4.1: Robot

In which we watch a pilot for a show that never happens.

Broadcast: December 1974-January 1975

Watched: May 2020

Robot, Part One

“Oh, nonsense, Brigadier. You’re a swinger.” Good lord.

The title is rubbish, and also spoils the cliffhanger. Tom’s face in the credits spoils his costume reveal.

Ignoring that, this is lovely. It’s like a bonus UNIT-era story, which isn’t actually strange since that’s exactly what it is: it’s the outgoing producer and script editor’s pilot for the version of the show they assume the successors will make, with a change of Doctor and Harry replacing Mike but basically the same format as before. It’s also, I think, the most self consciously funny episode we’ve had for ages – since Hartnell, maybe? The costume changes. The Doctor making Harry skip, and then Harry checking his own heart beat. The envelope with “TOP SECRET” written on it.

Also, I think the dog the robot does away with is the first innocent animal we’ve seen helplessly slaughtered since Barbara did away with Vikki’s pet.

I’m not sure I buy the idea that Tom is a significantly younger Doctor than we’ve had before, he’s only a few years younger than Troughton. I was going to say this one was evidence against [James Cooray-Smith’s] “the Doctors are all the same on the page” theory because no way would Pertwee have performed the early parts of this script… except he wasn’t that different in Spearhead was he? And once the Doctor settles down a bit the differences obviously are in the performance.

Anyway. There’s an obvious and under-discussed sexual tension between the Doctor and Harry. Who I am incredibly pleased to see, far more so than Tom.

Robot, Part Two

“I’m still a working girl, you know.” This script is filth.

I love the fact that  what looks like it’s going to be a story about a killer robot turns out to be about a sad robot who’s being abused. Oh wait, it’s King Kong isn’t it? Also love the way that UNIT and Think Tank both know the other side doesn’t believe them, and also that they know they know that. Or something. It’s a good script: Terrance Dicks’ first, too (although he’d already done a couple uncredited or as co-writer).

It’s not obvious why Harry is suddenly around all the time, like everyone in the show knows he’s the new companion. His “man from the ministry” look is brilliant. Also, there’s something faintly pathetic about Benton’s promotion.

Miss Winters is the spiritual ancestor of the Sarah Lancashire/Celia Imrie/Keeley Hawes characters. The actress is 32. People aged differently in the olden days.

Is the phrase “Prime Directive” a Star Trek lift, or did both shows get it from somewhere else?

Robot, Part Three

“I do not wish to cause you unnecessary pain” THWACK is clearly an influence on “You fill feel a tingling sensation, and then death” in Let’s Kill Hitler.

I had forgotten that this story was about Nazis with test tubes. Also, that Kettlewell was one of them.

The political situation here – the idea of Britain as neutral arbiter – is insane. They get away with it because they make a genuinely pretty good joke about it (“Well the rest were all foreigners”) but it is ridiculous.

LOVE that the scarf is used as a weapon. Also the Brig’s MASSIVE PHONE. Also, that Harry is so useless as an undercover agent that they literally don’t bother showing him being undercover until he gets whacked on the head and tied up.

Nobody respects Benton. Sarah doesn’t flirt with him like she did with Mike.

Robot, Part Four

Confess your popular opinion: this is a good period of Doctor Who.

“Yes, of course! Suppressed Oedipus complex!” I sort of love that this ends up being a story about a self-hating Nazi robot who can’t decide if it wants to save humanity or destroy it, is tortured by its conscience and just wants a hug from Sarah Jane. Though it’s not as much about that as I thought it would be – having grown used to the modern show I expected more emoting when it died, but no, not a thing. Sarah looks a bit sad and that’s it. 

It’s a measure of the fact they’ve got better at making this show that it’s only on the recap it even occurs to me that it’s not a real tank and they’re using CSO and a model. I’d totally bought it in episode 3.

Kettlewell is only evil for about eight minutes, that’s probably why I’d forgotten. I sort of like that the mad scientist isn’t the real villain.

LOVE that Benton manages to lose a massive robot – proper Hennimore territory – and annoy everyone so much that even when he’s the one who comes up with the solution the Brig still stops his smile with a dirty look.

The best thing here though is the sequence in which the Doctor and Harry do some SCIENCE, which involves putting random bits of metal in brightly coloured test tubes and frowning a lot. 

At this point, “Would you like a jelly baby?” is code for the Doctor accepting someone. Bet that doesn’t last.