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Post by Cyggy on Mar 3, 2022 15:51:53 GMT
Please rate and discuss this story here.....
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Post by GC on Mar 4, 2022 4:54:29 GMT
Doctor Who The Highlanders Photo Gallery
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Post by Cyggy on Mar 5, 2022 20:06:39 GMT
Of all the historicals, I find this one least appealing. Not sure why, but it just doesn't seem all that gripping - and maybe Troughton takes the comedy a bit too far - although paradoxically it would be nice to see him exploring the character of the Doctor on screen as he continues to find his feet?
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Post by Black Orchid on Mar 13, 2022 12:57:18 GMT
AHOY THERE YOU SCURVY SWABS!
I don't mind this one, but it isn't as good as The Smugglers.
Nice to see that Polly gets something positive to do for once.
Good acting all round except for an OTT performance by Dallas Cavall as Captain Trask.
The Doctor's shortlived catchphrase "I would like a hat like that!" is already becoming tedious.
7.5/10
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Post by Black Orchid on Apr 28, 2022 19:11:50 GMT
Edit:
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Post by Black Orchid on Jun 5, 2022 11:50:33 GMT
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Post by Black Orchid on Jun 18, 2022 16:30:56 GMT
_____________________________ The Highlanders Loose Cannon recon is not on the Eldoctorio Daily Motion site for some reason - the best I could find picture quality wise is the same recon posted by dsilver88 - though it also has the Frazer Hines narration from the CD release.
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Post by Black Orchid on Jun 19, 2022 17:21:16 GMT
"Patrick Troughton on location at Frensham Ponds for The Highlanders in mid-November 1966." Clayton Hickman twitter
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Post by Cyggy on Jul 8, 2022 11:17:05 GMT
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Post by Bowties on Jan 1, 2023 18:42:07 GMT
This is the episode where The Doctor adopted his 'Doktor Von Wer' persona. I loved that. My favourite part was the 'do you suffer from headaches' bit. I also loved how the Doctor adopted many of his disguises. It's a shame that this is missing because it would be great to see The Doctor in his silly moments before he mellows.
This is also a classic because it's the first episode to feature Jamie.
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Post by rapscallion on Jan 1, 2023 19:19:09 GMT
The Highlanders and Power Of The Daleks are my two most wanted missing story returns.
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Post by Cyggy on Mar 19, 2023 13:15:04 GMT
Episode 1:(Using Loose Cannon Recon on Dailymotion)Before even starting to watch. I have neglected "The Highlanders" perhaps more than any other story. It just seemed to be the dullest of the historicals from what I could see - although I knew that Troughton did a bit of comedy business in the earlier episodes. With that in mind, perhaps I am missing lots of hidden qualities, but only one way to find out.... Nice use of footage from another drama - I think called "Culloden" in the Highlanders vs. Redcoats prologue. Ben seems keen to get home, wishfully thinking that they are as soon as they see their surroundings. I like that they have a cannonball thrown at them upon arrival. Nice to be getting on with the story. I know the old man is acting his heart out on his sickbed, but I am immediately reminded of Tony Hancock in the episode, "The Bowmans" where he makes a meal of his death scene. Not fair really. Troughton is still being a magpie with hats at the moment. I love how he was actively trying to find gimmicks for his Doctor before settling down. Ben - you idiot - doing so well by getting hold of the gun, then bringing a load of redcoats down on them. Sigh. That's a horrible slaughter of Alexander. Doctor Von Wer, followed by a Doctor Who joke. We are meant to overlook these kind of blips. And now, in the middle of a scene where the chief villain talks of selling Highlanders as slaves in Jamaica, we have the "the wine is corked!" sketch from Fawlty Towers. Must admit, that line of dialogue leapt out. Polly is doing well in this story so far, putting Kirsty right and planning ahead. Good on Polly. I would have thought the (censor clip) hanging would have made for an appopriate cliffhanger - but we are only 14 minutes in so far. We got a "Halt!" a la the interrupted beheading of "The Visitation". Just noticed that this episode is only 19 and a half minutes long. Kirst seems completely useless when it comes to surviving. She really does need to buck her ideas up. That's got to be Kirsty's hand with the dagger in the cliffhanger. I enjoyed that. Better than I expected. Sad to think that this was the first Classic story destroyed in the wipings, a mere few months after it was transmitted.
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Post by Cyggy on Mar 19, 2023 13:17:12 GMT
Episode 2:
(Using Loose Cannon Recon on Dailymotion)
So they, Polly and Kirsty, are both in the pit now. Not a good heroic start.
Having said that Polly is determinedly heroic in this one, being decisive coming up with schemes, such as distracting the soldiers with animal sounds. If this story were found it would help to redraw many folks' portrait of Polly. Probably her strongest story of all if this unfolding tale is anything to go by.
I do feel that Troughton is dallying on just the wrong side of silly, with his telescope antics and German accent etc., but it's fascinating to see him trying out different approaches with the Doctor - as Davison did in "Four to Doomsday", before discarding them and settling down.
Am not enjoying the accented stuff so much with the Doctor and Grey. It's okay, but think they are dragging it on for too long - and the scene is maybe played a little too broadly, particularly with the head-banging headache malarkey. I don't think that these scenes show the Doctor as being particularly clever, but rather his victims as being particularly stupid to the point of ridiculous and the scene losing credibility as a result.
Yet more broadly played/shouted stuff with the scullery maid. Thankfully her dialogue is brief, as Troughton disguises himself as a woman. But this is starting to feel like a "shouting in the evening" stage play - and in the comedic farce genre - rather than dramatic television.
Having said that, I love Troughton's muttering voice as the woman. :lol:
Not a bad cliffhanger, with the only way off the ship being Davy Jones' Locker.
An odd episode, very comedic, but if it ever turned up it would be worth having to see Troughton taking the comedy to - or even beyond - the limit of his interpretation.
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Post by Cyggy on Mar 19, 2023 13:20:33 GMT
Episode 3(Using Loose Cannon Recon on Dailymotion)This is feeling more like a remake of "The Smugglers", what with "Scurvy knaves!" and yet another ship. Either way, it's hardly The Premiere Inn Hotel for Ben and Jamie - and the Laird - as they are cooped up in a smelly hold. I like how - whether he is on some far flung colonial world of the future, in deepest space or, like here, hundreds of years in the past, Ben will still shout "Oi mate!" to someone when he needs information. It's an endearing quality of the character and Ben is at least consistent throughout his run. He has worked out Trask's "slave labour" intentions too. I see that even the skipper of the ship has been banished to the hold by Trask. I will confess that I don't know what the heck Polly is going on about with being orange sellers. All will become clear I am sure. Meanwhile Ffinch has shakily stumbled into an Inn, demanding wine and saying "Be off with you! I'll pay later!" I must try this at my local Wetherspoons pub and see what happens. That's a lovely telesnap of Troughton facing the camera dressed as a washerwoman. Praise be to Cura. We owe him so much. The whole regular cast seem to be enjoying this story. Polly is getting some good stuff too, using the hapless "Algy" to protect herself and Kirsty from capture. Hanging or slave labour on a plantation. I would be signing the contract straight away. It is all very well making defiant speeches about a noble death on the end of a rope, but if there is one thing that Pertwee taughts us it is that where there is life et. It's difficult to escape from a plantation if you are dead. So this is a second Doctor who decides to have a lay down and nap in a barn in the midst of an adventure. And the hat motif is ongoing too. Yet, as Polly says, she knows he is planning something really. Wow! Plot twist with Kirsty re: the ring. I wasn't expecting that and expected her to be a bland, ineffectual character throughout. Poor Ben. Food for the fishes. Quite a nice episode actually. If this were to randomly turn up, I think we would treasure it for it's comic moments with Troughton and Algernon. I thought this story would be a complete painful slog, but we have only one episode left now and plenty of stuff to wrap up in that time.
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Post by Cyggy on Mar 19, 2023 13:22:33 GMT
Episode 4:(Using Loose Cannon Recon on Dailymotion)So Ben hasn't drowned and it's dress up time for the Doctor again, this time as a soldier. I wonder if this was all at the request of Patrick who perhaps wanted to make disguises one of the motifs of his interpretation - windjammer and all that - before settling down and dropping this type of thing? I keep thinking Rowan Atkinson as Blackadder, holdinng a butler's tray, to walk into the banter between Trask and Perkins and start delivering snide quips on matters. It's the "Ooh-Arrrr!" way Trask is being played to be honest. Good sound advice from Ben on what to do net time I get tied up, thrown into a river and left to drown. It happens a lot (long story) so am grateful. "I would like a hat like that!" makes another appearance . I do think it would be good to see episodes earlier than UM 2 show up, so we would see Troughton literally and interpretation-wise trying on different hats as he develops the role, In the hold most of the guest cast of Highlanders have fallen asleep. I hope the same wasn't true of the viewers of the time. I do think Pat's accent sounds a bit Monty Python at this point. There is an underlying edge of humour throughout this story. It's not the dull plod I epeted of the one historical that supposedly made up the team's minds to drop this kind of story. The Laird seems to be a liability, frankly. He has done nothing positive for anyone bar being under the weather and putting everyone around him at risk. I know it sounds brutal but our heroes should perhaps just sling him overboard without telling him Ben's trick for untying knots. And, talking of Monty Python, I keep waiting for him to say "It's!" - or for someone to put him out of his misery with a klonk on the head even as he protests that his is "feeling better!" I wonder what movie they got the fight on the ship from at about 12 minutes into the episode. Inventive use of footage though! This on board fight is taking a long while. It feels as if John Cura simply largely gave up on trying to get it on his telesnaps. Too chaotic. After said fight, the story seems to be winding down now, with Jamie hanging out with our heroes as they make their way to the TARDIS. I like the running joke with poor old "Algy dear". The poor man. And Annneke is having fun with it too. And it's over. A reshot ending has Jamie on board. Sad to think that this was the first story destroyed - a mere few months after it aired. Yes, having now viewed it, I feel that, while it would be great to have at least one episode returned for Troughton study purposes, I am not all that bothered about the whole thing turning up. Not that I would protest if it did. As to episode I would want, it has to be 4 for the wrapping up of the tale and Jamie joining the regulars.
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