Stories Television Doctor Who Season 15 Serial: 1 2 3 4 5 6 Image of the Fendahl 1 image Overview Episodes Characters How to Watch Reviews 9 Statistics Related Stories Quotes 5 Transcript Overview First aired Saturday, October 29, 1977 Production Code 4X Written by Chris Boucher Directed by George Spenton-Foster Runtime 100 minutes Time Travel Present Tropes (Potential Spoilers!) Breaking the Fourth Wall, First TARDIS trip Inventory (Potential Spoilers!) Sonic Screwdriver Location (Potential Spoilers!) Earth, England, Fetch Priory, Fetchborough Synopsis The present day: just as the Fourth Doctor and Leela arrive in Fetchborough, England, Professor Fendelman prepares to experiment on a fossilized skull which science says should not exist. The skull is actually an artefact of the Fendahl, a god-like being who feeds on the life force of others. It has begun to awaken and kill. Worse yet, others seek to exploit the Fendahl's dreadful power. Watch Watched Favourite Favourited Add Review Edit Review Log a repeat Skip Skipped Unowned Owned Owned Save to my list Saved Edit date completed Custom Date Release Date Archive (no date) Save 4 Episodes Part One First aired Saturday, October 29, 1977 Runtime 25 minutes Written by Chris Boucher Directed by George Spenton-Foster UK Viewers 6.7 million Synopsis England, the late 1970s. At Fetch Priory, Dr Fendelman's experiments with the new Time Scanner are disrupted by the mysterious death of a hiker, nearby. Then there's the mysterious skull, also being used as part of his work. A skull that seems to predate the evolution of mankind. What is the true role of the Fendahl in humanity's evolution? Part Two First aired Saturday, November 5, 1977 Runtime 25 minutes Written by Chris Boucher Directed by George Spenton-Foster UK Viewers 7.5 million Appreciation Index 75 Synopsis The mystery surrounding the strange skull deepens. Thea is slowly succumbing to its influence while the Doctor prepares to battle a creature from mythology. Part Three First aired Saturday, November 12, 1977 Runtime 25 minutes Written by Chris Boucher Directed by George Spenton-Foster UK Viewers 7.9 million Synopsis While Max prepares to tap supernatural forces beyond imagining, the Doctor and Leela investigate the legend of the Fendahl. Part Four First aired Saturday, November 19, 1977 Runtime 25 minutes Written by Chris Boucher Directed by George Spenton-Foster UK Viewers 9.1 million Appreciation Index 61 Synopsis The Fendahl is returning to life, ready to consume everything in its path. Can the Doctor find a way to kill death itself? Show All Episodes Characters Fourth Doctor Tom Baker Leela Louise Jameson K9 Mark I Fendahl First Appearance Show All Characters (4) How to watch Image of the Fendahl: Watch on iPlayer Blu-Ray The Collection – Season 15 DVD Image of the Fendahl VHS Image of the Fendahl (VHS) Reviews Add Review Edit Review Sort: Date (Newest First) Date (Oldest First) Likes (High-Low) Likes (Low-High) Rating (High-Low) Rating (Low-High) Word count (High-Low) Word count (Low-High) Username (A-Z) Username (Z-A) Spoilers First Spoilers Last 9 reviews 13 June 2025 · 33 words Review by Scottybguud Spoilers 1 This review contains spoilers! Very much like a hammer horror movie, which i rather enjoy. One part you might think wow the Doctor did that: he passes a gun to a man who wants to shoot himself. Scottybguud View profile Like Liked 1 3 June 2025 · 473 words Review by Ryebean Spoilers This review contains spoilers! Whilst I was pleasantly surprised by the Invisible Enemy, I was ultimately let down by Image of the Fendahl. I think Tom Baker was definitely not used properly in this story - Dull, boring and serious. He got a few silly moments, such as offering the jelly baby to the Fendahl Skull, but apart from that, there wasn't much to go off. However, when it needs to be serious, his tone matches it so well - the way he respects Stael's wishes and lets him kill himself so he doesn't become a Fendahl is something truly dark and I did not expect that at all! You can tell the rift between the Doctor and Leela still healing from the Fourth Doctor Adventures, with the Doctor still scolding her every now and then. Despite this, Leela still gets to be the action hero and is immensely entertaining throughout. Poor K-9 gets sidelined already - I was hoping for more from his second story. So the Fendahl were the main reason I was excited for this story - They obviously warranted a return in Big Finish's eyes against both the Eighth Doctor and Torchwood! But they don't actually show up properly until the final part - something I've noticed in Williams' stories so far. I guess he's trying to focus the monsters on their stories rather than their designs - but in this case, I think the design is better than the monster (The slug thing, not the gold lady) because I just didn't get what they wanted - they were killing some people for... some reason, and then wanted to turn other people into slug monsters... somehow... I don't know if there was something I missed, I just was letdown. Back to Earth - *again*! This cosy little village with the church reminded me of Foe From The Future, and I wonder if the series had originally planned to film there in the first place. Because a lot of it was on location, the camera quality was a bit poorer, something which can't really be helped because it's 1977 but you get my point. I do think that the Priory itself was also dull and bland, because there was nothing that made it stand out. Were there any proper special effects in this story? I don't think so, aside from the transformation which was just a fade. Whilst I think this is because Williams is trying to make it story-based instead of visuals-based, it means that there's nothing that makes it distinguishable from other stories. You can tell that I'm not a fan of this story. This does make me think that this is probably the worst season of Tom's run due to its forgettable and subpar stories (Apart from Fang Rock and Invisible Enemy), but I'll continue on and I'll hopefully be proven wrong. Ryebean View profile Like Liked 0 23 May 2025 · 76 words Review by 6-and-7 A good bit of classic occult/folk horror Who, with a bit of an eldritch flair. Nothing especially groundbreaking here in terms of plotting or villainy, and the plot drops off sharply for a bit while the Doctor and Leela go try to investigate the creature's planet of origin in the TARDIS, but it had some great design work, some fun side characters, a nicely unsettling atmosphere, and some good Doctor-companion relationship. I enjoyed it immensely. 6-and-7 View profile Like Liked 0 24 April 2025 · 27 words Review by Rock_Angel This is a stronger story then a lot of people give credit for I love it not as much this watch round but it was still fun Rock_Angel View profile Like Liked 0 19 March 2025 · 64 words Review by KieranCooper 2 Stylistically I like this story The Fendalh I think is a fascinating foe, I would have loved to have learned more about them, the design is interesting Leela is awesome in this story Side cast does a great job too, keeping up the drama and being useful I just love the atmosphere of this story, this is how envision a classic doctor who perfectly KieranCooper View profile Like Liked 2 Show All Reviews (9) Open in new window Statistics AVG. Rating427 members 3.36 / 5 Member Statistics Watched 809 Favourited 48 Reviewed 9 Saved 4 Skipped 3 Related Stories Torchwood Main Range • Episode 25 Night of the Fendahl Rating: 3.22 Story Skipped Audio Drama Reviews(3) More Actions View Sets Close Related Sets Set of Stories: Torchwood Main Range Set of Stories: Torchwood Main Range 1-49 Add Review Edit Review Skip Skipped Unowned Owned Save to my list Saved Lucie Miller Island of the Fendahl Rating: 3.62 Story Skipped Audio Drama Reviews(2) More Actions View Sets Close Related Sets Set of Stories: The Eighth Doctor Adventures Set of Stories: The Further Adventures of Lucie Miller Add Review Edit Review Skip Skipped Unowned Owned Save to my list Saved The Blogs of Doom Doctor Fendelman Rating: 1.69 Story Skipped Short Story More Actions View Sets Close Related Sets Set of Stories: The Blogs of Doom Add Review Edit Review Skip Skipped Unowned Owned Save to my list Saved Doctor Who Magazine The Legacy of Gallifrey Rating: 3.36 Story Skipped Short Story Reviews(2) More Actions View Sets Close Related Sets Set of Stories: Doctor Who Magazine Short Stories Add Review Edit Review Skip Skipped Unowned Owned Save to my list Saved Other adaptations of this story: We define an adaptation as a recreation of a similar story but on a different medium or with different characters. Target Collection Doctor Who and the Image of the Fendahl Rating: 3.48 Story Skipped Book Reviews(1) More Actions View Sets Close Related Sets Set of Stories: Target Collection Add Review Edit Review Skip Skipped Unowned Owned Save to my list Saved Quotes Add Quote Link to Quote Favourite DOCTOR: We Time Lords are a very meticulous people. You have to be when you live as long as we do. — Image of the Fendahl Show All Quotes (5) Open in new window Transcript Needs checking Part One [Laboratory] (Earth, now. We are in a geology lab, with maps on the wall, row of test tubes, rock samples, filing cabinets and sets of drawers. An old skull, without its mandible, sits on a stand.) COLBY: Oh, don't just sit there, Eustace, say something.THEA: Why don't you just publish and get it over with. (Everyone say Hi! to Wanda Ventham.) Show Full Transcript Open in new window