The Reign of Terror

(Series 1, Ep 37-42)

Summary: Landing in revolutionary France, our leads immediately raid the dressing up box, but are quickly arrested and sentenced to death.  Barbara attempts to crowbar her way out of a cell whilst Susan screams about rats and succumbs to a headache so bad she cannot possibly take a chance to do a runner and escape the guillotine.  Ian is a recruited to a distracting cloak and dagger side plot and the Doctor struts about with a dead bird on his head.  And then Napoleon shows up.

Watch it because: The BBC knows how to do period drama.

Original Air Date: 8 August – 12 September 1964.

Doctor: William Hartnell.

Companions: Susan (Carole Ann Ford), Ian Chesterton (William Russell) and Barbara Wright (Jacqueline Hill).

Writer: Dennis Spooner.

Director: Henric Hersch.

Producer: Verity Lambert.

Available on DVD? Yes, although the missing Episodes 4 and 5 are animated to the original soundtrack.