History Recap / DoctorWhoS2E4TheRomans

'''Production code:''' M

Written by Creator/DennisSpooner. This four-episode serial first aired from January 16 to February 6, 1965.

Episodes: "The Slave Traders", "All Roads Lead to Rome", "Conspiracy", "Inferno".

-->-- '''Ian'''

!!Tropes

-->'''Ian''': Friends, Romans, countrymen! Lend me your ears. I come to bury Caesar, not to praise him.
-->'''Barbara''': Oh boy, that was a mistake.

----

* PerformerGuise: Combined with MistakenForSpecialGuest when he Doctor is mistaken for a dead lyre player named Maximus Pettulian, and decides to assume his identity after being attacked by an assassin.

%% * GettingCrapPastThe Radar: Due to overwhelming and persistent misuse, GCPTR is on-page examples only until 01 June 2021. If you are reading this in the future, please check the trope page to make sure your example fits the current definition.

-> ''I've got a friend who specialises in trouble. He dives in and usually finds a way.''

[[caption-width-right:350:Pictured shortly before escaping WhileRomeBurns. You [[NiceJobBreakingItHero can't possible blame the Doctor... right...?]]]]

The one where Vicki nearly kills Nero. Accidentally.

* ArtisticLicenceReligion[=/=][[ArtisticLicenseHistory History]]: Tavius is shown clutching a cross pendant, indicating that he is a Christian. However, at the time of Nero, Christians would have used the ichthys (stylised fish) as a symbol. The cross, reminiscent of Jesus' torture and death, would have been viewed negatively by early Christians. On the other hand, very few viewers (especially children) would likely have recognised the symbol in 1965, as it was before the modern popular revival that took place during the 70s and 80s.

Written by Dennis Spooner. This four-episode serial first aired from January 16 to February 6, 1965.

* NoodleIncident: The Doctor recalls a couple: not only has he been to Rome before (an ad-lib by Creator/WilliamHartnell) but he also claims he trained the "Mountain Mauler of Montana" (presumably a famous boxer or wrestler).

* ArtisticLicenceReligion[=/=][[ArtisticLicenseHistory History]]: Tavius is shown clutching a cross pendant, indicating that he is a Christian. However, at the time of Nero, Christians would have used the ichthys (stylised fish) as a symbol. The cross, reminiscent of Jesus' torture and death, would have been viewed negatively by early Christians. On the other hand, very few viewers (especially children) are going to recognise the ichthys.

Written by Dennis Spooner. This serial first aired January 16-February 6, 1965.

Written by Dennis Spooner. This serial first aired January 16, 1965.

* BreatherEpisode: Compared to the two preceding serials, ''The Romans'' is [[ToneShift presented more like a farce]] than a drama, with slapstick fight scenes, sharp dialogue and much mistaking of identity. This odd-seeming choice was made to increase the dramatic range of the series.

* InsertDouble: Extra Albert Ward served as a double for Creator/WilliamHartnell's hands.

* HistoricalDomainCharacter: UsefulNotes/{{Nero}}, Poppaea, Locusta, ...

* BlackComedyRape: Emperor Nero's repeated attempts to rape Barbara, and then his attempts to blame Barbara for it whenever his wife calls him out on it. A lot of this is an attempt to deal with DeliberateValuesDissonance - the historical Emperor Nero certainly was a rapist - in a way that isn't absolutely traumatic to the family audience, but special mention must be given to a [[SocietyMarchesOn particularly dated]] scene where the Doctor sees Nero running after the screaming and traumatised Barbara, smiles, and affectionately remarks "What an extraordinary fellow."

* MadeASlave: Ian and Barbara

* RealityEnsues: Barbara is overheard loudly talking about how she and the rest of her companions are from Britannia. Not too soon afterwards, she and Ian are kidnapped and [[MadeASlave sold into slavery.]] While being British was advantageous in the 1960s, in the time of Pax Romana, not so much!