The Faceless Ones

Directed by

UK Viewers

8 million

Appreciation Index

51

Synopsis

The TARDIS materialises on the runway of Gatwick Airport, where Polly witnesses a murder only to be kidnapped before she can report it.

Episode 2 Missing

First aired

Saturday, April 15, 1967

Runtime

25 minutes

Written by

Directed by

UK Viewers

6.4 million

Appreciation Index

50

Synopsis

With Polly having apparently forgotten them, the Doctor, Ben and Jamie decide to carry out their own investigation of Chameleon Tours.

Episode 3

First aired

Saturday, April 22, 1967

Runtime

25 minutes

Written by

Directed by

UK Viewers

7.9 million

Appreciation Index

53

Synopsis

The Doctor, Jamie and Sam manage to convince Crossland to trust them and he persuades the Commandant to let them continue their investigation.

Episode 4 Missing

First aired

Saturday, April 29, 1967

Runtime

25 minutes

Written by

Directed by

UK Viewers

6.9 million

Appreciation Index

55

Synopsis

When Spencer attempts to kill them, the Doctor, Jamie and Sam become convinced Chameleon Tours are hiding something and Sam decides to book a ticket on one of their flights.

Episode 5 Missing

First aired

Saturday, May 6, 1967

Runtime

25 minutes

Written by

Directed by

UK Viewers

7.1 million

Appreciation Index

55

Synopsis

Jamie finds himself aboard the Chameleons' satellite and meets their Director while the Doctor forces the Chameleon Meadows to tell him the aliens' plans.

Episode 6 Missing

First aired

Saturday, May 13, 1967

Runtime

25 minutes

Written by

Directed by

UK Viewers

8 million

Appreciation Index

52

Synopsis

The Doctor and Pinto are captured by the Chameleons but the Doctor manages to use their dependence on their human originals to create dissent in their ranks.

Characters

Second Doctor

Patrick Troughton

Jamie McCrimmon

Frazer Hines

How to watch The Faceless Ones:

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Lost in Time

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The Faceless Ones [Steelbook]

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The Faceless Ones

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The Faceless Ones

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10 reviews

This review contains spoilers!

Watching this recently made me appreciate it a lot more and Time-Flight a little less. For the Faceless Ones, this was a very creative setting for a Doctor Who story. It's full of great moments of dark atmosphere and I enjoyed some of the character work of the terminal staff as they grapple with the increasingly disturbing situation around them. This is not however, a great story for Ben and Polly's exit. Neither character really shines much and Jamie in comparison already feels much more clearly at home with the adventuring. Jamie's got some fun moments in this one and definitely helps make this story a lot better than it might look on paper.

dema1020

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Review last edited on 14-11-24

This review contains spoilers!

I remember reading an excellent article in DWM about Malcolm Hulke, it is clear that his real life experiences impacted the writing of this story. It's drenched in superstition, hidden motives and spies, fantastic stuff.

From the moment our heroes materialise on Gatwick runway in the path of an oncoming plane, this story sets itself out as a lot of fun. Having spent my first 18 years in Crawley, the fact that this episode was that it was all filmed and set so close to home was marvellous for me.

Jamie being given a love interest was the first hints of romance we have had since Susan in Dalek Invasion of Earth. Samantha Briggs, the Liverpudlian girl is a great character in and of herself, she gives a wider scope to the story and sells the idea that teenagers from across the country are going missing - plus it's nice to have two characters with ordinary accents talking in classic who!

Lots of great ideas here, from the falsified passports to disfigured aliens - it feels like Doctor Who has really succeeded with re-inventing itself with this Doctor, yet somehow staying very much the same show.

The most lasting consequence of this story is the departure of Ben and Polly, who have been a fantastic team. Ben was a complete departure from Ian and Steven who were made in similar heroic, stoic moulds. A cockney with a cheeky attitude worked perfectly alongside Jamie, who is less forthright and confident. Polly is really hip, the moment she was first onscreen it was difficult to remember Dodo was even in that story. Its a crying shame that she wasn't present throughout the whole of her final story. Having said all this, whilst they were brilliant companions, everything I love about them was there to be seen in The War Machines, after that there were more there to support the fantastic new Doctor. It would have been nice to see these two develop further in their own right. Perhaps I would rate them higher if their entire time wasn't so cruelly missing.

Another great story - can't wait to see what happens next!

15thDoctor

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Review last edited on 19-08-24

This review contains spoilers!

if this were a 4 parter, it would've been a higher rating. as per most 6 parters, it dragged a lot. as far as companion exits go, i know classic who ones are never the best however the fact ben and polly were barely present in the story??? it was a sad exit scene though, glad to fill that gap in finally.

Jamie

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Review last edited on 17-01-25

This review contains spoilers!

I quite like this one, while not as great as what came before or after, I think this one is a lovely Story. One might argue it drags, and I do agree, but to me, it works here since I do think it enhances the Atmosphere of a Location. I mean, at least to me, whenever I am on an Airport, things drag massively or at least it seems to do so. The setting itself is a great and gives this one a unique feeling to it, I’d argue this Story without the TARDIS Team could have made a decent Entry into the Twilight Zone. The titular Faceless ones or Chameleons are a fun force, even if they aren’t the best Shapeshifter in Who’s History, I find them quite charming and a bit shocked they haven’t been used again (but then again you have the Zygons so is there a Need for the Chameleons anymore?) Throughton and Hines are top-notch, I particularly enjoy the Opening Scene where 2 shouts that they should all scatter, mainly because after that we see less & less from Ben & Polly, until they just kinda start to vanish. And while I do like their departure Scene, it’s another War Machine Situation, where as a Companion Exit they feel like an Afterthought, oh well at least we actually see them have an exit this time around.
This is probably also my biggest Issue with the Serial, since the rest really holds itself together quite well, sure there are some Things I am not sold on, but the Things that work here, really work. Samantha is a great ‘Could have been’-Companion, even if I am not thrilled with each Choice they made with her Character in this Story. The Cliffhangers are usually great, with a few that are a bit what ever. And the ending how it all gets resolved is just great, I quite like this one! A great one for sure!

RandomJoke

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Review last edited on 30-06-25