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Big Finish: Monthly Range #149
Doctor Who: Robophobia
Nothing has ever been officially confirmed, but there is a rumour that on a Sandminer, bound for Kaldor City, the robots somehow turned homicidal and nearly wiped out the entire crew. Can that really be true?
The robot transport ship Lorelei has a cargo of over 157,000 robots on board, all deactivated. So even if there were any truth in the rumour of that massacre, there'd still be no danger. Surely, there wouldn't...
But then, the Doctor witnesses a murder.
The robot transport ship Lorelei has a cargo of over 157,000 robots on board, all deactivated. So even if there were any truth in the rumour of that massacre, there'd still be no danger. Surely, there wouldn't...
But then, the Doctor witnesses a murder.
Audio CD
First published July 1, 2011
3 people are currently reading
87 people want to read
About the author
Nicholas Briggs
376 books133 followersNicholas Briggs is a British actor and writer, predominantly associated with the BBC science fiction television series Doctor Who and its various spin-offs. Some of Briggs' earliest Doctor Who-related work was as host of The Myth Makers, a series of made-for-video documentaries produced in the 1980s and 1990s by Reeltime Pictures in which Briggs interviews many of the actors and writers involved in the series. When Reeltime expanded into producing original dramas, Briggs wrote some stories and acted in others, beginning with War Time, the first unofficial Doctor Who spin-off, and Myth Runner, a parody of Blade Runner showcasing bloopers from the Myth Makers series built around a loose storyline featuring Briggs as a down on his luck private detective in the near future.
He wrote and appeared in several made-for-video dramas by BBV, including the third of the Stranger stories, In Memory Alone opposite former Doctor Who stars Colin Baker and Nicola Bryant. He also wrote and appeared in a non-Stranger BBV production called The Airzone Solution (1993) and directed a documentary film, Stranger than Fiction (1994).
Briggs has directed many of the Big Finish Productions audio plays, and has provided Dalek, Cybermen, and other alien voices in several of those as well. He has also written and directed the Dalek Empire and Cyberman audio plays for Big Finish. In 2006, Briggs took over from Gary Russell as executive producer of the Big Finish Doctor Who audio range.
Briggs co-wrote a Doctor Who book called The Dalek Survival Guide.
Since Doctor Who returned to television in 2005, Briggs has provided the voices for several monsters, most notably the Daleks and the Cybermen. Briggs also voiced the Nestene Consciousness in the 2005 episode "Rose", and recorded a voice for the Jagrafess in the 2005 episode "The Long Game"; however, this was not used in the final episode because it was too similar to the voice of the Nestene Consciousness. He also provided the voices for the Judoon in both the 2007 and 2008 series. On 9 July 2009, Briggs made his first appearance in the Doctor Who spin-off Torchwood in the serial Children of Earth, playing Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary Rick Yates.
He wrote and appeared in several made-for-video dramas by BBV, including the third of the Stranger stories, In Memory Alone opposite former Doctor Who stars Colin Baker and Nicola Bryant. He also wrote and appeared in a non-Stranger BBV production called The Airzone Solution (1993) and directed a documentary film, Stranger than Fiction (1994).
Briggs has directed many of the Big Finish Productions audio plays, and has provided Dalek, Cybermen, and other alien voices in several of those as well. He has also written and directed the Dalek Empire and Cyberman audio plays for Big Finish. In 2006, Briggs took over from Gary Russell as executive producer of the Big Finish Doctor Who audio range.
Briggs co-wrote a Doctor Who book called The Dalek Survival Guide.
Since Doctor Who returned to television in 2005, Briggs has provided the voices for several monsters, most notably the Daleks and the Cybermen. Briggs also voiced the Nestene Consciousness in the 2005 episode "Rose", and recorded a voice for the Jagrafess in the 2005 episode "The Long Game"; however, this was not used in the final episode because it was too similar to the voice of the Nestene Consciousness. He also provided the voices for the Judoon in both the 2007 and 2008 series. On 9 July 2009, Briggs made his first appearance in the Doctor Who spin-off Torchwood in the serial Children of Earth, playing Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary Rick Yates.
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
September 5, 2012
Some Spoilers here:
My expectations for Robophobia were, perhaps, unreasonably high. It seemed hyped a bit before its release, and Nicholas Briggs seemed rather excited about having written and put it together. I really like Robots of Death a lot, thinking that its worst fault is that it should clearly have been called Corpse marker instead. So, yes, I was really looking forward to Robophobia.
It's intriguing enough and kept me listening, but I'm a bit on the fence about it. In some ways it's a very intelligent and humane script, acted very well by all performers. I really liked Liv; in fact, I'm a huge fan of this whole Seventh Doctor travelling alone stuff, because while he seems to have allies in most stories, they never do fully get round to trusting in him, anything can happen, and McCoy's Doctor seems to love putting on the most mysterious face, sometimes to his own disadvantage.
All right, so the setup seems for a very short time to be similar to that of Robots of Death, but we quickly learn that isn't the case. Sadly, what is really happening isn't terribly convincing for me, and while I appreciated the reversal attempt (the robots are the victims this time, sort of), by the third episode I felt a need for a new twist to arrive, and none really came. It has to be pretty obvious to everyone who the culprit really is: He's the only one of the crew who's been acting completely on edge and agitated the entire story; the only one, bar the company agent, who would seem to have access to every corner of the ship. I guess the story isn't really supposed to be a "whodunit", but despite the attempt to give Farel some pathos and sympathy in the end, I think Dasc/Taran Capel was a much more interesting character. He had the ability to alter robot brains, and had the heart of a confused revolutionary. Farel is just a sad, pathetic loser dressing up in a suit. I guess that's the very idea the story's going for though, and I shouldn't blame it for succeeding in making him a figure of far less-than-menace.
What's more, I'm not really impressed with Robophobia's psychology. Robophobia may be a common problem in this human future, but I'm willing to bet that most robophobics don't go on killing sprees; they'd be more likely to be jumpy and nervous, or go catatonic like Poule from RoD. A guy who snaps because he thinks robots killed his wife (indirectly, I might add), who wants to destroy all robots and doesn't have qualms about killing humans to get there, but needs to impersonate that which he hates in order to do said killing...ah yes, there we definitely have a psychotic, in answer to Liv's question, one who exhibits some kind of multiple personality disorder as well as antisocial traits. For some reason though, the Doctor is quick to deny this, blaming all on robophobia. I think the script may have an axe to grind here, but I'm a little foggy on what it is.
I also feel as though it's trying to have it both ways in its treatment of robots. They don't act like living beings, yet the Doctor insists they should be treated as such, likening their potential destruction to genocide. At the same time, I see what he and the script are getting at. Can a machine immitate the process of thinking? If it can, it is basically a thinking machine. The robot demonstrates its ability to think at the very end by piloting the ship into the sun, saving all the humans but destroying the robots on board. Even if this isn't an altruistic act (as the robot says, they are programmed to behave in such a way), it would seem to be an act of ottomonous thought, which would make the robots a form of life, at a stretch. There's a bit of ambiguity here, and not much hand-wringing or speechmaking, and I appreciate that. The robots manage to make you think while remaining completely in character. Strange, I began this paragraph as a criticism and somehow got turned round into praising the story. That's quite neat, actually.
There's an awful lot of people running around and shouting at each other over communicators, I'm afraid, which could work in an action-packed story, but there really isn't a lot going on in Robophobia to justify all the frantic yelling...I believe the phrase "What the hell was that?" must have been uttered about two dozen times within the first three episodes! That communicator effect gets a little trying after a while, for me, especially with music and other noise going on. I also find it amusing that the robots have these smoothe, almost-perfectly-human voices, yet the ship's computer makes its pronouncements in a voice that's slightly less comprehensible than a voice synthesiser from the early 1980s!
I think the cast was a bit small and didn't really succeed in capturing the scale of the ship, to the point where I was a little dumbfounded that it would take them over twelve minutes of running to get to the escape pod, until I remembered the ship had a cargo bay stuffed with over 200,000 robots. I think scale is often a problem with these plays; it's good to focus on the drama of a few individuals, but it's too easy to forget that we're dealing with a city or a giant space station instead of a family in a room, or a few close friends. I did like the way these characters were depicted though....very individual and with their own distinct traits that exist for their own sake, rather than to facilitate the story. There's no real reason for the captain to be absent-minded and irritable and kind of spaced out, other than that that's just the way it is, and in the end that doesn't bare any significance to the story...and you know, I can roll with that, because that's the way people really are sometimes and there's no deeper meaning behind it. Farel, though, is another matter.
Still worthy, I think, just a little less than I was hoping for. I love McCoy in this; I seem to be always praising him, but I'm going to do it again. His quiet surprise at the robot's action in the end is a heartfelt and powerful moment.
My expectations for Robophobia were, perhaps, unreasonably high. It seemed hyped a bit before its release, and Nicholas Briggs seemed rather excited about having written and put it together. I really like Robots of Death a lot, thinking that its worst fault is that it should clearly have been called Corpse marker instead. So, yes, I was really looking forward to Robophobia.
It's intriguing enough and kept me listening, but I'm a bit on the fence about it. In some ways it's a very intelligent and humane script, acted very well by all performers. I really liked Liv; in fact, I'm a huge fan of this whole Seventh Doctor travelling alone stuff, because while he seems to have allies in most stories, they never do fully get round to trusting in him, anything can happen, and McCoy's Doctor seems to love putting on the most mysterious face, sometimes to his own disadvantage.
All right, so the setup seems for a very short time to be similar to that of Robots of Death, but we quickly learn that isn't the case. Sadly, what is really happening isn't terribly convincing for me, and while I appreciated the reversal attempt (the robots are the victims this time, sort of), by the third episode I felt a need for a new twist to arrive, and none really came. It has to be pretty obvious to everyone who the culprit really is: He's the only one of the crew who's been acting completely on edge and agitated the entire story; the only one, bar the company agent, who would seem to have access to every corner of the ship. I guess the story isn't really supposed to be a "whodunit", but despite the attempt to give Farel some pathos and sympathy in the end, I think Dasc/Taran Capel was a much more interesting character. He had the ability to alter robot brains, and had the heart of a confused revolutionary. Farel is just a sad, pathetic loser dressing up in a suit. I guess that's the very idea the story's going for though, and I shouldn't blame it for succeeding in making him a figure of far less-than-menace.
What's more, I'm not really impressed with Robophobia's psychology. Robophobia may be a common problem in this human future, but I'm willing to bet that most robophobics don't go on killing sprees; they'd be more likely to be jumpy and nervous, or go catatonic like Poule from RoD. A guy who snaps because he thinks robots killed his wife (indirectly, I might add), who wants to destroy all robots and doesn't have qualms about killing humans to get there, but needs to impersonate that which he hates in order to do said killing...ah yes, there we definitely have a psychotic, in answer to Liv's question, one who exhibits some kind of multiple personality disorder as well as antisocial traits. For some reason though, the Doctor is quick to deny this, blaming all on robophobia. I think the script may have an axe to grind here, but I'm a little foggy on what it is.
I also feel as though it's trying to have it both ways in its treatment of robots. They don't act like living beings, yet the Doctor insists they should be treated as such, likening their potential destruction to genocide. At the same time, I see what he and the script are getting at. Can a machine immitate the process of thinking? If it can, it is basically a thinking machine. The robot demonstrates its ability to think at the very end by piloting the ship into the sun, saving all the humans but destroying the robots on board. Even if this isn't an altruistic act (as the robot says, they are programmed to behave in such a way), it would seem to be an act of ottomonous thought, which would make the robots a form of life, at a stretch. There's a bit of ambiguity here, and not much hand-wringing or speechmaking, and I appreciate that. The robots manage to make you think while remaining completely in character. Strange, I began this paragraph as a criticism and somehow got turned round into praising the story. That's quite neat, actually.
There's an awful lot of people running around and shouting at each other over communicators, I'm afraid, which could work in an action-packed story, but there really isn't a lot going on in Robophobia to justify all the frantic yelling...I believe the phrase "What the hell was that?" must have been uttered about two dozen times within the first three episodes! That communicator effect gets a little trying after a while, for me, especially with music and other noise going on. I also find it amusing that the robots have these smoothe, almost-perfectly-human voices, yet the ship's computer makes its pronouncements in a voice that's slightly less comprehensible than a voice synthesiser from the early 1980s!
I think the cast was a bit small and didn't really succeed in capturing the scale of the ship, to the point where I was a little dumbfounded that it would take them over twelve minutes of running to get to the escape pod, until I remembered the ship had a cargo bay stuffed with over 200,000 robots. I think scale is often a problem with these plays; it's good to focus on the drama of a few individuals, but it's too easy to forget that we're dealing with a city or a giant space station instead of a family in a room, or a few close friends. I did like the way these characters were depicted though....very individual and with their own distinct traits that exist for their own sake, rather than to facilitate the story. There's no real reason for the captain to be absent-minded and irritable and kind of spaced out, other than that that's just the way it is, and in the end that doesn't bare any significance to the story...and you know, I can roll with that, because that's the way people really are sometimes and there's no deeper meaning behind it. Farel, though, is another matter.
Still worthy, I think, just a little less than I was hoping for. I love McCoy in this; I seem to be always praising him, but I'm going to do it again. His quiet surprise at the robot's action in the end is a heartfelt and powerful moment.
February 26, 2025
A fairly solid entry and a great introduction to the Eighth Doctor companion Liv Chenka. Like the story this is a sequel to, this one has a murder mystery except this murder mystery is a lot better (in my opinion).
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 17, 2019
A good sequeal of sorts following from Robots of Death and possibly PDA Corpse Maker.
June 29, 2017
As is clear from both the title and the cover, this is a sequel to the acclaimed 1977 TV story The Robots of Death. The set-up here is somewhat similar, with the sand-miner being replaced by a cargo spaceship transporting robots between planets. The opening moments of the play even summarise the events of the TV story, as once again, the supposedly harmless robots begin killing humans.
Much of the first half of the story is seen primarily from the perspective of the spaceship crew, something that's helped by the Doctor not having a companion. This enables the listener to figure out what's going on as the crew do, despite the fact that the Doctor essentially knows the full story right from the beginning. Insofar as this is a murder mystery, you'll probably guess the identity of the murderer well before the big reveal, but the focus is more on his motives, and how the other characters are going to escape from their predicament.
There is, inevitably, quite a lot of similarity with the TV story, given that there isn't an awful lot else you can do with the robots other than have at least some of them appear to go nuts. However, the play does ring some changes, and what's going on (and the reason for it) is far from a carbon copy of Taren Capel's scheme in the original. Everyone is on good form, and the characters are all well-realised, with Nicola Walker and Toby Hadoke deserving particular praise.
If there's a weakness, it's that it proves implausibly easy for the villain to wipe out all the non-speaking members of the crew - of which it's strongly implied that there's rather a lot. Plus, Briggs seems to forget in the final segments that space is, as Douglas Adams said, big. It's more these niggling flaws than any fault of the core plot, or the performances, that lead to me giving this 4.5 stars, rounded down to 4.
Much of the first half of the story is seen primarily from the perspective of the spaceship crew, something that's helped by the Doctor not having a companion. This enables the listener to figure out what's going on as the crew do, despite the fact that the Doctor essentially knows the full story right from the beginning. Insofar as this is a murder mystery, you'll probably guess the identity of the murderer well before the big reveal, but the focus is more on his motives, and how the other characters are going to escape from their predicament.
There is, inevitably, quite a lot of similarity with the TV story, given that there isn't an awful lot else you can do with the robots other than have at least some of them appear to go nuts. However, the play does ring some changes, and what's going on (and the reason for it) is far from a carbon copy of Taren Capel's scheme in the original. Everyone is on good form, and the characters are all well-realised, with Nicola Walker and Toby Hadoke deserving particular praise.
If there's a weakness, it's that it proves implausibly easy for the villain to wipe out all the non-speaking members of the crew - of which it's strongly implied that there's rather a lot. Plus, Briggs seems to forget in the final segments that space is, as Douglas Adams said, big. It's more these niggling flaws than any fault of the core plot, or the performances, that lead to me giving this 4.5 stars, rounded down to 4.
February 21, 2019
Loved it. Wasn't sure how much I'd like Nicholas Briggs' Robophobia, considering the Robots of Death is not only my favourite Tom Baker story, but also one of my top 5. So how do you do a sequel to such a classic? By doing something completely different. Robophobia moves at a brisk pace and the mystery is a pretty good one.
Sylvester McCoy's Doctor is very manipulative and fantastic in this one, but also showing a lot of heart. Episode 4 in particular is fantastic.
If I didn't already know Liv Chenka turns up again on audio, I'd be writing about what a shame it is we never saw her again. Though I kinda wish she was travelling with the 7th Doctor.
Highly recommended.
Sylvester McCoy's Doctor is very manipulative and fantastic in this one, but also showing a lot of heart. Episode 4 in particular is fantastic.
If I didn't already know Liv Chenka turns up again on audio, I'd be writing about what a shame it is we never saw her again. Though I kinda wish she was travelling with the 7th Doctor.
Highly recommended.
August 28, 2015
Robots of death is one of my favourite episodes. I loved Liv Chenka in the Dark Eyes series and normally love Nick Briggs writing. But this was most disappointing. One of the things that made Robots of Death so great was that it was an episode in the future where there was gender equality, a nice mixed spaceship. There was also racial equality, with the black woman from one of the noble founding families. So it was really disappointing that over 30 years later in the audio there is only ONE woman working on the spaceship!
October 8, 2020
Ho. Lee. Crap.
So here I am, minding my own business, listening to Big Finish’s Doctor Who Monthly Range in order because there are a bunch I own but have never gotten around to listening to. Most are enjoyable enough - entertaining little sci-fi stories of a franchise that I still quite love, despite... well, a lot of things I don’t want to go into right now. But the endeavor is a great project during a crapsack year with precious little good to look forward to.
And then I get to “Robophobia” - one of those stories I’ve never sat down to listen to. Without going into spoilers (because I want people reading this review to listen to this and have the ending left intact for them) - let me say that in less capable hands, this could easily have devolved into a preachy, finger-wagging, scoldy mess of Woke Nonsense.
However, because of the ending the main characters are forced to admit that disasters can sometimes have another side of the story to tell. That tragedies rarely exist in a vacuum. That people who do awful things often were the ones silently crying out for help that never came. And that people pushed to the edge of desperation will often do desperate things.
To me, this story highlights the importance of listening to other people, and hearing what they have to say. Understanding their backgrounds and values and troubles, before you assume that what you’ve been told by the news or gossip or popular culture is the truth. So many relationships and communities could be saved if we each made an effort to understand each other before a situation turns desperate.
Beyond that, the characters were lovely. I know Liv Chenka gets brought back as an Eighth Doctor companion, so it was good to see how she starts out. I don’t have any BtS interviews on my copy of “Robophobia,” so I don’t know if that was the plan all along or if she just became a strong character in her own right that The Powers That Be said “Let’s bring her back.” Either way, she’s wonderful.
The Seventh Doctor as a character has always been a bit hit or miss for me, but this time he was a hit. Maybe it’s because the story spends more time following Liv and treating the Doctor as this oddball guy that just shows up. But that’s a good tack to take. Not all the time, but enough to just mix things up a little.
An excellent Big Finish story, very much recommended.
So here I am, minding my own business, listening to Big Finish’s Doctor Who Monthly Range in order because there are a bunch I own but have never gotten around to listening to. Most are enjoyable enough - entertaining little sci-fi stories of a franchise that I still quite love, despite... well, a lot of things I don’t want to go into right now. But the endeavor is a great project during a crapsack year with precious little good to look forward to.
And then I get to “Robophobia” - one of those stories I’ve never sat down to listen to. Without going into spoilers (because I want people reading this review to listen to this and have the ending left intact for them) - let me say that in less capable hands, this could easily have devolved into a preachy, finger-wagging, scoldy mess of Woke Nonsense.
However, because of the ending the main characters are forced to admit that disasters can sometimes have another side of the story to tell. That tragedies rarely exist in a vacuum. That people who do awful things often were the ones silently crying out for help that never came. And that people pushed to the edge of desperation will often do desperate things.
To me, this story highlights the importance of listening to other people, and hearing what they have to say. Understanding their backgrounds and values and troubles, before you assume that what you’ve been told by the news or gossip or popular culture is the truth. So many relationships and communities could be saved if we each made an effort to understand each other before a situation turns desperate.
Beyond that, the characters were lovely. I know Liv Chenka gets brought back as an Eighth Doctor companion, so it was good to see how she starts out. I don’t have any BtS interviews on my copy of “Robophobia,” so I don’t know if that was the plan all along or if she just became a strong character in her own right that The Powers That Be said “Let’s bring her back.” Either way, she’s wonderful.
The Seventh Doctor as a character has always been a bit hit or miss for me, but this time he was a hit. Maybe it’s because the story spends more time following Liv and treating the Doctor as this oddball guy that just shows up. But that’s a good tack to take. Not all the time, but enough to just mix things up a little.
An excellent Big Finish story, very much recommended.
December 6, 2019
So this audio is a direct sequel to one of my favourite classic Who stories - Robots of Death, but with Sylvester McCoy as the Doctor instead of Baker. It begins on a robot transport liner where the Doctor is listening to the 'facts' of events on Sand-miner 4 (ROD) before a similar scenario occurs - members of the crew are being bumped off and security footage shows it to be a robot doing the killing.
It's not a bad story, it's just that having heard the marvellous 'Sons of Kaldor' which does a similar thing, in half the length and much more innovative in its use of the source material, this one comes as a teeny bit of a disappointment. Partly it's down to McCoy being the Doctor - I'm biased, hands up, Tom Baker is THE Doctor for me. I find McCoy's smugness and secretiveness a little annoying at times, particularly here. I like the twist that it's a human killer rather than the robots, who turn out to be innocent, but the whole insane human behind it all... its just a rehash of Robots of death.
The highlight is the casting of Nicola Walker - she plays med tech. Liv Chenka and takes on the companion role since McCoy is flying solo in this one. She's smart, curious, capable but has a real likeability factor - great emotional range and her voice is well suited to audio. This is her first appearance in the Who world and I really hope that Big Finish realise what a gem they have and cast her in subsequent stories. Liv would make a great companion for real, rather than being simply a guest star. Dan Starkey more recognisable as a Sontaran also deserves credit here as Cravenet - he's a great comic character actor and adds some real fun here.
This does a great job of re-evoking the Robots of Death universe, production values are excellent and I do like that this offers up new characters rather than rehashing Uvanov/Toos/Poul/Taren Capell. I thoroughly enjoyed it, but it's not quite as amazing as I'd hoped.
It's not a bad story, it's just that having heard the marvellous 'Sons of Kaldor' which does a similar thing, in half the length and much more innovative in its use of the source material, this one comes as a teeny bit of a disappointment. Partly it's down to McCoy being the Doctor - I'm biased, hands up, Tom Baker is THE Doctor for me. I find McCoy's smugness and secretiveness a little annoying at times, particularly here. I like the twist that it's a human killer rather than the robots, who turn out to be innocent, but the whole insane human behind it all... its just a rehash of Robots of death.
The highlight is the casting of Nicola Walker - she plays med tech. Liv Chenka and takes on the companion role since McCoy is flying solo in this one. She's smart, curious, capable but has a real likeability factor - great emotional range and her voice is well suited to audio. This is her first appearance in the Who world and I really hope that Big Finish realise what a gem they have and cast her in subsequent stories. Liv would make a great companion for real, rather than being simply a guest star. Dan Starkey more recognisable as a Sontaran also deserves credit here as Cravenet - he's a great comic character actor and adds some real fun here.
This does a great job of re-evoking the Robots of Death universe, production values are excellent and I do like that this offers up new characters rather than rehashing Uvanov/Toos/Poul/Taren Capell. I thoroughly enjoyed it, but it's not quite as amazing as I'd hoped.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 30, 2019
A bit of Agatha Christie and a bit of 2001; a closed space murder mystery about prejudice and fear. I did guess pretty much what the outcome would be and the who and why of things - but I wasn't prepared for the very dedicated piece of acting that followed, and thus found myself unexpectedly touched. The balance between fun dialogue, strange situations and philosophical questioning was perfect, and the music and sound-design absolutely beautiful.
My favourite comedy moment was early on in the story, when the Doctor tried to make the others aware of the fact that there was a bomb about to explode in the ship, while being constantly interrupted by comparatively unimportant and petty arguments. I could practically see him jumping up and down while tearing his hat.
And my favourite sad moment. Well. The obvious one, if you listen to it. It could have turned into cheesy melodrama, but even though I could guess almost word for word what they were going to say, it still worked. That piece of music was really helping to sell it too. The funny thing is that I thought it sounded like lift-music at the beginning (they were also climbing down an elevator shaft at the time), but it swelled and eat its way into the emotional side of my brain.
It IS cheesy and probably a little bit heavy-handed with the message. But I'll be damned if it doesn't work.
My favourite comedy moment was early on in the story, when the Doctor tried to make the others aware of the fact that there was a bomb about to explode in the ship, while being constantly interrupted by comparatively unimportant and petty arguments. I could practically see him jumping up and down while tearing his hat.
And my favourite sad moment. Well. The obvious one, if you listen to it. It could have turned into cheesy melodrama, but even though I could guess almost word for word what they were going to say, it still worked. That piece of music was really helping to sell it too. The funny thing is that I thought it sounded like lift-music at the beginning (they were also climbing down an elevator shaft at the time), but it swelled and eat its way into the emotional side of my brain.
It IS cheesy and probably a little bit heavy-handed with the message. But I'll be damned if it doesn't work.
November 25, 2025
As a long-time Doctor Who fan, I went into Robophobia expecting a fun sci-fi adventure, but what I got was something much richer and more gripping. The story sets up tension perfectly, you can feel the unease the moment the Doctor steps aboard the Lorelei, especially with those whispers about what happened on the Sandminer. Even though the robots are “deactivated,” you never quite trust that everything is as safe as the crew wants to believe.
What I loved most is how the mystery unfolds. It’s not just about robots turning dangerous; it’s about fear, suspicion, and how quickly things unravel when people feel threatened. Every scene feels tight and atmospheric, almost claustrophobic in the best way. The murder the Doctor witnesses becomes the spark for a layered, intelligent thriller that keeps you guessing.
Nicholas Briggs does a fantastic job blending classic Kaldor City vibes with fresh suspense, and the pacing never drags. It genuinely feels like a lost TV episode, sharp dialogue, strong performances, and that familiar mix of danger and curiosity that makes Doctor Who so addictive.
If you enjoy tense, character-driven sci-fi mysteries or you’re simply a Doctor Who fan who loves the darker, more psychological stories, Robophobia is absolutely worth experiencing.
What I loved most is how the mystery unfolds. It’s not just about robots turning dangerous; it’s about fear, suspicion, and how quickly things unravel when people feel threatened. Every scene feels tight and atmospheric, almost claustrophobic in the best way. The murder the Doctor witnesses becomes the spark for a layered, intelligent thriller that keeps you guessing.
Nicholas Briggs does a fantastic job blending classic Kaldor City vibes with fresh suspense, and the pacing never drags. It genuinely feels like a lost TV episode, sharp dialogue, strong performances, and that familiar mix of danger and curiosity that makes Doctor Who so addictive.
If you enjoy tense, character-driven sci-fi mysteries or you’re simply a Doctor Who fan who loves the darker, more psychological stories, Robophobia is absolutely worth experiencing.
June 21, 2025
Liv's origins! She's among my favorite audio companions, but I hadn't head her first story. A very good Seventh Doctor story, a sequel to the Fourth Doctor's "Robots of Death," but it's a good thing Nicola Walker is so good as Liv because this is from the earlier days of Big Finish when women characters were apparently harder to come by. (They have improved MUCH in the years since, so this is said in light jest.)
July 19, 2020
This is one of several "sequels" to the classic 4th Doctor story Robots of Death. It started out slow but picked up with several nice twists on the original. Almost a Christie-like whodunit murder mystery. Sylvester Mccoy (7) is excellent as always in a rare companion-less adventure.
December 9, 2025
4.5 stars - I recommend listening to this before you get into Dark Eyes 2 for 8th Doctor fans. Liv Chenka stamps her place in the Doctor Who canon. This feels like another good entry point for those who enjoy 7 (and obviously 4th Doctor era fans).
August 1, 2019
I enjoyed this sequel to the classic "Robots of Death" starring Tom Baker. I felt that Sylvester McCoy did a fine job of putting his Seventh Doctor spin on the story.
July 7, 2020
This one felt a bit too soap opera to me in places.
January 20, 2022
Original Liv Chenka plus Seventh, great great stuff.
March 8, 2023
Listened to this mainly to hear Liv Chenka’s debut! It was a good story although a little predictable.
June 1, 2024
There was a bit too much shouting for me, but apart from that this was a blast! Intriguing story and actually very funny.
June 3, 2019
Robophobia takes place after the events of 'The Robots of Death' from the Tom Baker era of the show and manges to be a fantastic sequel and an itreuging and moving murder mystrey tale in its own right. One that intelegently subverts the expectations of the original and succsesefully introdces a new character that went on to become a companion allongside Paul Mcgann's in the 8th Doctor box set series.
Well done to writer Nick Briggs, sequels are often difficult to pull off. This is now one of my favourite Doctor Who stories ever!
Well done to writer Nick Briggs, sequels are often difficult to pull off. This is now one of my favourite Doctor Who stories ever!
August 13, 2012
If you were to force me to pick my single favorite televised Doctor Who story, I might well choose Robots of Death. First, because it actually seriously engages with a science-fictional idea (albeit one largely stolen from Isaac Asimov). Second, because of its visual design, especially of the robots, which perfectly illustrate the idea of the uncanny valley, being just not-human enough to be creepy. And third, because Leela's in it.
So, I wasn't entirely sure how I'd feel about a direct sequel done on audio featuring a companionless 7th Doctor. It does engage with a science-fictional idea, but it's basically the same one as Robots of Death. And it has no visual design and no Leela.
On the plus side, though, I do tend to love the solo 7th Doctor stories that Big Finish does. For one thing, they offer the opportunity to see the Doctor introduce himself to a new proto-companion. I enjoy the ritual of seeing the Doctor introduce himself to a new person and gain their trust, and it's particularly fun with McCoy's doctor because his Doctor somehow combines the bizarre mercurialness of Tom Baker with a certain gentleness.
This audio also has the 7th Doctor at his most enigmatic. I suspect that if I listened again with a more critical ear, I'd find moments where his stringing along of the other characters seems counterproductive in retrospect, but on a first listen, it helps build the tension nicely.
I was kind of expecting the storyline to be "Robots of Death 2: More Robots, More Death", but writer Nick Briggs has come up with a few twists that make it more than that. And the cast give excellent performances - I actually got a bit teary during one of Toby Hadoke's later scenes in the play. And here I thought the man was merely a funny comedian, gifted writer, nice bloke, and walking encyclopedia of Doctor Who trivia.
My only niggle is that rather than seeing this in the visual style of the original Robots of Death, my mind's eye insists on picturing something much more utilitarian and functional looking. The cast just don't sound like they're swanning around in garish eye-shadow and silly hats. The robots sound perfect, though.
So, I wasn't entirely sure how I'd feel about a direct sequel done on audio featuring a companionless 7th Doctor. It does engage with a science-fictional idea, but it's basically the same one as Robots of Death. And it has no visual design and no Leela.
On the plus side, though, I do tend to love the solo 7th Doctor stories that Big Finish does. For one thing, they offer the opportunity to see the Doctor introduce himself to a new proto-companion. I enjoy the ritual of seeing the Doctor introduce himself to a new person and gain their trust, and it's particularly fun with McCoy's doctor because his Doctor somehow combines the bizarre mercurialness of Tom Baker with a certain gentleness.
This audio also has the 7th Doctor at his most enigmatic. I suspect that if I listened again with a more critical ear, I'd find moments where his stringing along of the other characters seems counterproductive in retrospect, but on a first listen, it helps build the tension nicely.
I was kind of expecting the storyline to be "Robots of Death 2: More Robots, More Death", but writer Nick Briggs has come up with a few twists that make it more than that. And the cast give excellent performances - I actually got a bit teary during one of Toby Hadoke's later scenes in the play. And here I thought the man was merely a funny comedian, gifted writer, nice bloke, and walking encyclopedia of Doctor Who trivia.
My only niggle is that rather than seeing this in the visual style of the original Robots of Death, my mind's eye insists on picturing something much more utilitarian and functional looking. The cast just don't sound like they're swanning around in garish eye-shadow and silly hats. The robots sound perfect, though.
January 9, 2012
Nicholas Briggs' Robophobia is an excellent sequel to Robots of Death, whose events are only dimly known to the crew of the robot freighter where the Seventh Doctor lands. It's an sfnal murder mystery, with a good script and excellent delivery, the cast including Nicola Walker from Spooks, Big Finish regular (and TV Dalek operator) Nicholas Pegg, and Toby Hadoke of Moths Ate My Doctor Who Scarf; strongly recommended.
June 9, 2015
The Doctor arrives on a spaceship transporting over a hundred thousand potentially deadly robots.
January 22, 2016
The Doctor lands on a freighter that looks like the robots are killing the crew.
February 4, 2016
I enjoyed this one quite a lot.
Another example of the Seventh Doctor and his devious and manipulative ways.
Another example of the Seventh Doctor and his devious and manipulative ways.
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