Commissioned as The War of God in July 1965, The Massacre
of St. Bartholomew's Eve was transmitted in February 1966
and remains one of the lesser-known period pieces in early
Doctor Who. It is however, without doubt one of the finest
serials of the black and white era. In fact, The Discontinuity
Guide (of 1995) regards it as "arguably the best ever story".
PROLOGUE
Even now, the historical events dramatised here are unfamiliar, and
the story is still only available via the BBC's audio version of 1999 -
this is one of just three adventures (with Marco Polo and Mission to
the Unknown) were no footage survives. Although currently missing
from the archives, listening to the episodes on CD only heightens
their atmosphere, and I have to agree with Mark Gatiss that The
Massacre could have been made for radio.
The story is full of incident, period detail, rich characterisation, and
possesses a real sense of deep foreboding.
SYNOPSIS
The TARDIS lands on the Rue De Bethisy in Paris, on the morning
of August 20th 1572, just two days after the royal wedding of
Prince Henry and Princess Margaret.
Unaware that they've arrived in the midst of the French Wars of
Religion, the Doctor decides to visit the renowned apothecary
Charles Preslin. Meanwhile in a nearby tavern, Steven befriends
a group of Huguenots from the Protestant Admiral de Coligny's
household. That evening, Steven helps to rescue a servant girl,
Anne Chaplet, from her Catholic pursuers, and the Huguenots
discover that she overheard plans to have French Protestants
massacred (in a repeat of the attack on Anne's home town of
Vassy, ten years previously).
To avoid the curfew, Steven lodges at the Admiral's apartments,
and (as part one ends) it soon appears to his allies (and viewers
alike) that the hated Catholic dignitary, the Abbot of Amboise is
actually the Doctor in disguise.
The political crisis deepens when the plot to assassinate the Admiral
(known as the titular Sea Beggar) fails. The Abbot is blamed and
executed, and (as episode three closes) his body dumped in the
street. His death is attributed to the Huguenots, which further
enrages the Catholic mob.
Fortunately for Steven (and the uncertain audience) it emerges that
the Doctor was in fact the Abbot's physical double, and is still alive.
The two travellers are reunited at Preslin's shop (where Steven has
been searching for the Doctor's TARDIS key), and only now realise
the importance of the date. They leave Anne and return to the Ship
just as the carnage begins, with the King's Swiss guards attacking
de Coligny's residence.
Steven is incensed at the Doctor's failure to rescue Anne (much like
Donna Noble's protests in Pompeii, forty-two years later), and when
the TARDIS arrives in present day London, they meet their new
travelling companion (and Anne's apparent descendant) Dodo
Chaplet (played by Jackie Lane).
BACKGROUND
Doctor Who had first dealt with a Holy War in David Whitaker's
The Crusade, but the religious dogma of the waring factions was
kept in the background. The programme's remit of employing
history to educate younger viewers meant that, in this case, the
political intrigue at both opposing leaders' courts was the plot
focus. Similarly, just eleven months later The Massacre also
featured opposition between crown and state (and a failed peace
process), but with the religious conflict now to the fore.
Each episode of the story spans one of the four days leading upto
the Massacre, and all the relevant recorded events are chronicled
within. First mentioned in part one, War of God, the marriage of
Henry of Navarre (a Protestant) and Margaret de Valois (a Catholic)
was arranged to unite France, and avoid further bloodshed.
But just six days later, the Massacre began in earnest (actually
on St. Bartholomew's Day, August 24th), and is believed to have
been instigated by Catherine de Medici, mother of King Charles IX.
Both royals appear in episode three, Priest of Death, when the
Queen Mother is seen wielding the real power behind the throne
(see had been regent since Charles was 10, and ruthlessly coveted
her control and influence). After hiring the assassin Maurevert (here
given the alias, Bondot) to shoot de Coligny (and eliminating the
Abbot into the bargain), Catherine then instructs Tavannes to extend
his death-list from only the leading Huguenots to all Protestants in
the capital, thereby condemning them by "unleashing the wolves of
Paris".
The Marshal dramatically concludes this scene in episode four with
the most chilling line of the story: "At dawn tomorrow this city will
weep tears of blood". And so, as the narrative draws to a close,
tocsins (the titular Bell of Doom) signal the start of the violence,
which would quickly spread throughout France, and lasted until
October. Upto 10,000 people perished, with about 3,000 killed in
Paris alone, but the final death toll is unknown.
Nowadays, we would describe this civil strife as "ethnic cleansing"
and it effectively eradicated any Huguenot 'threat', although the
Wars of Religion persisted until 1598.
PRODUCTION NOTES
The Massacre is perhaps most notable for William Hartnell's
impressive dual role as the Doctor (only seen here in the first and
last halves of parts one and four, respectively) and the Abbot of
Amboise (briefly seen in parts two and three), and they never
actually meet during the course of the story - Hartnell's absence
meant that Peter Purves literally took the lead and he delivers
a very strong performance as Steven.
This was John Lucarotti's final story for the programme, and
his scripts were adapted by Donald Tosh. He had previously
penned the season one historicals Marco Polo and The Aztecs, and
his later treatment for The Ark in Space was rewritten by Robert
Holmes.
Departing script editor Tosh had developed a good relationship with
producer John Wiles (who also left the show, after the next story
The Ark) and they both wanted a more adult direction for Doctor
Who, resulting in serials like The Massacre: a serious, even grim
and doom-laden period drama.
Paddy Russell was the show's first female director, and this was
her Doctor Who debut. She later directed Invasion of the
Dinosaurs, Pyramids of Mars, and Horror of Fang Rock.
The serial was designer Michael Young's only work on the show
- he created the impressive Paris street sets at Ealing.
EPILOGUE
When a disgusted Steven leaves the TARDIS, the Doctor is forced
to reflect on his actions, and Hartnell delivers an emotional soliloquy.
Then there's a pregnant pause, as if the programme itself holds it's
breath, and there's a tangible sense of something shifting, breaking,
or ending. Then Dodo rushes in, breaking the spell. Now halfway
through its third season, Doctor Who had grown-up.
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