The Highlanders (Doctor Who) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids 031 – The Highlanders |
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| Doctor Who serial | |||
| Cast | |||
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Companions
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Others
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| Production | |||
| Directed by | Hugh David | ||
| Written by | Elwyn Jones Gerry Davis |
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| Script editor | Gerry Davis | ||
| Produced by | Innes Lloyd | ||
| Incidental music composer | none | ||
| Production code | FF | ||
| Series | Season 4 | ||
| Running time | 4 episodes, 25 minutes each | ||
| Episode(s) missing | All episodes | ||
| First broadcast | 17 December 1966 | ||
| Last broadcast | 7 January 1967 | ||
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The Highlanders is a Doctor Who adventure from 1966. It's special because it's one of the "missing episodes" of the show. This means that all the original video recordings of this story are gone. However, we still have audio recordings, photos, and small video clips.
In this story, the Second Doctor (played by Patrick Troughton) and his friends, Ben and Polly, land their time-traveling TARDIS in the Scottish Highlands. The year is 1746, right after a big battle called the Battle of Culloden. They soon meet Scottish rebels, known as Jacobites, who are fighting against the British army, called the Redcoats. This adventure is also important because it's the first time we meet Jamie McCrimmon, who becomes a long-time companion of the Doctor.
The Story: A Scottish Adventure
The Doctor and his friends arrive in Scotland just after the Battle of Culloden, where the British army has defeated the Scottish rebels. The Doctor, Ben, and Polly quickly find themselves caught up with the fleeing Scottish fighters.
Captured by Rebels and Redcoats
The Doctor, Ben, and Polly are taken in by some Scottish rebels. They hide in a small, empty cottage with a wounded leader named Laird Colin McLaren, his daughter Kirsty, and his piper, Jamie McCrimmon. Sadly, the Laird's son, Alexander, dies while trying to protect them from a group of English soldiers.
The soldiers are led by Lieutenant Algernon Ffinch, who isn't very smart. But his Sergeant is much tougher. The Doctor, Jamie, Ben, and the Laird are captured and taken away, possibly to be hanged. Luckily, Polly and Kirsty manage to escape.
Polly and Kirsty's Clever Escape
Polly and Kirsty hide in a cave and then in a pit. Lieutenant Ffinch is looking for them, thinking one of them might be the famous Bonnie Prince Charlie in disguise! The girls trick Ffinch and even manage to steal his money. Later, in the town of Inverness, they run into him again. They use his past mistakes to make him help them.
Grey's Sneaky Plan
Meanwhile, a dishonest official named Grey, who works for the prisons, has a terrible plan. He wants to capture Highlanders and force them to work far away in other countries. He teams up with a greedy ship captain named Trask, who agrees to use his ship, "The Annabelle," for this cruel plan.
The Doctor, Jamie, Ben, and the Laird are among the prisoners Grey wants to sell. They are taken to a prison in Inverness. But the Doctor is very clever! He tricks his way out of prison and overpowers Grey and his assistant, Perkins.
Ben's Brave Fight
Grey is soon freed by Captain Trask. Trask tells Grey that the plan to send the prisoners away has already started. Many prisoners, including Jamie, Ben, and the Laird, are moved to Trask's ship. The prisoners learn they are being sold for forced labor. Most of them feel they have no choice and agree, thinking it's better than being executed. But Ben, Jamie, the Laird, and his friend Willie Mackay refuse to sign. When Ben bravely fights Grey, Trask cruelly throws Ben into the sea!
The Doctor's Disguises and Rescue Plan
The Doctor is very resourceful. He uses different disguises, pretending to be a kitchen maid and then a German man, to move around freely. He reunites with Polly and Kirsty, and then with Ben, who managed to swim to safety.
The Doctor returns to Grey with a made-up story about Bonnie Prince Charlie's ring. He pretends to know where the Prince is hiding and says the Prince is actually Jamie, the piper. This trick works! Grey and Trask are distracted, giving the girls time to free the prisoners and give them weapons for a revolt.
When Grey and Trask go to check on Jamie, they are captured by the armed Highlanders. A big fight breaks out! Trask tries to escape but is wounded and falls overboard. Willie Mackay takes control of "The Annabelle" and decides to sail the ship to freedom in France, taking Kirsty and her father with him. Perkins, Grey's assistant, even volunteers to go with them!
Back to the TARDIS
The Doctor, Ben, and Polly return to Inverness, using Grey as a hostage to make sure they can move freely. Jamie, who has decided to stay with them, joins them to help find the TARDIS. They lose Grey but find Lieutenant Ffinch, whom they force to help them get back to Culloden.
Grey eventually reaches the cottage where he first met the Doctor, bringing soldiers with him. But Ffinch, now realizing Grey's illegal plans, arrests Grey for trying to force people into labor. Grey has lost the important papers (thanks to the Doctor's cleverness), so he can't prove his plans were legal.
Polly gives Lieutenant Ffinch a thank-you kiss, and he leaves. The Doctor, Ben, and Polly return to the TARDIS. They invite their new friend, Jamie McCrimmon, to join them on their travels. Jamie, a bit nervous but excited, accepts!
How The Highlanders Was Made
This story was originally going to be called Culloden. However, the BBC had already made a documentary with that name, so they changed it to The Highlanders.
A Change in Doctor Who Stories
The Highlanders was the last Doctor Who story that was purely about history for a long time. The show's star, Patrick Troughton, who played the Second Doctor, wanted the show to focus more on science fiction. He thought this would make his Doctor different from the first Doctor, William Hartnell.
Jamie's Journey to Companion
At first, the people making the show weren't sure if Jamie would be a regular character. They even filmed an ending where Jamie stayed behind when the TARDIS left. But Frazer Hines' acting as Jamie was so good that they changed their minds! They filmed a new ending where Jamie joined the Doctor. Jamie became very popular with viewers and stayed with the Doctor for a long time.
Filming Locations
For the scenes showing the Battle of Culloden, the crew used a place called Frensham Ponds in Surrey, England.
The Missing Episodes Mystery
The Highlanders was the first Doctor Who story whose original videotapes were erased. This happened on March 9, 1967, just two months after it was shown on TV. Only a few short video clips from the first episode still exist today.
Books and Audio
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| Author | Gerry Davis |
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| Cover artist | Nick Spender |
| Series | Doctor Who book: Target novelisations |
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Release number
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90 |
| Publisher | Target Books |
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Publication date
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15 November 1984 |
| ISBN | 0-426-19676-7 |
Even though the episodes are missing, fans made audio recordings when the show first aired. These recordings were later released on CD in 2000, with Frazer Hines (who played Jamie) narrating.
A book version of The Highlanders was written by Gerry Davis and published in 1984. In 2012, a new audio version of this book was released, read by Anneke Wills (who played Polly).
People have thought about making an animated version of The Highlanders to bring the missing story to life. However, animating the old Scottish clothing and the landscapes was too difficult. So, they decided to animate another missing story instead, called The Macra Terror.
