Jamie McCrimmon

Portrayed by: Frazer Hines
Travelled with: Second Doctor
Series: Classic

James Robert “Jamie” McCrimmon was a companion of the Second Doctor after meeting him in the aftermath of the English defeat of the Jacobite Rebellion. On April 16th, 1746, at the Battle of Culloden, Jamie and his fellow Highlanders faced either being butchered by the Duke of Cumberland, hanged, or sold into survivable seven-year slavery in the West Indies. Jamie was able to escape the gallows, and was urged to follow the Second Doctor and fellow companions, Polly Wright and Ben Jackson into the TARDIS in The Highlanders (Classic Series). During his adventures with the Doctor, Jamie attempted, where possible, to understand his new experiences in terms he could understand of his life from 1746. When he encountered a Cybermen whilst on his sick bed on the Moonbase, Jamie believed that he was seeing his clan’s legendary Phantom Piper and that he was dying in The Moonbase (Classic Series). Jamie’s natural acceptance and rationalisation attempts assisted him in grasping the worlds and new things he encountered. Aeroplanes, which he first saw at Gatwick Airport, were “flying beasties” that he became fascinated with, prompting him to steal a ticket from Samantha Briggs in order to take a flight to experience flying. Naturally, Jamie was unprepared for such things and became airsick, while a Chameleon, who spoke with an English instead of a Scottish accent, assumed Jamie’s form and took his place within the TARDIS crew in The Faceless Ones (Classic Series).

When Jamie encountered and fought the Daleks, the Doctor’s ability to manipulate those around him angered Jamie, causing him to wish to have nothing more to do with him. Jamie believed the Doctor was working with the Daleks to save himself, but it was revealed to be a manipulation designed to anger Jamie so that he would stop at nothing to rescue the abducted and imprisoned Victoria Waterfield. Following the destruction of the Daleks, and the death of Victoria’s father, Jamie and the Doctor “adopted” the orphaned woman in The Evil of the Daleks (Classic Series). Jamie showed strong feelings for Victoria, though he never said anything to her, though they were seen in his teasing of her style of clothes. He also showed bursts of bravado and bravery which he directed at those who would harm Victoria, even commenting that he would never forgive himself if anything happened to her when he believed something had happened to the unconscious Victoria. When Victoria decided to stay with the Harrises he tried to persuade her to stay with him and the Doctor, though she ultimately departed and Jamie left her with a kiss. Back in the TARDIS, Jamie watched Victoria depart on the scanner screen and told the Doctor that he couldn’t care less where they went, temporarily losing interest in anything.

Jamie McCrimmon grabbing hold of the Second Doctor in The Mind Robber (Classic Series)

After encountering the Cybermen again on a space station, Jamie was joined on the TARDIS by Zoe Heriot whom he got along with very well, despite Zoe teasing him about his lower intelligence level. During an adventure in the Land of Fiction, Jamie was temporarily changed into a different youth when the Doctor failed to put his facial features together correctly in a test during The Mind Robber (Classic Series). After Zoe and Isobel Watkins were abducted by Tobias Vaughn, Jamie and the Doctor investigate him and evaded Parker, whom Jamie managed to tackle to the ground. Jamie was pleased when he received a small radio as a gift and expressed his wish that the Doctor didn’t break it when the latter was suspect of the gift. Both the Doctor and Jamie were recognised by UNITs former Colonel, now Brigadier, Lethbridge-Stewart, from their meeting during the Yeti attack in the London Underground in The Web of Fear (Classic Series). After going to photograph Cybermen in the sewers, Jamie’s leg became injured after a Cyberman grabbed hold of it while he and the girls were climbing out of the sewers. However, following a brief stay in hospital, Jamie left with Zoe and the Doctor in the TARDIS in The Invasion (Classic Series). After the Doctor requested the Time Lords assistance in returning the human victims of the War Lords, Jamie tried to convince the Doctor to escape the Time Lords in the TARDIS, though he eventually submitted that they could not. Though he promised never to forget the Doctor, Jamie’s memories of his adventures were removed by the Time Lords following the Doctor’s exile to Earth in The War Games (Classic Series). Jamie was returned to his home time by the Time Lords, only able to remember meeting the Doctor on his first encounter and not the rest of his lengthy adventures with the Time Lord.

Jamie tended to wear his traditional Scottish kilt with red tartan, though he was often chided for continuing to wear it, especially in situations where it was too cold to wear. After changing out of his 18th century battle-ragged clothes, Jamie wore modern clothes, including turtlenecks, a tan leather vest, pullovers, anoraks and shirts, as well as space suits or disguises if it was necessary. Jamie had a strong connection to his homeland, Scotland, being lured out of the TARDIS in The Mind Robber by the sight of Scotland and the sound of bagpipes. Although he viewed the English as his mortal enemy, Jamie did team up with a Redcoat to rebel against the War Lords in The War Games. Jamie suffered ridicule by both the Doctor and fellow companion Zoe for his intelligence, but he had intelligence of his own as well as being full of common sense and being practical, which often put him ahead of his companions. Though he didn’t understand the TARDIS he was enthusiastic about it, going on a voyage of discovery with nearly everything he encountered and experienced being new to him. Jamie only showed concern or worry a few times, though when he did it was usually when his companions were in danger, particularly if Victoria was in danger. When an unconscious Doctor was threatened by an Ice Warrior, Jamie entered hand-to-hand combat with it, at great risk to himself, to protect his friend and mentor.

Jamie McCrimmon and the Second Doctor

Jamie started off as very shy around girls and felt awkward in situations where they were forward towards him and was not comfortable with the task of questions girls in plaid miniskirts after the Doctor gave him the task in The Evil of the Daleks. However, he did become intrigued by the short dresses and teased Victoria about them in The Ice Warriors (Classic Series). Despite his early shyness, Jamie did begin to flirt more as his adventures continued, though he remained chivalrous and gentlemanly, most likely due to the era in which he had been born, which also provided his old-fashioned views of the roles of men and women. Jamie had a habit of pretending to understand technology that was beyond him and would often use analogies to describe the new things he saw. If he was unable to find an analogy, he would just accept the thing before him with wonder. Jamie enjoyed a high degree of physical contact with those he was familiar with, such as friendly prodding, pulling, shoving, hand-holding, being climbed upon or climbing on others and hugging. If he was stressed, he would often grab hold of his companions for reassurance, with an evident preference for grabbing the Doctor. Jamie also had the ability to sense and reject subconscious mental manipulation while he slept, as seen in The Macra Terror (Classic Series) as well as sensing danger in Fury from the Deep (Classic Series). The young piper had a musical ability that he rarely displayed and the Doctor wished for him to teach him how to play the bagpipes in return for passage on the TARDIS in The Highlanders. Jamie was also seen to be able to ride horses and used the skill to escape a Confederate soldier in The Ware Games, though he was unable to tie knots, something the Doctor said he would give a lesson on sometime in The Tomb of the Cybermen (Classic Series). At some point during his travels with the Doctor, Jamie gave him the name John Smith, a name which the Doctor would frequently use throughout his incarnations when wishing to use a human name.