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{{Real world}}
{{NOTOC}}
'''Pure historicals''' are ''[[Doctor Who]]'' stories that are set in in a historical time period and feature no [[science fiction]] [[anachronism]]s other than the [[TARDIS team]]. These stories were highlighted by [[Philip MacDonald]] in the article "A Foreign Country" in [[DWM 194]].
'''Pure historicals''' are ''[[Doctor Who]]'' stories that are set in in a historical time period and feature no [[science fiction]] [[anachronism]]s other than the [[TARDIS team]]. These stories were highlighted by [[Philip MacDonald]] in the article "A Foreign Country" in [[DWM 194]].


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''[[The Time Meddler (TV story)|The Time Meddler]]'' was the first "pseudo-historical" story with [[the Monk]] serving as the science fiction anachronism.
''[[The Time Meddler (TV story)|The Time Meddler]]'' was the first "pseudo-historical" story with [[the Monk]] serving as the science fiction anachronism.


The term has been widely adopted by the fanbase, even by writers for ''[[Doctor Who Magazine]]'' and [[Big Finish Productions]]. These stories have explicitly been described as pure historicals: [[Other Lives (audio story)|''Other Lives'']],<ref>[[VOR 92]]</ref> ''[[The Wrath of the Iceni (audio story)|The Wrath of the Iceni]]'',<ref>[https://www.bigfinish.com/releases/v/doctor-who-the-wrath-of-the-iceni-656 Doctor Who: The Wrath of the Iceni]</ref> [[The Flames of Cadiz (audio story)|''The Flames of Cadiz'']],<ref>[https://www.bigfinish.com/news/v/new-look-for-big-finish-doctor-who New Look for Big Finish Doctor Who]</ref> ''[[The Lady of Mercia (audio story)|The Lady of Mercia]]'',<ref>[https://www.bigfinish.com/news/v/eldrad-lives-again-in-upcoming-doctor-who-release Eldrad Lives Again in Upcoming Doctor Who Release!]</ref> ''[[The Doctor's Tale (audio story)|The Doctor's Tale]]'',<ref>[https://www.bigfinish.com/news/v/doctor-who-early-adventures-detailed Doctor Who Early Adventures Detailed]</ref> ''[[The Peterloo Massacre (audio story)|The Peterloo Massacre]],''<ref>[https://www.bigfinish.com/releases/v/doctor-who-the-peterloo-massacre-1049 Doctor Who: The Peterloo Massacre]</ref>, ''[[The Great White Hurricane (audio story)|The Great White Hurricane]]'',<ref>[[VOR 106]]</ref> and ''[[The Bellagio Imbroglio (game)|The Bellagio Imbroglio]]''.<ref>"Adventure Synopsis", ''[[The Bellagio Imbroglio (game)|]]''</ref>
The term has been widely adopted by the fanbase. These novels have been described as pure historicals in ''[[Doctor Who Magazine]]'': ''[[Sanctuary (novel)|Sanctuary]]'',<ref>[[DWMSE 10]]</ref> ''[[The Witch Hunters (novel)|The Witch Hunters]]'',<ref>[[DWMSE 7]]</ref> and ''[[The Wages of Sin (novel)|The Wages of Sin]].''<ref>[[DWMSE 2]]</ref> These [[Big Finish Productions|Big Finish]] stories have been described as pure historicals: ''[[The Marian Conspiracy (audio story)|The Marian Conspiracy]]'',<ref>[[Big Finish CD booklets|CD booklet]]: "The brief for the story that became ''The Marian Conspiracy'' was to do a 'Hartnell historical' for the Sixth Doctor"</ref> [[Other Lives (audio story)|''Other Lives'']],<ref>[[VOR 92]]</ref> ''[[The Wrath of the Iceni (audio story)|The Wrath of the Iceni]]'',<ref>[https://www.bigfinish.com/releases/v/doctor-who-the-wrath-of-the-iceni-656 Doctor Who: The Wrath of the Iceni]</ref> [[The Flames of Cadiz (audio story)|''The Flames of Cadiz'']],<ref>[https://www.bigfinish.com/news/v/new-look-for-big-finish-doctor-who New Look for Big Finish Doctor Who]</ref> ''[[The Lady of Mercia (audio story)|The Lady of Mercia]]'',<ref>[https://www.bigfinish.com/news/v/eldrad-lives-again-in-upcoming-doctor-who-release Eldrad Lives Again in Upcoming Doctor Who Release!]</ref> ''[[The Doctor's Tale (audio story)|The Doctor's Tale]]'',<ref>[https://www.bigfinish.com/news/v/doctor-who-early-adventures-detailed Doctor Who Early Adventures Detailed]</ref> ''[[The Peterloo Massacre (audio story)|The Peterloo Massacre]],''<ref>[https://www.bigfinish.com/releases/v/doctor-who-the-peterloo-massacre-1049 Doctor Who: The Peterloo Massacre]</ref>, and ''[[The Great White Hurricane (audio story)|The Great White Hurricane]].''<ref>[[VOR 106]]</ref> [[Paul Magrs]] jokingly described his audio story ''[[Muse of Fire (audio story)|Muse of Fire]]'' as a "not-quite-so Pure Historical".<ref>[https://www.bigfinish.com/news/v/seventh-doctor-muse-of-fire Seventh Doctor - Muse of Fire]</ref>


[[Paul Magrs]] jokingly described his audio story ''[[Muse of Fire (audio story)|Muse of Fire]]'' as a "not-quite-so Pure Historical".<ref>[https://www.bigfinish.com/news/v/seventh-doctor-muse-of-fire Seventh Doctor - Muse of Fire]</ref>
The ''[[Adventures in Time and Space: The Roleplaying Game|Doctor Who Roleplaying Game]]'' adventure ''[[The Bellagio Imbroglio (game)|The Bellagio Imbroglio]]'' was designed as a pure historical.<ref>"Adventure Synopsis", ''[[The Bellagio Imbroglio (game)|The Bellagio Imbroglio]]''</ref>
 
The first issue of the [[List of anniversaries|45th anniversary]] comic ''[[The Forgotten (comic story)|The Forgotten]]'' featured a flashback to the [[First Doctor]]. In keeping with the era, this flashback story was a pure historical set in [[BC|26th century BC]] [[Egypt]].
 
== In-universe ==
[[Iris Wildthyme]] wondered if her adventure with King [[John of England|John]] would count as a Pure Historical or a Celebrity Historical. She concluded it was a Pseudo-Historical when she discovered he was a [[cyborg]] from the future. ([[PROSE]]: {{cs|From Wildthyme with Love (novel)}})


== List of pure historicals ==
== List of pure historicals ==
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|-
|-
|''[[The Myth Makers (TV story)|The Myth Makers]]''
|''[[The Myth Makers (TV story)|The Myth Makers]]''
|{{sort|006|[[BC|1200 BC]]}}
|{{sort|007|[[BC|1200 BC]]}}
| data-sort-value="16 October 1965" |[[16 October (releases)|16 October]]–[[6 November (releases)|6 November]] 1965
| data-sort-value="16 October 1965" |[[16 October (releases)|16 October]]–[[6 November (releases)|6 November]] 1965
|-
|-
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| data-sort-value="1 March 1982" |[[1 March (releases)|1]]–[[2 March (releases)|2 March]] 1982
| data-sort-value="1 March 1982" |[[1 March (releases)|1]]–[[2 March (releases)|2 March]] 1982
|-
|-
| rowspan="2" |Mini-episode
| rowspan="4" |Mini-episode
|''[[Making Cocoa (home video)|Making Cocoa]]''
|N/A
|{{Sort|1430|After [[1430]]}}
|[[21 October (releases)|21 October]] [[2002 (releases)|2002]]
|-
|''[[The Bells of Saint John: A Prequel (webcast)|The Bells of Saint John: A Prequel]]''
|''[[The Bells of Saint John: A Prequel (webcast)|The Bells of Saint John: A Prequel]]''
|[[Eleventh Doctor|11th]]
|[[Eleventh Doctor|11th]]
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|[[15 September (releases)|15 September]] [[2015 (releases)|2015]]
|[[15 September (releases)|15 September]] [[2015 (releases)|2015]]
|-
|-
| rowspan="10" |Comic
|''[[The Storyteller (webcast)|The Storyteller]]''
|N/A
|{{sort|009|After [[BC|1200 BC]]}}
|[[16 August (releases)|16 August]] [[2022 (releases)|2022]]
|-
| rowspan="11" |Comic
|''[[Backtime (comic story)|Backtime]]''
|''[[Backtime (comic story)|Backtime]]''
| [[Third Doctor|3rd]]
| rowspan="3" |[[Third Doctor|3rd]]
|[[1863]]
|[[1863]]
| data-sort-value="2 October 1971" |[[2 October (releases)|2 October]]-[[13 November (releases)|13 November]] [[1971 (releases)|1971]]
| data-sort-value="2 October 1971" |[[2 October (releases)|2 October]]-[[13 November (releases)|13 November]] [[1971 (releases)|1971]]
|-
|-
|''[[Who is the Stranger (comic story)|Who is the Stranger]]''  
|''[[Who is the Stranger (comic story)|Who is the Stranger]]''  
|[[Third Doctor|3rd]]
|{{sort|1940|c. [[1940]]-[[1944]]}}
|{{sort|1940|c. [[1940]]-[[1944]]}}
| data-sort-value="10 February 1973" |[[10 February (releases)|10 February]] [[1973 (releases)|1973]]
| data-sort-value="10 February 1973" |[[10 February (releases)|10 February]] [[1973 (releases)|1973]]
|-
|-
|''[[Perils of Paris (comic story)|Perils of Paris]]''
|''[[Perils of Paris (comic story)|Perils of Paris]]''
|[[Third Doctor|3rd]]
|[[1880]]
|[[1880]]
| data-sort-value="1 June 1974" |Summer [[1974 (releases)|1974]]
| data-sort-value="1 June 1974" |Summer [[1974 (releases)|1974]]
|-
|-
|''[[Woden's Warriors (comic story)|Woden's Warriors]]''
|''[[Woden's Warriors (comic story)|Woden's Warriors]]''
|[[Fourth Doctor|4th]]
| rowspan="3" |[[Fourth Doctor|4th]]
|{{sort|800|''to be added''}}
|{{sort|800|Danish Britain}}
| data-sort-value="1 September 1975" |[[1 September (releases)|1 September]] [[1975 (releases)|1975]]
| data-sort-value="1 September 1975" |[[1 September (releases)|1 September]] [[1975 (releases)|1975]]
|-
|-
|''[[Treasure Trail (comic story)|Treasure Trail]]''
|''[[Treasure Trail (comic story)|Treasure Trail]]''
|[[Fourth Doctor|4th]]
|[[1944]]
|[[1944]]
| data-sort-value="20 March 1976" |[[20 March (releases)|20 March]]- [[1 May (releases)|1 May]] [[1976 (releases)|1976]]
| data-sort-value="20 March 1976" |[[20 March (releases)|20 March]]- [[1 May (releases)|1 May]] [[1976 (releases)|1976]]
|-
|-
| ''[[The Sky Warrior (comic story)|The Sky Warrior]]''
| ''[[The Sky Warrior (comic story)|The Sky Warrior]]''
|[[Fourth Doctor|4th]]
|{{sort|1500s|[[16th century]]}}
|{{sort|1500s|[[16th century]]}}
|[[1 July (releases)|1 July]] [[1977 (releases)|1977]]
|[[1 July (releases)|1 July]] [[1977 (releases)|1977]]
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|-
|-
|''[[They Think It's All Over (comic story)|They Think It's All Over]]''
|''[[They Think It's All Over (comic story)|They Think It's All Over]]''
|[[Eleventh Doctor|11th]]
| rowspan="2" |[[Eleventh Doctor|11th]]
|[[966]]
|[[966]]
|[[25 May (releases)|25 May]] [[2011 (releases)|2011]]
|[[25 May (releases)|25 May]] [[2011 (releases)|2011]]
|-
|-
|''[[The Doctor Shops for Comics (comic story)|The Doctor Shops for Comics]]''
|''[[The Doctor Shops for Comics (comic story)|The Doctor Shops for Comics]]''
|[[Eleventh Doctor|11th]]
|[[1923]]  
|[[1923]]  
|[[12 August (releases)|12 August]] [[2015 (releases)|2015]]
|[[12 August (releases)|12 August]] [[2015 (releases)|2015]]
|-
|''[[Be Forgot (comic story)|Be Forgot]]''
|[[Twelfth Doctor|12th]]
|[[1972]]
|[[15 December (releases)|15 December]] [[2016 (releases)|2016]]
|-
|-
| rowspan="8" |Novel
| rowspan="8" |Novel
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|-
|-
|''[[Blood and Hope (novel)|Blood and Hope]]''
|''[[Blood and Hope (novel)|Blood and Hope]]''
|[[Fifth Doctor|5th]]
| rowspan="2" |[[Fifth Doctor|5th]]
|[[1860]]-[[1865]]
|[[1860]]-[[1865]]
|[[19 February (releases)|19 February]] [[2004 (releases)|2004]]
|[[19 February (releases)|19 February]] [[2004 (releases)|2004]]
|-
|-
|''[[The Coming of the Queen (novel)|The Coming of the Queen]]''
|''[[The Coming of the Queen (novel)|The Coming of the Queen]]''
|[[Fifth Doctor|5th]]
|{{sort|004|[[BC|15th century BC]]}}
|{{sort|003|[[BC|15th century BC]]}}
|[[13 October (releases)|13 October]] [[2005 (releases)|2005]]
|[[13 October (releases)|13 October]] [[2005 (releases)|2005]]
|-
|-
| rowspan="36" |Short story
| rowspan="45" |Short story
|''[[H.M.S. Tardis (short story)|H.M.S. Tardis]]''
| rowspan="2" |[[Second Doctor|2nd]]
|[[1805]]
| rowspan="2" |[[September (releases)|September]] [[1967 (releases)|1967]]
|-
|''[[The King of Golden Death (short story)|The King of Golden Death]]''
|''[[The King of Golden Death (short story)|The King of Golden Death]]''
|[[Second Doctor|2nd]]
|{{sort|005|After c. [[BC|1323 BC]]}}{{note|Approximate year of [[Tut-Ankh-Amen|Tutankhamun]]'s death.}}
|{{sort|004|After c. [[BC|1323 BC]]}}{{note|Approximate year of [[Tut-Ankh-Amen|Tutankhamun]]'s death.}}
| data-sort-value="1 September 1967" |[[September (releases)|September]] [[1967 (releases)|1967]]
|-
|-
|''[[The Real Hereward (short story)|The Real Hereward]]''
|''[[The Real Hereward (short story)|The Real Hereward]]''
Line 191: Line 209:
|''[[An Unfulfilled Dream (short story)|An Unfulfilled Dream]]''
|''[[An Unfulfilled Dream (short story)|An Unfulfilled Dream]]''
|[[Seventh Doctor|7th]]
|[[Seventh Doctor|7th]]
|{{sort|005|[[BC|1240 BC]]}}
|{{sort|006|[[BC|1240 BC]]}}
|[[5 September (releases)|5 September]] [[1991 (releases)|1991]]
|[[5 September (releases)|5 September]] [[1991 (releases)|1991]]
|-
|-
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|[[First Doctor|1st]]
|[[First Doctor|1st]]
|{{sort|74|c. [[74]]}}{{note|Real world date of the [[Siege of Masada]].}}
|{{sort|74|c. [[74]]}}{{note|Real world date of the [[Siege of Masada]].}}
|[[2 March (releases)|2 March]] [[1998 (releases)|1998]]
| rowspan="2" |[[2 March (releases)|2 March]] [[1998 (releases)|1998]]
|-
|-
|''[[The People's Temple (short story)|The People's Temple]]''
|''[[The People's Temple (short story)|The People's Temple]]''
|[[Eighth Doctor|8th]]
|[[Eighth Doctor|8th]]
|{{sort|002|[[Stone Age]]}}
|{{sort|003|c. [[BC|2600 BC]]}}{{note|Real world construction of [[Stonehenge]] with large stones.}}
|[[2 March (releases)|2 March]] [[1998 (releases)|1998]]
|-
|-
|''[[Romans Cutaway (short story)|Romans Cutaway]]''
|''[[Romans Cutaway (short story)|Romans Cutaway]]''
Line 230: Line 247:
|-
|-
| ''[[Apocrypha Bipedium (short story)|Apocrypha Bipedium]]''
| ''[[Apocrypha Bipedium (short story)|Apocrypha Bipedium]]''
|[[Eighth Doctor|1st]]
|[[Eighth Doctor|8th]]
|{{sort|007|After [[BC|1200 BC]]}}
|{{sort|008|After [[BC|1200 BC]]}}
|[[2 April (releases)|2 April]] [[2003 (releases)|2003]]
|[[2 April (releases)|2 April]] [[2003 (releases)|2003]]
|-
|-
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|[[Fifth Doctor|5th]]
|[[Fifth Doctor|5th]]
| [[1016]]
| [[1016]]
|[[9 April (releases)|9 April]] [[2004 (releases)|2004]]
| rowspan="7" |[[9 April (releases)|9 April]] [[2004 (releases)|2004]]
|-
|-
|''[[All Done with Mirrors (short story)|All Done with Mirrors]]''
|''[[All Done with Mirrors (short story)|All Done with Mirrors]]''
|[[Fourth Doctor|4th]]
|[[Fourth Doctor|4th]]
|[[1593]]
|[[1593]]
|[[9 April (releases)|9 April]] [[2004 (releases)|2004]]
|-
|-
| ''[[The Thief of Sherwood (short story)|The Thief of Sherwood]]''
| ''[[The Thief of Sherwood (short story)|The Thief of Sherwood]]''
|[[First Doctor|1st]]
|[[First Doctor|1st]]
|{{sort|1100|[[12th century]]}}
|{{sort|1100|[[12th century]]}}
|[[9 April (releases)|9 April]] [[2004 (releases)|2004]]
|-
| ''[[Come Friendly Bombs... (short story)|Come Friendly Bombs…]]''
|[[Third Doctor|3rd]]
|[[1960]]
|-
|-
|''[[White Man's Burden (short story)|White Man's Burden]]''
|''[[White Man's Burden (short story)|White Man's Burden]]''
|[[Fifth Doctor|5th]]
|[[Fifth Doctor|5th]]
|[[1877]]
|[[1877]]
|[[9 April (releases)|9 April]] [[2004 (releases)|2004]]
|-
|-
|''[[Of the Mermaid and Jupiter (short story)|Of the Mermaid and Jupiter]]''
|''[[Of the Mermaid and Jupiter (short story)|Of the Mermaid and Jupiter]]''
|[[Seventh Doctor|7th]]
|[[Seventh Doctor|7th]]
|[[1829]]
|[[1829]]
|[[9 April (releases)|9 April]] [[2004 (releases)|2004]]
|-
|-
|''[[The Man Who Wouldn't Give Up (short story)|The Man Who Wouldn't Give Up]]''
|''[[The Man Who Wouldn't Give Up (short story)|The Man Who Wouldn't Give Up]]''
|[[Sixth Doctor|6th]]
|[[Sixth Doctor|6th]]
|{{sort|800|[[9th century]]}}
|{{sort|800|[[9th century]]}}
|[[9 April (releases)|9 April]] [[2004 (releases)|2004]]
|-
|''[[Observation (short story)|Observation]]''
|[[Fifth Doctor|5th]]
|{{sort|002|[[BC|40,000 BC]]}}
|[[26 June (releases)|26 June]] [[2004 (releases)|2004]]
|-
|-
|''[[The Bushranger's Story (short story)|The Bushranger's Story]]''
|''[[The Bushranger's Story (short story)|The Bushranger's Story]]''
|[[Fourth Doctor|4th]]  
|[[Fourth Doctor|4th]]  
|[[1876]]
|[[1876]]
|[[26 August (releases)|26 August]] [[2004 (releases)|2004]]
| rowspan="3" |[[26 August (releases)|26 August]] [[2004 (releases)|2004]]
|-
|-
| ''[[The Farmer's Story (short story)|The Farmer's Story]]''
| ''[[The Farmer's Story (short story)|The Farmer's Story]]''
|[[Second Doctor|2nd]]
|[[Second Doctor|2nd]]
|{{sort|1915|After [[1914]]}}
|{{sort|1915|After [[1914]]}}
|[[26 August (releases)|26 August]] [[2004 (releases)|2004]]
|-
|-
|''[[The Republican's Story (short story)|The Republican's Story]]''
|''[[The Republican's Story (short story)|The Republican's Story]]''
| [[Fourth Doctor|4th]]
| [[Fourth Doctor|4th]]
|[[1666]]
|[[1666]]
|[[26 August (releases)|26 August]] [[2004 (releases)|2004]]
|-
|-
|''[[Never Seen Cairo (short story)|Never Seen Cairo]]''
|''[[Never Seen Cairo (short story)|Never Seen Cairo]]''
|[[Fifth Doctor|5th]], [[Seventh Doctor|7th]]
|[[Fifth Doctor|5th]], [[Seventh Doctor|7th]]
|[[1914]]
|[[1914]]
|[[30 December (releases)|30 December]] [[2004 (releases)|2004]]
| rowspan="2" |[[30 December (releases)|30 December]] [[2004 (releases)|2004]]
|-
|-
| ''[[It's a Lovely Day Tomorrow (short story)|It's a Lovely Day Tomorrow]]''
| ''[[It's a Lovely Day Tomorrow (short story)|It's a Lovely Day Tomorrow]]''
|[[Fourth Doctor|4th]]
|[[Fourth Doctor|4th]]
|[[1940]]
|[[1940]]
|[[30 December (releases)|30 December]] [[2004 (releases)|2004]]
|-
|-
|''[[The Duke's Folly (short story)|The Duke's Folly]]''
|''[[The Duke's Folly (short story)|The Duke's Folly]]''
Line 298: Line 316:
|{{sort|1870|Late [[19th century]]}}
|{{sort|1870|Late [[19th century]]}}
|[[9 April (releases)|9 April]] [[2005 (releases)|2005]]
|[[9 April (releases)|9 April]] [[2005 (releases)|2005]]
|-
|''[[Be Good for Goodness's Sake (short story)|Be Good for Goodness' Sake]]''
|[[Eighth Doctor|8th]]
|[[1987]]
| rowspan="2" |[[26 November (releases)|26 November]] [[2005 (releases)|2005]]
|-
|-
|''[[Comforts of Home (short story)|Comforts of Home]]''
|''[[Comforts of Home (short story)|Comforts of Home]]''
|[[Fifth Doctor|5th]]
|[[Fifth Doctor|5th]]
|[[1861]]
|[[1861]]
|[[26 November (releases)|26 November]] [[2005 (releases)|2005]]
|-
|-
|''[[Log 384 (short story)|Log 384]]''
|''[[Log 384 (short story)|Log 384]]''
Line 311: Line 333:
|''[[The Slave War (short story)|The Slave War]]''
|''[[The Slave War (short story)|The Slave War]]''
| [[Second Doctor|2nd]]
| [[Second Doctor|2nd]]
|{{sort|012|[[BC|71 BC]]}}
|{{sort|014|[[BC|71 BC]]}}
|[[10 May (releases)|10 May]] [[2008 (releases)|2008]]
| rowspan="5" |[[10 May (releases)|10 May]] [[2008 (releases)|2008]]
|-
|-
|''[[Goths and Robbers (short story)|Goths and Robbers]]''  
|''[[Goths and Robbers (short story)|Goths and Robbers]]''  
|[[Fifth Doctor|5th]]
|[[Fifth Doctor|5th]]
|[[493]]
|[[493]]
|[[10 May (releases)|10 May]] [[2008 (releases)|2008]]
|-
|-
|''[[The Price of Conviction (short story)|The Price of Conviction]]''  
|''[[The Price of Conviction (short story)|The Price of Conviction]]''  
| [[First Doctor|1st]]
| [[First Doctor|1st]]
|{{sort|1521|c. [[1521]]}}{{note|Real world date of the [[Diet of Worms]].}}
|{{sort|1521|c. [[1521]]}}{{note|Real world date of the [[Diet of Worms]].}}
|[[10 May (releases)|10 May]] [[2008 (releases)|2008]]
|-
|-
|''[[God Send Me Well to Keep (short story)|God Send Me Well to Keep]]''
|''[[God Send Me Well to Keep (short story)|God Send Me Well to Keep]]''
|[[Fifth Doctor|5th]]
|[[Fifth Doctor|5th]]
|[[1539]]
|[[1539]]
|[[10 May (releases)|10 May]] [[2008 (releases)|2008]]
|-
|-
| ''[[On a Pedestal (short story)|On a Pedestal]]''
| ''[[On a Pedestal (short story)|On a Pedestal]]''
|[[Second Doctor|2nd]]  
|[[Second Doctor|2nd]]  
|{{sort|1200|[[13th century]]}}
|{{sort|1200|[[13th century]]}}
|[[10 May (releases)|10 May]] [[2008 (releases)|2008]]
|-
|-
|''[[Hiccup in Time (short story)|Hiccup in Time]]''  
|''[[Hiccup in Time (short story)|Hiccup in Time]]''  
|[[Third Doctor|3rd]]
|[[Third Doctor|3rd]]
|[[1539]]
|[[1539]]
|[[30 March (releases)|30 March]] [[2009 (releases)|2009]]
| rowspan="4" |[[30 March (releases)|30 March]] [[2009 (releases)|2009]]
|-
|-
|''[[Shamans (short story)|Shamans]]''
|''[[Shamans (short story)|Shamans]]''
| [[Fourth Doctor|4th]]
| [[Fourth Doctor|4th]]
|[[1856]]
|[[1856]]
|[[30 March (releases)|30 March]] [[2009 (releases)|2009]]
|-
|-
|''[[The Reign Makers (short story)|The Reign Makers]]''
|''[[The Reign Makers (short story)|The Reign Makers]]''
| [[First Doctor|1st]]
| [[First Doctor|1st]]
|[[1415]]
|[[1415]]
|[[30 March (releases)|30 March]] [[2009 (releases)|2009]]
|-
|''[[Trial by Fire (short story)|Trial by Fire]]''
|[[Sixth Doctor|6th]]
|{{sort|1100|[[12th century]]}}
|-
|-
| ''[[The Bledoe Cadets and the Bald Man of Pengriffen (short story)|The Bledoe Cadets and the Bald Man of Pengriffen]]''  
| ''[[The Bledoe Cadets and the Bald Man of Pengriffen (short story)|The Bledoe Cadets and the Bald Man of Pengriffen]]''  
|N/A
|rowspan="5" |N/A
|[[1937]]
|[[1937]]
|[[March (releases)|March]] [[2017 (releases)|2017]]
|[[March (releases)|March]] [[2017 (releases)|2017]]
|-
|-
| rowspan="42" |Audio
|''[[What's Past is Prologue (short story)|What's Past is Prologue]]''
|[[1917]]
|[[29 December (releases)|29 December]] [[2017 (releases)|2017]]
|-
|''[[The Note (short story)|The Note]]''
|[[1945]]
|[[2 January (releases)|2 January]] [[2018 (releases)|2018]]
|-
|''[[As the Son Falls (short story)|As the Son Falls]]''
|[[1890]]
|rowspan="2" |[[October (releases)|October]] [[2018 (releases)|2018]]
|-
|''[[The War Romance (short story)|The War Romance]]''
|[[1943]]
|-
| rowspan="44" |Audio
| ''[[The Marian Conspiracy (audio story)|The Marian Conspiracy]]''
| ''[[The Marian Conspiracy (audio story)|The Marian Conspiracy]]''
|[[Sixth Doctor|6th]]
|[[Sixth Doctor|6th]]
Line 371: Line 406:
|-
|-
|''[[Doctor Who and the Pirates (audio story)|Doctor Who and the Pirates]]''  
|''[[Doctor Who and the Pirates (audio story)|Doctor Who and the Pirates]]''  
|[[Sixth Doctor|6th]]
| rowspan="2" |[[Sixth Doctor|6th]]
| {{sort|1702|c. [[1702]]}}
| {{sort|1702|c. [[1702]]}}
| data-sort-value="1 April 2003" |[[April (releases)|April]] [[2003 (releases)|2003]]
| data-sort-value="1 April 2003" |[[April (releases)|April]] [[2003 (releases)|2003]]
|-
|-
|''[[Catch-1782 (audio story)|Catch-1782]]''
|''[[Catch-1782 (audio story)|Catch-1782]]''
|[[Sixth Doctor|6th]]
|[[1782]]
|[[1782]]
| data-sort-value="1 April 2005" |[[April (releases)|April]] [[2005 (releases)|2005]]
| data-sort-value="1 April 2005" |[[April (releases)|April]] [[2005 (releases)|2005]]
Line 391: Line 425:
|-
|-
|''[[The Settling (audio story)|The Settling]]''
|''[[The Settling (audio story)|The Settling]]''
|[[Seventh Doctor|7th]]
| rowspan="2" |[[Seventh Doctor|7th]]
|[[1649]]
|[[1649]]
| data-sort-value="1 May 2006" |[[May (releases)|May]] [[2006 (releases)|2006]]
| data-sort-value="1 May 2006" |[[May (releases)|May]] [[2006 (releases)|2006]]
|-
|-
|''[[No Man's Land (audio story)|No Man's Land]]''
|''[[No Man's Land (audio story)|No Man's Land]]''
|[[Seventh Doctor|7th]]
|[[1917]]
|[[1917]]
| data-sort-value="1 November 2006" | [[November (releases)|November]] [[2006 (releases)|2006]]
| data-sort-value="1 November 2006" | [[November (releases)|November]] [[2006 (releases)|2006]]
|-
|-
|''[[Summer (audio story)|Summer]]''
|''[[Summer (audio story)|Summer]]''
|[[Fifth Doctor|5th]]
| rowspan="3" |[[Fifth Doctor|5th]]
|{{sort|1690|[[17th century]]}}<!--fact check (1690s?)-->  
|{{sort|1690|[[17th century]]}}<!--fact check (1690s?)-->  
|[[20 January (releases)|20 January]] [[2007 (releases)|2007]]
|[[20 January (releases)|20 January]] [[2007 (releases)|2007]]
|-
|-
|''[[Autumn (audio story)|Autumn]]''
|''[[Autumn (audio story)|Autumn]]''
|[[Fifth Doctor|5th]]
|[[2000s]]
|[[2000s]]
|[[20 January (releases)|20 January]] [[2007 (releases)|2007]]
|[[20 January (releases)|20 January]] [[2007 (releases)|2007]]
|-
|-
|''[[Son of the Dragon (audio story)|Son of the Dragon]]''
|''[[Son of the Dragon (audio story)|Son of the Dragon]]''
|[[Fifth Doctor|5th]]
|[[1462]]
|[[1462]]
|[[6 September (releases)|6 September]] [[2007 (releases)|2007]]
|[[6 September (releases)|6 September]] [[2007 (releases)|2007]]
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|''[[100 BC (audio story)|100 BC]]''
|''[[100 BC (audio story)|100 BC]]''
|[[Sixth Doctor|6th]]
|[[Sixth Doctor|6th]]
|{{sort|011|[[BC|101 BC]]}}
|{{sort|013|[[BC|101 BC]]}}
|[[26 September (releases)|26 September]] [[2007 (releases)|2007]]
|[[26 September (releases)|26 September]] [[2007 (releases)|2007]]
|-
|-
Line 432: Line 463:
|''[[The Emperor of Eternity (audio story)|The Emperor of Eternity]]''
|''[[The Emperor of Eternity (audio story)|The Emperor of Eternity]]''
| [[Second Doctor|2nd]]
| [[Second Doctor|2nd]]
|{{sort|010|[[BC|210 BC]]}}
|{{sort|012|[[BC|210 BC]]}}
|[[9 March (releases)|9 March]] [[2010 (releases)|2010]]
|[[9 March (releases)|9 March]] [[2010 (releases)|2010]]
|-
|-
|''[[Farewell, Great Macedon (audio story)|Farewell, Great Macedon]]''
|''[[Farewell, Great Macedon (audio story)|Farewell, Great Macedon]]''
|[[First Doctor|1st]]  
|[[First Doctor|1st]]  
|{{sort|009|[[BC|323 BC]]}}
|{{sort|011|[[BC|323 BC]]}}
|[[10 November (releases)|10 November]] [[2010 (releases)|2010]]
|[[10 November (releases)|10 November]] [[2010 (releases)|2010]]
|-
|-
|''[[The Wondrous Box (audio story)|The Wondrous Box]]''
|''[[The Wondrous Box (audio story)|The Wondrous Box]]''
|[[Fourth Doctor|4th]]  
| rowspan="2" |[[Fourth Doctor|4th]]  
|[[1885]]
|[[1885]]
|[[11 May (releases)|11 May]] [[2011 (releases)|2011]]
|[[11 May (releases)|11 May]] [[2011 (releases)|2011]]
|-
|-
|''[[The Wrath of the Iceni (audio story)|The Wrath of the Iceni]]''
|''[[The Wrath of the Iceni (audio story)|The Wrath of the Iceni]]''
|[[Fourth Doctor|4th]]
|[[60]]
|[[60]]
| data-sort-value="1 March 2012" |[[March (releases)|March]] [[2012 (releases)|2012]]
| data-sort-value="1 March 2012" |[[March (releases)|March]] [[2012 (releases)|2012]]
|-
|-
|[[The Flames of Cadiz (audio story)|''The Flames of Cadiz'']]
|[[The Flames of Cadiz (audio story)|''The Flames of Cadiz'']]
|[[Fifth Doctor|5th]]
|[[First Doctor|1st]]
|[[1587]]
|[[1587]]
|[[9 January (releases)|9 January]] [[2013 (releases)|2013]]
|[[9 January (releases)|9 January]] [[2013 (releases)|2013]]
Line 459: Line 489:
|[[918]]
|[[918]]
|[[8 May (releases)|8 May]] [[2013 (releases)|2013]]
|[[8 May (releases)|8 May]] [[2013 (releases)|2013]]
|-
|''[[The Fifth Citadel (audio story)|The Fifth Citadel]]''
|N/A
|[[1965]]
|[[27 June (releases)|27 June]] [[2013 (releases)|2013]]
|-
|-
|''[[The Alchemists (audio story)|The Alchemists]]''
|''[[The Alchemists (audio story)|The Alchemists]]''
Line 471: Line 506:
|-
|-
|''[[The Doctor's Tale (audio story)|The Doctor's Tale]]''
|''[[The Doctor's Tale (audio story)|The Doctor's Tale]]''
|[[First Doctor|1st]]
| rowspan="2" |[[First Doctor|1st]]
|[[1400]]
|[[1400]]
|[[17 October (releases)|17 October]] [[2014 (releases)|2014]]
|[[17 October (releases)|17 October]] [[2014 (releases)|2014]]
|-
|-
|''[[The Founding Fathers (audio story)|The Founding Fathers]]''
|''[[The Founding Fathers (audio story)|The Founding Fathers]]''
|[[First Doctor|1st]]
|[[1762]]
|[[1762]]
| [[3 June (releases)|3 June]] [[2015 (releases)|2015]]
| [[3 June (releases)|3 June]] [[2015 (releases)|2015]]
Line 499: Line 533:
|[[1514]]
|[[1514]]
|[[10 November (releases)|10 November]] [[2016 (releases)|2016]]  
|[[10 November (releases)|10 November]] [[2016 (releases)|2016]]  
|-
|''[[The Night Witches (audio story)|The Night Witches]]''
|[[Second Doctor|2nd]]
|[[1942]]
|[[14 September (releases)|14 September]] [[2017 (releases)|2017]]
|-
|-
|''[[The Behemoth (audio story)|The Behemoth]]''
|''[[The Behemoth (audio story)|The Behemoth]]''
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|-
|-
|[[The Great White Hurricane (audio story)|''The Great White Hurricane'']]
|[[The Great White Hurricane (audio story)|''The Great White Hurricane'']]
|[[First Doctor|1st]]
| rowspan="3" |[[First Doctor|1st]]
|[[1888]]
|[[1888]]
|[[25 December (releases)|25 December]] [[2017 (releases)|2017]]
|[[25 December (releases)|25 December]] [[2017 (releases)|2017]]
|-
|-
|''[[The Barbarians and the Samurai (audio story)|The Barbarians and the Samurai]]''
|''[[The Barbarians and the Samurai (audio story)|The Barbarians and the Samurai]]''
|[[First Doctor|1st]]
|[[1820s]]
|[[1820s]]
|[[25 July (releases)|25 July]] [[2018 (releases)|2018]]
|[[25 July (releases)|25 July]] [[2018 (releases)|2018]]
|-
|-
| ''[[The Phoenicians (audio story)|The Phoenicians]]''
| ''[[The Phoenicians (audio story)|The Phoenicians]]''
|[[First Doctor|1st]]
|{{sort|010|[[BC|814 BC]]}}
|{{sort|008|[[BC|814 BC]]}}
|[[29 January (releases)|29 January]] [[2019 (releases)|2019]]  
|[[29 January (releases)|29 January]] [[2019 (releases)|2019]]  
|-
|-
Line 536: Line 573:
|-
|-
| ''[[The Hollow Crown (audio story)|The Hollow Crown]]''
| ''[[The Hollow Crown (audio story)|The Hollow Crown]]''
|[[First Doctor|1st]]
| rowspan="2" |[[First Doctor|1st]]
| [[1601]]
| [[1601]]
|[[27 April (releases)|27 April]] [[2021 (releases)|2021]]
|[[27 April (releases)|27 April]] [[2021 (releases)|2021]]
|-
|-
|[[The Secrets of Det-Sen (audio story)|''The Secrets of Det-Sen'']]
|[[The Secrets of Det-Sen (audio story)|''The Secrets of Det-Sen'']]
|[[First Doctor|1st]]
|[[1630]]
|[[1630]]
|[[17 August (releases)|17 August]] [[2021 (releases)|2021]]
|[[17 August (releases)|17 August]] [[2021 (releases)|2021]]
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== Footnotes ==
== Footnotes ==
=== Notes ===
{{notelist}}
=== Citations ===
{{reflist}}
{{reflist}}
== Notes ==
{{notelist}}


[[Category:Terminology]]
[[Category:Terminology]]
[[Category:Fan terminology]]
[[Category:Fan terminology]]

Latest revision as of 19:56, 26 October 2024

RealWorld.png

Pure historicals are Doctor Who stories that are set in in a historical time period and feature no science fiction anachronisms other than the TARDIS team. These stories were highlighted by Philip MacDonald in the article "A Foreign Country" in DWM 194.

Pure historicals were common in televised Doctor Who until The Highlanders in 1966. The only pure historical since then was Black Orchid in 1982.

The Time Meddler was the first "pseudo-historical" story with the Monk serving as the science fiction anachronism.

The term has been widely adopted by the fanbase. These novels have been described as pure historicals in Doctor Who Magazine: Sanctuary,[1] The Witch Hunters,[2] and The Wages of Sin.[3] These Big Finish stories have been described as pure historicals: The Marian Conspiracy,[4] Other Lives,[5] The Wrath of the Iceni,[6] The Flames of Cadiz,[7] The Lady of Mercia,[8] The Doctor's Tale,[9] The Peterloo Massacre,[10], and The Great White Hurricane.[11] Paul Magrs jokingly described his audio story Muse of Fire as a "not-quite-so Pure Historical".[12]

The Doctor Who Roleplaying Game adventure The Bellagio Imbroglio was designed as a pure historical.[13]

The first issue of the 45th anniversary comic The Forgotten featured a flashback to the First Doctor. In keeping with the era, this flashback story was a pure historical set in 26th century BC Egypt.

In-universe[[edit] | [edit source]]

Iris Wildthyme wondered if her adventure with King John would count as a Pure Historical or a Celebrity Historical. She concluded it was a Pseudo-Historical when she discovered he was a cyborg from the future. (PROSE: From Wildthyme with Love [+]Loading...["From Wildthyme with Love (novel)"])

List of pure historicals[[edit] | [edit source]]

Medium Title Doctor Era Release Date
TV An Unearthly Child 1st 100,000 BC 23 November–14 December 1963
Marco Polo 1289 22 February–4 April 1964
The Aztecs After 1430 23 May–13 June 1964
The Reign of Terror 1794 8 August–12 September 1964
The Romans 64 16 January–6 February 1965
The Crusade 1190s 27 March–17 April 1965
The Myth Makers 1200 BC 16 October–6 November 1965
The Massacre 1572 5–26 February 1966
The Gunfighters 1881 30 April–21 May 1966
The Smugglers 17th century 10 September–1 October 1966
The Highlanders 2nd 1746 17 December 1966–7 January 1967
Black Orchid 5th 1925 1–2 March 1982
Mini-episode Making Cocoa N/A After 1430 21 October 2002
The Bells of Saint John: A Prequel 11th 1990s 23 March 2013
The Doctor's Meditation 12th 1138 15 September 2015
The Storyteller N/A After 1200 BC 16 August 2022
Comic Backtime 3rd 1863 2 October-13 November 1971
Who is the Stranger c. 1940-1944 10 February 1973
Perils of Paris 1880 Summer 1974
Woden's Warriors 4th Danish Britain 1 September 1975
Treasure Trail 1944 20 March- 1 May 1976
The Sky Warrior 16th century 1 July 1977
Doctor Conkerer! 7th 5th or 8th century[nb 1] 14 June 1990
The Submariners 10th 1944 19 February 2009
They Think It's All Over 11th 966 25 May 2011
The Doctor Shops for Comics 1923 12 August 2015
Be Forgot 12th 1972 15 December 2016
Novel Sanctuary 7th 1242 20 April 1995
The Plotters 1st 1605 21 November 1996
The Roundheads 2nd 1648 24 November 1997
The Witch Hunters 1st 1692-1693 2 March 1998
The Wages of Sin 3rd 1916 1 February 1999
Byzantium! 1st 64 2 July 2001
Blood and Hope 5th 1860-1865 19 February 2004
The Coming of the Queen 15th century BC 13 October 2005
Short story H.M.S. Tardis 2nd 1805 September 1967
The King of Golden Death After c. 1323 BC[nb 2]
The Real Hereward 6th 1066 August 1984
A Victorian Interlude 5th 1890 21 March 1991
An Unfulfilled Dream 7th 1240 BC 5 September 1991
Who Discovered America? 1st 1002 20 February 1992
The Stranger, The Writer, His Wife and the Mixed Metaphor 4th 1590s 21 January 1993
Front Line 7th c. 1914-1918 23 December 1993
The Last Days 1st c. 74[nb 3] 2 March 1998
The People's Temple 8th c. 2600 BC[nb 4]
Romans Cutaway 1st 64 1 March 1999
Five Card Draw 1st, 2nd,
3rd, 5th, 6th 		12th century 6 March 2002
Apocrypha Bipedium 8th After 1200 BC 2 April 2003
Mire and Clay 1st 1842 16 June 2003
The Immortals 5th 1016 9 April 2004
All Done with Mirrors 4th 1593
The Thief of Sherwood 1st 12th century
Come Friendly Bombs… 3rd 1960
White Man's Burden 5th 1877
Of the Mermaid and Jupiter 7th 1829
The Man Who Wouldn't Give Up 6th 9th century
Observation 5th 40,000 BC 26 June 2004
The Bushranger's Story 4th 1876 26 August 2004
The Farmer's Story 2nd After 1914
The Republican's Story 4th 1666
Never Seen Cairo 5th, 7th 1914 30 December 2004
It's a Lovely Day Tomorrow 4th 1940
The Duke's Folly 1st Late 19th century 9 April 2005
Be Good for Goodness' Sake 8th 1987 26 November 2005
Comforts of Home 5th 1861
Log 384 7th 1933 18 September 2006
The Slave War 2nd 71 BC 10 May 2008
Goths and Robbers 5th 493
The Price of Conviction 1st c. 1521[nb 5]
God Send Me Well to Keep 5th 1539
On a Pedestal 2nd 13th century
Hiccup in Time 3rd 1539 30 March 2009
Shamans 4th 1856
The Reign Makers 1st 1415
Trial by Fire 6th 12th century
The Bledoe Cadets and the Bald Man of Pengriffen N/A 1937 March 2017
What's Past is Prologue 1917 29 December 2017
The Note 1945 2 January 2018
As the Son Falls 1890 October 2018
The War Romance 1943
Audio The Marian Conspiracy 6th 1555 12 March 2000
The Fires of Vulcan 7th 79 18 September 2000
The Church and the Crown 5th 1626 28 November 2002
Doctor Who and the Pirates 6th c. 1702 April 2003
Catch-1782 1782 April 2005
The Council of Nicaea 5th 325 July 2005
Other Lives 8th 1851 13 December 2005
The Settling 7th 1649 May 2006
No Man's Land 1917 November 2006
Summer 5th 17th century 20 January 2007
Autumn 2000s 20 January 2007
Son of the Dragon 1462 6 September 2007
100 BC 6th 101 BC 26 September 2007
Resistance 2nd 1944 March 2009
The Angel of Scutari 7th 1854 June 2009
The Emperor of Eternity 2nd 210 BC 9 March 2010
Farewell, Great Macedon 1st 323 BC 10 November 2010
The Wondrous Box 4th 1885 11 May 2011
The Wrath of the Iceni 60 March 2012
The Flames of Cadiz 1st 1587 9 January 2013
The Lady of Mercia 5th 918 8 May 2013
The Fifth Citadel N/A 1965 27 June 2013
The Alchemists 1st 1933 August 2013
Murder at Moorsey Manor N/A 1894 3 April 2014
The Doctor's Tale 1st 1400 17 October 2014
The Founding Fathers 1762 3 June 2015
Dark Convoy 7th 1941 20 July 2015
Murder at the Abbey N/A 1950s 6 August 2015
The Peterloo Massacre 5th 1819 15 March 2016
The Ravelli Conspiracy 1st 1514 10 November 2016
The Night Witches 2nd 1942 14 September 2017
The Behemoth 6th 1756 11 October 2017
The Great White Hurricane 1st 1888 25 December 2017
The Barbarians and the Samurai 1820s 25 July 2018
The Phoenicians 814 BC 29 January 2019
Black Thursday 5th 1902 12 February 2019
Last of the Romanovs 1st 1918 18 March 2020
Operation: Hellfire 3rd 1943 14 May 2020
The Hollow Crown 1st 1601 27 April 2021
The Secrets of Det-Sen 1630 17 August 2021
The Rotting Deep 6th 2000s 17 May 2022
A Ghost of Alchemy 4th 1921 8 March 2023
River of Death 6th 19th century 7 March 2024
The Merfolk Murders 5th 1940 9 April 2024
Role-playing game The Bellagio Imbroglio Uncertain 1778 12 January 2017

Footnotes[[edit] | [edit source]]

Notes[[edit] | [edit source]]

  1. ↑ In the original printing of DWM 162, this story is dated to the 5th century. This was changed to the more historically accurate 8th century in The Mark of Mandragora.
  2. ↑ Approximate year of Tutankhamun's death.
  3. ↑ Real world date of the Siege of Masada.
  4. ↑ Real world construction of Stonehenge with large stones.
  5. ↑ Real world date of the Diet of Worms.

Citations[[edit] | [edit source]]

  1. ↑ DWMSE 10
  2. ↑ DWMSE 7
  3. ↑ DWMSE 2
  4. ↑ CD booklet: "The brief for the story that became The Marian Conspiracy was to do a 'Hartnell historical' for the Sixth Doctor"
  5. ↑ VOR 92
  6. ↑ Doctor Who: The Wrath of the Iceni
  7. ↑ New Look for Big Finish Doctor Who
  8. ↑ Eldrad Lives Again in Upcoming Doctor Who Release!
  9. ↑ Doctor Who Early Adventures Detailed
  10. ↑ Doctor Who: The Peterloo Massacre
  11. ↑ VOR 106
  12. ↑ Seventh Doctor - Muse of Fire
  13. ↑ "Adventure Synopsis", The Bellagio Imbroglio
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