The Android Invasion is the fourth serial of the thirteenth season of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in four weekly parts on BBC1 from 22 November to 13 December 1975.
In the village of Devesham, the Doctor and Sarah Jane meet a group of humanoid robots in white suits and opaque helmets, who shoot at them with their index fingers. The Doctor and Sarah Jane flee to a pub, where the villagers wait motionless until the clock strikes, when they suddenly come to life, acting normally.
The Doctor finds his way to the local Space Defence Station and introduces himself to Senior Defence Astronaut Guy Crayford, who places the Doctor in a cell. It is revealed that Crayford is working for Styggron, the leader of an alien race called the Kraal. Sarah frees the Doctor and they escape, but they become separated and Sarah is captured. Styggron tells Crayford to locate, but not seize, the Doctor.
The Doctor returns to the village and encounters an android copy of Sarah Jane, sent to test his knowledge and abilities. The real Sarah is kept alive so Styggron can test the virus he intends to use on Earth. The Doctor escapes from the android but is recaptured and locked up with the real Sarah.
The Doctor explains that the Kraal planet will soon be uninhabitable due to high levels of radiation, so the Kraal plan to eradicate humanity and take over Earth. The duplicated village was a training ground. Crayford explains that he is helping the Kraals because they rescued him and reconstructed his body, while Earth left him for dead.
Sarah and the Doctor escape aboard Crayford’s rocket and travel to Earth to warn the real defence station, while being followed by android duplicates of themselves. They land separately on Earth in their pods, and Sarah finds the TARDIS in the woods.
When Crayford’s rocket lands, Colonel Faraday and Harry Sullivan head there, not knowing that Styggron is there with Crayford. The real Doctor enters the Station and meets Benton, who tells him where Harry and Faraday are. The Doctor contacts them by radio and urges them not to enter the rocket.
The real Doctor explains the Kraal invasion to Faraday and Sullivan, but they have been replaced. The android Doctor enters and threatens the Doctor with a gun but he escapes. After dodging pursuit, the Doctor makes his way back to the Space Defence Station’s control room, where he had given a technician instructions to prepare a device that would disable the androids.
The android Doctor intervenes and holds the Doctor at gunpoint, preventing him from activating the device, but Crayford enters, saying that Styggron promised no killing. The real Doctor tells him that the Kraal did not reconstruct him, but merely brainwashed him. Realising the truth, Crayford rushes out, distracting the android long enough for the Doctor to make his move. In the struggle, the Doctor activates the device, which jams all the androids in mid-step.
Meanwhile, Crayford attacks Styggron on his ship. The two grapple and Styggron shoots Crayford. The Doctor enters and defeats Styggron, using his reprogrammed duplicate android as a distraction.
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To view the list of other Doctor Who serials, please click this link
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