Wednesday 5 June 2024

Doctor Who: The Massacre Review

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 WhoIt 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 Crusadebut 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 Doomsignal 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 Aztecsand 
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 
DinosaursPyramids 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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