Doctor Who: The Faceless Ones

Doctor Who: BBC Radio Collection

by David Ellis, Malcolm Hulke, Patrick Troughton (Narrator)

Patrick Troughton plays the second Doctor in this classic six-part tale of 'bodysnatching' from 1967.

The TARDIS makes a hazardous return to contemporary Earth — materialising at Gatwick Airport in the path of an oncoming aeroplane! The travellers split up in order to evade airport security, but in doing so they become embroiled in a plot to steal the personalities of young human beings.

The Chameleons: faceless aliens who have lost their very identities following a disaster on their home world. Now they have infiltrated the airport, setting up the bogus Chameleon Tours in order to kidnap passengers and take over their very identities. As the Doctor and his companions become mixed up in the alien machinations, it soon becomes difficult for them to distinguish friends from enemies...

This story, only two episodes of which survive in the television archive, marks the departure of companions Ben and Polly, played by Michael Craze and Anneke Wills, from the series. It also features Frazer Hines as Jamie and Pauline Collins as Samantha Briggs.

Genres: Doctor Who, Audiobook, Science Fiction, Fiction

3 pages, Audio CD

First published February 1, 2002

About the author

David Ellis (born Derrick Francis Kerkham; 22 June 1918 – 30 June 1978) was the co-writer with Malcolm Hulke of the Doctor Who serial The Faceless Ones, recorded with Patrick Troughton in 1967. Ellis wrote detective plays for the Midweek Theatre slot on BBC Radio 4. He also wrote stage plays.

Source: Wikipedia

Reviews

[George Nash · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun story. I like how many of the elements have been reused in other stories. I found it enjoyable.

[Bruce · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Doctor and his three human companions land in the middle of a Gatwick Airport runway in 1966. After dodging an incoming flight they run off to the terminal only to discover that, "Inspector Gascoigne was murdered with a ray gun. A weapon that has not yet been developed on this Earth!" And that’s not all, there are some nefarious aliens skulking about the airport, and running a body-snatching scam in the guise of a charter airline (cleverly called Chameleon Tours) offering bargain priced tours to young people. Tours from which they never return.

The narration helps fill in for the loss of visual images in this adaptation of a television series to an audio only drama. Since most of the original TV version is now lost, this makes this version a vital one for obsessive fans, and a pleasant science fiction radio drama for others.

[Min · Rating 4 out of 5]

A longer, slower plot that makes it feel more like a good movie than a television show. I prefer these because so much more dialogue and character development can occur.
There are action sequences, yet, at a controlled level. It is more about the tale told. Best of all, thre are full segments without the regular cast, so it doesn't feel formulaic, or stilted. It is about a quality story, in my mind, that matters. Not if the 'stars' of the show are given the most lines, and screen time.

The linking narration of this episode is Frazer Hines, Jamie McCrimmon himself.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this audiobook better than some of those which preceded it. Jamie at last gets to be freaked by time travel, there's quite a nice Liverpudlian girl in it who doesn't seem to do too much screaming... and I liked picturing it. What would at the time have been contemporary Gatwick airport would now be quaint and retro.

There were some nice features to this idea. The story wrapped up too quickly in relation to the build up.

[Debra Cook · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Doctor, Ben, Polly, and Jamie Land on earth where people are disappearing by aliens trying to take over the world.