The TARDIS materialises not far from Paris in 1794 — one of the bloodiest years following the French Revolution of 1789. The travellers become involved with an escape chain rescuing prisoners from the guillotine and get caught up in the machinations of an English undercover spy, James Stirling — alias Lemaitre, governor of the Conciergerie prison.
William Hartnell
The Doctor
Carole Ann Ford
Susan Foreman
Jacqueline Hill
Barbara Wright
William Russell
Ian Chesterton
Keith Anderson
Robespierre
Jack Cunningham
Jailer
Jeffry Wickham
Webster
Neville Smith
D'Argenson
Laidlaw Dalling
Rouvray
Peter Walker
Small Boy
James Cairncross
Lemaitre
Roy Herrick
Jean
Donald Morley
Jules Renan
Tony Wall
Napoleon Bonaparte
Caroline Hunt
Danielle
Edward Brayshaw
Léon Colbert
Dallas Cavell
Road Work Overseer
Denis Cleary
Peasant
John Barrard
Shopkeeper
Ronald Pickup
Physician
Howard Charlton
Judge
Robert Hunter
Sergeant
Ken Lawrence
Lieutenant
Patrick Marley
Soldier
Terry Bale
Soldier
John Law
Paul Barrass
Director
Henric Hirsch
Script Editor
David Whitaker
Writer
Dennis Spooner
July 8, 2024
6
Aside from a bit of a moral conundrum about how time travel might present a dilemma for people who might be able to use their knowledge to affect the future, this is just a rather clunky drama that gives the crew of the TARDIS an excuse to dress up in red, white and blue and play a game of "French Revolution". No sooner have they left their blue box than they are arrested and it falls to the "Doctor" (William Hartnell) to get himself a fancy sash and try to get the others out of the dreaded Conciergerie prison before they have breakfast with "Madame Guillotine". Meantime, the incarcerated "Ian" (William Chesterton), "Barbara" (Jacqueline Hill) and the increasingly annoying "Susan" (Carole Ann Ford) encounter a mysterious English prisoner who might just be connected with a "Scarlet Pimpernel" style rescue operation designed to get the doomed to safety. The rest of this story is an amalgam of themes that I found a bit meandering and focussed too much on Hartnell's attempt at flamboyant theatricals. Six parts is probably two too many and the introduction of Robespierre (Keith Anderson) into the plot to complicate matters with the already duplicitous "Léon" (Edward Bradshaw) just fell a bit flat. Far too much dialogue and nothing remotely to do with sci-fi. For my money, one of the least entertaining of their travels.
Status:
Released
Original Language:
English
Budget:
$0.00
Revenue:
$0.00