Doctor Who: The Plotters

Doctor Who: Missing Adventures #28

by Gareth Roberts

'If anyone tries to interrupt this opening of Parliament, there'll be fireworks!'

London, November 1605. The TARDIS materialises at a crucial moment in British history. While Ian and Barbara set off for the Globe Theatre, Vicki accompanies the First Doctor on a mysterious mission to the court of King James.

What connects the King's advisor Robert Cecil with the sinister hooded figure known only as 'the Spaniard'? Why is the Doctor so anxious to observe the translation of the Bible? And could there be some dastardly plot brewing in the cellars of the Houses of Parliament?

As a history teacher, Barbara thinks she knows what to expect when she encounters a man called Guy Fawkes. But she is in for a very unpleasant surprise.

Genres: Doctor Who, Science Fiction, Historical Fiction, Ebooks, Fiction

287 pages, Paperback

First published December 21, 1996

About the author

Gareth Roberts has written TV scripts for various soap operas (including Brookeside, Springhill, and Emmerdale), Randall & Hopkirk (deceased), the revival of Doctor Who, the Sarah Jane Adventures, and Wizards vs Aliens.

Also for the Doctor Who universe, he has written the interactive adventure Attack of the Graske, the mobile phone TARDISODEs accompanying the 2006 series, several Big Finish audios, and multiple novels, as well as contributed to Doctor Who Magazine.

Reviews

[Ken · Rating 3 out of 5]

Arriving in London during November 1605, Ian and Barbara plan to visit the Globe theatre whilst Vicki accompanies The Doctor to King James court.

Interesting that Roberts would eventually go onto write The Shakespeare Code, theres a real sense that he’s knowledgeable on that time period.

Set between The Space Museum and The Chase there’s a real historical feel that you get with the Hartnell era. Whilst there’s also a throw back to stories from the second season.
Vicki dressing up in disguise as ‘Victor’ (The Crusades) then King James subsequent pursuits were very similar to Nero with Barbara (The Romans).

It’s a fun First Doctor romp with plenty of artistic twists that helped keep the story ticking along.
I practically liked the lines of dialogue, there was certainly enough humour in here too.

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

When the TARDIS once again misses its intended destination, the surprise is less that they failed to arrive than that it was closer than usual. For while the Ship materializes in London, it's not the London of 1963 but the London of 1605, with a dissolute king on the throne and discontent between Protestants and Catholics barely below the surface. As Ian and Barbara set out for the Globe Theatre, the Doctor and Vicki make their way to Whitehall to see the King James Bible taking shape. Yet awaiting everyone is the impending opening of Parliament — and with it the plot by a group of Catholics to blow it up. The Doctor and his companions soon discover, though, that the history of their plot is far more complicated than they know — and one in which they quickly find themselves inextricably enmeshed.

As both a novelist and as a screenwriter Gareth Roberts has enjoyed a long association with the Doctor Who franchise. With this novel, his skills as a writer are on full display, as he puts together a cracking good adventure that embodies all of the elements of a classic First Doctor adventure. The plot is a straightforward historical adventure common to the era, and his characterization of the Doctor and his companions rings true to their portrayal on the show. That it isn't hard in the least to see how it could have been made into a serial for the show is a testament to his achievement with this book, which is among the best of the "Virgin Missing Adventures" series and which fans of the earliest Who tales likely will find enjoyable reading.

[Frank Davis · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one is pretty good, the story suits the series and although it seemed to stretch a little to me it was mostly entertaining. I thought the characters were close most of the time with a few notable deviations. Our 25th century Vicki is cheeky as ever but not as intelligent as she would be. The Doctor certainly gets some classic cheeky moments too but I was a little concerned at his lack of interest in Barbara and Ian in this one.

In a bit of a humorous comeuppance, this book sees Ian take a fairly useless role for most of the story. It's only nice that it wasn't Barbara for a change, she actually gets an interesting role this time.

[Peer Lenné · Rating 5 out of 5]

Was für ein tolles Buch. The Plotters fängt die Atmosphäre der Hartnell Ära (vor allem deren Historicals) perfekt ein. Der Doctor und seine Begleiter, Ian, Barbara und Vicky wirken wie aus einer Episode der 60er geschnitten. Der einzige Unterschied bestand darin, dass ich mich im gelesenen Format herrlich über die Dummheit und Naivität Vickys amüsieren konnte und sie so das erste Mal überhaupt wirklich gut fand.
Die Geschichte ist spannend geschrieben, und selbst wenn man mit den Ereignissen des 5. Novembers 1605 vertraut ist, kommt durch die Vielschichtigkeit der Erzählung und der Hinzudichtung weiterer Facetten der Verschwörung keine Langeweile auf.

Ein von vorne bis hinten empfehlenswertes Buch.

[Noel Thingvall · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's chipper, energetic. Great use of the cast and the ways it breaks them up. I love how it plops everyone into merry old England and you think it'll be a story about seeing Shakespeare, only to quickly veer off track into King James, the making of The Bible, and the gunpowder plot of Guy Fawkes. The way it bounces around the separate threads and gradually weaves them is lively and entertaining, with a good mix of suspense and humor, and some nice twists it adds to the historical infamy. Good side characters, especially the antagonist turned protagonist Robert Cecil, the cobblers turned sidekicks Firking and Hodge, and the ancient Biblical "translators" and "scholars" who spend just as much time bickering as they do putting together the "good bits" leaving all the begatting for later people to deal with.

Roberts is a very skilled writer. Which makes it all the more disappointing that, after rising the ranks in Who literature to actually becoming a writer on the relaunched tv series, he then squandered it all by going on bitterly anti-trans rants. And when called on it, and dropped from an anthology due to other others not wanting to be printed alongside him, he so thoroughly doubled down that he continues to go on near daily tirades tearing into the trans community, and publishing articles about how Doctor Who turning "woke" got him blacklisted from it. No, being a jerk lost you a job, and maintaining the eruption like you have shows they absolutely made the right call.

And applying that to the book, you can't help but notice things like the comic relief male coward being obsessed with women's shoes. Or a buxom young woman most of the men lust after not only being revealed as a man, but as the main villain of the story. On top of that, there's an entire thread built around the drunk pedophile King James merrily chasing after and attempting to rape and molest Vicki because she's disguised as a young boy, with the Doctor tut-tutting her for not being more willing to play along, all of which is played with the farcical zeal of a Benny Hill sketch. It's quite abhorrent at times, and definitely makes me wary of what I'll run into the next time this trip through Doctor Who puts Roberts in my path.

[Dan Hodges · Rating 4 out of 5]

The 1st Doctor's era was very much the era of the pure historical tale, stories with a historical setting free from any sci-fi/fantasy elements. Although some of the era's best stories were historical ones, they became tired, dull, and dangerously close to parody (The Gunfighters) and fell out of fashion after the 1st Doctor's era. Many of the 1st Doctor's expanded universe stories run with the concept of the pure historical with renewed grit and depth. The end results are mixed, of course. They're always engaging and excite a passion for their particular period, though some are more middling and perfunctory than others. The Plotters, an exploration of the infamous Guy Fawkes plot, seems like a story that might've been produced during Hartnell's time. In fact, it's a wonder that such an iconic slice of British history wasn't explored in the 60s. It comes together as a fun, well-written adventure of conspiracy and intrigue while exploring some of King James' darker, salacious tendencies that would've certainly been glossed over in the 60s.

[Ffion Horrell · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Plotters is a fantastic pure historical novel, similar in style to some of the Hartnell TV serials. The plot is easy to follow but has quite a few interesting plot-twists which helps keep your interest and moves the story along at an easy pace. The main characters (Barbara, Ian, Vicki and Doctor) accurately reflect their on-screen counterparts and the historical characters are written incredibly well and are very enticing. The book has some nice comedy elements, similar in style to The Roman's, and contains some nice references to other episodes (such as Vicki becoming Victor). This book is definitely an underrated gem!

[Pietro Rossi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pure historical adventure set within the days of the first Doctor, meaning no sci-fi trappings except the TARDIS bringing them there. This is most important to note following a certain death.

Roberts captures this period perfectly, both the TV Dr Who and the first Elizabethan Age. I live and breathe it. All the TV characters are on top form as are the locals (as far as we can tell). The humour is funny and the tension suspenseful. 10/10

Scoring: 0 bad; 1-3 poor; 4-6 average; 7-9 good; 10 excellent.

[Alex · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent adventure for the First Doctor, Ian, Barbara and Vicki set in early Jacobean London, 1605 to be precise.

I really enjoyed the story and felt it was pacy. The action scenes were great as was the twist about one of the characters identities.

The writing was terrific, Roberts made the reader feel as if there were right there in 17th century London along with the Doctor, Ian, Barbara and Vicki.

As a historian this was right up my street and I would highly recommend this to both Doctor Who fans and fans of historical fiction.

[Oleg X · Rating 2 out of 5]

У этой книги очень положительная репутация фандоме, и хотя тут есть от чего получить удовольствие как от чисто исторического сюжета, но в лучшем случае она просто очень медленная, в худшем - есть линия, где король Джеймс постоянно "комично" домогается замаскированной под мальчика Викки.

И в целом недавнее скатывание Гарета Робертса в полную трансфобию сложно игнорировать местами.

[Avarill · Rating 3 out of 5]

While reading the 90's tie-in novels, it's always fun to pick out the ones that have most influenced the contemporary revival of Doctor Who. The Plotters is a look at some of the work by Gareth Roberts, who's done some of my favorite screenplays of Doctor Who and The Sarah Jane Adventures.

The Plotters is very much what it says on the tin. The Author's Note clearly warns that a) the events as chronicled are not remotely factual and b) the story's aim is to recreate the feel of a televised Doctor Who episode of its time. Roberts goes on to compare his story with Dennis Spooner's The Romans. If you enjoy the 'straight' historicals of the Hartnell era, this one's for you.

Roberts does indeed play fast and loose with events (and historical persons), but at the same time conveys an authentic, vibrant atmosphere. London comes alive, with rollicking public houses, dusty libraries, and the palace of Whitehall all populated with sharply drawn supporting characters. Roberts takes great care with the speech patterns of the day (or at least a believable facsimile thereof) and has great fun with Shakespearean ripostes and rejoinders.

The characterizations of the Doctor, Vicki, Ian and Barbara are spot-on. Everyone is precisely as they should be -- even when they're not exactly making the best decisions -- and you can really hear the actor's voices in the lines that come off the page. The gentle humor and affection between the characters is plain; even though they're split off into two different groups right off the bat.

As long as you're not hankering for a page-turning thriller, The Plotters is a breezy read. It's a romp, or a farce, full of mistaken identities and convenient assumptions. As a traditional historical, our heroes don't advance the plot in any meaningful way. They are carried along by events and the tension is carried by the hope for everyone to land on their feet when the dust settles.

The Good: Strong characterizations, snappy dialogue and immersive experience.

The Bad: Barbara is kidnapped. Again.

The Ugly: Good thing James I can't sue for libel.

[Mel · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was the first book I've read by Gareth Roberts that wasn't fourth doctor and Romana II. It was a first doctor adventure with Vicky, Babara and Ian. While I didn't love it as much as the Romana books it was still very good. It felt like a proper first doctor historical adventure, with a lot of humour thrown in for good measure. Roberts included a very good disclaimer at the begining that said it was not intended to be historically accurate and recommended a proper history book on the subject of Guy Fawkes if you wanted to know what actually happened. But intended it to be historically accurate in the way the Romans was. And I have to say he succeeded very well.

Like the Romans there were no space aliens hiding in the period trying to take over the world. All the plotting came from actual humans who lived during the period, Guy Fawkes and his fellow plotters and Robert Cecil. There were amusing sub plots where Vicky had to dress as a boy, and quite naturally ended up being fancied by King James I. (A plot that probably wouldn't have happened in the original first doctor adventures but worked very well). It included the idea that the Catholics were being set up by Cecil to further his anti-Catholic policies. There were secret tunnels, cross dressing, taverns, poor people and all sorts of adventure. I enjoyed is so much I'm thinking I should try some of the EDA that Gareth Roberts wrote. As so far I've been very impressed.

[Andy Simmons · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a really good book. I don't want to give too much of the plot away but suffice it to say that The Doctor, Barbara, Ian and Vicki arrive just prior to the opening of Parliament on The 5th of November. As usual they all get embroiled in the plots and machinations of those intending to bring about the Gunpowder Plot.

The writing is very good, the character are excellent and the plot is deserving a William Hartnell era story; which is the author's intention. Although I love the whole Dr Who genre it is nice to have a purely"historical" adventure without alien interference. It does irk me a little that when the Doctor visits a historical period aliens always just happen to be planing some devious scheme. In Plotters the antagonist is excellently portrayed. Although it must be mentioned that there is an excellent scene where The Doctor turns the tables on him.

I haven't read any of Gareth Roberts' Dr Who stories before but this one is very enjoyable. I look forward to his others. He writes a preface warning that we should not expect historical accuracy (it is a 1960s style Doctor Who story after all) but there are some very clever period witticisms from characters encountered in a tavern and a well presented Whitehall Farce as King James takes a liking to Vicki who just happens to be disguised as a boy.....

[David Layton · Rating 3 out of 5]

Other reviewers seem to be wowed by this novel to a degree that baffles me. While the novel is entertaining and amusing, it is by no means brilliant. Gareth Roberts pretty much admits in his author's note that he is doing to late Renaissance England what "The Romans" had done to Nero's Rome. The TARDIS crew land they know not where. The Doctor splits from Ian and Barbara in a huff so that he can take Vicki off on his own little adventure. The Doctor and Vicki get caught up in court shenanigans while Ian and Barbara get swiftly plunged into danger. The specific historical event at the heart of all this is the Gunpowder Plot of 1605. Of course, with the Doctor and crew around, events do not happen quite as history writes them. There is much fun to be had with a horny King, very similar to the horny Nero of "The Romans." In this case, however, we get a Shakespearean twist when Vicki must pretend to be a boy and the King gets the hots for her thinking she's a boy. There is also an over-the-top complication to the plot involving a master spy from religious cult. The novel is clever, but not deep.

[Travis · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great Doctor Who historical adventure.
But, I must warn you, this isn't real history, but the kind of history that shows up in the TV episodes. They get the general stuff right and then just do whatever they want to the rest to make a good story.
There's lots of mistaken identity ( including Vikki doing the girl dressing like a young boy bit) intrigue, fun humorous bits and some great historical guest stars.

A lot of the historical Who books try so hard to be accurate and realistic that it sucks some of the fun out of the story. This one has just enough historical accuracy to build a framework for the characters to interact with famous people and tell a good story.
If you believe that the Doctor designed the Trojan Horse, started the great fire of London and was knighted by both King John and Queen Victoria than you should have no problem with this book.

[Nicholas Whyte]

"http://nwhyte.livejournal.com/1271423.html[return][return]A Doctor Who Missing Adventure novel, featuring the First Doctor, Ian, Barbara, Vicki and the Gunpowder Plot. I think this is the first Who book I have actually given up on. I found the first hundred pages stylistically dull, historically stupid (James I's father was not blown up at Bannockburn, the Doctor is rather unlikely to have tried staying at monasteries in England in 1605) and really offensively anti-Catholic. I skimmed a couple of online reviews of the whole thing to see if it might be worth persevering, but I rather got the impression that it just gets stupider and more annoying. I am glad to say that Roberts' other efforts at this period (DWM comic strip 'A Groatsworth of Wit' and TV story 'The Shakespeare Code') are much more successful."

[Ivana Richards · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quite an enjoyable read. It's not exactly historically accurate, but then again,it doesn't pretend to be - in fact, even the author says it's as an accurate portrayal of events as 'The Romans' tv story was for Nero. At last we get a Missing Adventures novel where the 1st Doc is just as he was on screen, which the other 4 books have struggled to do, and Barbara, Ian and Vicki are also well written for. I do find the reveal of the central villain to be rather implausible, as the opening chapter ( and possibly others) have him in 2 places at the same time. However, if you've struggled through the rest of the Hartnell-era MA's, this is just what you need - a fun read.

[Steven Andreyechen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Regardless of what you think of Gareth Roberts he manages to capture both the tone of the show and the atmosphere of the setting.

All the characters are well realized and are entertaining to read. The book in general is very humorous, though it has many dark moments; it is overall very well balanced.

Being the only pure historical in the Missing Adventures range it is hard to compare to the others.

This review has been edited to better reflect my opinion upon reappraisal of this book.

[Daniel Kukwa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another Gareth Roberts triumph -- the season 2 crew captured perfectly, a joyous level of farce worthy of Steven Moffat, a massive respect for the details of the historical period...in every way, a triumphant slice of William Hartnell/1st Doctor magic.