Riddles, treasure and pirates are the order of the day when the Doctor and his new companions, Ben and Polly, arrive on the Cornish coast in the 17th Century.
Listen to the story via the official soundtrack:
Rate and review the story below:
Yep, that was a serial I watched last December, as a loose canon reconstruction.
Things happened in it.
It was one of the serials of all time.
This is what I watched when I last saw it.
I really donât have anything to add to thatâŚ
I didnât feel like rewatching The Smugglers for the TV Club, so hereâs my review from my previous rewatch. This is sadly one of the more forgettable and boring Hartnells, and it being missing and suffering from a weak recon certainly doesnât help.
Iâm going to listen to the Target novelisation instead, and see whether I like it better.
While The Smugglers offers strong world-building and a promising setting, it fails to deliver an engaging or dynamic story. Ben and Pollyâs strong introduction and the atmospheric locations help, and there are moments of tension and adventure that work well, particularly in the latter half. However, the sluggish pacing, repetitive dialogue, and lack of narrative drive make the serial feel like itâs treading water rather than sailing towards an exciting conclusion.
As a result, The Smugglers ends up as a largely forgettable adventureâone that lacks the intrigue and dramatic weight of earlier historicals like The Aztecs or The Massacre. Itâs a shame that Hartnellâs last historical doesnât make a stronger impression, but as a transition into the new era of Doctor Who, it at least serves as an important stepping stone for Ben and Pollyâs development.
Feel free to read my full review below:
This is the review that I wrote many a moon ago when I watched the story for my marathon. I have rewatched it since and actually really, really enjoyed it - to the point where I think it deserves a reappraisal. Itâs nothing groundbreaking, certainly, but it is entertaining and the three regulars are strong.
It also is one of the few historicals to have a âsort-ofâ sequel/prequel. Do you all know which story Iâm talking about?..
The Curse of the Black Spot.
I think that this story suffers from really poor telesnaps. Might appreciate it more when it gets animated.
Yep, I agree there. Itâs similar to The Space Pirates in that sense. An animation would probably make it much more enjoybale in my book.
Well, time to be a Contrary and say I really enjoyed it! The Smugglers is a great Pure Historical, which still continues the fresh and amazing new Energy brought to the Show. I do think an Animation could give it a much bigger Reappraisal, but we will see when that eventually happens (hopefully)!
Boring and plodding. Very little to enjoy here.
2/5.
Do you want me to do another Web Planet Defence-style post? Do you?
If you want. I wonât read it anyway.
I want it!
I listened to the audiobook version of the Target novelisation of this story, and while Anneke Wills makes it an occasionally enjoyable listen, it doesnât improve the overall story for me.
4/10
While The Smugglers novelisation benefits from a strong opening and a good grasp of its lead characters, it ultimately suffers from a sluggish pace and an uninspired depiction of its historical setting. Without the visual elements that a TV production provides, the story feels flat, and the characters struggle to stand out. The audiobook version, bolstered by Anneke Willsâ performance, helps inject some energy into the tale, but overall, this remains one of the less engaging Target novelisations.
Feel free to read my full review below:
Do it! Please do it, show them!! 
Like the vast majority of pure historicals from 60s Who, the Smugglers is profoundly boring and you usually find yourself largely at a loss as to what is actually going on. In true classic Who fashion, Ben and Polly immediately forget that theyâre supposed to be real human beings and acclimatise to time travel in the span of about forty seconds.
However.
It is also contains the crux of what I think is easily the most rewarding thing about watching 60s Doctor Who in sequence - the evolution and development of the Doctorâs character. Check this passage out (Iâve brought it up on the forum before):
BEN: âŚbut you donât know where it leads to. Smack down to where the Tardis is. So, all weâve got to do is get back to the old church, go down the passage, and weâre away, mate.
POLLY: Oh, thank goodness for that.
DOCTOR: Yes.
BEN: Whatâs the trouble, Doctor?
DOCTOR: Well, Iâm afraid, my boy, we canât leave at the moment.
POLLY: What? But why not?
DOCTOR: Yes, well I know itâs really difficult for both you to understand, but Iâm under moral obligation.
BEN: Well, about what? Weâve got no ties here.
DOCTOR: No, but itâs this village. I feel that I might be responsible for itâs destruction, and therefore I must at least try and avoid this dangerâŚ
I reckon this is the quiet, humble birth of the character proper, more than anything to do with Ian and Barbara, or the attempted murder of cavemen, or other such fan consensuses.
The Doctor is no longer simply stumbling into traps and itching to get away as soon as possible. He is choosing to remain behind to save people, without the pressure (and in fact, against the will) of his companions.
And this only grows as the series goes on; a few stories into Troughton you get âThere are some corners of the universe that have bred the most terrible things ⌠They must be foughtâ â as one friend put it to me, itâs as if âheâs properly decided that thatâs his job nowâ.
Up to this point, the Doctor has largely saved the day by near-happenstance. But by the Smugglers, something has changed. The Doctor no longer arrives, and saves the day. He arrives to save the day. 
Iâve only heard the audiobook and quite enjoyed it, i liked the atmosphere
Pretty sure this belongs in the controversial opinions thread 
I find the historicals to be up and down, personally, but I definitely wouldnât describe The Aztecs or The Romans as profoundly boring and, although I donât enjoy them as much, I wouldnât level that criticism at The Reign of Terror, The Crusade, The Myth Makers, The Gunfighters or indeed The Smugglers. Plenty of people (although iâm not one of them) would also be hard pushed to apply that criticism to Marco Polo.
Ah, remember that the Gunfighters doesnât count as a pure historical because of Dodo and Stevenâs supernaturally good singing abilities 