Doctor Who: Robots of Death (1977)

Date(s) of Broadcast: 29 January 1977 - 19 February 1977
Number of Episodes: 4
Average Episode Running Times: 25 mins
Format: colour
Sound: mono

PRODUCTION
Production Company: BBC
Production: Philip Hinchcliffe
Production Unit Manager: Chris D'Oyly-John

SCRIPT
Script: Chris Boucher
Story Editors: Robert Holmes

DIRECTION
Director: Michael E. Briant

PHOTOGRAPHY
Studio Lighting: Duncan Brown
Film Camera: Peter Chapman

MUSIC
Title Music: Ron Grainer and the BBC Radiophonic Workshop
Title Music Arranger: Delia Derbyshire
Incidental Music: Dudley Simpson

SOUND
Studio Sound: Tony Millier
Special Sound: Dick Mills

MAKE UP AND COSTUMES
Make Up: Ann Briggs
Costumes: Elizabeth Waller

VISUAL EFFECTS
Visual Effects: Richard Conway

DESIGN AND SET CONSTRUCTION
Designer: Kenneth Sharp

MISCELLANEOUS
Production Assistant: Peter Grimwade
Assistant Floor Manager: David Tilley

CAST
Tom Baker (The Doctor)
Louise Jameson (Leela)
Russell Hunter (Commander Uvanov)
Pamela Salem (Pilot Toos)
David Bailie (Chief Fixer Dask / Taren Capel)
David Collings (Chief Mover Poul)
Miles Fothergill (SV7)
Gregory De Ponlay (D84)
Mark Blackwell Baker (V14 / V21 / V46 / D62)
John Bleasdale (V16 / V19 / V68)
Mark Cooper (V6 / V32)
Peter Langtry (D33 / D39 / D64)
Jeremy Ranchev (V2 / V4 / V9 / V17 / V28)
Richard Seager (V3 / V5 / V8 / V45)
Brian Croucher (Borg)
Tania Rogers (Zilda)
Tariq Yunus (Cass)
Rob Edwards (Chub)
Peter Sax (Kerril - uncredited)

PLOT SUMMARY

The crew of a sandminer salvage vehicle roaming a desolate planet are being picked of one by one by an unknown killer. The Doctor and Leela and then the service robots aiding the crew come under suspicion.

Inspired by a desire to do an Agatha Christie type murder plot, the mystery element is in fact no different than in many other stories that don't immediately identify the villain. The idea of service robots is taken from Isaac Asimov's I Robot stories. Once again for this period, the production design, the alien (robot) design, the direction and lighting raise this to a much higher level than the average adventure. Strong cast of character actors are well used.

UK
Television Distributor: BBC
Video Distributor: BBC Video

1977
January
29: UK - Part One television broadcast (on BBC1)

February
5: UK - Part One television broadcast (on BBC1)
12: UK - Part One television broadcast (on BBC1)
19: UK - Part One television broadcast (on BBC1)

War of the Robots - working title

BOOKS

Doctor Who: The Television Companion pp.317-319
credits, synopsis, review (by David J. Howe and Stephen James Walker)

KEYWORDS

aliens, time travel

Last Updated: 1 January, 2009