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Doctor Who Target Books (Numerical Order) #133
Doctor Who: The Smugglers
A 17th century Cornish town — villainous pirates roam the seas searching for treasure while the townspeople have turned to smuggling, wheeling and dealing in contraband.
Into this wild and remote place the TARDIS materializes and the Doctor and his companions find themselves caught up in the dubious activities of the locals.
When the Doctor is unwittingly given a clue to the whereabouts of the treasure the pirates are determined to extract the information — whatever the cost...
Into this wild and remote place the TARDIS materializes and the Doctor and his companions find themselves caught up in the dubious activities of the locals.
When the Doctor is unwittingly given a clue to the whereabouts of the treasure the pirates are determined to extract the information — whatever the cost...
128 pages, Paperback
First published June 1, 1988
2 people are currently reading
226 people want to read
About the author
Terrance Dicks
326 books219 followersTerrance Dicks was an English author, screenwriter, script editor, and producer best known for his extensive contributions to Doctor Who. Serving as the show's script editor from 1968 to 1974, he helped shape many core elements of the series, including the concept of regeneration, the development of the Time Lords, and the naming of the Doctor’s home planet, Gallifrey. His tenure coincided with major thematic expansions, and he worked closely with producer Barry Letts to bring a socially aware tone to the show. Dicks later wrote several Doctor Who serials, including Robot, Horror of Fang Rock, and The Five Doctors, the 20th-anniversary special.
In parallel with his television work, Dicks became one of the most prolific writers of Doctor Who novelisations for Target Books, authoring over 60 titles and serving as the de facto editor of the range. These adaptations introduced a generation of young readers to the franchise. Beyond Doctor Who, he also wrote original novels, including children’s horror and adventure series such as The Baker Street Irregulars, Star Quest, and The Adventures of Goliath.
Dicks also worked on other television programmes including The Avengers, Moonbase 3, and various BBC literary adaptations. His later work included audio dramas and novels tied to Doctor Who. Widely respected for his clarity, imagination, and dedication to storytelling, he remained a central figure in Doctor Who fandom until his death in 2019, leaving behind a vast legacy in television and children's literature.
In parallel with his television work, Dicks became one of the most prolific writers of Doctor Who novelisations for Target Books, authoring over 60 titles and serving as the de facto editor of the range. These adaptations introduced a generation of young readers to the franchise. Beyond Doctor Who, he also wrote original novels, including children’s horror and adventure series such as The Baker Street Irregulars, Star Quest, and The Adventures of Goliath.
Dicks also worked on other television programmes including The Avengers, Moonbase 3, and various BBC literary adaptations. His later work included audio dramas and novels tied to Doctor Who. Widely respected for his clarity, imagination, and dedication to storytelling, he remained a central figure in Doctor Who fandom until his death in 2019, leaving behind a vast legacy in television and children's literature.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews
January 10, 2019
Not only is The Smugglers Hartnell’s penultimate adventure, it also sees the fazing out of pure historical’s during the 1960’s.
A pirate adventure in seventeenth century Cornwall seems such an odd idea for a story, maybe they were scraping the barrel?!?
With all four episodes missing from the archive it’s another story that I’m not really familiar with, but as soon as I started reading Dick’s simple prose I was soon drawn in.
It’s an easy but fun read, the whole story came flooding back.
It’s an enjoyable tale where we get to know Ben and Polly better.
I’d actually quite like this story to turn up as it’s made me want to watch it.
Having already read The Tenth Planet, I’ve now completed all the First Doctor novelisations.
A pirate adventure in seventeenth century Cornwall seems such an odd idea for a story, maybe they were scraping the barrel?!?
With all four episodes missing from the archive it’s another story that I’m not really familiar with, but as soon as I started reading Dick’s simple prose I was soon drawn in.
It’s an easy but fun read, the whole story came flooding back.
It’s an enjoyable tale where we get to know Ben and Polly better.
I’d actually quite like this story to turn up as it’s made me want to watch it.
Having already read The Tenth Planet, I’ve now completed all the First Doctor novelisations.
November 13, 2021
This is a novelization of the first serial of the fourth season of Doctor Who, which was broadcast in September and October of 1966. It features the original Doctor in his penultimate appearance in the lead role, and he's joined by a pair of contemporary (1966, remember) English companions, seaman Ben Jackson and hip young secretary Polly, who was never given a surname during her time on the TARDIS. It's a historical story, set in seventeenth-century Cornwall, and involves pirates and treasure in the best Stevenson tradition, though not during any particularly pivotal historical event. Terrance Dicks wrote the adaptation based on the original screenplay of Brian Hayles over twenty years later, and it was one of the last of the classic episodes that were novelized to appear, presumably because all of the more entertaining and interesting episodes had already been done. It's a straight-forward pirate adventure, with kidnapping and treasure hunting, and no super-normal or alien influence or interference. Dicks told the story well and clearly, and expanded the backgrounds of Polly and Ben somewhat in order to bring it up to acceptable length. Unremarkable, but a quick, fun read as I recall.
January 15, 2022
This story concerns two of my favorite subjects--Doctor Who and pirates! As a kid, I'd always dreamed of an episode where the Doctor battles his wits against buccaneers on the high seas, but at the time I wasn't aware that there was such a story that had aired back in 1966. And there was good reason to not know this, as the serial no longer existed. Though I have since seen the reconstructed program with the original soundtrack and censored footage, I say the Target novelization is the next best thing to seeing the complete episodes, as you can use the magic of the mind's eye to create your own unique visuals for this unusual adventure in the Doctor Who universe.
"The Smugglers" is not as epic as I had hoped for a Who vs. Pirate yarn, and certainly not as grand as other historical adventures of the First Doctor's era, such as "Marco Polo." This is a quiet, claustrophobic, character-driven study of cliches, featuring hidden treasure and a hook-handed pirate that takes place entirely within a few unassuming rural locations along the 17th Century Cornwall coast. There are no elaborate journeys across exotic lands, no complex intrigue between a large ensemble cast of historical figures during a pivotal point in time, no bug-eyed monsters or Daleks, no mind-blowing science fiction concepts, and no action-packed romance between the Doctor and his companions. There's also no seizure-inducing Moffat contrivances, no Chibnall countdowns and political activism, no half-humans on motorcycle pursued by budget Terminators, no abandoned and appropriated space babies, and no Cartmel master plan.
What we do get is a bit of gender-swapping, a clever supernatural ruse, a Doctor at his cool and debonair best, and a charming classic adventure within a portrait of old Cornish life told vividly by the talents of the prolific and beloved Terrence Dicks. Now, I am not going to hesitate to warn you that this is not the author's best work by far. He had been writing children's literature for some time, and this is really reflected in his very simple prose that is clearly geared to pre-adolescents and young teenagers. This is not unusual for the Target novelizations of a TV show that had been traditionally aimed towards a young audience, but by the time this entry was published in 1988, the books began to reflect awareness of a strong adult fan base. "The Smugglers" retained the old-school family-friendly appeal of the original Target line, which can be enjoyed by readers of any age, but may seem a bit too childish for the casual Doctor Who reader.
This was the penultimate story to feature William Hartnell as the Doctor before he went on to meet the Cybermen for the first time and make television history with the first regeneration, or "renewal," into another actor. It is also the penultimate purely historical adventure for the program, which were phased out after "The Highlanders." However, it was also one of the last of classic Who to be transcribed into novel format. Don't let that deter you from checking out this otherwise lost entry into the extensive Doctor Who pantheon.
If you are a fan of the series and aren't familiar with "The Smugglers," this quick and calming little read is definitely purchase-worthy.
SCORE: Three men on a dead man's chest.
"The Smugglers" is not as epic as I had hoped for a Who vs. Pirate yarn, and certainly not as grand as other historical adventures of the First Doctor's era, such as "Marco Polo." This is a quiet, claustrophobic, character-driven study of cliches, featuring hidden treasure and a hook-handed pirate that takes place entirely within a few unassuming rural locations along the 17th Century Cornwall coast. There are no elaborate journeys across exotic lands, no complex intrigue between a large ensemble cast of historical figures during a pivotal point in time, no bug-eyed monsters or Daleks, no mind-blowing science fiction concepts, and no action-packed romance between the Doctor and his companions. There's also no seizure-inducing Moffat contrivances, no Chibnall countdowns and political activism, no half-humans on motorcycle pursued by budget Terminators, no abandoned and appropriated space babies, and no Cartmel master plan.
What we do get is a bit of gender-swapping, a clever supernatural ruse, a Doctor at his cool and debonair best, and a charming classic adventure within a portrait of old Cornish life told vividly by the talents of the prolific and beloved Terrence Dicks. Now, I am not going to hesitate to warn you that this is not the author's best work by far. He had been writing children's literature for some time, and this is really reflected in his very simple prose that is clearly geared to pre-adolescents and young teenagers. This is not unusual for the Target novelizations of a TV show that had been traditionally aimed towards a young audience, but by the time this entry was published in 1988, the books began to reflect awareness of a strong adult fan base. "The Smugglers" retained the old-school family-friendly appeal of the original Target line, which can be enjoyed by readers of any age, but may seem a bit too childish for the casual Doctor Who reader.
This was the penultimate story to feature William Hartnell as the Doctor before he went on to meet the Cybermen for the first time and make television history with the first regeneration, or "renewal," into another actor. It is also the penultimate purely historical adventure for the program, which were phased out after "The Highlanders." However, it was also one of the last of classic Who to be transcribed into novel format. Don't let that deter you from checking out this otherwise lost entry into the extensive Doctor Who pantheon.
If you are a fan of the series and aren't familiar with "The Smugglers," this quick and calming little read is definitely purchase-worthy.
SCORE: Three men on a dead man's chest.
May 1, 2020
I really enjoyed this novelisation of the final completely missing Hartnell story. It's not the most action-packed historical ever , but it holds your attention without dragging. As usual with Dicks, this is a well-written book, and at the normal Target length of roughly 130 pages it's a very quick read too. Hopefully we'll have an animated version of this story soon, but until then this is a very worthy substitute ( although not better than having the actual episodes, obviously).
August 8, 2020
This is one of Terrance Dicks' shorter novelizations of the TV stories, so it's quick and simple to read. The Doctor, Ben and Polly get mixed up with pirates, smugglers and revenue men in 17th Century Cornwall. Enjoyable, if too brief.
November 12, 2024
In a time before their audio was widely available, the only way to experience missing Doctor Who serials from the 1960s was in prose. The Target novelizations, that long running literary foundation for the series, offered numerous examples of that across its run. Coming later on (and being the fifth from last First Doctor novelization) was The Smugglers, with Terrance Dicks adapting Brian Hayles 1966 scripts into prose.
The Smugglers isn’t a Doctor Who serial one hears mentioned very often. Even among the wiped serials of 1960s Doctor Who, it’s pretty obscure. Reading the novelization, having never heard the audio or watched any of the reconstructions, it isn’t hard to understand why that is. Because, honestly, it’s a run of the mill, fairly bland pirate story. Like Black Orchid nearly more than 15 years later, it feels like something written for another series that was reworked for Doctor Who. The lack of a sizable historical tie-in or figure being the thing that makes it stand out like a sore thumb among other 1960s Doctor Who historicals.
And what of Dicks prose? Longtime readers will know that it so often came in one of two different varieties: scripts essentially copy and pasted onto the page with the odd “X said” with quick description or, when time allowed, a more thought out approach that often showcased his pulp writing heritage. The Smugglers falls somewhere between those two with dialogue scenes playing toward the former but the odd set-piece (including the action packed final chapters) leaning toward the latter. There’s also some unfortunate description of the character of Jamaica that, given he was already a stereotype already, feels downright out of place given the novelization was written in the late 1980s.
The Smugglers as a novelization is, much like its TV counterpart it seems, non-essential except for completionist’s sake. There are certainly worse ways to pass a little time with a thin volume in one’s hand. Especially if you’re a Doctor Who fan, though why else would you read this?
The Smugglers isn’t a Doctor Who serial one hears mentioned very often. Even among the wiped serials of 1960s Doctor Who, it’s pretty obscure. Reading the novelization, having never heard the audio or watched any of the reconstructions, it isn’t hard to understand why that is. Because, honestly, it’s a run of the mill, fairly bland pirate story. Like Black Orchid nearly more than 15 years later, it feels like something written for another series that was reworked for Doctor Who. The lack of a sizable historical tie-in or figure being the thing that makes it stand out like a sore thumb among other 1960s Doctor Who historicals.
And what of Dicks prose? Longtime readers will know that it so often came in one of two different varieties: scripts essentially copy and pasted onto the page with the odd “X said” with quick description or, when time allowed, a more thought out approach that often showcased his pulp writing heritage. The Smugglers falls somewhere between those two with dialogue scenes playing toward the former but the odd set-piece (including the action packed final chapters) leaning toward the latter. There’s also some unfortunate description of the character of Jamaica that, given he was already a stereotype already, feels downright out of place given the novelization was written in the late 1980s.
The Smugglers as a novelization is, much like its TV counterpart it seems, non-essential except for completionist’s sake. There are certainly worse ways to pass a little time with a thin volume in one’s hand. Especially if you’re a Doctor Who fan, though why else would you read this?
January 21, 2023
Rating audio books proves quite difficult for me. I'm conflicted between the quality of the tale and the skill of the reader.
This story is a bit lackluster--though it's definitely more intriguing than what I've experienced of the actual episode. One dimensional television characters are granted a tad more verve, plus I'm always a fan of getting extra little insights into the Doctor's companions. Overall though, the stakes never feel high enough for me to feel that delicious rollercoaster of anxiety and relief that makes for a satisfying adventure.
That ratings conflict I mentioned comes into play because Anneka Wills is a dream reader. Her tones and pacing during narration are so very pleasant and engaging. When it comes to character voices, she leaves you with the impression that you've just listened to a whole cast. While the story itself may never be a favorite, Wills' performance makes it well worth listening to regardless!
This story is a bit lackluster--though it's definitely more intriguing than what I've experienced of the actual episode. One dimensional television characters are granted a tad more verve, plus I'm always a fan of getting extra little insights into the Doctor's companions. Overall though, the stakes never feel high enough for me to feel that delicious rollercoaster of anxiety and relief that makes for a satisfying adventure.
That ratings conflict I mentioned comes into play because Anneka Wills is a dream reader. Her tones and pacing during narration are so very pleasant and engaging. When it comes to character voices, she leaves you with the impression that you've just listened to a whole cast. While the story itself may never be a favorite, Wills' performance makes it well worth listening to regardless!
Read
April 8, 2009http://nhw.livejournal.com/1026309.html#cutid1[return][return]A fairly standard Dicks treatment of a competent Brian Hayles script. Perhaps because this is one of the stories whose visuals are completely lost, there is much less than usual of the feeling that the author is just writing down what he is watching on the screen. The best bits all survive recognisably - Ben's disbelief that they have travelled in time, Polly's gender confusion, Polly and the Doctor appealing to magical forces, the Doctor deciding to intervene. Worth the effort to hunt down.
June 13, 2016
You can tell it was written in the 60's. Not wonderful, but it was decent.
August 30, 2025
This has never been a favourite story of mine, I've always seen it as the worst historical story and in my bottom 20 or 10 of episodes in general. Why? Well it lands into that trap that most historicals do. Being boring but having characters tell you the history rather than experiencing it. That's not saying having drama or character focused historicals is bad, "The crusade" is an excellent example of doing it right. But stories like "Marco polo, the aztecs and the romans" all at least show the action and historical lifestyles or events. With the added extra character drama.
However the smugglers is characters explaining the history and threatening to do stuff that sounds exciting to see but we never actually see it. The fact that this story is also missing never helped it on the reconstructions either. It's dull, it drags and I just want it be over. Pirates and smugglers are a great idea but having them do nothing but stand around planning to do stuff but never actually doing it, is not only stupid but it's a waste of our lifespans. I feel even Terrance found this boring as it's written quite flat. Non of that classical Terrance writing or charming descriptions.
I've enjoyed reading stories that I don't like on tv to see if they are better in book. Most of them have been. But the smugglers is such a bad story it seems it would never work well in any format. Theres rumors that this is set to be animated someday. But i feel the animation would be so pointless to do as nothing interesting happens.
However the smugglers is characters explaining the history and threatening to do stuff that sounds exciting to see but we never actually see it. The fact that this story is also missing never helped it on the reconstructions either. It's dull, it drags and I just want it be over. Pirates and smugglers are a great idea but having them do nothing but stand around planning to do stuff but never actually doing it, is not only stupid but it's a waste of our lifespans. I feel even Terrance found this boring as it's written quite flat. Non of that classical Terrance writing or charming descriptions.
I've enjoyed reading stories that I don't like on tv to see if they are better in book. Most of them have been. But the smugglers is such a bad story it seems it would never work well in any format. Theres rumors that this is set to be animated someday. But i feel the animation would be so pointless to do as nothing interesting happens.
January 31, 2025
As one of the completely lost serials, Doctor Who (and) The Smugglers lives best in adaptation. Terrence Dicks brings his pacey, dialog-centric style to the fore in this tale of pirates and smugglers on the Cornish coast, with lots of moves and countermoves pulled off effortlessly by the various factions. Where he makes me long for the restoration of this story is in his depiction of the two incoming companions. It's easy to write off The Smugglers as a low-key historical without any great innovation, but the truth is, this is the first (and only? I think so) story in which the companions are left alone on their first trip for a number of episodes. Ben and Polly are thrown into the action WITHOUT the benefit of the Doctor explaining things and directing them to action. They have each other and that's it. Unusual for Doctor Who, which in this era was still making things up as it went along, and good reason to reevaluate this story. As a short, terse book, it bounces along effortlessly and is a lot of fun.
February 9, 2021
First time I've been able to read this story, and an enjoyable tale it was. Not one I've experienced in any format before, so all new to me, which is unusual for these classic stories :)
Interesting tale of various shenanigans and double crosses going on, featuring pirates, smugglers and the law. Ben and Polly have a good introduction to time travel here, first scepticism but then dealing with it all quite well.
Outside of Polly, no other female characters which seems a bit unfortunate, but the characters here do all have some moments to be fleshed out, and quite interesting and at times amusing the interactions that go on between not only the Doctor and his Companions with the various other characters, but also between the different characters themselves.
Overall a good, nicely tight and wrapped up plot, and a good read.
Interesting tale of various shenanigans and double crosses going on, featuring pirates, smugglers and the law. Ben and Polly have a good introduction to time travel here, first scepticism but then dealing with it all quite well.
Outside of Polly, no other female characters which seems a bit unfortunate, but the characters here do all have some moments to be fleshed out, and quite interesting and at times amusing the interactions that go on between not only the Doctor and his Companions with the various other characters, but also between the different characters themselves.
Overall a good, nicely tight and wrapped up plot, and a good read.
August 30, 2024
Based on a script by Brian Hayles it is number 133 in the Target catalogue. The cover art is by Alister Pearson.
Terrance Dicks is a name synonymous with Doctor Who. And he dosen’t muck about. The story rips along, to such an extent it’s a touch brief in comparsion to a lot of other novelisations. There doesn’t seem to be anything added, but it’s difficult to tell as this is one of the incomplete stories. There is little introspection from any of the characters. The book is a straight translation of the script.
It’s not bad, but it is average. As with other historical tales it suffers from name dropping. They too focussed on putting in the historical people that the story suffers. I had the same issue with The Reign of Terror.
It’s still worth a read and quick, but I found it mediocre in comparison to other novelisations.
Terrance Dicks is a name synonymous with Doctor Who. And he dosen’t muck about. The story rips along, to such an extent it’s a touch brief in comparsion to a lot of other novelisations. There doesn’t seem to be anything added, but it’s difficult to tell as this is one of the incomplete stories. There is little introspection from any of the characters. The book is a straight translation of the script.
It’s not bad, but it is average. As with other historical tales it suffers from name dropping. They too focussed on putting in the historical people that the story suffers. I had the same issue with The Reign of Terror.
It’s still worth a read and quick, but I found it mediocre in comparison to other novelisations.
July 24, 2017
It's probably more of a solid-if-unremarkable 3-star adaptation, but this was one of the last original Target novels I ever bought, when they were still being released...so there is great nostalgia value here. It was a novelization of a story missing from the archives, and years before I listened to the surviving soundtrack...there it was, in my hands, brand spanking new "Doctor Who", from the pen of a Whovian prose master. So yes, I'm biased regarding this particular piece of Target goodness.
May 27, 2019
One of the best Target novelisations I’ve read in a while. This episode of classic Doctor Who is completely missing and unfortunately, unless it turns up some day, I’d never see this serial otherwise. I’m extremely thankful that the episode adaptations were made.
You can tell when this book was written. The language definitely reflects the 1960s. However, the episode could be a modern Doctor’s. Smugglers, pirates and secret hidden treasure. It was made for Doctor Who. A thoroughly enjoyable novelisation and I wish I could have watched the television serial.
You can tell when this book was written. The language definitely reflects the 1960s. However, the episode could be a modern Doctor’s. Smugglers, pirates and secret hidden treasure. It was made for Doctor Who. A thoroughly enjoyable novelisation and I wish I could have watched the television serial.
November 20, 2017
Not a story I know well - possibly one of the very few I never saw - and with my probably least favourite companions, too. However it seemed to roll along well, a historical with new companions and in a restricted locale (not counting the ship!). A late addition to the early novelisations and for once that doesn't mean a perfunctory job - and it made me want to see the story so must be counted a success.
February 16, 2023
Doctor Who : The Smugglers (1988) by Terrance Dicks is the novelisation of the first serial of the fourth season of Doctor Who. The Doctor’s companions are Ben and Polly.
The crew land in Cornwall in the 1600s in a village where smuggling is rife. Pirates, tax collectors and others are in the story. It’s quite fun actually. It has different groups some of whom are not all bad.
The Smugglers is a fun read.
The crew land in Cornwall in the 1600s in a village where smuggling is rife. Pirates, tax collectors and others are in the story. It’s quite fun actually. It has different groups some of whom are not all bad.
The Smugglers is a fun read.
August 5, 2017
There are few books as comforting as a Hartnell pure historical. This was the last one: Ben and Polly's first adventure on the TARDIS involving pirates, buried treasure, mistaken identity, suspicious locals and murder. No aliens, no spaceships, just Terrance Dicks spinning a yarn. Pull up a comfy chair, pour some brandy and settle in: it be a cold night out there, yarrrrrrrr....
May 7, 2020
By this point, DW has tried most genres and here's the pirate one. There's not a huge amount of plot (in that a modern 50 minute episode of this would look a bit thin), but it's fairly engaging and stylish. For me, Ben and Polly suit the First Doctor better than the Second and certainly have much more to do. Overall, not the most exciting or novel, but a solid story nicely told by TD.
October 1, 2021
Almost ludicrously forgettable; I had trouble keeping the plot in my head even as I was reading and despite there not being much of it. I’m sure the location footage in the TV version was great, but the tapes were wiped so we can’t watch that version. Doctor Who versus the pirates should be a lot more fun than this puttering Robert Louis Stephenson pastiche.
March 31, 2025
A lovely little novelisation of a missing episode. Until we get an animated release (which I can only assume eventually we will, these days), this little book does the perfect job of telling a classic story we would otherwise not have access to. As always, Terrance Dicks was on point. He was easily the strongest of all the writers when it came to Target novelisations.
December 25, 2017
Swahbuckling tale of pirates, peasants, hidden treasure and smuggler's hidden passages. Lots of twists and turns in the plot and quite a few killings. The Doctor cool as a cucumber when faced with death by cutlass. Tidy historical romp.
September 4, 2021
I think this is one of those stories where the presence of actors really does some work to enhance it. A fine if not particularly remarkable novelisation: nothing is really changed but it's written decently.
April 21, 2023
This was great, I really enjoyed it - the only thing I would say is, the n-word could easily have been substituted for something less racist. Considering this was recorded only recently it was... perplexing to hear it.
July 18, 2023
A fairly by-the-numbers retelling of a “lost” Who story. The villains (pretty much everyone who doesn’t travel in the TARDIS) are a fairly two-dimensional crowd and the story, while filled with incident, doesn’t really do anything new. Fun, though.
February 11, 2024
Part of my 60th anniversary read through.First story of season four. Kind of like a Doctor who meets Treasure Island. Next up, the First Doctor's big finale--and introduction of the second most notable enemy, the cybermen--The Tenth Planet.
August 24, 2020
For fans of Doctor Who! Enjoy this I did.
March 31, 2021
I’m always up for pirates and treasure
November 18, 2023
Terrance Dicks took a boring historical into an interesting pirates tale, hugely enjoyable to read and I recommend
May 29, 2024
Nice and breezy. Only 128 pages and has a simple but engaging plot.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews