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Robot Format Reviewed: DVD Review Another uncertain period in the history of Doctor Who begins with Robot. The new lead actor in the role of Doctor Who was relative unknown Tom Baker. Baker had been plucked from life on a building site, as his acting jobs had dried up, to appear in one of the biggest shows on TV. There were also many changes in the backroom staff on the show, with a new script editor and new production staff easing themselves in around the existing personnel. The next gamble in the history of Doctor Who was about to be played out. After regenerating, the Doctor convinces the UNIT Doctor, Harry Sullivan, that he is fit and ready. Under investigation is the Scientific Reform Society SRS who are intent on using a robot created by Professor Kettlewell to firstly steal the parts and plans for a disintegrator gun and then the codes for all the nuclear missiles on both sides of the cold war. This they do, and hole up in a bunker to start the sequence. Kettlewell finally realises and stops the countdown, only for the robot to accidentally kill him and then resolve to carry out his original plan to the full. The countdown is aborted again by the UN fail safes, and the robot is eventually destroyed by a living metal destroying compound invented by Kettlewell. For this regeneration story, the team chose for a safe haven of doing a UNIT story and being Earth bound. It was revealed that Harry was cast in case the new actor to play The Doctor couldn't do the rough and tumble scenes, as this was done before Tom Baker was cast. It is nevertheless a good casting though as Ian Marter is great. The somewhat formulaic story though is quite familiar, and in Terrance Dicks they had a writer that would definitely follow the series continuity, getting the UNIT story correct throughout. It is this conservative approach though that is probably the storys weakest point. You get the impression that everybody is just being eased into the new era, rather than trying to make an impact. One thing that always strikes me as being brilliantly done in this era is the casting. Save for John Levene possibly who is a little bit soft as Sargeant Benton, all the rest are generally spot on. Nicholas Courtney is wonderful as always as the Brigadeer, Elizabeth Sladen shines as Sarah Jane Smith, and introduced here is the excellent Ian Marter as Harry Sullivan. The adveraries are also generally well cast too, and none better than Edward Burnham as Prefessor Kettlewell who does a grand job. Of note also is Patricia Maynard as Miss Winters, who is strong and hard throughout, just as the role dictates. This story is a bit like a checklist. We have the seemingly obligatory random persoanlity for a short while of the Doctor, the chosing of clothes, and all set in the company of our friends from UNIT. It's almost as if this story is done as a paint by numbers method.It is also somewhat the calm before the storm, as the following stories really do give Tom Baker the real Doctor Who experience as an actor, having both Daleks and Cybermen in his first series. Therefore, the action in this story is somewhat bypassed and will likely only really be remembered as Tom Bakers first story. Overall, Robot is a safe, formulaic story really only commissioned to ease the transition in lead actor and some of the key backroom staff. The casting is very good though, and there are some excellent performances but the story is slightly uneventful and totally unrevolutionary, and will therefore mainly be remembered as Tom Bakers first story rather than a good tale in itself. Rating:  |