Mary isn't your typical period drama heroine. She is awkward, anxious, preachy, full of facts, a terrible singer, overlooked by her mother and seemingly destined to an empty dance card for the rest of her life… until Mary takes matters into her own hands.

Count Alexander Rostov finds himself going from riches to rags following the Russian revolution. A Soviet tribunal banishes him to the attic room of an opulent hotel, where, oblivious to the world outside, he discovers the true value of friendship, family and love.

Within the spectacular, complex and corrupt world of gladiatorial sports in Ancient Rome, follow an ensemble of diverse characters across the many layers of Roman society where sports, politics and business intersect and collide.

The Doctor and his companion travel across time and space encountering incredible friends and foes.