TV Club: The Romans

Television TV Club
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It’s Carry on Nero as the TARDIS tumbles into a ravine near Ancient Rome and hijinks ensue.

Watch all four episodes on BBC iPlayer:

Or purchase the DVD or BluRay editions of this story:

Add your rating out of 10 and tell us what you think of this historical comedy

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4 Likes
2

A fantastic comedy!

  • Vicki keeping an eye on all the lyres :grin:
  • The gentle arts of fisticuffs :grin:
  • Clearly post-coital Ian and Barbara getting things from the fridge and a haircut :grin:

William Hartnell doing comedy is just amazing. And being “rid” of Susan just gives so much more room to explore different aspects of the First Doctor. Plus Vicki > Susan any day of the week!

Love it! :blush:

12 Likes
3

I love The Romans, one of my absolute favourite Hartnells.

A brilliant comedy that can genuinely be laugh out loud funny, Rome is stupidly well realised for a 60s episode and it’s nice to see a script where the characters are actually having fun for once.

Plus it actually worked as an educational episode, I had no idea what the Great Fire of Rome was before I watched it.

9/10

10 Likes
4

Pretty much the whole story is fun and funny (though with a few very questionable bits) but a few standout bits:

The beginning where we just get to see everyone kinda hanging out is just really nice, and I think a big part of why this TARDIS Team lands so well for me.

The Doctor realizing his part in starting the fire and laughing is such a massive character moment. It’s the first time that he realizes that his actions can have historically significant impacts, and his delight at that is such a key moment in his moving away from the ideas of the Time Lords.

8 Likes
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I had kind of remembered not liking this one too much, but I rewatched recently and had a lot of fun. I think the main characters being split and having two different stories works well and makes it all the funnier, and the costumes and sets are all gorgeous

9 Likes
6

I’m also a fan of The Romans - it’s one of the best Hartnell era stoires and among his best historicals (up there with The Aztecs).

Here are some highlights:

  • The Romans, a comedic romp set in the Roman Empire during the time of Nero’s rule, offers a unique twist on pure historical fiction. This is Dennis Spooner bringing out his best writing skills and giving us a historical adventure with proper entertainment value.
  • The chemistry between the leads is lovely. I particularly enjoy the friendly connection between Barbara and Vicki, as well as Ian and Barbara’s very obvious romantic flourish.
  • I enjoy the entertaining scenes with Ian and Barbra in Part 1. You can see their sparkles flying between them at their best. That “ice in the fridge” thing always makes me cackle.
  • This is one of the very best performances as the Doctor by William Hartnell. He shows his immense comedic skills here and is in full warm grandfather mode. I especially love how he constantly gets himself into trouble but then uses some quick thinking and wit to get through the situation, all the while being excited about meeting Nero and witnessing history firsthand. And he also gets to fight again, just like in The Rescue.
  • The guest cast is also strong. I’ve always enjoyed Michael Peake as Tavius, but the real scene-stealer is the absolute delight that is comedy actor Derek Francis as the hilariously self-centred Emperor Nero, one of the most memorable and enjoyable takes on a historical character the show has ever done.
  • Then there’s the often-overlooked Anne Tirard, who plays the slightly unnerving potion lady Locusta. And we shouldn’t forget about the poor Tigilinus, who ultimately suffers a terrible fate after being constantly dismissed by Nero.
  • The script very cleverly intertwines three separate plots to make a comedic whole that also explores various aspects of Roman life: the case of mistaken identity taking the Doctor to Nero’s court; Barbara and Ian sold off as slaves, with Barbara ending up as Nero’s lover and Ian eventually becoming a gladiator. It’s also entertaining how the characters embark on these adventures independently, only to reunite at the end, unaware of each other’s experiences, even though they nearly cross paths several times.
  • Part 2’s cliffhanger about Ian being afraid while looking at some obvious stock footage of a lion at a zoo always gets me.
  • Everything going on at Nero’s court in Part 3 is comedy gold, especially the Doctor’s lyre ruse and the creepy chase sequence between Nero and Barbara.
  • Fortunately, there’s very little of the usual back-and-forth filler (getting captured, escaping, and getting captured again), which helps the flow of the story immensely.

  • The gladiator fight with Ian in front of Nero and Barra was another outstanding moment.

  • One of the most intriguing aspects of the story is how it suggests that the Doctor is indirectly responsible for the Great Fire of Rome (usually attributed to Nero) by accidentally setting some maps in Nero’s study aflame. We’ve come some way from the “You can’t rewrite history” days of The Aztecs (and we’ll go even further in The Time Meddler), even if the Doctor doesn’t admit his part in the event.

This is a near perfect story for me, and I’ll give it a 9.8/10!

6 Likes
7

It’s a bona fide 10/10 from me and I have to say I look suspiciously at anyone who doesn’t rate this story highly. It’s utterly, utterly brilliant from beginning to end.

5 Likes
8

This is such a fun serial, one of my favourites from the First Doctor run.

A genuinely funny serial that actually sticks the landing. The comedy acting is on point from all cast members. The guest cast really know how to elevate the serial. Everyone gets a storyline that actually has a beginning, middle and end.

This is a solid 4.5/5 from me.

8 Likes
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Ironic in a story where they really did not land well! :stuck_out_tongue:

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10 Likes
10

7siyjn

4 Likes
11

Why, thank you! Thank you very much!

:wink:

2 Likes
12

I didn´t like this story much on my first watch, but I think that´s mainly because I got so frustrated at everyone just missing each other all the time and that´s a thing in media i just don´t like. But watching it a second time, I really enjoyed it actually! It´s funny, but doesn´t shy away from darker parts too and somehow manages to keep those tonal shifts from being jarring. Also, this is, in my opinion, one of the only classic who serials that´s got precisely the correct runtime. It doesn´t get boring or has unnecessary filling but it also gets each storyline enough time to play out. What really makes it though is the excellent chemistry between the characters, especially between Ian and Barbara!

9 Likes
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“The Romans” contains some of my all time favourite Hartnell moments. You could tell he really enjoyed the lighter tone and opportunity to show his sparkle. His joy at impersonating Maximus Petullian, his delight when fighting the assassin, his amusement throughout the story really. Sure, there are plenty of stories with more … heft, but there are few that showcase such glee on Hartnell’s part. But then, I’ve always had a soft spit for “The Gunslingers” too. :slight_smile:

8 Likes
14

I love The Romans but the only good thing about The Gunfighters is Peter Purves.

4 Likes
15

We agree on so much, so I’ll let you off for being wrong on this occasion :stuck_out_tongue:

But…how can you not love Hartnell’s performance in “The Gunfighters”? Again, the same joy and twinkle we see in “The Romans” (when he’s not suffering from toothache).

“Mr Wearp!”

:rofl:

6 Likes
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I’m with @realdoctor here @deltaandthebannermen .

Hartnell is delighted all the way through this story :cowboy_hat_face:

6 Likes
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I think my issue is that the Doctor is written as a complete fool in the story. In The Romans he is in control of events but in The Gunfighters he has things happen to him and he just doesn’t seem aware of anything at all. It frustrates me every time I watch it.

Actually though, I’ll give it two things - it’s Dodo’s best story.

4 Likes
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I actually love the Doctor in The Gunfighters personally.

It’s the first appearance of his staunch anti-guns policy and, whilst not as full on as A Town Called Mercy, I like the dynamic of him in such a violent time period.

6 Likes
19

I’d say the War Machines, even if that’s a bit of a cheat.
What always baffles me with Dodo in the Gunfighters is when she storms off and is a bit angry at Steven for “making new friends” when they are holding him at gunpoint… :thinking:

Love Steven Regret’s exasperation with having to sing the same song over and over again :grin::cowboy_hat_face:

6 Likes
20

Another thing I like about “The Romans”…

(See what I did there? :stuck_out_tongue: )

…is, as others have mentioned, that lovely slow open to see the TARDIS team actually chilling and taking a holiday. It’s so very easy to see that Ian and Barbara have become much closer than when we first met them in “An Unearthly Child”.

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12 Likes