Doctor Who: The Romans

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The Romans is the fourth serial of Season 2 of the classic Doctor Who television series. It was originally broadcast on BBC1 in four weekly parts from 16 January to 6 February 1965. It was written by Dennis Spooner and directed by Christopher Barry. It stars William Hartnell as the Doctor, William Russell as Ian Chesterton, Jacqueline Hill as Barbara Wright, and Maureen O’Brien as Vicki.

After the grief and danger of recent adventures, this story shifts into playful comedy set in Rome during the reign of Nero. The TARDIS team takes a short holiday at a country villa, but rest quickly turns to farce and peril: Ian and Barbara are swept into a slave-trader’s net, while the Doctor and Vicki travel to the city.

Episode 1: The Slave Traders

The TARDIS has rested near Rome for weeks, and the travellers relax in an empty country villa. The Doctor grows bored and decides to visit the city. He takes Vicki on a road adventure, leaving Ian and Barbara to enjoy the house.

Two men watch the villa. They are slave traders. When Ian and Barbara are alone, the traders strike, bind them, and march them away to sell in the market. Ian fights but is overpowered. Barbara promises they will find each other again.

On the road, the Doctor and Vicki stop at an inn. A famous lyre player, Maximus Pettulian, has been summoned to perform for Emperor Nero, but an assassin stalks him. In a scuffle the Doctor is mistaken for the musician. He finds the man’s lyre and a royal summons and decides to play along, curious to see what will happen in Rome. The assassin follows, waiting for a chance to strike.

At the market, Barbara is sold to a dealer who plans to present her at the imperial household. Ian is chained with other captives and sent toward a galley. He meets a tough fellow slave and vows to escape. The Doctor and Vicki walk into Rome as “Maximus.” Barbara is driven toward the palace. Ian is carried to the coast. Their paths pull apart.

Episode 2: All Roads Lead to Rome

The Doctor and Vicki walk into Rome, still posing as the famous lyre player Maximus. A court official named Tavius greets them and says the Emperor expects a performance at the palace. An assassin, still hunting “Maximus,” follows and waits for a chance to strike.

At the slave market, Barbara stands on the block. Tavius notices her and quietly buys her, saying she will serve in the imperial household. In the palace, Barbara works as a handmaiden and tries to learn a safe way out. The Empress Poppaea watches her with sharp, jealous eyes.

Out at sea, Ian rows on a galley as a chained slave. He befriends Delos. A storm smashes the ship. Ian and Delos leap into the waves, reach the shore, and start toward Rome. Soldiers catch them and sell them to a gladiator school. The trainer promises they will soon fight for Nero’s pleasure.

In the city, the assassin lures the Doctor to a lonely house, pretending to deliver a message. The Doctor sees the trap, fence-fights with quick wit, and sends the attacker tumbling. He and Vicki hurry to the palace. Paths cross but never meet: the Doctor and Vicki pass close to Barbara without seeing her, while Ian is forced to train for a deadly show before the Emperor.

Episode 3: Conspiracy

Nero’s palace buzzes with scheming. The Doctor and Vicki arrive as “Maximus,” the famous lyre player. Tavius greets them in secret and hints at a plot to kill the Emperor. The Doctor understands he is being treated as an assassin and decides to play along without promising anything.

Barbara now serves in the palace. Nero flirts with her; the Empress Poppaea grows jealous and orders Tavius to “remove” the new handmaiden. Tavius instead warns Barbara and hides her, planning a quiet escape when the chance comes.

Nero demands music. The Doctor examines the lyre, finds it hopelessly out of tune, and gives a “performance” so delicate that only the refined can hear it. Courtiers stare; Vicki beams; Nero rages, then laughs, unsure whether to punish or praise this strange musician. The Doctor’s boldness amuses him: for now.

In the gladiator school, Ian and Delos train hard and are chosen to fight at a banquet. Ian plots to break out, but guards tighten control. The pair watch for any weakness. That night, a would-be assassin moves near the Emperor. The Doctor’s nimble tricks spoil the attempt without exposing Tavius.

Nero’s smile fades. He decides “Maximus” is dangerous and must not leave Rome alive. The Doctor and Vicki realise they need a fast way out: before the Emperor changes laughter into lions.

Episode 4: Inferno

Nero grows tired of “Maximus,” so he schemes to have the Doctor killed. The Doctor and Vicki dodge traps with jokes and quick feet. Nero demands plans for a new palace. Playing for time, the Doctor toys with a map. Sunlight through a lens singes the parchment. Nero’s eyes light up. He sees how fire could clear the city for his dreams.

Barbara works in the palace under Poppaea’s jealous gaze. Nero corners her; Tavius quietly intervenes and promises a safe exit if she can reach a side gate after dark. Barbara keeps moving, hiding in corridors and kitchens as guards search.

At the gladiator school, Ian and Delos are forced to fight. They refuse to kill each other, then turn on the guards and break out. Chased through streets, they head for the palace to find Barbara and a way home.

Night falls. Flames burst in the marketplace. Bells and screams fill Rome. Nero laughs and orders more torches. In the confusion, the Doctor and Vicki slip away. Barbara meets Tavius and escapes. Ian and Delos fight clear and race for the countryside.

By dawn, the travellers reunite at their borrowed villa. Smoke rises over the city. They leave Rome behind, each wondering how the great fire began: and suspecting the answer.

Themes

As a comic historical, The Romans is nimble, cheeky, and surprisingly sharp. Nero’s court becomes a playground for farce while the TARDIS crew criss-cross in near-misses. It doesn’t carry the tragic weight of The Aztecs or the epic sweep of The Dalek Invasion of Earth, but for ensemble chemistry and tonal control it sits in the upper-mid tier of the Hartnell era.

It is lighter than The Rescue, and richer than many early romps. Across the entire story it proves the show can pivot from catastrophe to caper without losing heart.

Its threads bind neatly across the season. Vicki’s bedding-in after The Rescue gives the Doctor a warmer, sprightlier dynamic, while Ian and Barbara’s easy partnership reaches a charming peak before stranger frontiers in The Web Planet.

The playful brush with history nods back to the moral caution of The Aztecs and forward to the knowing irreverence of The Myth Makers and the time-tossed wink of The Time Meddler. The story earns its place for turning a villa holiday into character gold: and for showing that the First Doctor’s era can laugh loudly one week and change history (or try not to) the next.

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This is a chapter from Craig Hill’s book “Doctor Who – The First Doctor”, chronicling every episode featuring the First Doctor. It is available on Amazon.

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To view the list of other Doctor Who serials, please click this link

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