Doctor Who - The Television Stories

Doctor Who - The Stories

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The Reign of Terror

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the Story

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Synopsis

Will Susan and Barbara Survive the Guillotine?

Materialising in a forest, The Doctor and his three companions discover themselves to be 12 kilometres from Paris. This is the 18th century and France is the scene of an ongoing bloody battle between royalists and revolutionaries. Following a blaze at a rural farmhouse, Ian, Barbara and Susan are separated from The Doctor and arrested as traitors, their destination the city’s gaol.

Ian receives information about James Stirling, an English spy with information vital to the revolution. No-one seems to know where Stirling is, and locating him becomes Ian’s priority. The Doctor meanwhile, arrives in Paris in the guise of a Regional Officer, and before long he has an audience with the leader of the revolution himself Robespierre!

With Robespierre’s downfall imminent, and the revolution about so reach its climax, The Doctor and his friends must extricate themselves from Paris, before events overtake than and they too become victims of Madame Guillotine…

Source: BBC Audio

General Information

Season:

One

Production Code:

Story Number:

Episode Numbers:

37 - 42

Number of Episodes:

Number of Incomplete/Missing Episodes:

Percentage of Episodes Held:

67%

Production Dates:

June - August 1964

Broadcast Started:

08 August 1964

Broadcast Finished:

12 September 1964

Colour Status:

B&W

Studio:

Lime Grove (Studio G) and BBC Television Centre (TC4)

Location:

White Plain (Denham Green, Buckinghamshire) and Isle of Wight Farm (Gerrards Cross).

Writer:

Dennis Spooner

Directors:

John Gorrie (Episode 3) and Henric Hirsch (Episodes 1, 2 & 4-6)

Producer:

Verity Lambert

Associate Producer:

Mervyn Pinfield

Story Editor:

David Whitaker

Editor:

Caroline Shields

Production Assistant:

Timothy Combe

Assistant Floor Manager:

Michael Cager

Designer:

Roderick Laing

Costume Designer:

Daphne Dare

Make-Up Designers:

Jill Summers (Episodes 1 & 2) and Sonia Markham (Episodes 2-6)

Cameraman:

Peter Hamilton

Lighting:

Howard King

Incidental Music:

Stanley Myers

Special Sounds (SFX Editor):

Brian Hodgson

Studio Sounds:

Chick Anthony and Ray Angel

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 Anderson (Robespierre), Tony Wall (Napoleon), Neville Smith (D'Argenson), Peter Walker (Small boy), Laidlaw Dalling (Rouvray), Robert Hunter (Sergeant), Ken Lawrence (Lieutenant), James Hall (Soldier), Howard Charlton (Judge), Jack Cunningham (Jailer), Jeffry Wickham (Webster), Dallas Cavell (Road Works Overseer), Denis Cleary (Peasant), James Cairncross (Lemaitre), Roy Herrick (Jean), Donald Morely (Jules Renan), John Barrard (Shopkeeper), Caroline Hunt (Danielle), Edward Brayshaw (Léon Colbert), Ronald Pickup (Physician), Terry Bale (Soldier), John Law (Paul Barrass), Patrick Marley (Soldier)

Setting:

France (1794)

Villain:

Colbert

The Episodes

No.	Episodes	Broadcast (UK)	Duration	Viewers (Millions)	In Archive
37	A Land of Fear	08 August 1964	24'24"	6.9	16mm telerecording
38	Guests of Madame Guillotine	15 August 1964	24'04"	6.9	16mm telerecording
39	A Change of Identity	22 August 1964	25'23"	6.9	16mm telerecording
40	The Tyrant of France	29 August 1964	24'46"	6.4	Missing
41	A Bargain of Necessity	05 September 1964	23'51"	6.9	Missing
42	Prisoners of Concergerie	12 September 1964	25'04"	6.4	16mm telerecording

Total Duration

2 Hours 28 Minutes

Audience Appreciation

Average Viewers (Millions)

6.7

Doctor Who Magazine Poll (1998)	64.29% (Position = 103 out of 159)
Doctor Who Magazine Poll (2009)	63.37% (Position = 144 out of 200)
Doctor Who Magazine Poll (2014)	64.21% (Position = 170 out of 241)
Doctor Who Magazine Poll (2023)	Position = 19 out of 29

Archives

Only episodes 1, 2, 3 and 6 exist as 16mm telerecordings. Episode 6 was returned by a private collector in May 1982. 8mm home movie clips exists for parts of episodes 4 and 5.

Notes

This story was a replacement for a postponed and ultimately abandoned David Whitaker six-parter about sixteenth century Spain after the Armada, which was to have been directed by Gerald Blake.

It is reported that the idea for a French Revolution story was suggested by cast member William Russell (who plays Ian Chesterton).

In a number of listing guides during the 1970’s, this story was called "The French Revolution". This appears to derive from a promotional article in the BBC listings magazine Radio Times entitled "Dr Who and the French Revolution".

Director Henric Hirsch suffered from exhaustion during the making of this story, and was unable to direct episode 3, "A Change of Identity". John Gorrie (who had previously directed "The Keys of Marinus") temporarily stepped in. John Gorrie however, did not receive an on-screen credited for his involvement in this episode.

The second episode features Doctor Who's first ever location filming with a second-unit taping a body double for William Hartnell in a poplar-lined lane at White Plains near Denham and on a lane and a field at Gerrards Cross both in Buckinghamshire. These shots were with Brian Proudfoot doubling for William Hartnell (as he was busy rehearsing for "The Sensorites") and were used to depict The Doctor walking through the countryside supposedly toward Paris.

William Russell appeared in episodes 2 and 3 ("Guests of Madame Guillotine" and "A Change of Identity") only in pre-taped inserts, as the actor was on holiday during the recording of these episodes.

We learn that the French Revolution it seams is The Doctor's favourite period of Earth history. As usual he has no money on him and is forced to barter with his ring.

Susan's first scene in the first story of the show, "An Unearthly Child", involved Barbara Wright lending her a book on the French Revolution, which Susan then opened and began to vocally criticise.

Unfortunately only the first three episodes and episode six currently exist in the BBC Archives. All six episodes were reported missing from the BBC Film and Videotape Library following an audit in 1978. However, a copy of the sixth episode,"Prisoners of Conciergerie", was returned by a private collector in 1982. Then the first three episodes, "A Land of Fear", "Guests of Madame Guillotine" and "Change of Identity", along with another copy of the sixth episode, "Prisoners of Conciergerie" were returned, in December 1984, from CBC in Cyprus. As a result, only two episodes (four, "The Tyrant of France", and five, "A Bargain of Necessity",) are currently still missing.

For the planned VHS video release of this story Carole Ann Ford recorded an introduction and a segment to bridge the missing two episodes. However, this part of the VHS release was cancelled. Her linking narration (but not introduction) can be heard on this tape.

The remaining episodes of this story were released as part of "The Reign of Terror Collectors' Box Set" in November 2003. These were the final Doctor Who episodes to be released on VHS by BBC Worldwide.

This story was released on DVD in January 2013 with full-length animated reconstructions of its missing episodes.

First and Last

The Firsts:

The first Doctor Who story to contain location filming.

The first story that is only partially held. It is complete except for episodes four and five.

The first Doctor Who story to be written by Dennis Spooner.

The first Doctor Who story to be directed by Henric Hirsch.

The Lasts (Subject to Future Stories):

The last story of Season One.

The remaining episodes this story were released as part of "The Reign of Terror Collectors' Set". This was the final Doctor Who episodes to be released on VHS by BBC Worldwide.

Story Images

Show Text

On the Road to Paris

A Long Walk to Paris

Barbara and Susan in Prison

Ian Chesterton

Susan, Ian and Barbara

Susan and Barbara on their way to the Guillotine

Susan and Barbara

The Doctor Tries to Free Susan and Barbara

The Doctor With the Jailor

The Doctor with Barbara and Ian

Robespierre is Seized

The Doctor in Disguise

Quote of the Story

'Our lives are important, at least to us, and as we see so we learn.'

The Doctor

Release Information

Format	Title	Release Date (UK)	Code Number	Cover Art	Remarks
VHS	The Reign of Terror Box Set	November 2003	BBCV 7540	Photo-montage	Part of "The Reign of Terror Box Set" (BBCV 7335) Features Carole Ann Ford (Susan) narrating the missing episodes 4 & 5
DVD	Doctor Who: Lost in Time	November 2004	BBCDVD 1353	Photo-montage	Includes brief clips made by a fan pointing a mute 8mm cine camera at a TV screen during transmission (enhanced with parts of the soundtrack)
CD	The Reign of Terror	February 2006		Photo-montage	Narrated by Carole Ann Ford (Susan) Includes a bonus interview with Carole Ann Ford Double CD Release
CD	The Reign of Terror	August 2010		Photo-montage	Part of the "Doctor Who: The Lost TV Episodes: Collection One 1964-1965" Box Set Narrated by Carole Ann Ford (Susan)
DVD	The Reign of Terror	January 2013	BBCDVD 3528	Photo-montage	Includes animated reconstruction (by Theta-Sigma) of the two missing episodes and the original soundtrack

In Print

Format	Title	Release Date (UK)	Publisher	Author	Cover Art	Remarks
Novel	The Reign of Terror	August 1987	Target No. 119	Ian Marter	Tony Masero	ISBN: 0-426-20264-3
CD	The Reign of Terror	June 2022	Target No. 119	Ian Marter	Tony Masero	Audio version of the Target Novel read by Jamie Glover.

Doctor Who CMS Magazine (An Adventure in Space and Time)	Issue 8
Doctor Who Weekly	Issue 10 (Released: December 1979)
Doctor Who Magazine - Archive	Issue 204 (Released: October 1993)
Doctor Who Magazine - Time Team	Issue 284 (Released: November 1999)
Doctor Who Magazine - Time Team	Issue 285 (Released: December 1999)
Doctor Who Magazine - The Fact of Fiction	Issue 477 (Released: October 2014)

Photo Gallery

The Doctor and Companions

The First Doctor

Susan

Barbara Wright

Ian Chesterton

On Release

VHS Video Cover

VIDEO

Lost In Time DVD Cover

VIDEO

Soundtrack CD Cover

AUDIO

The Lost TV Episodes: Collection One CD Cover

AUDIO

DVD Cover

VIDEO

In Print

Target Book Cover

NOVEL

Target Audio CD Cover

Magazines

Doctor Who CMS Magazine (An Adventure in Space and Time): Issue 8

Doctor Who Weekly: Issue 10

Doctor Who Magazine - Archive: Issue 204

Doctor Who Magazine - Time Team: Issue 284

Doctor Who Magazine - Time Team: Issue 285

Doctor Who Magazine - The Fact of Fiction: Issue 477

Who's Who

Who Me

Episodes of the
First Doctor

Season 1

References

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