Review for Roberts Robots: The Complete Series 1

After the modest success of the rather wonderful ' Pardon My Genie', writer/Producer Bob Block ('Rentaghost') conjured up a new series which finds mild-mannered inventor Robert Sommerby in a country home with his Aunt Millie. All looks frighteningly normal until it becomes apparent that the house is also occupied by a number of robots. First up is 'K.T', a completely silver robot who is a akin to Frankenstein's monster, and who is lovable but dim, always walking through doors rather than opening them and leaving his arm behind on buses. Then there is Eric who, were it not for smoke regularly emitting from his ears due to being prone to over-heating, could (and does) easily pass for a human. And then there is the provocatively named Desiree, who declares her love for every man she meets.


The back-story appears to be that Robert Sommerby is involved in a top secret research agency who are focussed on developing life-like robots. Naturally some unknown 'industrial spies' are always on the case, snooping around and attempting to infiltrate the highly secret set up. (The principal private eye is ably played by Welsh actor Richard Davies turning in an almost identical characterisation as his Mr. Price in 'Please Sir!' of earlier vintage).


Another humorous angle is the fact that Robert's fiancé (played by ex-Bond girl and future Magpie presenter, Jennie Hanley) has no idea that his house is full of robots, allowing for some high farce and misunderstanding every time she visits. Aunt Millie, Robert's 'partner in crime', is played by Doris Rogers who some will recognise as Mrs. Sibley in 'Pardon My Genie').


The most fun (in true British comic-book style) comes from the robots Nigel Pegram turning in a convincing performance as the slightly spasmodic, uptight Eric who shows increasing signs of militancy as the programme progresses, reflecting the state of the nation as the programme aired in the middle of the worst of the miner's and public worker strikes.


Dr. Who fans will be delighted by an early appearance of Sylvester McCoy (his first in fact) as will fans of Christopher Biggins (both of them) who would progress on to Bob Block's next offering, 'Rentaghost'.

The series is a lot of fun and shows Block nudging away from the high camp of 'Pardon My Genie' to the more complex farce of 'Rentaghost'. For my money, not a patch on 'Pardon My Genie' but a thoroughly enjoyable romp nonetheless.


Picture quality isremarkably good for a programme of this vintage and Network have packed the episodes on to one very reasonably priced single disc.

For the more determined vintage TV anoraks here are episode synopsis with original transmission dates (shamelessly taken from 'www.CliveBanks.co.uk')



1. Follow That Robot - Original ITV transmission: 12 November 1973
Ministry of Technology representative Mr Fosdyke pays a visit to mild-mannered inventor Robert Somersby to discuss his request for an extended research grant. Robert explains that he needs more money to continue his pioneering work and offers to show the government official his latest creation, an android named Eric. Meanwhile, foreign industrial spy Marken employs private investigator Gimble to uncover Robert's electronic engineering secrets. Gimble sneaks into Robert's lab, but is discovered by Fosdyke and mistaken for a robot. Amazed at how life-like 'Eric' is, Fosdyke asks Robert for a further test before he can approve the extra funding. Robert agrees, and the real Eric is sent to visit Doctor Randall in the nearby village for a medical. However, Eric is unaware that Gimble is following him - and the detective has no idea that Fosdyke is trailing him. Then Eric's electronics start to malfunction, requiring him to hold a pack of frozen peas to his face to cool down.

2. Love at First Light - Original ITV transmission: 19 November 1973
KT falls for a gas stove, and Eric puts the dampeners on Robert's proposal to Angela. While Robert takes Eric ice-skating in order to test his reactions to cold temperatures, Aunt Mille arrives with the news that KT has fallen in love with the gas cooker. Robert's Aunt also brings him a ring from the jewellers. It seems that romantic Robert is planning to propose to his girlfriend, Angela, later that evening. Eric goes out of control, and spins so much that he drills through the ice and into the water beneath. Robert is forced to use an electromagnet to pull the robot to safety - magnetising Eric's metal body in the process. Back at Robert's country house, KT pines for the cooker, which has been taken away for repairs; the love-sick robot decides to follow the repair van, but he soon ends up hopelessly lost - and then one of his legs falls off. Angela arrives at the house, and a nervous Robert attempts to pop the question - but Eric's magnetic personality keeps getting in the way.

3. A Spanner in the Works - Original ITV transmission: 26 November 1973. The two new maintenance and sanitory robots prove more of a hindrance than a help. Robert is having big problems: his new Maintenance Robot is causing havoc, not only breaking everything it tries to repair, but also those items that don't need fixing - including Eric; and Robert's new Sanitary Robot keeps getting muddled, putting Aunt Millie's crockery in the washing machine and scrubbing Robert's shirts into shreds amongst the washing up. When Robert decides to hold a dinner party for Angela, Aunt Millie resolutely refuses to use the robots as servants, and sets off for a domestic agency; but on the way she meets Gimble, who pretends to be a cook so that he can get close to her nephew's electronics secrets. But when Gimble spies on Robert's lab he sees the inventor deactivating one of the troublesome androids; he immediately believes he has just witnessed a murder - and that he will be the next victim…

4. Dial C For Chaos - Original ITV transmission: 3 December 1973
Gimble and Marken try to muscle in on Robert's 'Mass Entertainment' robots. When Robert tries out his four new Entertainer Robots, Eric immediately complains: he has recently been reading Karl Marx, and vehemently objects at the 'exploitation' of his fellow androids. Concerned with his robots' ability to sing, Robert uses Eric to test out a new program; the long-suffering robot is soon belting out show tunes at the top of his voice - not only does his singing shatter glass, but it also smashes the binocular lenses of Gimble and Marken, who are spying from a nearby house. KT runs off with the Entertainer Robots' remote control, thinking it pretty; Robert chases after the dim-witted android, but Angela overhears him, and immediately suspects her fiancé of having a secret girlfriend…

5. A Long, Cold Sommerby - Original ITV transmission: 10 December 1973. The robots are on a VIP parade, with KT programmed to keep out unwelcome visitors. While Robert is away attempting to make up with his fiancée, Angela, Mr Forsyth and Sir Mortimer from the Ministry of Technology arrive for some important talks concerning the robo-research schedules. But when Robert eventually returns, he finds his way barred by an over-zealous KT, who has taken his maker's instructions not to let anyone inside the house far too literally. Unable to enter his own home for the meeting, Robert is forced to get Eric to pose as himself, while he spends a cold night out on the garden bench…

6. Kill Or Cure - Original ITV transmission: 17 December 1973
Robert decides to re-programme Eric, making him a kinder, sweeter robot.
Suffering from a cold after his night in the garden, Robert sets about fixing Eric's emotion program in order to make the grumpy robot much nicer. Just as Eric is about to belt KT with a chair for interrupting his television viewing, his new program activates, and he is reduced to tears over his mistreatment of his best friend. After watching a hospital show, an over-emotional Eric decides to help sick people by introducing a medical training plan to the other robots; he then decides to help his first patient, Robert, get some much-needed rest - but with Eric and KT looking after him, rest is the last thing Robert gets…

7. Double Trouble - Original ITV transmission: 24 December 1973
Robert stages a fashion show, and Gimble and Marken are given a surprising insight. Robert and his robots prepare for their first commercial venture, in the world of fashion. With two important clothes buyers due to visit the next day, Robert plans to use his androids, his fiancée, Angela, and his new robot duplicate of himself as models in the parade, while giving Eric the task of making all the outfits for the show. However, Eric - now back to his usual bad-tempered self and malfunctioning with stress from all the work he has been given - soon decides to form a robots' union and call his comrades out on strike. Meanwhile, rubbish spies Marken and Gimble intercept a phone call from the buyers, cancelling their appointment; immediately seeing an opportunity to learn Robert's secrets, the two agents decide to take their place. The next day, a disguised Marken and Gimble meet with Robert, only to learn that instead of electrical products, they are there to see a new range of clothing. When Marken then activates a jamming device as part of a ploy to learn the location of Robert's electronic engineering secrets, all the robots malfunction, including the duplicate of the inventor himself - ensuring that the spies get to see a fashion parade that they will never forget…