In one of Doctor Who's finest stories,.we are treated with a compelling whodunit and a fresh take on the base under siege formula. The story still holds up today.
Story:
This story rips off Agatha Christie-like whodunit murder mysteries but puts the concept in a science fiction setting. The resulting story is an expertly crafted murder mystery in the vein of the classic whodunits. It's more of a tribute than a copy.
Like the best whodunits, Boucher uses the first episode to intricately set the scene, the murder and the possible suspects. We do know, of course, that the titular robots have something to do with it, but is there someone else behind? The story has a similar build to The Web of Fear (1967-68), with the script presenting several possible suspects. After that, the real drama and tension can begin as the Doctor starts investigating.
In a clever way to make the story his own, Chris Boucher introduces the private investigator, who happens to be one of the robots. It's just one of those minor details designed to throw viewers off guard and challenge our expectations.
The climax of the story is slightly ruined with a silly, albeit logical, solution to the problem. While I like the twists and turns and red herrings sprinkled throughout the story, the way the Doctor finally defeats the robots is a bit underwhelming. But at least he didn't use his sonic screwdriver.
Acting:
Russell Hunter, at the time a well-established actor, performs Uvanov very well, taking clear leadership of the situation. He delivers every line with great conviction, obviously taking his part seriously. He resembles Andy Serkis somewhat, which I find slightly hilarious.
The Doctor:
It's interesting to see the Doctor as something of a mix of a Poirot-type outside investigator and just a suspect among others. He shifts between the two roles and a position in between and Baker depicts all that impeccably.
The Companions:
I like it how Leela is immediately allowed to go venturing on her own, fearlessly trying to improve she's innocent. After that, she spends a lot of time tied up, despite several daring attempts to escape.
The Monster/Villain:
The robots remain the finest robot kind in the series' history (Daleks and Cybermen aren't robots). They speak in soft, creepy voices, move along swiftly and feel very menacing in their presence. Their leader, Taron Capel, could be just another mad scientist, but he is so overly mad that he feels like something bigger. He remains pretty underdeveloped and one-dimensional, though, since he doesn't appear until halfway through the final episode.
Production:
The Robots of Death is another win in terms of production. The sets look wonderful, the costumes are great and the robots look realistic. Even the model work of the sand-miner, while dated, still looks great.
Pacing:
The script expertly mirrors the pace and story progression of a whodunit, throwing in red herrings and presenting several possible scenarios before revealing the surprising, albeit logical truth.
Atmosphere:
There is a true sense of murder mystery in the air, depicted by the crew onboard the sand-miner becoming growingly suspicious of each other and the robots acting, stranger and stranger, all the time. The troubles with the sandstorm add to the tension.
The robots going crazy and strangling people is pretty intense stuff, especially when we see it all from their points-of-view.
Impact:
The Robots of Death is another story constantly ranked high among fans. It shows how well a typical murder mystery story fits a show like Doctor Who. This template has been adopted for later stories in different media, to varying grades of success. The robots and many of the characters would later return in their spin-off series for Big Finish Productions, titled Kaldor City.
Replay Value:
For a murder mystery and whodunit and a unique take on a base under siege, Robots of Death is the best possible choice. It's immensely rewatchable.
Random Observations:
I love the explanation of trans-dimensional engineering that makes the TARDIS bigger on the inside - it's still the best and most easily grippable explanation the series has given.
It's pretty interesting how the robots of this story have many similarities with the Ood from The Impossible Planet/The Satan Pit (2006). Both are servant races going haywire, and once they do, they get red, glowing eyes. They do resemble the angel robots in The Voyage of the Damned (2007) as well.
I love it how the Doctor and Leela talk about the straps holding them in Part Two won't budge while the props are wobbling!
"Please, do not throw hands at me!" Boucher has a comedic touch!
Review by Theo KallströmVIP 6BlockedParent2020-06-30T05:33:26Z
In one of Doctor Who's finest stories,.we are treated with a compelling whodunit and a fresh take on the base under siege formula. The story still holds up today.
Story:
This story rips off Agatha Christie-like whodunit murder mysteries but puts the concept in a science fiction setting. The resulting story is an expertly crafted murder mystery in the vein of the classic whodunits. It's more of a tribute than a copy.
Like the best whodunits, Boucher uses the first episode to intricately set the scene, the murder and the possible suspects. We do know, of course, that the titular robots have something to do with it, but is there someone else behind? The story has a similar build to The Web of Fear (1967-68), with the script presenting several possible suspects. After that, the real drama and tension can begin as the Doctor starts investigating.
In a clever way to make the story his own, Chris Boucher introduces the private investigator, who happens to be one of the robots. It's just one of those minor details designed to throw viewers off guard and challenge our expectations.
The climax of the story is slightly ruined with a silly, albeit logical, solution to the problem. While I like the twists and turns and red herrings sprinkled throughout the story, the way the Doctor finally defeats the robots is a bit underwhelming. But at least he didn't use his sonic screwdriver.
Acting:
Russell Hunter, at the time a well-established actor, performs Uvanov very well, taking clear leadership of the situation. He delivers every line with great conviction, obviously taking his part seriously. He resembles Andy Serkis somewhat, which I find slightly hilarious.
The Doctor:
It's interesting to see the Doctor as something of a mix of a Poirot-type outside investigator and just a suspect among others. He shifts between the two roles and a position in between and Baker depicts all that impeccably.
The Companions:
I like it how Leela is immediately allowed to go venturing on her own, fearlessly trying to improve she's innocent. After that, she spends a lot of time tied up, despite several daring attempts to escape.
The Monster/Villain:
The robots remain the finest robot kind in the series' history (Daleks and Cybermen aren't robots). They speak in soft, creepy voices, move along swiftly and feel very menacing in their presence. Their leader, Taron Capel, could be just another mad scientist, but he is so overly mad that he feels like something bigger. He remains pretty underdeveloped and one-dimensional, though, since he doesn't appear until halfway through the final episode.
Production:
The Robots of Death is another win in terms of production. The sets look wonderful, the costumes are great and the robots look realistic. Even the model work of the sand-miner, while dated, still looks great.
Pacing:
The script expertly mirrors the pace and story progression of a whodunit, throwing in red herrings and presenting several possible scenarios before revealing the surprising, albeit logical truth.
Atmosphere:
There is a true sense of murder mystery in the air, depicted by the crew onboard the sand-miner becoming growingly suspicious of each other and the robots acting, stranger and stranger, all the time. The troubles with the sandstorm add to the tension.
The robots going crazy and strangling people is pretty intense stuff, especially when we see it all from their points-of-view.
Impact:
The Robots of Death is another story constantly ranked high among fans. It shows how well a typical murder mystery story fits a show like Doctor Who. This template has been adopted for later stories in different media, to varying grades of success. The robots and many of the characters would later return in their spin-off series for Big Finish Productions, titled Kaldor City.
Replay Value:
For a murder mystery and whodunit and a unique take on a base under siege, Robots of Death is the best possible choice. It's immensely rewatchable.
Random Observations:
I love the explanation of trans-dimensional engineering that makes the TARDIS bigger on the inside - it's still the best and most easily grippable explanation the series has given.
It's pretty interesting how the robots of this story have many similarities with the Ood from The Impossible Planet/The Satan Pit (2006). Both are servant races going haywire, and once they do, they get red, glowing eyes. They do resemble the angel robots in The Voyage of the Damned (2007) as well.
I love it how the Doctor and Leela talk about the straps holding them in Part Two won't budge while the props are wobbling!
"Please, do not throw hands at me!" Boucher has a comedic touch!
Score: 104/120