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Doctor Who 031: The Highlanders, written by Elwyn Jones and Gerry Davis, directed by Hugh David (1967)

The first appearance of my favorite Doctor Who companion, the great Jamie McCrimmon, the Scottish Highlander played by Frazer Hines is another missing episode, but at least I got to hear this enjoyable adventure. Troughton’s Doctor is really coming into his own here, and Anneke Wills has a lot of fun as Polly. This is another enjoyable adventure, and a must for any fans of Jamie McCrimmon.

The Tardis lands in Scotland in the 1700′s just at the end of the Battle of Culloden with the Briitsh forces having defeated the Highlander army under Prince Charles. The British forces are moving in to kill any survivors and steal anything they can steal to make some money. The Doctor (Patrick Troughton) finds the hat of the Prince, but discards it when he reads it’s shield, causing loyal highlanders to capture him, along with Polly (Anneke Wills) and Ben (Michael Craze). They are taken to a broken down cottage where Laird Colin McLaren (Donald Bissett) is resting having been wounded badly. He is attended by his daughter Kirsty (Hannah Gordon) his son Alexander (William Dysart) and his young piper, Jamie McCrimmon (Frazer Hines). Ben accidentally sets off a gun, sending a patrol towards them, and Alexander goes off and dies trying to lead them off and is killed in the process. They are found by Lt. Algernon Finch (Michael Elwyn) and his hard as nails Sergeant (Peter Welch). Polly and Kirsty manage to slip away, and the Lt. goes after them with a few men, leaving the sergeant behind, and he decides to hang the rest.

REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS…

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Polly and Kirsty hide in a cave, where Polly sees Kirsty’s father’s wring, which she wants to trade for the life of their friends and family, but Kirsty will not give it up. Polly leaves, and ends up in an animal trap, as does Kirsty when she tries to get her out, but they manage to trap Finch there, and take money and his ID so they can use it against him if necessary.

On the battlefield Solicitor Grey (David Garth) who happens to be the Royal Commissioner of Prisoners has a plan to sell as many Highlanders as he can into slavery in the colonies to make as much money as he can, and is working with a sea captain named Trask (Dallas Cavell). He manages to get the prisoners from the Sergeant, and are taken to the prison at Inverness.

The sergeant goes and saves Finch.

The Doctor pretends to be a foreigner with information on Prince Charles, and manages to escape from Grey and his secretary Perkins (Sydney Arnold),

Trask releases Grey and the prisoners are taken to his ship the Annabelle. They try and trick the Highlanders into signing on as indentured servants for 7 years, and they realize it is slavery, but otherwise they will die. Ben, Jamie and the Laird refuse to sign, along with the former ship captain WIllie McKay (ANdrew Downie) who Trask stole the ship from. Ben ends up attacking Grey, and Trask has him tied up and thrown overboard.

Ben used an old magic trick to tighten his muscles and escapes, and manages to swim to shore.

The Doctor disguises himself as a maid as well as a German and manages to get free, and reunite with Polly and Kirsty. And then finds Ben at the shore.

The Doctor goes to grey, showing the colors of Connie Prince Charlie and his ring, and says they can get him and share the $15000 pound reward, and says he is on Trasks boat.

He goes to identify him, as Polly and Kirsty bring guns to the captured highlanders from a dingy, and when the doctor identifies the Piper Jamie as the Prince, the Highlanders attack, and manage to take the ship back. McKay is captain again, taking Perkins with him, to sail to France and Freedom.

The Doctor, along with Ben and Polly, with Jamie as a guide and Grey as a hostage try to head back to the Tardis, but Grey manages to get free. Grey returns to try and arrest them with soldiers, but they have found FInch, and he acts like a gentleman, and arrests Grey for his illegal activities, since Grey cannot find the indentured servant documents which the Doctor has stolen.

Polly kisses Finch, and they return to the Tardis, getting Jamie to come with them.

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Damn I wish I could watch this one, but it is doubtful it will ever be found. Fun as can be though!

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