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“THE HIGHLANDERS: THE BIRTH OF JAMIE IN A DYING GENRE”

The Highlanders is something of a landmark in Doctor Who history—not because it breaks new ground, but precisely because it doesn’t. It marks the final "pure historical" story of the classic era until Black Orchid in 1982, and serves as a bridge between the show’s early educational roots and its evolution into more science-fiction-driven narratives. It also introduces a certain Jacobite piper by the name of Jamie McCrimmon—one of the longest-serving and most beloved companions in the show’s history. That’s a lot of historical weight to carry for a four-part serial that's completely missing from the archives.

TO CULLODEN AND BEYOND

The story starts strong with an engaging setting: the aftermath of the Battle of Culloden, where the defeated Jacobites are being hunted by Redcoats. It’s a grim historical backdrop, but the tone quickly shifts as the TARDIS crew are captured and thrown into a web of prisons, slave ships, and legal trickery. There's a certain romp quality here that jars with the historical tragedy around them, and that tonal mismatch is never quite resolved.

The first episode struggles under the weight of character introductions—an issue made worse when watching a recon with few surviving visuals. Keeping track of who’s who becomes a chore, and even a strong cliffhanger (the Doctor and Ben about to be hanged; Polly and Kirsty falling into a pit) doesn’t quite lift it above the murk of confusion.

THE SECOND DOCTOR TAKES CENTRE STAGE

The real joy of The Highlanders lies in watching Patrick Troughton settle into the role. This is the first serial where his Doctor feels fully formed: playful, cunning, and full of disguises. Whether he’s masquerading as a doddering German physician or donning drag to outwit his enemies, the Second Doctor turns deception into an artform. It’s a far cry from the gruff, irritable First Doctor, and it sets the tone for how the character will evolve over the decades.

Troughton’s chemistry with Michael Craze’s Ben is already well-developed, and the pair make a fun team, even if the script doesn’t give Ben much to do. Their dynamic foreshadows the “Doctor and best mate” relationships that become a staple of the show.

JAMIE JOINS THE CREW

Frazer Hines makes a confident debut as Jamie, even if his actual joining of the TARDIS crew feels abrupt and underwritten. He’s given a solid amount of screen time alongside Ben, and while he doesn’t immediately stand out, his likability and loyalty are established early. It’s no wonder he quickly became a fixture.

PLOTLESS WANDERING AND DISGUISED ESCAPISM

The actual plot of The Highlanders is thin and repetitive. Characters are captured, escape, are recaptured, escape again, and so on. There are slave ships, taverns, jails, secret documents, legal wrangling, and lots of cloak-and-dagger antics, but none of it really builds to a crescendo. The entire final episode takes place on a ship, and with no moving footage, the climactic battle is left entirely to the imagination—a battle of sound over spectacle.

The highlight, again, is the Doctor’s antics. His scenes with Solicitor Grey, particularly the one where he hides the man in a cupboard, are delightful. His theatrical dress-up helps paper over the cracks of an otherwise forgettable historical.

A CAST OF FORGETTABLE FOES

The supporting cast does little to elevate the material. Polly and Kirsty spend most of the serial plotting and scheming on the sidelines, with Polly’s storyline relying heavily on manipulating the hapless Algernon Ffinch. It’s not her strongest outing. Ffinch himself is a forgettable presence, despite a slight redemption arc (think Norrington in Pirates of the Caribbean). Captain Trask is a cookie-cutter slaver, more memorable than Pike from The Smugglers, but only just. Then there’s Solicitor Grey and his snivelling assistant Perkins (who reminds me of Smee from Peter Pan), who veer close to pantomime.

PRODUCTION VALUE IN A VISUAL VACUUM

Reports suggest the story boasted strong production values, especially in its costuming and ship sets. Unfortunately, since all four episodes are missing, we’re left with telesnaps, stills, and audio—making it hard to fully appreciate the effort put in. The reconstructions are competent but can’t overcome the repetitive plotting or the lack of visual flair. What might have played as a swashbuckling period adventure on screen often feels more like a plodding audio drama in its current form.

A STRANGE NOTE TO END ON

It’s fitting, in a way, that the last of the pure historicals feels like a genre on its last legs. With the departure of this format, Doctor Who would fully embrace sci-fi and horror, exploring historical settings only through the lens of alien interference. The Highlanders might not be the best farewell to the historical, but it served its purpose—and gave the show a new direction through Jamie and the evolving Second Doctor.

📝 VERDICT: 53/100

The Highlanders is more important than good. It marks the farewell of the pure historical and the introduction of Jamie McCrimmon, while showcasing Patrick Troughton’s emerging brilliance as a playfully deceptive Doctor. The story itself is thin, repetitive, and tonally inconsistent—leaning more on farce than the drama its setting deserves. While the Doctor’s disguises and comedic turns shine, the lack of visual material and a dragging pace make it difficult to recommend as anything other than a historical curiosity. Fun in patches, but very much a story lost to time—both literally and figuratively.