The Romans

"Alright? Of course I'm alright, my child. You know, I am so constantly outwitting the opposition, I tend to forget the delights and satisfaction of the gentle art of fisticuffs."

Writer: Dennis Spooner
Format: TV
Broadcast: 16th January - 6th February 1965
Season: 2.04

Featuring: First Doctor, Ian, Barbara, Vicki

Synopsis

The travellers decide to take a holiday near ancient Rome, but after a month the Doctor gets restless. He and Vicki are determined to visit Rome, and while they are gone Ian and Barbara are abducted by slave traders. All roads lead to Rome, however, and the travellers find themselves at the mercy of the country's petulant emperor, Nero...

Verdict

The Romans is an absolute gem of a Classic Doctor Who story. A marvellous plot with outstanding added humour just makes it a pleasure to watch from start to finish. I really liked how nothing was made of the cliffhanger at the end of The Rescue with the TARDIS falling off a ledge, instead the story jumps ahead a month and sees the TARDIS crew quite used to a new luxurious lifestyle in ancient Rome. I think it was very clever in doing this as it allows Vicki to instantly feel as part of the group, she's familiarised herself with her new compatriots and life. She won't feel obligated to ask questions or anything like that as they've presumably already been asked. I've really liked the early years' historical tales with Marco Polo and The Reign of Terror, but this was the best of the lot! The brilliant figure of Nero was portrayed fantastically well by Derek Francis. The banter between the Doctor and Ian was at an ever-presently high level which was, and always is, terrific. Vicki was magnificent in this story and despite her not having any relation to the Doctor, I actually think she'll offer more than Susan did. Vicki will be more than a screaming girl who turns her ankle (not that that was what Susan was for, not in the slightest!), she just has something enigmatic about her. She got along extremely well with the Doctor, who I can tell obviously likes having her around and it seems to be the first chance the Doctor has gotten to show off his TARDIS and what it can do. A great and strong first post-arrival adventure for Vicki as the new companion, and she looked stunning in the Roman attire! Absolutely beautiful. The way in which Ian and Barbara were split up from the Doctor and Vicki, then from themselves, was excellent and really allowed a lot of exploration of the Romans and the Slave Trade. The Doctor's impersonation of Maximus Pettulian was tremendous and he intelligently got himself out of performing for Nero and his people. The Doctor's relationship with Nero was quite comedic, whilst Barbara's was somewhat hilarious! I adored the way in which the crew were always so close to each other, yet never quite ran into one another! Another wonderful use of humour was shared between Ian and Barbara and the references to things being in the fridge. It was AD64, it was quite a while before the first fridge! But that year is significant. The Great Fire of Rome, and I again adored the way in which the Doctor, after briefing Vicki on not being allowed to meddle with history, gave the idea of setting Rome alight to Nero! And he seemed quite happy about it! All in all, just fantastic. Superbly funny yet always remaining serious!

Rating: 10/10