The TARDIS lands in 1430 inside the Tomb of Yetaxa, one-time High Priest of the Aztecs. When the Doctor and his companions leave the tomb the door locks behind them.  They meet Autloc, High Priest of Knowledge, and Tlotoxl, High Priest of Sacrifice. Autloc hails Barbara as Yetaxa's reincarnation - she is wearing the Priest's bracelet, which she found in the tomb. Ian is appointed Chief of the Aztec Warriors and as a result finds himself in competition with the Chosen Leader, Ixta, who eventually plunges to his death from a pyramid after a fight with Ian.  Susan is made a handmaiden but she causes a rumpus when she refuses the last wish of the Perfect Victim - marriage.  The Doctor rests in luxury with the esteemed elders and, although this seems incongruous, flirts mildly with a beautiful elderly Aztec lady, Cameca.  This, however, is to learn from her a way into the Tomb to retrieve the TARDIS. Barbara is declared a fake after she tries to stop human sacrifices but the crew escape when the Doctor opens the Tomb door with an old fashioned wheel and pulley, a device unknown to the Aztecs.




The Doctor:  William Hartnell
Ian Chesterton: William Russell
Barbara Wright: Jacqueline Hill
Susan Foreman: Carole Ann Ford

Guest Appearances:
Autloc: Keith Pyott
Tlotokl:  John Ringham
Ixta:  Ian Cullen
Cameca: Margot van der Burgh 
Victim:  Tom Booth
Captain:  David Anderson
Tonila:  Walter Randell
Perfect Victim:  Andre Boulay

Producer:  Verity Lambert
Assistant Producer: Mervyn Pinfield
Script Editor: David Whitaker
Writer: John Lucarotti.
Director: John Crockett.
Designer: Barry Newbery
Costume: Daphne Dare, Tony Pearce
Make up: Jill Summers
Music: Richard Rodney Bennett (Marcus Dods conducting)

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Novelized as "Doctor Who - The Aztecs" by John Lucarotti (0 426 19588 4) first published by W.H. Allen (now Virgin Publishing Ltd.) in 1984 with cover by Nick Spender.  New edition in 1992 with cover by Andrew Skilleter.  Target library number 88

Released as "The Aztecs" in UK November 1992, and Australia and New Zealand (BBC catalogue #4743). Released in US and Canada in 1994 (CBS/FOX catalogue #8100) with cover art by Alister Pearson, in episodic format. The video release has the "Next Episode" caption deleted from "The Day of Darkness".

Released as "The Aztecs" in UK 7 October 2002, (BBC catalogue # 1099).
Features Include:
• The story of Cortez and Montezuma (ex Blue Peter)
• Designer featurette
• Restoration Featurette
• TARDIS-Cam no.3
• Photo Gallery

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The series' second historical, John Lucarotti spent a considerable amount of time researching the Aztecs to write this serial.
Carole Ann Ford appeared in "The Warriors of Death" and "The Bride of Sacrifice" in pre-taped film sequences only, as the actress was on holiday during the taping of these episodes.
Meanwhile, the credit roll for "The Bride of Sacrifice" had to be retaped during the work schedule for the following episode as the print was not acceptable for broadcast.

All episodes exist on 16mm telerecordings. Negative film prints of all four episodes were recovered from BBC Enterprises circa 1978.

Ealing filming. (13-14 April 1964)
Studio recording in Lime Grove D. (1, 22 May 1964)
Studio recording inTC3. (8, 15 May 1964)

Episode 1 - During the sacrificial scene, there is a visible jump as the camera bumps into the altar.
Episode 4 - At one point, the audio engineer accidentally plays the story's incidental music at the wrong time, and quickly turns it off a split second later when he realizes his mistake. This happens just after Cameca says, "The handmaiden must come to the temple with me" and Ian sends Susan off.