# The Android Invasion

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1975 Doctor Who serial

083 – The Android Invasion Doctor Who serial Cast Doctor Tom Baker – Fourth Doctor Companion Elisabeth Sladen – Sarah Jane Smith Others Ian Marter – Harry Sullivan John Levene – RSM Benton Milton Johns – Guy Crayford Martin Friend – Styggron Roy Skelton – Chedaki Stuart Fell – Kraal Peter Welch – Morgan Max Faulkner – Corporal Adams Dave Carter – Grierson Patrick Newell – Colonel Faraday Hugh Lund – Matthews Heather Emmanuel – Tessa Production Directed by Barry Letts Written by Terry Nation Script editor Robert Holmes Produced by Philip Hinchcliffe Executive producer None Music by Dudley Simpson Production code 4J Series Season 13 Running time 4 episodes, 25 minutes each First broadcast 22 November 1975 (1975-11-22) Last broadcast 13 December 1975 (1975-12-13) Chronology ← Preceded by Pyramids of Mars Followed by → The Brain of Morbius List of episodes (1963–1989)

***The Android Invasion*** is the fourth serial of the [thirteenth season](/source/Doctor_Who_season_13) of the British [science fiction television](/source/Science_fiction_television) series *[Doctor Who](/source/Doctor_Who)*, which was first broadcast in four weekly parts on [BBC1](/source/BBC_One) from 22 November to 13 December 1975.

The serial is set on the planet Oseidon and in England. In the serial, the alien race the Kraals plot to wipe out humanity with a virus to prepare the [Earth](/source/Earth) for their invasion.

The serial was directed by former series producer [Barry Letts](/source/Barry_Letts) and written by [Terry Nation](/source/Terry_Nation) — his first *Doctor Who* script for eleven years not to feature his creations, the [Daleks](/source/Dalek). The serial marks the last appearances in the programme of both [John Levene](/source/John_Levene) in his recurring role as [Sergeant Benton](/source/UNIT#Main_characters) and also of [Ian Marter](/source/Ian_Marter), who makes a guest appearance as previous companion [Harry Sullivan](/source/Harry_Sullivan_(Doctor_Who)).

## Plot

In the village of Devesham, the Doctor and Sarah Jane meet a group of humanoid robots in white suits and opaque helmets, who shoot at them with their index fingers. The Doctor and Sarah Jane flee to a pub, where the villagers wait motionless until the clock strikes, when they suddenly come to life, acting normally.

The Doctor finds his way to the local Space Defence Station and introduces himself to Senior Defence Astronaut Guy Crayford, who places the Doctor in a cell. It is revealed that Crayford is working for Styggron, the leader of an alien race called the Kraal. Sarah frees the Doctor and they escape, but they become separated and Sarah is captured. Styggron tells Crayford to locate, but not seize, the Doctor.

The mask of Styggron at the National Space Centre.

The Doctor returns to the village and encounters an android copy of Sarah Jane, sent to test his knowledge and abilities. The real Sarah is kept alive so Styggron can test the virus he intends to use on Earth. The Doctor escapes from the android but is recaptured and locked up with the real Sarah. The Doctor explains that the Kraal planet will soon be uninhabitable due to high levels of radiation, so the Kraal plan to eradicate humanity and take over Earth. The duplicated village was a training ground. Crayford explains that he is helping the Kraals because they rescued him and reconstructed his body, while Earth left him for dead.

Sarah and the Doctor escape aboard Crayford's rocket and travel to Earth to warn the real defence station while being followed by android duplicates of themselves. They land separately on Earth in their pods, and Sarah finds the TARDIS in the woods. When Crayford's rocket lands, Colonel Faraday and Harry Sullivan head there, not knowing that Styggron is there with Crayford. The real Doctor enters the Station and meets Benton, who tells him where Harry and Faraday are. The Doctor contacts them by radio and urges them not to enter the rocket.

The real Doctor explains the Kraal invasion to Faraday and Sullivan, but they have been replaced. The android Doctor enters and threatens the Doctor with a gun but he escapes. After dodging pursuit, the Doctor makes his way back to the Space Defence Station's control room, where he had given a technician instructions to prepare a device that would disable the androids. The android Doctor intervenes and holds the Doctor at gunpoint, preventing him from activating the device, but Crayford enters, saying that Styggron promised no killing. The real Doctor tells him that the Kraal did not reconstruct him but merely brainwashed him. Realising the truth, Crayford rushes out, distracting the android long enough for the Doctor to make his move. In the struggle, the Doctor activates the device, which jams all the androids in mid-step.

Meanwhile, Crayford attacks Styggron on his ship. The two grapple and Styggron shoots Crayford. The Doctor enters and defeats Styggron, using his reprogrammed duplicate android as a distraction.

## Production

[East Hagbourne](/source/East_Hagbourne), [Oxfordshire](/source/Oxfordshire), used as the location for the village of Devesham

The story was influenced by the film *[Invasion of the Body Snatchers](/source/Invasion_of_the_Body_Snatchers)* (1956) and would be the last [Terry Nation](/source/Terry_Nation) script for *Doctor Who* for four years until his final script for the series, *[Destiny of the Daleks](/source/Destiny_of_the_Daleks)* (1979). This was the first script by Nation since *[The Keys of Marinus](/source/The_Keys_of_Marinus)* (1964) that did not feature the Daleks.

Location filming for the Kraal-replicated village of Devesham took place in [East Hagbourne](/source/East_Hagbourne), [Oxfordshire](/source/Oxfordshire), a few miles from [Didcot](/source/Didcot). Scenes outside the Space Defence Station were filmed at the [National Radiological Protection Board](/source/National_Radiological_Protection_Board) at nearby [Harwell](/source/Harwell%2C_Oxfordshire).[1]

### Cast notes

Nicholas Courtney was unavailable to play Lethbridge-Stewart,[2] so his character was rewritten as Colonel Faraday. Ian Marter would continue his acting career and go on to write several *Doctor Who* novelisations, an original novel featuring Harry and an unused screenplay, *Doctor Who Meets Scratchman*, the last with Tom Baker. He died in 1986 from diabetes-related health complications.

Only three Kraals are seen throughout the story. Styggron was played by Martin Friend. Marshal Chedaki was played by [Roy Skelton](/source/Roy_Skelton).[3] The silent Kraal underling that appears in one scene was played by the series' long-time stuntman [Stuart Fell](/source/Stuart_Fell). [Milton Johns](/source/Milton_Johns) had appeared as Benik in *[The Enemy of the World](/source/The_Enemy_of_the_World)* (1967–68), also directed by Barry Letts. His next appearance in *Doctor Who* would be as Castellan Kelner in *[The Invasion of Time](/source/The_Invasion_of_Time)* (1978).[4]

## Broadcast and reception

Episode Title Run time Original release date UK viewers (millions) [5] 1 "Part One" 24:21 22 November 1975 (1975-11-22) 11.9 2 "Part Two" 24:30 29 November 1975 (1975-11-29) 11.3 3 "Part Three" 24:50 6 December 1975 (1975-12-06) 12.1 4 "Part Four" 24:30 13 December 1975 (1975-12-13) 11.4

The depiction of androids was similar to other television series of the period, such as *[The Bionic Woman](/source/The_Bionic_Woman)*.

[Kenneth Williams](/source/Kenneth_Williams) briefly mentioned viewing episode two of this story in his diaries, writing on 29 November 1975, "*Doctor Who* gets more and more silly."[6] [Paul Cornell](/source/Paul_Cornell), [Martin Day](/source/Martin_Day_(writer)), and [Keith Topping](/source/Keith_Topping) gave the serial a negative review in *[The Discontinuity Guide](/source/The_Discontinuity_Guide)* (1995), writing that it was "stupid, tiresome and very irritating".[7] In *The Television Companion* (1998), David J Howe and Stephen James Walker reported that the serial had a mixed reception. They wrote that the Kraals were "somewhat unoriginal but otherwise reasonable addition", with average effects and the actors making the most of it. They also praised the direction but wrote that the plot was too far-fetched.[8] In 2010, Mark Braxton of *[Radio Times](/source/Radio_Times)* awarded it two stars out of five, writing that *The Android Invasion* was the weak link in the season. He criticised the plotting and use of UNIT but was more positive towards the way the story played around with the android duplicates of characters.[9] [DVD Talk](/source/DVD_Talk)'s Ian Jane gave the serial three-and-a-half out of five stars, saying that it "may not be the deepest or for that matter the most original of stories told in the series but it's a fun tale that breezes by at a good pace". He praised the location work and the androids and white robots.[10] *[SFX](/source/SFX_(magazine))* reviewer Ian Berriman also criticised the far-fetched plot, but said that it was "as enjoyable as it is unlikely".[11]

*The Android Invasion* was reviewed favourably by [John Kenneth Muir](/source/John_Kenneth_Muir), who described it as "an atmosphere-laden suspense thriller", despite finding some deficiencies in the storyline, which he referred to as an [idiot plot](/source/Idiot_plot). Muir praised the [conceit](/source/Conceit) of frightening, android duplicates of familiar people, and he traced influences from the films *[Invasion of the Body Snatchers](/source/Invasion_of_the_Body_Snatchers)* (1956) and *[The Stepford Wives](/source/The_Stepford_Wives_(1975_film))* (1975). He also notes the similarity of the depiction of androids in *Doctor Who* to the [Fembots](/source/Fembot) that appeared the following year in [The Bionic Woman](/source/The_Bionic_Woman) television series ("Kill Oscar", 1976), with "faces filled with circuitry and round, lifeless orbs for eyes". Another familiar science-fiction device used in *The Android Invasion* is that of artificial duplicate settings; Muir considered that the "fake" village of Devesham imitated scenarios seen in earlier television series such as *[Star Trek](/source/Star_Trek%3A_The_Original_Series)* ("[The Mark of Gideon](/source/The_Mark_of_Gideon)", 1969), *[UFO](/source/UFO_(British_TV_series))* ("[Reflections in the Water](/source/Reflections_in_the_Water)", 1971) and *[Space: 1999](/source/Space%3A_1999)* ("[One Moment of Humanity](/source/One_Moment_of_Humanity)").[12]

## Commercial releases

### In print

Doctor Who and the Android Invasion Author Terrance Dicks Cover artist Roy Knipe Series Doctor Who book: Target novelisations Release number (Assigned 2, but never used) Publisher Target Books Publication date 16 November 1978 ISBN 0-426-20037-3

A novelisation of this serial, written by [Terrance Dicks](/source/Terrance_Dicks), was published by [Target Books](/source/Target_Books) in November 1978. The novelisation was later designated number 2 when Target opted to number the first seventy-three novelisations alphabetically; however no edition using the number was ever released.

### Home media

*The Android Invasion* was released on [VHS](/source/VHS) in February 1995. The serial was released on DVD in the US on 9 January 2012 as a stand-alone, and again on 9 January 2012 alongside *[Invasion of the Dinosaurs](/source/Invasion_of_the_Dinosaurs)*, coupled as the "UNIT Files" box set in the UK.[13] This serial was released as part of the [Doctor Who DVD Files](/source/Doctor_Who_DVD_Files) in Issue 126 on 30 October 2013.[*[citation needed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed)*]

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** Campbell, Mark (2011). ["83. the Android Invasion"](https://books.google.com/books?id=ab2eBAAAQBAJ&q=%22doctor%20who%22%20East%20Hagbourne&pg=PT71). *A brief guide to Doctor Who*. London: Constable & Robinson Ltd. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [9781849018869](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/9781849018869). Retrieved 3 November 2016.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** ["Interview with Nicholas Courtney"](https://www.kaldorcity.com/people/ncinterview.html).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** ["The Android Invasion ★★"](https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/sci-fi/doctor-who-guide/the-android-invasion/).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-radiotimes.com_4-0)** Braxton, Mark (21 July 2010). ["The Android Invasion"](http://www.radiotimes.com/blog/2010-07-21/the-android-invasion). *Radio Times*. Retrieved 15 August 2016.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-AllRatings_5-0)** ["Ratings Guide"](http://guide.doctorwhonews.net/info.php?detail=ratings&type=date). *Doctor Who News*. Retrieved 28 May 2017.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-bbc.co.uk_6-0)** ["Doctor Who Classic Episode Guide – The Android Invasion"](https://web.archive.org/web/20201208210631/http://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/classic/episodeguide/androidinvasion/detail.shtml). *[BBC](/source/BBC)*. Archived from [the original](https://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/classic/episodeguide/androidinvasion/detail.shtml) on 8 December 2020. Retrieved 15 August 2016.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-discontinuity_7-0)** [Cornell, Paul](/source/Paul_Cornell); [Day, Martin](/source/Martin_Day_(writer)); [Topping, Keith](/source/Keith_Topping) (1995). ["The Android Invasion"](https://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/classic/episodeguide/androidinvasion/detail.shtml). *[The Discontinuity Guide](/source/The_Discontinuity_Guide)*. London: [Virgin Books](/source/Virgin_Books). [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [0-426-20442-5](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-426-20442-5).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-television_companion_8-0)** [Howe, David J](/source/David_J._Howe) & [Walker, Stephen James](/source/Stephen_James_Walker) (1998). [*Doctor Who: The Television Companion*](https://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/classic/episodeguide/androidinvasion/detail.shtml) (1st ed.). London: [BBC Books](/source/BBC_Books). [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-0-563-40588-7](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-563-40588-7).{{[cite book](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:Cite_book)}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list ([link](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:CS1_maint:_multiple_names:_authors_list))

1. **[^](#cite_ref-Radio_Times_9-0)** Braxton, Mark (21 July 2010). ["Doctor Who: The Android Invasion"](http://www.radiotimes.com/news/2010-07-21/the-android-invasion). *[Radio Times](/source/Radio_Times)*. Retrieved 10 April 2013.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-DVD_Talk_10-0)** Jane, Ian (18 January 2012). ["Doctor Who: The Android Invasion"](https://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/53104/doctor-who-the-android-invasion/). [DVD Talk](/source/DVD_Talk). Retrieved 10 April 2013.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-SFX_review_11-0)** Berriman, Ian (6 January 2012). ["Doctor Who: UNIT Files DVD Review"](https://www.sfx.co.uk/2012/01/06/doctor-who-unit-files-dvd-review/). *[SFX](/source/SFX_(magazine))*. Retrieved 10 April 2013.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-Muir_12-0)** Muir, John Kenneth (15 September 2015). ["The Series: Season 13"](https://books.google.com/books?id=qMKSCgAAQBAJ&q=doctor%20who%20robot%20king%20kong&pg=PA241). *A Critical History of Doctor Who on Television*. McFarland. pp. 241–3. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [9781476604541](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/9781476604541). Retrieved 10 November 2016.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-13)** ["DVD Schedule Update"](https://www.doctorwhonews.net/2011/05/dwn030511125312-dvd-schedule-update.html). Doctor Who News. 5 March 2011. Retrieved 9 October 2013.

## External links

Wikiquote has quotations related to ***[Fourth Doctor](https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Fourth_Doctor)***.

- [*The Android Invasion*](https://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/classic/episodeguide/androidinvasion) at [BBC Online](/source/BBC_Online)

- [*The Android Invasion*](https://tardis.wiki/wiki/The_Android_Invasion_(TV_story)) on [Tardis Wiki](https://tardis.wiki/wiki/), the *Doctor Who* Wiki

- [*The Android Invasion*](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eD7euBa1lwA) on [YouTube](/source/YouTube_video_(identifier))

### Target novelisation

- [*Doctor Who and the Android Invasion*](https://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/title.cgi?10578) title listing at the [Internet Speculative Fiction Database](/source/Internet_Speculative_Fiction_Database)

v t e Doctor Who episodes Original series Season 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 Film Missing episodes Revived series Series 1 2 3 4 2008–2010 specials 5 6 7 2013 specials 8 9 10 11 12 13 2022 specials 2023 specials 14 15 Season 13 Terror of the Zygons Planet of Evil Pyramids of Mars The Android Invasion The Brain of Morbius The Seeds of Doom Christmas and New Year's specials Supplementary episodes Missing episodes

Links to related articles v t e Doctor Who: Fourth Doctor stories Stories Season 12 Robot The Ark in Space The Sontaran Experiment Genesis of the Daleks Revenge of the Cybermen Season 13 Terror of the Zygons Planet of Evil Pyramids of Mars The Android Invasion The Brain of Morbius The Seeds of Doom Season 14 The Masque of Mandragora The Hand of Fear The Deadly Assassin The Face of Evil The Robots of Death The Talons of Weng-Chiang Season 15 Horror of Fang Rock The Invisible Enemy Image of the Fendahl The Sun Makers Underworld The Invasion of Time Season 16 The Ribos Operation The Pirate Planet The Stones of Blood The Androids of Tara The Power of Kroll The Armageddon Factor Season 17 Destiny of the Daleks City of Death The Creature from the Pit Nightmare of Eden The Horns of Nimon Shada (unaired) Season 18 The Leisure Hive Meglos Full Circle State of Decay Warriors' Gate The Keeper of Traken Logopolis Minor appearances Planet of the Spiders "The Name of the Doctor" "The Day of the Doctor" "The Witch's Familiar" See also "The Five Doctors" Dimensions in Time The Fourth Doctor Adventures Video games Dalek Attack Destiny of the Doctors Legacy Lego Dimensions v t e Doctor Who: Sarah Jane Smith stories Television Third Doctor The Time Warrior Invasion of the Dinosaurs Death to the Daleks The Monster of Peladon Planet of the Spiders Fourth Doctor Robot The Ark in Space The Sontaran Experiment Genesis of the Daleks Revenge of the Cybermen Terror of the Zygons Planet of Evil Pyramids of Mars The Android Invasion The Brain of Morbius The Seeds of Doom The Masque of Mandragora The Hand of Fear Fifth Doctor "The Five Doctors" Tenth Doctor "School Reunion" "The Stolen Earth" / "Journey's End" Other appearances Major K-9 and Company Minor "The End of Time" Audio The Pescatons The Paradise of Death The Ghosts of N-Space See also Dimensions in Time The Sarah Jane Adventures template v t e Doctor Who: UNIT stories Television Second Doctor The Invasion Third Doctor Spearhead from Space Doctor Who and the Silurians The Ambassadors of Death Inferno Terror of the Autons The Mind of Evil The Claws of Axos The Dæmons Day of the Daleks The Time Monster The Three Doctors The Green Death Invasion of the Dinosaurs Planet of the Spiders Fourth Doctor Robot Terror of the Zygons The Android Invasion The Seeds of Doom Seventh Doctor Battlefield Tenth Doctor "The Christmas Invasion" "The Sontaran Stratagem" / "The Poison Sky" "Planet of the Dead" Eleventh Doctor "The Power of Three" "The Day of the Doctor" Twelfth Doctor "Death in Heaven" "The Zygon Invasion" / "The Zygon Inversion" Thirteenth Doctor "Survivors of the Flux" "The Power of the Doctor" Fourteenth Doctor "The Star Beast" "The Giggle" Fifteenth Doctor "The Legend of Ruby Sunday" / "Empire of Death" "Lucky Day" "Wish World" / "The Reality War" Other appearances Major Death of the Doctor The War Between the Land and the Sea Minor Colony in Space The Mutants The Time Warrior The Seeds of Doom "The Five Doctors" "Aliens of London" / "World War Three" "The Sound of Drums" / "Last of the Time Lords" "Fragments" "Turn Left" "The Stolen Earth" / "Journey's End" Children of Earth "The End of Time" "The Bells of Saint John" "The Magician's Apprentice" "The Return of Doctor Mysterio" "73 Yards" Spin-offs Wartime Downtime Auton See also The Web of Fear Mawdryn Undead Dimensions in Time Scream of the Shalka "Resolution" Audio Radio plays The Paradise of Death The Ghosts of N-Space UNIT The Coup Time Heals Snake Head The Longest Night The Wasting Dominion Torchwood "Lost Souls" "Submission" The Fourth Doctor Adventures Trail of the White Worm / The Oseidon Adventure Other The Spectre of Lanyon Moor Death Comes to Time The Lost Stories Serpent Crest The Companion Chronicles

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