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{{Infobox ClassicTV|
{{title dab away}}
story name= The Aztecs |
{{real world}}
image=[[Image:The Aztecs.jpg|250px]] |
{{ImageLinkTV}}
series=[[Doctor Who]] - [[List of Doctor Who television stories|TV Stories]] |
{{Infobox Story SMW
number= [[Season 1]] |
|image                 = BarbaraOneOutOfFocusTA.jpg
story number= 6|
|novelisation          = The Aztecs (novelisation)
doctor=[[First Doctor]] |
|series                 = [[Doctor Who television stories|''Doctor Who'' television stories]]
companions= [[Susan Foreman]]<br/>[[Barbara Wright]]<br/>[[Ian Chesterton]] |
|season number         = Season 1 (Doctor Who 1963)
enemy= [[Tlotoxl]] |
|season serial number  = 6
year= [[Mexico]], c.[[1454]] |
|story number           = 6
writer= [[John Lucarotti]] |
|genre                  = Historical
director= [[John Crockett]] |
|doctor                 = First Doctor
producer= [[Verity Lambert]] |
|companions             = [[Susan Foreman|Susan]], [[Ian Chesterton|Ian]], [[Barbara Wright|Barbara]]
broadcast date= [[23rd May]] - <br/> [[13th June]] [[1964]] |
|featuring              =
format= 4 25-minute Episodes |
|enemy                 = [[Tlotoxl]]
production code= [[List of production codes|F]] |
|setting                = [[Tenochtitlan]], [[15th century]]
previous story= [[The Keys of Marinus]] |
|writer                 = John Lucarotti
next story= [[The Sensorites]]}}
|director               = [[John Crockett]]
|producer               = [[Verity Lambert]]
|epcount                = 4
|broadcast date         = 23 May - 13 June 1964
|network                = BBC1
|format                 = 4x25-minute episodes
|serial production code = [[List of production codes|F]]
|prev                  = The Keys of Marinus (TV story)
|next                   = The Sensorites (TV story)
|clip                  = The reincarnation of Yetaxa - Doctor Who - The Aztecs - BBC
|clip2                  = The Doctor quizzes Cameca - Doctor Who - The Aztecs - BBC
|clip3                  = Ian vs Ixta - Doctor Who - The Aztecs - BBC
|music = [[Richard Rodney Bennett]]|thwr=4
}}
'''''The Aztecs''''' was the sixth serial of [[Season 1 (Doctor Who 1963)|season 1]] of ''[[Doctor Who]]''. It was the first story to address the issue of altering the course of history and the first to involve a romantic subplot concerning the Doctor.


'''The Aztecs''' was the sixth story of [[Season 1]] of ''[[Doctor Who]]''. It was the first story to address the issue of altering the course of history.
"The Warriors of Death" was the first episode of the programme recorded at [[BBC Television Centre]], following a pitched battle on the part of [[Verity Lambert]] and several allies for better studio accommodations. The move to Television Centre was brief since the production team had to return to [[Lime Grove Studios]] by the end of the [[serial]]. ([[DWM 266]])


==Synopsis==
== Synopsis ==
The arrival of the [[the Doctor's TARDIS|TARDIS]] in [[15th century]] [[Mexico]] leads the crew to encounter the doomed [[Aztec]] people, a mixture of high culture and brutal savagery side by side; and matters are further complicated when [[Barbara Wright|Barbara]] is mistaken for a god and [[First Doctor|the Doctor]] becomes engaged to be married...
The arrival of [[the Doctor's TARDIS|the TARDIS]] in [[15th century]] [[Mexico]] leads the crew to encounter the doomed [[Aztec]] people, a mixture of high culture and brutal savagery. Matters are further complicated when [[Barbara Wright|Barbara]] is mistaken for a god and [[First Doctor|the Doctor]] becomes engaged to be married.


==Plot==
== Plot ==
The [[the Doctor's TARDIS|TARDIS]] crew arrive in [[Mexico]] in the [[15th century|Fifteenth Century]]. With the TARDIS trapped in a tomb, [[Barbara Wright|Barbara]] is mistaken for and assumes the guise and identity of [[Yetaxa]], an ancient high priest of whom the [[Aztec]]s think she is a [[reincarnation]]. In her new position of power Barbara sees her chance to bring an end to [[human sacrifice]]. She sees the good side of Aztec culture manifested in [[Autloc]], the [[High priest of knowledge]], and the gruesome side manifested in 'the local butcher' High Priest [[Tlotoxl]]. As somewhat of an expert on this period, she sees how advanced their culture really is and believes that if sacrifice were abolished, they would be spared destruction at the hands of the [[Conquistador|Spanish]]. The Doctor's warnings that she cannot change history fall on deaf ears.
=== The Temple of Evil (1) ===
The [[The Doctor's TARDIS|TARDIS]] crew arrive in [[Mexico]] in the [[15th century]] in the inner sanctum of an [[Aztec]] [[tomb]]. [[Barbara Wright|Barbara]] and [[Susan Foreman|Susan]] leave the TARDIS first and begin to explore the crypt. Barbara, whose specialist knowledge is on the Aztecs, finds a bracelet and absentmindedly puts it on. Susan finds a door in the wall, which Barbara goes through. Susan goes back to the TARDIS for the others. Barbara is met by a man who, thinking she is a trespasser, fetches warriors. When the warriors come for her, however, he sees the bracelet on Barbara's wrist and his opinion changes.


When the [[First Doctor]] and [[Ian Chesterton|Ian]] go through the trap door, they find Barbara gone. Even more worrisome, once all of them are through, the door closes behind them and refuses to open. The Doctor says that it would have been built to allow the gods out, but not allow grave robbers in. Soon the man that accosted Barbara returns and introduces himself as [[Autloc]], the [[High Priest of Knowledge]], and says that [[Yetaxa]] seeks an audience with them. The travellers go to meet this deity. On their way they encounter the [[High Priest of Sacrifice]], [[Tlotoxl]]. When the travellers are taken to Yetaxa they are surprised to see that it is Barbara. Once they are alone, she explains that as she was wearing Yetaxa's bracelet when she was captured, the Aztecs believe her to be a reincarnation of the deceased high priest, and therefore a god.


Barbara demands the Aztecs give the Doctor and Ian free run of the civilisation. Although they agree, Tlotoxl has ideas of his own. He convinces Autloc that Ian should be the leader of their army, to which Ian begrudgingly agrees. While Ian goes to meet [[Ixta]], his rival for command, the Doctor is taken to the [[Garden of Peace]]. Here he meets [[Cameca]], a local sage and philosopher, of whom he quickly becomes very fond. This does not stop him from smooth-talking her into a meeting with the son of the designer of the temple [[Topau]], to find a way of retrieving his TARDIS from the centre of the tomb.


[[Image:John Ringham as Tlotoxl.jpg|thumb|left|The bloodthirsty Tlotoxl, High Priest of Sacrifice]]
Ian meets up with the Doctor again and tells him that in order to prove himself to Autloc and Ixta, he needs to escort the person to be sacrificed to the god of rain to put an end to a drought. Ian is reluctant, but the Doctor says that he has to do this to not blow their cover. The Doctor tells Barbara of this, and Barbara refuses to allow it. She believes that if she stops human sacrifices, the Aztecs will not become extinct and will live on as a better civilisation. The Doctor tells her that she cannot change history. Barbara remains obdurate. Just before the sacrifice takes place, Barbara puts a stop to it. Both Ixta and the [[first victim]] are outraged. The sacrifice, furious that he has not had the chance to prove himself, is encouraged by Tlotoxl to throw himself from the top of the tomb, which he does. The rains soon come. Triumphant, Tlotoxl says that this proves that sacrifices are necessary. Barbara denies this and says that sacrifices shall no longer be practised. This infuriates Tlotoxl, who vows that he will unmask Barbara as the fraud that she is.
The bloodthirsty Tlotoxl begins to suspect Yetaxa is not what she seems, especially because she is trying to bring an end to human sacrifice. He sets a series of elaborate traps for her and her companions. For example, [[Ian Chesterton|Ian]] has been conscripted into the military and must fight the strongest warrior, [[Ixta]], to prove his ability to command the Aztec forces. Thus Ixta develops a grudge against Ian and is used by Tlotoxl to try and prove Barbara is not Yetaxa. The Doctor unwittingly tells Ixta how to defeat Ian in combat using a drugging agent. The battle nearly ends in the Doctor witnessing his friend's death. When this fails to be conclusive, Tlotoxl convinces the priest [[Tonila]] to make a poison for Barbara; the death of Barbara following consumption of the poison would prove she is not immortal and therefore not a god. Barbara refuses to drink the poison and tells Tlotoxl that she is not Yetaxa but warns him not to tell the people. He now knows the truth - but must find a way to unmask the false goddess.


[[Susan Foreman|Susan]] and the Doctor have meanwhile both become involved in marriage-making scenarios. She has transgressed Aztec law and has been promised to the Perfect Victim, who has been scheduled for sacrifice by Tlotoxl on the day of the next eclipse; while the Doctor, who knows little of Aztec customs, has become engaged to an Aztec woman named [[Cameca]] after they shared a cup of [[cocoa]]. Cameca is a kind lady and helps the Doctor and Ian find a way to re-enter the tomb by a secret entrance, despite realising this will help her beloved leave her. Ian braves a treacherous tunnel to re-enter the tomb by a secret door and soon tells his friends that they can flee.
=== The Warriors of Death (2) ===
The Doctor berates Barbara for interfering. Tlotoxl now suspects that she is not a real god, and Susan has been taken to a [[seminary]] after her outburst. However, the Doctor soon brightens up when he recounts to Barbara his encounter with Cameca and the chance he could learn more about the construction of the tomb. Meanwhile, Ian and Ixta are practising for their showdown. Ian is irritated by Ixta's boasting and states that he could kill Ixta with just his thumb. He soon proves this by applying his thumb to a pressure point at the back of Ixta's neck that renders him unconscious. Tlotoxl enters to this sight and is shocked to see that Ian is gaining the upper hand over his favoured candidate. Autloc says that as Ian has disarmed Ixta, he is the rightful commander of the Aztec army. Desperate to prevent this, Tlotoxl convinces the next human sacrifice, the [[Perfect Victim]], whose last days are spent in total control of those around him, to order that another, more equal contest be held. This is agreed to. Tlotoxl offers Ixta untold riches if Ian is killed in their battle.


Despite her efforts Barbara realises she cannot change an entire culture, although she does succeed in changing the views of one man, Autloc. He helps her become reunited with her friends before departing to meditate in the wilderness on what remains of his faith. In a pitched battle to gain access to the tomb door, Ian fights and kills Ixta to protect the TARDIS crew.
Meanwhile, in the Garden of Peace, the Doctor and Cameca share stories and flirt. He convinces her he should meet the son of the tomb's designer by saying that he is only called the Doctor because he is "a scientist, an engineer. I'm a builder of things." When Cameca leaves to ask the son, it is clear that the Doctor is smitten by her. Tlotoxl visits Barbara and warns her that he is getting more people to believe that she is not the real Yetaxa. He begins to question her on knowledge of their ways, but she counters that such should be done by the High Priest of Knowledge. He says that Autloc will question her later. Until then she is confined to the tomb. To tease her, he tells her of the fight that is to take place between Ian and Ixta. This clearly distresses her.


The Doctor and his companions leave knowing that despite their intervention history will take its pre-destined course. As they depart Tlotoxl is very much in control and sacrifices the Perfect Victim to end the naturally occurring [[eclipse]].
Ixta is elsewhere, practising for his fight. Cameca visits him and tells him the "older servant of Yetaxa" wishes to see him. Realising the Doctor doesn't know his name or his rivalry with Ian, he will meet him and try to destroy the travellers from within. All this time Susan has been receiving tutoring from Autloc and [[Tonila]] on [[Code of the Good Housewife|how to be a good wife]]; whilst successful in learning the knowledge, she struggles with some of the more antiquated views of a woman's role in this society.


== Cast==
Ixta goes to the Garden of Peace to meet the Doctor. He says he would love to show the Doctor some drawings that his father made of the tomb, but he is to be in a fight that evening and he must do well. If he loses, he will be dishonoured and not allowed to speak with anyone for days. The Doctor suggests that they can help each other. The Doctor goes to a plant he has been studying and draws a pin through it. Presenting it to Ixta, he states that one scratch from this needle will render his opponent weak and unable to fight anywhere near his true capability. Ixta accepts this gratefully and says that he will meet the Doctor there the following day.
* [[First Doctor|The Doctor]] - [[William Hartnell]]
 
[[File:OneLooksAtPlant.jpg|thumb|left|The Doctor extracts poison from a plant to help [[Ixta]] defeat [[Ian Chesterton|his foe]].]]
At the tomb, Autloc questions Barbara on why she deems it so important to stop the sacrifice. She claims to prophesy the downfall of the Aztec civilisation with such barbaric acts of butchery. This affects Autloc. She asks Autloc to see to it that the fight between Ian and Ixta remains a non-fatal one, as it was intended to be. Later the Doctor goes to visit Barbara, who immediately tells him he should not be there. She is supposed to be in isolation whilst she is being questioned. However, the Doctor has enough time to recount his encounter with Ixta, only for his pride to be spoilt when Barbara informs him that Ian is the adversary against whom the Doctor has aided Ixta. As the Doctor leaves the tomb, he is arrested by Tlotoxl for talking to Barbara. Barbara demands that the fight between Ian and Ixta not go ahead, but Tlotoxl insists that this is something that cannot be quibbled about.
 
The [[Duel between Ian Chesterton and Ixta|fight between Ian and Ixta]] begins. Ian is clearly winning until Ixta scratches him with the needle. As he flags, Ixta strangles Ian. Tlotoxl bays for Ian's death whilst Autloc says that Yetaxa forbids human sacrifice. Barbara tries to break up the fight. Tlotoxl says she should not have left the tomb but then states that if she is truly Yetaxa she would be able to stop the fight herself. An unsure Barbara approaches the pair of men.
 
=== The Bride of Sacrifice (3) ===
Barbara responds to Tlotoxl's demand by unsheathing his knife and holding it to Tlotoxl's neck, saying that if the fight continues she shall kill Tlotoxl. Tlotoxl reluctantly stops the fight. Back at the tomb, Barbara further tries to convince Autloc that the ritual of sacrifice is one that will soon see the end of the Aztec civilisation. She seeks his support in stopping the coming sacrifice.
[[File:TlotoxlAndIxta.jpg|thumb|[[Tlotoxl]] conspires with [[Ixta]].]]
Tlotoxl finds the Doctor in the Garden of Peace to ask why he gave Ixta the needle that would weaken Ian. The Doctor says that he didn't know whom Ixta was fighting and that he did it to get the plans of the tomb. He convinces Tlotoxl that the only way for him to prove if Yetaxa is real is by also finding his way into the centre of the tomb. Back at the scene of the fight, Ixta wakes Ian and tells him what has happened. He is more amiable with Ian now, assured that come the next fight, he can beat him. Tlotoxl asks Ixta if he can see the plans that he promised the Doctor. Ixta informs him there never were such plans. He was using the information that Cameca gave him to get the draft from the Doctor. As Ian and Ixta leave, Ian overhears Tlotoxl trying to convince Tonila that the only way to prove Yetaxa a god is by poisoning her. If she dies she is a fake, but if she lives she is a god, as poison would not affect her. Tonila seems convinced by this argument.
 
In the Garden of Peace, Autloc asks Cameca why she has been so happy of late. Cameca confides in him that she is in love with the Doctor and intends to get him to drink [[cocoa]] with her, an Aztec symbol of committing to marry someone. Cameca spills the cocoa beans she is holding in front of the Doctor. Unaware of the symbolism, he asks her to join him in a cup of cocoa. Meanwhile, Ian sneaks into the tomb to warn Barbara that Tlotoxl is plotting against her and her plans to save the Aztec nation are futile. She had earlier thought that all Aztecs were like Autloc and that Tlotoxl was a bad apple. In reality, he tells her, it is Autloc who is the exceptional man, while the rest of the society feels as Tlotoxl does. This conversation is interrupted by Tlotoxl and Tonila, who present Barbara with wine in the guise of friendship. Ian, who has hidden behind a column when the men came in, gestures to her not to drink it. Barbara asks Tlotoxl to drink first. When he refuses, Barbara denounces it as poison and throws the cup to the ground. She shouts at Tonila to leave and then confides to Tlotoxl that she is indeed a fake, but that if he tells anyone she will get the Aztecs to destroy him.
 
At the Garden of Peace, the Doctor and Cameca are sharing their cocoa when Cameca says that she is happy they are getting married. The Doctor is shocked. Meanwhile, Autloc and Tonila are talking about Susan's impressive progress as their student, but they recount the headstrong ideals she holds about a woman choosing whom she wishes to marry. Tlotoxl overhears them and decides to use this against Barbara in order to unmask her as a fraud to the rest of civilisation. Again he enlists Tonila to help him.
 
Later that day, during Susan's studying, Tonila brings the Perfect Victim to her, who demands that Susan marry him. She refuses. Tonila jumps on this defiance and says that Susan must be punished for such a breach of conventions. Back in the Garden of Peace, Cameca shows the Doctor a brooch that belonged to Ixta's father, with whom she was once in love. She says that it was found in the Garden of Peace, from whence he went missing years ago.
 
Tlotoxl and Tonila tell Barbara that someone has been defying conventions. According to the law, she must be punished. Barbara reluctantly agrees, anxious not to further blow her cover. Whilst this is happening, the Doctor goes to Ian to show him the brooch that belonged to Ixta's father, who he suspects had escaped into the tomb. He plans to find out if there is a secret entrance anywhere. Ian says he'll meet him at the Garden of Peace that night. The Doctor also tells Ian about his "[[fiancée]]", which Ian finds most amusing.
 
Autloc goes to see Barbara and says that he plans to stand with her in her objections to sacrifice. This pleases Barbara, but her joy is short-lived when he informs her that the person to be punished is Susan. Barbara says that both the sacrifice and the punishment have to be stopped. Autloc is unsure, asking Barbara whether she would sacrifice the civilisation to spare one girl pain.
 
Later that night, Ian sneaks out of his dormitory to meet the Doctor. He is followed by Ixta. When they get to the Garden of Peace, the Doctor has discovered that one of the panels in the wall can slide. Ian slides it away and goes in. He leaves the Doctor behind, saying it might be too dangerous. Whilst Ian explores the passage, Ixta shows himself. Feigning ignorance that he saw Ian go in, he tells the Doctor that the stone must be put back. It forms part of a dam. Unless the stone is replaced the garden will be flooded. He does this, much to the Doctor's discomfort, as inside the water begins to puddle around Ian's feet.
 
=== The Day of Darkness (4) ===
As the water rises, Ian finds a loose slab over his head which he moves aside. He crawls through tunnels and finds his way back to Yetaxa's tomb and the TARDIS. He ties a rope to an ornament on the door and opens it, bringing the other end of the rope with him to leave some purchase to open the door later. Barbara is shocked to see him as he exits the tomb. As she questions him as to how he got there, they hear someone coming. Ian hides. It is the Doctor, worried that Ian has been killed. Ian reveals himself and shows the Doctor his plan for getting back into the tomb. Ian decides to free Susan from the warriors so they may leave. Meanwhile, Tlotoxl is congratulating Ixta on his murder of Ian and tells him that he must guard Susan. Susan is brought in to him. Ixta tells Susan that he killed Ian; Ian, approaching him from behind, knocks him out and escapes with Susan.
 
When Ian and Susan return to the tomb, the foursome try to open the door but the rope breaks. Meanwhile, Ixta has regained consciousness and an irate Tlotoxl berates him for his loss of Susan. Worried that Autloc will take Ian's seeming resurrection as yet another sign of Yetaxa's powers, Tlotoxl has Ixta frame Ian by using Ian's club to knock Autloc unconscious and put the blame on the travellers.
 
To gain access to the tomb again, Ian returns to the hatch in the Garden of Peace. He takes Susan with him to watch for others. When they get there, they find Autloc unconscious on the ground. Ian finds the club and realises he's being set up, but it is too late. Ian is arrested. As Autloc regains consciousness, he proclaims Yetaxa a false goddess.
 
[[File:Eclipse.jpg|left|thumb|The eclipse.]]
With his plan falling into place, Tlotoxl plans with Tonila a way of getting rid of Barbara. He will lock her away in a room during the eclipse so that those around them think that she vanished. Meanwhile, in the Garden of Peace, the Doctor is making a pulley to open the door. Cameca says she will do anything for the Doctor for Ian to be saved. He says that the only thing that might help is Autloc going to talk to Barbara.
 
Barbara convinces Autloc that it wasn't Ian who attacked him. However, he says that the situation is out of his hands. He can find a way to free Susan, but not Ian. After his talk with Barbara, he goes to the Garden of Peace. He is in a state of confusion and doubt of his faith. He gives Cameca his badge of honour, symbolising his position as High Priest of Knowledge, his house, and all his possessions. He asks her to give it to Susan's guard as a bribe to liberate Susan. Autloc leaves to go into the wilderness.
 
As the Doctor and Barbara put the finishing touches on the pulley system, Tlotoxl tells Barbara that the sacrifice is preparing outside. Tlotoxl also tells her that Autloc has left forever and that there is no hope for her friends. Meanwhile, Autloc's plan to free Susan works better than expected. While Cameca shows the guard the badge, Ian uses the distraction to knock him out. Susan escapes with Cameca and Ian takes the guard's headdress as a disguise.
 
Tlotoxl lays out his plan to Tonila. He says that if it works, Tonila will take over from Autloc as the High Priest of Knowledge. Back at the tomb, Susan is reunited with her grandfather and Barbara. The Doctor thanks Cameca and they say their goodbyes to one another. Cameca gives the Doctor a seal to remember her by.
 
Tonila finds the guard unconscious and a furious Tlotoxl orders Tonila to kill him. Tlotoxl rushes off to ensure that the travellers do not disrupt the sacrifice. As the sacrifice begins, Tlotoxl, blinded by rage, tries to kill Barbara. Ian stops him, and they fight. Ian kills Ixta by throwing him off the top of the tomb during the fight.
 
By this time, the door has been opened and the travellers escape through it. Tlotoxl watches them go and then performs the sacrifice. Hearing all this, a desolate Barbara asks what the point of travelling through time and space is if they can't change anything. The Doctor reassures her that even if she hadn't changed a civilisation, she changed Autloc's life and made him see the truth. Barbara goes back into the TARDIS. The Doctor is about to leave Cameca's seal behind but turns back to pick it up again.
 
Later in the TARDIS the Doctor looks bemused and tells his companions that half of his controls are telling him the TARDIS is stationary and the other half say that it's moving. Ian wonders if they have landed on something; a worried looking Barbara asks if they could have landed ''in'' something.
 
== Cast ==
* [[First Doctor|Dr. Who]] - [[William Hartnell]]
* [[Ian Chesterton]] - [[William Russell]]
* [[Ian Chesterton]] - [[William Russell]]
* [[Barbara Wright]] - [[Jacqueline Hill]]
* [[Barbara Wright]] - [[Jacqueline Hill]]
Line 46: Line 109:
* [[Ixta]] - [[Ian Cullen]]
* [[Ixta]] - [[Ian Cullen]]
* [[Cameca]] - [[Margot Van der Burgh]]
* [[Cameca]] - [[Margot Van der Burgh]]
* [[First Victim]] - [[Tom Booth]]
* [[Sacrifice 1 (The Aztecs)|First Victim]] - [[Tom Booth]] (Credited only in episode 1)
* [[Aztec Captain]] - [[David Anderson]]
* [[Aztec captain (The Aztecs)|Aztec Captain]] - [[David Anderson]]
* [[Tonila]] - [[Walter Randall]]
* [[Tonila]] - [[Walter Randall]] (Uncredited in episode 1)
* [[Perfect Victim]] - [[André Boulay]]
* [[Perfect Victim]] - [[Andre Boulay]] (Uncredited in episode 1)
* [[Aztec]] Warriors (all uncredited) - [[Brian Baker]], [[John Beavis]], [[James Duval]], [[James Fitzgerald]], [[Andrew Jacks]], [[Alan Viccars]]
=== Uncredited cast ===
* Aztec Citizens (all uncredited) - [[Eileen Brady]], [[Lionel Gadsen]], [[Alice Greenwood|Alicepuss Greenwood]], [[John Moore|John Whore]], [[Bill Raynor]], [[Stella Wilkinson]]
* Aztecs Warriors - [[Paul Duval]], [[James Fitzgerald (extra)|James Fitzgerald]], [[Alan Viccars]], [[Andrew Jacks]], [[John Beavis]], [[Brian Baker]]
* Double for Ian (uncredited) - [[David Anderson]]
* Old Aztec Lady - [[Alice Greenwood]]
* Double for Ixta (uncredited) - [[Billy Cornelius]]
* Aztec Ladies - [[Eileen Brady]], [[Stella Wilkinson]]
* Aztec Man - [[John H Moore]]
* Old Aztec Men - [[William Rayner]], [[Lionel Gadsden]] (all [[DWM 266]])
* [[Stunt double]] for Ian - [[David Anderson]]<ref name="info darkness">[[INFO]]: "The Day of Darkness"</ref>
* [[Stunt double]] for Ixta - [[Billy Cornelius]]<ref name="info darkness" />


==Crew==
== Crew ==
* [[Writer]] - [[John Lucarotti]]
* [[Director]] - [[John Crockett]]
* [[Producer]] - [[Verity Lambert]]
* [[Script Editor]] - [[David Whitaker]]
* [[Designer]] - [[Barry Newbury]]
* [[Assistant Floor Manager]] - [[Ken Howard]]
* [[Associate Producer]] - [[Mervyn Pinfield]]
* [[Associate Producer]] - [[Mervyn Pinfield]]
* [[Costumes]] - [[Daphne Dare]], [[Tony Pearce]]
* [[Conductor]] - [[Marcus Dods]]
* [[Fight Arranger]] - [[David Anderson]]
* [[Costumes]] - [[Daphne Dare]] (Credited only in episode 4)
* [[Fight Arranger]] - [[Derek Ware]]
* [[Designer (crew)|Designer]] - [[Barry Newbury]]
* [[Director (crew)|Director]] - [[John Crockett]]
* [[Fight Arranger]]s - [[David Anderson]], [[Derek Ware]] (Credited only in episode 4)
* [[Incidental Music]] - [[Richard Rodney Bennett]]
* [[Incidental Music]] - [[Richard Rodney Bennett]]
* [[Incidental Music Conductor]] - [[Marcus Dods]]
* [[Make-up supervisor|Make-up Supervisor]] - [[Jill Summers]] (Credited only in episode 4)
* [[Make-Up]] - [[Jill Summers]]
* [[Producer]] - [[Verity Lambert]]
* [[Production Assistant]] - [[Ron Craddock]]
* [[Story Editor]] - [[David Whitaker]]
* [[Special Sound]] - [[Brian Hodgson]]
* [[Doctor Who theme|Title Music]] - [[Ron Grainer]] with the [[BBC Radiophonic Workshop]]
* [[Studio Lighting]] - [[Howard King]]
* [[Writer]] - [[John Lucarotti]]
* [[Studio Sound]] - [[Jack Brummitt]]
 
* [[Studio Sound]] - [[John Staple]]
=== Uncredited crew ===
* [[Theme Arrangement]] - [[Delia Derbyshire]]
* [[Theme Arrangement]] - [[Delia Derbyshire]]<ref>[[INFO]]: "[[The Forest of Fear]]"</ref>
* [[Title Music]] - [[Ron Grainer]]
* [[Director's assistant|Director's Assistant]] - [[June McMullen]] ([[INFO]]: ''The Aztecs'')
* [[Vision Mixer]]s - [[Clive Doig]], [[Jim Stephens]] ([[INFO]]: ''The Aztecs'')
* [[Production Assistant]] - [[Ron Craddock]] ([[INFO]]: ''The Aztecs'')
* [[Floor assistant|Floor Assistant]] - [[Bernard Havard]] ([[INFO]]: ''The Aztecs'')
* [[Grams operator|Grams Operator]] - [[Pat Heigham]] ([[INFO]]: ''The Aztecs'')
* [[Technical manager|Technical Operations Manager]] - [[Mark Lewis]] ([[INFO]]: ''The Aztecs'')
* [[Studio Lighting]] - [[Howard King]] ([[INFO]]: ''The Aztecs'')
* [[Studio Sound]] - [[John Staple]] ([[INFO]]: ''The Aztecs'')
* Studio Sound - [[Jack Brummitt]]<ref name="BBC Official Site">[http://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/classic/episodeguide/aztecs/detail.shtml BBC Official Site]</ref>
* [[Assistant Floor Manager]] - [[Ken Howard]]<ref name="BBC Official Site">[http://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/classic/episodeguide/aztecs/detail.shtml BBC Official Site]</ref>
 
== Worldbuilding ==
* Ian is a trained fighter.
* The Doctor and Cameca drink [[cocoa]].
 
== Story notes ==
* [[Tlotoxl]] is one of the few ''Doctor Who'' villains who never receives any sort of comeuppance. This serves to highlight the themes of the story, that [[history]] must not be tampered with, and that it will take its course with or without us. This would be developed throughout the [[DWU]], culminating in ''[[The Waters of Mars (TV story)|The Waters of Mars]]'', among other stories.


==References==
=== Conflicting accounts ===
* Barbara is an expert in [[Aztec]] history.
* There are conflicting accounts within the [[Doctor Who universe|''Doctor Who'' universe]] on the exact date this story takes place. Of course, it's clear that it takes place sometime after [[1430]], the year [[Tetaxa]] is said to have died.
* Ian performed [[National Service]] and is therefore a trained fighter.
** ''[[The Trial of Doctor Who (short story)|The Trial of Doctor Who]]'' placed the story in 1430 exactly.
** The [[The Aztecs (novelisation)|novelisation]] placed the story in [[1507]].
** In [[PROSE]]: ''[[The Left-Handed Hummingbird (novel)|The Left-Handed Hummingbird]]'', Bernice dates it to the drought of [[1454]].
** ''[[The Terrestrial Index]]'' suggests [[1480]]
** There was also a real life [[eclipse]] on 8 August 1496, much like the one depicted in "The Day of Darkness". The path of totality stretched across much of Mexico.


==Story notes==
=== Pre-production ===
* This is currently the only ''Doctor Who'' story written by [[John Lucarotti]] that exists in the [[BBC Archives]], as his other two serials, ''[[Marco Polo (TV story)|Marco Polo]]'' and ''[[The Massacre (TV story)|The Massacre]]'', are both [[missing episode|missing all of their episodes]] and neither one has a single frame of surviving footage, existing only in soundtrack form.
* Having lived in [[Mexico]], John Lucarotti was fascinated by the [[Aztec]] civilisation. He described them as "a highly civilised and cultured race", and was particularly fascinated by their obsession with human sacrifice. He wrote the scripts on his [[yacht]] in Majorca.
* John Lucarotti spent a lot of time researching the real Aztecs before writing this story. He used ''Aztec-sounding'' names for the characters; for example, the character [[Ixta]] was derived from the Aztec city {{w|Ixtapalapa}}.
* [[John Crockett]] was assigned to direct the serial due to his knowledge of history, having previously worked on the fourth episode of ''[[Marco Polo (TV story)|Marco Polo]]''.
* Designer [[Barry Newbery]] found the serial difficult for research, due to the limited information on the Aztecs at the time. Researching using books provided by the BBC, he designed the tomb door based on the "comic book" style of Aztec design. He had also watched a documentary about Aztec archaeology on [[ITV]] and was concerned that a larger studio would be required for production.
* Costume designer [[Daphne Dare]] used artistic license with her costumes in the serial, since male Aztecs usually only wore brief loincloths and cloaks, while women were often topless.
 
=== Production ===
* All episodes exist in [[16mm telerecordings]].
* All episodes exist in [[16mm telerecordings]].
* David Anderson (Aztec Captain) is credited as '''Warrior Captain''' in ''Radio Times'' for ''The Temple of Evil''. As fight arranger, Anderson is billed on-screen for ''The Day of Darkness'' only, but also arranged fights on ''The Warriors of Death'', and is credited in ''Radio Times'' for both episodes.
* Negative film prints of all episodes were recovered from [[BBC Enterprises]] in 1978.
* Negative film prints of all episodes were recovered from [[BBC Enterprises]] in [[1978]].
* [[Carole Ann Ford]] was on holiday during the filming of "The Warriors of Death" and "The Bride of Sacrifice" and appeared only in pre-taped film sequences which were shot during rehearsals for "[[Sentence of Death]]", the fifth episode of the preceding six-part story, ''[[The Keys of Marinus (TV story)|The Keys of Marinus]]''.
* John Lucarotti spent a lot of time researching the real [[Aztec]]s before writing this story.
* [[Ian Cullen]] recalled that [[William Hartnell]] "wasn't the friendliest person, but he was trying to remember all those lines".
* Carole Ann Ford was on holiday during the filming of episodes 2 and 3 and appeared only in pre-taped film sequences which were shot during rehearsals for episode 5 of the preceding story, ''[[The Keys of Marinus]]''.
* [[John Ringham]] was an old colleague of [[John Crockett]]. His direction was "make all the children in the country hate you".
* The credits at the end of episode 3 had to be re-filmed as they were not acceptable for broadcast.
* [[John Crockett]]'s secretary June McMullen suggested [[Walter Randall]] for the role of Tonila, having met him at a party.
* [[Verity Lambert]] required [[Walter Randall]] to shave his face for his role.
* Martial arts expert [[David Anderson]], who had previously appeared in ''[[Marco Polo (TV story)|Marco Polo]]'', was cast as the Captain of the Guard. He also arranged the fight between Ian and Ixta for the second episode, and acted as [[William Russell]]'s [[stunt double]] in the final episode.
** He is credited as "Warrior Captain" in ''[[Radio Times]]'' for "The Temple of Evil". As fight arranger, Anderson is billed on-screen for "The Day of Darkness" only, but also arranged fights on "The Warriors of Death" and is credited in ''Radio Times'' for both episodes: the actual credits in the programme listings read "Fight arranged by David Anderson" for "The Warriors of Death"; and "Fights arranged by David Anderson and Derek Ware" for "The Day of Darkness".
* Upon discovering that some of the scenery had been broken up since the recording of the first episode, [[John Crockett]] quickly rearranged parts from other sets (such as elements of Susan's cell, which had been needed only for the pre-filming), as well as some plants, to build the set.
* The closing roller caption at the end of "The Bride of Sacrifice" had to be re-filmed as it was considered too erratically printed and thus not acceptable for broadcast.
* In designing the serial, [[Barry Newbery]] had become concerned about [[John Crockett]]'s ability to realise the Aztec city. Newbery wanted to use a painted backdrop to provide a sense of scale, but the narrow confines of [[Lime Grove Studios|Lime Grove Studio D]] meant that such an approach was likely to be unconvincing on camera. Crockett requested a transfer to Studio 3 or 4 at [[BBC Television Centre]], but was denied. [[Verity Lambert]] fought to have production move out of Studio D, due to it being cramped, hot and antiquated. [[John Mair]] of the BBC's Planning Department agreed that the programme should instead use Lime Grove Studio G and TV Centre Studios 3 and 4 whenever they were available, but Lambert viewed this as only a partial solution, since the unusually long and narrow proportions of Studio G would make it impossible to achieve the vast sets that the series frequently demanded. As a result, production moved to Studio 3 after all. When production returned to Lime Grove to film "The Day of Darkness", the temperature had got so hot in the summertime that the sprinkler systems came on, as if to welcome the cast and crew back.


===Ratings===
=== Merchandise ===
* The Temple of Evil - 7.4 million viewers
* An action figure of Tlotoxl was released by Harlequin Miniatures in 1999.
* The Warriors of Death - 7.4 million viewers
* The Bride of Sacrifice - 7.9 million viewers
* The Day of Darkness - 7.4 million viewers


===Myths===
=== Influences ===
* The costumes used by the Aztecs covered more of their body than was the case in reality so as not to offend 1960s standards of decency ''(The costumes used had been researched before filming and were accurate reflections of those worn by the real Aztecs. It's cold in Mexico!)''.
* ''[[Richard III (play)|Richard III]]'' ([[John Ringham]]'s performance)
* [[Rudyard Kipling]]'s ''The Man Who Would Be King''
* ''The Royal Hunt of the Sun''
* ''Herodotus'' (the story of the grave-robber architect who built himself a secret entrance)


===Filming locations===
=== Popularity ===
*[[Ealing Television Film Studios]]
* This was one of the stories selected to be shown as part of [[BSB's Doctor Who Weekend]] in September 1990.
*[[Lime Grove Studio D|Lime Grove Studios (Studio D)]]
* [[Jacqueline Hill]] named this as her favourite serial.


===Production errors===
[[File:Moffat the Aztecs.jpg|thumb|[[Steven Moffat]] introduces the program on [[BBC America]].]]
 
* The story was chosen by [[BBC America]] to represent the [[William Hartnell]] era during their 50th-anniversary programming. Edited into an [[omnibus]] format, it was aired by BBCA on [[27 January (releases)|27 January]] [[2013 (releases)|2013]], after the debut of their homegrown special called, ''[[The Doctors Revisited - The First Doctor]]''. It also aired in the [[United Kingdom]] later in the year on [[12 October (releases)|12 October]], along with the ''Revisited'' special, on the [[Watch (TV channel)|Watch]] channel.
 
=== Ratings ===
* "The Temple of Evil" - 7.4 million viewers
* "The Warriors of Death" - 7.4 million viewers
* "The Bride of Sacrifice" - 7.9 million viewers
* "The Day of Darkness" - 7.4 million viewers
 
=== Myths ===
* The costumes used by the Aztecs covered more of their body than was the case in reality so as not to offend 1960s standards of decency. ''(The costumes used had been researched before filming and were accurate reflections of those worn by the real Aztecs.)''
 
=== Filming locations ===
* [[Ealing Television Film Studios]]
* [[Lime Grove Studios|Lime Grove Studios (Studio D)]]
 
=== Production errors ===
{{discontinuity}}
{{discontinuity}}
* During the fight sequences in episode 4 it is clear that doubles are being used for William Russell and Ian Cullen.
* [[William Hartnell]] oversteps his mark during the first scene in the temple's main chamber after Barbara is deemed to be the spirit of Yetaxa. He delivers his subsequent dialogue with almost all of his face obscured by Barbara's headdress.
* The Cliffhangers in episodes 1 and 2 do not match with the reprises. At the start of episode 2, Tlotoxl says the whole line to camera when only the last part of it was to camera in episode 1. The episode 2 cliffhanger sees Barbara move away from Tlotoxl towards Ian - something that doesn't happen in the reprise.
* The cameras used to film this story were incapable of zooming — instead they had to be physically moved closer to their subject. This is apparent when the camera "zooms in" on Tlotoxl during the sacrifice scene and the camera lurches violently after hitting a piece of the scenery. This is also apparent when the camera lurches violently after hitting a piece of the scenery as it "zooms in" on Autloc following Ian's arrest in the garden.
*There was apparently no consensus as to the pronunciation of Tlotoxl's name given the varied pronunciations given by cast various members.
* [[Ian Cullen]] (Ixta) flubs a line during "The Day of Darkness".
 
* At one point during the fight between Ian and Ixta, the edge of the set can be seen on the right of the screen, revealing the supports holding the backcloth.
==Continuity==
* There was apparently no consensus as to the pronunciation of Tlotoxl's name given the varied pronunciations given by various cast members.
* One of the few examples of The Doctor being involved in a romantic relationship. Other examples include [[BFA]]: ''[[Loups-Garoux]]'', [[BFA]]: ''[[The One Doctor]]'', [[DW]]: ''[[Doctor Who (1996)|Doctor Who]]'', [[ST]]: ''[[The Queen of Eros]]'', [[EDA]]: ''[[Casualties of War (novel)|Casualties of War]]'', [[Sam Jones]] especially in [[EDA]]: ''[[Seeing I]]'', and [[DW]]: ''[[The Parting of the Ways]]''.
* In "The Day of Darkness", there is a sudden cut as Ian and Susan leave for the garden, going straight to the First Doctor and Barbara talking to each other, even though it is implied the shot originally went on without the cut intended to take place. Since the surviving copy of this episode is the original telerecording negative, this was most likely an editing mistake with the original master tape.
* The Doctor tells Barbara "You can't rewrite history! Not one line!" It is unclear if this means it is impossible to alter established history or that it is an ethical principle. By contrast, the [[Time Lord]]s explicitly ask the Doctor to change history in [[DW]]: ''[[Genesis of the Daleks]]''. By the time of his [[Tenth Doctor|tenth incarnation]] it's clear the Doctor no longer believes this as an absolute and at one point says outright that "History can be rewritten." ([[DW]]: ''[[Forest of the Dead]]'')
* In [[NA]]: ''[[Timewyrm: Exodus]]'' it is suggested that only Time Lords or other very powerful individuals can change the course of history.
* By contrast, [[EDA]]: ''[[Interference - Book Two]]'' suggests that any individual can change the course of history, including the Doctor, but he has chosen not to do so. In Interference, he actually influences events to allow Sam to change the course of history.
* In [[DW]]: ''[[The Unquiet Dead]]'', the Doctor tells [[Rose Tyler|Rose]] that history is always in flux, and it can change "just like that." This theme is later developed in [[DW]]: ''[[Father's Day]]''; however, it was suggested that since the destruction of the Time Lords, time has become more flexible.


==Timeline==
== Continuity ==
*This story occurs after [[DW]]: ''[[The Keys of Marinus]]''
* The Doctor protests to Barbara that "you can't rewrite history! Not one line!" The Doctor makes numerous later references to the nature of time and certain [[fixed points in time]]. ([[TV]]: ''[[Time-Flight (TV story)|Time-Flight]]'', ''[[The Waters of Mars (TV story)|The Waters of Mars]]'', ''[[The Wedding of River Song (TV story)|The Wedding of River Song]]'', et al.) [[River Song]] gives an almost word for word line to the [[Tenth Doctor]] when the Doctor states that time can be rewritten. ([[TV]]: ''[[Forest of the Dead (TV story)|Forest of the Dead]]'') The Time Lords, including the Doctor, continue to give a clear indication of their position that they and they alone understand how to properly "rewrite history". ([[TV]]: ''[[The Two Doctors (TV story)|The Two Doctors]]'', et al.)
*This story occurs before [[ST]]: ''[[The Mother Road]]''
* Barbara wrote her dissertation on the Aztecs. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[Nothing at the End of the Lane (short story)|Nothing at the End of the Lane]]'')
* After returning to her own time, Barbara became a university history lecturer, specialising in the Aztec period of Central American history. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[Who Killed Kennedy (novel)|Who Killed Kennedy]]'')
* The Doctor later used the Aztec bracelet to buy suits and top hats for himself and [[Steven Taylor]] in [[London]] in [[1912]]. ([[AUDIO]]: ''[[The Suffering (audio story)|The Suffering]]'') However, it eventually re-entered his possession as the [[Eighth Doctor]] gave the Aztec bracelet to Susan as a [[Christmas]] present. ([[AUDIO]]: ''[[Relative Dimensions (audio story)|Relative Dimensions]]'')
* The [[Second Doctor]] encountered Mexican warriors who had been plucked out of time and forced to fight for the purpose of the [[War Lord]]s. ([[TV]]: ''[[The War Games (TV story)|The War Games]]'')
* The [[Eighth Doctor]] returns to [[Mexico]] and thwarts a plot by an artist named Susini from creating sculptures from the flesh and bone of the dead. ([[COMIC]]:'' [[The Way of All Flesh (comic story)|The Way of All Flesh]]'')
* The Doctor's claim to understand how Barbara feels about the seemingly inevitable tragedies of history and her own desire to change time for the better may have originated from their ordeal in [[Babylon]] with [[Alexander the Great]]. On that occasion, the Doctor constructed the ailing conqueror an iron lung through which he could prolong his life as Ian, Barbara and Susan had wished. Alexander's refusal and subsequent death shook Barbara deeply. ([[AUDIO]]: ''[[Farewell, Great Macedon (audio story)|Farewell, Great Macedon]]'')
* In a [[parallel universe]], [[The Doctor (Auld Mortality)|the Doctor]] warned the Aztecs of Cortez's approach. While in Mexico, he was mistaken for their reincarnated High Priestess. ([[AUDIO]]: ''[[A Storm of Angels (audio story)|A Storm of Angels]]'')


==Home video and audio releases==
== Home media releases ==
===DVD releases===
=== DVD releases ===
Released as ''Doctor Who: The Aztecs''.
This story was released as ''Doctor Who: The Aztecs''.


Released:
Released:
*Region 2 [[21st October]] [[2002]]
* Region 2 - [[21 October (releases)|21 October]] [[2002 (releases)|2002]]


:: PAL Region 2 - BBCDVD1099
:: PAL Region 2 - BBCDVD1099
*Region 4 [[2nd December]] [[2002]]
* Region 4 - [[2 December (releases)|2 December]] 2002
*Region 1 [[3rd March]] [[2003]]
* Region 1 - [[3 March (releases)|3 March]] [[2003 (releases)|2003]]


::NTSC - [[Warner Video]] E1719
::NTSC - [[Warner Video]] E1719


Contents:
Contents:
*[[Remembering The Aztecs]] - Interviews with [[John Ringham]], [[Walter Randall]], and [[Ian Cullen]].
* Commentary by producer [[Verity Lambert]] and actors [[William Russell]] and [[Carole Ann Ford]].
*[[Designing The Aztecs]] - An interview with set designer [[Barry Newbery]].
* ''[[Remembering The Aztecs (documentary)|Remembering The Aztecs]]'' - Interviews with [[John Ringham]], [[Walter Randall]], and [[Ian Cullen]].
*[[Restoring The Aztecs]] - A look at the digital remastering process for the DVD.
* ''[[Designing The Aztecs (documentary)|Designing The Aztecs]]'' - An interview with set designer [[Barry Newbery]].
*[[Blue Peter]] - [[The Story of Cortez and Montezuma]] (UK tx: [[21st September]] [[1970]]).
* ''[[Restoring The Aztecs (documentary)|Restoring The Aztecs]]'' - A look at the digital remastering process for the DVD.
*[[Making Cocoa]] - An animated guide to making cocoa the Aztec way.
* [[Blue Peter (series)|Blue Peter]] - ''[[The Story of Cortez and Montezuma]]'' (UK tx: [[21 September (releases)|21 September]] [[1970 (releases)|1970]]).
*Arabic soundtrack - The final episode includes an option to view it in Arabic.
* ''[[Making Cocoa (home video)|Making Cocoa]]'' - An animated guide to making cocoa the Aztec way.
*[[TARDIS-Cam]] #3
* Arabic soundtrack - The final episode includes an option to view it in Arabic.
*Photo Gallery
* ''[[TARDIS Cam No.3 (webcast)|TARDIS Cam No.3]]''
*Production Note Subtitles
* Photo Gallery
*Easter Egg ([[BBC Enterprises]] Globe)
* Production Note Subtitles
*Commentary: [[Verity Lambert]], [[William Russell]], and [[Carol Ann Ford]]
* [[Easter Egg]] ([[BBC Enterprises]] Globe) - to access this feature press left at the Photo Gallery option in the Special Features menu.


Rear Credits:
Rear Credits:
*Starring [[William Hartnell]] with [[William Russell]], [[Jacqueline Hill]] and [[Carole Ann Ford]]
* Starring [[William Hartnell]] with [[William Russell]], [[Jacqueline Hill]] and [[Carole Ann Ford]]
*Written by [[John Lucarotti]]
* Written by [[John Lucarotti (writer)|John Lucarotti]]
*Produced by [[Verity Lambert]]
* Produced by [[Verity Lambert]]
*Directed by [[John Crockett]]
* Directed by [[John Crockett]]
*Incidental Music by [[Richard Rodney Bennett]]
* Incidental Music by [[Richard Rodney Bennett]]


Notes:
Notes:
*Editing for DVD release completed by [[Doctor Who Restoration Team]].
* Editing for the DVD release was completed by the [[Doctor Who Restoration Team]].


<gallery>
<gallery position="center" captionalign="center" hideaddbutton="true">
Image:AztecsDVD.jpg|Region 2 DVD cover
File:AztecsDVD.jpg|Region 2 DVD cover
Image:F-dvd2.jpg|Region 1 DVD cover
File:F-dvd2.jpg|Region 1 DVD cover
The Aztecs DVD.jpg|The Aztecs Region 4 DVD
</gallery>
</gallery>


===VHS releases===
=== Special Edition DVD releases ===
Released as ''Doctor Who: The Aztecs''. This was originally going to be a [[Woolworths]] exclusive release, but at the last minute the company decided on a colour release instead ([[The Twin Dilemma]]).
As with most serials released on DVD pre-2006, ''The Aztecs'' was chosen for a special edition release. It was coupled with the rediscovered third episode of ''[[Galaxy 4 (TV story)|Galaxy 4]]'', "[[Air Lock]]", and an abridged [[Tele-snaps|telesnap]] reconstruction of said story. It was released on [[11 March (releases)|11 March]] [[2013 (releases)|2013]] in region 2 and on [[12 March (releases)|12 March]] 2013 in region 1.


Released:
==== Special Features ====
*[[UK]] [[November]] [[1992]]
===== Disc One =====
* Commentary with William Russell ([[Ian Chesterton]]) and Carole Ann Ford ([[Susan Foreman]]), and producer Verity Lambert
* ''Remembering The Aztecs'' - Actors [[John Ringham]], [[Ian Cullen]] and [[Walter Randall]] recall the production of this story
* ''Designing The Aztecs'' - Designer [[Barry Newbery]] talks about his work on this serial, illustrated with many never-before-seen production drawings and photographs from his personal collection
* ''Cortez and Montezuma'' - An extract from a 1970 ''Blue Peter'' episode, introduced by Valerie Singleton on location in Mexico, giving historical background to the Aztec belief in human sacrifice
* ''Restoring The Aztecs'' - A short featurette demonstrating the restoration and videoisation effects used for the release
* ''Making Cocoa'' - An animated guide to making cocoa the Aztec way, voiced by John Ringham as [[Tlotoxl]] and Walter Randall as [[Tonila]], with both characters animated and presented in ''South Park'' style!
* ''TARDIS-Cam no. 3'' - The third of BBCi's [[TARDIS Cam (series)|TARDIS-Cam]] shorts
* Optional Arabic Soundtrack - For episode 4 only
* Intro Sequences- Specially recorded introductions to each story (1 of 6 randomly selected introductions will play when selecting Play All from the Main Menu)
* Production Information Subtitles
* Photo Gallery
* Easter Egg: BBC Enterprises globe ident. To access this hidden feature, press left at Photo Gallery on the Special Features menu to reveal a hidden ''Doctor Who'' logo.


::PAL - [[BBC Video]] BBCV4743
===== Disc Two =====
*[[US]] [[May]] [[1994]]
* ''Galaxy 4'' - A reconstruction of the missing story ''Galaxy 4'', using off-screen stills, audio recordings and animation plus the recently recovered episode three
* ''[[wikipedia:Chronicle (British TV programme)|Chronicle]]'' - "The Realms of Gold" - Episode of the BBC documentary series
* ''[[The Celestial Toyroom (documentary)|Doctor Forever! Celestial Toyroom]]'' - A history of ''[[Doctor Who]]'' toys and related products
* ''[[wikipedia:It's a Square World|It's a Square World]]'' - ''[[The Doctor's New Invention (TV story)|The Doctor's New Invention]]'' parody sketch from the BBC sketch series
* ''A Whole Scene Going'' - Segment from the BBC talk show series featuring an interview with [[Gordon Flemyng]] and a look at filming of his film ''[[Daleks' Invasion Earth 2150 A.D. (theatrical film)|Daleks - Invasion Earth: 2150 AD]]''
* ''[[Radio Times]]'' Listings (DVD ROM)
* Coming Soon Trailer - ''[[The Ice Warriors (TV story)|The Ice Warriors]]''


::NTSC - [[CBS/FOX Video]] 8100
It was also released as [[DWDVDF 122|issue 122]] of ''[[Doctor Who DVD Files]]''.
::NTSC - [[Warner Video]] E1257


Notes: The 'Next Episode' caption has been removed from Episode 4.
<gallery position="center" captionalign="center" hideaddbutton="true">
The Aztecs Special Edition uk dvd.jpg|Region 2 DVD cover
Doctor_Who_The_Aztecs_Special_Edition_US_DVD_Cover.jpg|Region 1 DVD cover
File:Aztecs special edition australia dvd.jpg|Region 4 DVD cover
</gallery>


<gallery>
=== Digital releases ===
Image:AztecsVHS.jpg|UK PAL VHS cover
This story is available:
* in [[iTunes]] stores ([[Australia]], [[Canada]], [[France]], [[Germany]], [[UK]] and [[US]]) as part of the ''Doctor Who: The Classic Series'' collection ''Doctor Who: The Best of The First Doctor'', which additionally includes the stories ''[[An Unearthly Child (TV story)|An Unearthly Child]]'' and ''[[The Dalek Invasion of Earth (TV story)|The Dalek Invasion of Earth]]'';
* in non-continental iTunes stores (Australia, Canada, UK and US) as a stand-alone season of ''Doctor Who: The Classic Series'';
* on [[Amazon (service)|Amazon Video]] (UK) as Season 6 of ''Doctor Who (Classic)'' series;
* on Amazon Video (US) as part of Season 1 of ''Doctor Who: The 50th Anniversary Collection'';
* for streaming through [[BritBox]] (US) as part of Season 1 of ''Classic Doctor Who''.
<gallery position="center" captionalign="center" hideaddbutton="true">
The Aztecs iTunes store cover image.jpg|''The Aztecs'' iTunes cover
FirstDoctorBest.jpg|''Best of First Doctor'' collection iTunes cover
</gallery>
</gallery>


==Novelisation and its audiobook==
=== VHS releases ===
[[Image:Aztecstarget88.jpg|right|75px]]
This story was released as ''Doctor Who: The Aztecs'', and was originally going to be available exclusively from the high street retail chain [[Woolworths]] to tie-in with a special promotion. However, at the last minute, Woolworths decided on ''[[The Twin Dilemma (TV story)|The Twin Dilemma]]'' instead — feeling that a colour ''Doctor Who'' story would sell better than one in black-and-white.
: ''Main article: [[The Aztecs (novelisation)]]''


* This story was published as ''[[The Aztecs (novelisation)|Doctor Who: The Aztecs]]'', published by [[Target Books]] in [[September]] of [[1984]], ISBN 0-426-19588-4. The story was written by [[John Lucarotti]], based on his script. It was number 88 in the series of 156 Doctor Who novels published by Target.
Released:
* No audiobook of the novelisation has yet been released as of [[2010]].
* [[UK]] [[November (releases)|November]] [[1992 (releases)|1992]]


==External links==
::PAL - [[BBC Video]] BBCV4743
*{{bbcepguideclassic|aztecs|The Aztecs}}
* [[US]] [[May (releases)|May]] [[1994 (releases)|1994]]
*{{dwrefguide|who_f.htm|The Aztecs}}
*{{briefhistory|serials/f.html|The Aztecs}}
*[http://www.eofftv.com/episodes/d/doctor_who/1st_doctor/aztecs_main.htm Encyclopedia of Fantastic Film and Television - '''The Aztecs''']
*[http://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/classic/episodeguide/pasb/aztecs.pdf BBC Production Information for '''The Aztecs''' (PDF)]
*[http://www.eofftv.com/episodes/d/doctor_who/1st_doctor/aztecs_main.htm EOFFTV.com - '''The Aztecs''']


::NTSC - [[CBS/FOX Video]] 8100
::NTSC - [[Warner Video]] E1257


{{season 1}}
<u>Note:</u> The "Next Episode" caption had been removed from "The Day of Darkness", while a slight cut has also been made to the episode during the scene of Ian in the flooded tunnel beneath the Tomb of Yetaxa, possibly due to film damage.
{{Wikipedia|The_Aztecs_(Doctor_Who)}}
 
<gallery position="center" captionalign="center" hideaddbutton="true">
File:AztecsVHS.jpg|UK PAL VHS cover
The Aztecs Video.jpg|AUS PAL VHS cover
The Aztecs us.jpg|US NTSC VHS cover
</gallery>


== External links ==
* {{bbcepguideclassic|aztecs|The Aztecs}}
* {{radiotimes|2008-10-05/the-aztecs|The Aztecs}}
{{dwcast}}
{{dwrefguide|who_f.htm|The Aztecs}}
* {{briefhistory|serials/f.html|The Aztecs}}
* [http://www.eofftv.com/episodes/d/doctor_who/1st_doctor/aztecs_main.htm Encyclopaedia of Fantastic Film and Television - '''The Aztecs''']
* [http://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/classic/episodeguide/pasb/aztecs.pdf BBC Production Information for '''The Aztecs''' (PDF)]
* [http://www.eofftv.com/episodes/d/doctor_who/1st_doctor/aztecs_main.htm EOFFTV.com - '''The Aztecs''']


== Footnotes ==
{{Reflist}}
{{DWTV}}
{{TitleSort}}
[[cs:Aztékové (TV příběh)]]
[[cy:The Aztecs (stori deledu)]]
[[de:006 - The Aztecs]]
[[es:The Aztecs]]
[[fr:The Aztecs (TV)]]
[[he:האצטקים]]
[[pt:The Aztecs]]
[[ru:Ацтеки (ТВ история)]]


{{DEFAULTSORT:Aztecs}}
[[Category:Articles that were originally Wikipedia forks]]
[[Category:First Doctor episodes]]
[[Category:Doctor Who (1963) television stories]]
[[Category:1964 television stories]]
[[Category:1964 television stories]]
[[Category:Historical stories]]
[[Category:Stories set in the 15th century]]
[[Category:Stories with unknown or disputed dates]]
[[Category:Stories set in North America]]
[[Category:Stories set in 1454]]
[[Category:Season 1 stories]]
[[Category:Season 1 stories]]
[[Category:Stories set in Mexico]]
[[Category:Four part serials]]

Latest revision as of 19:59, 3 November 2024

RealWorld.png

The Aztecs was the sixth serial of season 1 of Doctor Who. It was the first story to address the issue of altering the course of history and the first to involve a romantic subplot concerning the Doctor.

"The Warriors of Death" was the first episode of the programme recorded at BBC Television Centre, following a pitched battle on the part of Verity Lambert and several allies for better studio accommodations. The move to Television Centre was brief since the production team had to return to Lime Grove Studios by the end of the serial. (DWM 266)

Synopsis[[edit] | [edit source]]

The arrival of the TARDIS in 15th century Mexico leads the crew to encounter the doomed Aztec people, a mixture of high culture and brutal savagery. Matters are further complicated when Barbara is mistaken for a god and the Doctor becomes engaged to be married.

Plot[[edit] | [edit source]]

The Temple of Evil (1)[[edit] | [edit source]]

The TARDIS crew arrive in Mexico in the 15th century in the inner sanctum of an Aztec tomb. Barbara and Susan leave the TARDIS first and begin to explore the crypt. Barbara, whose specialist knowledge is on the Aztecs, finds a bracelet and absentmindedly puts it on. Susan finds a door in the wall, which Barbara goes through. Susan goes back to the TARDIS for the others. Barbara is met by a man who, thinking she is a trespasser, fetches warriors. When the warriors come for her, however, he sees the bracelet on Barbara's wrist and his opinion changes.

When the First Doctor and Ian go through the trap door, they find Barbara gone. Even more worrisome, once all of them are through, the door closes behind them and refuses to open. The Doctor says that it would have been built to allow the gods out, but not allow grave robbers in. Soon the man that accosted Barbara returns and introduces himself as Autloc, the High Priest of Knowledge, and says that Yetaxa seeks an audience with them. The travellers go to meet this deity. On their way they encounter the High Priest of Sacrifice, Tlotoxl. When the travellers are taken to Yetaxa they are surprised to see that it is Barbara. Once they are alone, she explains that as she was wearing Yetaxa's bracelet when she was captured, the Aztecs believe her to be a reincarnation of the deceased high priest, and therefore a god.

Barbara demands the Aztecs give the Doctor and Ian free run of the civilisation. Although they agree, Tlotoxl has ideas of his own. He convinces Autloc that Ian should be the leader of their army, to which Ian begrudgingly agrees. While Ian goes to meet Ixta, his rival for command, the Doctor is taken to the Garden of Peace. Here he meets Cameca, a local sage and philosopher, of whom he quickly becomes very fond. This does not stop him from smooth-talking her into a meeting with the son of the designer of the temple Topau, to find a way of retrieving his TARDIS from the centre of the tomb.

Ian meets up with the Doctor again and tells him that in order to prove himself to Autloc and Ixta, he needs to escort the person to be sacrificed to the god of rain to put an end to a drought. Ian is reluctant, but the Doctor says that he has to do this to not blow their cover. The Doctor tells Barbara of this, and Barbara refuses to allow it. She believes that if she stops human sacrifices, the Aztecs will not become extinct and will live on as a better civilisation. The Doctor tells her that she cannot change history. Barbara remains obdurate. Just before the sacrifice takes place, Barbara puts a stop to it. Both Ixta and the first victim are outraged. The sacrifice, furious that he has not had the chance to prove himself, is encouraged by Tlotoxl to throw himself from the top of the tomb, which he does. The rains soon come. Triumphant, Tlotoxl says that this proves that sacrifices are necessary. Barbara denies this and says that sacrifices shall no longer be practised. This infuriates Tlotoxl, who vows that he will unmask Barbara as the fraud that she is.

The Warriors of Death (2)[[edit] | [edit source]]

The Doctor berates Barbara for interfering. Tlotoxl now suspects that she is not a real god, and Susan has been taken to a seminary after her outburst. However, the Doctor soon brightens up when he recounts to Barbara his encounter with Cameca and the chance he could learn more about the construction of the tomb. Meanwhile, Ian and Ixta are practising for their showdown. Ian is irritated by Ixta's boasting and states that he could kill Ixta with just his thumb. He soon proves this by applying his thumb to a pressure point at the back of Ixta's neck that renders him unconscious. Tlotoxl enters to this sight and is shocked to see that Ian is gaining the upper hand over his favoured candidate. Autloc says that as Ian has disarmed Ixta, he is the rightful commander of the Aztec army. Desperate to prevent this, Tlotoxl convinces the next human sacrifice, the Perfect Victim, whose last days are spent in total control of those around him, to order that another, more equal contest be held. This is agreed to. Tlotoxl offers Ixta untold riches if Ian is killed in their battle.

Meanwhile, in the Garden of Peace, the Doctor and Cameca share stories and flirt. He convinces her he should meet the son of the tomb's designer by saying that he is only called the Doctor because he is "a scientist, an engineer. I'm a builder of things." When Cameca leaves to ask the son, it is clear that the Doctor is smitten by her. Tlotoxl visits Barbara and warns her that he is getting more people to believe that she is not the real Yetaxa. He begins to question her on knowledge of their ways, but she counters that such should be done by the High Priest of Knowledge. He says that Autloc will question her later. Until then she is confined to the tomb. To tease her, he tells her of the fight that is to take place between Ian and Ixta. This clearly distresses her.

Ixta is elsewhere, practising for his fight. Cameca visits him and tells him the "older servant of Yetaxa" wishes to see him. Realising the Doctor doesn't know his name or his rivalry with Ian, he will meet him and try to destroy the travellers from within. All this time Susan has been receiving tutoring from Autloc and Tonila on how to be a good wife; whilst successful in learning the knowledge, she struggles with some of the more antiquated views of a woman's role in this society.

Ixta goes to the Garden of Peace to meet the Doctor. He says he would love to show the Doctor some drawings that his father made of the tomb, but he is to be in a fight that evening and he must do well. If he loses, he will be dishonoured and not allowed to speak with anyone for days. The Doctor suggests that they can help each other. The Doctor goes to a plant he has been studying and draws a pin through it. Presenting it to Ixta, he states that one scratch from this needle will render his opponent weak and unable to fight anywhere near his true capability. Ixta accepts this gratefully and says that he will meet the Doctor there the following day.

The Doctor extracts poison from a plant to help Ixta defeat his foe.

At the tomb, Autloc questions Barbara on why she deems it so important to stop the sacrifice. She claims to prophesy the downfall of the Aztec civilisation with such barbaric acts of butchery. This affects Autloc. She asks Autloc to see to it that the fight between Ian and Ixta remains a non-fatal one, as it was intended to be. Later the Doctor goes to visit Barbara, who immediately tells him he should not be there. She is supposed to be in isolation whilst she is being questioned. However, the Doctor has enough time to recount his encounter with Ixta, only for his pride to be spoilt when Barbara informs him that Ian is the adversary against whom the Doctor has aided Ixta. As the Doctor leaves the tomb, he is arrested by Tlotoxl for talking to Barbara. Barbara demands that the fight between Ian and Ixta not go ahead, but Tlotoxl insists that this is something that cannot be quibbled about.

The fight between Ian and Ixta begins. Ian is clearly winning until Ixta scratches him with the needle. As he flags, Ixta strangles Ian. Tlotoxl bays for Ian's death whilst Autloc says that Yetaxa forbids human sacrifice. Barbara tries to break up the fight. Tlotoxl says she should not have left the tomb but then states that if she is truly Yetaxa she would be able to stop the fight herself. An unsure Barbara approaches the pair of men.

The Bride of Sacrifice (3)[[edit] | [edit source]]

Barbara responds to Tlotoxl's demand by unsheathing his knife and holding it to Tlotoxl's neck, saying that if the fight continues she shall kill Tlotoxl. Tlotoxl reluctantly stops the fight. Back at the tomb, Barbara further tries to convince Autloc that the ritual of sacrifice is one that will soon see the end of the Aztec civilisation. She seeks his support in stopping the coming sacrifice.

Tlotoxl conspires with Ixta.

Tlotoxl finds the Doctor in the Garden of Peace to ask why he gave Ixta the needle that would weaken Ian. The Doctor says that he didn't know whom Ixta was fighting and that he did it to get the plans of the tomb. He convinces Tlotoxl that the only way for him to prove if Yetaxa is real is by also finding his way into the centre of the tomb. Back at the scene of the fight, Ixta wakes Ian and tells him what has happened. He is more amiable with Ian now, assured that come the next fight, he can beat him. Tlotoxl asks Ixta if he can see the plans that he promised the Doctor. Ixta informs him there never were such plans. He was using the information that Cameca gave him to get the draft from the Doctor. As Ian and Ixta leave, Ian overhears Tlotoxl trying to convince Tonila that the only way to prove Yetaxa a god is by poisoning her. If she dies she is a fake, but if she lives she is a god, as poison would not affect her. Tonila seems convinced by this argument.

In the Garden of Peace, Autloc asks Cameca why she has been so happy of late. Cameca confides in him that she is in love with the Doctor and intends to get him to drink cocoa with her, an Aztec symbol of committing to marry someone. Cameca spills the cocoa beans she is holding in front of the Doctor. Unaware of the symbolism, he asks her to join him in a cup of cocoa. Meanwhile, Ian sneaks into the tomb to warn Barbara that Tlotoxl is plotting against her and her plans to save the Aztec nation are futile. She had earlier thought that all Aztecs were like Autloc and that Tlotoxl was a bad apple. In reality, he tells her, it is Autloc who is the exceptional man, while the rest of the society feels as Tlotoxl does. This conversation is interrupted by Tlotoxl and Tonila, who present Barbara with wine in the guise of friendship. Ian, who has hidden behind a column when the men came in, gestures to her not to drink it. Barbara asks Tlotoxl to drink first. When he refuses, Barbara denounces it as poison and throws the cup to the ground. She shouts at Tonila to leave and then confides to Tlotoxl that she is indeed a fake, but that if he tells anyone she will get the Aztecs to destroy him.

At the Garden of Peace, the Doctor and Cameca are sharing their cocoa when Cameca says that she is happy they are getting married. The Doctor is shocked. Meanwhile, Autloc and Tonila are talking about Susan's impressive progress as their student, but they recount the headstrong ideals she holds about a woman choosing whom she wishes to marry. Tlotoxl overhears them and decides to use this against Barbara in order to unmask her as a fraud to the rest of civilisation. Again he enlists Tonila to help him.

Later that day, during Susan's studying, Tonila brings the Perfect Victim to her, who demands that Susan marry him. She refuses. Tonila jumps on this defiance and says that Susan must be punished for such a breach of conventions. Back in the Garden of Peace, Cameca shows the Doctor a brooch that belonged to Ixta's father, with whom she was once in love. She says that it was found in the Garden of Peace, from whence he went missing years ago.

Tlotoxl and Tonila tell Barbara that someone has been defying conventions. According to the law, she must be punished. Barbara reluctantly agrees, anxious not to further blow her cover. Whilst this is happening, the Doctor goes to Ian to show him the brooch that belonged to Ixta's father, who he suspects had escaped into the tomb. He plans to find out if there is a secret entrance anywhere. Ian says he'll meet him at the Garden of Peace that night. The Doctor also tells Ian about his "fiancée", which Ian finds most amusing.

Autloc goes to see Barbara and says that he plans to stand with her in her objections to sacrifice. This pleases Barbara, but her joy is short-lived when he informs her that the person to be punished is Susan. Barbara says that both the sacrifice and the punishment have to be stopped. Autloc is unsure, asking Barbara whether she would sacrifice the civilisation to spare one girl pain.

Later that night, Ian sneaks out of his dormitory to meet the Doctor. He is followed by Ixta. When they get to the Garden of Peace, the Doctor has discovered that one of the panels in the wall can slide. Ian slides it away and goes in. He leaves the Doctor behind, saying it might be too dangerous. Whilst Ian explores the passage, Ixta shows himself. Feigning ignorance that he saw Ian go in, he tells the Doctor that the stone must be put back. It forms part of a dam. Unless the stone is replaced the garden will be flooded. He does this, much to the Doctor's discomfort, as inside the water begins to puddle around Ian's feet.

The Day of Darkness (4)[[edit] | [edit source]]

As the water rises, Ian finds a loose slab over his head which he moves aside. He crawls through tunnels and finds his way back to Yetaxa's tomb and the TARDIS. He ties a rope to an ornament on the door and opens it, bringing the other end of the rope with him to leave some purchase to open the door later. Barbara is shocked to see him as he exits the tomb. As she questions him as to how he got there, they hear someone coming. Ian hides. It is the Doctor, worried that Ian has been killed. Ian reveals himself and shows the Doctor his plan for getting back into the tomb. Ian decides to free Susan from the warriors so they may leave. Meanwhile, Tlotoxl is congratulating Ixta on his murder of Ian and tells him that he must guard Susan. Susan is brought in to him. Ixta tells Susan that he killed Ian; Ian, approaching him from behind, knocks him out and escapes with Susan.

When Ian and Susan return to the tomb, the foursome try to open the door but the rope breaks. Meanwhile, Ixta has regained consciousness and an irate Tlotoxl berates him for his loss of Susan. Worried that Autloc will take Ian's seeming resurrection as yet another sign of Yetaxa's powers, Tlotoxl has Ixta frame Ian by using Ian's club to knock Autloc unconscious and put the blame on the travellers.

To gain access to the tomb again, Ian returns to the hatch in the Garden of Peace. He takes Susan with him to watch for others. When they get there, they find Autloc unconscious on the ground. Ian finds the club and realises he's being set up, but it is too late. Ian is arrested. As Autloc regains consciousness, he proclaims Yetaxa a false goddess.

The eclipse.

With his plan falling into place, Tlotoxl plans with Tonila a way of getting rid of Barbara. He will lock her away in a room during the eclipse so that those around them think that she vanished. Meanwhile, in the Garden of Peace, the Doctor is making a pulley to open the door. Cameca says she will do anything for the Doctor for Ian to be saved. He says that the only thing that might help is Autloc going to talk to Barbara.

Barbara convinces Autloc that it wasn't Ian who attacked him. However, he says that the situation is out of his hands. He can find a way to free Susan, but not Ian. After his talk with Barbara, he goes to the Garden of Peace. He is in a state of confusion and doubt of his faith. He gives Cameca his badge of honour, symbolising his position as High Priest of Knowledge, his house, and all his possessions. He asks her to give it to Susan's guard as a bribe to liberate Susan. Autloc leaves to go into the wilderness.

As the Doctor and Barbara put the finishing touches on the pulley system, Tlotoxl tells Barbara that the sacrifice is preparing outside. Tlotoxl also tells her that Autloc has left forever and that there is no hope for her friends. Meanwhile, Autloc's plan to free Susan works better than expected. While Cameca shows the guard the badge, Ian uses the distraction to knock him out. Susan escapes with Cameca and Ian takes the guard's headdress as a disguise.

Tlotoxl lays out his plan to Tonila. He says that if it works, Tonila will take over from Autloc as the High Priest of Knowledge. Back at the tomb, Susan is reunited with her grandfather and Barbara. The Doctor thanks Cameca and they say their goodbyes to one another. Cameca gives the Doctor a seal to remember her by.

Tonila finds the guard unconscious and a furious Tlotoxl orders Tonila to kill him. Tlotoxl rushes off to ensure that the travellers do not disrupt the sacrifice. As the sacrifice begins, Tlotoxl, blinded by rage, tries to kill Barbara. Ian stops him, and they fight. Ian kills Ixta by throwing him off the top of the tomb during the fight.

By this time, the door has been opened and the travellers escape through it. Tlotoxl watches them go and then performs the sacrifice. Hearing all this, a desolate Barbara asks what the point of travelling through time and space is if they can't change anything. The Doctor reassures her that even if she hadn't changed a civilisation, she changed Autloc's life and made him see the truth. Barbara goes back into the TARDIS. The Doctor is about to leave Cameca's seal behind but turns back to pick it up again.

Later in the TARDIS the Doctor looks bemused and tells his companions that half of his controls are telling him the TARDIS is stationary and the other half say that it's moving. Ian wonders if they have landed on something; a worried looking Barbara asks if they could have landed in something.

Cast[[edit] | [edit source]]

Uncredited cast[[edit] | [edit source]]

Crew[[edit] | [edit source]]

Uncredited crew[[edit] | [edit source]]

Worldbuilding[[edit] | [edit source]]

  • Ian is a trained fighter.
  • The Doctor and Cameca drink cocoa.

Story notes[[edit] | [edit source]]

  • Tlotoxl is one of the few Doctor Who villains who never receives any sort of comeuppance. This serves to highlight the themes of the story, that history must not be tampered with, and that it will take its course with or without us. This would be developed throughout the DWU, culminating in The Waters of Mars, among other stories.

Conflicting accounts[[edit] | [edit source]]

Pre-production[[edit] | [edit source]]

  • This is currently the only Doctor Who story written by John Lucarotti that exists in the BBC Archives, as his other two serials, Marco Polo and The Massacre, are both missing all of their episodes and neither one has a single frame of surviving footage, existing only in soundtrack form.
  • Having lived in Mexico, John Lucarotti was fascinated by the Aztec civilisation. He described them as "a highly civilised and cultured race", and was particularly fascinated by their obsession with human sacrifice. He wrote the scripts on his yacht in Majorca.
  • John Lucarotti spent a lot of time researching the real Aztecs before writing this story. He used Aztec-sounding names for the characters; for example, the character Ixta was derived from the Aztec city Ixtapalapa.
  • John Crockett was assigned to direct the serial due to his knowledge of history, having previously worked on the fourth episode of Marco Polo.
  • Designer Barry Newbery found the serial difficult for research, due to the limited information on the Aztecs at the time. Researching using books provided by the BBC, he designed the tomb door based on the "comic book" style of Aztec design. He had also watched a documentary about Aztec archaeology on ITV and was concerned that a larger studio would be required for production.
  • Costume designer Daphne Dare used artistic license with her costumes in the serial, since male Aztecs usually only wore brief loincloths and cloaks, while women were often topless.

Production[[edit] | [edit source]]

  • All episodes exist in 16mm telerecordings.
  • Negative film prints of all episodes were recovered from BBC Enterprises in 1978.
  • Carole Ann Ford was on holiday during the filming of "The Warriors of Death" and "The Bride of Sacrifice" and appeared only in pre-taped film sequences which were shot during rehearsals for "Sentence of Death", the fifth episode of the preceding six-part story, The Keys of Marinus.
  • Ian Cullen recalled that William Hartnell "wasn't the friendliest person, but he was trying to remember all those lines".
  • John Ringham was an old colleague of John Crockett. His direction was "make all the children in the country hate you".
  • John Crockett's secretary June McMullen suggested Walter Randall for the role of Tonila, having met him at a party.
  • Verity Lambert required Walter Randall to shave his face for his role.
  • Martial arts expert David Anderson, who had previously appeared in Marco Polo, was cast as the Captain of the Guard. He also arranged the fight between Ian and Ixta for the second episode, and acted as William Russell's stunt double in the final episode.
    • He is credited as "Warrior Captain" in Radio Times for "The Temple of Evil". As fight arranger, Anderson is billed on-screen for "The Day of Darkness" only, but also arranged fights on "The Warriors of Death" and is credited in Radio Times for both episodes: the actual credits in the programme listings read "Fight arranged by David Anderson" for "The Warriors of Death"; and "Fights arranged by David Anderson and Derek Ware" for "The Day of Darkness".
  • Upon discovering that some of the scenery had been broken up since the recording of the first episode, John Crockett quickly rearranged parts from other sets (such as elements of Susan's cell, which had been needed only for the pre-filming), as well as some plants, to build the set.
  • The closing roller caption at the end of "The Bride of Sacrifice" had to be re-filmed as it was considered too erratically printed and thus not acceptable for broadcast.
  • In designing the serial, Barry Newbery had become concerned about John Crockett's ability to realise the Aztec city. Newbery wanted to use a painted backdrop to provide a sense of scale, but the narrow confines of Lime Grove Studio D meant that such an approach was likely to be unconvincing on camera. Crockett requested a transfer to Studio 3 or 4 at BBC Television Centre, but was denied. Verity Lambert fought to have production move out of Studio D, due to it being cramped, hot and antiquated. John Mair of the BBC's Planning Department agreed that the programme should instead use Lime Grove Studio G and TV Centre Studios 3 and 4 whenever they were available, but Lambert viewed this as only a partial solution, since the unusually long and narrow proportions of Studio G would make it impossible to achieve the vast sets that the series frequently demanded. As a result, production moved to Studio 3 after all. When production returned to Lime Grove to film "The Day of Darkness", the temperature had got so hot in the summertime that the sprinkler systems came on, as if to welcome the cast and crew back.

Merchandise[[edit] | [edit source]]

  • An action figure of Tlotoxl was released by Harlequin Miniatures in 1999.

Influences[[edit] | [edit source]]

  • Richard III (John Ringham's performance)
  • Rudyard Kipling's The Man Who Would Be King
  • The Royal Hunt of the Sun
  • Herodotus (the story of the grave-robber architect who built himself a secret entrance)

Popularity[[edit] | [edit source]]

Steven Moffat introduces the program on BBC America.

Ratings[[edit] | [edit source]]

  • "The Temple of Evil" - 7.4 million viewers
  • "The Warriors of Death" - 7.4 million viewers
  • "The Bride of Sacrifice" - 7.9 million viewers
  • "The Day of Darkness" - 7.4 million viewers

Myths[[edit] | [edit source]]

  • The costumes used by the Aztecs covered more of their body than was the case in reality so as not to offend 1960s standards of decency. (The costumes used had been researched before filming and were accurate reflections of those worn by the real Aztecs.)

Filming locations[[edit] | [edit source]]

Production errors[[edit] | [edit source]]

If you'd like to talk about narrative problems with this story — like plot holes and things that seem to contradict other stories — please go to this episode's discontinuity discussion.
  • William Hartnell oversteps his mark during the first scene in the temple's main chamber after Barbara is deemed to be the spirit of Yetaxa. He delivers his subsequent dialogue with almost all of his face obscured by Barbara's headdress.
  • The cameras used to film this story were incapable of zooming — instead they had to be physically moved closer to their subject. This is apparent when the camera "zooms in" on Tlotoxl during the sacrifice scene and the camera lurches violently after hitting a piece of the scenery. This is also apparent when the camera lurches violently after hitting a piece of the scenery as it "zooms in" on Autloc following Ian's arrest in the garden.
  • Ian Cullen (Ixta) flubs a line during "The Day of Darkness".
  • At one point during the fight between Ian and Ixta, the edge of the set can be seen on the right of the screen, revealing the supports holding the backcloth.
  • There was apparently no consensus as to the pronunciation of Tlotoxl's name given the varied pronunciations given by various cast members.
  • In "The Day of Darkness", there is a sudden cut as Ian and Susan leave for the garden, going straight to the First Doctor and Barbara talking to each other, even though it is implied the shot originally went on without the cut intended to take place. Since the surviving copy of this episode is the original telerecording negative, this was most likely an editing mistake with the original master tape.

Continuity[[edit] | [edit source]]

Home media releases[[edit] | [edit source]]

DVD releases[[edit] | [edit source]]

This story was released as Doctor Who: The Aztecs.

Released:

PAL Region 2 - BBCDVD1099
NTSC - Warner Video E1719

Contents:

Rear Credits:

Notes:

  • Region 2 DVD cover

    Region 2 DVD cover

  • Region 1 DVD cover

    Region 1 DVD cover

  • The Aztecs Region 4 DVD

    The Aztecs Region 4 DVD

Special Edition DVD releases[[edit] | [edit source]]

As with most serials released on DVD pre-2006, The Aztecs was chosen for a special edition release. It was coupled with the rediscovered third episode of Galaxy 4, "Air Lock", and an abridged telesnap reconstruction of said story. It was released on 11 March 2013 in region 2 and on 12 March 2013 in region 1.

Special Features[[edit] | [edit source]]

Disc One[[edit] | [edit source]]
  • Commentary with William Russell (Ian Chesterton) and Carole Ann Ford (Susan Foreman), and producer Verity Lambert
  • Remembering The Aztecs - Actors John Ringham, Ian Cullen and Walter Randall recall the production of this story
  • Designing The Aztecs - Designer Barry Newbery talks about his work on this serial, illustrated with many never-before-seen production drawings and photographs from his personal collection
  • Cortez and Montezuma - An extract from a 1970 Blue Peter episode, introduced by Valerie Singleton on location in Mexico, giving historical background to the Aztec belief in human sacrifice
  • Restoring The Aztecs - A short featurette demonstrating the restoration and videoisation effects used for the release
  • Making Cocoa - An animated guide to making cocoa the Aztec way, voiced by John Ringham as Tlotoxl and Walter Randall as Tonila, with both characters animated and presented in South Park style!
  • TARDIS-Cam no. 3 - The third of BBCi's TARDIS-Cam shorts
  • Optional Arabic Soundtrack - For episode 4 only
  • Intro Sequences- Specially recorded introductions to each story (1 of 6 randomly selected introductions will play when selecting Play All from the Main Menu)
  • Production Information Subtitles
  • Photo Gallery
  • Easter Egg: BBC Enterprises globe ident. To access this hidden feature, press left at Photo Gallery on the Special Features menu to reveal a hidden Doctor Who logo.
Disc Two[[edit] | [edit source]]

It was also released as issue 122 of Doctor Who DVD Files.

  • Region 2 DVD cover

    Region 2 DVD cover

  • Region 1 DVD cover

    Region 1 DVD cover

  • Region 4 DVD cover

    Region 4 DVD cover

Digital releases[[edit] | [edit source]]

This story is available:

  • in iTunes stores (Australia, Canada, France, Germany, UK and US) as part of the Doctor Who: The Classic Series collection Doctor Who: The Best of The First Doctor, which additionally includes the stories An Unearthly Child and The Dalek Invasion of Earth;
  • in non-continental iTunes stores (Australia, Canada, UK and US) as a stand-alone season of Doctor Who: The Classic Series;
  • on Amazon Video (UK) as Season 6 of Doctor Who (Classic) series;
  • on Amazon Video (US) as part of Season 1 of Doctor Who: The 50th Anniversary Collection;
  • for streaming through BritBox (US) as part of Season 1 of Classic Doctor Who.
  • The Aztecs iTunes cover

    The Aztecs iTunes cover

  • Best of First Doctor collection iTunes cover

    Best of First Doctor collection iTunes cover

VHS releases[[edit] | [edit source]]

This story was released as Doctor Who: The Aztecs, and was originally going to be available exclusively from the high street retail chain Woolworths to tie-in with a special promotion. However, at the last minute, Woolworths decided on The Twin Dilemma instead — feeling that a colour Doctor Who story would sell better than one in black-and-white.

Released:

PAL - BBC Video BBCV4743
NTSC - CBS/FOX Video 8100
NTSC - Warner Video E1257

Note: The "Next Episode" caption had been removed from "The Day of Darkness", while a slight cut has also been made to the episode during the scene of Ian in the flooded tunnel beneath the Tomb of Yetaxa, possibly due to film damage.

  • UK PAL VHS cover

    UK PAL VHS cover

  • AUS PAL VHS cover

    AUS PAL VHS cover

  • US NTSC VHS cover

    US NTSC VHS cover

External links[[edit] | [edit source]]

Footnotes[[edit] | [edit source]]

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 INFO: "The Day of Darkness"
  2. ↑ INFO: "The Forest of Fear"
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 BBC Official Site
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