Broadcast and Reception
| Episode | Broadcast date | Run time | Viewers |
|---|---|---|---|
| "Part One" | 25 November 1978 (1978-11-25) | 24:53 | 8.5 |
| "Part Two" | 2 December 1978 (1978-12-02) | 24:27 | 10.1 |
| "Part Three" | 9 December 1978 (1978-12-09) | 23:52 | 8.9 |
| "Part Four" | 16 December 1978 (1978-12-16) | 24:49 | 9 |
In their book The Discontinuity Guide (1995), Paul Cornell, Martin Day, and Keith Topping described The Androids of Tara as "Wonderful, Doctor Who as heroic romance, with plenty of swashbuckling, wit and colour." They particularly praised the Doctor's duel at the end and the small stakes. On the other hand, David J. Howe and Stephen James Walker in The Television Companion (1998) felt that the story relied on The Prisoner of Zenda, which made it "rather less engaging than the other stories of the season, coming over more as a gentle run-around than as anything particularly significant". They praised the premise, but wrote that there was a lack of suspense and the characters were bland, with the exception of Grendel. DVD Talk's Justin Felix agreed, writing that "its whimsical nature makes this episode feel more like an excursion than an advancement of the season's storyline" and described the story as "a competent albeit standard runaround". However, he praised Baker and the development of Romana's character. Felix gave the story three out of five stars. In 2011, Patrick Mulkern of Radio Times praised the acting and direction, but stated that it "strays too far into the 'adventure serial' territory" and lacked a sense of "real urgency or jeopardy".
Read more about this topic: The Androids Of Tara
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