The Doctor Who Real Time Marathon: War Of God - Bell Of Doom

Doctor Who - War Of God (05/02/06)

Yay! An Historical! It seems like months since we've had one of those (Oh, hang about. It has been!). The Doctor and Steven have arrived in Paris in the 16th Century and whilst the Doctor's gone off to meet a scientist called Preslin who has theorised about germs, Steven's bumped into a group of Hugenots (that's French Protestants).

A servant girl has overheard discussion of a plot to kill hundreds of Hugenots - something that happened recently in a small town to the north - and was chased by Catholic guards. She was rescued by Steven and the others. It's possible they could be introducing her as a companion, though we haven't seen much of her yet.

Meanwhile, the people plotting the massacre have reported about the girl, Anne, to the Abbot of Amboise who looks exactly like the Doctor! Or is it actually the Doctor? Very good so far, similar to the French story from the first series but better as so much more happened during the first episode. The quality of this season is definitely on the up. Can't wait for next week.



Doctor Who - The Sea Beggar (12/02/06)

Wow! There's a plot by the Royal Family to kill the Sea Beggar (a code name) and only Steven knows about it! But the Hugenots think Steven is a spy after he saw the Abbot of Amboise and mistook him for the Doctor! He tried to warn the Hugenots about the plot, but Gaston threw him out before he could say anything and now he's wandering Paris with Anne, who followed him. Looks like she's a bit sweet on him and she's really coming into her own, standing up for him against the Hugenots, even though she's just a servant.

Meanwhile, it turns out that the Admiral de Coligny is probably the Sea Beggar! Really gripping stuff and not a monster in sight. Oh, and I've just realised that the Doctor wasn't in this episode - unless he's masquerading as the Abbot of Amboise, in which case you briefly saw him through a window. The writing is excellent and the plot's rocketing along. Really enjoying this story.



Doctor Who - Priest Of Death (19/02/06)

This is a really good story so far. Steven is running around getting to do the Doctor bit with his new companion Anne, uncovering the plot and being very pro-active, and for a second week in a row there's been no Doctor. However, this isn't another 'Bill Hartnell Takes A Holiday' thing as he's been playing the Abbot of Amboise.

Steven managed to meet the Abbot this week and is convinced he's the Doctor in disguise (a bit of a shitter if he's right as the Abbot's just been murdered!) but I reckon he's just a doppelganger. He found out who the Sea Beggar is and went back to tell the Hugenots, but too late. Thankfully, the Admiral de Coligny dropped some papers and the assassin just wounded him, but as a result the Abbot was blamed for the failure and killed, and now the Hugenots have been blamed.

Lots of court intrigue - the Queen Mother seems to be the mastermind behind all the unrest, though we only saw her (briefly) for the first time this week. Not entirely sure this is family tea-time viewing, but it's nevertheless a brilliant story and possibly the most adult story of the series so far. Hoping this streak of drama continues as all the episodes since the Dalek one-off have been excellent!



Doctor Who - Bell Of Doom (26/02/06)

That's got to be the best story there's been so far! Steven was convinced the Doctor was dead until he turned up at Preslin's shop. Anne was sent home and told to stay indoors when the Doctor found out the date and then he and Steven legged it to the TARDIS. Then the massacre started at Catherine de Medici's behest - nasty piece of work: single-minded religious nut.

It was only after the TARDIS had left that the Doctor explained what the story was all about - ie Thousands of Protestants murdered in France on and following St. Bartholomew's Day 1572.

Then came the epilogue - a huge piece where Steven walked out and the Doctor was left to contemplate his companions' departures. It would have made a brilliant season closer! Then some girl called Dodo Chaplet ran in and Steven returned and the Doctor made up some cock and bull story about Dodo being possible proof Anne survived the massacre - as if!

Nevertheless, a brilliant story. Dark, compelling, exciting and informative - I mean, who'd heard of the Hugenots, never mind the massacre of 1572, before this?

Comments

  1. phutty31/8/18 14:04

    It's a very good, very uncompromising story, rather like The Aztecs - the bad guys don't necessarily get their comeuppance and good guys suffer. Hartnell's dual role necessitating the absence of the Doctor for much of the story makes this a good one for Steven indeed, and Peter Purves clearly relishes the opportunity. It's such a shame the whole thing's missing, since apart from a few production stills we have very little idea how it looked or played out on screen. (In that sense it makes a top-notch radio drama!)

    As an aside, this is also one of the most intriguing stories in the whole series for the fact that the novelisation is such an enormous departure from the televised serial, with writer John Lucarotti having penned it from his original scripts, which were almost completely rewritten for television.

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    Replies
    1. Mooncalf31/8/18 14:30

      I still need to get hold of the novelisation. This story is by far my favourite of the show's entire run and it's frustrating that so very little of it exists. I was completely gripped by it when the audio was released (in 1999?) - the question as to the Abbot's true identity held me right up to the end of Part 3 and, as an historian, it was great to have a story focusing on an area which I'm not hugely familiar with. The script is so good that it translates very well to audio, so that has clearly contributed to my appreciation of it. It's the one story I would love to see recovered.

      Also, whilst a lot of people regard Sara Kingdom as a companion, I regard Anne as just as much a companion in this story. Steven and Anne take over the role of Doctor and Companion and are brilliant together. The fact that the Doctor had left her to her probable death at the end really shocked me the first time I listened to Bell Of Doom, and Steven's extreme reaction is totally spot on given the events of the previous months. The episodes from Mission To The Unknown to Bell Of Doom mark an incredibly dark period for the show (mirrored by the upheavals behind the scenes) but this helps to make Season 3 my favourite. Later stories would tread lighter ground and see the birth of what is now a staple of the show - the Doctor battling on the streets of contemporary Earth - but that helps contrast with the earlier dark and serious atmosphere. Best Hartnell; Best Historical; Best Serial.

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