History Series / DoctorSynTheScarecrow

Like many serials produced for Disney's anthology show at the time, it was edited into a feature-length movie for distribution outside of America, retitled ''Doctor Syn, Alias the Scarecrow''. In 2019, the three parts of "The Scarecrow of Romney Marsh" became the first ''Wonderful World of Color'' episodes released on UsefulNotes/BluRay, and only the second serial from any incarnation of Disney's anthology show to reach that format.[[note]]''Literature/{{Dinotopia}}'', released on Blu-ray by Creator/MillCreekEntertainment instead of Disney, beat ''The Scarecrow of Romney Marsh'' by three years.[[/note]]

''The Scarecrow of Romney Marsh'' (also known as ''Doctor Syn, Alias the Scarecrow'') is a three-part series loosely based on Russell Thorndyke's ''Doctor Syn'' novels, made for ''[[Series/WaltDisneyPresents Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color]]'' in 1963 [[note]] although the year is given as 1964 in the title card of the movie version[[/note]]. It starred Creator/PatrickMcGoohan as the title character, George Cole as his NumberTwo Mr. Mipps, and Geoffrey Keen as his nemesis, the unprincipled General Pugh.

* CourtroomDrama: Ransley and his sons are arrested for smuggling and put on trial in the second episode. It's an open and shut case and the prosecutor is about to get his conviction when Dr. Syn pipes up and suggests that they inspect the "brandy" before hanging them.

** General Pugh holds the possibility of [[PressGanged impressment]] over the townsfolk, threatening to drag their husbands and sons to the Royal Navy if they don't do as he says. In actual fact, the press wasn't an indiscriminate force of terror, it was a somewhat heavy-handed means of finding sufficient men (preferably with previous seafaring experience) to crew the Royal Navy's ships; being a naval matter, it most certainly would not have been invoked by an Army general, even as a threat. Furthermore, it was usually only used ''in times of war'', and there's evidence to show that the events of this series occur a year before the American War of Independence starter. The fact that impressment was one of the grievances of the American colonists against British rule may well account for the way it's presented in this (American) series.

* MakeAnExampleOfThem: Syn decides he has to make a public example of Ransley to terrify everyone else out of even ''thinking'' of selling him out.

** Averted with Pugh, who managed to climb through the ranks and his dismissive of "gentlemanly conduct".

** General Pugh holds the possibility of [[PressGang impressment]] over the townsfolk, threatening to drag their husbands and sons to the Royal Navy if they don't do as he says. In actual fact, the press wasn't an indiscriminate force of terror, it was a somewhat heavy-handed means of finding sufficient men (preferably with previous seafaring experience) to crew the Royal Navy's ships; being a naval matter, it most certainly would not have been invoked by an Army general, even as a threat. Furthermore, it was usually only used ''in times of war'', and there's evidence to show that the events of this series occur a year before the American War of Independence starter. The fact that impressment was one of the grievances of the American colonists against British rule may well account for the way it's presented in this (American) series.

* CreatorProvincialism: The first episode prominently features an American named Bates who's been sentenced to hang for publicly supporting American independence; quite what he's doing in rural England ''before the War of Independence started'' [[note]] the year in which the show is set is visibly given as 1775 [[/note]] is unclear, but his presence is an obvious example of this. Furthermore, Syn himself expresses his admiration for American independence in private, and the Scarecrow does so publicly. We also have George III presented as a dictatorial AdiposeRex, and [[PressGang impressment]] being regarded as an indiscriminate means of inflicting state tyranny on the general population.

* ArtisticLicenceLaw: Ransley's trial for smuggling falls apart when Doctor Syn suggests that the contents of the casks should be examined; they turn out to contain sea-water, not brandy as supposed, and Ransley gets to go free. Then as now, the casks and their contents would have been thoroughly checked before any trial could take place.

* CreatorProvincialism: The first episode prominently features an American named Bates who's been sentenced to hang for publicly supporting American independence; quite what he's doing in rural England ''before the War of Independence started'' [[note]] the year in which the show is set is visibly given as 1775 [[/note]] is unclear. Syn expresses his admiration for American independence in private, and the Scarecrow does so publicly.

* PressGanged: General Pugh holds the possibility of impressment over the townsfolk, threatening to drag their husbands and sons to the Royal Navy if they don't do as he says. This is more artistic license; the press wasn't an indiscriminate force of terror, and — being a naval matter — most certainly would not have been invoked by an Army general, even as a threat.

''The Scarecrow of Romney Marsh'' (also known as ''Doctor Syn, Alias the Scarecrow'') is a three-part series loosely based on Russell Thorndyke's ''Doctor Syn'' novels, made for ''[[Series/WaltDisneyPresents Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color]]'' in 1964. It starred Creator/PatrickMcGoohan as the title character, George Cole as his NumberTwo Mr. Mipps, and Geoffrey Keen as his nemesis, the unprincipled General Pugh.

** It's highly unlikely that the King himself would get involved with the hunt for a local smuggler, even one as troublesome as the Scarecrow.

* ButHeSoundsHandsome: Usually inverted. Doctor Syn laments that the Scarecrow hasn't yet been brought to justice and even claims to have been threatened by him. In the ending, though, he "concedes" admiration for the Scarecrow's heroics even if they have to disapprove in public.

* CreatorProvincialism: The first episode prominently features an American named Bates who's been sentenced to hang for publicly supporting American independence; quite what he's doing in rural England is unclear. Syn expresses his admiration for American independence in private.

* PressGanged: General Pugh holds the possibility of impressment over the townsfolk, threatening to drag their husbands and sons to the Royal Navy if they don't do as he says. This is more artistic license; the press wasn't an indiscriminate force of terror, and most certainly would not have been invoked by an Army general.

* ScrewTheRulesImDoingWhatsRight: Brackenbury decides to aid Dr. Syn in freeing Harry and Bates (and the pressganged men) because he's disgusted by Pugh's brutality.

** In his only scene, George III mentions that he is having to deal with a war in France. Yet the year, as borne out by the date on the sign over Ransley's "grave", is 1775. At the time, Britain was not at war with France -- the American War of Independence began in the following year, and France would not in on the Colonists' side until 1778.