The Massacre (TV story)

The Massacre
Doctor:	[[doctor::First Doctor]]
Companion(s):	Steven Taylor Dodo Chaplet (Introduction, episode 4)
Main enemy:	Catherine de Medici
Main setting:	1572
Key crew
Writer:	John Lucarotti Donald Tosh
Director:	Paddy Russell
Producer:	John Wiles
Release details
Release number:	22
Premiere broadcast:	5th February - 26th February 1966
Format:	4 25-minute Episodes War of God The Sea Beggar Priest of Death Bell of Doom
Production code:	W

The Massacre of St Bartholomew's Eve was the fifth story of Season 3. It marks the first appearance of Jackie Lane as companion Dodo Chaplet, although she only appears in the last few minutes of episode 4, "Bell of Doom."

Summary

The TARDIS materializes in Paris in the year 1572 and the First Doctor decides to visit the famous apothecary Charles Preslin. Steven, meanwhile, is befriended by a group of Huguenots from the household of the Protestant Admiral de Coligny. Having rescued a young serving girl, Anne Chaplet, from some pursuing guards, the Huguenots gain their first inkling of a heinous plan being hatched at the command of the Catholic Queen Mother, Catherine de Medici...

Cast & Characters

• The Doctor / The Abbot of Amboise — William Hartnell
• Steven Taylor — Peter Purves
• Dodo Chaplet — Jackie Lane
• King Charles IX of France — Barry Justice
• Catherine de Medici — Joan Young
• Admiral de Colingy — Leonard Sachs
• Marshal Tavannes — André Morell
• Toligny — Michael Bilton
• Charles Preslin — Erik Chitty
• Gaston, Viscount de Lerans — Eric Thompson
• Nicholas Muss — David Weston
• Simon Duvall — John Tillinger
• Roger Colbert — Christopher Tranchell
• Anne Chaplet — Annette Robinson
• Old Woman — Cynthia Etherington
• Landlord — Edwin Finn
• Captain of the Guard — Clive Cazes
• Servant — Reginald Jessup
• Priest — Norman Claridge
• Officer — John Slavid
• Men — Will Stampe, Ernest Smith
• Guards — Jack Tarran, Leslie Bates
• Uncredited cast

Notes

• This story is listed in some programme guides as simply, The Massacre.

• Some original production documents state the name of the serial as The Massacre of St Barthlomew's Eve, although this is historically a misnomer, as the actual massacre took place on St Bartholomew's Day. Some have noted that as the original French name for the event (Massacre de la Saint-Barthélemy) lacks a day, the title actually refers to the lead up to the massacre itself — that is, the Eve of the Massacre of St Bartholomew.

• William Hartnell only plays the Doctor in episodes 1 and 4.

• The last episode of this serial introduces Dodo Chaplet, played by Jackie Lane. The BBC Past Doctor novel "Salvation" gives a more detailed though somewhat contradictory account of events which led Dodo to enter the TARDIS, thinking it was an actual police box.

• Guest star André Morell was one of the actors to play the BBC's other famous science-fiction hero, Professor Bernard Quatermass. He is the only one of them to appear in Doctor Who on television, although Scottish actor Andrew Keir, who portrayed Quatermass on film, also played a role in the film Daleks - Invasion Earth 2150 AD. David Tennant, who plays the Doctor in the current Doctor Who series, also appeared in the most recent revival of the Quartermass series, as Dr. Briscoe. Eric Thompson also took a prominent role in the story, later achieving fame through his connection with The Magic Roundabout.

• This is one of only three serials, along with Marco Polo and Mission to the Unknown, of which not a second of footage survives. However, a fan-recorded off-air soundtrack, with linking narration provided by Peter Purves, was released by the BBC Radio Collection on both audio CD and cassette in 1999.

• The BBC Radio Collection release gives the title as, variously, The Massacre and The Massacre of St Bartholomew's Eve. The packaging uses the title The Massacre, but the accompanying booklet uses both titles. The CDs have The Massacre of St Bartholomew's Eve printed on them and this is also the title announced by Peter Purves on the discs themselves.

• John Lucarotti's 1987 novelisation of this serial for Target Books, entitled simply The Massacre, returned the story to a previous draft before Bill Hartnell's health forced a number of rewrites (allowing Hartnell to not have to be present during filming of the third episode). It is listed as book number 122 in the Target series.

• According to the book Doctor Who: Companions by David J. Howe and Mark Stammers, the final episode of the serial was to have included a cameo appearance by William Russell and Jacqueline Hill reprising their roles as former companions Ian Chesterton and Barbara Wright. The scene — which was scheduled to be filmed but was cancelled — had Ian and Barbara witnessing the dematerialisation of the TARDIS after Dodo enters.

Influences

• The actual historical massacre and swashbuckling movies.

Myths

To be added.

Ratings

To be added.

Location Filming

To be added.

Continuity

• The last few moments of this story introduce Dodo Chaplet as the Doctor's newest companion.

Discontinuity

• The story suggests that Dodo might be a descendant of Anne Chaplet; however, it has often been pointed out that this would only be possible if Anne married someone who shared her surname or if she had a male illegitimate child.

• The actual massacre occurred on St Bartholomew's Day, not St Bartholomew's Eve. See the Notes above for a possible explanation of this contradiction.

References

To be added.

Quotes

To be added.

Story Arcs

This story does not appear to fit into any story arc, although the closing scene does tie in with "Salvation" and "Who Killed Kennedy."

More Info

• Story Synopsis

• Story Novelization

Public Releases

To be added.

External Links

• The historical St Bartholomew's Day Massacre

• Template:Wikipedia

Television

Previous story: The Daleks' Master Plan

Next story: The Ark