Random Facts About.... Robot

[Peri-Peri]

If you know anything random or interesting about Robot then share it in here

[Peri-Peri]

This was the first story to reveal the Brigs middle name as Gordon

[Roranicus]

This was the first serial filmed entirely on videotape.

[Tardis-Console]

The story was influenced by King Kong and I, Robot

[Exterminate]

Hiding the TARDIS key in his shoe was meant as a nod to Pertwees first story

[Aneurin]

The story was influenced by King Kong and I, Robot

I didn't realise I, Robot was that old. I thought it was far more recent

[Aneurin]

Hiding the TARDIS key in his shoe was meant as a nod to Pertwees first story

Show how much attention I paid. I don't remember it happening in either.

[Nyki]

The story was influenced by King Kong and I, Robot

I didn't realise I, Robot was that old. I thought it was far more recent

I, Robot was a book of short stories, although they followed a vague chronology, that were mostly written in the 1940s.  I wouldn't say this was particularly based on anything in it, but pretty much anything about robots since then has been loosely based on the three laws of robotics that Asimov developed for the stories.  The idea was that there were three over-riding directives that would have to be programmed into any robot that was going to function in human society.  They were (from memory, so perhaps not word-perfect):

1. A robot must not harm a human, or by inaction allow a human to come to harm.
2. A robot must obey any order given by a human, unless to do so would violate the first law.
3. A robot must protect its existence, unless to do so would violate the first or second law.

The three laws (especially the first) are often quoted in SF without any credit - in Star Trek, for instance.  Both Robot and The Robots of Death are fundamentally based on them - The Robots of Death is actually very like one of Asimov's robot whodunnits.

[Oh-Wise-One]

This was the first serial filmed entirely on videotape.

I've never really understood all the differences between tape and film and whatnot. I thought it was all the same until a little while back, but I probably wouldn't be able to tell the difference

[Twisted-Sister]

This was the first serial filmed entirely on videotape.

I've never really understood all the differences between tape and film and whatnot. I thought it was all the same until a little while back, but I probably wouldn't be able to tell the difference

I'm the same. I don't understand the different types either. There was a thing about it in last months DWM but I still didn't fully get it. I didn't realise there was so much option.

[Vampyros Adric]

This was the first serial filmed entirely on videotape.

I've never really understood all the differences between tape and film and whatnot. I thought it was all the same until a little while back, but I probably wouldn't be able to tell the difference

I'm the same. I don't understand the different types either. There was a thing about it in last months DWM but I still didn't fully get it. I didn't realise there was so much option.

It has really become a problem with the transfer of stories onto DVD and the computer cleaning up process that 2Entertain use to "digitally remaster" the pictures. Its probably most noticeable on a story such as "The Time Warrior" where the outside filming is done using a 35 mm film camera and the interior set stuff is done on U-Matic (Industrial) video. The reason all studio work was done on video was that it was cheaper (you could reuse the video tape) the downside being that video technology in the early seventies wasn't very portable where as shooting everything on 35mm film was expensive but all you needed was a film camera and some lights.

The film quality is a lot "grainier" and not as sharp but almost everyone prefers the film to video (which gives a very harsh picture). Any early DVD release involving studio and location work will really highlight it.

[Vampyros Adric]

Actress Patricia Maynard who plays Hilda Winters was Dennis Waterman's second wife and their daughter, Hannah went on to marry Ian Beale in Eastenders!

[Vampyros Adric]

Michael Kilgarriff (the actor who played the robot) also played the Cyber Controller in Tomb of the Cybermen

[Vampyros Adric]

The character of Harry Sullivan made his debut in this story. The character was introduced because, at the time of writing and pre-production, Barry Letts had offered the role of the Doctor to (firstly) Fulton Mackay and when he turned it down (due to his commitments as Prison Officer Mackay on TV sitcom 'Porridge') the role was offered to Graham Crowden (who refused a 3 year contract on the grounds it would interfere with his theatre work). As both of these were seen as 'older' men, Harry was introduced for any "action" scenes!

[Nyki]

However, Harry was actually mentioned (though didn't appear) in Planet of the Spiders.  When the Brig thinks the Doctor's gone off into a trance, he phones up the medical department and asks "Sullivan" to come over, but cancels that when the Doctor recovers.

[Vampyros Adric]

This was the last time Bessie was driven by the current incarnation of the Doctor (she did, however, make a memorable final appearance in the Five Doctors driven by Jon Pertwee)

[Nyki]

This was the last time Bessie was driven by the current incarnation of the Doctor (she did, however, make a memorable final appearance in the Five Doctors driven by Jon Pertwee)

Doesn't Bessie reappear in Battlefield too?

[Vampyros Adric]

This was the last time Bessie was driven by the current incarnation of the Doctor (she did, however, make a memorable final appearance in the Five Doctors driven by Jon Pertwee)

Doesn't Bessie reappear in Battlefield too?

Ahhh! I'm glad you spotted my deliberate mistake

[EDIT: I'd totally forgotten about Battlefield]