Perhaps the BBC’s attempts at robotics should neither be seen, nor heard.
Character Overview
Ah, Kamelion. Introduced in The King’s Demons (1983), he was a shape-shifting android with the power to mimic anyone perfectly — at least, in theory. In practice, he was a fragile, radio-controlled prop that made the BBC special effects budget look like it had been spent on biscuits and tea instead.
The idea was brilliant: a companion who could transform into anything, infiltrate enemies, and provide endless dramatic potential. The reality was… less brilliant. The prop was so delicate and difficult to operate that the production team shoved him into a TARDIS broom closet for most of his tenure. He appeared in exactly two stories (The King’s Demonsand Planet of Fire) and in between was politely ignored, as if the Doctor had just forgotten to recharge him.
Narratively, Kamelion was possessed and manipulated by the Master, because apparently even robots couldn’t resist Anthony Ainley’s moustache-twirling charm. In Planet of Fire, after a whole lot of malfunctioning and sinister shapeshifting, Kamelion begged the Doctor to put him out of his misery. The Doctor obliged, effectively pulling the plug on what may be the saddest “companion era” ever.
Despite his short run, Kamelion has achieved a strange cult status among fans. Was he a brave experiment in storytelling? Or was he just a cautionary tale about relying on unreliable 1980s animatronics? Either way, he remains one of the quirkiest, least-used companions in the Doctor’s long history.