Robot is a Jon Pertwee era leftover starring the most iconic incarnation of the Doctor. The Tom Baker era launches properly with the next adventure.
Story: 6
Welcome to the seven-year-long era of the Fourth Doctor! What makes Robot such an oddity is the fact that it's essentially a Third Doctor story with Tom Baker in the lead role. Everything in the story, from UNIT to Bessie, to the basic Earth invasion story-line could have fitted any of Pertwee's seasons.
With Robot, story editor Robert Holmes and incoming producer Philip Hinchcliffe start a several season's long trends of adapting classic monster and horror stories. King Kong is the first of these stories to receive a new treatment.
The story doesn't stand out very much. The villains' plot is pretty basic, the big twist isn't a twist (it's a pretty dead giveaway if you look at it, man!) and there's little here to carry on to the rest of Baker's era. Baker's performance in the lead role is what keeps it interesting.
Acting: 7
Tom Baker immediately slips into the role of the new Doctor, effectively separating himself from Pertwee and presenting a much more alien incarnation of the character.
Edward Burnham played professor Watkins in The Invasion (1968) and returns here as Kettlewell. His performance is quite awkward but pretty memorable (mostly in the wrong ways). He is the only actor to stand out apart from the regulars. Patricia Maynard appears in a rare part as a female villain, and while she does the best she can with her limited material, she's just not very interesting. Additionally, new companion Harry Sullivan, as played by Ian Marter, doesn't get going properly until The Ark in Space (1975).
The Doctor: 10
I do love the childish curiosity and erratic behaviour of the new Doctor. He quite clearly is intent on leaving his Earth exile days behind and truly start exploring the Universe again.
Tom Baker slips into the role of the Doctor faster than any previous actor and immediately reinvigorates the character who suffered from being somewhat worn-out in the previous season.
The Companions: 8
Sarah Jane is back to her journalistic self, forming a very odd bond with the K1 robot and mostly going out on the field on her own. The script puts a remarkable focus on Sarah in this story, leaving both the Brigadier and Harry behind.
The Monster/Villain: 5
K1 is a fine idea on paper, but not very well brought to life onscreen. It's a silly idea for a villain or a monster, but at least it's more interesting than the people controlling it. A robot with some kind of a moral compass is a wonderful idea on paper, but somehow it just feels odd on-screen.
Production: 5
The direction is pretty nice, the sets are on an average level and the robot works okay in its basic form.- The visual effects are hilariously dated though, which takes away slightly from the climax.
Pacing: 6
This serial feels somewhat slower from the typical four-parter, but Baker helps it move along without being too much of a slog.
Atmosphere: 7
The first episode is pretty good and an iconic introduction to the Fourth Doctor. The rest of the story suffers somewhat from a pretty slow plot progression and a lack of real tension. In a way, Robot is like An Unearthly Child (1963); it has a great opening episode followed by three disappointing episodes.
Impact: 8
Robot will only be remembered as Tom Baker's introduction and another post-regeneration story. Apart from those elements, it's essentially a leftover from Jon Pertwee's era.
Replay Value: 6
Not my favourite Baker story or post-regeneration story but perfectly suitable for replays if you have spare time.
Random Observations:
Doctor: "You may be a Doctor, but I'm THE Doctor. The definitive article you might say" and "There's no point in being grown-up if you can't be childish sometimes". Oh Tom, you already start dropping your quotable dialogue.
The final regular appearances of Nicholas Courtney and John Levene. Courtney and Levene will later return in Terror of the Zygons (1975) and Courtney will be back once more after that, in Mawdryn Undead (1983).
I remember calling Professor Rubeish from The Time Warrior the most cliched scientist character the show has ever made. Well, Professor Kettlewell beats him. He is just as strange but looks something like Maxtible from The Evil of the Daleks (1967).
Review by Theo KallströmVIP 6BlockedParent2020-06-22T07:08:43Z
Robot is a Jon Pertwee era leftover starring the most iconic incarnation of the Doctor. The Tom Baker era launches properly with the next adventure.
Story: 6
Welcome to the seven-year-long era of the Fourth Doctor! What makes Robot such an oddity is the fact that it's essentially a Third Doctor story with Tom Baker in the lead role. Everything in the story, from UNIT to Bessie, to the basic Earth invasion story-line could have fitted any of Pertwee's seasons.
With Robot, story editor Robert Holmes and incoming producer Philip Hinchcliffe start a several season's long trends of adapting classic monster and horror stories. King Kong is the first of these stories to receive a new treatment.
The story doesn't stand out very much. The villains' plot is pretty basic, the big twist isn't a twist (it's a pretty dead giveaway if you look at it, man!) and there's little here to carry on to the rest of Baker's era. Baker's performance in the lead role is what keeps it interesting.
Acting: 7
Tom Baker immediately slips into the role of the new Doctor, effectively separating himself from Pertwee and presenting a much more alien incarnation of the character.
Edward Burnham played professor Watkins in The Invasion (1968) and returns here as Kettlewell. His performance is quite awkward but pretty memorable (mostly in the wrong ways). He is the only actor to stand out apart from the regulars. Patricia Maynard appears in a rare part as a female villain, and while she does the best she can with her limited material, she's just not very interesting. Additionally, new companion Harry Sullivan, as played by Ian Marter, doesn't get going properly until The Ark in Space (1975).
The Doctor: 10
I do love the childish curiosity and erratic behaviour of the new Doctor. He quite clearly is intent on leaving his Earth exile days behind and truly start exploring the Universe again.
Tom Baker slips into the role of the Doctor faster than any previous actor and immediately reinvigorates the character who suffered from being somewhat worn-out in the previous season.
The Companions: 8
Sarah Jane is back to her journalistic self, forming a very odd bond with the K1 robot and mostly going out on the field on her own. The script puts a remarkable focus on Sarah in this story, leaving both the Brigadier and Harry behind.
The Monster/Villain: 5
K1 is a fine idea on paper, but not very well brought to life onscreen. It's a silly idea for a villain or a monster, but at least it's more interesting than the people controlling it. A robot with some kind of a moral compass is a wonderful idea on paper, but somehow it just feels odd on-screen.
Production: 5
The direction is pretty nice, the sets are on an average level and the robot works okay in its basic form.- The visual effects are hilariously dated though, which takes away slightly from the climax.
Pacing: 6
This serial feels somewhat slower from the typical four-parter, but Baker helps it move along without being too much of a slog.
Atmosphere: 7
The first episode is pretty good and an iconic introduction to the Fourth Doctor. The rest of the story suffers somewhat from a pretty slow plot progression and a lack of real tension. In a way, Robot is like An Unearthly Child (1963); it has a great opening episode followed by three disappointing episodes.
Impact: 8
Robot will only be remembered as Tom Baker's introduction and another post-regeneration story. Apart from those elements, it's essentially a leftover from Jon Pertwee's era.
Replay Value: 6
Not my favourite Baker story or post-regeneration story but perfectly suitable for replays if you have spare time.
Random Observations:
Doctor: "You may be a Doctor, but I'm THE Doctor. The definitive article you might say" and "There's no point in being grown-up if you can't be childish sometimes". Oh Tom, you already start dropping your quotable dialogue.
The final regular appearances of Nicholas Courtney and John Levene. Courtney and Levene will later return in Terror of the Zygons (1975) and Courtney will be back once more after that, in Mawdryn Undead (1983).
I remember calling Professor Rubeish from The Time Warrior the most cliched scientist character the show has ever made. Well, Professor Kettlewell beats him. He is just as strange but looks something like Maxtible from The Evil of the Daleks (1967).
Score: 68/120