Parts: 4
Writer: Chris Boucher
Airdates: 29 January 1977 - 19 February 1977
Production Code: 4R

Doctor: fourth
Companion: Leela

Creature Feature: Robots of Death

Story: The TARDIS unwisely sets the Doctor and Leela down in the front scoop of a Sandminer, a large machine that skims over the surface of a sandy planet collecting ore from sandstorms. They are rescued from being shredded alive by several robots employed by the crew, who are irritated at having to miss the storm. The crew also has another reason to be on edge - one of their number has just been murdered, and they cannot figure out by whom. The Doctor and Leela seem like ready-made suspects, so they are locked up.

Naturally, the Doctor is not fond of this state of affairs, so he and Leela escape. While Leela slips away and finds the first body, the Doctor uncovers a second in one of the sandminer's storage hoppers. But someone does not want him spreading the word about what he has uncovered - the door closes, trapping him in, and slowly the chamber fills with ore...

Few people on board the sandminer are what they appear to be, and nearly everyone has something to hide. With the death toll quietly mounting, the crew's suspicions run rampant - but they seem to have overlooked one possibility. A possibility that, if true, could mean the death of not just all of them, but also of their entire society.