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The Doctor is menaced by
pirate Cherub (George A. Cooper)
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4 episodes. Running Time: Approx. 97 minutes. Written by: Brian Hayles. Directed by: Julia Smith. Produced by: Innes Lloyd.
THE PLOT:
Realizing that they still have the Doctor's key, Ben and Polly follow the old man into the TARDIS... at the very moment it dematerializes. Though stunned by the impossible interior dimensions, Ben dismisses the Doctor's claim that they are traveling in time and space. When the ship lands, he and Polly disembark...
Only to find themselves in 17th century Cornwall, where they take refuge with anxious church warden Joseph Longfoot (Terence De Marney). After the Doctor fixes Longfoot's dislocated finger, the man directs the three to an inn - but not before confiding a secret: "This is Deadman's secret key: Smallwood, Ringwood, Gurney."
Unbeknownst to them, the exchange has been witnessed by Cherub (George A. Cooper), a member of a ruthless crew of pirates headed by Captain Pike (Michael Godfrey). After Cherub kills Longfoot, he and his shipmates kidnap the Doctor, determined to get him to share the dead man's secret. Meanwhile, Ben and Polly find themselve under arrest for the church warden's murder, held captive by the corrupt squire (Paul Whitsun-Jones) preparing to do business with Captain Pike...
CHARACTERS:
The Doctor: Hartnell, whose health issues were worsening and who was likely running down at the end of the production block in any case, has more line fluffs than usual - But he's otherwise on pretty good form, as the Doctor uses his wits to navigate the situation. I particularly enjoyed the scenes between the Doctor and Captain Pike, as he shamelessly flatters the captain and plays to the villain's ego. The story also demonstrates how far the Doctor has come morally; he refuses to flee when Ben advises it, insisting on a "moral obligation" to make sure the pirates do not devastate the village. Can you truly picture the imperious old man from An Unearthly Child doing the same?
Ben: His first reaction to the TARDIS essentially mirrors Ian's, as he scoffs at the claims of time travel right up to the instant he is confronted with the 17th century church warden. After being separated from Polly for most of their introductory story, Ben spends most of this story in her company, which helps to establish the team dynamic between them. They continue to enjoy teasing each other, but Ben's protectiveness toward her is clear.
Polly: In contrast to Ben, who is quick to complain about their predicament, she decides to enjoy the adventure, declaring it "exciting," even as they sit in jail. Enthusiasm is largely her guiding trait, as she cheerfully jumps into every situation - often without pausing to think first, such as when she decides to go to the Squire in Episode Two. She has no evidence of her own innocence, and no real plan other than to accuse Pike and Cherub as "villains" when she sees them. She just more or less assumes that since she's in the right, everything will go her way. As in The War Machines, the contrast in personality between Ben and Polly helps to keep both characters engaging.
THOUGHTS:
I have a soft spot for The Smugglers. When I got back into Doctor Who, roughly twenty years ago now, I learned of the missing stories and sent away for the Loose Cannon reconstructions. The original Loose Cannon recon of this story was both my first reconstruction and my first Hartnell story - and while it took me an episode or so to settle into the format, I ended up thoroughly enjoying both the story and the characterization of the First Doctor.
In many ways, it was an ideal story to start with. Shot at the end of Season Three, but aired as the start of Season Four, The Smugglers' opening scenes are carefully crafted to serve as a quick re-introduction to the series, with the core concepts (the TARDIS, the Doctor's lack of control of its flight, and the time/space travel) all neatly explained to an incredulous Ben and Polly in the opening minutes. It is a bit of serendipity that this was shot before the decision was taken to replace Hartnell, as that allows the established Doctor to reintroduce the series alongside new, younger companions, just before the changeover.
The Smugglers is generally not considered one of the better missing stories, being a minor historical adventure yarn that openly pilfers elements from both Robert Louis Stevenson and Daphne Du Maurier's Jamaica Inn. As silly as it seemed for characters to mistake Vicki for a boy in The Crusade, it's downright hilarious when Anneke Wills' Polly is mistaken for one here. "See Paul? The curvy one with the long blonde hair, the wavy eyelashes, and the perceptible - ah - 'Dalek bumps?' Very boyish, isn't he?"
Despite, and in part because of the silliness, I still find The Smugglers enormous fun. The guest characters are almost all varying shades of corrupt, with each group trying to beat the others to the treasure, and that provides an entertaining rogue's gallery. Performances range from standard to quite good, with George A. Cooper's Cherub cutting a particularly vicious figure.
The final episode is the weakest, as the various plots and ploys descend into an all-too-predictable fight scene. This is even worse in a missing episode, as the generic grunts, gunshots, and battle noises don't translate well to either still reconstruction or audio form. Even so, I continue to enjoy The Smugglers, and I suspect the story's reputation would improve if any of the episodes were to be discovered. It's certainly not the best of Doctor Who - but it's better than its repuation, as well as being worthwhile as a final chance for William Hartnell to shine in the title role.
Overall Rating: 7/10.
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