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Doctor Who: The Massacre

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About this listen

 The TARDIS materialises in Paris in 1572, a time of great danger and religious strife. Whilst the Doctor pays a visit to famous apothecary Charles Preslin, Steven is befriended by a group of Protestants who come from the household of Admiral de Coligny. Meanwhile, the Catholic Queen Mother, Catherine de Medici, aided by the hated dignitary the Abbot of Amboise, is hatching a plot to kill all French Protestants - starting with de Coligney. Worryingly for Steven, the Abbot bears an uncanny resemblance to the Doctor. And when the plot fails and the Abbot is condemned to death, he is even more alarmed. Was that the Doctor being killed? Or does the Abbot just look like him? The four episodes of this 1966 story no longer exist in the BBC television archives. This audio exclusive has taken the soundtrack and, with linking narration by Peter Purves, the whole thrilling adventure is brought back to life.©1999 BBC Worldwide Ltd; (P)1999 BBC Worldwide Ltd Dramatisations Science Fiction

Critic reviews

a sophisticated and intelligent piece of Doctor Who performed by two of its best ever regulars and a sparkling guest cast (Elton Townend-Jones)
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A surprisingly gritty historical Doctor Who drama here, dealing with sectarian genocide, political scheming and the human cost of such tragedy.

With the Doctor missing for much of the story, the lead falls to his assistant Steven. Peter Purves handles the spotlight surprisingly well.

As this is one of the lost stories [not even a tiny clip survives] this is the only way to enjoy it and experiencing it as an audio book rather than a TV show, you find yourself picturing 17th Century Paris instead of studio sets, which probably works in the drama's favour.

Very intelligent, well acted and with some beautifully written lines. Thank goodness for the obsessive fans of the programme who sat down at the TV with their tape recorders - if it weren't for them, we wouldn't be able to enjoy classics like this.

This show also sees the d?but of the Doctor's assistant Dodo.

gripping, historical drama

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A compelling story wonderfully narated by Peter Purvis. I would definitely listen to it again.

Great 1st Doctor Adventure

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