The Fires of Pompeii

190 – "The Fires of Pompeii"
Doctor Who episode
A giant creature resembling a volcano bears down on a man and a woman inside Mount Vesuvius.
An adult Pyrovile bears down on the Doctor and Donna inside Mount Vesuvius.
Cast
Others
Production
Directed byColin Teague
Written byJames Moran
Script editorBrian Minchin
Produced byPhil Collinson
Executive producer(s)Russell T Davies
Julie Gardner
Music byMurray Gold
Production code4.3
SeriesSeries 4
Running time50 minutes
First broadcast12 April 2008 (2008-04-12)
Chronology
← Preceded by
"Partners in Crime"
Followed by →
"Planet of the Ood"
List of Doctor Who episodes (2005–present)

"The Fires of Pompeii" is the second episode of the fourth series of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It was broadcast on BBC One on 12 April 2008. Set shortly before and during the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in AD 79, this episode depicts alien time traveller the Doctor (David Tennant) and his new companion Donna Noble (Catherine Tate) on a trip to Pompeii, where they uncover an alien invasion. Their clashing worldviews present an ethical dilemma for the Doctor.

The episode was filmed in Rome's Cinecittà studios, and was the first time the Doctor Who production team took its cast abroad for filming since its revival.[1] The production of the episode was impeded by a fire near the sets several weeks before filming and by problems for the production team crossing into Europe.

Critics' opinions regarding the episode were generally mixed. The premise of the episode—the moral dilemma the Doctor faces, and Donna's insistence that he save a family from Pompeii—was widely praised, while the writing, particularly of the supporting characters, was criticised.

"The Fires of Pompeii" marks the first appearance on Doctor Who by both Karen Gillan and Peter Capaldi. Both would later take starring roles on the show: Gillan was cast as the Doctor's new companion Amy Pond starting with the next series, and Capaldi appeared as the Twelfth Doctor beginning in 2013.

  1. ^ "Doctor Who Watch". Radio Times. No. 12–18 April 2008. BBC. April 2008. pp. 10–15.