TV Club: Doctor Who, “Robot”

“Robot” (season 12, episodes 1-4; originally aired 12/28/1974-1/18/1975)

Before landing the role that would make him an icon of science-fiction TV, Tom Baker spent six years studying to be a monk, did a stint in the army, worked a construction job, and played an evil wizard in a Ray Harryhausen movie. As resumes go, that’s all over the place, and it reminds me of a Dave Foley line from NewsRadio: “Sounds like a drifter.” But it’s somehow perfect for the guy who gave us the most unpredictable incarnation of the Doctor in the history of the show, and helped it achieve both some of its greatest moments and some of its worst.

“Robot,” his 1974 debut, is a mixed bag—certainly not a disaster, but hampered by a story full of holes and logical inconsistencies, it’s still fun to watch thanks to the charisma of the actors, a wealth of clever moments, and some inconsistent but mostly engaging sci-fi adventure.

Regeneration stories always have twice as much to carry as as other Doctor Who stories, since they not only introduce the new lead, but usually do so by wrapping that reveal around a plotline that’s otherwise unrelated to the regeneration. (Next week’s “Castrovalva” is one of the rare exceptions.) “Robot” succeeds splendidly as Tom Baker’s debut, but the main plotline never really gels.

Originally published June 26, 2011 on avclub.com. Read the complete article.

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