DOCTOR WHO:  THE ANDROIDS OF TARA

commentary by Judy Harris

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#27:  THE ANDROIDS OF TARA (4 Parts)
ORIGINALLY AIRED:  11/25/78 to 12/16/78
WRITTEN BY:  David Fisher	
DIRECTED BY:  Michael Hayes
PRODUCER:  Graham Williams	
SCRIPT EDITOR:  Anthony Read
	

This PRISONER OF ZENDA swashbuckler is Mary Tamm's favorite show, partly because she gets to play the dual role of Princess Strella and a couple of android duplicates. The costumes were also very beautiful for this story.

In the TARDIS, the Doctor reclines on the floor, playing chess with K9. He moves his rook to bishop's four, a move he saw Capablanca make in 1927. K9 informs him Capablanca lost. "I must have been called away," the Doctor decides.

Romana puts the tracer in the console, and materializes the TARDIS on Tara. The Doctor and Romana go off to their respective closets. Romana selects a new outfit from the wardrobe, which is the first look we get at where all the companions have been getting a change of clothes.

The Doctor's closet contains a magician's bouquet and a gasmask, among other things. He roots around to find his fishing gear. "Gosh, that takes me back. Or forward," he says when he finds his rod, "That's the trouble with time travel. You can never remember." He tells Romana the last time he used this fishing rod he was with Izaak Walton. Tom Baker once mentioned wanting to do a story about meeting Izaak Walton, but this is as close as he got.

Outside the TARDIS, the Doctor tells Romana to find the fourth segment; he's taking the day off. "After a journey of 400 years and 12 parsecs, I'm allowed a rest of 50 years," the Doctor maintains, quoting Section 93 Paragraph 2 of the Laws Governing Time Lords. He asks her to stand aside because she's frightening the fish by casting a shadow.

Romana goes off and immediately finds the fourth segment. It is a statue of a dragon-like creature. She touches it with the tracer and it transforms. She's attacked by a very fakey looking monster with a furry body and two long fangs. A swordsman comes to her rescue and drives the beast off with his electrified sword.

The swordsman introduces himself as Count Grendel of Gracht and says, by law, Romana must register her stone. He's dismayed to notice the statue is gone because it's his family emblem. Romana has twisted her ankle, so the Count carries her away on his horse to his castle (played by Leeds Castle).

The Doctor has fallen asleep fishing when someone touches his hat with an electrified sword. "Would you mind not standing on my chest? My hat's on fire," the Doctor calmly says, waking up. He's told by Zadek, the Swordmaster, he's trespassing on Prince Reynart's hunting estate. The Doctor casually takes the sword away from Farrah, a hot tempered swordsman, and figures out how it works. Zadek asks if he can mend an android.

The Count carries Romana to a couch in the lab of his surgeon-engineer, Madame Lamia. Lamia presses a button, causing restraints to come out of the couch, trapping Romana. Grendel orders Romana disassembled, so she can be cannibalized for parts.

In Prince Reynart's hunting lodge, Farrah cuts off a piece of the Doctor's scarf. "If you don't stop burning my scarf, you're going to have to kill me," the Doctor says.

Prince Reynart enters, apologizes and offers the Doctor a thousand gold pieces to mend an android. "Do you think you can buy me for money?" the Doctor asks, bargaining the price down to 500. Reynart shows the Doctor the android, which has no face.

In Castle Gracht, as Lamia prepares to remove Romana's head, Romana says she finds this a peculiar way to cure her ankle. Lamia checks her ankle and finds out Romana is not an android.

Reynart tells the Doctor the android must be fixed to impersonate him as a diversion to allow the Prince safely to attend his coronation in the Palace of Tara. Count Grendel is planning on killing Reynart. The only other contender for the throne is Princess Strella, who has disappeared.

Romana slips the tracer up her slave. At Grendel's command, Lamia injects Romana with something that knocks her out.

The Doctor gets the android working. He, Zadek, Reynart and Farrah drink a toast to the Doctor; one by one they keel over. "Potent stuff," the Doctor says, stumbling to the front door. He opens it and passes out. Count Grendel stands in the doorway.

Farrah wakes the Doctor up and accuses him of being a traitor. Zadek tells the Doctor Reynart has been kidnaped. The Doctor suggests they use the android for the coronation, and blows his whistle to summon K9.

The Doctor rechecks the android, reporting, "His microcircuitry's not perfect and his power packs need a boost." K9 enters and zaps Farrah, who has unwisely drawn his sword. K9 tells the Doctor Romana has not returned; Farrah and Zadek say she may be in the hands of Grendel.

Romana awakes after 12 hours. Grendel takes her to the dungeon and shows her the captive Princess Strella, who is the image of Romana. Strella is the First Lady of Tara, shortly to become Grendel's fiance, bride and deceased, if things go according to Grendel's plan. After Strella's death, Grendel will claim her position as second in line for the throne. But Strella is proving uncooperative, so Grendel will marry Romana instead.

Grendel puts Romana in a different cell with Reynart, who has been wounded and is chained by a collar around his neck. Romana assures Reynart she isn't Strella. Lamia puts another collar around Romana's neck and chains her next to Reynart.

The Doctor sends K9 to Castle Gracht to search for Romana and report back if she's there. "Off you go," he says. The Doctor, Zadek and Farrah set off with the android to the coronation. Farrah deals with one of Grendel's soldiers outside the entrance to some secret plague tunnels which they hope to use to sneak into the Palace of Tara. Grendel's men find the guard Farrah stunned and follow after the Doctor and his party. Deep inside the tunnels, Grendel's soldiers attack.

Outside the coronation hall, a crowd has gathered. Grendel's soldiers relieve the loyal palace guards. Grendel enters the coronation hall, sits on the throne for a quick gloat and then leaves. He has planted his men, dressed as peasants, who will "spontaneously" demand Grendel be crowned King. Grendel plans rejecting the crown once, for appearances sake.

The Archimandrite confides to Grendel he may be chosen if Reynart fails to show up. "An excellent suggestion," Grendel replies.

The clock chimes the appointed hour. The coronation room doors open and the crowd enters. To Grendel's dismay, Reynart is on the throne, surrounded by the Doctor, Zadek and Farrah.

Everyone kneels. As the Archimandrite displays the crown of Tara, the android starts to slip sideways, but the Doctor unobtrusively pushes him back upright. The Archimandrite crowns the android, who is hailed as King by the crowd.

The android gives the speech of accession, as the Doctor surreptitiously turns on the speech circuit in the back of its neck: "My subjects, I acknowledge your salutations and I swear that I will uphold your rights and devote myself to defending and protecting you at all times."

A noblewoman steps forward to swear fealty. "Romana!" the Doctor says, but Zadek tells him it's Princess Strella. She says, "I, Princess Strella, descendant of the royal Kings of Tara, mistress of the domains of Thorvald, Mortgarde and Freya, do humbly offer my loyalty to the King and do hereby recognize his suzerainty over me and all whom I command."

The Doctor takes the scepter from the android and strikes Strella on the head, as the crowd gasps. It's an android. The remainder of the oath taking is postponed.

Grendel returns to his castle in a filthy mood because his plan failed. He tells Lamia to prepare another android.

At Reynart's lodge, K9 tells the Doctor Romana is in Castle Gracht. The Doctor needs to make more repairs on the android. "K9, what would happen if I connect the carbon circuit to the silicon circuit--how long would they last?" the Doctor asks. K9 tells him 3 hours, 9 minutes and 10.7 seconds.

Lamia hooks Romana up to her equipment to make an android duplicate, programmed to kill the Doctor. She tells Grendel Romana's alpha waves are like none she's ever seen before.

As the android must continue to imitate the King, Zadek puts it through its verbal paces, asking it a question about monastic lands. The android's reply is more intelligent than one that would be given by the real King.

Till--the body servant to the Count--who looks a bit like the Hunchback of Notre Dame, enters Reynart's lodge with a message for the Doctor from Madame Lamia. She is offering the following deal--Romana in exchange for safe conduct out of the country for Count Grendel. Although he knows it's a trap, the Doctor accepts. He's to meet at the Pavilion of the Summer Winds on Grendel's estate in the woods. "I shall have to go alone, of course," the Doctor says, "It's funny, they always want you to go alone when you're walking into a trap--have you noticed that?"

Lamia and Grendel demonstrate to Romana her android duplicate, programmed to kill the Doctor, then return her to Reynart's cell. She has stolen a tool from Lamia's workshop and uses it to unlock the collar chained around her neck. Reynart is too weak to leave, but he helps her get out of the dungeon. In the courtyard, she steals a horse and eventually figures out how to make it go.

The Doctor and K9 arrive at the pavilion early. Lamia enters and is surprised to see him. She goes out to get Romana. When they re-enter, K9 calls, "Caution," and the Doctor leans over to ask him what's wrong. The android Romana shoots at the Doctor and misses. K9 shoots the android, disabling it. Count Grendel senses something's wrong and orders the pavilion to be attacked. Lamia tries to escape and is killed.

The Count tells the Doctor if he gives up he'll be spared. The Doctor steps out of the pavilion and is shot at, so he dashes back inside. He opens the door, sticks his head out and shouts, "Liar!"

On the wall of the pavilion, the Doctor draws with his finger the outline of a door. K9 burns this area out, almost singeing the Doctor's finger in the process. They get away; and the Count offers 10,000 gold pieces to the man who shoots the Doctor.

Romana rides by and the Doctor jumps up behind her on her horse, shouting, "Every one for himself, K9!" K9 shoots Grendel's soldiers and gets away.

Back at Reynart's lodge, the Doctor and Romana burst in on a strategy session between Zadek and Farrah. Romana tells Zadek she has a message from Reynart. Grendel rides up under a flag of truce. Romana and the Doctor hide upstairs, but the Doctor comes out shortly thereafter.

He and Grendel go off to parley in private. Grendel suggests they each get rid of their respective Kings, so the Doctor could be next in line. The Doctor dashes over to Zadek and says, "The Count's just offered me the throne." Grendel tosses a spear at the android, which short circuits it. He dashes upstairs, kidnaps Romana and rides off.

Romana is tossed back in Reynart's cell. Grendel plans to marry Romana to Reynart, making her queen. Then he'll kill Reynart, making Romana a widow, so he can marry her himself, becoming consort to the Queen. Then he'll kill Romana.

The Archimandrite arrives at Castle Gracht to perform the marriage between the King and Princess Strella. Grendel tells the Archimandrite Reynart is near death. After the funeral rites there will be a second wedding, between Grendel and the King's widow.

Looking at a map of Castle Gracht, the Doctor says the only way in is if someone inside opens the main gate, and the guards are taken by surprise. He volunteers to get inside.

Strella refuses again to marry Grendel or Reynart. The King refuses as well until Grendel threatens to kill Strella unless he and Romana cooperate.

K9 and the Doctor set off in a boat across the moat of Castle Gracht. Farrah offers the Doctor his sword, but he refuses, saying, "Too complicated for me."

Grendel tells his right hand man Kurster to kill the Princess at the first sign of trouble.

The Doctor maneuvers the boat to a boarded up entrance beneath the castle walls. K9 starts cutting. "Do hurry up," the Doctor urges, "A hamster with a blunt penknife could do it quicker."

Grendel escorts Romana and Reynart, now dressed in their wedding clothes, out of the dungeon.

With an oar the Doctor pushes open the door K9 cut and enters. He tells K9 to stay on guard and not to fall in the water, "You old sea dog, you." With a last bit of advice to be careful, the Doctor sets off, making quite a din.

He stops by Lamia's workshop and puts the segment of the Key to Time in his pocket.

The Archimandrite begins the ceremony, but the Doctor interrupts. Grendel draws his sword to fight the Doctor, who is unarmed. Grendel tosses the Doctor his own sword and gets another from Till.

When Grendel calls "En garde," the Doctor faces the wrong way, so Grendel hits him with the sword, giving him an electric shock. When Grendel lunges again, the Doctor parries, but also holds his free hand over his eyes. He has to keep hauling up extra lengths of his scarf, which get in the away of his sword arm. They fight back and forth; eventually the Doctor knocks the sword out of Grendel's hand and kicks it back to him.

Kurster goes off to kill Strella, followed by Romana. Just as he's about to kill the Princess, Romana hits him with an embroidery frame. Strella brains him with a pitcher. Romana introduces herself.

Till tries to stab the Doctor, but Reynart prevents him. In the middle of the sword fight, the Doctor tells Reynart to open the main gates, allowing Zadek and his troops to storm in.

Grendel and the Doctor fight out of the room, down a corridor, up some stairs, to the outer battlements of the castle. Rather than surrender, Grendel throws down his sword and jumps off the castle wall into the moat. The Doctor tosses his helmet after him.

Reynart asks the Doctor to stay--he can have Castle Gracht and all its lands. The Doctor refuses, mentioning a pressing engagement on the other side of the galaxy.

In the dungeon Strella teaches Romana some embroidery stitches. The Doctor breaks in and says to Romana, "You must be Princess Strella." Romana goes running off to find the segment, as Reynart and Strella are reunited.

The Doctor tells Romana to use the tracer. He circles behind her, so she can't locate the segment. When she turns around he takes it out of his pocket. Romana says she'll be sorry to leave Tara, but the Doctor won't; he didn't even catch one fish. Poor K9 is left floating helpless in the moat, as the Doctor laughs.

Peter Jeffrey, who plays Count Grendel, played the Pilot in the Troughton story THE MACRA TERROR and appeared with Mary Tamm in the 1974 film THE ODESSA FILE.

Simon Lack, who plays Zadek, played Professor Kettering in the Pertwee story THE MIND OF EVIL.

Declan Mulholland, who plays Till, played Clark in the Pertwee story THE SEA DEVILS.

Cyril Shaps, who plays the Archimandrite, played Professor Cleffe in PLANET OF THE SPIDERS and Lennox in THE AMBASSADORS OF DEATH, both Pertwee stories; and Viner in the Troughton story THE TOMB OF THE CYBERMEN.