C01S08 The reign of terror
Synopsis
The TARDIS arrives near Paris during the French Revolution, a time of great upheaval, bloodshed and terror. Soon, with the Doctor trapped inside a burning farmhouse, Ian imprisoned and Susan and Barbara on their way to the guillotine it's clear this will be one of their most dangerous and exciting adventures yet...
Cover notes
Dalek creator Terry Nation introduced fellow writer Dennis Spooner to the Doctor Who production office in 1963. Spooner would go on to become story editor for much of the second season, but his first assignment as writer was to tackle the bloodthirsty French Revolution in the final slot of the programme's first season.
Inspired by the story of The Scarlet Pimpernel, Spooner used the revolutionary setting to weave a tale of secret identity and subterfuge, as the Doctor and his companions become embroiled in an underground resistance operation, smuggling would-be guillotine victims to safety in England.
Spooner's richly-drawn supporting characters, sparkling dialogue and injections of humour mean the story rockets along, while the regular cast, Hartnell in particular, turn in some of their best performances.
This stylish, confident six-parter betrays little of the story's behind-the-scenes dramas (examined in the making-of documentary on this DVD). It stands as one of the very best examples of purely-historical Doctor Who, and is one of the underrated gems of the William Hartnell era.
Sadly, as with many black and white Doctor Who stories, two episodes of The Reign of Terror remain missing from BBC Archives. But thanks to talented artists and computer boffins, they have been recreated in animated form - allowing us to enjoy a complete version of this story once again.
Cast
| The Doctor | William Hartnell | listed as Dr. Who |
| Ian Chesterton | William Russell | |
| Barbara Wright | Jacqueline Hill | |
| Susan Foreman | Carole Ann Ford | |
| small boy | Peter Walker | ep. 1,2 |
| Rouvray | Laidlaw Dalling | ep. 1 |
| D'Argenson | Neville Smith | ep. 1 |
| Sergeant | Robert Hunter | ep. 1 |
| Lieutenant | Ken Lawrence | ep. 1 |
| Soldier | James Hall | ep. 1 |
| Judge | Howard Charlton | ep. 2 |
| Jailer | Jack Cunningham | ep. 2,3,4,5,6 |
| Webster | Jeffry Wickham | ep. 2 |
| Road works overseer | Dallas Cavell | ep. 2 |
| peasant | Denis Cleary | ep. 2 |
| Lemaitre | James Cairncross | ep. 2,3,4,5,6 |
| Jean | Roy Herrick | ep. 3,4 |
| Jules Renan | Donald Morley | ep. 3,4,5,6 |
| shopkeeper | John Barrard | ep. 3,4 |
| Danielle | Caroline Hunt | ep. 3,4 |
| Leon Colbert | Edward Brayshaw | ep. 3,4,5 |
| Robespierre | Keith Anderson | ep. 4,5,6 |
| Physician | Ronald Pickup | ep. 4 |
| Soldier | Terry Bale | ep. 5 |
| Paul Barrass | John Law | ep. 6 |
| Napoleon | Tony Wall | ep. 6 |
| Soldier | Patrick Marley | ep. 6 |
Crew
| Written by | Dennis Spooner | |
| Title music | Ron Grainer and the BBC Radiophonic Workshop | |
| Incidental music | Stanley Myers | |
| Costumes supervised by | Daphne Dare | listed final episode only; probably all |
| Make-up supervised by | Sonia Markham | listed final episode only; probably all |
| Lighting by | Howard King | listed final episode only; probably all |
| Film Cameraman | Peter Hamilton | ep. 2,3 |
| Film Editor | Caroline Shields | ep. 2,3 |
| Story Editor | David Whitaker | |
| Designer | Roderick Laing | |
| Associate Producer | Mervyn Pinfield | |
| Producer | Verity Lambert | |
| Director | Henric Hirsch |
DVD Extras
| episodes 1,2,3 & 6 | Carole Ann Ford Neville Smith Jeffry Wickham Caroline Hunt Patrick Marley Tim Combe |
commentary track |
| episode 4 | Ronald Pickup | commentary track |
| episode 5 | Philip Morris Paul Vanezis |
commentary track |
| Don't lose your head | A revealing documentary examines the troublesome making of The reign of terror | |
| Robespierre's domain set tour | A virtual tour of the animated sets specially created for episodes 4 and 5 | |
| Animation gallery | Early character designs for the animated episodes | |
| photo gallery | ||
| Radio Times listings |
Loose Canon Extras
| Carole Ann Ford interview | Carole Ann Ford | |
| The Reign of Terror; introduction | Carole Ann Ford |
Commentary
| serial code : | H |
| episode count : | 6 |
| initial broadcast date : | 1964-08-08 |
| DVD release date : | |
| DVD SE release date : | |
| BluRay release date : | |