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Doctor Who: Faceless Ones (Doctor Who)
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| Custom Reviews: | |
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| Alien abductions at Gatwick Airport | |
|  | "The Faceless Ones" is a largely earthbound adventure set, uniquely, in the bustling surroundings of Gatwick Airport. Aided in the two surviving episodes (available on the DVD set "Lost In Time") by a good use of location filming on the runways and the airport concourse and elsewhere by careful use of ambient sound including the PA system, the setting is fairly convincingly conveyed.
The plot of the story is standard alien abduction / replication fare, such has been seen in many sci-fi programmes since, including "The X-Files". However, David Ellis and Malcolm Hulke's script handles the matter in a typically low-key "Doctor Who" way, managing to be both engaging but also somewhat slow-moving. The six-part story takes the time to avoid ludicrous intuitive leaps on the part of the regulars, and the supporting characters, on both sides, are treated with the respect they deserve. Captain Blade (Donald Pickering) performs his role of impassive villain well, and there's a decent guest turn by Pauline Collins as Liverpudlian would-be-companion Samantha Briggs. The story really belongs, however, to Patrick Troughton and Frazer Hines, who take the limelight as the Doctor and Jamie and do so with aplomb.
"The Faceless Ones" is the last outing for companions Ben and Polly, and the means of their departure is one of my main reasons for not giving the story a higher rating. Actors Michael Craze and Anneke Wills were clearly only contracted for two episodes' worth of filming, and as such both characters (whether in original or in duplicate) vanish completely from the narrative by the third episode, only reappearing for their departure scene at the end of episode six in what was clearly a pre-filmed sequence. This ignominious exit for two popular characters is, to my mind, second only to Dodo's departure in "The War Machines" for shabbiness.
| | | | I purchased the Audio CD of The Faceless Ones after seeing episodes one and three on 'The Reign of Terror' VHS box set. The story's length is fine and allows the plot to develop properly. The linking narration by Frazer Hines is great and makes up for the lack of pictures on the action shots. The story sees the departure of both Ben and Polly, although they have relatively minor parts in the story, which is a bit disappointing. Patrick Troughton is, as always on top form with his voice, which is always engaging and comes up with some memorable lines during the story. If you are a fan of Patrick Troughton, The Faceless Ones is a great story to own.
| | | By no means is this a bad story- far from it. The story has many things going for it (a good plot, some nice performances) but it also has many sore points. For a story that rids itself of two companions (Ben and Polly in this case), you'd think that it would give them a greater chance to really make their mark on the series, but this is not the case here at all and they are largely ignored. Also, for a story 6 episodes long, one cannot help but notice how it drags, especially in the last couple of episodes. Still, there has been worse (step forward 'Androids Of Tara') but there has been much better (step forward the following story!)
| | Different, but rather dull | |
| | | At six episodes, this story drags. There is far too much padding and some of the acting is dreadful (Pauline Collins usual ability with accents fails her here!) Pat Troughton is, as always, delightful, but even he sounds like he's looking forward to getting on to the next (Dalek-based) adventure.
| | A spooky Troughton story ! | |
| | | The Tardis materialises at Gatwick airport, and Ben and Polly are kidnapped by mysterious aliens. The Doctor, ably assisted by the resourceful Jamie, begins an investigation, while being hunted by both the aliens and the airport authorities. He discovers that thousands of young people have been kidnapped by a tour operator, Chameleon Tours, and that someone on the airport has access to technology not known on Earth. The six episodes fly by, as the plot twists and turns in a very entertaining way. There are some marvellous character roles (the Airport Commandant, the police officer investigating the disappearance of one of the missing youngsters, and the Chameleon leader), and of course the eccentric and lovable Pat Troughton, who's on top form in this story. Sadly, it's Ben and Polly's last appearance in Doctor Who, so there's also a "will-they survive or won't-they?" aspect to their disappearance. The story is - for once - not about monsters, but is a mystery; and the Doctor has to win a race against time before the aliens' plans can be completed. He isn't helped when the Chameleons start replacing his friends with doubles - as he never knows who will be the next to be replaced! Some lovely acting, too, by Wanda Ventham, Colin Gordon, Donald Pickering, and Pauline Collins in some of the guest roles. A classic Troughton story, with a surprise ending...
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