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Post by Cyggy on Mar 11, 2022 19:41:53 GMT
Please rate and discuss this story here.....
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Post by GC on Mar 11, 2022 19:57:13 GMT
Doctor Who The Smugglers Photo Gallery
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Post by Black Orchid on Apr 28, 2022 14:26:56 GMT
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Post by Black Orchid on Jun 6, 2022 11:06:36 GMT
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Post by GC on Jun 6, 2022 13:27:46 GMT
Must admit, I found The Smugglers really hard to get into and follow. But then I only bothered listening to the audio CD thing. Really need an episode or two found to judge it properly.
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Post by GC on Jun 6, 2022 13:30:23 GMT
Some spruced up clips.
Doctor Who The Smugglers Tell Me What I Want To Know Remastered
Doctor Who The Smugglers Jamaica's End Remastered
Doctor Who The Smugglers The Rope Remastered
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Post by GC on Jun 6, 2022 13:35:23 GMT
Bignell played around with it:
Doctor Who - The Smugglers 16mm Home Movie - Slowed
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Post by Cyggy on Jul 7, 2022 20:40:59 GMT
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Post by Cyggy on Jan 17, 2023 16:42:53 GMT
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Post by Cyggy on Mar 18, 2023 23:16:39 GMT
From a 2021 rewatch.... Episode 1:(Using Loose Cannon Recon on Dailymotion)I am always fascinated when actors who clearly have no time for each other are thrown together and have to portray characters who like each other. Thus Ben and Polly join the Doctor for his travels and soon grow to trust and love him, while in real life Anneke and Michael have a lot of time for each other, but can't stand William Hartnell. Whenever we have had stowaways on board the TARDIS, the question can't help but be asked, how on Earth did they sneak aboard without being spotted - as they usually follow someone straight in. I think they get away with it on this occasion though as one can imagine Hartnell's Doctor being preoccupied with setting the controls for take off. I do wonder if Hartnell is channelling his very real nettlesome irritation at the two young actors arriving on his show. Either way his blustering outrage is well done. This is a nice scene and would make a great alternative "introduction to the show and it's format" in documentaries about the show, what with the Doctor explaining the TARDIS to Ben and Polly, etc. I wonder what the original "see that scanner" quote was, as it sure sounds like Hartnell has fluffed it with a repetition. The Doctor's lack of concern about any possible dangers or threats is a bit worrying really. Polly being mistaken for a lad? There must be some kind of perception filter at work here or something. Having seen the violent clips of The Smugglers before anything else I know that this guy they are making the acquaintance of will cop it at some point. These missing episode clip recoveries are a nightmare when it comes to spoilers. Mention of Avery makes me think inevitably of "CURSE OF THE BLACK SPOT". Sigh. Damn New Who for souring a Classic Who story with rubbish like that. :death: I like how they have taken the colour out of the 8mm location footage and used bits of it as replacement shots. Poor old Joe Longfoot. He didn't deserve to die like that. The Squire's a bit useless, heaping blame on our heroes with zero evidence. Nice straightforward cliffhanger with Pike hitting the table. A neat first episode. Truthfully I used to veer away from the historicals like the plague as a kid, but have come to appreciate them more in later years. This, along with the Highlanders is one I particularly knew little about. But it's fun so far.
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Post by Cyggy on Mar 18, 2023 23:18:37 GMT
Episode 2:
(Using Loose Cannon Recon on Dailymotion)
Love how serious Hartnell is in his confrontation with Pike. No smart-arsed quips or supposedly witty one liners. New Who has a lot to answer for.
Talking of New Who, even this scene sours somewhat by association with mention of Captain Avery in "Curse of the Black Spot". I can push the connection out of my mind, but it ain't easy.
Cherub's zeal for wanting to torture people makes Benik sound restrained by comparison.
I think they missed a subplot, with Ben reporting back to "a 17th Century Navy!!".
Polly, that much dismissed coffee-maker is the one to come up with a plan again. She really was a resourceful companion at the end of the day. And there's no shame in being scared of rats. I would keep my distance too.
I love how Hartnell resorts to flattering Pike to gain an advantage. It's working too, with Hartnell immediately getting a seat and then food and wine, while Cherub gets threatened with gizzard-slitting. Nicely scripted scene.
Polly may have thought of the ruse, but it's up to Ben to sell it. Craze does this well. Poor old Tom - as Jon Pertwee once said on a Nationwide interview about a notable absentee from "The Five Doctors".
Having tied up a potential murderer, Ben starts asking him very loud questions. I do think there is an element of Craze's performance that is a bit stage-loud to the detriment of the situation his character is in. They are supposed to be creeping around and not drawing attention to themselves, but Craze is voice-projecting away like a good un.
I see Hartnell's workload has been lightened this episode with all the action going to Ben, Polly, Pike, Cherub, Tom, Kewper and the Squire. I suspect he filmed the opening scene in advance - then went for a holiday to Bognor.
I take it back. Hartnell has reappeared in the last few minutes of the episode.
How can they possibly think Polly is a "lad"? Are they blind?
Not the strongest of cliffhangers, with Ben and Polly captured.
This is rolling along nicely, but I can see why viewers of the time, particularly younger viewers, might have been losing patience with the pure historicals. If they wanted this kind of thing there seemed to be plenty of proper historical adventure serials around at the time. It just seemed to be a case of Doctor Who limiting itself, when it could have been - and ultimately did - add some fun to the mix with, say a crashlanded alien a la "The Time Warrior" or "The Visitation". So I think these historicals should be respected as the well written stories that they are, but I can see why they were ultimately dropped?
Can't say that this episode is an essential one to be found. Episode 1 on the other hand.....
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Post by Cyggy on Mar 18, 2023 23:20:24 GMT
Episode 3:
(Using Loose Cannon Recon on Dailymotion)
Returning to the story after a pretty weak cliffhanger.
To be honest, this tale is starting to flag a bit imo. This opening scene is very much like a stage play, with theatrical asides between the Squire, Pike and Cherub and Ben loudly thesping.
I immediately take that back. We are now in a scene of Hartnell playing cards and immediately I am glad to see him back. Oh - he's not playing cards - he is fortune telling: even better.
Respect to Hartnell here. He is in an unhappy situation with a production team that wants rid of him. He has companions who have not taken to him, nor himself to them and his days are almost at an end on the show. But here he is, the impish, playful Doctor and none of the behind the scenes shenanigans showing through. A thorough professional.
Blake decides to trust Ben and Polly. I share Polly's relief that at least one character isn't being a complete git.
Time for the Jamaica-killing censor clips. Other than that the episode is plodding along and I am still not all that bothered about the goings on between the smugglers themselves.
I am glad that Hartnell did not have a Danny Kaye "Chalice in the palace" moment with "the village will be pillaged", although I detected him being rather careful as he put out his lines?
Interesting to hear the Doctor talking about a "moral obligation" to stay. He has come a long way from the dude who wanted presumably acquaint a caveman's skull with some random rock.
More stage-play type scenes involving the plotting smugglers. Blah, blah, blah - Avery's gold -blah blah.
Polly and Ben seem to have adjusted well to being time-travellers, judging by their chat about gravestones.
A Hartnell stumble in the graveyard scene, but on he soldiers.
Followed by a magnificent Hartnell laugh as we near the end.
And in the last moments the Squire grows a sudden conscience and Kewper cops it thanks to Cherub - who should have perhaps been a circus knife thrower - so accurate are his throws.
Maybe Polly should have pitched her scream to blend in with the end music a la Bonnie Langford in Vervoids, but it will do a a pretty good ending.
Three quarters of the way through.
It's okay, but I must admit that the smuggling plot is not really grabbing me. Hartnell remains wonderful though and Ben and Polly are likeable companions.
Not an essential episode by any means, but I wouldn't moan if it was found.
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Post by Cyggy on Mar 18, 2023 23:25:00 GMT
Episode 4:(Using Loose Cannon Recon on Dailymotion)Mentioned by Mark Gattis in a tongue in cheek tweet, alongside "The Savages" Episode 1..... ... leading to some speculation that these were the "two missing Hartnells on a collector's shelf" and Gattis was being knowingly cheeky. The "Two Missing Hartnell's On a Collector's Shelf"....So, if this were to be one of the two, what would we be getting back if it returned? A violent start with Kewper lying dead and the Squire shot in the shoulder by that maniac Cherub. He calls the Doctor "Sawbones", which I read somewhere was anachronistic as the term did not come into general usage until much later. Not only is Cherub a maniac but he still thinks Polly is a "young lad"; so a blind maniac. Thinking on it logically, Cherub shoot shoot Ben dead, to both show he means business, because he would still have Polly's life to bargain with and because Ben is the biggest potential threat. Bloodthirsty maniacs are always a bit inconsistent in Doctor Who when it comes to killing the regulars, although guest cast are fair game. Cut to more dithering about in that graveyard set. Pike and Cherub having a punch up as best they can with blades. Part 1. A filler scene with Pike's pirates in the graveyard. Pike and Cherub fight, part 2. The Doctor, Ben and Polly look to me in the telesnap as if they wouldn't mind some popcorn while watching the fight. Nice recreation of the sliding door that Ben and Polly escape through in the recon. A few seconds of the blade being pulled out of Cherub. More dithering on the beach with the pirates. We have lost their reaction to stumbling on the TARDIS in the cave. A rather talky scene with Pike, the Squire and Cherub. I guess "Polly, put the kettle on" should be an eye-rolling moment, but I don't mind it and they were bound to do it at some point, I suppose. It all ends in tears for the pirates and Pike. I am not sure if the direction of this chaotic finale is any good judging by the telesnaps and the soundtrack. It all comes across as a stage play with too many actors on stage, pushing each other around with a director having lost control of the production. If we found it that might not be the case though and it might be well shot. So Pike buys the farm and our heroes slip away. The telesnap of Polly hugging Hartnell with affection, while smiling at him on the beach shows what a good actress Anneke Wills is. Nice ending scene on the Tardis although the Tardis remains inconsistent in how much the outside world can affect inside the ship. I wouldn't mind if Gattis was hinting at some truth with his tweet and this one returned to us some day. At least it wraps the story up and sets the scene for the last Hartnell of all.... so am changing my vote from episode 1 to episode 4 as the one I most want back.
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Post by Black Orchid on Apr 26, 2023 7:03:25 GMT
designed by Christopher Loftus
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Post by Cyggy on Apr 27, 2023 21:03:53 GMT
Doctor Who, Then & Now - The Smugglers
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