Doctor Who - The Aztecs [1964] [DVD] [1963]

Apart from Hartnell the acting is variable to say the least, especially from his erstwhile companions. However, John Ringham as Tlotoxl is a highlight. Basically, he does Oliver's Richard III. He's hilarious while, at the same time, curiously appropiate. He develops the intrigue of the complex and morally ambiguous plot which explores the fallacy of an outsider(in this case, Barbara) interfering with an established culture. The intelligence of Dr Who's scripts obviously contributed to its broad audience.

The DVD has some excellent features, notably the documentary 'Remembering the Aztecs', and the digital remastering of the original material is superb.

Not just history or nostalgia, but genuinely engaging television for a 21st century audience.

This episode is unique in that one of the companions, Barbara, gets the main plot. However, every other companion gets their own sub-plot which doesn't support the main plot, it is a fascinating experience in itself. The acting is the best acting ever seen on Doctor Who. The effects do not impress much, but don't forget that you can't expect too much in that department from B&W episodes. At least the BBC didn't try out too much, so the effects aren't bad, they're just not impressive.

What is interesting is that, although this story is based purely on history (i.e. no futuristic or alien elements) it is still fantastic!

You don't need to be a fan of Doctor Who to enjoy this. If you are a first-time buyer, this should be a strong contender, and don't let anyone tell you otherwise, as I'm sure most fans will agree that this is AMAZING!

BUY IT!!!

With John Lucarotti's The Aztecs we have the earliest surviving Hartnell Historical, not counting An Unearthly Child. The Historicals were a regular occurrence in the early years of the programme - semi-educational stories to which, beyond the arrival of the travellers themselves, there was no Sci-Fi element at all, with the threats and hazards being entirely of human origin at various notable periods in Earth history.
With the Historical format, there is a risk that a story such as The Aztecs could become a bit dry from time to time, and this is indeed the case. However, The Aztecs is also a very well-written story, performed by an able cast and full of well-drawn characters.
Particularly convincing is the conniving High Priest of Sacrifice, the despicable Tlotoxl (played with venom by John Ringham). Tlotoxl is an unpleasant character who quickly sees through Barbara's disguise as Yetaxa and spends the rest of the story trying to destroy her. Barbara, on the other hand, is determined to try to right what she perceives as the wrongs of the Aztec society, despite the Doctor's warnings that she is bound to fail.
Hartnell is on good crusty form as the Doctor and William Russell and Jaqueline Hill (Ian and Barbara) both play their parts excellently. Given the considerable creative flair on display in the set design and costumes, it's only a shame that we don't get to enjoy this story in colour.
The Aztecs, although not without its limitations, is a good slice of 1960s Who, and the high standard of design and remastering just pushes the score up to a four. The story is also bolstered by a good package of extras: a sparse but enjoyable commentary with William Russell, Carole Ann Ford and producer Verity Lambert; the usual interesting and informative production subtitles; two exclusive featurettes featuring interviews with the cast and crew; and a few of other bits and bobs such as a Blue Peter spot on the Aztec civilisation and a guide to making Cocoa the Aztec way. The usual photo gallery has the bonus this time round of allowing us a few glimpses of the set in full colour, and it looks excellent.