Rating: 
Summary: Not the best WHO-story but no less worth checking out
Review: There are better early Dr Who stories than this available. But as this is one of the earliest starring all original companions (Ian, Barbara and Susan) it's definitely interesting and some of the guest cast is great (especially John Ringham as the evil Tlotoxl).
Rating: 
Summary: We are not gods!
Review: This is clearly the type of story that was orignally intended for the Doctor Who series, but with the advent of the Daleks, they went by the wayside. What's sad is that these historical pieces are much more powerful than any action filled Dalek story. The TARDIS lands during the time of the Aztecs and Barbara is mistaken for an Aztec god. She takes it upon herself, despite the Doctor's objecitons, to try and show the Aztecs that their barbarous ways are not required. A great episode, required for any good Doctor Who collection.
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Summary: "You cannot rewrite history, not one line!"
Review: This is definitely one of the best historical adventures in Doctor Who history. the crew of the TARDIS land in the time of the great Aztec civilization, and soon Barbara is mistaken to be the reincarnation of one of their high priests. This soon leads to Barbara making a foolish attempt to stop the human sacrifices, thus starting a chain of events that would preserve the Aztec society. This is a great adventure as it stands as an example of wanting so much to do something you believe to be the right thing, but forced not to interfere in order to preserve the bigger picture. In this case that would be the future of the world in general. I also love this adventure as it showcases the romantic side of Doctor Who, in his interactions with the lovely Cameca. It was very funny to see his reaction when he had discovered that by helping Cameca to prepare some cocoa for them to drink, he had inadvertantly proposed marriage to her. It was a romance that was bittersweet in the end, as the Doctor had no choice but to leave Cameca behind. I definitely recommend this to anyone just starting their Dr. Who collection.
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Summary: Get behind the scenes with the commentary
Review: This is really a wonderful disk. I particularly enjoy watching it with the second subtitles on. The subtitles tell you a lot about the production of the episode, the research they did for the episode, and what other episodes characters appeared in. It gives you all of the insight you want without interfering with the story the way voice over commentaries can.It is rare we get anything this early in the Dr Who cycle on our PBS station, so it is great to be able to watch this any time I want.
Rating:
Summary: another trip into history with the Doctor!!
Review: this story is ok for the plot. Other than that there is no aliens or anything at all that makes this story a piece of science fiction!!The costumes are great, the cast great as usual. Of course it would'nt be Doctor Who without bloopers or error of some sort!!Ok for a once in a while viewing although there are better videos of this Doctor . My Favorite is the Keys of Marinus and The Chase!!Hartnell is great doctor ,guess wish they did not some history stories during his time as Doctor Who!!Buy this one only if you want to take a trip into history with Doctor Who!!!
Rating:
Summary: WOW! COOL!
Review: This was my first introduction to the First Doctor, William Hartnell, and I enjoyed it thoroughly. I cannot wait to experience more of the Doctor. Doctor Who forever! Grade: A+
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful historical - 1960s Dr Who at its best
Review: When Doctor Who began in 1963 the intention was that the childrens programme would have two elements as a mix in the stories. Having a machine that could travel through time and space, the TARDIS, meant that two types of story could be used: science fiction and history. The basis of the show could be seen in the original cast. Of the Doctor's original companions two are school teachers, Ian Chesterton - a science teacher; Barbara Wright - a history teacher. The interests and strrengths of each were used in these early stories. In the early days of Doctor Who historical alternated with science fiction; but from late December 1963 with the popular and critical success of the first appearance of the Daleks it was apparent that the series was to focus more on science fiction than history. In some ways that is unfortunate. Science fiction tends to reflect the time in which it is produced, and years later ideas that seemed futuristic at the time of original production later seem laughable. This is the case with much of the early sc-fi in 1960s Doctor Who. In the surviving stories (or parts of stories) from this era it is apparent that the historical stories have worn better. The king of the historicals was scriptwriter John Lucarotti. During William Hartnell's reign as the Doctor Lucarotti produced three excellent scripts, Marco Polo (soon to be available in an audio only CD version); The MAssacre of St Bartholomew's Eve (available in the UK in an audio version as all original episdoes have been destroyed); and the story under review, The Aztecs. The Aztecs is one of the best early stories. The TARDIS arrives in the tomb of an Aztec high priest some years before the arrival of Cortes. While exploring Barbara is mistaken for the reincarnation of the high priest and is acclaimed a goddess. The Doctor, Ian, and Susan are viewed as her servants. Barbara fascinated by the strengths of Aztec culture takes it upon herself to use her position as goddess to change the Aztec culture of human sacrifice. The Doctor is askance concerned that time travellers cannot change history. While Barbara enjoys some success with persuasion of one of the high priests, her position upsets the high priest of sacrifice who determines that he must show she is a false goddess, and must deal with her companions. The four parter is just the right length and - for what was at the time still children's television - the characterisation is subtle and revealing of aspects of Aztec culture. Particularly impressive is Lucarotti's drawing of the two high priests - the head and the heart of Aztec society. Both have clear beliefs, both have their beliefs challenged by the time travellers intervention. There are fight scenes, a putative love interest for Hartnell's Doctor (the scenes played by Hartnell with his ageing female companion are a delight), and consideration of big cultural and moral questions. When in another culture simply because you, with western liberal values, disapprove of the characteristics of that culture, do you have a right to demand that it change? In one stark conflict barbara is presented with a sacrifice she attempts to prevent, where the victim wishes to die for the honour that will be brought upon him and his family. This is highly recommended for Doctor Who fans. While in black and white, the picture quality has held up reasonably well, and the regular cast are well settled in their parts. This coupled with the superior script, and the neat characterisation make this a must have for Time Lord fans. if you enjoy this try to get hold of The Crusade, two episodes of which are available on video (together with CD for the missing episodes) coupled with Glyn Jones' The Space Museum.
Rating:
Summary: Plainly An Episode From A Kid's Show
Review: When Doctor Who first debuted on BBC, it was intended as a kid's show. Two of the Doctor's companions were teachers, a science teacher and a history teacher, and the third was a high-school student. The shows alternated between travels to the past, where the history teacher could explain things, and the future, where the science teacher had rein. This is one of the historical episodes, and one of the few set in the Americas. The crew of the TARDIS travels to Aztec Mexico and gets separated from their craft. In the effort to get back where they came from, one of their number gets mistaken for a resurrected demigod and takes it upon herself to change the course of history, over the Doctor's objections. Not Hartnell's best episode, but without a doubt worth taking a look at.
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Summary: Vintage Who
Review: Whovians, rejoice! The Aztecs is another impressive addition to the growing Doctor Who DVD library. This classic 1964 adventure features the original cast lineup in top form, including one of William Hartnell's best performances as the Doctor. The disc features a wealth of great extras, most notably interviews and entertaining commentary by surviving cast members. The real star of this disc, however, is Doctor Who's legendary Restoration Team, who have once again worked their dazzling magic to make this adventure look as good as it did when transmitted. Amazing! The Aztecs is highly recommended as an essential part of your Who collection.
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