5D. The Androids of Tara

TRANSMISSION DETAILS:

492. Part One                      25.11.78   6.20pm - 6.45pm   8.5M/45th/---
493. Part Two                      02.12.78   6.20pm - 6.45pm  10.1M/30th/65%
494. Part Three                    09.12.78   6.20pm - 6.45pm   8.9M/38th/---
495. Part Four                     16.12.78   6.20pm - 6.45pm   9.0M/45th/66%

     Part One                Thu   09.08.79   6.55pm - 7.20pm   6.2M/49th
     Part Two                      16.08.79   6.55pm - 7.20pm  10.4M/43rd
     Part Three                    23.08.79   6.55pm - 7.20pm  10.5M/43rd
     Part Four                     30.08.79   6.55pm - 7.20pm   9.6M/41st

COUNT GRENDEL OF GRACHT: Peter Jeffrey; SWORDSMASTER ZADEK: Simon Lack; PRINCE REYNART: Neville Jason; SWORDSMAN FARRAH: Paul Lavers; MADAME LAMIA: Lois Baxter (1-3); TILL: Declan Mulholland (1,3,4); ARCHIMANDRITE: Cyril Shaps (2-4); SERGEANT KURSTER: Martin Matthews (2-4). UNCREDITED: CREATURE: Ray Lavender (1); DOUBLE FOR ROMANA: Roberta Gibbs (1); PRINCESS STRELLA: Mary Tamm (2-4); DOUBLE FOR THE DOCTOR AND GRENDEL: Terry Walsh (4); GRACHT GUARDS: (all 2-4) Rodney Cardiff, Derek Carter, Steve Ismay, Mike Mungarvan, Gus Roy, Peter Roy, Tony Snell, Derek Suthern; PALACE GUARDS: (all 2-3) Tony O'Leary, Walter Turner, Reg Woods; PRIESTS: Ronald Gregory (2-3), Jay McGrath (2-3); NOBLES: (all 2-3) Kyle Adair, Charles Adey-Grey, Richard Atherton, James Delaney, Vernon Drake, Harold Horsham, Dennis Jennings, Jimmy Mac, Michael Moore, James O'Neil, Brychan Powell, Victor Reynolds, George Romanov, Evan Ross, Raymond St Clair, Roy Seeley, Philip Webb, Bill Whitehead, Lincoln White; COURT LADIES: (all 2-3) Delphine Auchterlonie, Enice Bennett, Barbara Bermel, Christine Cole, Angela Delaney, Helen Garton, Iris Roniger; EXTRAS: Ray Lavender (4), Alan Troy (2-3), Trevor Wedlock (2-3)

STORY:

The TARDIS lands on the planet Tara in the continuing quest to assemble the Key to Time. The Doctor insists of fishing, whilst Romana goes off alone to obtain the segment.

Romanma finds, and transforms, the fourth segment, part of a statue. After she has done that she is taken by Count Grendel. He is amazed how similar she is to Princess Strella, and that's when Count Grenddel gets an idea inside his head.

Prince Reynart is due to take the throne soon, but he is concerned that he will be assassinated. He has an android duplicate for this eventuallity. The Doctor is taken captive by Reynarts men, and asked to repair the android.

Meanwhile Grendel is haing android problems. His plan was for the real Strella to marry the Prince, then the Prince would be killed. Grendel would then marry Strella, taking her estates, and she would also be killed. As the real Strella would not co-operate he planned to use an android. But now he has Romana the plan was to change ...

STUDIOS: Television Centre Studio 1, Television Centre Studio 6

LOCATIONS: Leeds Castle, Kent

WORKING TITLES: The Prisoners of Zend, The Seeds of Time

NOTES: The opening titles give the episode number before the writer credit; this is the opposite to normal

NOVELISATION: The Androids of Tara Terrance Dicks

VIDEO: The Androids of Tara