Production Code: W
First Transmitted
War of God - 05/02/1966 17:15
The Sea Beggar - 12/02/1966 17:15
Priest of Death - 19/02/1966 17:15
Bell of Doom - 26/02/1966 17:15
Plot
The TARDIS materialises in Paris in the year 1572 and the Doctor decides to visit the famous apothecary Charles Preslin. Steven, meanwhile, is befriended by a group of Huguenots from the household of the Protestant Admiral de Coligny.
Having rescued a young serving girl, Anne Chaplet, from some pursuing guards, the Huguenots gain their first inkling of a plan by the Catholic Queen Mother, Catherine de Medici, to have all French Protestants massacred.
A further shock is in store for Steven, as it appears that hated Catholic dignitary, the Abbot of Amboise, is actually the Doctor in disguise. Held responsible for the failure of a plot to assassinate de Coligny, the Abbot is executed by the Catholic authorities and his body left lying in the gutter.
To Steven's relief, it transpires that the Abbot was not the Doctor after all, but merely his physical double. The two time travellers meet up again at Preslin's shop, where Steven has gone in search of the TARDIS key, and regain the safety of the ship just as the massacre begins.
The TARDIS then lands on Wimbledon Common in 1966 and the Doctor and Steven gain a new companion, Dorothea 'Dodo' Chaplet.
Episode Endings
Simon Duvall brings the Abbot of Amboise news that Anne Chaplet has taken refuge at Admiral de Coligny's house. As the Abbot speaks, demanding that the girl be brought to him the next day, the viewer sees him for the first time: he is apparently the Doctor in disguise.
Admiral de Coligny tells his assistant Nicholas Muss that he has seen the King and almost persuaded him to ally with the Netherlands against the Spanish. The King told him that he would go down in history as the 'Sea Beggar'. De Coligny, unaware that Marshal Tavannes has given orders that the 'Sea Beggar' be assassinated the next day, reflects that it is a title he would be proud of...
The Abbot of Amboise lies dead in the gutter, a crowd of angry Catholics gathering around his body. When Steven protests that the Huguenots were not responsible, Roger Colbert incites the crowd against him. Steven flees for his life through the Paris streets...
A young girl enters the TARDIS, believing it to be a real police box. Steven, having previously stormed out in a rage at the Doctor's failure to rescue Anne Chaplet, returns and warns him that two policemen are approaching. The old man closes the doors and dematerialises the ship. Steven is shocked by his actions, but the young girl herself is unconcerned. She introduces herself as Dorothea Chaplet, or Dodo for short. Steven expresses astonishment at her surname - could she be Anne's descendant? The TARDIS journeys on with a new crew member.
Dialogue Triumphs
Marshal Tavannes : "At dawn tomorrow this city will weep tears of blood."
The Doctor : "My dear Steven, history sometimes gives us a terrible shock, and that is because we don't quite fully understand. Why should we? After all, we're too small to realise its final pattern. Therefore don't try and judge it from where you stand. I was right to do as I did. Yes, that I firmly believe. " [Steven leaves the TARDIS] " Steven... Even after all this time, he cannot understand. I dare not change the course of history. Well, at least I taught him to take some precautions; he did remember to look at the scanner before he opened the doors. And now, they're all gone. All gone. None of them could understand. Not even my little Susan. Or Vicki. And as for Barbara and Chatterton - Chesterton - they were all too impatient to get back to their own time. And now, Steven. Perhaps I should go home. Back to my own planet. But I can't... I can't..."
Double Entendre
The Doctor : "You'd be surprised what I've got in my wardrobe."
Continuity
Dodo (Dorothea) Chaplet has no [living] parents, and is looked after by an uncaring great aunt. She has a French grandad. Steven is English and Protestant. The Doctor knows of the history of microscopy and the events of the massacre [His abandonment of Anne seems almost a reaction to the loss of Katarina, as if he's been taught a lesson about interfering].
Location
Paris, 19-23 August 1572.
[Wimbledon] Common, the 1960s [1964? Dodo is surprised to see the Post Office Tower completed in The War Machines].
Links
Steven says that he's been in Egypt (see The Daleks Master Plan).
Trivia
Leonard Sachs turns in a fine performance as Admiral de Coligny. He was better known as presenter of The Good Old Days music hall show and would appear again in Doctor Who in the season twenty story Arc of Infinity.
Michael Young's design work is excellent, including a large split-level set for the Ealing film sequences of the Paris streets.
William Hartnell appears only in pre-filmed inserts in the second episode as he was on holiday during the week when it was recorded.
Myth
Donald Tosh was credited as co-writer on Bell of Doom because he supplied the final scene introducing Dodo. (Tosh wrote the final draft scripts of all four episodes, amending John Lucarotti's originals extensively. He was credited only on Bell of Doom because during production of the first three episodes he was still on BBC staff as Doctor Who's story editor.)
Anne's surname was Chaplette. (It was Chaplet - the same as Dodo's - according to the scripts.)
1st Man was played by Roy Denton. (He was played by Will Stampe - Denton, who was originally due to take the role, dropped out the day before recording and was credited in the Radio Times as it was too late for this to be changed.)
The tolling of the tocsin bell is heard at the beginning and end of each episode. (It isn't.)
Goofs
If Dodo is related to Anne Chaplet, why is her name is still Chaplet? [Anne had an illegitimate son, and called him by her own surname.]
Anne's Cornish accent is an odd way to communicate working-class French.
Cast & Crew
Cast
The Doctor - William Hartnell
Steven Taylor - Peter Purves
1st Guard - Jack Tarran
1st Man - Will Stampe
2nd Guard - Leslie Bates
2nd Man - Ernest Smith
Abbot of Amboise - William Hartnell William Hartnell also appeared as the Abbot in War of God, but was credited only as the Doctor. He was credited only as the Abbot for The Sea Beggar and Priest of Death.
Admiral de Coligny - Leonard Sachs
Anne - Annette Robertson
Captain of the Guard - Clive Cazes
Catherine de Medici - Joan Young
Charles IX - Barry Justice
Dodo - Jackie Lane from Bell of Doom
Gaston - Eric Thompson
Landlord - Edwin Finn
Marshal Tavannes - André Morell
Nicholas - David Weston
Officer - John Slavid
Old Lady / Old Woman - Cynthia Etherington
Preslin - Erik Chitty
Priest - Norman Claridge
Roger - Christopher Tranchell
Servant - Reginald Jessup
Simon - John Tillinger
Teligny - Michael Bilton
Crew
Director - Paddy Russell
The Massacre