Doctor Who - The Television Stories

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The Aztecs

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the Story

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Synopsis

The Sacrifice

The TARDIS takes The Doctor and his companions back in time to fifteenth century Mexico, the centre of the Aztec civilisation.

But when Barbara is mistaken for the reincarnation of the High Priest Yetaxa, the time travellers find themselves caught up in a vicious political power struggle which could cost them their lives…

Source: BBC DVD

General Information

Season:

One

Production Code:

Story Number:

Episode Numbers:

27 - 30

Number of Episodes:

Percentage of Episodes Held:

100%

Production Dates:

April - May 1964

Broadcast Started:

23 May 1964

Broadcast Finished:

13 June 1964

Colour Status:

B&W

Studio:

Ealing Television Film Studios, Lime Grove (Studio D) and BBC Television Centre (TC3)

Location:

None

Writer:

John Lucarotti

Director:

John Crockett

Producer:

Verity Lambert

Associate Producer:

Mervyn Pinfield

Story Editor:

David Whitaker

Production Assistant:

Ron Craddock

Assistant Floor Manager:

Ken Howard

Designer:

Barry Newbery

Costume Designers:

Daphne Dare and Tony Pearce (Episode 3)

Make-Up Designer:

Jill Summers

Lighting:

Howard King

Fights Arranged By:

David Anderson and Derek Ware

Incidental Music:

Marcus Dods and Richard Rodney Bennett

Special Sounds (SFX Editor):

Brian Hodgson

Studio Sounds:

Jack Brummitt and John Staple

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:

Carole Ann Ford (Susan), Jacqueline Hill (Barbara Wright) and William Russell (Ian Chesterton)

Additional Cast:

Keith Pyott (Autloc), John Ringham (Tlotoxl), Ian Cullen (Ixta), Margot van der Burgh (Cameca), Tom Booth (First Victim), David Anderson (Aztec Captain), Walter Randall (Tonila), André Boulay (Perfect Victim)

Setting:

Mexico (circa 1454)

Villain:

Tlotoxl

The Episodes

No.	Episodes	Broadcast (UK)	Duration	Viewers (Millions)	In Archive
27	The Temple of Evil	23 May 1964	23'56"	7.4	16mm telerecording
28	The Warriors of Death	30 May 1964	24'11"	7.4	16mm telerecording
29	The Bride of Sacrifice	06 June 1964	25'27"	7.9	16mm telerecording
30	The Day of Darkness	13 June 1964	25'30"	7.4	16mm telerecording

Total Duration

1 Hour 39 Minutes

Audience Appreciation

Average Viewers (Millions)

7.5

Doctor Who Magazine Poll (1998)	74.86% (Position = 41 out of 159)
Doctor Who Magazine Poll (2003)	663 Points (Position = 17 out of 159)
Doctor Who Magazine Poll (2009)	75.39% (Position = 57 out of 200)
Doctor Who Magazine Poll (2014)	77.45% (Position = 61 out of 241)
Doctor Who Magazine Poll (2023)	Position = 4 out of 29

Archives

All episodes exist as 16mm telerecordings.

Notes

This story is the second "educational" historical adventure to be made. It is reported that writer John Lucarotti spent a considerable amount of time researching the Aztecs to write this story.

This type of story continued to be regularly featured until 1967, when the purely historical format would be discontinued after the Second Doctor story "The Highlanders".

This story is often cited as one of the earliest hints of a romantic side to The Doctor's character.

The Doctor is heard to tell Barbara ‘You can't rewrite history! Not one line!’. It is not revealed though he this means it is impossible to alter established history or that it is an ethical principle. The phrase ‘Not one line’ would also be used in "Silence in the Library/Forest of the Dead" in regards to the possibility of the Tenth Doctor altering River Song's personal time line, which she will not allow him to do even if it costs her life

For reasons of decency the costumes for the Aztecs characters covered more of their bodies than would have been the case in reality, especially when you consider the hot climate in Mexico.

Carole Ann Ford (who plays Susan) appeared in "The Warriors of Death" and "The Bride of Sacrifice" in pre-taped film sequences only, as the actress was on holiday during the recording of these episodes.

The incidental music for this story was by classical composer Sir Richard Rodney Bennett.

This story was released on DVD in 2002. It was the first Doctor Who DVD to use the VidFIRE process throughout the whole production.

A Special Edition of this story was released on DVD in March 2013. Included with this release was the recently discovered missing third episode, "Air Lock", of 1965 story "Galaxy 4".

First and Last

The Firsts:

The first Doctor Who story where a companion attempts to change history.

The first Doctor Who story to be recorded at the BBC Television Centre.

Story Images

Show Text

Ian in Danger

The Doctor

Barbara in Yetaxa's Headdress

Tlotoxl

Autloc

Susan

Ian

The Doctor with Barbara

The Doctor with Cameca

The Doctor Comforts Cameca

The Perfect Victim

Barbara is Threatened

Quote of the Story

'You're monsters! All of you, monsters.'

Susan

Release Information

Format	Title	Release Date (UK)	Code Number	Cover Art	Remarks
VHS	The Aztecs	November 1992	BBCV 4743	Andrew Skilleter	The 'next episode' caption has been removed from "The Day of Darkness"
DVD	The Aztecs	October 2002	BBCDVD 1099	Photo-montage
DVD	The Aztecs	March 2013	BBCDVD 3689	Photo-montage	Special Edition Also includes Episode 3 "Air Lock" from "Galaxy 4"

In Print

Format	Title	Release Date (UK)	Publisher	Author	Cover Art	Remarks
Novel	The Aztecs	September 1984	Target No. 88	John Lucarotti	Nick Spender	ISBN: 0-426-19588-4
Novel	The Aztecs	September 1992	Target No. 88	John Lucarotti	Andrew Skilleter	Virgin new cover reprint. ISBN: 0-426-19588-4
CD	The Aztecs	August 2012	Target No. 88	John Lucarotti	Nick Spender	Audio version of the Target Novel read by William Russell (Ian Chesterton).

Doctor Who CMS Magazine (An Adventure in Space and Time)	Issue 6
Doctor Who Weekly	Issue 8 (Released: December 1979)
Doctor Who Magazine - Article	Issue 171 (Released: March 1991)
Doctor Who Magazine - Archive	Issue 266 (Released: July 1998)
Doctor Who Magazine - Time Team	Issue 282 (Released: September 1999)
Doctor Who Magazine - The Fact of Fiction	Issue 516 (Released: October 2017)
Doctor Who Magazine Special - Archive	1984 Winter Special (Released: 1984)
Doctor Who DVD Files	Volume 122 (Released: September 2013)

Photo Gallery

The Doctor and Companions

The First Doctor

Susan

Barbara Wright

Ian Chesterton

On Release

VHS Video Cover

VIDEO

DVD Cover

VIDEO

Special Edition DVD Cover

VIDEO

In Print

Original Target Book Cover

NOVEL

Reprinted Virgin Book Cover

NOVEL

Target Audio CD Cover

Magazines

Doctor Who CMS Magazine (An Adventure in Space and Time): Issue 6

Doctor Who Weekly: Issue 8

Doctor Who Magazine - Article: Issue 171

Doctor Who Magazine - Archive: Issue 266

Doctor Who Magazine - Time Team: Issue 282

Doctor Who Magazine - The Fact of Fiction: Issue 516

Doctor Who Magazine Special - Archive: 1984 Winter Special

Doctor Who DVD Files: Volume 122

Who's Who

Who Me

Episodes of the
First Doctor

Season 1

References

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