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190) THE FIRES OF POMPEII

12 April 2008

Viewing Figure: 9M

Plot

Landing in Pompeii AD79, The Doctor discovers that the Pyroviles plan to change history and stop Vesuvius erupting

Cast

David Tennant (The Doctor), Catherine Tate (Donna Noble), Phil Cornwell (Stallholder), Karen Gillan (Soothsayer)

Sasha Behar (Spurrina), Lorraine Burroughs (Thalina), Peter Capaldi (Caecilius), Tracey Childs (Metella), Francesca Fowler (Evelina)

Francois Pandolfo (Quintus), Victoria Wicks (High Priestess), Gerald Bell (Major Domo), Phil Davis (Lucius)

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Uncredited Cast

Natalie Danks-Smith (3rd Sibylline Sister), Adele Orchard, Flora Katsouris, Laura Marklew, Lottie Ball, Marie Clarie Smith

Katie Holder (Sisters), Chris Barber, Noel Brodie, Damien Edwards, Marcus Maggio, Ian Newbury, Andrew Reynolds (Cult of Vulcan)  

Crew

James Moran (Writer), Phil Collinson (Producer), JColin Teague (Director), Dan Mumford (1st Assistant Director)

Jennie Fava (2nd Assistant Director), Sarah Davies (3rd Assistant Director), Gareth Skelding (Location Managers)

Rhys Griffiths (Unit Manager), Jess van Niekerk (Production Co-ordinator), Debi Griffiths (Asst Production Co-ordinator),

Kevin Myers (Production Secretary), Nicola Brown (Production Runner), Heddi Joy Taylor (Floor Runner)

Lisa Hayward (Contracts Assistant), Sheila Johnston (Continuity), Brian Minchin (Script Editor)

Rory Taylor, Julian Barber (Camera Operators), Steve Rees (Focus Pullers), Jon Vidgen (Camera Assistant), John Robinson (Grip)

Jeff Welch, Bryn Thomas (Boom Operators), Mark Hutchings (Gaffer), Peter Chester (Best Boy), Tom Lucy (Stunt Co-ordinator)

Alisa Berk (Choreographer), Stephen Nicholas (Chief Sup Art Director), Jonathan Marquand Allison (Art Dept Production Manager)

Arwel Wyn Jones (Supervising Art Director), James North (Associate Designer), Amy Pope (Art Dept Co-ordinator)

Tim Dickel (Set Decorator), Catherine Samuel (Props Buyer), Jamie MacWilliam (Standby Art Director)

Sarah Payne (Design Assistant), Shaun Williams (Storyboard Artist), Phill Shellard, Nick Murray (Standby Props)

Will Pope (Standby Carpenter), Ellen Woods (Standby Painter), Keith Freeman (Standby Rigger), Phil Lyons (Property Master)

Barry Jones (Senior Props Maker), Jon Grundon (Props Maker), Albert James (Practical Electrician)

Matthew Hywel-Davies (Construction Manager), Scott Fisher (Construction Chargehand), BBC Wales Graphics (Graphics)

Lindsay Bonaccorsi (Costume Supervisor), Rose Goodhart (Asst Costume Designer)

Barbara Harrington, Louise Martin (Costume Assistants), Pam Mullins, Steve Smith, John Munro, Morag Smith (Make-Up Artists)

Andy Brierley, Amy Rodgers (Casting Associates), Ceres Doyle (VFX Editor)

Samantha Hall, Chris Blatchford (Post Production Supervisors), Marie Brown (Post Prod Co-ordinator), Ben Ashmore (SFX Co-ordinator)

Danny Hargreaves (SFX Supervisor), Neill Gorton (Prosthetics Designer), Rob Mayor (Prosthetics Supervisor)

Sarah Lockwood (Prosphetics Make Up Artist), Jon Moore (Prosphetics Technician), Matthew Clarke, Mark Bright (Online Editors)

Mick Vincent (Colourist), Adam Burnet, Jean -Claude Deguara, Nick Webber, Andy Guest, Neil Roche, Ruth Bailey (3D Artists)

Russell Horth, Bryan Bartlett, Murray Barber, Adrian Cirulli (2D Artists), Simon Wicker, Alex Fort, Charlie Bennett (Matte Painters)

Jenna Powell, Rebecca Johnson (VFX Co-ordinators), Marianne Paton (VFX Production Assistant), Tim Barter (On Set VFX Supervisor)

Tim Ricketts (Dubbing Mixer), Paul McFadden (Supervising Sound Editor), Paul Jefferies (Sound FX Editor)

Chris Rogers (Finance Manager), Guido Cerasuolo (Line Producer Italy)

with thanks to the BBC National Orchestra of Wales and Cinecetta Studios, Rome, Ron Grainer (Original Theme Music)

Andy Pryor CDG (Casting Director), Julie Scott (Production Executive), Oliver Ager (Production Accountant)

Julian Howarth (Sound Recordist), Louise Page (Costume Designer), Barbara Southcott (Make-Up Designer), Murray Gold (Music)

The Mill (Visual Effects), Will Cohen, Marie Jones (Visual FX Producers), Dave Houghton (Visual FX Supervisor)

Any Effects (Special Effects), Millennium FX (Porspethics), Mike Hopkins (Editor), Edward Thomas (Production Designer)

Ernie Vincze BSC (Director of Photography), Tracie Simpson (Production Manager), Russell T Davies, Julie Gardner (Executive Producers)  

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Uncredited Crew

James Blackwell (1st Assistant Director), Paul Bennett (3rd Assistant Director), Jonathan Allott (Locaiton Manager), Andy Newbery (Floor Runner)

Kath Blackman (Contracts Assistant), Ant Hugill (Focus Puller), Tom Hartley, Penny Shipton (Camera Assistants), Dave Holliday

Steve Pugh, Marcello Troiani (Grip), Anthony Hurst (Boom Operator), Federico Conte (Gaffer), Anna Coote (Art Dept Co-ordinator)

Cristina Onori (Set Decorator), Peter McKinstry, Al Roberts (Design Assistants), Des Ward, Joshua Freeman (Standby Rigger)

Paul Aitken (Property Master), Penny Howarth, Nick Robatto (Props Makers), SAugusto Grassi, Uliva Pizzetti (Costume Supervisor)

Andi Mears, Gemma Evans, Giampaolo Grassi, Cristinia Casani, Augusto Volpini (Costume Assistants)

Cathy Davies, Sara Angharad (Make-Up Artists)

Broadcast

Filming Locations

  • Cinecitta Studios, Via Tusolana, Rome

  • Mount Vesuvius, nr Naples

  • Welsh Centre for International Affairs, Temple of Peace, College Road, Cardiff

  • Upper Boat Studios: Studio 6, Trefforest

  • Clearwell Caves, nr Coleford, Gloucestershire

  • Morlais Quarry, Pontsarn Road, Merthyr Tydfil

  • Cemex, Taffs Well Quarry, Ty Nant Road, Taffs Well

Deaths

  • Stallholder [killed during Vesuvius' eruption]

  • Soothsayer [killed during Vesuvius' eruption]

  • Spurrina [killed during Vesuvius' eruption]

  • Thalina [killed during Vesuvius' eruption]

  • High Priestess [killed during Vesuvius' eruption]

  • Major Domo [incinerated by a Pyrovile]

  • Lucius [killed inside Mount Vesuvius]

  • Sibylline Sisterhood [killed during Vesuvius' eruption]

  • Pyrovile [killed when cover in water]

  • Pyroviles [killed inside Mount Vesuvius]

  • Citizens of Pompeii [killed during Vesuvius' eruption]

Production Days

76) THE ARK IN SPACE

  • 16 Days between Thursday 13 September - Saturday 20 October 2007

Production Errors

  1. Before finding out that everyone with 'gift' is breathing in fumes from Vesuvius, The Doctor's glasses fog up but in the following shot they are clear

Working Titles

  • [no known working titles]

Verdict

The series makes it three for three with another well put together episode set sometime in Earth’s past. The Doctor is put in a different situation where he cannot meddle with history and must let the death and destruction which will follow happen. Donna provides a moral dilemma for The Doctor where she is not going to sit back and just do as she is told. The new companion shows that travelling throughout time and space can cause somebody to act in ways they may later come to regret. The plot has many elements to it, the Sibylline Sisterhood, the Pyroviles, the citizens of Pompeii turning into stone and the alternative route that history can take if The Doctor does not make an impossible choice. The episode is full of delights – Donna attempting to speak Latin and fails miserably, the Doctor fighting off an enemy with a water pistol and The Doctor ultimately giving into Donna's request and saving the Caecilius family. An overly aesthetically pleasing episode which shines on a number of levels with a good message that will rarely be revisited on the show. ****​

Number of Production Days: 5

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