Step Into the 80's! (TV story)
Prime Computer advertisement was a video released in 1979 to accompany the marketing campaign to sell Prime Computers.
It featured Tom Baker as the Fourth Doctor and Lalla Ward as Romana II. Although licensed by the BBC, the adverts were broadcast only in Australia and never shown in the UK.
The campaign consisted of four adverts.
Story
Note: The titles given here are those as shown on the adverts themselves.
Step into the 80's! [Part 1]
The Doctor and Romana use their Prime Computer to calculate the orbital coordinates of 900 planets in the constellation of Kasterborous to stop the end of the universe.
Step into the 80's! [Part 2]
The Doctor enters his TARDIS to discover that Romana redecorated the interior and added a Prime Computer. The Doctor says that he has already seen one on Gallifrey in the constellation of Kasterborous. The sentient computer answers the Doctor's question as to how long his scarf is: "7.013 meters long excluding loose threads." When the Doctor tells the computer "You're going to be all right, kid", an angry message appears on the monitor: "Don't patronise me, Doctor. I'm a Prime Computer."
Dr. Who meets his match
The Doctor discovers he can increase the power of his Prime Computer by 111 seconds. When Romana tells him to ask it how to handle a woman, the computer comes up with the answer: "Marry the girl, Doctor."
Dr. Who and the Aliens
Aliens from Liprogopolis kidnap Romana to force the Doctor to tell them the name of his computer. Seeing Romana threatened by an alien hand on the monitor, the Doctor finally tells the aliens it's a Prime Computer and asks them why they want to know. The aliens explain simply "We just want to buy one." Romana is returned and the Doctor explains it was "just some overexcited Prime buyers".
Cast
- Fourth Doctor - Tom Baker
- Romana - Lalla Ward
- Liprogopolis alien - unknown
Home video releases
- The advertisements were released commercially as an extra on the DVD release of Destiny of the Daleks.
- The last two adverts in the campaign, Dr. Who meets his match and Dr. Who and the Aliens, bore the closing tagline "On through the 80's".
