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The Massacre Missing Sequence

By Jon Preddle

When John Lucarotti wrote the novelisation of The Massacre, he omitted the final sequence from his 1966 story - a section that had been added by script editor Donald Tosh.

The sequence is important in that it provides an insight into the Doctor's character via a soliloquy. It also introduces new companion Dodo Chaplet (Jackie Lane), in place of Anne Chaplette who had been left behind in Paris 1572 when the Doctor and Steven fled as the massacre of the Huguenots began. The intention was to show that Anne might have survived by suggesting that Dodo was one of her descendants, but the link is not as strong as was hoped as William Hartnell accidentally omitted some of his dialogue.

The following transcript has been made from an audio recording, since the video recordings of this story are lost, presumed destroyed.

STEVEN: Surely there was something we could have done?
THE DOCTOR: No, my boy. Nothing. We cannot change the course of history; you know that! The massacre continued for several days in Paris, then spread to other parts of France. Ah, a senseless waste. What a terrible thing...
STEVEN: Did they all die?
THE DOCTOR: Yes, most of them. About ten thousand in Paris alone.
STEVEN: The Admiral... Nicholas... I can't believe I left Anne Chaplette there to die...
THE DOCTOR: Anne Chaplette?
STEVEN: The girl! The girl who was with me. If you'd brought her, she shouldn't have needed to die, but no, you had to leave them there to be slaughtered.
THE DOCTOR: It is possible, of course, she didn't die.
STEVEN: Look, how? That girl was already hunted by the Catholic guards, and they chose - out of ten thousand houses - to spare hers? You don't care, do you? You can't say for certain that you weren't responsible for that girl's death...
THE DOCTOR: I was not responsible!
STEVEN: Oh no, you just sent her back to her aunt's house, where the guards were waiting to catch her. I tell you this much, Doctor: wherever this machine of yours lands next, I'm getting off. If your "researches" have so little regard for human life, then I want no part of them.
(The TARDIS materialises)
THE DOCTOR: We've landed. Your mind's made up?
STEVEN: Goodbye.
(STEVEN pauses to check the scanner, then opens the doors)
THE DOCTOR: My dear Steven, history sometimes gives us a terrible shock, and that is because we don't quite fully understand. Why should we? After all, we're all too small to realise its final pattern. Therefore don't try and judge it from where you stand. I was right to do as I did. Yes, that I firmly believe.
(STEVEN walks out)
THE DOCTOR: Steven... Even after all this time he cannot understand. I dare not change the course of history. Well, at least I taught him to take some precautions: he did remember to look at the scanner before he opened the doors. And now, they're all gone. All gone. None of them could understand. Not even my little Susan. Or Vicki. And as for Barbara and Chatterton... Chesterton, they were all too impatient to get back to their own time. And now, Steven. Perhaps I should go home. Back to my own planet. But I can t... I can't...
(A girl runs across an English common and enters the TARDIS)
THE DOCTOR: Who are you?
DODO: Where's the telephone?
THE DOCTOR: What did you say?
DODO: Where's the telephone? I've got to ring up.
THE DOCTOR: Oh, pull yourself together child. I think you've made a mistake. I haven't got one.
DODO: Well this is a police box. It says so outside.
THE DOCTOR: Yes, yes, I know, but it isn't... You know what I mean. Now run along and find another police box. In any case, what do you want to do with the police?
DODO: There's been an accident. A little boy's been hurt and I've got to phone the police.
THE DOCTOR: Oh well, I'm afraid I can't help you. No, you must run along and phone the police somewhere else - and at the same time phone for an ambulance.
DODO: Wait a minute... If this isn't a police box, what is it? And who are you?
THE DOCTOR: Well, my dear, I am a doctor of science, and this machine is for travelling through time and relative dimensions in space. Now...
DODO: You what?
THE DOCTOR: Oh never mind, my dear, never mind... Run along...
DODO: There's something odd going on.
THE DOCTOR: Oh, please child...
(STEVEN rushes back into the TARDIS)
STEVEN: Doctor - you've got to take off!
THE DOCTOR: Oh, so you've come back, my boy!
STEVEN: Yes, I've come back, but we can't get into that now. There are two policemen coming across the common towards the TARDIS!
THE DOCTOR: Coming here? Good gracious! They'll be wanting to use the telephone!
(THE DOCTOR closes the doors. The TARDIS dematerialises)
STEVEN: That was close.
THE DOCTOR: Well, young man, what made you change your mind, hmm?
(STEVEN notices DODO for the first time)
STEVEN: How did you get in here?
DODO: Same as you did.
STEVEN: But don't you realise what's happened? We've taken off. We could land anywhere.
DODO: What? Travel? Where to?
STEVEN: But we're travelling in Time and Space! We're not on Earth anymore. We could land in any age!
DODO: Tell us another one...
(STEVEN turns to THE DOCTOR)
STEVEN: Doctor, how could you?
THE DOCTOR: What else could I do, dear boy? You don't want a couple of policemen aboard the TARDIS, do you? Please - you are the most inconsistent young man. Just now you were telling me off for not letting the Chaplette girl aboard...
STEVEN: But that was different. (He turns to DODO) This is no joyride, you know! You may never get home again.
DODO: I don't care.
STEVEN: But what about your parents?
DODO: I haven't got any. I live with me Great Aunt. And anyway, she won't care if she never sees me again...
THE DOCTOR: You see - all that fuss about nothing. And don't you think she looks rather like my granddaughter Susan?
STEVEN: You forget - I've never met your granddaughter.
THE DOCTOR: No, no, no - of course not. (He laughs) Yes, but she does, you know! What's your name, child?
DODO: Dodo.
THE DOCTOR: What?
DODO: Dorothea, really; Dorothea Chaplet.
STEVEN: Chaplet?! You're not French, are you?
DODO: Don't be daft. Me granddad was though.
STEVEN: Doctor, it's not possible is it? Chaplet... Great Aunt...?
THE DOCTOR: Yes, it is possible, my boy. Very possible! Welcome aboard the TARDIS, Miss Dorothea Chaplet.
DODO: Dodo!
THE DOCTOR: Oh, yes my dear, my dear... (THE DOCTOR laughs)
Next Episode:
THE STEEL SKY

This item appeared in TSV 7 (May 1988).

Index nodes: The Massacre
Reprinted in: The Best of TSV 1-20, TSV: The Best of Issues 1-20