PS Creativity > Reviews > The Classic Series > The Androids of Tara

One of the more interesting phenomena of the Doctor Who fan world is the way the tide of opinion on some stories shifts round over time, propelled largely by expectation. Certain stories are approached with such a weight of critical disregard that they can really only end up being enjoyed on the grounds that they can't possibly be worse than their reputation dictates. This positive re-appraisal then elevates them to a position where they can later be brought down by further revisionism. And so it goes on.

"The Androids of Tara" has always suffered something of a harsh judgement as I recall, but this time it seems less to do with any obvious failings and more with a lack of notable high points under which praise can be lazily bulletted. There are no major monsters and the adventure is largely an excuse for a breezy and entertaining tale of noble historical gallantry and a quest to crown the good King Reynart of Tara in the face of his opponent, the gentlemanly villain Count Grendel. It's exactly the sort of adventure Big Finish like to roll out nowadays.

The historical style of the story is skewed slightly by setting it on a planet other than Earth, a bold move which is a touch short on exposition. While the 'electro static' swords and unexplained Android culture gell delightfully with the richly designed costumes and sunny Leeds Castle location work, we're never really told where and when the story is occuring; is it set in the past or the future? Is Tara the planet (as the Doctor states) or, as is later implied, a city? For identification purposes, it would have helped if these things were sorted out from the off.

Nevertheless, if you can make peace with the culture presented, the story itself is a thoroughly enjoyable mix of swashbuckling and devious heroics. Peter Jeffries plays Count Grendel (a villain who, lest we forget, never actually kills anyone) as a mixture of scoundrel and spoilt noble. There's a thin line to be crossed when contrasting the events of a story and its chosen tone; "Delta and the Bannermen" for example, gets it completely wrong when its cheerful atmosphere of regime toppling is intruded on by the in-your-face murder of a whole busful of holiday campers. Happily, "Tara" never forces us to face the reality behind its consequences and everyone plays by the rules; Grendel is tossed back his sword when he drops it (just as the Doctor is awarded one to duel with) and he's even allowed a noble departure allowing him to live on and fight another day.

The working of the plot around the androids provides an interesting twist to an already interesting story, and so much the better that we don't get an android Tom Baker again. We do, unfortunately, get an android Mary Tamm, which doesn't quite work on account of the fact she plays both Romana and her doppelganger Princess Strella with as much charisma as their respective android doubles. In fact, with a dreadful performance from Simon Lack thrown in as well, it would be tempting to wonder if there wern't more androids present than is admitted on screen.

Ironically the one character that raises the most spirits really is full of circuits and wires; this is K9's best story without doubt, and his bantering with Tom, superiority at chess and eventual fate stranded in the middle of Castle Gracht's moat add further light touches of comedy to a thoroughly witty and summery script. It really is hard to see how the morally superior majority at the DWAS (or whoever it was that used to decide these things) got it so wrong with "The Androids of Tara". It must be one of those Doctor Who adventures which it's unfashionable to like; a well told story, a servicable bunch of actors and some brilliantly uplifting wit and humour. Still, if that means it's one more hidden treasure for the next generation to unearth, then all the better.

Originally posted by Si Hunt on April 17th 2003 at 10:05pm.

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