5D. The Androids Of Tara

  • Script Editor: Anthony Read;
  • Writer: David Fisher;
  • Produced by: Graham Williams;
  • Director: Michael Hayes;
  • Designer: Valerie Warrender;
  • Incidental Music: Dudley Simpson;
  • Fight Arranger: Terry Walsh (4);

Programme Description

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.

Romana finds, and transforms, the fourth segment that was 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 Grendel 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 eventuality. The Doctor is taken captive by Reynart's men, and asked to repair the android.

Meanwhile Grendel is having android problems of his own. 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 ...

Regular Cast

  • Voice of K-9: John Leeson;
  • Romana: Mary Tamm;

Guest Cast

  • Count Grendel of Gracht: Peter Jeffrey;
  • Swordmaster Zadek: Simon Lack;
  • Prince Reynart: Neville Jason;
  • Swordsman Farrah: Paul Lavert;
  • Madame Lamia: Lois Baxter (1-3);
  • Till: Declan Mulholland (1,3-4);
  • Archimandrite: Cyril Shaps (2-4);
  • Sergeant Kurster: Martin Matthews (2-4);

  • UNCREDITED CAST:
  • 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);

Transmissions

ChannelEpisodeTitleDateViewersPosition
BBC 1 492 Part One Sat 25 Nov 1978 2518:20 - 18:45 8.5M 45th
BBC 1 493 Part Two Sat 2 Dec 1978 218:20 - 18:45 10.1M 30th
BBC 1 494 Part Three Sat 9 Dec 1978 918:20 - 18:45 8.9M 38th
BBC 1 495 Part Four Sat 16 Dec 1978 1618:20 - 18:45 9.0M 45th

Repeat Transmissions

ChannelTitleDateViewersPosition
BBC 1 Part One Thu 9 Aug 1979 18:55 - 19:20 6.2M 49th
BBC 1 Part Two Thu 16 Aug 1979 18:55 - 19:20 10.4M 43rd
BBC 1 Part Three Thu 23 Aug 1979 18:55 - 19:20 10.5M 43rd
BBC 1 Part Four Thu 30 Aug 1979 18:55 - 19:20 9.6M 41st

Locations

  • Leeds Castle, Kent;

Studios

  • Television Centre Studio 1;
  • Television Centre Studio 6;

Bloopers and Mistakes

This programme has no bloopers or mistakes. It's probably not perfect, just that they haven't been found or pointed out yet

Notes and Trivia

There is nothing to add about this programme

Working Titles

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