the Telepathic Robot

plot
Professor Haggerty’s new robot housekeeper, Katy, can take orders from him telepathically.  Raeburn has Haggerty make one for him and the Professor names it “Busy Lizzie”.  Dart takes her with him in the Galasphere to test her telepathic range.  As they head home again, a new planet, closer to the sun than Mercury, is discovered and they are ordered to investigate.  As they near the planet, they fall under the hypnotic influence of the Neptunians, who have already discovered the planet.  The Neptunians begin using Dart and his crew as slaves.  Raeburn recovers and tells Busy Lizzie to find them and bring them back to the Galasphere.  Having done this, she places an electromagnetic field around the Galasphere which blocks the Neptunians’ hypnotic telepathic waves and Dart and his crew return home safely.

notes
The Neptunians make their fourth appearance in this episode. They had previously featured in the Planet of Thought, the Cloud of Death and the Slaves of Neptune.
The music heard as Busy Lizzie carries the first of the crew back to Galasphere 347 is simply the standard robot sound effect played at approximately half the normal speed.  Another piece is the “Cave of Death” music played at twice the correct speed.
The Neptunians had intended to use the new planet as a holiday resort!

credits
a National Interest Picture production
Wonderama Productions Ltd. © 1962
produced by Roberta Leigh and Arthur Provis
directed by Frank Goulding
created & written by Roberta Leigh
voices by Libby Morris, Dick Vosburgh, Ronnie Stevens, Murray Cash, Ysanne Churchman
puppetry by Martin & Heather Granger, Joan Garrick
electronics by F.C. Judd
editor: Len Walter
sound editor: John Beaton
recordist: Cyril Brown
RCA sound recording
processed at Kay’s
cameraman: Arthur Provis
art director: Roland Whiteside
models: Derek Freeborn
script assistant: Denise Kaye
special effects & animation: Brian Stevens, Bert Walker
2nd unit cameraman: Jimmy Hopewell