DW 04-02: The Fires of Pompeii

A Guide to Classic Who references (and other references) in new Who.

Doctor Who Series 4 episode 2 (Story 34).  The Doctor and visit Pompeii just before Volcano Day.

May contain spoilers for

"Fires of Pompeii"

References:

[OLD] - Things that first appeared in the classic Doctor Who series (or the film.)  Episode List.

For context, the following are also covered:

[1ST] -  The first appearance of things in Doctor Who series.

[NEW] - Things that first appeared previously in the new Doctor Who series.

Ongoing References:

• [OLD]  The TARDIS - The Doctor's time and space travel vechicle.  TARDIS stands for Time And Relative Dimension(s) In Space.  Like a lot of Time Lord technology it is "bigger on the inside."  The Doctor stole his Tardis when fleeing Gallifrey.  It is an older model ("Type 40") and unreliable, often ending up in the wrong location and the chamleon circuit - designed to make the Tardis appear inconspicuous in any surroundings it appears has failed so it always appears as a police telephone box from 1960s England.  It was thought to be art in the Fourth Doctor story "The City of Death" (Season 17).

• [OLD] The Doctor - The main character.  Real name: unknown; actual age: unclear.  Status as a Medical Doctor:  Undetermined.  He is a Time Lord from the Planet Gallifrey.

• [OLD] Sonic Screwdriver - The Doctor's favourite tool.  First appeared in "Fury of the Deep" (Season 5) and has been used off and on by various Doctor including the Ninth and Tenth.

• [NEW]  Shadow Proclamation - Laws invoked by the Ninth Doctor ("Rose"), clumsily by Rose herself ("The Christmas Invasion") and the Tenth Doctor ("Fear Her" and "Partners in Crime").  Like this episode, it is usually refered to as a set of laws, although in "Partners in Crime" Mrs Foster implied it was also an organisation.

From this episode:

• [OLD]  Rome - A real place, obviously.  The First Doctor visited ancient Rome (in 64AD) in the aptly titled "The Romans" (Season 2), where this happens:

DOCTOR: Surely you have...so many other important things to attend to without standing here, “chewing over” the facts with me? (He smells the air.) Good gracious, there’s something burning!

NERO: My plans! My drawings for New Rome! You fool! You idiot! 

A lifetime’s work! I’ll have you both killed over and over again! Guards! Guards!

Fool! Idiot! Traitor! Pig! I’ll stick you both in the arena, on an island with water all round, a...and in the water there will be Alligators and the water level will be raised and the Alligators will get you! Fool! Traitor...!

Brilliant! You…are…a…genius! A genius! (Laughs.) I will make you rich! Rich! (Laughs.) So the senate wouldn’t pass my plans, eh? Wouldn’t let me build my New Rome? But, if the old one is burnt, if it goes up in flames, they will have no choice! Rome will be rebuilt to my design! Brilliant! Brilliant!

• [NEW]  "Volcano Day" - A term used by Captain Jack Hackness in "The Doctor Dances" when describing "self cleaning" cons where you arrange for the thing you sell to be destroyed by a historical event before the buyer can get a proper look at it:

The London Blitz is great for self-cleaners. Pompeii's nice if you want to make a vacation of it though, but you've got to set your alarm for volcano day.

• [1ST]  Sibyl - First reference to the Doctor know a Sibyl, who were Greek prophetesses, known only by thier locations (most notably the Delphic Sibyl) and for their frenzied dancing.

• [NEW]  "Your home is lost in fire." - Obviously a reference to the destruction of Gallifrey during the Time War.

• [NEW]  "She is returning" - There is no way to know who "She" is.

• [1ST]  "Something on your back" - First reference to this.  I'm sure it means nothing.

• [NEW]  "The cascade of Medusa herself" - While taunting the aged Doctor in "Last of the Timelords" the Master said: "He sealed the rift at the Medusa Cascade single-handed."

• [1ST]  The Pyrovile - First appearance of these aliens.

~ DUG.

Other new Doctor Who episodes.

The Time Crash blog was created to help New Who fans understand Classic Who references - and to know if something isn't a reference but a new idea.  If there's a reference I missed or a subject that you feel needs more explaining, please comment