Home Assistant (webcast)
Home Assistant[1] was a promotional mini-episode released to coincide with the Doctor Who: The Collection — Season 14 Blu-ray boxset and released as part of The Home Assistants of Death?!.
Synopsis
Louise Jameson is sitting in her garden and enjoying herself and her new Home Assistant, but something goes terribly wrong with it.
Plot
Louise Jameson is talking to Tom over the phone about the latest Blu-ray release of "their adventures", and mentions that she's even been talking about it to her Home Assistant. At Tom's query, she confirms that she doesn't usually like machines, but explains that this one has been designed after an old friend: this is when the Home Assistant approaches her, politely asking if she would like a drink and a biscuit.
The dream come true doesn't last long however, as Louise asks V14 to do some chores, V14 begins to malfunction, promising to "mow the dog, vacuum Victoria sponge and kill Louise". Seemingly more aggravated than worried, Louise Jameson mutters, "not this again", and knocks V14 out with the Blu-ray box set she had been talking about. As V14 falls to the ground, dismantled and smoking, she winks, declaring with a satisfied smirk: "Still got it!"
Cast
- Louise Jameson - Louise Jameson
- Home Assistant V14 (Voice) - Gregory de Polnay[2]
- Home Assistant V14 (Costume Performer) - Scott Handcock[3]
- Voice Over - Tom Baker
Crew
- Writer and Director - Pete McTighe
- Director of Photography - Jeremy Bishop
- Sound - David Calvert
- Make-up - Rosie Sinfield
- Costume - Derek Handley
- Dubbing Mixer - Mark Ayres
- Producer - Jo Larmer
- Executive Producer - Russell Minton
Thanks to Ruth Cornett and Paddy Freeland
Worldbuilding
- The Home Assistant's functions include telling their owners about the weather and playing music.
- V14 offers to "vacuum Victoria sponge".
The Doctor Who series
- Louise possesses copies of Doctor Who Magazine and Doctor Who The Collection Season 14, as well as a TARDIS teapot.
Notes
- While the mini-episode seemed to be set in the real world, this doesn't appear to be the case as it has been long-since established that the cast and crew of Doctor Who exist in-universe and there is even the implication that the in-universe Jameson has previously fought Voc robots.
- Furthermore, this isn't even the first time robots based on aliens have been seen on Earth in the 21st century, as PROSE: Suitors, Inc. established that Iris Wildthyme had manufactured and distributed Erotic DoctorBots.
- The title of the webcast trailer is a play on the story title The Robots of Death.
- Pete McTighe confirmed he wrote and directed the trailer via his Twitter feed.[4]
Continuity
- Robots based on the Doctor had also been sold on Earth at one point. (PROSE: Suitors, Inc.)
- Doctor Who exists in the Doctor's universe. (COMIC: TV Terrors, TV: Remembrance of the Daleks, WC: The Trial, 24 Carat, et al.)
Footnotes
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