Through the Vortex: Classic Doctor Who

Serial #31: The Highlanders

Season 4 Episode 5

After the Battle of Cullouden, the Scottish Highlanders who fought for Bonnie Prince Charlie are desperately seeking safety as the English brutally butcher the "traitors." When the Doctor, Ben, and Polly meet up with Jamie McCrimmon and his "Laird," they soon find themselves attempting to escape the English redcoats trying to hang them or sell them into indentured servitude.

One of the funniest of the historicals, the Second Doctor impersonates a German doctor (with a terrible accent) and a Granny while tricking would-be slave traders. Polly blackmails a soldier. Even Ben gets to play "Houdini."

Note: I do give a bit of an overview of the history that led to the Battle of Cullouden. If you are already familiar, you can skip over to 28:22 where I hop into the serial itself.
Obviously this historical overview is broad strokes; there are a lot of complicated situations that led up to the Jacobite uprisings--this is a simplistic overview.


POLLY: What about Jamie? We can't leave him here.
DOCTOR: True. His ship's sailed.
POLLY: What will you do?
JAMIE: Oh, I'll be all right. They won't catch me.
BEN: Did you hear that! They'll catch us all if we don't move fast.
POLLY: Doctor, can we take him with us?
DOCTOR: If he teaches me to play the bagpipes.


Upcoming:
"The Underwater Menace"
Episodes 1 & 4 are missing. You can watch 2 & 3 though!
Doctor Who's first venture to Atlantis (yeah...there's more than one!)
Monday, April 24th

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