The Smugglers I think is not a patch on the other historicals from the First Doctor's Era and it feels completely different. However, what it lacks in plot and dramatic tension, it makes up for it with a very large dose of humour, though not so much of it as to ruin the story.

I always feel in this that in some ways it's Hartnell's last hurrah. As he has very little to do in his last story, it feels this is the last 'proper' story where we see the First Doctor at his best.

In some ways, Ben and Polly's arrival on board the TARDIS is reminiscent of Ian and Barbara's three years earlier, with The Doctor being initially hostile. However, this disappears quicker than back then and as they arrival in Cornwall, a friendship begins to develop between him and his new companions. I have to say, as with Vicki in The Crusade, I don't really buy the fact Polly would get away with being viewed as a boy. Even with a hat on, she just doesn't look like one!

As for the story itself, it's just a standard runabout of being captured to escape to be captured again. I think Cherub is a superb character(though his use of the words Thomas Tickler to describe his knife is a bit rude ) and I like the strained relationship between himself and Pike and also with The Doctor. When I say this is the last we see of the real First Doctor, I think this evidenced in the way he outwits Cherub and later Pike to first escape capture on Pike's ship and then later to try and avoid having to reveal where the treasure is. He plays some people of against the other and that's where the humour lays within the story.

As usual, it's hard to judge a missing story without seeing it in full. I don't think the telesnaps really give you the full extent of the location filming and they are not some of the best telesnaps either from what I've seen. However, as the final historical of the Hartnell Era, it's not awful by any means, but it could have been a whole let better.

I think there's plenty of plot and dramatic tension here! The soundtrack CD is one of my favourites.

Growing up in the 80s, it was always said that the Smugglers was silly. A "jolly romp" with lots of "yarharharharrrrrrrr me hearties!" type acting from pirates. Now we can hear the story for ourselves, that is clearly rubbish.

The story is violent and bloodthirsty. There are knives and cutlasses everywhere. Big battle scenes. Lots of horses and racing around craggy cliff faces. Ben and Polly claim to be witches to escape their cell, and there's a lot of superstition and savagery.

This is much, much better than The Highlanders, which I am sure is only remembered cos it's got Jamie in it. The Smugglers has loads going for it.

I didn't say there was no dramatic tension in it, just that in comparison to the more serious historicals like The Crusade and Marco Polo, there is more humour in the story that serves as light relief. The Doctor has lots of funny lines in this and there are several funny scenes, like when Ben and Polly trick the young guy into letting them go from their cell so they can escape.

I agree it is a bit violent in places but that is counterpointed nicely by the humour.

The War Machines was the only time pre-Pertwee when the entire TARDIS crew was replaced at once. Ben and Polly are in many ways a new Ian and Barbara (a new Adam and Eve for the programme, you might say?) because with no 'senior' companion on board they have to overcome some initial disbelief.

As I recall, Ben like Ian was the more incredulous of the two about the whole time travel bit and this is the story where he is convinced. (We soon see Ben's scepticism working to great effect in The Power of the Daleks, where his dialogue with Polly mirrors the audience's misgivings about the new Doctor.)

CHJ: you are on the cusp of your 10,000th post! How thrilling!

Ooh! You've just reached 10,002!

Blimey, and I took no notice! Could you stand me a drink in the Inn perchance?

(If you can stand me at all, that is.)

I can always stand you, me old cocker, but am not a regular at the Inn.

Not a problem, it's now possible to send a Dram-o-gram through any thread you like. Wibbly-wobbly drinky-winky stuff.

Its a bit ironic that you find the CD is one of your favourites Chuff as I've tried to listen all the way through the missing years CD's about three times for this story and I've either fallen asleep or had to stop. Watching the Loose cannon recon I feel this is definitely a story that works so much better when seen.


The first episode with the church warden Longfoot actually feels the most interesting. The actor Terence de Marney did manage to portray Longfoot as a sympathetic complex character in the short time that he was around and he set up a great little mystery to follow and I liked him a lot .

I think Hartnell has some nice bits in this story where he is using his superior intellect to try to outwit Pike and Cherub .Blake is honest and trying to do his job. Polly and Ben have a good scene outwitting Tom. but as Daveyboy points out totally unbelievable that Polly would pass for a boy!

But and its a big but I do find Pike and his motley crew just utterly one dimensional with their eyes on the prize and their greed The story feels too ponderous at times because of this as I felt nothing could hook me in to like them or care about them. I did find myself losing some interest in all the double crossing. . Its not a bad story but not one I would personally re-listen to over and over.

I like the fact that there was quite a bit of location filming in Cornwall and I found an interesting video from Loose Cannon with the actor George A. Cooper who plays Cherub where they show some of the locations plus his interview. I like him very much

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x3o...erview-lc30_tv

There is also below an interview with Richard Hunt the designer for 4 stories, including Galaxy Four, Mission to the Unknown ,the Smugglers and The Invasion

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x3o...erview-lc30_tv ( starts about the Smugglers from about 3.20 minutes