This episode was the last time Henric Hirsch directed for the BBC. He mostly stuck to theatre work afterwards, although he did a little more TV for the commercial stations. It's also the first chance to see his work since he recovered from his exhaustion. The direction is back to competent but uninspired; some of the sets still look cramped, even though this was filmed in the relatively palatial TC4. Still, most of the sets (and particularly the ones in the inn, which is also where most of the interesting direction happens) look good.
The story rattles along at a good pace. If anything, it's a little too hurried in places; but that captures the sense of a pivotal moment in European history, the beginning of the end of the reign of terror, so it's appropriate. And hey, I was right about Lemaitre! This wasn't a "too obvious, how boring" revelation, though; there was enough ambiguity that I could appreciate the mystery despite there being a lack of other suitable candidates.
The historical detail is also good; at no point did I feel lectured at. The foreshadowing of the Age of Napoleon was a welcome touch as I know less about the Little Corporal than I do about the Revolution, and Robespierre's downfall was well done, with an impressive crowd of extras. In fact, this serial has made good use of extras to help a reasonably large cast seem even larger.
Speaking of the cast, some of the acting this time is a bit...stagey. There's nothing too egregious, but it does knock maybe half a point off my score. William Hartnell isn't so dominant this time: he still gets some good material, but William Russell and Jacqueline Hill both have more to get their teeth into as well. Once again Carole Ann Ford is left out in the cold (or in this case down in the dungeon).
So far as wrapping up the serial goes, this is a fine episode. But there are really two endings here, because it also has to wrap up the first season, and here things are a little less clear, so I want to take a closer look. The transition from Paris works well, with the map overlaid on stock footage of a coach; and then we get a final shot of the TARDIS exterior before a comrades-in-adversity scene inside. This has quite a family feel, with Ian and Susan messing about with the Doctor's hat and a good-natured discussion of why they couldn't change history. Then there's a closing view of the stars, and the Doctor - in a voice recorded to be all echoey - gives his speech about how "our destiny is in the stars, so let's go and search for it." All very nice - a noble, forward-looking end.
Hang on just a minute, though: this is the very same Doctor who tried to chuck Iananbarbara off the ship at the start of this adventure! Obviously he's changed his mind, but when? Didn't the production team think it worth a discussion? Or maybe it was discussed, and I just slept through it?
I thought the "chuck them off" subplot was poorly introduced at the end of The Sensorites, and now it appears to have been quietly forgotten about. It could just as easily have been presented as an ordinary argument about the Doctor's ability to control the TARDIS. It all leaves a bit of an unpleasant taste in the mouth, and I have to make a conscious decision not to let it spoil an otherwise successful ending.
Behind the Scenes, part 2: A Controlling Interest
Although David Whitaker had already announced that Dennis Spooner would be replacing him as script editor after serial K, there was still no guarantee that any more episodes of the show would be made. With their contracts due to expire soon, Hartnell had been offered another role and Russell was actively looking around; Verity Lambert did her best to persuade BBC TV Controller Donald Baverstock that his indecision could effectively end the program, and he finally announced on the 14th of August - the day Prisoners of Conciergerie was recorded - that the run would be extended for another 13 episodes, with an option on 13 more. This was the last time during the Hartnell era that the show would come so close to cancellation.
Broadcast:
Date: Saturday, 12th September 1964
Viewers: 6.4 million
Chart Position: 38
Appreciation Index: 55
Rating:
7/10.
Next Time:
Serial H as a whole.
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