Doctor Who - The Androids of Tara (The Key to Time Series, Part 4)

Rating:
Summary: Smoke and Mirrors
Review: I'll confess I'm writing this review from memory (the tape has not arrived yet), but I can say I recall this as one of my favorite episodes starring Tom Baker. The mysterious robot murder-mystery is quite spooky, and the robot masks are great. Really groovy, so check it out.

Rating:
Summary: "Would you mind not standing on my chest? My hat's on fire!"
Review: Landing on the planet Tara, Romana believes that she can find the fourth segment of the Key to Time without getting involved with the locals. She couldn't be more wrong. "Androids...", with many Graham Williams' Who stories, is very cheap looking. The Taran beast in the opening doesn't help. But Fisher's story is so charming, and filled with great characters, such as the Count, that you almost forget about the silly acting, and lazy direction. Mary Tamm seems a little relaxed in her acting(especially as the Princess). There is loads of humor. The swordfight at the end of episode 4 is a little long winded, but enjoyable at the same time. At least we don't have a story where the villian wants to take over or destroy the universe, a typical "Prisoner of Zenda" story, incorporated in the Doctor Who universe.

Rating:
Summary: "Would you mind not standing on my chest? My hat's on fire!"
Review: Landing on the planet Tara, Romana believes that she can find the fourth segment of the Key to Time without getting involved with the locals. She couldn't be more wrong. "Androids...", with many Graham Williams' Who stories, is very cheap looking. The Taran beast in the opening doesn't help. But Fisher's story is so charming, and filled with great characters, such as the Count, that you almost forget about the silly acting, and lazy direction. Mary Tamm seems a little relaxed in her acting(especially as the Princess). There is loads of humor. The swordfight at the end of episode 4 is a little long winded, but enjoyable at the same time. At least we don't have a story where the villian wants to take over or destroy the universe, a typical "Prisoner of Zenda" story, incorporated in the Doctor Who universe.

Rating:
Summary: "Are we the only three still alive?"
Review: Probably my least favorite adventure in the Key To Time series is THE ANDROIDS OF TARA. And the main criticism that I have of it is that it commits one of the worst sins that a television program can -- it bored me. Which is a real shame because in-between the long stretches of lackluster material, there are more than a few things to enjoy. But my overwhelming impression of this (and that impression is reaffirmed with every subsequent viewing) is that there is just far too much padding and fluff in this adventure for its own good.

First of all, the story seems to jar slightly from the usual way that the Tom Baker Doctor interacts with others. Rather than being at the center and driving the action forward, the Doctor takes a passive role for the majority of the tale. He eventually does become a mover in his own right near the end, but for the most part this is a story that he influences rather than drives. ANDROIDS OF TARA is very much the story of the King, the Crown and the fight for the throne rather than having a structure more typical of the average Doctor Who adventure. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, though. It's interesting to see a more subdued Fourth Doctor, although occasionally I was wishing for him to take a more active stance. It just seemed odd that the Doctor would cave so easily under the threat of violence and that it was only this threat that kept him in the story. It's even more odd when one realizes that the Doctor would usually be predisposed to want to help out the Prince, Zadek and Farrah anyway. The fact that most of the plot points are borrowed from other sources is fairly obvious so perhaps this is an inadvertent holdover from an earlier draft. I'm not quite sure what the solution is, but there's something about those sequences that just don't quite seem to work.

As far as the characters go, the oh-so-bad Count is probably one of the most amusing villains in Doctor Who; he almost makes the story worth viewing just by himself. It's true that he becomes a caricature of himself by the end, but by that point he's an entertaining force in his own right. I love how by episode four he isn't even bothering to put up a pretense around his machinations any more, he's just busy being as evil as he can be -- and he's immense fun.

As professional as the rest of the cast is, they simply don't have a terribly exciting script to work with here. The characters are well played but there isn't much to them. With robotic and dull android duplicates roaming through the story, it can sometimes be difficult to determine when exactly someone is portraying an emotionless machine, and when someone is portraying a bland and uninteresting character.

On the positive side, the picture has been cleaned up quite well, and special mention must go to the exterior shots that now look extremely crisp and clear. The sound is also remarkably improved, with many little whispers and mumbles now audible. Tom Baker, Mary Tamm, and director Michael Hayes feature on the commentary track, and this alone is a big reason for obtaining this DVD. Baker and Tamm are slightly more subdued than they were on the RIBOS OPERATION disc, but still manage to come out with several hysterical comments (I particularly enjoyed Tom Baker's pride at his character's ability to consume vast quantities of drugged wine - "I'm the last one to drop!"). Hayes manages to answer Baker's frequent asking of "Who's that?" as well as offering insights into the behind-the-scenes production. The pop-up production notes are sadly much less interesting than those on the previous three discs. While there was some useful information concerning the development of the script, far too many of the slides simply tell us what day and time certain shots were filmed. Not necessarily bad, just dull compared to the other notes.

If you already liked ANDROIDS OF TARA, then no doubt you'll enjoy the DVD release, which again maintains the very high standards that the Doctor Who discs have enjoyed. Personally, I could have done without picking up this one, and had it not been part of the Key To Time box set, I think I would have avoided it. Still, it's always nice to reevaluate Doctor Who stories that one hasn't seen recently, even if one's original opinion remains unchanged. And with the story physically looking and sounding better than it ever has before, this is probably the best opportunity you'll have to enjoy this particular one. I just hope you find it less boring than I did.

Rating:
Summary: "Are we the only three still alive?"
Review: Probably my least favorite adventure in the Key To Time series is THE ANDROIDS OF TARA. And the main criticism that I have of it is that it commits one of the worst sins that a television program can -- it bored me. Which is a real shame because in-between the long stretches of lackluster material, there are more than a few things to enjoy. But my overwhelming impression of this (and that impression is reaffirmed with every subsequent viewing) is that there is just far too much padding and fluff in this adventure for its own good.

First of all, the story seems to jar slightly from the usual way that the Tom Baker Doctor interacts with others. Rather than being at the center and driving the action forward, the Doctor takes a passive role for the majority of the tale. He eventually does become a mover in his own right near the end, but for the most part this is a story that he influences rather than drives. ANDROIDS OF TARA is very much the story of the King, the Crown and the fight for the throne rather than having a structure more typical of the average Doctor Who adventure. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, though. It's interesting to see a more subdued Fourth Doctor, although occasionally I was wishing for him to take a more active stance. It just seemed odd that the Doctor would cave so easily under the threat of violence and that it was only this threat that kept him in the story. It's even more odd when one realizes that the Doctor would usually be predisposed to want to help out the Prince, Zadek and Farrah anyway. The fact that most of the plot points are borrowed from other sources is fairly obvious so perhaps this is an inadvertent holdover from an earlier draft. I'm not quite sure what the solution is, but there's something about those sequences that just don't quite seem to work.

As far as the characters go, the oh-so-bad Count is probably one of the most amusing villains in Doctor Who; he almost makes the story worth viewing just by himself. It's true that he becomes a caricature of himself by the end, but by that point he's an entertaining force in his own right. I love how by episode four he isn't even bothering to put up a pretense around his machinations any more, he's just busy being as evil as he can be -- and he's immense fun.

As professional as the rest of the cast is, they simply don't have a terribly exciting script to work with here. The characters are well played but there isn't much to them. With robotic and dull android duplicates roaming through the story, it can sometimes be difficult to determine when exactly someone is portraying an emotionless machine, and when someone is portraying a bland and uninteresting character.

On the positive side, the picture has been cleaned up quite well, and special mention must go to the exterior shots that now look extremely crisp and clear. The sound is also remarkably improved, with many little whispers and mumbles now audible. Tom Baker, Mary Tamm, and director Michael Hayes feature on the commentary track, and this alone is a big reason for obtaining this DVD. Baker and Tamm are slightly more subdued than they were on the RIBOS OPERATION disc, but still manage to come out with several hysterical comments (I particularly enjoyed Tom Baker's pride at his character's ability to consume vast quantities of drugged wine - "I'm the last one to drop!"). Hayes manages to answer Baker's frequent asking of "Who's that?" as well as offering insights into the behind-the-scenes production. The pop-up production notes are sadly much less interesting than those on the previous three discs. While there was some useful information concerning the development of the script, far too many of the slides simply tell us what day and time certain shots were filmed. Not necessarily bad, just dull compared to the other notes.

If you already liked ANDROIDS OF TARA, then no doubt you'll enjoy the DVD release, which again maintains the very high standards that the Doctor Who discs have enjoyed. Personally, I could have done without picking up this one, and had it not been part of the Key To Time box set, I think I would have avoided it. Still, it's always nice to reevaluate Doctor Who stories that one hasn't seen recently, even if one's original opinion remains unchanged. And with the story physically looking and sounding better than it ever has before, this is probably the best opportunity you'll have to enjoy this particular one. I just hope you find it less boring than I did.

Rating:
Summary: Probably the weakest in the Key to Time series
Review: The Doctor is feeling lazy in Episode One and he decides to delegate to Romana, saying that "after a journey of 400 years and 12 parsecs, I'm allowed a rest of fifty years." He goes fishing, to which Romana, clearly disgusted at his childishness, tells him, "Look, I'm going to get that fourth segment and I'll be back in under an hour. You be ready to leave." Of course, things don't pan out as planned.

The medieval society of Tara is the setting for the fourth story in the Key To Time season. The Doctor and Romana get caught up in a power play between the good Prince Reynhart and the evil Count Grendel, contenders for the throne of Tara. Romana finds the fourth segment early enough, and what follows is her being mistaken for an android of Princess Strella. However, when Grendel and Lamia, the peasant android technician, realizes she is human, she becomes further enmeshed in his attempts to gain the throne.

Romana loses none of her stylishness, dressed as she is in a long purple dress with velvety front and matching hat. Despite it being listed as something everyone's wearing, nobody is seen in the outfit. Mary Tamm plays both Romana and Princess Strella.

There's clearly caste philosophy mixed in here. When Reynhart bemoans the tragedy of not being taught peasant skills, Zadek replies, true to Plato's Republic, "If we were meant to be peasants, we would have been born peasants." And Lamia tells Grendel, "I'm a peasant. I leave politics to my betters."

The late Peter Jeffrey has appeared in countless movies and TV series, notably as the headmaster in Lindsay Anderson's if... and as Inspector Trout in The Abominable Dr. Phibes. He's also notable as one of the contenders of the prime ministership in "Party Games," the transition episode of Yes Minister that makes it Yes Prime Minister. He does a fine job as the Machiavellian Count Grendel.

There are repeated themes from other episodes. Reynhart and the pessimistic Zadek are another variation of Vynda-K and Sholakh (Ribos Operation), and the drugged wine a repeat of The Brain Of Morbius. Grimwade's Syndrome or robophobia, (q.v. Robots Of Death) is also felt by, although not nominally referred to by Farrah and Zadek.

Cyril Shaps, who plays the religious leader, the Archimandrite, already made a Doctor Who appearance in Tomb Of The Cybermen.

The Androids Of Tara works in breaking away from the usual finding the segment in the last episode routine, and the lack of unusual monsters or megalomaniac villains.

Rating:
Summary: Sorry Doctor, your fishing holiday has been postponed.
Review: The Doctor is feeling lazy in Episode One and he decides to delegate to Romana, saying that "after a journey of 400 years and 12 parsecs, I'm allowed a rest of fifty years." He goes fishing, to which Romana, clearly disgusted at his childishness, tells him, "Look, I'm going to get that fourth segment and I'll be back in under an hour. You be ready to leave." Of course, things don't pan out as planned.

The medieval society of Tara is the setting for the fourth story in the Key To Time season. The Doctor and Romana get caught up in a power play between the good Prince Reynhart and the evil Count Grendel, contenders for the throne of Tara. Romana finds the fourth segment early enough, and what follows is her being mistaken for an android of Princess Strella. However, when Grendel and Lamia, the peasant android technician, realizes she is human, she becomes further enmeshed in his attempts to gain the throne.

Romana loses none of her stylishness, dressed as she is in a long purple dress with velvety front and matching hat. Despite it being listed as something everyone's wearing, nobody is seen in the outfit. Mary Tamm plays both Romana and Princess Strella.

There's clearly caste philosophy mixed in here. When Reynhart bemoans the tragedy of not being taught peasant skills, Zadek replies, true to Plato's Republic, "If we were meant to be peasants, we would have been born peasants." And Lamia tells Grendel, "I'm a peasant. I leave politics to my betters."

The late Peter Jeffrey has appeared in countless movies and TV series, notably as the headmaster in Lindsay Anderson's if... and as Inspector Trout in The Abominable Dr. Phibes. He's also notable as one of the contenders of the prime ministership in "Party Games," the transition episode of Yes Minister that makes it Yes Prime Minister. He does a fine job as the Machiavellian Count Grendel.

There are repeated themes from other episodes. Reynhart and the pessimistic Zadek are another variation of Vynda-K and Sholakh (Ribos Operation), and the drugged wine a repeat of The Brain Of Morbius. Grimwade's Syndrome or robophobia, (q.v. Robots Of Death) is also felt by, although not nominally referred to by Farrah and Zadek.

Cyril Shaps, who plays the religious leader, the Archimandrite, already made a Doctor Who appearance in Tomb Of The Cybermen.

The Androids Of Tara works in breaking away from the usual finding the segment in the last episode routine, and the lack of unusual monsters or megalomaniac villains.

Rating:
Summary: "Well, it has been done before!"
Review: The search for the Key to Time is half over. The Doctor, Romana and K9 have recovered the first three segments and, unhappily, the best three stories of the season are over. The last half of the Key to Time quest is definitely the weaker. This is not to say, though, that "The Androids of Tara" is bad. It's quite fun, even if it feels a little inconsequential. The criticism it has attracted from most fan circles is that it draws too heavily upon the one source, Anthony Hope's "The Prisoner of Zenda" and displays this quite blatantly. However, most of Doctor Who (like the works of William Shakespeare) is plagiarised from one source or another. How stylishly it is done is the best indicator of how it succeeds. With the case of Doctor Who, it succeeds most of the time. "The Androids of Tara" is a fun, swashbuckling adventure. The villain, Count Grendel, is a wonderfully over the top cad, scoundrel and all round baddie. The usual ingredients for the genre - Princes, Princesses and swordsmen - are all here. There's also the obligatory swordfight at the end. The story is low key - it revolves around the political machinations of the world of Tara - there is no planet to save from invasion or destruction, no populace to save from alien oppression. This story will never be regarded as a classic; it won't be in any all time top 10 lists - but it is a breath of fresh air. It's a nice diversion, however unoriginal. (There's an awful monster, so it's not really that different from the rest of Doctor Who!) Sure, it feels inconsequential. But it has the usual charm that the program always succeeds in pulling off.

Rating:
Summary: Absolutly disgraceful...
Review: When i saw the androids of tara i was mainly laughing at the site of so call "bad guy" count grendals nose. K9s appearance was brilliant the chess game at the beggining was a laugh. The story was a DOCTOR WHO fairytale and least favourite in the key to time series. All in all rubbish.