Doctor Who’s most perfect murder mystery? The Robots of Death rewatch

In this commentary-style episode, Christian Cawley and James McLean revisit the classic Doctor Who story The Robots of Death. This is the first of a two-part podcast, covering the serials first two episodes. We compare the experience of watching classic Doctor Who episodically versus the omnibus VHS edits that hit rental stores in the 1980s. Those different formats affect pacing, cliffhangers, and the rhythm of a story, and The Robots of Death is no different. It might look amazing, but there is much more to The Robots of Death. Writer Chris Boucher blends science fiction with the traditions of classic detective fiction, and we look at the impressive world-building behind the sandminer setting, the story’s layered social tensions, and why The Robots of Death feels larger than its four episodes suggest. Could the story even work without the Doctor at all? Christian and James also discuss the performances and character dynamics that make the story memorable, from Tom Baker ’s more serious Fourth Doctor to Louise Jameson ’s "savage" Leela, whose unique relationship with the Doctor offers a different companion dynamic from the more familiar eras of the show. Why wait for your next fix of Kasterborous? Did you know that Patreon supporters are likely already listening to next week’s episode? While we love sharing the show with everyone, our subscribers get the “VIP” experience: early access, a completely ad-free stream, and an exclusive video version of every episode. Get Kasterborous on Patreon! Help us climb the charts We are on a mission to raise our profile on Apple Podcasts, and we can’t do it without you. If you enjoy what we do, please leave a review . It takes 30 seconds but makes a massive difference in helping new listeners find us. While you’re there, make sure you’re subscribed so you never miss a drop. Not on Apple Podcasts? No problem. You can still help us grow. Leave a review on your platform of choice and send us the link via X/Twitter , Facebook , or directly to editor@kasterborous.co.uk . We’ll make sure to give you a shout-out in a future episode as a thank you for your support. Thanks!

You can listen to Doctor Who’s most perfect murder mystery? The Robots of Death rewatch online on Radio and Podcast. Open the player on this page to stream the available audio.

Doctor Who’s most perfect murder mystery? The Robots of Death rewatch is an episode from Kasterborous: Doctor Who PodKast (with a K) by Christian Cawley.

This episode is 57:38 long.

This episode was published on Mar 9, 2026.

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Yes. This page shows related episodes from Kasterborous: Doctor Who PodKast (with a K) when more episodes are available from the podcast feed.