

*Part 1 - 12.8 million viewers

*Part 2 - 12.4 million viewers

*Part 3 - 13.1 million viewers

*Part 4 - 12.6 million viewers

===BBC rebroadcast===

===Myths===

===Filming locations===

*[[Ealing Television Film Studios]]

*[[BBC Television Centre]], Studio 8

===Production errors===

*[[The Doctor's scarf]] vanishes while he's detained in the crew's quarters.

*When Leela bandages Toos' arm someone is visible on the edge of the set.

*In spite of editing, Leela's knife throw is clearly travelling way off-target (on a downward trajectory) and could not possibly have hit its mark (the robot) as shown.

==Continuity==

==Timeline==

*This story occurs after [[DW]]: ''[[The Face of Evil]]''

*This story occurs before [[PDA]]: ''[[Drift (novel)|Drift]]''

==Home video and audio releases==

===DVD releases===

*[[Region 2]] [[13 November]] [[2000]]

*[[Region 4]] [[2 July]] [[2001]]

*[[Region 1]] [[11 September]] [[2001]]

*In-Studio - Section of material without sound effects, music, or voice-dubbing.

*[[continuity announcement|Continuities]] by [[Howard Da Silva]] (Region 1 only)

*Model Sequences

*Studio Floor Plans

*Photo Gallery

*Commentary: [[Chris Boucher]] and [[Philip Hinchcliffe]]

*Starring [[Tom Baker]]

*By [[Chris Boucher]]

*Produced by [[Philip Hinchcliffe]]

*Directed by [[Michael E. Briant]]

*Editing for DVD release completed by [[Doctor Who Restoration Team]].

===VHS releases===

*First Release:

:*[[UK]] [[April]] [[1986]]

:*[[Australia]]/[[NZ]] [[March]] [[1988]]

:*[[US]] [[July]] [[1987]]

:*[[Japan]] [[December]] [[1986]]

*Second Release:

:*[[UK]] [[February]] [[1995]]

==Novelisation and its audiobook==

[[file:Robots of Death novel.jpg|right|75px]]

*Novelised as ''[[Doctor Who and the Robots of Death]]'' by [[Terrance Dicks]] in [[1979]].

==External links==

*{{bbcepguideclassic|robotsofdeath/|The Robots of Death}}

*{{dwrefguide|who_4r.htm|The Robots of Death}}

*{{briefhistory|serials/4r.html|The Robots of Death}}