Stories Television Doctor Who Season 2 Serial: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 The Romans Original Story TV Soundtrack Original Story TV Soundtrack 1 image Overview Episodes Characters How to Watch Reviews 19 Statistics Related Stories Quotes 5 Transcript Overview First aired Saturday, January 16, 1965 Production Code M Written by Dennis Spooner Directed by Christopher Barry Runtime 100 minutes Time Travel Past Tropes (Potential Spoilers!) Romans, Celebrity Historical, Dodgy Parking, First TARDIS trip, Mistaken Identity, Pure Historical, Rewriting History, Slave Labour Location (Potential Spoilers!) Earth, Italy, Rome Synopsis Landing in Rome, A.D. 64, the travellers take a rare holiday. While Ian and Barbara are happy to relax, the Doctor and Vicki set off to pursue adventure. However, adventure soon finds Ian and Barbara too as they are kidnapped by slave traders, and the Doctor's imitation of Maximus Pettulian sees him taken to the court of Emperor Nero where he inadvertently plays a part in deciding the course of history... 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 4 Episodes The Slave Traders First aired Saturday, January 16, 1965 Runtime 25 minutes Written by Dennis Spooner Directed by Christopher Barry UK Viewers 13 million Appreciation Index 53 Synopsis The travellers decide to take a holiday near ancient Rome, but after a month the Doctor gets restless. He and Vicki determine to visit Rome, and while they are gone Ian and Barbara are abducted by slave traders. All roads lead to Rome, however, and the travellers find themselves at the mercy of the country's petulant emperor, Nero... All Roads Lead to Rome First aired Saturday, January 23, 1965 Runtime 25 minutes Written by Dennis Spooner Directed by Christopher Barry UK Viewers 11.5 million Appreciation Index 51 Synopsis While the Doctor and Vicki meet with Nero, Barbara is taken to Rome to be sold while Ian is forced to work as a galley slave. Conspiracy First aired Saturday, January 30, 1965 Runtime 25 minutes Written by Dennis Spooner Directed by Christopher Barry UK Viewers 10 million Appreciation Index 50 Synopsis Ian and Delos are forced to fight each other for their freedom while the Doctor has to perform for Nero's court. Inferno First aired Saturday, February 6, 1965 Runtime 25 minutes Written by Dennis Spooner Directed by Christopher Barry UK Viewers 12 million Appreciation Index 50 Synopsis Ian and Delos manage to escape from Sevcheria and Tavius agrees to help Barbara rejoin them.The Doctor's attempts to avoid being thrown to the lions inadvertently result in Nero deciding to burn down Rome. Show All Episodes Characters First Doctor William Hartnell Ian Chesterton William Russell Barbara Wright Jacqueline Hill Vicki Pallister Maureen O'Brien Nero Derek Francis Poppaea Kay Patrick Delos Peter Diamond Show All Characters (7) How to watch The Romans: Watch on iPlayer Blu-Ray The Collection – Season 2 DVD The Rescue & The Romans VHS The Rescue & The Romans (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 19 reviews 11 May 2025 · 622 words Review by SeventhEmberXander Spoilers This review contains spoilers! This episode is a very difficult one for me, because it's, in equal measures, one of my favourite Hartnell episodes, but also tragically awful due to one unforgivable aspect. And if you've seen the episode, you'll probably know what it is. Let's start with the positives: William Hartnell f*cking shines in this episode, it's easily my favourite portrayal of his. He just gets so many wonderful character moments in this, whether he's gleefully smashing a vase over an assassins head during a nice, refreshing match of "fisticuffs", or drawing inspiration from the old "emperor's new clothes" tale by playing an entire room of insecure people for complete mugs, gaslighting them into wanting to hear music that he isn't actually playing just because he said "if you can't hear this, you're all uncultured swine's." This is Hartnell at peak cheeky impishness, and any time he's on screen being his usual mischievous, giggling gremlin self, it's a joy to watch. On top of that, I have a soft spot for just how unapologetically camp it goes in it's pursuit of being a classic 60s comedy. This is basically just Carry On Doctor, full of goofy fourth wall breaks, actors who've perfected their damn-near cartoonish shocked faces, and a lot of witty banter between the characters. Dare i say, there were more than a few moments that actually manage to get a chuckle out of me. Now for the part that ruins it. Despite their attempts, the really weird, creepy, rapey parts that were lifted from your bog standard raunchy 60s comedy, where Nero shamelessly chases the very noticeably uncomfortable Barbara around the palace with his intentions painfully clear was NOT one of those moments. Barbara is treated so poorly in this episode, and her "character arc" is absolutely disgusting. From the moment she meets the character called Tavius, he's characterized as friendly, caring, compassionate to Barbara's plight, and the story outright states that if he wasn't the one to buy her, she'd be in an even worse position with someone else. Yes, it's a morally f*cked situation they both find themselves embroiled in, and it may be true that she'd be in a worse off state, (even though the one she finds herself in still has her being chased by a filthy little horndog, and almost poisoned by his jealous wife) but the fact that the episode expects her to "come to her senses" after rightfully telling the repugnant git to sod off, and even come to thank him for being a friendlier slave master is just horrific. There is one element to the Nero lusts after Barbara plotline that, removed from context, i would have found really funny, and that's the schtick of The Doctor just narrowly missing The Companion again and again. I know this because Partners in Crime did it better over 40 years later, entirely because they didn't tie it to any uncomfortable, rapey storyline for that episode (Because, let's face it, if Nero had tried that sh*t with Donna Noble, she would have given the filthy c*nt a fat lip, regardless of if he was emperor.) So, on the whole, The Romans is an episode that had a good chance of being my favourite Hartnell episode, but it's hard to understate just how much the horrifically dated rape humour drags it down from greatness. If the stuff where they play attempted sexual assault for laughs was completely removed from the episode, I would have been prepared to give it a 4-and-a-half, but, no such luck, and as such, this is the score it's stuck with, and it's only this high because of just how adorable Hartnell is, and how funny *some* of the scenes can be. SeventhEmberXander View profile Like Liked 0 3 May 2025 · 19 words Review by kawaii2234 the doctor just throwing hands with everyone at this point. such a silly story in the best way possible kawaii2234 View profile Like Liked 0 3 May 2025 · 11 words Review by TARDIS_Janitor Hilarious with a touch of bootstrap paradox-ness, utterly and totally brilliant. TARDIS_Janitor View profile Like Liked 0 20 March 2025 · 29 words Review by Scottybguud Hartnell is the standout in this one. His interactions with Nero are fun and his scenes with Victoria are nice. The rest of the plot is a bit forgettable. Scottybguud View profile Like Liked 0 2 February 2025 · 156 words Review by Pandhawk Spoilers 1 This review contains spoilers! Basically a good episode. The idea of a Doctor breaking away from his original companions and going to Rome with Vicki while said companions are getting captured and taken is a really good one. But there is one thing that ruins the whole episode, and it is the treatment of Barbara. From the beginning, we understand that she is the one who does everything in the quartet. But what is unacceptable, even unacceptable, is the scene of quasi-rape on the part of Nero who is a complete idiot, totally obsessed, even rapist. Yes, I destroy him. Barbara's treatment doesn't stop there since at the end of the episode, Ian treats her like a slave, making her work because she accidentally hit him in the face, which started this whole adventure . So I beg you, Doctor Who, tell me that there are not too many other episodes that are sexist to this point. Have a good evening. 3/10 Pandhawk View profile Like Liked 1 Show All Reviews (19) Open in new window Statistics AVG. Rating617 members 3.99 / 5 Trakt.tv AVG. Rating524 votes 3.67 / 5 Member Statistics Watched 1057 Favourited 195 Reviewed 19 Saved 5 Skipped 1 Related Stories BBC Books Byzantium! Rating: 3.19 Story Skipped Book Reviews(1) More Actions View Sets Close Related Sets Set of Stories: Past Doctor Adventures Add Review Edit Review Skip Skipped Unowned Owned Save to my list Saved Short Trips Romans Cutaway Rating: 3.60 Story Skipped Short Story Reviews(2) More Actions View Sets Close Related Sets Set of Stories: Short Trips 2: More Short Trips Set of Stories: Short Trips (BBC Books) 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 Romans Rating: 3.44 Story Skipped Book 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 an autiobook, a reconstruction or an omnibus edition. BBC Audio Soundtracks The Romans (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: You know, I am so constantly outwitting the opposition, I tend to forget the delights and satisfaction of the arts, the gentle art of fisticuffs. — The Romans Show All Quotes (5) Open in new window Transcript Needs checking Episode One - The Slave Traders (The TARDIS materialises over the edge of a small cliff and begins to wobble) [TARDIS] DOCTOR: There we are, safely down.IAN: What's that movement, Doctor?DOCTOR: Hmm?IAN: Well, surely you can feel it?DOCTOR: What movement?BARBARA: Doctor! What's happening? (they all sway from side to side) Show Full Transcript Open in new window