''Robot'' is the first serial of the
12th season in the British
science fiction television
Science fiction first appeared in television programming in the late 1930s, during what is called the Golden Age of Science Fiction. Special effects and other production techniques allow creators to present a living visual image of an imaginary ...
series ''
Doctor Who
''Doctor Who'' is a British science fiction television series broadcast by the BBC since 1963. The series depicts the adventures of a Time Lord called the Doctor, an extraterrestrial being who appears to be human. The Doctor explores the u ...
'', which was first broadcast in four weekly parts on
BBC1
BBC One is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's flagship network and is known for broadcasting mainstream programming, which includes BBC News television bulletins, ...
from 28 December 1974 to 18 January 1975. It was the first full serial to feature
Tom Baker
Thomas Stewart Baker (born 20 January 1934) is an English actor and writer. He is well known for his portrayal of the Fourth Doctor, fourth incarnation of The Doctor (Doctor Who), the Doctor in the science fiction television series ''Doctor Wh ...
as the
Fourth Doctor
The Fourth Doctor is an incarnation of the Doctor, the protagonist of the BBC science fiction television series ''Doctor Who''. He is portrayed by Tom Baker.
Within the series' narrative, the Doctor is a centuries-old alien Time Lord from the ...
, as well as
Ian Marter
Ian Don Marter (28 October 194428 October 1986) was an English actor and writer, known for his role as Harry Sullivan in the BBC science-fiction television series '' Doctor Who'' from December 1974 to September 1975, with a non-regular, one-s ...
as new
companion Harry Sullivan. The serial brought a full end of the Pertwee era, as it was the final story with the production team of Barry Letts and script editor Terrance Dicks. It was also the final regular appearance of UNIT, who had become regulars starting with the first Jon Pertwee serial Spearhead From Space.
In the serial, Hilda Winters (
Patricia Maynard), the director of an English research institute, plots to use the experimental robot K1 (
Michael Kilgarriff
Michael Kilgarriff (born 16 June 1937) is an English actor, author and pianist from Brighton. As an actor, he is well known for his rich voice and height. His film and television roles include ''The Dark Crystal'' (1982) as the General, and ...
) to steal the nuclear launch codes and blackmail the world's governments with them.
Plot
Following his regeneration, the
Fourth Doctor
The Fourth Doctor is an incarnation of the Doctor, the protagonist of the BBC science fiction television series ''Doctor Who''. He is portrayed by Tom Baker.
Within the series' narrative, the Doctor is a centuries-old alien Time Lord from the ...
becomes delirious and falls unconscious in front of
Sarah Jane Smith
Sarah Jane Smith is a fictional character played by Elisabeth Sladen in the long-running BBC Television science fiction series ''Doctor Who'' and two of its spin-offs. Sarah Jane is a dogged investigative journalist who first encounters alien t ...
and
Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart
Brigadier Sir Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart, generally referred to simply as the Brigadier, is a fictional character in the British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who'', created by writers Mervyn Haisman and Henry Lincoln and p ...
. The Doctor tries to sneak off in his
TARDIS
The TARDIS (; acronym for "Time And Relative Dimension In Space") is a fictional hybrid of the time machine and spacecraft that appears in the British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who'' and its various spin-offs. Its exterior ap ...
, but the Brigadier and Sarah stop him, convincing him to help in finding the culprit in the theft of top secret plans for a
disintegrator
A raygun is a science-fiction directed-energy weapon that releases energy, usually with destructive effect.Jeff Prucher, '' Brave New Words: The Oxford Dictionary of Science Fiction,'' Oxford University Press, 2007, page 162 They have vario ...
gun.
Sarah investigates the National Institute for Advanced Scientific Research, colloquially known as the "Think Tank". She finds that director Hilda Winters, her assistant Arnold Jellicoe, and former Think Tank member Professor J.P. Kettlewell are developing a robot, K1, to be used to perform tasks in hazardous locations in place of humans. Winters and Jellicoe have secretly instructed K1 to kill
Cabinet Minister
A minister is a politician who heads a ministry, making and implementing decisions on policies in conjunction with the other ministers. In some jurisdictions the head of government is also a minister and is designated the ‘prime minister’, ...
Joseph Chambers as an enemy of humanity and to use the completed disintegrator gun to steal international nuclear launch codes from Chambers' safe. Sarah is stunned to learn that Kettlewell was the mastermind behind the plot. K1 discovers Sarah's presence, and Winters orders K1 to kill her. When
UNIT
Unit may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* UNIT, a fictional military organization in the science fiction television series ''Doctor Who''
* Unit of action, a discrete piece of action (or beat) in a theatrical presentation
Music
* ''Unit'' (alb ...
arrives, the three conspirators and K1 escape with Sarah as their hostage.
Winters sends a list of demands to the world governments and gives them thirty minutes to comply, then orders Kettlewell to connect to the launch computers and prepare to send the launch codes. Kettlewell, who never expected their plan to get to this stage, hesitates, and in the ensuing discussion, Sarah and Harry attempt to escape with Kettlewell's assistance. Winters orders K1 to stop them, but the robot inadvertently fires the disintegrator gun at Kettlewell, killing him. The death of its creator puts K1 in a further confused state, falling to the ground and apparently shutting down. Winters attempts to program the countdown, but the Doctor arrives and successfully counters it. As UNIT forces take Winters and Jellicoe away, K1 reactivates and attacks UNIT. K1 seeks out Sarah to protect her, a result of an
Oedipus complex
The Oedipus complex (also spelled Œdipus complex) is an idea in psychoanalytic theory. The complex is an ostensibly universal phase in the life of a young boy in which, to try to immediately satisfy basic desires, he unconsciously wishes to have ...
it developed from Sarah's previous compassion, according to the Doctor. When the Doctor finds out about the living metal that Kettlewell used in constructing K1 and the metal virus he designed to reduce the world's metallic waste, the Doctor races back to Kettlewell's lab to synthesise a batch of the virus. Meanwhile, Lethbridge-Stewart fires the disintegrator gun at the robot but the blast is absorbed by the living metal, causing the robot to grow to an enormous size. The Doctor returns, throwing a bucket of virus solution onto K1, and the robot slowly shrinks before the virus consumes it.
As they regroup back at UNIT headquarters, Sarah is saddened by the loss of K1. The Doctor offers to cheer her up with a trip in the TARDIS, extending the invitation to Harry as well. The TARDIS dematerialises just as the Brigadier arrives, and frets about letting
Buckingham Palace
Buckingham Palace () is a London royal residence and the administrative headquarters of the monarch of the United Kingdom. Located in the City of Westminster, the palace is often at the centre of state occasions and royal hospitality. It ...
know that their guests will be late for a celebratory dinner.
Production
![Doctor Who Experience London Olympia (5503353872)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2d/Doctor_Who_Experience_London_Olympia_%285503353872%29.jpg)
As the Doctor was transitioning from the third to the fourth incarnations, changes were also occurring in the production department of ''Doctor Who''.
Barry Letts
Barry Leopold Letts (26 March 1925 – 9 October 2009) was an English actor, television director, writer and producer, best known for being the producer of '' Doctor Who'' from 1969 to 1974.
Born in Leicester, he worked as an actor in theatre ...
, who had been the producer since the second
Jon Pertwee
John Devon Roland "Jon" Pertwee (; 7 July 1919 – 20 May 1996) was an English actor, comedian, entertainer, cabaret performer and TV presenter. Born into a theatrical family, he served in the Royal Navy and the Naval Intelligence Division during ...
serial in 1970, was leaving the series, but would stay on to cast the part of the new Doctor as well as produce this debut serial. Letts would be succeeded for the next story by
Philip Hinchcliffe
Philip Michael Hinchcliffe (born October 1944) is a retired English television producer, screenwriter and script editor. After graduating from Cambridge University, he began his career as a writer and script editor at Associated Television befo ...
, who trailed him on this story.
Terrance Dicks
Terrance William Dicks (14 April 1935 – 29 August 2019) was an English people, English author and television screenwriter, script editor and Television producer, producer. In television, he had a long association with the BBC science-fictio ...
, who had worked on the series as a script editor since 1968,
was also leaving, to be replaced by
Robert Holmes. Holmes had been a writer for the show since
season six and penned four stories in Pertwee's era, including ''
Spearhead from Space
''Spearhead from Space'' is the first serial of the seventh season in the British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who'', which was first broadcast in four weekly parts on BBC1 from 3 to 24 January 1970. It was the first ''Doctor Who'' ...
'' (1970), the
Third Doctor
The Third Doctor is an incarnation of the Doctor, the protagonist of the BBC science fiction television series ''Doctor Who''. He was portrayed by actor Jon Pertwee. Within the series' narrative, the Doctor is a centuries-old alien Time Lord fro ...
's first serial. Though Dicks was leaving as script editor, he would still be involved with the series as an occasional writer. Having previously helped write the serials ''
The Seeds of Death
''The Seeds of Death'' is the fifth serial of the sixth season of the British science fiction television series '' Doctor Who''. Written by Brian Hayles and an uncredited Terrance Dicks and directed by Michael Ferguson, it originally aired ...
'' and ''
The War Games
''The War Games'' is the seventh and final serial of the sixth season of the British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who'', which originally aired in ten weekly parts from 19 April to 21 June 1969.
In the serial, an unnamed alien r ...
'' (both 1969), Dicks would write the first story for the incoming Fourth Doctor.
The K1 robot costume was designed by one of the series' regular costume designers at the time,
James Acheson
James Acheson (born 13 March 1946) is a British costume designer. He was educated at Colchester Royal Grammar School and studied at Wimbledon School of Art. He has designed costumes and sets for television, theatre, opera, ballet and film, work ...
, and built by sculptor Allister Bowtell.
Conception and writing
Terrance Dicks stated that a major influence for this story was ''
King Kong
King Kong is a fictional giant monster resembling a gorilla, who has appeared in various media since 1933. He has been dubbed The Eighth Wonder of the World, a phrase commonly used within the franchise. His first appearance was in the novelizat ...
'' (1933).
The initial script was written before Tom Baker had been cast as the Fourth Doctor, and there was some discussion of returning to an older actor. This would have required a younger character to handle the action scenes, so the character of Harry Sullivan was created. This was Sullivan's debut story, but he had been mentioned in the final episode of the preceding serial, when the Brigadier telephoned him, requesting medical help for the Doctor.
Dicks included a number of elements from ''Spearhead from Space'': the Doctor being disorientated after
regeneration
Regeneration may refer to:
Science and technology
* Regeneration (biology), the ability to recreate lost or damaged cells, tissues, organs and limbs
* Regeneration (ecology), the ability of ecosystems to regenerate biomass, using photosynthesis
...
, going to hospital to recover, changing costume as a result of escaping from hospital in a hospital gown, viewing himself in a mirror to see his new face, and storing the
TARDIS
The TARDIS (; acronym for "Time And Relative Dimension In Space") is a fictional hybrid of the time machine and spacecraft that appears in the British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who'' and its various spin-offs. Its exterior ap ...
key in his shoe. These elements helped the audience with the transition between actors.
Casting
![Tom Baker cropped](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a5/Tom_Baker_cropped.jpg)
It was known beforehand that Jon Pertwee would be leaving his role as the Third Doctor and that a new
Fourth Doctor
The Fourth Doctor is an incarnation of the Doctor, the protagonist of the BBC science fiction television series ''Doctor Who''. He is portrayed by Tom Baker.
Within the series' narrative, the Doctor is a centuries-old alien Time Lord from the ...
would need to be cast for the part.
Tom Baker
Thomas Stewart Baker (born 20 January 1934) is an English actor and writer. He is well known for his portrayal of the Fourth Doctor, fourth incarnation of The Doctor (Doctor Who), the Doctor in the science fiction television series ''Doctor Wh ...
had previously had major parts in several films, including ''
Nicholas and Alexandra
''Nicholas and Alexandra'' is a 1971 British epic film, epic historical drama film directed by Franklin J. Schaffner, from a screenplay written by James Goldman and Edward Bond, based on Robert K. Massie's 1967 Nicholas and Alexandra (book), boo ...
'' (1971) and ''
The Vault of Horror'' (1973), but had found himself unemployed as an actor and working in construction at the time.
He had written to Bill Slater, the Head of Serials at the BBC, asking for work.
Slater suggested Baker to ''Doctor Who'' producer
Barry Letts
Barry Leopold Letts (26 March 1925 – 9 October 2009) was an English actor, television director, writer and producer, best known for being the producer of '' Doctor Who'' from 1969 to 1974.
Born in Leicester, he worked as an actor in theatre ...
, who had been looking to fill the part.
Letts saw Baker's work in ''
The Golden Voyage of Sinbad
''The Golden Voyage of Sinbad'' is a 1973 fantasy film, fantasy adventure film directed by Gordon Hessler and featuring stop motion effects by Ray Harryhausen. Based on the ''Arabian Nights'' tales of Sinbad the Sailor, it is the second of thre ...
'' (1973) and hired him.
Baker would continue in his role as the Doctor for seven seasons, longer than any other actor.
Nicholas Courtney
William Nicholas Stone Courtney (16 December 1929 – 22 February 2011) was an Egyptian-born British actor. He was known for his long-running role as Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart in the BBC science fiction television series ''Doctor Who''.
Ear ...
and
John Levene
John Levene (born John Anthony Woods; 24 December 1941) is an English actor, producer, entertainer and singer. Although he has appeared in a large number of films and television series, Levene's best-known role is that of Sergeant Benton, of UNI ...
reprised their roles as
Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart
Brigadier Sir Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart, generally referred to simply as the Brigadier, is a fictional character in the British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who'', created by writers Mervyn Haisman and Henry Lincoln and p ...
and
Sergeant Benton
Sergeant John Benton is a fictional character in the British science fiction television series '' Doctor Who'', played by John Levene. He was the senior NCO of the British contingent of UNIT, an international organisation that defends Earth fr ...
respectively.
Levene had started his role with the
Second Doctor
The Second Doctor is an incarnation of the Doctor, the protagonist of the BBC science fiction television series ''Doctor Who''. He was portrayed by actor Patrick Troughton. While the Troughton era of ''Doctor Who'' is well-remembered by fans an ...
story ''
The Invasion'' (1968) as a member of the military organisation
UNIT
Unit may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* UNIT, a fictional military organization in the science fiction television series ''Doctor Who''
* Unit of action, a discrete piece of action (or beat) in a theatrical presentation
Music
* ''Unit'' (alb ...
(the United Nations Intelligence Taskforce). Courtney started earlier in the same year in ''
The Web of Fear
''The Web of Fear'' is the Doctor Who missing episodes, partly missing fifth serial of the Doctor Who (season 5), fifth season of the British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who'', which was first broadcast in six weekly parts from 3 Fe ...
'', with his character's rank being a colonel. They, along with Sladen, would be the transition cast to carry through from the Third Doctor to the Fourth Doctor, though this would be the only UNIT story for the twelfth season. The Earth-based stories involving UNIT, which had regularly featured in the Third Doctor's period, were introduced partly as an effort to reduce production costs when the series moved into colour by
Peter Bryant
Peter Bryant (27 October 1923 – 19 May 2006) was an English television producer, script editor and former actor. He acted in ''The Grove Family'' as a regular cast member and later became the producer of ''Doctor Who'' from 1967 to 1969 ...
and
Derrick Sherwin
Derrick George Sherwin (16 April 1936 – 17 October 2018) was an English television producer, writer, story editor and actor. After beginning his career in the theatre, Sherwin became an actor in television before moving into writing. He becam ...
, the show's previous producer and script editor, as well as to base the series more on ''
The Quatermass Experiment
''The Quatermass Experiment'' is a British science fiction serial broadcast by BBC Television during the summer of 1953 and re-staged by BBC Four in 2005. Set in the near future against the background of a British space programme, it tells th ...
'' (1953).
Edward Burnham portrays Professor Kettlewell, the wild-haired, bespectacled
boffin
Boffin is a British slang term for a scientist, engineer, or other person engaged in technical or scientific research and development. A "boffin" was viewed by some in the regular services as odd, quirky or peculiar, though quite bright and es ...
who creates the titular K1 robot.
Along with Courtney and Levene, Burnham had also appeared in ''The Invasion'', where he played another scientist, Professor Watkins. The part of the K1 robot is played by
Michael Kilgarriff
Michael Kilgarriff (born 16 June 1937) is an English actor, author and pianist from Brighton. As an actor, he is well known for his rich voice and height. His film and television roles include ''The Dark Crystal'' (1982) as the General, and ...
who had played another robotic part in ''
The Tomb of the Cybermen
''The Tomb of the Cybermen'' is the first serial of the fifth season of the British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who'', which was originally broadcast in four weekly parts on BBC1 from 2 to 23 September 1967.
In the serial, the ...
'' (1967), the
Cyberman Controller.
Patricia Maynard is cast in the part of Miss Hilda Winters, the director of the National Institute for Advanced Scientific Research.
Miss Winters' assistant, Arnold Jellicoe, is played by Alec Linstead.
Linstead had played the part of Sergeant Osgood—a member of the technical staff at UNIT—in ''
The Dæmons
''The Dæmons'' is the fifth and final serial of the eighth season of the British science fiction television series '' Doctor Who'', which was first broadcast in five weekly parts on BBC1 from 22 May to 19 June 1971.
In the serial, the alien ...
'' (1971).
Recording
This was the first ''Doctor Who'' serial to have its location material shot entirely on
videotape
Videotape is magnetic tape used for storing video and usually sound in addition. Information stored can be in the form of either an analog or digital signal. Videotape is used in both video tape recorders (VTRs) and, more commonly, videocassett ...
using
outside broadcasting
Outside broadcasting (OB) is the electronic field production (EFP) of television or radio programmes (typically to cover television news and sports television events) from a mobile remote broadcast television studio. Professional video camera ...
facilities, as opposed to the more usual
BBC television drama
BBC television dramas have been produced and broadcast since even before the public service company had an officially established television broadcasting network in the United Kingdom. As with any major broadcast network, drama forms an importan ...
practice of the time of shooting studio interiors on videotape and location exteriors on
16 mm film
16 mm film is a historically popular and economical gauge of film. 16 mm refers to the width of the film (about inch); other common film gauges include 8 and 35 mm. It is generally used for non-theatrical (e.g., industrial, educ ...
. This was due to the large number of video effects involving the eponymous robot required in exterior scenes (shot at the then BBC Engineering Training Department at
Wood Norton, Worcestershire
Wood Norton Hall is a Grade II* listed Victorian stately home to the northwest of Evesham, Worcestershire, England. It was the last home in England of Prince Philippe, Duke of Orléans, who claimed the throne of France.
Used by the British Broa ...
), which were easier and more convincing to marry to videotape than to film. The team had learned that lesson during the previous season's ''
Invasion of the Dinosaurs
''Invasion of the Dinosaurs'', simply titled ''Invasion'' in Part One, is the second serial of the 11th season of the British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who'', which was first broadcast in six weekly parts on BBC1 from 12 Januar ...
''. The Wood Norton facility was chosen for location shooting because it had an underground bunker, which director Christopher Barry felt would be suitable for the entrance to the underground complex in the story; however, they were refused permission to shoot in that area.
Broadcast and reception
''Robot'' was the first serial of the
twelfth season of ''Doctor Who''. Part one of ''Robot'' was first broadcast on
BBC One
BBC One is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's flagship network and is known for broadcasting mainstream programming, which includes BBC News television bulletins, p ...
on Saturday, 28 December 1974
and had a viewership of 10.8 million, which was higher than the
first serial for
season eleven. The next three parts were broadcast over the next successive Saturdays, each having an audience of over 10 million with the exception of the part four on Saturday, 18 January 1975 which only had viewership of 9 million.
Reception
![Kingkongposter](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f3/Kingkongposter.jpg)
Viewer reaction was mixed as defined in an ''Audience Research Report'' conducted by the BBC. About 30% felt the show was "definitely enjoyable" with a lower percentage being "distinctly unimpressed". A number of viewers thought the new Doctor would "take some getting used to", but most younger viewers gave positive comments about the serial.
As with all of the Doctors, Baker received some criticism by the audience, who felt he was a "loony" and presented as "stupid".
Writing for ''
Doctor Who Bulletin'' in 1988, Jonathan Way felt the serial was fun,
and for the same publication, Robert Cope praised Baker's performance as the new Doctor, also noting that the relationship between Baker's Doctor and Sladen's Sarah worked well.
David J. Howe
David J. Howe is a British writer, journalist, publisher, and media historian.
Biography
David Howe was born 24 August 1961 and established himself (in the early 1980s) as an authoritative media historian through writing articles for fanzin ...
and
Stephen James Walker, writing in ''The Television Companion'', admired the performances of Nicholas Courtney and Elisabeth Sladen and felt Marter's debut as Harry Sullivan was promising. They also commended the K1 robot costume, but criticised the use of CSO (
colour-separation overlay
Chroma key compositing, or chroma keying, is a visual-effects and post-production technique for compositing (layering) two images or video streams together based on colour hues ( chroma range). The technique has been used in many fields to ...
) effects for a number of shots involving the K1 robot, as did Robert Cope.
In ''Doctor Who Episode by Episode'', Ray Dexter described Baker's "over-the-top" performance as "compelling" but the plot as "a little lazy and derivative, with some terrible science." He considered the dialogue "some of the best we've seen" but added that "the story falls into the typical Dicks trap of just having baddies being bad because they're bad, and a logical robot behaving utterly illogically". He also thought the location work on video "cheapens the look of the show" and criticised the effects as "not good enough, not even for this era".
Mark Braxton of ''
Radio Times
''Radio Times'' (currently styled as ''RadioTimes'') is a British weekly listings magazine devoted to television and radio programme schedules, with other features such as interviews, film reviews and lifestyle items. Founded in May 1923 by J ...
'' awarded the serial three stars out of five, praising the introduction of Baker and Marter, as well as the K1 concept. However, he felt that the villains were stereotypical and wrote that ''Robot'' "boasts perhaps the show's worst visual effect ever".
IGN
''IGN'' (formerly ''Imagine Games Network'') is an American video game and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa distri ...
reviewer Arnold Blumburg gave the story a rating of 7 out of 10, attributing its success to Baker. He too criticised the effects, feeling that it made the story "
ail
Ail or AIL may refer to:
* Illness, a state of poor health
* Ail (''Sailor Moon''), a character in the ''Sailor Moon'' anime series
* Acceptance in lieu, an arrangement in the UK for accepting works of art etc. in lieu of tax
* Agilus, a Frankis ...
when trying to present an epic conclusion".
DVD Talk
DVD Talk is a home video news and review website launched in 1999 by Geoffrey Kleinman.
History
Kleinman founded the site in January 1999 in Beaverton, Oregon. Besides news and reviews, it features information on hidden DVD features known as ...
's Nick Lyons wrote that it "may not be the most original episode, but it is one of the stronger episodes of the Baker years simply because it never drags and is a breezy action-adventure. It doesn't hurt that the robot itself is a nifty villain". He gave the serial three and a half out of five stars.
In 2010, ''
SFX'' named the scene where the Doctor tries on many different costumes as one of the silliest moments in the show's history.
Reviewing the serial in 2007, literary critic
John Kenneth Muir
John Kenneth Muir (born December 3, 1969) is an American literary critic. As of 2022, he has written thirty reference books in the fields of film and television, with a particular focus on the horror and science fiction genres.
Biography
Born ...
noted several influences on the writing of ''Robot''. Kettlewell's K1 robot is programmed so that it cannot harm humans; Muir traces the inspiration for this directly from the
Three Laws of Robotics
The Three Laws of Robotics (often shortened to The Three Laws or known as Asimov's Laws) are a set of rules devised by science fiction author Isaac Asimov. The rules were introduced in his 1942 short story " Runaround" (included in the 1950 colle ...
devised by
Isaac Asimov
yi, יצחק אזימאװ
, birth_date =
, birth_place = Petrovichi, Russian SFSR
, spouse =
, relatives =
, children = 2
, death_date =
, death_place = Manhattan, New York City, U.S.
, nationality = Russian (1920–1922)Soviet (192 ...
in his 1950 story collection, ''
I, Robot
''I, Robot'' is a fixup (compilation) novel of science fiction short stories or essays by American writer Isaac Asimov. The stories originally appeared in the American magazines ''Super Science Stories'' and ''Astounding Science Fiction'' betw ...
''. He also considers the relationship of Sarah Jane Smith with the K1 robot, its transformation into gigantic antagonist (holding a captive
damsel in distress
The damsel in distress is a recurring narrative device in which one or more men must rescue a woman who has either been kidnapped or placed in general peril. Kinship, love, or lust (or a combination of those) gives the male protagonist the motiv ...
, Sarah, in its claw) and its tragic destruction by military force as an
analogue of the 1933 film, ''
King Kong
King Kong is a fictional giant monster resembling a gorilla, who has appeared in various media since 1933. He has been dubbed The Eighth Wonder of the World, a phrase commonly used within the franchise. His first appearance was in the novelizat ...
''.
Commercial releases
''Robot'' has had a number of commercial releases on video, in print, audio and other merchandise.
In print
A novelisation of this serial, written by
Terrance Dicks
Terrance William Dicks (14 April 1935 – 29 August 2019) was an English people, English author and television screenwriter, script editor and Television producer, producer. In television, he had a long association with the BBC science-fictio ...
, was published by
Target Books
Target Books was a British publishing imprint, established in 1973 by Universal-Tandem Publishing Co Ltd, a paperback publishing company. The imprint was established as a children's imprint to complement the adult Tandem imprint, and became well ...
in 1975, titled ''Doctor Who and the Giant Robot''.
A second edition was released in 1978 by
W. H. Allen Ltd with new cover art; a third edition, retitled ''Doctor Who – Robot'' and using the VHS release artwork, was released in 1992.
It was also one of two ''Doctor Who'' serials to have a second novelisation written, aimed at younger readers using simpler language (the other being ''Junior Doctor Who and the Brain of Morbius''). Also written by Dicks, this edition was titled ''Junior Doctor Who and the Giant Robot''.
Audio book
An unabridged reading of the novelisation by actor Tom Baker was released on
compact disc
The compact disc (CD) is a Digital media, digital optical disc data storage format that was co-developed by Philips and Sony to store and play digital audio recordings. In August 1982, the first compact disc was manufactured. It was then rele ...
on 5 November 2007 by
BBC Audiobooks #REDIRECT BBC
Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
.
The audio book was released as ''Doctor Who: The Giant Robot'' on 4 CDs for an American audience in 2008 by Chivers Children's Audio Books.
The audio book was released a third time as a pre-loaded
Playaway
Playaway is a brand of portable media players designed for circulation in libraries by Playaway Products, LLC, based in Solon, Ohio. The format is used in institutional lending, such as in public and school libraries. Playaway's library Web site ...
digital audio book in 2009 by BBC Audiobooks.
Home media
''Robot'' first entered the home video market as a
VHS release in February 1992.
The North American VHS release occurred in 1994 when
CBS/Fox Video released the serial.
BBC Video
2 Entertain (stylized as 2 , entertain) is a British video and music publisher founded in September 2004 by the merger of BBC Video and Video Collection International in 2004. Under CEO Richard Green, the company operated as a joint venture b ...
first released ''Robot'' on DVD in the United Kingdom on 4 June 2007.
It was released later in the United States on 14 August 2007.
The DVD release received generally positive reviews and was praised for the extras, including a documentary titled ''Are Friends Electric?'' detailing the production and casting of the show.
''Robot'' was released as part of issue 49 of
Doctor Who DVD Files
This is a list of ''Doctor Who'' serials and episodes that have been released on DVD and Blu-ray.
DVD Release
Most ''Doctor Who'' DVDs have been released first in the United Kingdom with Region 2, and released later in Australia and New ...
, published 17 November 2010.
Other merchandise
Eaglemoss Collections released a special issue magazine that included a hand painted figurine of Robot K1 on 2 September 2014. It was presented as the fourth special in the Doctor Who Figurine Collection.
Doctor Who Battles in Time released a rare card number 787 of Robot K1 in the Ultimate Monsters which was part of the other card category collections of Exterminator, Annihilator, Invader and Devastator.
References
Bibliography
*
*
*
*
External links
*
Target novelisation
*
{{UNIT stories, selected=Television
1974 British television episodes
1975 British television episodes
Doctor Who serials novelised by Terrance Dicks
Fourth Doctor serials
Television episodes about robots
UNIT serials