The Highlanders Episode 1

The one where a future companion holds a knife to the Doctor's throat...

As with the previous historically-set story (The Smugglers), there's some lovely location filming in The Highlanders, particularly in this first episode. This serial is known for being the last purely historical until 1982's Black Orchid, which is a shame because the past provides rich pickings for adventure. After this, every time Doctor Who visited Earth's past, there was an alien force at work, whether it be Victorian London, Medieval England or 1950s Wales. When you actually look into it, Doctor Who didn't visit Earth's past as much as you think it did between 1967-89 (the Third Doctor just twice (and that's only if you count Atlantis!) and the Fourth Doctor only a handful of times in seven seasons!).

The episode opens with a battle raging in the distance - the Battle of Culloden in Scotland, in April 1746. Scottish highlanders have been fighting English and German regiments loyal to Hanoverian King George I. The Jacobites (so-called as they are loyal to King James VII of Scotland aka James II of England and Ireland) want a Roman Catholic back on the throne, so essentially it all boils down to religious schism, the canvas upon which almost all of British history is painted.

Into this turmoil materialises the TARDIS, but despite this being the Second Doctor's second story, Patrick Troughton plays him rather differently to what we saw in The Power of the Daleks. In his debut, he went from stoic man of mystery to resourceful schemer, but here he almost takes a backward step, Troughton portraying him as something of a childish fool. He does and says things which I'd class as distinctly uncharacteristic of this Doctor, muttering peculiar phrases like "romantic piffle" and wanting to return to the TARDIS and leave as soon as they find signs of trouble (the discovery of a ten-pounder cannonball sends him fleeing back for the TARDIS, stopped only by Ben and Polly!). This is not a Doctor I recognise or care for.

Ben and Polly, on the other hand, are just grand. The first thing good old Ben can think about is that they might be able to get back home ("You never give up, do you?" says Polly), while Polly (who, as in The Tenth Planet, seems to feel the cold much more than her friends) is keen on exploring. Both Michael Craze and Anneke Wills look stunning in the telesnaps, Craze in a smart black jacket and Wills in mini skirt and boots. The perfect companions for the swinging sixties!

The trio soon find themselves at the mercy of a bunch of highlanders on the run from the English sassenachs (a word derived from the Latin for Saxons). The laird is injured, tended to by his simpering daughter Kirsty, and accompanied by two clansmen, Alexander and Jamie. These chaps are quick to draw weapons on our heroes, and it's interesting that Jamie holds the Doctor, Ben and Polly at knifepoint at one stage, threatening to kill them like the English marauders murdered Scottish "men, women and bairns". To think that they'll become such good friends in times to come!

Alexander is killed pretty quickly by the English, who capture the laird, Doctor and Ben, while Jamie escapes, and Polly and Kirsty are off searching for water. I'll make this clear straight away: I don't like Kirsty. She's a lamentably pathetic girl with barely an ounce of courage or gumption in her, which is unashamedly emphasised by a particularly resourceful and forward-thinking Polly. It's nice to have Polly written so well for once, and she comes out of this contrast with Kirsty really well. Polly is the one who determines to distract the Redcoats from hanging their friends, and Polly is the one who states that they'll need money for clothes and food if they are to help anybody at all. Meanwhile, Kirsty simply sobs. "Crying's no good!" snaps plucky Polly at one point, and when the Scottish girl starts weeping again later, she says: "Don't start crying again!"

Polly is the perfect Doctor Who companion here, proving forthright, resourceful and intelligent. I love the fact she decides to ditch Kirsty and make her own way. I'd do the same. Leave the girl to her sobbing, there's proper work to do! "You're just a stupid peasant!" spits Pol. Attagirl!

There's lots of talk of hanging rebels, including the Doctor and Ben, and I am reminded of how taken aback I was when watching The Gunfighters to see a noose placed around Steven's neck. It just seems a bit too graphic for a family show, but kids back then were exposed to these things much more often and readily through a greater number of historical adventure serials. Knives are also held to people's throats, which seems inappropriate by today's standards too.

I've instantly warmed to Solicitor Grey and especially his servant Perkins, a delightful performance from Sydney Arnold. Grey is your typical English cad, the sort of man who sees "fine sturdy" highlanders as fodder for his slave trading plans, and spits corked wine in the face of his lackeys. Grey refuses to drink the spoiled wine, but neither will he let Perkins have it, the sign of a right proper bastard! I'll be following these two with interest.

Lots happens in this first episode. The TARDIS team is split up, and danger lurks in every scene. It'll be interesting to see how the storyline pans out, and whether the Doctor can calm down again into a characterisation we recognise once more. Because as it is, this incarnation's all over the place.

First broadcast: December 17th, 1966

Steve's Scoreboard
The Good: A lovely double act between David Garth and Sydney Arnold as Grey and Perkins.
The Bad: Hannah Gordon's Kirsty grates on me. Euch!
Overall score for episode: ★★★★★★★☆☆☆

NEXT TIME: Episode 2...

My reviews of this story's other episodes: Episode 2; Episode 3; Episode 4

Find out birth/death dates, career information, and facts and trivia about this story's cast and crew at the Doctor Who Cast & Crew site: http://doctorwhocastandcrew.blogspot.co.uk/2013/12/the-highlanders.html

The Highlanders soundtrack is available on BBC CD. Find it on Amazon - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Doctor-Who-Highlanders-Television-Soundtrack/dp/0563477555