Character Profile - Smokey

This blog will show you how Lost came up with the character Smokey.  He is made up of several characters/characteristics of Doctor Who: The Face of Evil and They Key to Time. The first descriptions I can’t capture so I will just set the scenes for both shows.  If there are any skeptics I can only ask you to watch both for yourselves.  Both of these descriptions come from the transcripts.  Items in red are my observations.

Part 1:

How each is first introduced on both shows

Doctor Who: The Face of Evil

[This takes place in the Forest where the TARDIS materializes]

(Animals call in the night, and a cybermat shaped thing with a small forked tail slithers along the sandy ground as the Tardis materialises amongst dead looking trees. The Doctor steps out, looks around, and speaks to the camera.)

Note:  Right before the Doctor and Leela meet there is a scene where the bushes are moving as though something was there but couldn’t be seen off in the distance.  You also hear what appear to be dinosaur type noises.

DOCTOR: Hello. Hello, did I startle you? Don't be afraid. I won't hurt you.
LEELA: The Evil One.
DOCTOR: Well, nobody's perfect, but that's overstating it a little. I'm the Doctor. What's your name?
LEELA: Leela.
DOCTOR: Leela. A nice name, Leela. I never met anyone called Leela. Would you like a jelly baby?
LEELA: It's true, then. They say the Evil One eats babies.
DOCTOR: You mustn't believe all they say. No, these are sweets. They're rather good. Go on, have one.
(He holds out the paper bag to her.)
DOCTOR: Go on.
(Leela takes a black jelly baby and sniffs it, then tears it in half to eat.)
DOCTOR: Leela. Leela, either you've got four friends with very bad colds, or we're in danger. Which is it?
LEELA: They're your creatures.
DOCTOR: They are? I wonder if they know that. What are they like?
LEELA: They can't be seen.
DOCTOR: Ah.
LEELA: They are phantoms.
DOCTOR: Invisible. We've got a chance.

(The Doctor takes what looks like a wind-up alarm clock from his pocket, except it only has the numbers 0 to 4 on it, anticlockwise.)
LEELA: A magic talisman?
DOCTOR: No, it's a clockwork egg timer. To our friends, whatever they are, the visible spectrum is irrelevant. They're blind. Crudely speaking, they home in on vibrations.
(The Doctor winds it up and puts it on a large stone nearby. Leela picks up her crossbow.)
DOCTOR: Now, Leela
LEELA: They've gone.
DOCTOR: Shush, shush, shush. I want you to do exactly as I say. You and I are going to walk away from here very slowly and very quietly. And no matter what happens, you mustn't cry out or make any sudden move. And above all, you mustn't run until I tell you. Is that clear?
(Leela nods.)
DOCTOR: Good. Now come on. Come on.
(The Doctor takes Leela's hand and they carefully walk away.)
DOCTOR: Freeze.
LEELA: What?
DOCTOR: Shush!
(Big footprints appear in the sand.)
DOCTOR: Now tread carefully.
(The Doctor trips and falls flat on his face in front of the footprints. The egg timer goes off.)
DOCTOR: Saved by the bell. Come on. Come on.
(Stones near the egg timer go flying in all directions, then the timer is squished flat.)

Lost: The Pilot, Part 1

[Metal/weird sound coming from the jungle. Everyone on the beach is looking; Kate looks; Locke looks (the camera pans forward toward him for a close up); Walt looks; Shannon and Boone look.]

SHANNON: What was that?

[Kate looks back at Jack; Charlie and Sayid look.]

CHARLIE: That was weird, right?

WALT: Is that Vincent?

[Walt gets up and goes toward it.]

MICHAEL: [getting up to follow] It's not Vincent.

[Shot of trees moving/getting smashed down.]

CLAIRE: [coming into the frame] Did anybody see that?

HURLEY: [in disbelief] Yeah.

[Boone gets up, moves off.]

SHANNON: Boone!

[Everyone moving toward the sound, except Michael who backs off. Everyone looking out at the trees moving/getting smashed.]

CHARLIE: Terrific.

Lost: Tabula Rasa episode:

[Shot of Jack and Hurley at the beach making a shelter.]

HURLEY: Was it a dinosaur?

JACK: It wasn't a dinosaur.

HURLEY: You say you didn't see it.

JACK: I didn't.

HURLEY: So how do you know it wasn't a dinosaur?

JACK: Because dinosaurs are extinct.

Note:  Both shows take place in a jungle type environment.  Both shows start off introducing an invisible creature that stomps through the jungle moving trees and vegetation.

Part 2:

Myths surrounding each

Doctor Who: The Face of Evil

TOMAS: You can't cross the boundary.

LEELA: They didn't leave me much choice. 

TOMAS: There are phantoms in the beyond. 

LEELA: Feast fire stories.
TOMAS: Well, there's something there. 

LEELA: Then I'll face it. I can take care of myself.

Lost: The Package

Part 3:

What each are and why they are feared

Doctor Who: The Key to Time: The Stones of Blood

The Doctor who was supposed to be executed by the Megara eventually sent them back to Diplos on the hyperspace ship saying that should give him a couple of thousand years grace.

Lost: Dead is Dead

Lost: The Package

The "who" we learn is Desmond Hume, the character that I have said all along is the Doctor Who of Lost.  Desmond using his unique ability to withstand the electromagnetic energy is able to help in stopping Smokey (i.e. The Man in Black) from leaving the island.

Summation:

Both creatures are first introduced stomping through the jungle knocking over the local vegetation.  Doctor Who takes place on a jungle planet whereas Lost on a jungle island.  Both are known to the local inhabitants via stories passed down through the generations.  Lastly both have creatures that act as judges and if released would destroy everything.

I didn't discuss it here but my Character Profile - Richard Alpert explains why Smokey can transform into different people

After reading this do you believe that Lost was a remake?  Please leave me your feedback.

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