The Faceless Ones (TV story)

The Faceless Ones was the eighth story of Season 4 of Doctor Who. Companions Ben Jackson and Polly, played by Michael Craze and Anneke Wills respectively, left the series at the end of this story.

Synopsis
The TARDIS arrives on Earth in 1966 - on a runway at Gatwick airport. Polly witnesses a murder in a nearby hangar and is then kidnapped by the perpetrator, Spencer of Chameleon Tours. Subsequently Ben also vanishes. The Doctor and Jamie are left to try to convince the sceptical airport Commandant that there has been foul play.

It transpires that a great many other young people have also vanished, all of them while on Chameleon Tours holidays. With the help of Samantha Briggs, the sister of one of the missing youths, the Doctor and Jamie uncover a plot by the alien Chameleons to kidnap human youngsters in order to take their identities - for the Chameleons have lost their own identities in an accident on their home planet.

The Doctor offers to help the Chameleons find another solution to their problem and the kidnapped humans are released.

Episode 1
The TARDIS lands on a runway at Gatwick Airport, and The Doctor, Ben, Polly, and Jamie are forced to run for their lives as a jet airplane tries to land on that same runway. The jet avoids collision, but the four intruders are spotted by a police officer and they split up. The airport's Commandant is informed by an air traffic controller of the reason given by the jet's pilot, and incredulously orders the obstruction investigated. The police box is quickly hauled away.

The police officer has pursued Ben but has lost him; while Jamie meets up with the Doctor underneath a parked airplane. Polly meanwhile, has hidden in the hangar for Chameleon Tours, and witnesses a man, holding an envelope, killed by another man in pilot's uniform, with some kind of futuristic weapon. The pilot enters a hidden control chamber filled with high-tech equipment, and reports via a monitor to another pilot what has happened. An alarm sounds, and a monitor shows Polly examining the body. The man goes out to catch her but she escapes.

The Commandant is even more incredulous to hear that the obstruction actually was a police box. Polly finds The Doctor and Jamie, and tells them what she saw; the Doctor insists she show them. The two pilots in the hangar discover they have killed Detective Inspector Gascoigne, and are concerned a parent may have sent him. They dispose of the man's effects, as well as two suitcases. An alarm sounds and they see The Doctor, Jamie, and Polly in the hangar. The second pilot is furious at the first pilot, Spencer, when Polly says she could recognize him anywhere. The Doctor is surprised to find that the man, killed by a gun (says Polly), has been electrocuted. The time travelers leave to find someone in charge. As they go, Polly lags behind and is knocked unconscious by Spencer, using a pen-shaped device. Back inside the hidden chamber, Polly is questioned, and when the Doctor and Jamie cannot find her in the hangar they resume their quest to find help from the authorities. The pilots say they must do something to stop Polly's friends from worrying.

The Doctor and Jamie arrive at the Immigration & Customs desk, but cannot get past the officer, Jenkins, without a passport. The officer is finally moved to action when Jamie mentions the TARDIS and, suspecting they may be involved with the police-box affair, asks them to wait while he contacts the Commandant. Meanwhile, Ben finds the Chameleon hangar and is drawn inside by sounds of hammering. Captain Blade, the second pilot, is securing a packing case, and before he can draw his weapon at Ben's arrival, Jean Rock (the Commandant's assistant) arrives to give Blade flight schedules. Blade shows Ben the way out.

The Commandant is extremely dubious at The Doctor's story, and is disturbed by their lack of passports, but he eventually relents and follows the Doctor and Jamie to the hangar. In the hangar's hidden chamber, Blade is affixing stamps to postcards. Spencer tells him Polly has been "processed" and can be taken on the next flight. Blade then opens a refrigerated cabinet and a scaly, humanoid arm is seen. He injects the arm with something. The Pilots are alerted to the presence of The Doctor, Jamie, and the Commandant in the hangar. The body is gone, but the Doctor reveals an unused Spanish postage stamp; the only thing found on the body. Jamie and the Doctor find burnt fibers and a burn mark, and move to open a packing case as Blade emerges from the back. Blade opens the case, revealing... plastic cups. The Commandant takes the two suspects away. Spencer is ordered to bring out the creature from the compartment, and he and Blade help it out of the hangar.

Back at Immigration & Customs, The Doctor and Jamie spot a familiar young lady arriving. The woman looks exactly like Polly, but she claims not to know either of them. The two pilots guide the disguised creature through the airport concourse to the medical centre. Breathing heavily, the creature has a featureless face on a misshapen head.

Episode 2
As the creature waits, Meadows, an air traffic controller, lies on a bed unconscious. At the I&C desk, the woman says she is from Zurich, this is her first visit to England, and she is here on work permit. She leaves, as Jamie forlornly calls after her. As the Commandant calls for the police, The Doctor and Jamie make a dash for it.

Nurse Pinto arrives, and armbands are attached to both the creature and Meadows. Headsets are attached, and as the real Meadows twitches, the creature transforms into a duplicate of him. As the Doctor and Jamie hide behind newspapers, the Doctor spots an advertisement for Chameleon Tours, catering to people ages 18-25. Ben finds them and they go off. At the medical centre, they adjust the new Meadows's senses, and test his knowledge of himself.

Ben spots the woman who looks like Polly working at the Chameleon Tours desk. The Doctor tries to get through to her, but in denying everything she mentions "someone shot" without prompting. The Doctor and his friends leave, and Polly reports behind the kiosk to Blade. Blade orders her to leave on the next flight back to base, and intends to deal with the Doctor.

The duplicate Meadows takes his place at air traffic control. DI Crossland has arrived and is investigating Chameleon. Meanwhile, the Doctor, Ben, and Jamie hide in a photo booth, and decide that Ben should investigate the hangar, Jamie will keep an eye on the kiosk, and the Doctor will see the Commandant. As Jamie watches, Samantha Briggs arrives and interrogates Polly about her brother Brian, supposedly in Rome on a Chameleon Tour: the hotel he's at doesn't exist, he can't be found, yet they've received a postcard from Rome, from him. Polly says she'll make inquiries, and goes back to contact Blade, but reaches Spencer; Polly tries to stall, as Jamie meets Samantha.

The Commandant absolutely refuses to listen to the Doctor so he is forced to run. Samantha gets very little out of Polly as she closes the kiosk. Ben arrives in the hangar, and opens a packing case to find the real Polly, sitting in a trance, and tries to call the Commandant. The Doctor is introduced to Samantha, and investigates the rear of the kiosk. He sees Ben on the monitor, then sees Spencer attack Ben with the pen-shaped freezing device. Blade and Spencer prepare for the Doctor's approach. DI Crossland speaks to Jenkins about Brian Briggs, and DI Gascoigne, and hears about the Doctor and Jamie.

Samantha is flirting with Jamie as the Chameleon kiosk is reopened by a different woman. A Chameleon flight to Zurich is announced, and Jamie worries where Polly is. The Doctor reaches the hangar and, with no sign of Ben, searches the office and pockets the pen-like device. The new kiosk attendant, Ann Davidson, hands out stamped postcards to the Zurich passengers. Samantha realizes the implications. She and Jamie head off to find the Doctor, but are stopped by DI Crossland.

The Doctor opens a packing case to discover the trance-like body of Meadows, when suddenly a pleading voice is heard over a loudspeaker. The Doctor is drawn into the office, where he is sealed inside, with a freezing vapor seeping in through grilles in the walls.

Episode 3
Spencer watches from inside the hidden chamber as the Doctor tries to block one grille; Spencer opens another. The Doctor notices a closed-circuit camera watching him, and blocks that too. Spencer comes out to find the Doctor huddled on the ground, but as he bends down to check on him, the Doctor fires the freezing device at him, escaping.

The Doctor finds Jamie and Samantha with DI Crossland, and the Doctor identifies a picture of DI Gascoigne. Blade revives Spencer, and orders him to kill the Doctor, as Blade departs to pilot the Zurich flight. Crossland insists on taking the Doctor's story to the Commandant, one more time. The Doctor doubtfully agrees, and leaves Jamie and Samantha to watch the kiosk. Samantha decides to investigate the hangar herself, and goads Jamie into going with her.

The Doctor, with Crossland's encouragement, tells the Commandant about the stupefied man he found in the packing case, and the Doctor locates Meadows working at air traffic control. He explains his conviction that Gascoigne was murdered by a ray gun—a weapon unknown on Earth, and that Chameleon Tours is a front for the mass abduction of young men and women. The Doctor shows them the pen-like freezing device, and demonstrates it with "Meadows's" reticent help: Meadows runs off as the Doctor fires the device at a china cup Meadows is holding.

Samantha finds an envelope full of signed postcards in the Chameleon office, and they head for the Commandant's office. Sam shows the envelope is addressed to a Chameleon Tours office in Germany, and explains to all assembled the ramifications. The Commandant gives the Doctor the freedom of the airport for 12 hours. Meadows reports back to Spencer, and he orders Meadows to attach a button-like device to the Doctor. Meadows returns to air traffic control.

Captain Blade's flight is returning, and the Doctor questions another controller about the range of their radar. Meadows bumps into the Doctor, planting the device. The Doctor playfully wonders if Meadows has a double. Crossland is given permission to meet Blade aboard his next flight. Searching the Chameleon office, the grilles are hidden, but The Doctor suspects there is a secret chamber and he and Jamie tear apart the room. Crossland confronts Blade, and forces his way on to the flight deck: an alien control room. Blade and Ann Davidson clamp him in a chair, and the flight takes off.

The Doctor and Jamie find the opening mechanism, and discover the high-tech contents of the room, including the cabinet "for someone who's not used to breathing the Earth's atmosphere." They see on a monitor the inside of the medical centre and go in search of it; Spencer watches this from the kiosk, and activates the device on the Doctor's back, causing him to fall in pain. Ann passes out refreshments to the passengers on the plane, and returns to the flight deck, where Blade activates a device. As Crossland watches on a monitor, the passengers disappear.

Episode 4
to be added

Episode 5
to be added

Episode 6
to be added

Cast

 * The Doctor - Patrick Troughton
 * Ben Jackson - Michael Craze
 * Polly - Anneke Wills
 * Jamie McCrimmon - Frazer Hines
 * Samantha Briggs - Pauline Collins
 * Policeman - James Appleby
 * Commandant - Colin Gordon
 * Meadows - George Selway
 * Jean Rock - Wanda Ventham
 * Spencer - Victor Winding
 * Inspector Gascoigne - Peter Whitaker
 * Blade - Donald Pickering
 * Jenkins - Christopher Tranchell
 * Nurse Pinto - Madalena Nicol
 * Crossland - Bernard Kay
 * Ann Davidson - Gilly Fraser
 * Announcer - Brigit Paul
 * Heslington - Barry Wilsher
 * R.A.F. Pilot - Michael Ladkin
 * Supt. Reynolds - Leonard Trolley

Crew

 * Assistant Floor Manager - Sue Marlborough
 * Associate Producer - Peter Bryant
 * Costumes - Daphne Dare, Sandra Reid
 * Designer - Geoffrey Kirkland
 * Film Cameraman - Tony Imi
 * Film Editor - Chris Hayden
 * Make-Up - Gillian James
 * Producer - Innes Lloyd
 * Production Assistant - Richard Brooks
 * Script Editor - Gerry Davis
 * Special Sounds - Brian Hodgson
 * Studio Lighting - Howard King
 * Studio Sound - Gordon Mackie
 * Theme Arrangement - Delia Derbyshire
 * Title Music - Ron Grainer

Story notes

 * This story had a working title of The Chameleons.
 * A new arrangement of the theme tune produced by Delia Derbyshire (with assistance from Dick Mills) to match the new title sequence makes its debut here in episode two. The new title sequence featuring Patrick Troughton's face was first used in the previous story, but with the original theme tune used (as well as on episode one of this story) due to a production mistake. This new arrangement remains in use (with some variations) until 1980.
 * As well as the complete print of Episode 1, the BBC Archives also hold an incomplete copy returned from ABC in Australia in 1981 after censors had removed the following scenes: 'Spencer' killing Inspector Gascoigne with a Chameleon ray-gun; the alien arm emerging from the cupboard; and panning of the alien figure – seen only from behind – at the end of the episode.
 * Samantha Briggs was originally intended to be a companion, however Pauline Collins turned down the offer.
 * Pauline Collins, who played Samantha Briggs, would later play Queen Victoria in the Tenth Doctor episode Tooth and Claw.

Ratings

 * Episode 1 - 8.0 million viewers
 * Episode 2 - 6.4 million viewers
 * Episode 3 - 7.9 million viewers
 * Episode 4 - 6.9 million viewers
 * Episode 5 - 7.1 million viewers
 * Episode 6 - 8.0 million viewers

Myths

 * The only surviving copy of Episode 1 is a print edited by the censors in Australia. (The copy of this episode in the BBC Archives is complete and unedited – see Story notes above.)

Filming locations

 * Gatwick Airport, Gatwick, Surrey
 * Ealing Television Film Studios, Ealing Green, Ealing
 * Lime Grove Studios (Studio D), Lime Grove, London

Production errors

 * The man shot in episode one had his back to Polly when he was shot, yet manages to fall with his face on the ground.

Continuity

 * This story takes place contemporaneously with the events of DW: The War Machines.
 * The conclusion of this story leads straight into DW: The Evil of the Daleks.
 * The Chameleons appear again in ST: Face Value.

Timeline

 * This story occurs after CC: Resistance.
 * This story occurs before DW: The Evil of the Daleks.

DVD Release
The surviving episodes (Episodes 1 & 3) were released in digitally re-mastered form as part of the Lost in Time 3-disc DVD set.

Released:
 * Region 2 1st November 2005
 * PAL - BBC DVD BBCDVD1353


 * Region 4 2nd December 2005
 * Region 1 2nd November 2005
 * NTSC - Warner Video E2082 (Troughton 2 disc set) / E2083 (Box set)

VHS releases
The surviving episodes (Episodes 1 & 3) were released alongside The Web of Fear Episode 1 and the remaining episodes of The Reign of Terror all in digitally re-mastered form as part of a two-cassette release entitled Doctor Who: The Reign of Terror.

Released:
 * UK November 2003
 * PAL - BBC Video BBCV7335


 * US October 2003
 * NTSC - Warner Video E1853

Notes: The US release was also located in The End of the Universe Collection.


 * Editing of surviving episodes for VHS and DVD release completed by Doctor Who Restoration Team.

Novelisation and its audiobook

 * Main article: The Faceless Ones (novelisation)


 * Novelised as The Faceless Ones by Terrance Dicks in 1987.