August 4th, 2003 no comments

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Adventures in History

Adventures in History

This slipcase contains the soundtracks of three television adventures in which the Doctor and friends travel back in Time and get caught up in events in history. The three stories – “The Myth Makers”, “The Massacre” and “The Highlanders” – find the TARDIS in Ancient Greece, 16th Century France and 18th Century Scotland. William Hartnell stars as the “Doctor in The Myth Makers” and “The Massacre”, whilst Patrick Troughton steps into the role for “The Highlanders”.

Linking narration is provided by Peter Purves and Frazer Hines. These soundtracks are also available individually.

The Myth Makers
By Donald Cotton

The Doctor has adopted many guises in his time, but to be hailed as the great god Zeus is a bit of a shock.

Yet this is exactly what happens with the TARDIS lands on the plains of Asia Minor, not far from the city of Troy.

Taken to the Greek camp by Achilles, the Doctor is introduced to Agamemnon and Odysseus and forced to admit his less-than-godlike status.

The Massacre
By John Lucarotti, Donald Tosh

William Hartnell is the original Doctor in this exclusive audio recording of a ‘lost’ television soundtrack.

The TARDIS materialises in Paris in 1572, a time of great danger and religious strife.

Whilst the Doctor pays a visit to famous apothecary Charles Preslin, Steven is befriended by a group of Protestants who come from the household of Admiral de Coligny.

Meanwhile, the Catholic Queen Mother, Catherine de Medici, aided by the hated dignitary the Abbot of Amboise, is hatching a plot to kill all French Protestants … starting with de Coligney.

Worryingly for Steven, the Abbot bears an uncanny resemblance to the Doctor. And when the plot fails and the Abbot is condemned to death, he is even more alarmed. Was that the Doctor being killed? Or does the Abbot just look like him?

The four episodes of this 1966 story no longer exist in the BBC television archives. This audio exclusive has taken the soundtrack and, with linking narration by Peter Purves, the whole thrilling adventure is brought back to life.

The Highlanders
By Elwyn Jones, Gerry Davis

Frazer Hines provides the linking narration for the digitally remastered soundtrack of the lost television adventure in which he made his first appearance as Jamie.

Scotland, 1745. The Doctor, Ben and Polly arrive in Scotland after the Battle of Culloden and meet a band of Highlanders who are fleeing in defeat.

Their Laird is injured and the three offer to help tend his injuries.

Polly and Kirsty McLaren, the Laird’s daughter, (played in a guest appearance by Hannah Gordon) go to fetch some water but whilst they are gone the others are captured by Redcoat troops.

Things become worse when the group is taken again … this time by the crooked Solicitor Grey, who is part of the West Indian slave trade. The prisoners, Ben amongst them, are bundled on board the Annabelle where the wicked Captain Trask issues dire threats of drowning.

Meanwhile the Doctor is on dry land confusing all and sundry in a variety of disguises. However, his bumbling manner hides a sharp brain and eventually he, Polly and Ben are reunited in the TARDIS together with young piper Jamie McCrimmon, who went on to become one of the most popular companions of the series.

Categorised under: Audio stories, CD