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Summary: ESSENTIAL TOM BAKER
Review: This is my favorite Tom Baker DR. WHO story. Everything works. The setting is well-realized and full of quirky detail. The characters are interesting and the juicy dialogue hints at lots of back-story about their society. The acting is SUPERB, everyone is so believable. The Doctor is his quintessential high-handed anarchic self, Leela is delightful and is provided with some classic lines. The script is tight and mature. Even the model work is good, esp for this period of WHO. My only complaint is the rapid body-count, I hope that isn't too much of a spoiler! Otherwise, LOVE IT!
Rating:
Summary: tom baker, how I love thee...
Review: This is probably one of my more favorite Doctor Who (4th) episodes. It marks Leela's second appearance as the Doctor's companion and to be honest, I wish she had stayed on longer. I'm not the biggest fan of Miss Sarah Jane Smith. (All her questions really get to me, "but why doctor?", "how doctor?" blah blah blah.)This is one of the better Dr.Who episodes as far as costume and makeup is concerned. The robots don't look shoddy or cheap (much like the Cybermen do) and the costumes for the people aboard the mining ship are kind of extravagant. The storyline is a great whodunit of sorts. I especially like the "D" (d is for dums) robot that turns out to be a Super Voc secret agent of sorts. I'd put this at the top of my favorite Baker episodes. I think only "Brain of Morbius" or "Seeds of Doom" surpasses this on my list.
Rating:
Summary: Deco Droids Decimate Dandies
Review: This must be one of the all-time best "Doctor Who"s, an "and then there were none" mystery set on a giant mining vehicle far in the future. A handful of humans must fight for their lives when their robot servants turn homicidal - but who is behind the robot revolution? The acting is top-notch, the script excellent, the model-work very good. The production design must take the highest honors, with sleek art-deco androids that are as menacing as they are beautiful, and rich, lazy, droid-dependent humans in face-paint and silken robes. Tom Baker's Doctor is as witty and compelling as ever, and the lovely Leela is amusingly savage. Essential who-ing.
Rating: 
Summary: Good, But Very Overrated
Review: This story has to be the most overrated in the history of the program. The reason why is because it is just another one of those Tom Baker stories, much like The Ark In Space, now also available on DVD, that everyone remembers because they've seen it countless times on PBS. The pacing is slow, the setting and the characters are very bland, even the Doctor has little of his usual charm. This story even somehow managed to find its way into the all-time top ten(!), when there are at least 50 stories that are much better than this one. There are some good elements, the robots are creepy and Leela is in it, but that's about all it has going for it. It is amazing how much nastalgia can influence people's opinions. If you want some real Doctor Who classics on DVD, get The Five Doctors, Tomb of the Cybermen, or The Caves of Androzani.
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Summary: Dr. Who meets Death on the Planet
Review: This to me was a great Dr. Who -- it had all the thinking elements that make Who a great series, plus all the (cheesy) sci-fi elements that made the show great too. I love the expressionless robots and the arrogant humans in the "Ten Little Indians" scenario. Truly a precursor to ALIEN, this particular episode crosses genres (sci-fi, murder mystery, slasher) as well. And Leela is hot, hot, hot...
Rating:
Summary: "I'm rather fond of bumblebees!"
Review: This Tom Baker story is an extremely stylish, visually stunning and well written example of Doctor Who. Set aboard a sandminer crawling across the desert surface of a nameless planet, "The Robots of Death" is a murder mystery with interesting characters, whose interactions show people with hidden motives, secrets and fears - they are three dimensional and believable. The story has both action and creeping suspense, with some genuinely frightening, psychological and claustrophobic moments. But the piece de resistance to this story is the design. There's the art deco of the sandminer and the wonderfully decadent costumes, but best of all, the robots themselves. They look exquisite and are beautiful and deadly. Their cold, calm menace is chilling; the "pulse" music that accompanies their slow paces through the corridors of the Sandminer is wonderfully atmospheric. Isaac Asimov meets Agatha Christie in a highly memorable adventure.
Rating:
Summary: "I'm rather fond of bumblebees!"
Review: This Tom Baker story is an extremely stylish, visually stunning and well written example of Doctor Who. Set aboard a sandminer crawling across the desert surface of a nameless planet, "The Robots of Death" is a murder mystery with interesting characters, whose interactions show people with hidden motives, secrets and fears - they are three dimensional and believable. The story has both action and creeping suspense, with some genuinely frightening, psychological and claustrophobic moments. But the piece de resistance to this story is the design. There's the art deco of the sandminer and the wonderfully decadent costumes, but best of all, the robots themselves. They look exquisite and are beautiful and deadly. Their cold, calm menace is chilling; the "pulse" music that accompanies their slow paces through the corridors of the Sandminer is wonderfully atmospheric. Isaac Asimov meets Agatha Christie in a highly memorable adventure.
Rating:
Summary: Great Transfer, poor commentary track
Review: This was one of the 1st DW's I ever saw as a child in the 1980's, and watching it on DVD was even better. Really enjoyed listening to the Opening and Closing narration from the extra features section. But the commentary track was awful, they hardly talked and you could tell that they did not come prepared to do this audio track (The 5 Doctors commentary track is the best!). It was wonderfull to see Tom Baker (Teeth and Curls?)in all his glory. Looking forward to more!
Rating:
Summary: The best of Dr. Who
Review: This was the first story I saw of Doctor Who back when I was in school. I would come home and watch it on Public television. I was glued to the TV. This is one of the best stories, if not the best of Dr. Who. The "creepy" robots were chilling. The sets and costumes were perfect. The writing resembled a good Agatha Christy novel. I purchased this DVD when it was released in Region 2 and can hardly wait for the official US release. The Region 2 DVD had a commentery by the writer, photo gallery, blue prints of the set and a model shot. One can only hope they improve the cover jacket for the US releases. All in all, you can't do better than this!
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Summary: Counterpoint to Isaac Asimov
Review: What a season this was of Doctor Who! A masterful story set on a monstrous harvester ship mining a planet much like the spice harvesters on Arrakis in Dune. The ship is manned by a few humans and assisted by robots. In a direct connection with Isaac Asimov the robots are regulated by the laws of robotics which preclude any harm to humans. Mischief is afoot however as the crew begin to be assassinated one by one. Of course, attention is focussed on the Doctor and his latest assistant Leela, while the real killer is elsewhere. This story explores the implications of rising labor costs in an economy which permits the creation of expensive robots as they are much cheaper than human workers. As a consequence of such a policy economic ventures must be of necessity extremely profitable thus the mining. Generally humans have come to terms with the creation of a robot society which is established to carry out their every whim, rather like the houseservants of Victorian Britain and thus the robots are taken for granted. However, there are those who are discomforted with the robots which has given rise to a robophobia. Such is the assimilation of robots into the society that it is incomprehensible to anyone that the robots could injure or cause harm. Gradually the realisation dawns that the robots are indeed the killers and the crucial question reduces into why they are doing so and the Doctor's time is quickly running out. There is much in this story which is worthy. Someone else has referred to the stylish and ornate appearance of the robots. Having recently seen AI the competing conceptions of the future are fascinating. The whole notion of Asimov's laws is based on the premise that it is possible to control through deep seated rules. Current research into Artificial Intelligence suggests that electronic brains could develop themselves and therefore would not be able to be restrained by previously implanted asuggestions. Getting back to the story, it is Doctor Who at it's best. Not only a good drama, not only good science fiction but also very thought provoking especially the premise upon which the villain, the human villain that it, is based. Five thumbs up!
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