The Slave Traders (The Romans Episode 1)

The one where the Doctor and his friends take a holiday in Ancient Rome...

"There we are, safely down," says the Doctor, as the TARDIS topples over the side of a cliff. Director Christopher Barry cleverly plays with the viewers' expectations, as we next see a seemingly unconscious Ian lying flat out, we assume on the floor of the TARDIS following the fall. But no! As the camera zooms out we see that he's actually reclining in a Roman toga, scoffing grapes, while the Doctor busies himself watering some plants.

It transpires the Doctor, Ian, Barbara and Vicki have been staying in this Roman villa in 64 AD for almost a month, simply kicking back, chilling out and making the most of the Italian climate. The villa belongs to Flavius Giscard, a wealthy Roman who is currently away on a military campaign, and in the meantime the travellers have seconded it as their holiday home! I have to wonder what they'd do if Flavius came home early though...

As the men chillax at the villa, Barbara and Vicki are visiting the local market, which has been designed, dressed and populated by Ray Cusick and Christopher Barry beautifully. That market looks totally convincing and there are so many people milling about (there are 20 extras listed on the production documents, including six women, ten men and four children) that it has to count as one of Doctor Who's most successful set-ups to date.

Vicki seems to have patched things up with Barbara in the month they've spent together since the death of Sandy the sand beast (see Desperate Measures) and the two seem quite fond of one another now. Maureen O'Brien has a naturally loveable nature (the cherubic face helps) and has settled in to the show's regular line-up with ease.

For a full 15 minutes of The Slave Traders, nothing very much happens, it has to be said. An old man with a startling resemblance to the Doctor gets murdered, and a couple of slave traders pay a gossipy stallholder for information about Vicki and Barbara (ooh, she's a nark!), but other than that it's mostly just the TARDIS crew loafing about. It's lovely to see, don't get me wrong, but after The Rescue's two episodes of relatively sedate storytelling, Doctor Who needs to step up a gear if it's to get back on a roll. This is the same programme which a few weeks ago was depicting a Dalek invasion and enslavement of Earth. Now it's all peacock breasts and ants' eggs.

The interplay between the regulars is typically delightful, with William Hartnell in particular revelling in Dennis Spooner's light-hearted script. These are people who enjoy spending time with one another, and Hartnell's delivery is a joy to watch ("Exquis-eet!" he says when Barbara reels off her menu, and as for the bit where he refers to Ian as Chesterfield and Barbara corrects him: "Chester-ton," she says, to which the absent-minded Doctor replies: "Oh, Barbara's calling you!").

The Doctor and Vicki head off for Rome, he obviously finding great solace in the company of his replacement granddaughter, and as soon as the two have left the villa, Barbara seems to up her ante and begins flirting with Ian. Now they are alone, maybe she plans to make a move (or maybe that move has already taken place in the preceding month?). She admires how splendid Ian looks as a Roman, combs his hair and laughingly offers to do his washing. She even plays a trick on him by making him believe there's a fridge next door! The two are very familiar and you get the impression it's leading somewhere, before the villa is invaded by knife-wielding slave traders Didius and Sevcheria. The fact Barbara manages to crack Ian over the head with a jug by accident adds to the Carry On flavour.

Meanwhile, the Doctor is mistaken for the late Maximus Pettulian, a lyre player from Corinth who has been murdered by assassin Ascaris. Pettulian was an odd-looking fellow, it must be said. He appears to be drunk, and may well have mislaid his false teeth too! Actor Bart Allison was 74 years old here, and would live to the admirable age of 87, but he looks particularly decrepit here!

I love the exchange between the Doctor and the centurion, and Christopher Barry's snazzily framed shot aimed through Hartnell's carefully positioned lyre. Hartnell's lightness of touch makes the scene sing, such as when he refers to Vicki: "The child, she travels with me. She keeps her eye on the lyres..." He loads that line perfectly so its dual meaning (lyres/ liars) is not wasted, and when he pulls Vicki to one side to "attend to our imprimatur", the actor's obviously having a whale of a time.

Ian and Barbara have been tied up by slave traders, and Barbara is not happy. She points out that the Romans did not treat their slaves very well, which is somewhat undermined when Didius catches Ian trying to get free of his chains and gives him a pathetic, half-hearted slap on the cheek. If this was Season 1, Didius would've given Ian a pasting, I'll wager.

The episode ends with the mute assassin Ascaris advancing on the Doctor's quarters with murder on his mind. Hang on, isn't that Drax from The Armageddon Factor...?

First broadcast: January 16th, 1965

Steve's Scoreboard
The Good: Spooner's script is delightful, giving the regulars some lovely interplay, while the market scene is well designed and directed.
The Bad: The downside to Spooner's lighter script means the story suffers a little, but we mustn't grumble too much - there's a murder, two kidnappings, and a gentle facial assault to tide us over!
Overall score for episode: ★★★★★★★☆☆☆

NEXT TIME: All Roads Lead to Rome...

My reviews of this story's other episodes: All Roads Lead to Rome (episode 2); Conspiracy (episode 3); Inferno (episode 4)

Find out birth/death dates, career information, and facts and trivia about this story's cast and crew at the Doctor Who Cast & Crew site: http://doctorwhocastandcrew.blogspot.co.uk/2013/07/the-romans.html

The Romans is available in a DVD box set with The Rescue. Find it on Amazon - https://www.amazon.co.uk/d/99t/Doctor-Who-Rescue-Romans-DVD-William-Hartnell/B001MYKYOU