DOCTOR WHO: From Script To Screen - ROBOT OF SHERWOOD - Warped Factor - Words in the Key of Geek.

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DOCTOR WHO: From Script To Screen - ROBOT OF SHERWOOD

Andrew Jero takes a closer look at Robot of Sherwood and its transition from script to screen.


The third episode of the thirty-fourth season of Doctor Who, Robot(s) of Sherwood, instantly felt like one of the all time greats when I sat down and read the script for the first time, and every time I’ve read it since, I‘ve enjoyed it more and more.

The episode had a similar feel to it that I would attribute to something like, say, The Time Warrior, where we see the Doctor in a historical setting and having a ton of fun. This time though the Doctor is the one who believes everyone to be a robot, where as in The Time Warrior, Sarah Jane thought she had been put down in a medieval recreation area. This excerpt from the script has, in my opinion, a similar view to some of the Sarah and Third Doctor exchanges in that 1973 adventure.

THE DOCTOR
Your choice. Wherever. Whenever.
Anywhere in space and time.

CLARA
(shyly)
Well. There is something. Someone... I've always wanted to meet. But I know what you'll say.
THE DOCTOR stops writing, looks down.
THE DOCTOR
(Beat)
Try me.
CLARA

You'll say he's made up. That there's no such thing...it's...it's Robin Hood!
THE DOCTOR
Robin Hood?
CLARA
Yeah!
CLARA (CONT'D)

I love that story. Always loved it. Ever since I was little.
THE DOCTOR

Robin Hood, the heroic outlaw who robbed from the rich to give to the poor?

CLARA
(giggles)
Yeah!
THE DOCTOR

He's made up. There's no such thing.
That scene made me love Capaldi’s Doctor more, it was with this episode that he’s surpassed two of my very favorite Doctors, Jon Pertwee and Paul McGann. He knows how to pull every scene off, and does it almost effortlessly.

THE DOCTOR (CONT'D)

No pretty castles. And no such thing as Robin Hood!
Thwaakkk!!
FX: The arrow thuds into the TARDIS door, missing THE DOCTOR's face by an inch.
He whips round.


This little moment felt very much like a Pertwee-esque reaction, and later when the Doctor fights someone and pulls the old Pertwee “HIa!”, I laughed like I never have at an episode of Doctor Who before.

ROBIN

Well then draw your sword, and prove your words.
THE DOCTOR

I don't have a sword. I don't need a sword.
THE DOCTOR, with great ceremony, produces something from his coat. A gauntlet.
THE DOCTOR has slipped on the gauntlet, now fishes something else from his pocket.
THE DOCTOR (CONT'D)
Because I'm the Doctor. And this is my spoon!!
This is easily the BEST episode of the new series and one of the best of the entire show.

One of my favorite scenes in Robot of Sherwood, is when Robin and the Doctor are stuck in the cell together. It was brilliantly written and played and really showed the merit of both Peter Capaldi and Tom Riley.

Mark Gatiss did a fantastic job with the script and it perfectly translated to the screen. These recent episodes seemed to put more faith in the acting instead of the CGI effects, which means the scriptwriters have to put more effort into their scripts as they need to translate almost seamlessly into what we will eventually view. The scriptwriter doesn’t have that much say over what gets put on screen, unless you’re George Lucas and have control over everything and can change it five hundred times for the hell of it, but when you leave the success to the actors as was done here... well I think that is a true testament to the script writing abilities of Mark Gatiss.

During the archery contest I sat and waited for the crowd to begin the Tomahawk Chop, (see Robin Hood: Men In Tights). I loved at the end when Robin had to fire the arrow at the ship and he asked the Doctor to fire it for him due to his success at the archery contest, he replies with a very Doctorish response,
CLARA

But you're good at this! I saw you! You won the tournament!
THE DOCTOR
I cheated.
CLARA
What?
THE DOCTOR

I made a special arrow with a homing device.
                    As you might have heard a scene was edited out of Robot of Sherwood due to the recent beheadings of US journalists James Foley and Steven Sotloff. The episode was of course filmed months in advance of the horrific acts, but as a mark of respect for the families the following scene was removed from this weeks episode of Doctor Who.

SHERIFF
The end draws near for you.
ROBIN
No. I rather think it's you that's
facing the final curtain!
 
The SHERIFF turns to see THE DOCTOR tearing down the tapestry. In one elegant gesture, he flings it over the SHERIFF. He flails helplessly around.
ROBIN seizes the SHERIFF's sword and, swinging it round in an enormous arc, decapitates the SHERIFF!

His head, wrapped in the tapestry, rolls across the floor.
The SHERIFF drops to his knees –

CLARA
Brilliant, Robin, Brilli -
FX: - and then the SHERIFF's headless body gets up again!!
CLARA (CONT'D)
Oh, come on.
FX: The SHERIFF's severed head rolls from under the tapestry and speaks!
SHERIFF

I forgot to mention, my Lady, that the skyship fell on me. And my rude Mechanicals took good care of me. Very. Good. Care.
CLARA
You're a robot, too??
SHERIFF

Half of me, my Lady. The rest is talent and pure flair!
FX: The headless body grabs CLARA and points its sword at her throat.
SHERIFF (CONT'D)
Surrender! Or the wench dies!

THE DOCTOR and ROBIN exchange glances, then -
FX: ROBIN scoops up the SHERIFF's severed head and tosses it to the headless body - which promptly lets go of CLARA and clicks its head back on!
SHERIFF (CONT'D)
Thank you!

Overall a harmless scene, but one that needed to be edited out due to recent events.

As a whole, Robot(s) of Sherwood was nearly perfect, and in my opinion without a doubt the best thing to come out of the show since 1987. Tune in next week for the CGI FREE, Listen.

Andrew Jero lives in Iowa and has a very strong love of both Red Dwarf and Doctor Who. He enjoys acting and writing plays, television scripts, and short stories. Follow Andrew on Twitter.

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