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| Partners in Crime: The Doctor and Vicki. |
4 episodes: The Slave Traders, All Roads Lead to Rome, Conpiracy, Inferno. Approx. 96 minutes. Written by: Dennis Spooner. Directed by: Christopher Barry. Produced by: Verity Lambert.
THE PLOT:
An unusually rocky TARDIS landing sees the crew in ancient Rome, during the reign of Emperor Nero (Derek Francis). They are not in Rome itself, however, but in a villa near an outlying village. The owners have left the place vacant, and the TARDIS team have taken the opportunity to enjoy a month-long rest. A rest that Ian and Barbara have fully enjoyed, but that has left the Doctor and Vicki the tiniest bit restless. The Doctor announces that he's going to take a trip to Rome, and Vicki eagerly volunteers to accompany him, while Ian and Barbara decide to stay behind and enjoy their vacation.
Unfortunately for them, Barbara has caught the eye of a gang of slave traders, and both are captured. Barbara is taken to auction in Rome, while Ian is sold to a ship captain. A lucky storm allows him to escape, leaving him determined to make his way to Rome to rescue Barbara... Who finds herself sold to the court of Nero, who finds himself a little too taken with her.
Meanwhile, the Doctor is mistaken for a lyre player who was murdered on the road to Rome. He is also escorted to Nero's court, where he learns why the man was murdered - He and Vicki have found themselves in the center of a plot to assassinate the emperor!
CHARACTERS:
The Doctor: You can really see Hartnell enjoying himself. The Doctor's scenes opposite Nero, in which he flatters the vain emperor to keep out of trouble, are consistently delightful, and Hartnell and Derek Francis make a very funny double act. The story pairs him with Vicki throughout, cementing them as a duo and capitalizing on the two actors' chemistry.
Vicki: Maureen O'Brien continues to impress, as does the character she's playing. Vicki is game in a way Susan never was - She wants to explore, to see sights and go places and have adventures. While the others have enjoyed relaxing in the safety of the villa, she has become bored and restless. I think this is what makes Vicki and the Doctor so much fun together - They essentially fuel each other's worst impulses, but they are also both very quick-witted and able to think and talk their way out of any situations they land themselves in.
Ian/Barbara: They are definitely a couple by this point. It's a family show, so the text doesn't come out and say so - But they are framed and scripted as a couple, most obviously in the scenes in the villa in Episode One. When they are captured, Action Man Ian remains poised and alert for opportunities to escape. Barbara knows her history all too well, however, and despairs, realizing the exact kind of treatment they (most specifically, she) can expect as a slave in the Roman Empire. Ian remains stuck in the least interesting of the story's strands, but Barbara's slapstick evasions of Nero's interest in Part Three gives her a chance to get in on the story's fun.
THOUGHTS:
The Romans seems to have been designed as an antithesis to the stolid, serious historicals that preceded it. Previous historicals have seen the TARDIS team desperate to get back to the TARDIS to escape the dangers of history. This story opens with them on vacation in the past, and in no hurry to put an end to their well-earned rest.
A restless Doctor and Vicki basically deliberately get themselves involved in Nero's court, and seem to be having a whale of a time mentally fencing with the emperor while untangling various plots and plans. And in a final slap to previous historical's insistence that "You cannot rewrite history - Not one line!", the whole thing ends with the Doctor inspiring a historical disaster... and being delighted by it!
That's not to say this isn't as carefully-constructed as previous historicals. Like The Aztecs, it's actually been very tightly scripted. The regulars are divided into three strands, each getting to explore a different facet of Roman society (or at least, Rome as envisioned by a 1960's middle-class Brit, filtered through a "G"-rated family television lens). The Doctor and Vicki mix with the aristocracy and their political games. Barbara gets a taste of slave life, and her friendship with Tavius (Michael Peake) gives a window into the rise of Christianity in the Roman Empire. Ian gets a Vikings-style gladiator battle. Each strand allows a glimpse of a different piece of Rome, creating a much fuller picture than if they had all gotten involved in a single adventure.
Spooner's script is also brilliant in the way it moves between the strands. I particularly enjoyed all of the near-misses between the Doctor and Barbara in Nero's court, though it was also effective to see Ian imprisoned next to a woman who previously shared a cell with Barbara. The script manages to bring them just enough together to keep the narrative unified, while still having enormous fun with keeping them apart far longer than Who conventions have led us to expect.
Most of all, The Romans is just great fun to watch. It's well over 50 years since this story's original transmission, and it remains a remarkably entertaining and genuinely joyful viewing experience.
Overall Rating: 10/10.
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