Doctor Who - The Television Stories

Doctor Who - The Stories

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The Romans

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the Story

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Information

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Synopsis

Relaxing in the Roman Villa

The time travellers are enjoying a rare holiday, staying at a villa not far from Rome in the year 64 AD. The Doctor soon becomes restless and sets off to visit the city.

Having been mistaken for the famous lyre player and asked to perform at the Emperor Nero's Court, The Doctor has to devise ever more elaborate schemes to avoid revealing that he cannot actually play the instrument.

Source: BBC DVD

General Information

Season:

Two

Production Code:

Story Number:

Episode Numbers:

54 - 57

Number of Episodes:

Percentage of Episodes Held:

100%

Production Dates:

November 1964 - January 1965

Broadcast Started:

16 January 1965

Broadcast Finished:

06 February 1965

Colour Status:

B&W

Studio:

Ealing Television Film Studios and Riverside (Studio 1)

Location:

None

Writer:

Dennis Spooner

Director:

Christopher Barry

Producer:

Verity Lambert

Associate Producer:

Mervyn Pinfield

Story Editor:

Dennis Spooner

Production Assistant:

David Maloney

Assistant Floor Manager:

Valerie Wilkins

Designer:

Raymond P Cusick

Costume Designer:

Daphne Dare

Make-Up Designer:

Sonia Markham

Cameraman:

Dick Bush

Lighting:

Howard King

Fights Arranged By:

Peter Diamond

Incidental Music:

Raymond Jones

Special Sounds (SFX Editor):

Brian Hodgson

Studio Sounds:

Richard Chubb

Title Sequence:

Bernard Lodge

Title Music:

Ron Grainer and the BBC Radiophonic Workshop. Arranged by Delia Derbyshire

Number of Doctors:

The Doctor:

William Hartnell (The First Doctor)

Number of Companions:

The Companions:

Jacqueline Hill (Barbara Wright), William Russell (Ian Chesterton) and Maureen O'Brien (Vicki)

Additional Cast:

Derek Sydney (Sevcheria), Nicholas Evans (Didius), Dennis Edwards (Centurian), Margot Thomas (Stall holder), Edward Kelsey (Slave buyer), Bart Allison (Maximus Pettulian), Barry Jackson (Ascaris), Peter Diamond (Delos), Michael Peake (Tavius), Dorothy-Rose Gribble (Woman Slave), Gertan Klauber (Galley Master), Ernest Jennings (1st Man in Market), John Caesar (2nd Man in Market), Tony Lambden (Court Messenger), Derek Francis (Nero), Brian Proudfoot (Tigilinus), Kay Patrick (Poppaea), Ann Tirard (Locusta)

Setting:

Rome (64 AD)

Villain:

Nero

The Episodes

No.	Episodes	Broadcast (UK)	Duration	Viewers (Millions)	In Archive
54	The Slave Traders	16 January 1965	24'14"	13.0	16mm telerecording
55	All Roads Lead to Rome	23 January 1965	23'14"	11.5	16mm telerecording
56	Conspiracy	30 January 1965	26'18"	10.0	16mm telerecording
57	Inferno	06 February 1965	23'09"	12.0	16mm telerecording

Total Duration

1 Hour 37 Minutes

Audience Appreciation

Average Viewers (Millions)

11.6

Doctor Who Magazine Poll (1998)	62.08% (Position = 110 out of 159)
Doctor Who Magazine Poll (2009)	70.73% (Position = 97 out of 200)
Doctor Who Magazine Poll (2014)	70.29% (Position = 131 out of 241)
Doctor Who Magazine Poll (2023)	Position = 9 out of 29

Archives

All episodes exist as 16mm telerecordings.

Notes

This story is the first to have an overtly humorous side to the story line. This was the idea of producer Verity Lambert who wanted to extend the show's dramatic range.

The highpoint of the comedy is the third episode with the subplot involving Nero, The Doctor and Vicki repeatedly missing Barbara Wright in their wanderings through the palace, and accidentally giving Nero the idea to burn down Rome. An attempt to poison Barbara is played humorously, and culminates in Nero intentionally giving the poisoned wine to an annoying slave. The best scene though is the slapstick fight scene between The Doctor, aided by Vicki, and the mute assassin Ascaris, which ends with the latter falling from a first floor window not to be seen again… and The Doctor convincing Nero and his courtiers that he is a skilled lyre player, without ever playing a single note…

In contrast, to the scenes involving The Doctor and Vicki being played as a farce, the subplot involving Barbara and Ian Chesterton were played straight, with substantial dark elements. Their storyline emphasizes the brutality of Roman slavery and gladiatorial combat.

The events of this story are referred to by The Doctor, in the 2008 Tenth Doctor story "The Fires of Pompeii".

This story was commissioned from new Story Editor Dennis Spooner, although before he came to the position (story editors at the BBC were not allowed to commission their own work).

This story marks the final credit for Mervyn Pinfield as Associate Producer.

The BBC's test audience had a strong negative reaction to the story, complaining that it was unrealistic. Despite these criticisms, many later fans have praised the story's use of humour to contrast with the darker elements of the piece.

A novelisation of this story, written by Donald Cotton, was published by Target Books in April 1987. It is unique among the Doctor Who novelisations in that it is an epistolary novel, written in the form of transcripts of letters and ancient documents.

First and Last

The Firsts:

The first Doctor Who story to have a comedy element to it.

The first trip in the TARDIS for new companion Vicki played by Maureen O'Brien.

The Lasts (Subject to Future Stories):

Mervyn Pinfield's last involvement in the show as Associate Producer.

Story Images

Show Text

Vicki and Ian with The Doctor

The Doctor and Steven Dressed as Romans

Barbara and Vicki on Their Way to the Market

Barbara and Ian are Attacked

The Doctor and Vicki try to Explain Their Innocence

The Galley Master

The Doctor Plays the Lyre

Emperor Nero

Emperor Nero Plays the Lyre

He's Behind You!

Nero Wants a Kiss From Barbara

The Fire Starts

Quote of the Story

'They wouldn't let me build my new Rome. But if the old one is burnt... If it goes up in flames they'll have no choice. Rome will be rebuilt to my design! Brilliant! Brilliant!'

Nero

Release Information

Format	Title	Release Date (UK)	Code Number	Cover Art	Remarks
VHS	The Rescue and The Romans	September 1994	BBCV 5378	Andrew Skilleter	Double cassette release Released along with "The Rescue"
DVD	The Rescue and The Romans	February 2009	BBCDVD 2698	Photo-montage	Box Set Released along with "The Rescue"
CD	The Romans	May 2008		Photo-montage	Narrated by William Russell (Ian Chesterton)
CD	The Romans	September 2013		Photo-montage	Part of the "Doctor Who: The TV Episodes: Collection Six" Box Set Narrated by William Russell (Ian Chesterton)
Blu-Ray	Doctor Who: The Collection - Season 2 (Limited Edition)	December 2022	BBCBD 0479	Lee Binding	Blu-Ray Limited Edition boxed set containing 9 specially restored stories
Blu-Ray	Doctor Who: The Collection - Season 2 (Standard Edition)	December 2024	BBCBD 0609	Lee Binding	Blu-Ray Standard Edition boxed set containing 9 specially restored stories

In Print

Format	Title	Release Date (UK)	Publisher	Author	Cover Art	Remarks
Novel	The Romans	September 1987	Target No. 120	Donald Cotton	Tony Masero	ISBN: 0-426-20288-0
CD	The Romans	January 2023	Target No. 120	Donald Cotton	Tony Masero	Audio version of the Target Novel read by Tim Treloar, Jamie Glover, Dan Starkey, Clare Corbett, Jon Culshaw, Maureen O'Brien and Louise Jameson.

Doctor Who CMS Magazine (An Adventure in Space and Time)	Issue 12
Doctor Who Weekly	Issue 15 (Released: January 1980)
Doctor Who Magazine - Archive	Issue 251 (Released: May 1997)
Doctor Who Magazine - Time Team	Issue 286 (Released: January 2000)
Doctor Who Magazine - Time Team	Issue 287 (Released: February 2000)
Doctor Who Magazine - Article	Issue 541 (Released: September 2019)
Doctor Who Magazine - The Fact of Fiction	Issue 574 (Released: March 2022)

Photo Gallery

The Doctor and Companions

The First Doctor

Barbara Wright

Ian Chesterton

Vicki

On Release

VHS Video Cover

VIDEO

DVD Cover

VIDEO

Soundtrack CD Cover

AUDIO

The TV Episodes: Collection Six CD Cover

AUDIO

The Collection Season 2 Limited Edition Blu-Ray Cover

VIDEO

The Collection Season 2 Standard Edition Blu-Ray Cover

VIDEO

In Print

Target Book Cover

NOVEL

Target Audio CD Cover

Magazines

Doctor Who CMS Magazine (An Adventure in Space and Time): Issue 12

Doctor Who Weekly: Issue 15

Doctor Who Magazine - Archive: Issue 251

Doctor Who Magazine - Time Team: Issue 286

Doctor Who Magazine - Time Team: Issue 287

Doctor Who Magazine - Article: Issue 541

Doctor Who Magazine - The Fact of Fiction: Issue 574

Who's Who

Who Me

Episodes of the
First Doctor

Season 2

References

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