What has "The Romans" ever done for us? (documentary)

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What has "The Romans" ever done for us? was a 2|entertain DVD documentary looking at the fact and fiction of the Doctor Who serial The Romans. It was comprised of interviews with cast, crew and historians.

The history of the Roman Empire was explored, with the focus on 64 AD. Writer Dennis Spooner's relationship with fellow cast and crew was commented upon. What has also detailed the obvious comedic style that the serial was written in. William Hartnell was particularly fond of these elements. Derek Francis' portrayal of Nero is examined.

The title is a reference to a quote from Monty Python's The Life of Brian, "What have the Romans ever done for us?"

The 2022 reissue of the documentary, part of The Collection: Season 2 Blu-ray box set, was dedicated to one its contributors, Ian McLachlan.

Booklet synopsis

Actors, crew and historians look at both the reality and fantasy behind the story of The Romans. With actors William Russell, Kay Patrick, Barry Jackson, Anthony Andrews and Christopher Biggins, director Christopher Barry, designer Raymond Cusick, historian Dr Mark Bradley, writer James Moran, Doctor Who Magazine editor Tom Spilsbury and 1960s viewer Ian McLachlan. Narrated by John Bowe.

People interviewed

Crew

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Doctor Who Classic Series DVD documentaries
For the purposes of this list, a "DVD documentary" is one made especially for the Classic Series DVD range. For this reason, things like studio recordings, film trims/inserts and other documentaries featured on DVD releases are not included below.
 
First Doctor DVD releases
Creation of the Daleks • Doctor Who: Origins • Over the Edge • Inside the Spaceship • Masters of Sound • The Sets of Marinus • Remembering The Aztecs • Designing The Aztecs • Restoring The Aztecs • Looking for Peter • Vision On • Secret Voices of the Sense Sphere • Don't Lose Your Head • Robespierre's Domain • Rediscovering the Urge to Live • Future Memories • Future Visions • Talking Daleks • Script to Screen • Mounting The Rescue • What has "The Romans" ever done for us? • Roma Parva • Dennis Spooner: Wanna Write a Television Series? • Tales of Isop • Defending the Museum • My Grandfather, the Doctor • The Thrill of The Chase • Cusick in Cardiff • Last Stop White City • Daleks! Conquer and Destroy • Daleks! Beyond the Screen • Shawcraft: The Original Monster Makers • Enter +++ Enter +++ Zero +++ Stop • Restoration: Before & After • One Hit Wonder • Riverside Story • All's Wells That Ends Wells • The End of the Line? • WOTAN Assembly • Frozen Out • Companion Piece • The Golden Age
 
Second Doctor DVD releases
Servants and Masters • A Fishy Tale • The Television Centre of the Universe: Part Two • Lunar Landing • The Lost Giants • The Curse of the Cybermen's Tomb • Cybermen: Extended Edition • The Magic of VidFIRE • Remastering for DVD • Cold Fusion • Beneath the Ice • Treasures Lost and Found • Recovering the Past • Remembering Deborah Watling • Recharge and Equalise • The Fact of Fiction • Highlander • Evolution of The Invasion • Flash Frames • Love Off-Air • Character Design • Second Time Around • Lords of the Red Planet • Sssowing the Ssseedsss • Monster Masterclass • Monsters who Came Back for More! • War Zone • Time Zones • Shades of Grey • The Doctor's Composer: Part One • Talking about Regeneration • Sylvia James: In Conversation
 
Third Doctor DVD releases
Down to Earth • Regenerations: From Black and White to Colour • What Lies Beneath • Going Underground • Colour Silurian Overlay • Musical Scales • Mars Probe 7 • Can You Hear the Earth Scream? • The UNIT Family: Part One • Hadoke v Havoc • Being David Burton • Life on Earth • The Doctor's Moriarty • Plastic Fantastic • The Military Mind • Axon Stations! • Living with Levene • Reverse Standards Conversion: The Axon Legacy • IMC Needs You! • The Devil Rides Out • Remembering Barry Letts • Blasting the Past • A View from the Gallery • The Making of Day of the Daleks: Special Edition • The UNIT Family: Part Two • The UNIT Dating Conundrum • The Cheating Memory • The Peladon Saga: Part One • Warriors of Mars • Jon and Katy • Hello Sailor! • Mutt Mad • Race Against Time • Dressing Doctor Who • Between Now... and Now! • Restoration Comparison • Happy Birthday to Who • Was Doctor Who Rubbish? • Destroy All Monsters! • The A to Z of Gadgets & Gizmos • Mary Celeste • The Perfect Scenario: Lost Frontiers • The Space War • Roger Delgado: The Master • The Perfect Scenario: The End of Dreams • The Rumble in the Jungle • Multi-colourisation • The One with the Maggots • Stewart Bevan Interview • Robert Sloman Interview • Visual Effects • Beginning the End • People, Power and Puppetry • Beneath the City of the Exxilons • On the Set of Dr Who and the Daleks • The Peladon Saga: Part Two • The Final Curtain • John Kane Remembers...
 
Fourth Doctor DVD releases
Are Friends Electric? • The Tunnel Effect • A New Frontier • Roger Murray-Leach Interview • Built for War • Genesis of a Classic • The Dalek Tapes • The Tin Men and the Witch • Cheques, Lies and Videotape • Interview with the Time Lord • Scotch Mist in Sussex • Remembering Douglas Camfield • The UNIT Family: Part Three • A Darker Side • Planetary Performance • Hidden Hinchcliffe • Osirian Gothic • Serial Thrillers • The Village that Came to Life • Life After Who: Philip Hinchcliffe • Getting a Head • Designs on Karn • Set Tour • A letter to Robert Holmes • Podshock • Playing in the Green Cathedral • So What Do You Do Exactly? • The Secret of the Labyrinth • Bigger on the Inside • Beneath the Masque • Changing Time • The Matrix Revisited • The Gallifreyan Candidate • The Frighten Factor • Into the Wild • The Sandmine Murders • Robophobia • The Last Hurrah • Moving On • The Foe from the Future • Victoriana and Chinoiserie • Music Hall • Limehouse: A Victorian Chinatown • Terrance Dicks: Fact & Fiction • Paddy Russell: A Life in Television • Dreams and Fantasy • Visual Effect • After Image • Running from the Tax Man • The Doctor's Composer: Part Two • Into the Unknown • Out of Time • The Rise and Fall of Gallifrey • The Elusive David Agnew • A Matter of Time • The Ribos File • Parrot Fashion • Weird Science • Getting Blood from the Stones • Hammer Horror • Stones Free • The Humans of Tara • Double Trouble • There's Something About Mary... • Philip Madoc: A Villain for all Seasons • Defining Shadows • Rogue Time Lords • Terror Nation • Paris in the Springtime • Christopher Barry: Director • Team Erato • The Nightmare of TV Centre • Going Solo • Who Peter: Part One • Read the Writer • Taken Out of Time • Strike! Strike! Strike! • Being a Girl • A New Beginning • From Avalon to Argolis • Synthesizing Starfields • Leisure Wear • Meglos Men • The Scene Sync Story • Jacqueline Hill: A Life in Pictures • Entropy Explained • All Aboard the Starliner • K-9 in E-Space • E-Space: Fact or Fiction? • The Vampire Lovers • Leaves of Blood • The Blood Show • The Frayling Reading • The Dreaming • The Boy with the Golden Star • Lalla's Wardrobe • Being Nice to Each Other • The Return of the Master • A New Body at Last
 
Fifth Doctor DVD releases
Directing Castrovalva • Being Doctor Who • The Crowded TARDIS • Dream Time • Peter Grimwade: Directing with attitude... • Grim Tales • The Television Centre of the Universe: Part One • Scoring The Visitation • Writing a Final Visitation • Film Restoration • Putting the Shock into Earthshock • Mouth on Legs • Anti-Matter from Amsterdam • The Omega Factor • Snake Charmer • In Conversation: Chris Bailey & Rob Shearman • Who Wants to Live Forever? • Breaking Point • Origins of the Universe • Winner Takes All • Single Write Female • The Story of the Guardians • Casting Off! • Re-Enlightenment • Finding Mark Strickson • Finding Sarah Sutton • Kamelion: Metal Man • Magna Carta • Celebration • The Ties that Bind Us • The Depths • They Came from Beneath the Sea • Mat's Models • Return to Little Hodcombe • Making the Malus • Driven to Distractation • On Location • Casting Far and Wide • Come in Number Five • The Flames of Sarn • Return to the Planet of Fire • Designs on Sarn • Calling the Shots • Remembering Anthony Ainley • Planet of Fire Factoids • Chain Reaction
 
Sixth Doctor DVD releases
 
Seventh Doctor DVD releases
 
Eighth Doctor DVD releases
 
Other DVD releases
K9 and Company
More than 30 Years in the TARDIS
Scream of the Shalka
 
Multi-part series
Directing Who
Doctor Who Stories
dr. forever!
Girls! Girls! Girls!
Now and Then
On Target
Stripped for Action
The Doctor's Strange Love
Tomorrow's Times
See also: Title cards • DVD special features • Easter eggs
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