Doctor Who: The Armageddon Factor main backdrop
Doctor Who: The Armageddon Factor main poster

Doctor Who: The Armageddon Factor

Visit website

5.0/10 • 3

1979-02-242h 30m

ActionAdventureDramaScience FictionTV Movie

The final segment of the Key to Time is at the heart of a devastating war between neighbouring planets Atrios and Zeos. The Fourth Doctor discovers that a sinister entity is manipulating events and the cost of obtaining the final segment may be more personal than he imagined.

Directors
Michael Hayes
Writters
Bob Baker, Dave Martin

Top Billed Cast

View Credits
  1. Tom Baker

    Tom Baker

    The Doctor

  2. Mary Tamm

    Mary Tamm

    Romana

  3. John Leeson

    John Leeson

    K-9 (voice)

  4. John Woodvine

    John Woodvine

    Marshal

  5. Lalla Ward

    Lalla Ward

    Princess Astra

  6. Davyd Harries

    Davyd Harries

    Shapp

  7. Ian Saynor

    Ian Saynor

    Merak

  8. Ian Liston

    Ian Liston

    'Hero'

  9. Susan Skipper

    Susan Skipper

    'Heroine'

Reviews1

View Reviews
CinemaSerf Avatar

CinemaSerf

Nov 25, 2024

6/10

This final, six-part, instalment of the "Key to Time" series splits quite neatly into two stories, really. The first sees our travelling Time Lord (Tom Baker) and his colleague "Romana" (Mary Tamm) arrive on the planet of "Atrios" right in the middle of their war with the neighbouring "Zeos". Thus far it's proved a bit of a stalemate, but the "Marshal" (John Woodvine) reckons he has a plan that will prove decisive, despite the more pacifist hopes of his princess "Astra" (Lalla Ward). Meantime, though, the "Doctor" begins to wonder if someone else isn't pulling the strings here and when they stumble upon a trans-mat beam they are introduced to the maniacal "Shadow" (William Squire) who rather worryingly knows more than he should about the closing stages of their quest. The "Key to Time" theme was always a rather weakly exploited one, and this denouement didn't really catch fire either. It's all adequate storytelling but there's just too much over-acting and not enough action until the final episode when a combination of factors and some participation from "K9" (and his laser gun) livened it up a bit. I usually felt four parts did the job with these, any more and they were too strung out - and this rather proves that theory. Time for a new assistant, too, I think.

Media

  • Doctor Who: The Armageddon Factor poster
  • Doctor Who: The Armageddon Factor poster
  • Doctor Who: The Armageddon Factor poster
  • Doctor Who: The Armageddon Factor poster
  • Doctor Who: The Armageddon Factor poster
  • Doctor Who: The Armageddon Factor poster
  • Doctor Who: The Armageddon Factor poster

Recommendations

Status
Released
Original Language
English
Budget
--
Revenue
--
Keywords
time travel