'The Robots of Death' (4 Parts) Story Code '4R' by Chris Boucher

The TARDIS lands aboard a huge Sandminer, which is traversing an alien world and mining it for its precious minerals. A small crew of humans, aided by humanoid robot servants, maintains the miner. The robots are divided into three classes: the speechless Dums, the speaking Vocs, and a controlling Super Voc. After an unknown killer murders a crewmember, Commander Uvanov blames the Doctor and Leela for the killings. However, the time travellers are able to gain the confidence of two undercover investigators, Poul and his robot associated, DV8, a Super Voc posing as a Dum. As the remaining crewmembers are killed off one by one by the mysterious assailant, the Doctor and Leela discover that the robots have become homicidal. The real killer is revealed to be one of the crewmembers, Dask, who is actually Tarren Capel, a robot scientist. Capel has been raised by robots, and sees them as superior to humans; he has reprogrammed the miner's robots, and ordered them to slaughter the rest of the crew, in a bid to destroy humanity. The Doctor is captured by Capel, but tricks him into revealing his plans for conquest, whilst Leela, hiding in a ventilation duct, releases helium into the room. The gas alters Capel's voice, and his own robots kill him, as they are no longer able to recognise their master's voice.

Tom Baker (Doctor Who), Louise Jameson (Leela), Russell Hunter (Uvanov), Pamela Salem (Toos), David Bailie (Dask), David Collings (Poul), Brian Croucher (Borg), Tania Rogers (Zilda), Tariq Yunus (Cass), Rob Edwards (Chub) Gregory de Ponlay (D.84), Miles Fothergill (S.V.7); Mark Blackwell Baker, John Bleasdale, Mark Cooper, Peter Langtry, Jeremy Ranchev, Richard Seager (Robots)

Produced by Philip Hinchcliffe
Directed by Michael E. Briant

TX:
Part 1 - 29th January, 1977 @ 6.20pm - 6.45pm
Part 2 - 5th February, 1977 @ 6.30pm - 6.55pm
Part 3 - 12th February, 1977 @ 6.20pm - 6.45pm
Part 4 - 19th February, 1977 @ 6.25pm - 6.50pm

Notes:
*Featuring the Fourth Doctor and Leela

*Working titles: 'The Storm-Mine Murders' and 'Planet of the Robots'