The Smugglers
The Smugglers is the completely missing first serial of the fourth season of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in four weekly parts from 10 September to 1 October 1966. In this serial, the Doctor (William Hartnell) and his new travelling companions Ben and Polly (Michael Craze and Anneke Wills) arrive on the coast of seventeenth-century Cornwall – much to the astonishment of Polly and Ben. Pirates led by Captain Samuel Pike (Michael Godfrey) and his henchman Cherub (George A. Cooper) are searching for a hidden treasure, while a smuggling ring masterminded by the local squire Edwards (Paul Whitsun-Jones) is trying to off-load contraband. Although audio recordings, still photographs, and clips of the story exist, no episodes of this serial are known to have survived.
| 028 – The Smugglers | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Doctor Who serial | |||
.jpg) Polly, the Doctor and Ben change in an inn owned by the smuggler Jacob Kewper | |||
| Cast | |||
Others
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| Production | |||
| Directed by | Julia Smith | ||
| Written by | Brian Hayles | ||
| Script editor | Gerry Davis | ||
| Produced by | Innes Lloyd | ||
| Music by | none[1] | ||
| Production code | CC | ||
| Series | Season 4 | ||
| Running time | 4 episodes, 25 minutes each | ||
| Episode(s) missing | All 4 episodes | ||
| First broadcast | 10 September 1966 | ||
| Last broadcast | 1 October 1966 | ||
| Chronology | |||
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The Smugglers is the completely missing first serial of the fourth season of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in four weekly parts from 10 September to 1 October 1966.
In this serial, the Doctor (William Hartnell) and his new travelling companions Ben and Polly (Michael Craze and Anneke Wills) arrive on the coast of seventeenth-century Cornwall – much to the astonishment of Polly and Ben. Pirates led by Captain Samuel Pike (Michael Godfrey) and his henchman Cherub (George A. Cooper) are searching for a hidden treasure, while a smuggling ring masterminded by the local squire Edwards (Paul Whitsun-Jones) is trying to off-load contraband. Although audio recordings, still photographs, and clips of the story exist, no episodes of this serial are known to have survived.
Plot
[edit]The First Doctor and his new companions, Ben and Polly, arrive in the TARDIS on the coast of seventeenth century Cornwall. They meet churchwarden Joseph Longfoot, who lives in fear of Captain Avery's crew and imparts a cryptic message he calls "Deadman's secret key". After the time travellers leave, Longfoot is visited by Cherub, Longfoot's former shipmate under Avery on the Black Albatross. Cherub and Captain Samuel Pike, Avery's successor, want to recover Avery's gold. Pike is convinced that Longfoot knows the treasure's whereabouts. Cherub kills Longfoot, who mentioned the three travellers.
The local Squire charges Ben and Polly with the murder of Longfoot, causing them to split up. Ben hides at the church, meeting Josiah Blake, a revenue man tracking the local smugglers. The Doctor is kidnapped by Cherub and taken to the Albatross. Pike forms an alliance with the Squire, who is the organiser of the smuggling ring and offers to cut Pike and his pirates in. They are interrupted by Polly, who has come to implore the Squire to help her find the Doctor.
Pike, Cherub and the Squire capture Polly and Ben, and take them to the church. They attempt to convince Blake that Ben and Polly are the true smugglers. Knowing the truth, Blake pretends to arrest Ben and Polly. The Doctor escapes and meets up with his friends in the churchyard. Blake works out a smuggling drop is due and heads off for more revenue men to break the smuggling ring.
The alliance collapses, as the Squire recognises the pirate's dishonour. Cherub, the Squire and the time travellers set off to find the gold. The Doctor works out Longfoot's hint pertains to graves in the crypt but before he can find the treasure, the other seekers arrive. Cherub wounds the Squire, and forces the Doctor to confess the hint. Cherub concludes that Deadman too is a name in the crypt, but is slain by a vengeful Pike, who now threatens the village. The Doctor bargains with Pike for the lives of the villagers if he shows him the treasure and they find the gold at the intersection of the hinted graves.
As Pike finds the treasure, Blake and an armed patrol arrive. Aided by the injured and repentant Squire, Blake kills Pike, and the pirate force is routed. As the battle ends, the Doctor and his companions slip away to the TARDIS.
Production
[edit]All four episodes of this serial are considered missing. Due to the story's unusual amount of violence for the time, it was heavily censored; pieces of Australian censor footage survive, mainly depicting the piratical villains.
Filming
[edit]
This was the last story filmed in the third season's production block, although it was held over until the beginning of the fourth season. During filming, the production team realized that William Hartnell's health had deteriorated beyond the point where he could continue to work. Many months' discussion about replacing Hartnell finally came to a head, and Innes Lloyd decided not to renew Hartnell's contract. It is unclear whether Hartnell was contractually obliged to appear in The Tenth Planet or whether he agreed to do so after being informed of Lloyd's decision.[citation needed]
This was the first Doctor Who story to feature major location shooting. In all previous serials, location shots had been conducted at locations around London, but substantial portions of this story were filmed in Cornwall. Locations included Trethewey Farm, Nanjizal Bay, St Grada's Church, Grade and Church Cove.[2][3][4]
Broadcast and reception
[edit]| Episode | Title | Run time | Original release date | UK viewers (millions) [6] | Archive [5] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Episode 1"† | 24:36 | 10 September 1966 | 4.3 | Only audio, stills and/or fragments exist |
| 2 | "Episode 2"† | 24:27 | 17 September 1966 | 4.9 | Only audio, stills and/or fragments exist |
| 3 | "Episode 3"† | 23:55 | 24 September 1966 | 4.2 | Only audio, stills and/or fragments exist |
| 4 | "Episode 4"† | 23:37 | 1 October 1966 | 4.5 | Only audio, stills and/or fragments exist |
On initial airing, this story posted the lowest audience figures since the show began, at an average of 4.48 million viewers per episode. It would remain the least-watched Doctor Who serial for twenty years, until The Trial of a Time Lord: The Mysterious Planet aired in 1986.[citation needed][7]
In 2002, Interzone's Paul Beardsley reviewed the CD release as "an amiable but unremarkable purely historical yarn set in 17th century Cornwall" but remarked "[Anneke Wills]'s very good, and I hope she'll return to do The Underwater Menace."[8]
In a review for the Radio Times, Patrick Mulkern praised the "excellent cast", though noting that the character of Jamaica was "a dodgy caricature that would be inconceivable in modern drama." Mulkern was also impressed by the authentic Cornwall locations, "a terrific bonus that allows the production to breathe."[9]
Commercial releases
[edit]In print
[edit] | |
| Author | Terrance Dicks |
|---|---|
| Cover artist | Alister Pearson |
| Series | Doctor Who book: Target novelisations |
Release number | 133 |
| Publisher | Target Books |
Publication date | 17 November 1988 |
| ISBN | 0-426-20328-3 |
A novelisation of this serial, written by Terrance Dicks, was published by Target Books in June 1988.[citation needed]
Home media
[edit]The soundtrack for the story exists due to fan-made off-air audio recordings from the original 1966 broadcast. These have been released on CD together with linking narration provided by cast member Anneke Wills.[10] Several brief clips cut by Australian censors for violence were recovered in 1996 and were released on the Lost in Time DVD box set in 2004. Also included in the set is amateur on-location colour film footage made during production at Trethewey Farm, Trethewey, Cornwall.
Notes
[edit]- ^ Character name listed on credits as "Churchwarden".
References
[edit]- ^ Wright, Mark, ed. (2016). "The Savages, The War Machines, The Smugglers and The Tenth Planet". Doctor Who: The Complete History. 8 (27). London: Panini Comics, Hachette Partworks: 98. ISSN 2057-6048.
- ^ "Doctor Who Classic Episode Guide – The Smugglers". BBC. Archived from the original on 1 April 2009.
- ^ Campbell 2012, p. 31.
- ^ "The Smugglers". doctorwholocations.net. Doctor Who Locations Guide. Archived from the original on 15 May 2024. Retrieved 26 January 2025.
- ^ Shaun Lyon; et al. (31 March 2007). "The Smugglers". Outpost Gallifrey. Archived from the original on 3 August 2008. Retrieved 30 August 2008.
- ^ "Ratings Guide". Doctor Who News. Archived from the original on 11 September 2019. Retrieved 28 May 2017.
- ^ "Doctor Who Guide: Ratings". Archived from the original on 2 July 2017. Retrieved 3 March 2025.
- ^ Beardsley, Paul (August 2002). "Audio Reviews". Interzone. David Pringle.
- ^ "The Smugglers ★★★★". Radio Times. Archived from the original on 26 August 2019. Retrieved 26 August 2019.
- ^ "The Fourth Dimension". BBC Programme Catalogue. Archived from the original on 21 November 2022.
Sources
[edit]- Campbell, Mark (23 March 2012). Doctor Who. Pocket Essentials. ISBN 978-1-84243-660-8. Retrieved 26 January 2025.
External links
[edit]
- The Smugglers at BBC Online
- The Smugglers photonovel at BBC Online
- The Smugglers on Tardis Wiki, the Doctor Who Wiki
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