The Romans (TV story): Difference between revisions

{{real world}}

{{ImageLinkTV}}

|image                  = The Doc and Nero.jpg

|novelisation          = The Romans (novelisation)

|series                = [[Doctor Who television stories|''Doctor Who'' television stories]]

|season serial number  = 4

|story number          = 12

|doctor                = First Doctor

|companions            = [[Ian Chesterton|Ian]], [[Barbara Wright|Barbara]], [[Vicki Pallister|Vicki]]

|setting                = [[Assisium]] and [[Rome]], [[64]]

|director              = [[Christopher Barry]]

|producer              = [[Verity Lambert]]

|epcount                = 4

|format                = 4x25-minute episodes

|serial production code = [[List of production codes|M]]

|next                  = The Web Planet (TV story)

|clip                  = Caesar's plans go up in flames - Doctor Who - The Romans - BBC

}}{{you may|The Romans (reference book)|n1=the reference book of the same name}}

''The Romans'' saw the first use of stock footage for a cliffhanger, in this case, a [[lion]]. Part three, "Conspiracy", was broadcast on the same day as [[Winston Churchill]]'s funeral, explaining the dip in viewing figures.

== Summary ==

[[File:TARDIS_falls.jpg|thumb|left|The TARDIS falls from the cliff.]]

The four travellers materialise on the edge of a cliff. Before the Doctor has time to take off again, the TARDIS falls from the cliff, crashing to the ground.

A month later the four friends are in Rome living in the lap of luxury. The Doctor, Ian and Barbara are content, but Vicki is beginning to tire of the life of a Roman and seeks adventure. As she talks to Barbara about the adventures she was promised, a man lurks threateningly in the bushes. The two women find themselves in a market where they are seen by two suspicious looking Romans, [[Didius]] and [[Sevcheria]]. The men speak of some sort of crime they intend to do in the village. The two women are overheard talking about [[London]] by an old market stall owner. The two Romans bribe the woman for information about Barbara and Vicki. She states that they spoke of London and have been in the area for the last month house sitting for [[Flavius Giscard]], who is away campaigning in [[Gaul]]. The two men set off with this information. As they leave, so does an old lyre player named [[Maximus Pettulian]]. He does not get very far before he is attacked on the road out of the village and killed by the sinister man who observed Vicki and Barbara earlier in the day.

Back at the house of Giscard the other travellers ask the Doctor if they should go back and check the TARDIS, but the Doctor says that the craft will be perfectly safe without it being constantly checked upon. The Doctor asks if they are getting restless and anxious to leave. Barbara and Ian state they are perfectly happy, but Vicki yearns for adventure. Spontaneously the Doctor states that he plans to leave for Rome as soon as he can and that Vicki can come with him. When Barbara asks to come, the Doctor reacts crossly, stating that he doesn't need a nursemaid. As soon as the two are packed, they leave Ian and Barbara alone in the villa. Didius and Sevcheria plot a siege on the villa later that night. As Ian and Barbara relax they are set upon by the two men. The two friends put up a gallant fight, but Barbara accidentally catches Ian on the head with a jug which was meant for Sevcheria and knocks him unconscious. Ian and Barbara are carried away by the two men.

On the road out of the village, the Doctor and Vicki come across the body of Maximus Pettulian. They are surprised by a centurion who has his sword drawn. He notices the Doctor is holding the old man's harp and asks if it belongs to him. When the Doctor answers noncommittally, the centurion states that he has been sent out to look for the lyre player by his master, Nero. Unable to resist the temptation, the Doctor passes himself off as Pettulian in order to meet Nero. The centurion leads him and Vicki away.

=== All Roads Lead to Rome (2) ===

The assassin attacks the Doctor, who fights him off before Vicki comes in and tries to hit him with a vase but he jumps out of an open window. After the Doctor boasts of his abilities in fisticuffs, Vicki informs him that the centurion who brought them thus far on their journey to Rome has disappeared. The Doctor rightly assumes that he is the reason for the death of the real Pettulian and the recent attack. The Doctor assures Vicki that they are to stay there one further night and then go on to Rome to meet Nero themselves. Vicki is unsure if this is a good idea, but the Doctor persuades her.

Meanwhile, Barbara has already been thrown in jail in Rome, awaiting an [[auction]] wherein she will be sold to the highest bidder. She is put in the same cell as a woman who has a bad cough and is clearly ill. Barbara comforts her and speaks of Ian who will come and save them.

Ian himself is on a slave ship and has been for the last five days, manning the oars. He speaks to a friend he has made in the journey by the name of [[Delos]]. They have struck up a plan, and now that they are near land they try to put it into action. Delos plays dead and Ian calls one of the slave drivers. However, their plan is seen to be fake and they are forced to work twice as hard for the indiscretion.

Back in the prison, Barbara is approached by a well-dressed man named [[Tavius]] who wants to buy Barbara. He states that he will look after her. When Barbara asks if this means she will get her freedom, he says that she will still be a slave but a slave that is treated humanely. She turns this down. When the guard comes round, Tavius offers to buy her directly. The guard informs him that she is to be sold at auction and no amount of money will convince him otherwise. The guard gives Barbara a fine dress to wear for the auction. When she asks what will happen to the other woman, the guard says that she is to be given to the circus as she is useless for auction in the state that she is in. Barbara looks concerned.

Meanwhile back at the palace, Poppaea orders Tavius to dismiss Barbara, stating that she is a nuisance. When Tavius says that Nero is fond of her, Poppaea slaps him. As he leaves the room he comes across Barbara, who says that her friend Ian is coming to pick her up. Tavius states that he was under orders to let her go anyway so all will be well. As they talk Barbara notices that guards are being placed around the palace in order to wait for Ian. Tavius says that he will find a way of smuggling Ian in safely. Barbara also mentions to Tavius that a musician by the name of Maximus Pettulian is to be assassinated by Nero at the arena tomorrow and asks whether he could stop this from happening too. He agrees to do so.

In another section of the palace, the Doctor and Vicki have stumbled across the plans that Nero has made for a new Rome. Tavius comes to them, warning them of Nero's plans. He also states that the assassination of Nero will have to be pushed forward to tonight. The Doctor is bewildered by this, and Tavius alludes to the fact that Pettulian was coming to Rome in order to murder Nero. A bewildered Doctor states that he and Vicki must leave that night in order to avoid both his and Nero's assassinations. They are interrupted when Nero enters, stating that the Doctor must play at the arena the following night. The Doctor agrees. However, he is holding his spectacles at such an angle as to set fire to the plans of new Rome on the table. Nero is initially furious and says the Doctor will be eaten by alligators, but then he realises that by burning down Rome he would be able to build his planned version. He congratulates the Doctor for giving him this idea. Nero decides to set this plan in action that night. He summons a group of men to the palace. As they make their way in, Ian and Delos, who have been hiding in the bushes, join them in order to sneak past the guards. The men are informed that they will be paid handsomely to run through the town and burn Rome to the ground. As they are receiving this information, Tavius gets Ian and reunites him with Barbara. As the men run from the palace to wreak havoc, Ian and Barbara slip out with them to return to the villa and Delos kills Sevcheria with a torch.

The Doctor and Vicki have also escaped and are heading across the fields when they see Rome burning. Vicki makes the Doctor realise that he has had an effect on history and inspired Nero to burn down Rome. This concept genuinely shocks the Doctor as he realises that his time-travelling has had an effect on Earth's history.

* [[1st man in market|1st Man in Market]] - [[Ernest Jennings]]

* [[2nd man in market|2nd Man in Market]] - [[John Caesar]]

* [[Nero]] - [[Derek Francis]]

* [[Tigilinus]] - [[Brian Proudfoot]]

* [[Associate Producer]] - [[Mervyn Pinfield]]

* [[Producer]] - [[Verity Lambert]]

* [[Fight arranger|Fight Arranger]] - [[Peter Diamond]]

* [[Costumes]] Supervised by [[Daphne Dare]]

* [[Lighting]] - [[Howard King]]

* [[studio sound|Sound]] - [[Richard Chubb]]

=== Uncredited crew ===

* [[Script Editor]] - [[Dennis Spooner]]<ref name="BBC Official Site">[http://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/classic/episodeguide/romans/detail.shtml BBC Official Site]</ref>

* [[Assistant Floor Manager]] - [[Valerie Wilkins]]<ref name="BBC Official Site" />

* [[Film Cameraman]] - [[Dick Bush]]<ref name="BBC Official Site" />

* [[Film Editor]] - [[Jim Latham]]<ref name="BBC Official Site" />

* [[Production Assistant]] - [[David Maloney]]<ref name="BBC Official Site" />

* [[Special Sound]] - [[Brian Hodgson]]<ref name="BBC Official Site" />

* Ian eats [[grape]]s.

* The Doctor once taught the [[Mountain Mauler of Montana]] to wrestle.

* Negative film prints of all episodes exist and were recovered by the BBC in 1978.

* Telesnaps of this story are held by private collectors.

* The characters of [[Tigilinus]] and [[Sevcheria]] were both expanded during re-writes of the script.

* In the original script, it was Sevcheria who knocks Ian unconscious rather than Barbara.

* ''[[The Rescue (TV story)|The Rescue]]'' leads directly into this story.

* This is the second story in a row in which the Doctor is given a surprisingly physical fight sequence. In fact, his brawl with Ascaris recalls similar fights involving the [[Third Doctor]], including the Doctor judo-flipping his opponent.

* The Doctor's line about the Mountain Mauler of Montana was an ad-lib by [[William Hartnell]].

* The creation of Tigilinus the cup-bearer was, in fact, a late addition to the scripts. Originally, the Doctor saved Nero from being poisoned by accidentally knocking over Caesar's goblet.

* Director [[Christopher Barry]] hinted that the story went overboard with the comedy and [[William Hartnell]] and [[Verity Lambert]] thought so too, the latter claiming that the audience disliked the comedy.

=== Ratings ===

=== Myths ===

* This story was originally a six-parter, but because ''[[The Rescue (TV story)|The Rescue]]'' was pushed into schedule, it was reduced to a four-parter. ''(This was never the case.)''

Contents:

* Photo Gallery

: ''See [[The Rescue (TV story)|The Rescue]] for additional DVD extras on this set.''

</gallery>

This story is available for streaming through [[BritBox]] ([[US]]) as part of Season 2 of ''Classic Doctor Who''.

=== VHS releases ===

[[Category:Stories set in Italy]]

[[fr:The Romans (TV)]]

[[pt:The Romans]]