TV Review 6: The Aztecs, written by John Lucarotti (1964)

Broadcast: 23^rd May – 13^th June 1964

Cast:

The Doctor – William Hartnell

Ian Chesterton – William Russell

Barbara Wright – Jacqueline Hill

Susan Foreman – Carole Ann Ford

Autloc – Keith Pyott

Tlotoxl – John Ringham

Ixta – Ian Cullen

Cameca – Margot Van der Burgh

Tonila – Walter Randall

Aztec Captain – David Anderson

First Victim – Tom Booth

Perfect Victim – Andre Boulay

 

Main Production Credits

Producer – Verity Lambert, Mervyn Pinfield

Story Editor – David Whitaker

Writer – John Lucarotti

Director – John Crockett

Designer – Barry Newbury

Costumes – Daphne Dare

Title Music – Ron Grainer, Delia Derbyshire and the BBC Radiophonic Workshop

Special Sound – Brian Hodgson and the BBC Radiophonic Workshop

Incidental Music – Richard Rodney Bennett

Make Up – Ann Ferriggi

Production Assistant – Douglas Camfield, Penny Joy

Studio Sound – Jack Brummitt, Hugh Barker, Derek Miller Timmins

 

Story Summary (SPOILERS!):

The TARDIS arrives in 15^th Century Mexico, amongst the Tomb of Yetaxa – a High Priest of the Aztecs. When Barbara emerges from the Tomb, the Aztec leaders mistake her for a reincarnation of the High Priest, proclaiming her as a living goddess.

Working as representatives of Yetaxa, The Doctor and his friends are keenly integrated by the Aztecs into their community. However, when Barbara attempts to use her new influence to try and put a stop to human sacrifice, within Aztec culture; the High Priest of Sacrifice – Tlotoxl, is alerted to their falsehood, and seeks to destroy them, putting all the time-travellers in danger.

Desperate to escape, The Doctor finds out about a secret entrance back into the Tomb, while Ian is repeatedly challenged by the cunning warrior Ixta. Meanwhile, Barbara plays politics, using her new friendship with Autloc, the High Priest of Knowledge to fight off Tlotoxl’s various plots against them. Inevitably, Tlotoxl succeeds in discrediting them, and history remains unchanged, but not before the Time Travellers escape back to the TARDIS with their lives.

 

Story Placement

Between The Keys of Marinus (TV Serial) and The Sensorites (TV Serial)

Favourite Lines

Barbara – “That was the tragedy of the Aztecs. The whole civilisation was completely destroyed, the good as well as the evil.”

The Doctor – “You can’t rewrite history! Not one line! …What you are trying to do is utterly impossible. I know, believe me, I know!”

Barbara – “Not Barbara. Yetaxa.”

Ixta – “What better way to destroy your enemies, than to let them destroy themselves.”

Ian – “You can’t fight a whole way of life, Barbara.”

 Ian – “Where did you get hold of this?”

The Doctor – “My fiancée.”

Ian – “I see. Your what?!”

The Doctor – “Yes, I made some cocoa and got engaged”.

Review:

Out of all of Doctor Who’s TV adventures so far (as of 2021), The Aztecs is perhaps the one serial that closest represents the programme’s original remit, set up by Sydney Newman in 1963 – to educate potential young viewers about subjects of history. The opening scene between Barbara and Susan, acts as the perfect beginner’s guide about the Aztec civilisation; a short, potted summary of the established conceptions of them. Later we join Susan, as she is compelled to learn about Aztec traditions. Interestingly, this never really happens elsewhere in the programme. In all history stories, and in fact, all, serials after this, Doctor Who frames its storytelling, from the perspective of the explorer, or the adventurer, whereas in The Aztecs, it is far more, of the teacher. That turns The Aztecs then, into a rare anomaly, considering that even Marco Polo is based on a potential fictitious historical figure. Despite Sydney Newman’s original intentions to make Doctor Who in part, an educational TV show; the pure historical format instead used recorded history as a framework for an original drama or comedy narrative to thrill and entertain. Even a lot of The Aztecs feels as if to have been worked in this manner. And yet the remnants of the programme’s early mission, do make for an interesting curiosity.

Unlike Marco Polo however, The Aztecs, very fortunately never went missing from the archives, and is an unmitigated joy to boot. The Aztecs is a straightforward moral parable, brilliantly told, with a clarity of focus and storytelling, that makes the drama electric! In part, this is because the whole storyline hinges around the fundamental question of whether Barbara, knowing the Aztecs’ dark and doomed fate, should interfere in their society, culture, and furthermore, history; to help make them a better civilisation. Just a few months into its life, Doctor Who is already inviting its audience to consider and question its nature and purpose as a programme. To me, that very point alone, I find truly amazing – that the show is already so fearless, brave and ambitious, that it’s not afraid to go beyond safe, spoon-fed, and disposable television. It’s one of the reasons I love the show, and particularly this era of Doctor Who so much – the depth of the narrative, the rich variety of storylines, the quiet heroism of its lead characters, but perhaps also its unerring ability to make you think.

Barbara’s moral dilemma in this story, has been quantified in terms of time travel – to change the course of history, regardless of motive. The Aztecs interestingly, also marks the first time Doctor Who acknowledges itself, as a time travel-themed show. The grandfather paradox of trying to change history, but inadvertently changing yourself to the point you can’t go back in time, to change history in the first place; is perhaps one of the biggest and most well-known aspects of Time Travel theory, and Doctor Who is already trying to tackle it head on, albeit in this case, in a fascinating way. Barbara’s motives to attempt this are clearly noble – to preserve human life, and the progressive elements of Aztec culture; but the script floats the idea that history can never be changed; that the timelines even fight back to preserve their original shape. The dilemma also throws some interesting development on the Doctor too, who insists that it’s impossible to change the course of history at all. In the decades since, the programme, and the Doctor, clearly evolve their viewpoint on that, to become rather more nuanced. Plus, it’s hard to determine, whether the Doctor’s conviction, is because of his companion Barbara’s inexperience with matters relating to time travel; or whether he’s just aghast at the damage her action may inflict on future timelines. In The Aztecs at least, though, the course of history, in terms of time travel, can only be set once; and is pre-destined to follow its original path.

So, the moral dilemma, gets reset, by the confirmation of history, turning it into a bit of a moot point. Despite the Time Travel aspect though, the dilemma feels arguably more a cultural and political, rather than a scientific one. Barbara is effectively asking the Aztecs to throw away their own beliefs, traditions and accepted histories, even if it doesn’t automatically fly in the face of their values. Indeed, the Doctor’s remonstration of Barbara is also very much about her trying to overturn a whole peaceful society, and send a culture into turmoil, purely to enforce advanced beliefs on them. This may seem doubly abhorrent to the Doctor, given he still sees the 20^th century beliefs of Ian and Barbara’s home, as fairly backward and primitive too. Even Barbara realises this too, when the story’s narrative concludes, harshly critiquing herself, recognising her foolish arrogance. I like though, how the Doctor sweetly comforts her, by confirming that her motives, however misguided, were pure, and that she did at least help one man – the high priest Autloc.

Autloc and the other Aztecs, not to mention the regular characters, all help to give this dilemma and period epic, a sense of dramatic realism, thanks to their detailed portrayal in the script. John Lucarotti manages to craft a well-rounded and convincing civilisation to represent the Aztecs, and most aspects of their basic beliefs and culture. We witness their religious belief in human sacrifice, and the traditions and mythology that has built up around them; education centres that communicate and reinforce those beliefs and traditions; sophisticated gardens; and the staunch military code of honour and glory, of their warrior classes. All these aspects of the Aztec culture are skilfully joined together, and compliment and clarify the Aztecs’ overall worldview.

Autloc is perhaps the most relatable, and accessible member of the Aztecs, as far as the audience is concerned. He has an open mind, always seeking the truth in events, but at the same time, is almost an impartial, even spiritual arbiter; happy to listen to all parties, to help form the best conclusions. It’s this inbuilt, balanced sense of fairness in Autloc, which gives him an unspoken, almost invincible air of respect among the other Aztecs. Autloc, is also unceasingly kind, which in part proves to be his undoing; as his kindness in supporting Barbara, blinds him to the ultimate truth of her deception in being the high priestess Yetaxa.

Cameca, a friend of Autloc’s, is another fantastic, and subtly written character, with a charming sweetness of heart, and quiet wisdom, which The Doctor picks up on immediately, during his desperation to find more information about the Aztec Tomb. I absolutely love the fondness that develops between them throughout the course of the story, as two, free wise spirits find great comfort, in each other’s company. It supplies the story, with some of its greatest moments, and The Doctor accidentally getting engaged is perhaps one of the most hilarious things, to ever happen in the entire show.

In contrast, is the ruthless Ixta, who is happy to befriend and support anyone who will further his ambition to become supreme Warrior. Ixta is wonderfully amoral, with no malice or bad word to say about anyone; but that just makes him all the more threatening as a villain. Ian and Ixta share some excellent fight talk, and banter between them, each teasing the other.

Tlotoxl is the only real exception, to this intelligent characterisation, in that despite his entertaining bloodthirsty, and devilish nature; he frequently comes across as a bit of a pantomime villain; lurking and plotting around every corner; yearning for the time travellers’ downfall. He eggs on Ixta, at his moment of humiliation, knowing that he can use his anger to strike down his enemies, even greater than before. If it wasn’t for his position of status, he would cut quite a pathetic figure.

The regular characters, meanwhile, are rarely better than they are here. All four of the travellers get some great material, although Barbara, understandably gets the biggest spotlight. In some ways, it’s been a long while coming. Ian maybe the most resourceful and daring one, out of the group, but it’s Barbara, who’s proved herself, in many ways, the intellectual equal of the Doctor, and up till now, even the most heroic.

Barbara can’t contain her curiosity at being in the time of the Aztecs, but cunningly finds a way to keep her friends relatively safe in this new, and fairly hostile environment. However, the more she learns, the more her conscience rules her head, so she tries to undo the backward evils of the Aztecs. Her failure, and the subsequent shock at her own naivety, leads her to fall back onto daring, almost courageous acts of ruthlessness, to help keep her friends alive, and stay ahead of Tlotoxl as much as possible. The strength of her character speaks volumes, as even when the situation is at its most desperate, Barbara finds it within herself to fight back against the odds, just long enough, to allow them time to escape again, at the end of the adventure. Barbara forms a genuine and touching friendship with High Priest Autloc, but that too she is forced to sacrifice, in order to, keep the Time Travellers alive.

The spotlight of the narrative also shines a fair amount on The Doctor too, with a sizeable amount of character development. Although Barbara is the first one to venture out into danger, it is now clearly The Doctor that is mostly leading the time travellers’ adventures. His strategies and cunning planning are what ultimately save them from the increasingly unsettled situation amongst the Aztecs; and it’s an interesting contrast when Barbara’s own bold and instinctive decisions, now make her at odds with the group, and put them further under threat. The Aztecs also marks the first occasion where the Doctor reveals any viewpoint or perspective of his travelling in time. Clearly, he’s experienced enough in his travels, to have ascertained a method, or manner of coexisting or manoeuvring among existing historical events and timelines. However, it’s a method that becomes increasingly flexible, or re-evaluated, the further the TV programme develops over the decades. What’s stark about the Doctor’s reaction here, is its one of combined horror, and resolute conviction. Maybe it points to a failed past interference by the Doctor himself, or another in his past experience? Further in contrast to some of Barbara’s actions, the Doctor manages to effortlessly immerse himself amongst the ancient Aztec society, partly through charm and humility, but also through cunning and observance. He works out very quickly, how to communicate effectively, and even makes a cute friendship, with Cameca, curator of the Aztec gardens, which give us some of the greatest moments in the whole of Doctor Who. Even at the end of the adventure, the Doctor, tellingly, can’t even part with the memento, given to him by the dear Cameca. A rare moment of emotion indeed, for the Doctor, during the 60s era. Over the course of The Aztecs, the character of the Doctor warms a great deal; finally becoming the magical, whimsical, but wise, and avuncular hero, that we recognise more readily today.

Ian on the other hand, is given more lighter material to enjoy. Freed up from no longer being the more-serious lead, the character is allowed a lot more fun, while still being the key focus and regular character charged with all of the action. Ian’s quips with Ixta, certainly add some much-needed levity, to the more dramatic narrative around it, allowing for some great character work, away from the stock fights and action sequences.

Being a teenager, Susan is unfortunately still framed in the more adolescent tropes of being timid or rebellious. Nevertheless, she has some important scenes, layering the more rudimental groundwork, about the Aztec culture, without it feeling gratuitous.

In fact, the four regulars are expertly placed in the overall narrative, each having their own miniature plot. Barbara tries to maintain her fake status, as the reincarnated High Priest Yetaxa, trying to keep her friends alive; meanwhile The Doctor gets to know the local society, seeking a way back to the TARDIS; Ian fulfils the Aztec warrior tradition, and ends up competing with their champion; and Susan is forced to endure Aztec education and attempts to marry her off. As far as I know, this is probably the first story, where each of the regulars, are not just well-written, but all get a fair share of the action or plot between them.

In turn these plots, are overlaid with Tlotoxl’s obsession to overthrow Barbara’s false image as Yetaxa and regain his power hold over the Aztecs. Tlotoxl’s almost Shakespearean powerplay, is to endlessly test Barbara and her friends, for any weakness he can exploit; even pitting them unconsciously against each other. Despite his pantomime villainy, some of his traps are subtly put together; so, the time travellers are often kept on their toes. It helps to build to a climax in episode four, where they only just about gain access to the TARDIS, at the very moment, where Tlotoxl has finally won, and the only choice for the Doctor and his companions is to flee. Despite being very hard fought, including Ian fighting off Tlotoxl and Ixta, the hollow victory of escape, presents a rare and interesting downbeat conclusion, that we don’t see often in Doctor Who, perhaps bar Season Three, where the storylines take a much darker tone.

The perhaps darker subject matter though, is made thrilling by some of the electric performances on offer. John Ringham really brings the material to life, with a passionate and articulate performance as Tlotoxl. Although, the script paints the character with a very theatrical personality, Ringham never overplays it, and arguably helps the dialogue feel positively Shakespearean. Ixta is also turned into a convincing and strong villain, with another passionate, visual, and slightly larger-than-life performance by Ian Cullen. Ixta is a very believable warrior, and Cullen clearly enjoys portraying Ixta’s relish at the successful cunning of his own sadism. Keith Pyott, meanwhile, although rather stagey in moments of action, effectively displays the stillness of Autloc’s inner peace and personal wisdom. In turn, as Autloc’s World falls apart, Pyott believably portrays in stark contrast, a man tired of life, and haunted by the turmoil in his mind.

The four regulars, however, are even better than this stellar guest cast, and arguably at the top of their game here. William Hartnell and Jacqueline Hill are, I think, among the best they’ve ever been, with amazing standout performances, full of conviction throughout. Hartnell makes The Doctor, both measured and stern where it needs to be, but also displaying effortless charm and comic timing in the quieter scenes. Even when The Doctor rages at Barbara for interfering in history, Hartnell moves from electric anger, to delicate softness with ease, once The Doctor relaxes and comforts his distraught friend fondly. Jacqueline Hill equally rises to the occasion, with aplomb, putting up a strong face, when Barbara faces the Aztecs, showing her determined courage, but also bringing out her vulnerability at being pushed to limit, in relatable outbursts of emotion. It says a lot, when these scenes stand up against 21^st century drama, over 50 years later.

William Russell and Carole Ann Ford, despite given less to do, also make the most of their screen time. Russell, maintains a confident portrayal, as the ever dependable, loyal and active Ian; well-reflecting the character’s dismay at moments of peril in the narrative, without becoming overtly theatrical. Russell also enjoys the character’s rare moment of comedy, defeating Ixta with a trick of his thumb. Carole Ann Ford, meanwhile, skilfully underplays Susan’s innocence and powerful instincts, giving the character one of her most likeable, and believable appearances. Ford too, enjoys the rare, light moment of levity, injecting some warmth into Susan, during the quieter moments of Episode One, in particular.

While we have those quieter moments, one can easily appreciate the wider, beautiful, and fairly authentic set design on display, by Barry Newbery. Despite, they’re being only a few sets, each one masterfully, and economically depicts a different aspect of both the Aztec World and the characters they inhabit; whether it be the Combat training room, the Seminary, the Garden of Peace, or the much-talked Temple of Yetaxa. Costume design only builds upon that World. Barbara’s outfit is truly spectacular, and the Aztec costumes are visually striking. The backgrounds are admittedly painted backdrops, but even they don’t distract from so much that is well staged. The soundtrack, by Richard Rodney Bennett, is also very good: subtle, mainly using simple percussion, but is very effective, nonetheless.

John Crockett clearly directs the actors very well, encouraging great performances from virtually everyone; as well as staging them into very dramatic positions. He also makes good use of the set design and costumes in shot, to make the production feel far more ambitious than it is, for the time. Unfortunately, because of the time, Crockett is let down, by the awkwardness of BBC TV Cameras, not built for tracking or movement. You can clearly see them struggling to keep up with the fluidity of John Crockett’s vision for the production.

Ambitious, beautifully realised, and confidently written and performed, The Aztecs, despite the occasional light padding, is undoubtedly one of Doctor Who strongest serials of the 1960s. An absolute classic, in fact. The depiction and writing of this historical period, is convincingly realistic, relatable even, due to the fantastic characterisation of Autloc, Cameca, Ixta and Tlotoxl. Even the smaller characters, sketch detail into the rich culture of the civilisation. Within this fantastic realisation, our four time-travellers are thrown into a great parable, of high drama, action and ethical dilemma, really challenging the concepts behind the programme itself. Furthermore, the regular characters emerge stronger, convincing, and more loveable than ever. Barbara arguably becomes as important as The Doctor, bravely fighting the increasingly impossible odds of survival, against the Aztecs, through a mixture of politics and passionate conviction. The Doctor also holds his own, while showing a more vulnerable, caring and romantic side; that really helps bring the magic into the character, not to mention William Hartnell’s increasingly confident performance. The Aztecs stands the test of time, as one of Doctor Who’s strongest period dramas, let alone one of its best pure historical serials. An atmospheric drama, that’s a pure joy to be immersed in, even with some of the dated production values. If only Doctor Who did this much more often.

Score: 10/10