Stories Television Doctor Who Season 1 Classic Who S1 Serial: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 The Reign of Terror 1 image Overview Episodes Characters How to Watch Reviews 11 Statistics Related Stories Quotes 1 Transcript Overview First aired Saturday, August 8, 1964 Production Code H Written by Dennis Spooner Directed by Henric Hirsch Runtime 150 minutes Story Type Series Finale Time Travel Past Tropes (Potential Spoilers!) Pure Historical, Celebrity Historical Inventory (Potential Spoilers!) Signet ring Location (Potential Spoilers!) Earth, France, Paris Synopsis The TARDIS materialises not far from Paris in 1794 — one of the bloodiest years following the French Revolution of 1789. The travellers become involved with an escape chain rescuing prisoners from the guillotine and get caught up in the machinations of an English undercover spy, James Stirling — alias Lemaitre, governor of the Conciergerie prison. Watch Watched Favourite Favourited Add Review Edit Review Log a repeat Skip Skipped Unowned Owned Owned Save to my list Saved Edit date completed Custom Date Release Date Archive (no date) Save 6 Episodes A Land of Fear First aired Saturday, August 8, 1964 Runtime 25 minutes Written by Dennis Spooner Directed by Henric Hirsch UK Viewers 6.9 million Appreciation Index 58 Synopsis The TARDIS lands during the French Revolution, where Ian, Barbara, and Susan become caught up in the politics of the day. When they are arrested and set to be executed, the Doctor must take on the disguise of a public official to try and save their lives. Guests of Madame Guillotine First aired Saturday, August 15, 1964 Runtime 25 minutes Written by Dennis Spooner Directed by Henric Hirsch UK Viewers 6.9 million Appreciation Index 54 Synopsis Susan, Ian and Barbara are sentenced to be guillotined but an encounter with a dying English prisoner may offer Ian a chance of survival. A Change of Identity First aired Saturday, August 22, 1964 Runtime 25 minutes Written by Dennis Spooner Directed by Henric Hirsch UK Viewers 6.9 million Appreciation Index 55 Synopsis Susan and Barbara are rescued by Jules and Jean, two members of the escape chain, while the Doctor gains access to the prison by posing as a revolution official. The Tyrant of France Missing First aired Saturday, August 29, 1964 Runtime 25 minutes Written by Dennis Spooner Directed by Henric Hirsch UK Viewers 6.4 million Appreciation Index 53 Synopsis The Doctor is forced into a meeting with Robespierre while Barbara's attempts to find a physician for Susan result in them being betrayed. A Bargain of Necessity Missing First aired Saturday, September 5, 1964 Runtime 25 minutes Written by Dennis Spooner Directed by Henric Hirsch UK Viewers 6.9 million Appreciation Index 53 Synopsis Ian finds himself held prisoner by the treacherous Leon while the Doctor attempts to engineer Susan and Barbara's escape. Prisoners of Conciergerie First aired Saturday, September 12, 1964 Runtime 25 minutes Written by Dennis Spooner Directed by Henric Hirsch UK Viewers 6.4 million Appreciation Index 55 Synopsis Ian finally delivers his message to James Stirling but in order to secure Susan's release he and Barbara are forced into a dangerous spying mission. Show All Episodes Characters First Doctor William Hartnell Susan Carole Ann Ford Barbara Wright Jacqueline Hill Ian Chesterton William Russell Maximilien Robespierre First Appearance Napoléon Bonaparte First Appearance Paul Barras First Appearance Léon Colbert First Appearance Show All Characters (8) How to watch The Reign of Terror: Watch on iPlayer DVD The Reign of Terror VHS The Reign of Terror (VHS) Reviews Add Review Edit Review Sort: Date (Newest First) Date (Oldest First) Likes (High-Low) Likes (Low-High) Rating (High-Low) Rating (Low-High) Word count (High-Low) Word count (Low-High) Username (A-Z) Username (Z-A) Spoilers First Spoilers Last 11 reviews 17 January 2025 · 56 words Review by twelvesoswald Spoilers This review contains spoilers! went on too long (i really think 6 parters are too long) i love a pure historical but it was very back and forth, retreading the same plot points again and again. i would've preferred if we got more into the historical elements. susan was SO underused. i did really like seeing this tardis team again though!! Like Liked 0 10 January 2025 · 90 words Review by Pandhawk And this season ends with an arc that I would call MEH. I didn't find it exceptional, and for good reason: The arc in question is not supposed to be the end of season arc, but it was added because Donald BAVERSTOCK, the head of BBC programming, wanted extra episodes for the end of season 1. And, in concrete terms, it's very noticeable. The pace isn't worked on enough, the script is shaky... A big disappointment for this end of season, I put it on the same level as The Daleks. Like Liked 0 15 December 2024 · 135 words Review by RandomJoke Out of the Pure Historical this Season, this one is easily the weakest. I am very big on any kind of pure Historicals in Who and that Period offered such a great setting, sadly I think it does lack a bit and tended to go on for a bit too long than it probably should have. Not to say it’s a bad one, I very much enjoy the Doctor finding his Way to Ian and Barbara and all the mischief he gets on with at that journey. I also very much enjoy the beginning and the finale of the Story, but yeah overall while I enjoy it I think it’s far away from the highs we had in this Season. Still a pretty solid way to end the first Season of the Show. Like Liked 0 10 November 2024 · 140 words Review by Dogtor Spoilers This review contains spoilers! “Well, I can assure you Barbara, Napoleon would have never believed you” La Révolution n’est plus qu’un tas de cachots sordides, de paysans stupides et de têtes coupées, et la pauvre Susan n’a plus que ses cris dans ce qui est sans doute sa pire histoire. Mais le pire c’est que l’épisode gâche un sujet qui, autrement, aurait pu être vraiment bien. Des mois et des mois de bataille politique, de luttes émancipatrices, de renaissance intellectuelle, sont sacrifiés par Spooner, qui préfère faire de son épisode une sorte de monument de cynisme. Et peut-être que son Docteur filoute, et apporte à toute l’histoire (et malgré elle) tout son charme, les compagnes n’ont jamais été aussi idiotes, et l’Histoire vide de vie et de sens. Like Liked 0 7 October 2024 · 48 words Review by greenLetterT I think I'm just not a fan of pure historicals, but also Susan didn't get much (or, anything) to do in this one, the plot was a lot of travelling between locations, and all the side characters looked the same. At least the Doctor got a fancy outfit Like Liked 0 Show All Reviews (11) Open in new window Statistics AVG. Rating401 members 3.14 / 5 Trakt.tv AVG. Rating727 votes 3.42 / 5 The Time Scales AVG. Rating195 votes 3.45 / 5 Member Statistics Watched 710 Favourited 24 Reviewed 11 Saved 4 Skipped 2 Owned 11 Related Stories The Companion Chronicles: The First Doctor Volume 2 • Episode 1 Fields of Terror Rating: 3.23 Story Skipped Audio Book Reviews(2) More Actions View Sets Close Related Sets Set of Stories: The Companion Chronicles Add Review Edit Review Skip Skipped Unowned Owned Save to my list Saved Other adaptations of this story: We define an adaptation as a recreation of a similar story but on a different medium or with different characters. Target Collection Doctor Who: The Reign of Terror Rating: 3.61 Story Skipped Book Reviews(1) More Actions View Sets Close Related Sets Set of Stories: Target Collection Add Review Edit Review Skip Skipped Unowned Owned Save to my list Saved Other variations of this story We define a variation as another way of experiencing the exact same story - like a reconstruction or an omnibus edition. Animated Reconstructions The Reign of Terror (Animated Reconstruction) Rating: 2.92 Story Skipped Animated Reviews(1) More Actions View Sets Close Related Sets Set of Stories: Animated Reconstructions Add Review Edit Review Skip Skipped Unowned Owned Save to my list Saved BBC Audio Soundtracks The Reign of Terror (BBC Audio Soundtrack) Rating: ??? Story Skipped Soundtrack Reviews(1) More Actions View Sets Close Related Sets Set of Stories: BBC Audio Soundtracks Add Review Edit Review Skip Skipped Unowned Owned Save to my list Saved Quotes Add Quote Link to Quote Favourite DOCTOR: Well, I can assure you, my dear Barbara, Napoleon would never have believed you. IAN: Yes, Doctor, but supposing we had written Napoleon a letter, telling him, you know, some of the things that were going to happen to him. SUSAN: It wouldn't have made any difference, Ian. He'd have forgotten it, or lost it, or thought it was written by a maniac. BARBARA: I suppose if we'd tried to kill him with a gun, the bullet would have missed him. DOCTOR: Well, it's hardly fair to speculate, is it? No, I'm afraid you belittle things. Our lives are important, at least to us. But as we see, so we learn. IAN: And what are we going to see and learn next, Doctor? DOCTOR: Well, unlike the old adage, my boy, our destiny is in the stars, so let's go and search for it. — The Reign of Terror Transcript Needs checking (Transcriber's note - this story only exists now as an audio recording for episodes 4 and 5) Episode One - A Land of Fear [Forest] (24 July, 1794 Two men dressed in unseasonably heavy cloaks move cautiously through the trees) (Moments later, the TARDIS materialises in a clearing by a meadow) Show Full Transcript Open in new window
