The Androids of Tara [TV/1978.11.25 ~ 12.16]

★★★★☆

  Who says Dr. Who should only pay homage to horror fiction? The Androids of Tara is famously a pastiche of The Prisoner of Zenda, and it's just as much of an high adventure as the source novel is. Royal marriages, kidnaps, swordfights and riding off into yonder with a hostage strapped to the back of your horse... I love how versatile Who can be sometimes, and how David Fisher added in Androids and electric swords into the mix just to make it science fiction; Season 16 is funny that way, almost like it's a bit more detached from fussy boring BBC drama policies than usual.

  I personally know a handful of people who say Androids of Tara isn't memorable, and I couldn't agree less. This is a wonderful serial; the high adventure spirit is... well, high, and with a lightning pace, the exciting story zips by before you know it. That's not a problem, though, because viewers are invited and encouraged to ride the waves and enjoy the proceedings -- and when said proceedings include double roles after double roles to portray android plots, the Doctor pretending to be bad at fencing (c'mon, regeneration's a lottery and all but his last incarnation was rather good at it) before flipping the table on the Count with such force, and an insane joke-per-second ratio thanks to one of Tom Baker's best turns as the Fourth Doctor on telly (I'm serious), viewers practically have no choice but to enjoy it. The Key to Time series puts out yet another amazing serial, and with everyone displaying their best work to make it even better than it is on paper, including Michael Hayes and his great command of location shoots, this is a rip-roaring sunny adventure that's easy on the eyes and even easier on the mind... perfect for endless rewatches. On a gloomy day, there's nothing quite like turning on The Androids of Tara.