Doctor Who and the Giant Robot
- greatbigquiveringp
- Mar 13, 1975
- 2 min read
'The first adventure of DOCTOR WHO's 4th incredible incarnation!'
I'm not entirely clear on what's 'incredible' here. It's very much not 'incredible 4th incarnation' so, unlike the book itself, it's not just a peaon to how great Tom Baker is so it must be saying that there have been three previous incarnations that have been great and here's another one. Fortunately, that doesn't leave any out but it does mean that Target's view is that each incarnation is separate and, luckily, incredible, rather than the character himself is incredible and each incarnation can just be taken as read. Which of course means I'll be eagerly looking out for the first time a new Doctor's first adventure doesn't attract such hyperbole but also suggests a stronger line being drawn between Doctors than I suspect you'd get nowadays. Or I might be over-reading this one.
What I don't think I'm over-reading is how much of an impact the Giant Robot seems to have made. Despite just the one appearance, it's commemorated in toy form two years later (in 1977, as part of a collection with considerably more understandable dolls of the Doctor, Leela, a Dalek and a Cyberman (https://squarebluebox.wordpress.com/tag/giant-robot-toy/)) and in a jigsaw three years later (in 1978 (http://www.doctorwhotoybox.co.uk/index.php/page/item/sec/16056304711/sub/12862635725/ino/11844862860/title/Enemies_of_Doctor_Who_Jigsaws__set_of_four_)). The toy announces the Giant Robot as one of the Doctor's 'DEADLIEST ENEMIES' and describes it as 'The Robot that controls the World' while the jigsaw depicts multiple Robots defending what looks like a post-apocalyptic world from a fleet of flying saucers.
What's clear here is that the design is rather more important to its commemoration than its concept. However, at least with regards to the toy, it seems to trump the Sontarans (with two appearances, one more recent that 'Robot') and the Ice Warriors (four appearances) as well as more recent design successes/concept failures like the Kraals or the Fendahleens, never mind monsters that were actively good and wouldn't need such ambitious reimagining.
At this point, I'd love to offer a theory as to why the Giant Robot made such an impression but I've got nothing. It's so at odds with what I made of the actual story I can only suggest the toymakers feared the Fendahleen (effectively a ribbed green tube with little handles) would lead to a plastic rendition even less recognisable than their Tom Baker or, more plausibly even though not very plausible at all, worried it might be too tempting to use for purposes inappropriate for a children's toy.
Anyway, for a sneering pretense at analysis of the actual novelisation, click on the front cover on the right.
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