Writer David Fisher's second subsequent story of this season is an interesting one. The Androids of Tara takes a very similar premise that season opener The Ribos Operation did, but gives it a somewhat more polished look. Here, the aliens and futuristic technology are at a minimum and the script truly lets its stars to shine. Additionally, this is another one of those stories that heavily borrow from another sources, this time the classic Anthony Hope novel The Prisoner of Zenda from the late 19th century. The beginning of Episode One feels almost too perfect - it's a beautiful and sunny day and the Doctor wants to go fishing for a change. There is some easy going banter between the Doctor and Romana and the fourth segment of the Key to Time is found instantly. So what could possibly go wrong?
Most things for the characters in the story, but very few things for the viewer, it turns out.
In many ways The Androids of Tara reminds me of Robot of Sherwood from Series Eight of the new series. Both have a medieval setting with robots/androids in them, both centre around the villain trying to gain more power and both are quite lighthearted in their style. The biggest differences are, of course, that this story is set on the planet of Tara, while Robot of Sherwood is set in Medieval England and features (supposedly) real historical figures. But here I actually believe Classic Who did things better - I like the medieval setting with subtle alien elements - the androids, the swords with electrical charges (George Lucas' sci fi hit Star Wars from the previous year must have been a major influence when designing those swords) and the look and the feel of the story is more genuine, majestic and down to earth. Andre Fisher utilises his four episodes very well in order to slowly but steadily build up tension, and this atmosphere is only made stronger by Michael Hayes' solid direction and Dudley Simpson's music. They relied heavily on location filming for this one, which was a wise decision. The green woods, the castle grounds and the dark dungeons make the adventure feel like its actually set in medieval times, Then again, periodicals have always been BBC's strong suit.
I truly find the subtle and thrilling political drama present throughout the story one of its best aspects. The Androids of Tara is like HBO's Game of Thrones for a family friendly audience. Everything isn't revolving around the androids, but there is a logical explanations to why they exist within the story - and while they aren't a threat in an of itself in the way most androids in Doctor Who are, they are an effective tool for the villains to use in their schemes. To that extent, I believe The Androids of Tara to be the strongest story featuring any kind of androids in Classic Who.
But what what really makes this story stand out, are the absolutely splendid actors. There is an oddly fascinating and beautiful relationship between the show's two main stars in this story, and they truly seem to enjoy playing against each other. My special gratitude this time goes to Mary Tamm, who not only excels as Romana but also plays the princess Strella and both Romana's and Strella's doppelgänger androids! The viewer definitely has a tough time figuring out who's who! But as usual, the guest actors once again steal the show, particularly the wonderful Peter Jeffrey (once considered to play the Second Doctor) as suave and gentlemanly villain Count Grendel. He is the closest thing to Roger Delgado's Master I have ever seen on the show and incredibly recognisable and likeable. His facial expressions are priceless, his delivery of his lines on top and his entire habitus makes him feel both dangerous and hungry for power. On the other side of the battlefield we find the dashing Freddie Mercury lookalike prince Reynart, played by Neville Jason. He is also very good both as himself and as his android doppelgänger. The acting overall is very sharp and the casting decisions are spot on. The only exception to this would be Paul Lavers as young and extremely trigger happy royal guard Farrah. I also love the minor supporting role by Declan Mulholland (yes, the guy who was originally Jabba the Hutt in Star Wars!) as servant Till. He's not a very fleshed out or even important character, but he adds that extra flavour. And he just happens to remind me a bit of Samwise Gamgee from The Lord of the Rings or Hodor from Game of Thrones and why not Quasimodo from The Ringer of Notre Dame.
The Androids of Tara is not the most exciting or tightly paced among Doctor Who adventures, but it is a flowing political thriller. It certainly flows better than the two Peladon stories from the Jon Pertwee era and it has a slightly different flow to that from the excellent Enemy of the World. The plot isn't the most original either (a possessed companion trying to kill the Doctor has been done a number of times) but the complexity of the android lookalikes gives it some depth at least. Still, I have to admit that the plot is definitely a bit thin; it's mostly just a dragged out rescue mission. That being said, The Androids of Tara offer some very well directed and acted sequences, such as the end of Episode 3 and the most awesome fencing sequence (which goes on for quite a bit) between the Doctor and Grendel in the final episode. That must be one of the better actions scenes in Doctor Who, even though it looks more like the lightsaber duel between Obi-Wan and Darth Vader in Star Wars than anything depicted in medieval themed films. It's also a highlight moment for the Fourth Doctor.
The Androids of Tara is one of the better stories from Season 16 of Doctor Who, right up there with The Ribos Operation and The Pirate Planet. It manages to feel interesting and exciting even without aliens and technobabble. That's a nice change of pace.
Review by Theo KallströmVIP 6BlockedParent2018-08-09T14:19:59Z
Writer David Fisher's second subsequent story of this season is an interesting one. The Androids of Tara takes a very similar premise that season opener The Ribos Operation did, but gives it a somewhat more polished look. Here, the aliens and futuristic technology are at a minimum and the script truly lets its stars to shine. Additionally, this is another one of those stories that heavily borrow from another sources, this time the classic Anthony Hope novel The Prisoner of Zenda from the late 19th century. The beginning of Episode One feels almost too perfect - it's a beautiful and sunny day and the Doctor wants to go fishing for a change. There is some easy going banter between the Doctor and Romana and the fourth segment of the Key to Time is found instantly. So what could possibly go wrong?
Most things for the characters in the story, but very few things for the viewer, it turns out.
In many ways The Androids of Tara reminds me of Robot of Sherwood from Series Eight of the new series. Both have a medieval setting with robots/androids in them, both centre around the villain trying to gain more power and both are quite lighthearted in their style. The biggest differences are, of course, that this story is set on the planet of Tara, while Robot of Sherwood is set in Medieval England and features (supposedly) real historical figures. But here I actually believe Classic Who did things better - I like the medieval setting with subtle alien elements - the androids, the swords with electrical charges (George Lucas' sci fi hit Star Wars from the previous year must have been a major influence when designing those swords) and the look and the feel of the story is more genuine, majestic and down to earth. Andre Fisher utilises his four episodes very well in order to slowly but steadily build up tension, and this atmosphere is only made stronger by Michael Hayes' solid direction and Dudley Simpson's music. They relied heavily on location filming for this one, which was a wise decision. The green woods, the castle grounds and the dark dungeons make the adventure feel like its actually set in medieval times, Then again, periodicals have always been BBC's strong suit.
I truly find the subtle and thrilling political drama present throughout the story one of its best aspects. The Androids of Tara is like HBO's Game of Thrones for a family friendly audience. Everything isn't revolving around the androids, but there is a logical explanations to why they exist within the story - and while they aren't a threat in an of itself in the way most androids in Doctor Who are, they are an effective tool for the villains to use in their schemes. To that extent, I believe The Androids of Tara to be the strongest story featuring any kind of androids in Classic Who.
But what what really makes this story stand out, are the absolutely splendid actors. There is an oddly fascinating and beautiful relationship between the show's two main stars in this story, and they truly seem to enjoy playing against each other. My special gratitude this time goes to Mary Tamm, who not only excels as Romana but also plays the princess Strella and both Romana's and Strella's doppelgänger androids! The viewer definitely has a tough time figuring out who's who! But as usual, the guest actors once again steal the show, particularly the wonderful Peter Jeffrey (once considered to play the Second Doctor) as suave and gentlemanly villain Count Grendel. He is the closest thing to Roger Delgado's Master I have ever seen on the show and incredibly recognisable and likeable. His facial expressions are priceless, his delivery of his lines on top and his entire habitus makes him feel both dangerous and hungry for power. On the other side of the battlefield we find the dashing Freddie Mercury lookalike prince Reynart, played by Neville Jason. He is also very good both as himself and as his android doppelgänger. The acting overall is very sharp and the casting decisions are spot on. The only exception to this would be Paul Lavers as young and extremely trigger happy royal guard Farrah. I also love the minor supporting role by Declan Mulholland (yes, the guy who was originally Jabba the Hutt in Star Wars!) as servant Till. He's not a very fleshed out or even important character, but he adds that extra flavour. And he just happens to remind me a bit of Samwise Gamgee from The Lord of the Rings or Hodor from Game of Thrones and why not Quasimodo from The Ringer of Notre Dame.
The Androids of Tara is not the most exciting or tightly paced among Doctor Who adventures, but it is a flowing political thriller. It certainly flows better than the two Peladon stories from the Jon Pertwee era and it has a slightly different flow to that from the excellent Enemy of the World. The plot isn't the most original either (a possessed companion trying to kill the Doctor has been done a number of times) but the complexity of the android lookalikes gives it some depth at least. Still, I have to admit that the plot is definitely a bit thin; it's mostly just a dragged out rescue mission. That being said, The Androids of Tara offer some very well directed and acted sequences, such as the end of Episode 3 and the most awesome fencing sequence (which goes on for quite a bit) between the Doctor and Grendel in the final episode. That must be one of the better actions scenes in Doctor Who, even though it looks more like the lightsaber duel between Obi-Wan and Darth Vader in Star Wars than anything depicted in medieval themed films. It's also a highlight moment for the Fourth Doctor.
The Androids of Tara is one of the better stories from Season 16 of Doctor Who, right up there with The Ribos Operation and The Pirate Planet. It manages to feel interesting and exciting even without aliens and technobabble. That's a nice change of pace.
Rating: 8,2 out of 10