Doctor Who: The Keeper of Traken (1981) written by Johnny Byrne and directed by John Black
The Fourth Doctor (Tom Baker) and Adric (Matthew Waterhouse) are mysteriously pulled off course by the Keeper of Traken (Denis Carey). Traken is a world that has had a thousand years of peace because the Keeper has stopped all evil and corruption. Well, sometimes evil things show up but they are completely incapacitated. One such evil thing is Melkur (voiced by Geoffrey Beevers), a sentient robot that has become paralyzed and is little more than a garden decoration. This particular Keeper is coming to the end of his life, which means that the safety of Traken is in jeopardy. Melkur is showing signs of life, manipulating one of the ruling council's members for mysterious and maleficent purposes. The Keeper expects some danger, that's why he's pulled the TARDIS down to Traken, landing in the very garden where Melkur stands, gathering moss and scheming.
The story follows a fairly typical plot with some nice twists, especially in the last episode. Nyssa (Sarah Sutton), a future companion, shows up and joins in the scientific crafting with Adric and the Doctor. The acting is very good. The episode is minimalist on special effects, making it easier to watch forty years later.
Recommended--a fun outing with the Doctor.
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