Tuesday, 7 July 2020

Who Reviews The Androids of Tara by Matt Rabjohns



One of the main reasons why I state Season 16 of Doctor Who being one of my all-time favourites is because of the brilliant differences to every single story. Not one of the stories shares a jot of similarity with the next tale. Well, perhaps only the not over egged theme of the Key to Time is present throughout of course, but the Key to Time element is handled well and brilliantly within every story.

I am not familiar with The Prisoner of Zenda at all. One hears constantly that The Androids of Tara is just Doctor Who doing this film with a sci fi gloss. That I haven't seen Prisoner of Zenda is probably why I am so in favour of this story and enjoy it so much. As only the second script to come from relative newcomer at the time, David Fisher, it's an extremely confident effort and boasts some superb characterisation. With the main focus for once not being on the Doctor, but this time upon Mary Tamm's Romana.

I suppose one must first mention the only weak point of the story. The Taran Wood Beast is very very laughably rubbish as a design. But as a person who never once minded these bad costume designs or wobbly sets and such in the show, one can forgive the story for the Taran Wood Beast! But for me this seriously is the only real point I can find with this story that isn't sublime.

Mary Tamm for me was always the number one Romana. That she actually gets to play with four roles within this story must have been enjoyable for Mary at the time. It certainly appears that way. I find it highly amusing that with this story it is actually the fault of the Doctor genuinely for once that Romana gets into so much trouble, with him beginning the story by wanting to go fishing and have a break. So, Romana is sent to locate the segment of the key to time, and she actually finds it almost immediately. Not only this but also her costume for this story is beautifully crafted and really suits her character to a tee. The gorgeous purple velvet shines in every scene!

But then the superb Peter Jeffrey turns up as the power mad Count Grendel of Gracht and the story just bolts along from this moment. One cannot understate just how good Peter is in this story. He is a sublime and ripe villain, and it's obvious Peter is enjoying playing the power mad psychopath. His final showdown of clashing swords with Tom Baker's Doctor is absolutely one of the finest sword fights we see in the classic run of the show. It's choreographed superbly well and seems totally realistic and paced to perfection. It makes for a splendid climax to a story driven by politics and the fact that Romana is the exact double of Princess Strella. So within the story Mary plays both these parts and androids of both characters too! And of course, she does this with such ease that it comes off on screen very very easily.

We also have the added delight of having Cyril Shaps back for a turn at a role in Doctor Who yet again. Cyril was always cast well in the show, particularly in Tomb of the Cybermen and Planet of the Spiders. But here is the only story where his character is not killed, so I actually was glad of this and breathed a sigh of relief. He plays the Archimandrite superbly in parts two and three.

Neville Jason is cast well too as the slightly naive Prince Reynart, he portrays a King you do feel for. In that he is not a mad or mean character, but a well formed and trustworthy man who falls foul of the vicious Grendel's schemes. He also performs the scenes of the Robot King very well too. His final scene together with Mary Tamm's Strella is very touching and an excellent end to the tale in part four.

But this may surprise you all but within this story my favourite character is by far and away Lois Baxter's Madam Lamia. I think how she portrays her devotion to the Count steals the show frankly. She is somewhat a bit aloof and venomous in her treatment of Romana, but the way the Count uses her makes one still feel sorry for her. I was even more sorry for her when one of the Count's foolish guards ends up putting a laser bolt through her. I think I am right in saying too that this story is the first and only to ever be so bold as to have the Count state that just because he once granted her a certain courtesy Madam Lamia thinks she is automatically first in his affections. And we all know what he means by "a certain courtesy". With this utterance a malicious character becomes an irredeemable one and the delicious malice Peter Jeffrey gives the Count in these scenes makes him one of those easy to loathe characters but love at the same time. But Lois is as I said brilliant, and it’s so saddening to see her, and not her Master, die because of his inane psychosis.

The Key to Time season for me was so varied and wonderful. Every story had a strong central theme. David Fisher would go on to deliver two more scripts for the series, The Creature from the Pit and the Leisure Hive, but I think his debut script, The Stones of Blood, and The Androids of Tara are by far and away his greatest contributions to the show in my own opinion. Well the production team also must have thought his scripts good too, because he has two stories leading straight on from each other. And both are full to the brim of superb storytelling and interesting ideas.

One also appreciates the fact that for once the defeated despot gets to live, only he is sent packing in disgrace. One can easily get tired of the villain always just being conveniently polished off and killed. That David Fisher avoids this trapping is only to the story's aid as well. As perhaps it leaves the door open for a future return of the Count, perhaps...?!

The Androids of Tara comes over rather like a pseudo-historical, but one on an Alien Planet. We have the scenes of the historic looking castles but then are introduced to the knowledge that the kingdom is advanced enough to be adept in mechanics and android construction. It’s an interesting idea that works very well in my opinion. And one can never forget the excellently amusing finale scene of K9 being adrift in the moat in a boat all on his lonesome! That the Doctor laughs heartily upon seeing his mechanical dog's predicament makes him actually seem a little unfair here. But the scene is still a perfect round off to a very very strong instalment of the Key to Time season.

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