4x02 The Fires of Pompeii - Doctor Who (UK) Episode Guide

Doctor Who (UK)

- Episode 04x02

Episode: 04x02
Title: The Fires of Pompeii
Type: Regular Episode
Production Code: N/A
First Aired: Apr. 12, 2008

Season 4 » Episode #02 - The Fires of Pompeii

Doctor Who (UK) - 04x02 The Fires of Pompeii

Summary: The Doctor and Donna arrive in Pompeii on the eve of its famous eruption. But should they warn the residents of the catastrophe that is about to befall them, or leave them to their fate...

Who appeared in this episode?

The Doctor

Guest Stars:

Donna Noble	played by Catherine Tate (II)
Stallholder	played by Phil Cornwell
Soothsayer	played by Karen Gillan
Spurrina	played by Sasha Behar
Thalina	played by Lorraine Burroughs
Caecillius	played by Peter Capaldi
Metella	played by Tracey Childs
Evelina	played by Francesca Fowler
Quintus	played by Fran�ois Pandolfo

Season 4 / Episode 2: - The Fires of Pompeii

Donna Noble: What time does Vesuvius erupt? When's it due?
The Doctor: It's 79 A.D. 23rd of August; which makes Volcano day-tomorrow.
Donna Noble: Plenty of time. We can get everyone out, easy.
The Doctor: Yeah, except we're not going to.
Donna Noble: But that's what you do. You're the Doctor. You save people.
The Doctor: Not this time. Pompeii is a fixed point in history. What happens, happens. There's no stopping it.
Donna Noble: Says who?
The Doctor: Says me.
Donna Noble: What, and you're in charge?
The Doctor: TARDIS, Time Lord-yeah!
Donna Noble: Donna, Human-no! I don't need your permission. I'll tell them myself.
The Doctor: If you stand in the market place, announce the end of the world they're just gonna think you're a mad ol' Soothsayer. Now come on; TARDIS, we're getting out of here.

Donna Noble: Well, I just might have

Donna Noble: something to say about that, Spaceman!
The Doctor: [shouts back] Oh, I bet you will!

Season 4 / Episode 2: - The Fires of Pompeii

Donna Noble: You fought her off with a water pistol. I bloody love you!

[More Quotes]

MISTAKES/GOOFS

FAKE: During the earthquakes in Caecillius' house before the eruption, despite the walls, statues and other ornaments shaking, the water in the pond remained perfectly still.

TRIVIA

The Doctor tells Donna he had been to Rome once before, and that he "had nothing to do with that fire." This is a reference to the fact that the first Doctor (William Hartnell) visited Rome in the original series of "Doctor Who" (1963), in the 4-part serial "The Romans" (1965). Although the Doctor did not directly start the fire, he did hold a map a bit too close to an open flame, giving Nero an idea.
Whenever The Doctor and his companions visit a non-English speaking locale, the TARDIS translates speech and text for them. Curious about this, Donna tries speaking Latin in pre-volcano Pompeii; this sounds to the Pompeiians as Celtic. Throughout the show, when they utter a trivial Latin phrase, someone comments that they must be Celtic. And when The Doctor mentions San Francisco (from Spanish), Caecillius thinks it's a new restaurant in Naples.
Caecilius, Metella and Quintus are all named after characters who appeared in the first book of the Cambridge Latin Course, which is set in Pompeii just before its destruction.
Karen Gillan, who appears here as the Soothsayer, would later be cast as Amy Pond, the new companion for series 5.
Much of this episode was shot at the Cinecittà studio in Rome, Italy. This marked the first time Doctor Who had been substantially filmed outside the UK since the 1996 revival TV movie was produced in Vancouver, Canada. (The last regular series installment to include substantial production outside the UK was the 1985 two-part episode "The Two Doctors").