Caesar's Plans Go Up in Flames | The Romans | Doctor Who

Mistaken for a famous lyre player, the Doctor learns of Caesar Nero's plans to throw him to the lions, but could a fortunate accident lead to a change of heart?
The Brand New Doctor Who Website - www.doctorwho.tv
Doctor Who KZbin Channel / doctorwho
Doctor Who Facebook: / doctorwho
Doctor Who Twitter / bbcdoctorwho
This is a commercial channel from BBC Studios. Service & Feedback www.bbcstudios...

[@TheTARDISCourier]

450 years later 10th doctor "that fire had nothing to do with me...well a little bit, BUT..."

[@JohnSmith-jh6ei]

0h I finally understand that reference

[@plantainsame2049]

Oh it was longer than that The doctor was a thousand years old by the seventh eight lost count and started over And ten Considered himself around 905[ 903 in voage of the damed 906 in end of time] So that means over nine hundred years have passed since the eighth doctor

[@TezlaCoils]

'The Romans' is one of the best stories from the William Hartnell era. Another great script from Dennis Spooner. Great drama, humour and performances from all the cast in this one. An underrated Classic!

[@davidbanan.]

I AGREE, U seen Time Meddler?

[@MuscleboySV]

You can tell that Bill Hartnell was enjoying the puns.

[@matthewduncan8523]

You can tell you’ve watched a lot of classic who

[@BRforever]

Historicals totally need to come back, I'd love an episode without any monsters.

[@JackCoghlan]

There's a great series of books, one from every Doctor, that is purely historical. My favourite is the second doctor story set right after the english civil war.

[@bythebreach]

Jack Coghlan Is that The Roundheads by Mark Gatiss?

[@MuscleboySV]

Your wish is granted. The main villain was a human who, even in his native future, would spout such nonsense like "Blacks should know their place!"

[@louiswright8282]

@@JackCoghlan Let me guess. The Malus

[@JackCoghlan]

@@louiswright8282 No.

[@brownblair98]

Even from the very beginning,the Doctor was making it up as he went along.

[@Jack395re]

There should be a compilation of all the times Hartnell says "Mm". Seriously, watch the video again, it's great.

[@randomfan4966]

That should be a new drinking game. Take a shot every time the first doctor says “Mm”

[@Bobhatss9]

I was so happy when I first heard The 10th Doctor say that. Love that they put that reference in :D

[@timelordrock2954]

4:30 I love how they're just having a normal conversation while there's still a fire going on XD

[@Kazavop]

so.....he started the great fire of rome? oh Doctor :/

[@macra1775]

He also accidentally started the great fire of London

[@tconlon251]

Season 13: Chicago, 1871 “Hello, I’m The Doctor.” “Pleasure to meet you, Catherine O’Leary.” “F**k!”

[@rowanthursday5860]

Maureen O'Brien's just such an unsung wonder as Vicki. After Susan's character had been assassinated by all the conflicting editorial and executive pressures- poor Carole Ann Ford getting contracted to play an ethereal, sinister, alien princess, and then getting pushed into playing a screaming kid victim instead- O'Brien manages to take what is on paper basically a replacement goldfish, and creates in Vicki someone who's essentially the prototype modern companion- a foil for the Doctor, who shares his sense of humour, loves adventuring and getting through scrapes with him. The wonderful chemistry- not in a romantic sense- that she and Hartnell appear to share, and that's possibly shown best of all in this fantastic story- is a large part in codifying the 'child-like' aspect of the Doctor, in completing Hartnell's journey from 'angry old man' to 'ageless mischievous trickster', and it's hard to see it happening without Vicki's role in things.

[@Shaarme00]

thank you, doctor, for being responsible of the great catastrophes on our history xD

[@Gamelover254]

Remember when doctor who didn't have to have an alien in every episode. That changed with the third or second doctor i believe. Until then, no aliens were in episodes that took place in the past.

[@DarthRushy]

+Gamelover254 The Monk was an alien in a First Doctor historical.

[@Gamelover254]

Yeah but there was still purely historical stories. That kinda faded away.

[@fourthdimension9940]

+Gamelover254 Apart from the odd one, like Black Orchid.

[@MrSukram777]

I totally agree with you. The stories in historical times were far better without the alien crap (Although I didn't like "The Massacre" very much). I personally think the best examples of New Who where aliens ruined historical stories were "The Unicorn and the Wasp" and "The Fires of Pompeii".

[@robadams8057]

Doctor Who was intended to be educational, wasn't it? A school girl and her teachers travelling through time to witness historical events?

[@JoeEnglandShow]

Man, that guy playing Nero is a hoot! Great acting there.

[@robadams8057]

The Doctor laughs like Yoda.

[@Monteray9]

You mean Yoda laughs like the Doctor right?

[@BethanyEvams]

10th doctor said the fire had nothing to do with him,he's a liar >.>

[@davidwilsch4668]

He said: "Before you ask, that fire had nothing to do with me. Well, not exactly."

[@tubian323]

+Mary Sith Well it's not surprising if he did lie, remember rule number 1: the Doctor lies.

[@adscott27]

@@tubian323 I hate this Moffat line so much, he doesn't lie all the time

[@tubian323]

@@adscott27 No he doesn't lie all the time, but he does lie sometimes.

[@redjirachi1]

Blame the arson for the fire

[@robby5151]

"and before you ask that fire had nothing to do with me"

[@justinmccurdy9319]

This is one of my favorite classic episodes.

[@michaelallan7510]

Dr who: the Romans. Great episode, in my opinion one of Hartnell's best

[@JimmyColls]

William Hartnell's Doctor attacked by lions. I like to think that was the regeneration they originally pitched, but couldn't find in the budget.

[@Mrchair-bk5ns]

They invented regeneration when William Hartnell was diagnosed with Arteriosclerosis which affected his ability to say lines.

[@CamilleonProductions]

The original regneration was actually meant to be in The Celestial Toymaker - Willliam Hartnell would become invisible in episode one, and in episode four reappear as someone else. It fell through though.

[@paddystrongjaw9995]

@@MaddoxProductions1 no way, The Celestial Toymaker is a classic

[@NameIsDoc]

HA! Even when he is this young he still "comes up with a plan"

[@kevinruseeytcheson1612]

Great restoration of a great classic....

[@vasp99]

I really love this . Especially the ham who plays Nero ! He's so over the top great !

[@AndrewChapman]

Wow, January and February that's just gone marked 50 years since "The Romans" was first broadcast.

[@iKillerZombie]

3:25 Dude, you could not chew any more scenery if you were a cartoon character

[@normandunford5747]

Those early 60's stories were excellent, they should bring the format back. Having a historical adventure, then a sci fi adventure was a brilliant idea.

[@sean..L]

This is such a fun episode.

[@dangerouslytalented]

... and some people just want to watch the world burn... The First Doctor still had a lot of Gallifrey in him.

[@lukepeskett2523]

in marco polo he said mm 7 times in 1 sentance

[@redjirachi1]

This was before the Last Great Time War turned Nero into an anime girl

[@PlanetZoidstar]

Yeah, I mean I never would have guessed all this time Nero was a Time Lord/Lady, they can change their sex now after all.

[@TakeNoteOfThat]

Re: “The First Doctor burned down Rome/changed history!” And “Why was he laughing?” The burning of Rome is an established point in history. Both Vicki and the Doctor know about it. The Doctor did not change history; rather, he was the instrument Time used to make certain that history happened. Perhaps Nero poisoning his servant (because of Barbara and Vicki) knocked something out of whack, like the servant was supposed to be the one to give Nero the idea. So, like the Cybermen’s freighter impacting Earth 65 millions ago in ‘Earthshock’, Time used the circumstances related to the time travel to set things right that were disturbed by the time travel. As Five said, “Seems inevitable.” The First Doctor laughing: First has been a cloistered stuck-up Time Lord for the last 400 years. He’s finally doing what he wants, traveling, exploring. Ian & Barbara have set him on the course for heroism, but he’s still more “Time’s Tourist” than “Time’s Champion”. Imagine you’re him. The French Revolution, Nero’s Rome. These are places you’ve read about, probably always dreamed of visiting. And now you’re there, and you’re wearing the clothes and impersonating people and sticking your nose in. A time traveler’s dream. But what could be more cool, more exciting than all that (particularly for a Time Lord) than to find that Time has maneuvered YOU into being a factor in causing a massive, fixed point of time a “historical” event you yourself grew up reading about? I’d laugh, too. And because he’s a Time Lord and knows these things, he knows he hasn’t “changed history”; he’s merely unconsciously ensured it happened. He understands that he and his companions alter time by simply stepping on a flower, but he also knows the web of time can handle these changes…but not to fixed points in history. So the Doctor, time tourist, is realizing 1. Time has used him to protect itself, just like he learned in the Academy. And 2. He’s part of history. He’s the arrogant, egotistical, wonderful First Doctor, and knowing he’s a tiny part of a great event is exactly the kind of “proof of cleverness” the First Doctor loves. It’s worth a double lapel-grab AND a Hmmpf! See also: the near constant name-drops of individuals and events in history he inserts wherever possible. He’s a centuries-old six-year-old. Grumpy, arrogant, withering and clever First Doctor. The best in my book.

[@BogWomble]

My favourite on-screen first doctor story

[@MrSukram777]

Despite he played the part later, I personally think Peter Ustinov was the better Nero.

[@user-zc7qx9ob4c]

A dude goes mad after an alien burns his map.

[@questionableproductions8542]

Why must this be so rare?

[@Monty-or9sb]

Ironically, the fire looks like special effects.

[@madabbafan]

What no Bigus Dickuss or Naughtious Maxmus? Shame.

[@JamifyYT]

madabbafan incontinentia buttocks... was also not present...

[@madabbafan]

@@JamifyYT nor Sillious Sodus

[@JamifyYT]

madabbafan damm :-) it seems we are both people of culture 😂

[@madabbafan]

@@JamifyYT or just big monty python fans

[@JamifyYT]

madabbafan indeed lol

[@p_9675]

Satire about Dietrich Boenhoeffer and how he was nothing like the great Gandhi, G-d bless

[@redjirachi1]

The Meddling Monk tried to stop Nero from burning Rome. He messed up and made Nero a cute anime girl, but since the First Doctor was a weeb he didn't care Hey, he can time travel, he knows anime will be a thing

[@richardcabesa3949]

i just realized that dr who and granny are the same person

[@StuartTheGamerNerd]

somehow I knew that was gunna happen xD

[@fadikhoory5350]

This story wasn't liked back in 1965.

[@landfair123]

Um, hundreds of people died in the great fire. Not something to be proud of.

[@PlanetZoidstar]

I think it was a Fixed Point in Time, it was always going to happen.

[@EditedAF987]

Well the first doctor was still developing into the moral figure we know today, he still had some of that Time Lord superiority and snobbery in him at this point and so could come off as a bit inhuman. This story was also just oddly irreverent when dealing with serious subject matter. For example, Nero tries to chase Barbara down and basically molest her and it’s played off as a kooky looney tunes chase.

[@stephenstumbke1721]

He never said he was proud of it, it would've happened anyway

[@zuditaka]

🧙🔎📜🔥🔥 .

[@minibus9]

cool

[@thomasstevens2746]

Probably my least favorite from season 2