Series 4 (2008)
Episode title: The Fires of PompeiiFeaturing: Tenth Doctor
Companions: Donna Noble
First shown: 12th April 2008
Related articles: Pyrovile
Guide: The second episode of the fourth series sees the Doctor taking Donna back in time, to 79AD.
For Donna's first trip out of her own time, the Doctor takes her to Pompeii, 79AD. The day before the elusive 'Volcano Day' in the town. Mount Vesuvius is billowing smoke from its crater, but no one really takes much notice. The Doctor and Donna begin an argument. Donna wants to inform the people of Pompeii of their impending doom, while the Doctor says that they mustn't change history.
But when the Doctor and Donna go back to the TARDIS, they find it has been sold. They go in search of it, and find it at the home of Lucius Caecillius Lucundus. When they get there, they find that a roman version of a fortune teller has come to pay a visit. But there are also the Sybilline Sisterhood on the scene, who can also tell the future. This disturbs the Doctor greatly, for both can give acurate information about both his and Donna's personal life.
But when asked about what happens on the day after, on Volcano Day, neither have any information to give. Neither can see into the future and predict the eruption - because they don't see it happening. The Doctor goes in search of an answer, and goes to Vesuvius to find it. Inside the volcano, he finds the Pyrovile, an alien race of molten rock inhabiting the volcano. But with their energy converter, there is no way the volcano will erupt.
But the Doctor knows how to stop them. Switch off the energy converter, and the enemy are defeated, but the volcano will erupt, and destroy Pompeii. Donna then realises the hard task the Doctor does, because he says that he either saves Pompeii, and lets the Pyroville take over the Earth, or he erupts the volcano, destroying Pompeii but saving the world.
Together, the Doctor and Donna decide to erupt the volcano, which causes Vesuvius to begin its devastating campaign on Pompeii. But Donna persuads the Doctor to save one family, the ones they first met, which he does, and all of them watch from a safe vantage point. The Doctor and Donna then leave, but the saved family are seen six months later in Rome, where they worship new household Gods, the Doctor and Donna.