Product Details

• Actors: William Hartnell, Patrick Troughton, Jon Pertwee, Tom Baker, Peter Davison
• Writers: Sydney Newman
• Format: Closed-captioned, Color, HiFi Sound, NTSC
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: 20th Century Fox
• VHS Release Date: September 17, 1996
• Run Time: 98 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 6303943292
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #281,604 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Science fiction meets swashbuckling in The Androids of Tara, the fourth serial in the "Key to Time" story arc, which comprised the whole of Doctor Who's 16th season on the BBC. And while the premise of David Fisher's script is overly familiar (it's borrowed almost whole from The Prisoner of Zenda--in fact, one of the episode's original titles was "The Androids of Zenda"), it also provides a rollicking adventure for the Doctor (Tom Baker) and Romana (Mary Tamm). The search for the fourth segment of the Key to Time leads the Doctor and Romana to the planet Tara. Exhausted by this pursuit, the Doctor intends to devote his time there to fishing, but he's quickly pulled back into action when Romana is kidnapped by the evil Count Grendel (Peter Jeffreys). In his scheme to steal the throne of Tara, Grendel has kidnapped the Princess Strella--a dead ringer for Romana--and replaced her with an android. But now, with Romana in his clutches, Grendel seems a step closer to his goal unless the Doctor can stop him first. Veteran BBC director Michael Hayes and his cast deliver the well-worn story line with typical vigor and good humor, which should please fans of both the series and Baker's serials in particular. --Paul Gaita

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Kids love it..., September 22, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Doctor Who - The Androids of Tara [VHS] (VHS Tape)

I have yet to play this video to a group of kids OR adults who don't love it. K-9 enthralls youngsters, and the number of riotous one-liners is great. This one just never gets boring. Sure it's cheesy, but it's more FUN that way! Of course Tom Baker hams it up, eyes wide and hair wilder. And for once, just once, the planet is not at risk, let alone the universe, galaxy or time and space itself...

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars "Well, it has been done before!", March 12, 2000

By 

Brian May (Australia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Doctor Who - The Androids of Tara [VHS] (VHS Tape)

The search for the Key to Time is half over. The Doctor, Romana and K9 have recovered the first three segments and, unhappily, the best three stories of the season are over. The last half of the Key to Time quest is definitely the weaker. This is not to say, though, that "The Androids of Tara" is bad. It's quite fun, even if it feels a little inconsequential. The criticism it has attracted from most fan circles is that it draws too heavily upon the one source, Anthony Hope's "The Prisoner of Zenda" and displays this quite blatantly. However, most of Doctor Who (like the works of William Shakespeare) is plagiarised from one source or another. How stylishly it is done is the best indicator of how it succeeds. With the case of Doctor Who, it succeeds most of the time. "The Androids of Tara" is a fun, swashbuckling adventure. The villain, Count Grendel, is a wonderfully over the top cad, scoundrel and all round baddie. The usual ingredients for the genre - Princes, Princesses and swordsmen - are all here. There's also the obligatory swordfight at the end. The story is low key - it revolves around the political machinations of the world of Tara - there is no planet to save from invasion or destruction, no populace to save from alien oppression. This story will never be regarded as a classic; it won't be in any all time top 10 lists - but it is a breath of fresh air. It's a nice diversion, however unoriginal. (There's an awful monster, so it's not really that different from the rest of Doctor Who!) Sure, it feels inconsequential. But it has the usual charm that the program always succeeds in pulling off.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars "Would you mind not standing on my chest? My hat's on fire!", May 11, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Doctor Who - The Androids of Tara [VHS] (VHS Tape)

Landing on the planet Tara, Romana believes that she can find the fourth segment of the Key to Time without getting involved with the locals. She couldn't be more wrong. "Androids...", with many Graham Williams' Who stories, is very cheap looking. The Taran beast in the opening doesn't help. But Fisher's story is so charming, and filled with great characters, such as the Count, that you almost forget about the silly acting, and lazy direction. Mary Tamm seems a little relaxed in her acting(especially as the Princess). There is loads of humor. The swordfight at the end of episode 4 is a little long winded, but enjoyable at the same time. At least we don't have a story where the villian wants to take over or destroy the universe, a typical "Prisoner of Zenda" story, incorporated in the Doctor Who universe.