The Face of Evil (TV story): Difference between revisions

From Tardis Wiki, the free Doctor Who reference
m (Bot: Cosmetic changes)
 
(335 intermediate revisions by 86 users not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
{{Infobox ClassicTV|
{{title dab away}}
story name= The Face of Evil|
{{real world}}
image= [[Image:Faceofevil_title.jpg|250px]]|
{{ImageLinkTV}}
series=[[Doctor Who]] - [[TV stories|TV Stories]] |
{{Infobox Story SMW
number= [[Season 14]]|
|image= Faceofevil title.jpg
story number= 89|
|series=[[Doctor Who television stories|''Doctor Who'' television stories]]
doctor=[[Fourth Doctor]] |
|season number= Season 14 (Doctor Who 1963)|
companions= [[Leela]] (introduction)|
|season serial number = 4
enemy= [[Xoanon]] |
|story number= 89
year= [[Far Future]] |
|doctor = Fourth Doctor  
writer= [[Chris Boucher]]|
|companions= [[Leela]]
director= [[Pennant Roberts]]|
|enemy= [[Xoanon]]  
producer= [[Philip Hinchcliffe]]|
|setting= [[Mordee]], [[far future]]; Inside Xoanon
broadcast date= [[1st January]] - [[22nd January]] [[1977]]|
|writer= Chris Boucher
format= 4 25-minute episodes|
|director= [[Pennant Roberts]]
production code= [[List of production codes|4Q]]|
|producer= [[Philip Hinchcliffe]]
previous story= [[The Deadly Assassin]] |
|novelisation= Doctor Who and the Face of Evil (novelisation)
next story= [[The Robots of Death]]}}
|epcount = 4
|broadcast date= 1 - 22 January 1977
|network = BBC1
|format= 4x25-minute episodes
|serial production code= [[List of production codes|4Q]]
|prev= The Deadly Assassin (TV story)
|next= The Robots of Death (TV story)
|clip = Jelly Baby -Take me to Your Leader - Doctor Who - The Face of Evil - BBC
|clip2 = We are Xoanon - The Face of Evil - Doctor Who - BBC
|thwr = 1
|thwr2 = 158|thwr3=187
}}{{you may|The Face of Evil (reference book)|n1=the reference book of the same name}}
'''''The Face of Evil''''' was the fourth serial of [[Season 14 (Doctor Who 1963)|season 14]] of ''[[Doctor Who]]''. When broadcast, it was originally billed in [[Radio Times/1970s|Radio Times]] as the start of a new series, due to the six-week gap since the final episode of ''[[The Deadly Assassin (TV story)|The Deadly Assassin]]''. As originally broadcast, it in fact followed [[omnibus]] editions of ''[[Pyramids of Mars (TV story)|Pyramids of Mars]]'' and ''[[The Brain of Morbius (TV story)|The Brain of Morbius]]'', amongst other, unrelated programmes. ([[INFO]]: ''The Face of Evil'') However, this marketing ploy has not been recognised by the BBC—nor has it been propagated in reference books such as ''[[Doctor Who The Handbook: The Fourth Doctor|The Fourth Doctor Handbook]]''.


==Synopsis==
== Synopsis ==
The TARDIS arrives on a planet where a savage tribe called the [[Sevateem]] worship a god called Xoanon. The Doctor discovers that Xoanon is in fact a spaceship computer that he tried to repair at some point in his past and inadvertently drove mad by giving it a multiple personality.
The [[Fourth Doctor|Doctor]] arrives on a planet where two tribes, the savage [[Sevateem]] and the technically brilliant [[Tesh]], are at war. He meets [[Leela]], an exile from the Sevateem, and discovers that [[Xoanon|their god of evil]] is apparently himself.


It is tended to by another tribe of humanoids, the ascetic Tesh. These are the descendants of the ship's original technicians, while the Sevateem are the descendants of the original survey team. The Doctor, with the help of a Sevateem girl called Leela, manages to gain access to the ship and wipe the additional personalities from the computer, leaving it sane and in proper control once more.
== Plot ==
=== Part one ===
The Doctor, alone in [[The Doctor's TARDIS|the TARDIS]], arrives on a mysterious [[jungle]] planet which he cannot resist exploring. He soon encounters Leela, a savage from the local tribe. She denounces him as the Evil One of her people's fables. She has been exiled from her tribe, the [[Sevateem]], for profaning their god, the mysterious [[Xoanon]], who speaks to them through the tribe's shaman, Neeva. Her father, tribal elder [[Sole (The Face of Evil)|Sole]], tried to protect her but died taking the Test of the [[Horda]] on her behalf. Now Leela is an outcast beyond the invisible barrier around her tribal home.


Leela, deciding that she no longer wants to stay on her own planet, pushes her way on board the TARDIS. The Doctor has gained another companion.
Neeva, meanwhile, has sent two men to [[murder]] her, an action witnessed by Leela's friend Tomas. He kills one of them as Leela dispatches the other. In the jungle beyond, she encounters the Doctor, who soon wins her over by defending her from invisible monsters that rampage about, attracted by vibration of any kind. Exploring further, the Doctor finds a sophisticated [[sonic disruptor]]. It creates the [[force field]] that keeps creatures from attacking the village itself. Leela regales him with more folklore; the god Xoanon is kept prisoner by the Evil One and his followers, the reclusive [[Tesh]], beyond a strange black wall.


==Plot==
The Sevateem have decided to launch an attack on the Tesh to free their god. They are led by the combative Andor, who is determined to free his god. He also believes an attack will unite the people. Andor suspects Neeva of being a false prophet, and Tomas tells him of Neeva's attempted murder of Leela. Still, Andor believes the attack will succeed and is prepared to go ahead.
The Doctor, travelling alone in the TARDIS, arrives on a mysterious jungle planet which he cannot resist exploring. He soon encounters Leela, a savage from the local tribe, who denounces him as the Evil One of fable amongst her people. She has been exiled from her tribe, the Sevateem, for profaning their god, the mysterious Xoanon, which speaks to them through the tribe’s shaman, Neeva. Her father, tribal elder Sole, tried to intervene to protect her but died when taking the Test of the [[Horda]] on her behalf. Now Leela is an outcast beyond the invisible barrier around her tribal home. Neeva, meanwhile, has sent two men to murder her, an action witnessed by Leela's friend Tomas, who kills one of the men as Leela dispatches the other. In the jungle beyond that she encounters the Doctor, who soon wins her over by defending her from invisible monsters that rampage about, attracted by vibration of any kind. Exploring further, the Doctor finds a sophisticated sonic disruptor which creates the forcefield that keeps the creatures from attacking the village itself. Leela regales him with more folklore of her people: the god Xoanon is kept prisoner by the Evil One and his followers, the Tesh, beyond a strange black wall.
[[File:FourAttackedByAndor.jpg|thumb|left|[[Andor (The Face of Evil)|Andor]] threatens the Doctor's life]]
Two warriors are scouring the jungle when they find the Doctor. They also call him the Evil One and make a hand gesture which the Doctor interprets as the sequence for checking the seals on a [[Starfall Seven]] [[spacesuit]]. The warriors seize the Doctor but not Leela. They take him to the village council, where his face is shown to the tribe. Andor is convinced the prisoner is the Evil One and has him confined. However, Leela frees him using poisonous [[Janis thorn]]s, which paralyse, then kill the victim. The Doctor is horrified by this. He instructs her, "No more Janis thorns, ever."


The Sevateem have meanwhile decided to launch an attack on the domain of the Tesh to free their god. They are led by the combative Andor, who is determined to free his god, and also believes that an attack will unite the people. Andor suspects Neeva of being a false prophet, and Tomas tells him of Neeva's assassination attempt against Leela. Still, Andor believes the attack will succeed and is prepared to go ahead.
The pair flees the village and heads to a clearing beyond, where the Doctor is greeted by a stunning sight. Carved into a mountain nearby is a relief of his own face.


Two warriors are scouring the jungle when they find the Doctor, and they too call him the Evil One, making a protective hand gesture which the Doctor interprets as the sequence for checking the seals on a Starfall Seven spacesuit. The warriors seize the Doctor, but not Leela, and take him to the village council, where his face is shown to all the tribe. Andor is convinced the prisoner is the Evil One, and has him confined. However, Leela manages to free him by using poisonous Janis thorns, which paralyze, then kill the victim. The Doctor is horrified by this and instructs her "No more Janis thorns, Ever".
=== Part two ===
The Doctor cannot recall clearly why his face is here. He persuades Leela to return to the village to learn more, despite their death sentences. They return to Neeva's holy tent. The Doctor inspects the ancient tribal relics, recognising them as artefacts from an Earth survey expedition. He also finds a transceiver used by Neeva to hear the commands of Xoanon. It speaks with the Doctor's own voice, exhilarated at hearing the Doctor, saying, "At last we are here. At last I shall be free of us."


The pair flees the village and head to a clearing beyond, in which the Doctor is greeted with a stunning sight: carved into a mountain nearby is an impression of his own face. The Doctor cannot recall clearly why his face is depicted so, and persuades Leela to return to the village to find out more, despite the death sentence upon them. They return to Neeva’s holy tent and the Doctor inspects the ancient tribal relics, recognising them as artifacts from an Earth survey expedition. He also finds a transceiver used by Neeva to hear the commands of Xoanon. It speaks with the Doctor’s own voice, conveying exhilaration on hearing the Doctor that "At least we are here. At last I shall be free of us."
They head off to inspect the dark wall that stands at the entrance to the realm of the Evil One. The Doctor [[deduce]]s it is a primitive time barrier. He is certain the Sevateem warriors will be massacred if they attack the fortress of their enemy, the Tesh. From afar they see the [[massacre]] unfold, as laser beams cut down warriors armed only with [[crossbow]]s and other basic weapons. Half the tribe is lost in the assault.


They then head off to inspect the dark Wall that stands at the entrance to the realm of the Evil One. The Doctor deduces it is a primitive time barrier, and is convinced the Sevateem warriors will be massacred if they attack the fortress of their enemy, the Tesh. From a distance they see the massacre unfold, as laser beams cut down warriors armed only with crossbows and other basic tribal weapons. Half the tribe is lost in the assault and one of the elders, the devious Calib, is first back at the camp where he finds the Doctor and Leela. He is evidently intent on using the Doctor to break Neeva’s hold on the tribe by exposing the faith in Xoanon as misplaced mythology. Leela’s friend Tomas also arrives, and is appalled to find Calib has stabbed Leela with a Janis thorn to prevent her exposing his schemes. The Doctor gets Tomas to help him move Leela to Neeva’s tent, where he uses a bio-analyzer to synthesise an antidote to the poison.
One of the elders, the devious Calib, is first back at the camp, where he finds the Doctor and Leela. He is evidently intent on using the Doctor to break Neeva's hold on the tribe by exposing the faith in Xoanon as mythology. Leela's friend Tomas also arrives. He is apalled to find Calib has stabbed Leela with a Janis thorn to prevent her exposing his schemes. The Doctor gets Tomas to help him move Leela to Neeva's tent, where he uses a bio-analyser to synthesise an antidote to the poison.
[[File:FourFiresCrossbow.jpg|thumb|left|The Doctor fires a [[crossbow]], successfully ending the [[Test of the Horda]]]]
When the surviving warriors return, the Doctor, Leela and Tomas are invited to address the tribal elders in defence of their lives. Leela makes matters worse when she accuses Xoanon of causing the trap at the wall. Calib intervenes to suggest the Doctor is not the Evil One. He suggests this be proven by getting him to take the fabled [[Test of the Horda]].


When the surviving warriors return, the Doctor, Leela and Tomas are invited to address the tribal elders in defence of their lives. Leela makes matters worse when she accuses Xoanon of causing the trap at the Wall. Calib intervenes to suggest the Doctor is not the Evil One, and this can be proven by getting him to take the fabled Test of the Horda. In the centre of the village is a pit full of Horda, two-foot-long worms which hunt in packs and react to the movements of their prey. They are reputed to strip flesh from a man in an instant. The Sevateem evolved the Test of the Horda as a measure of justice and bravery. It involves suspension on a rope above the pit, and accused characters are gradually lowered into the pit by means of a rope. The Doctor is given a crossbow which has to be fired at the exact moment to sever the rope without causing him to fall into the pit – which is, of course, the fate of the guilty. The Doctor succeeds, and is therefore presumed to be a non-malign influence and freed. He proceeds to examine some relics of the tribe and repairs a disruptor gun. He also tells some of the tribe that the Sevateem are the descendants of a “survey team” which left a Starfall Seven Earth colony ship. The Doctor and Leela then go to examine the face in the mountain, and they climb into the face by scaling the Doctor’s teeth.
In the centre of the village is a pit full of Horda, two-foot-long worms which hunt in packs and react to the movements of their prey. They are reputed to strip flesh from a man in an instant. The Sevateem evolved the Test of the Horda as a trial of justice and bravery. It involves the defendant standing on a board over the pit, who then must shoot a rope attached to a boulder that is pulling the board out from under him.


Neeva returns to his tent, where the voice of Xoanon tells him that the tribe will be destroyed, and the mysterious being then causes the sonic disruptor to shut down, leaving the village open to attack from the invisible beings. These descend on the village, killing indiscriminately, including crushing Andor to death. Tomas uses the disruptor gun built by the Doctor to expose the true appearance of the invisible beings: they are ferocious, angry depictions of the Doctor’s own face.
The Doctor is given a crossbow. He must fire it at a precise moment to sever the rope without making him fall into the pit — the fate of the guilty. The Doctor succeeds, is proven a non-malign influence and freed. He proceeds to examine some relics of the tribe and repair a disruptor gun. He also tells some of the tribe that the Sevateem are the descendants of a "survey team" from a Starfall Seven Earth colony ship. The Doctor and Leela go to examine the face in the mountain; they climb into it by scaling the Doctor's teeth.


Leela and the Doctor notice a figure in a space suit in the “mouth” entrance and follow it through a projection of a wall. Beyond this barrier is a rocket, which the Doctor recalls as belonging to the Mordee Expedition, his memory of events earlier in his regeneration now returning. Xoanon has detected the Doctor nearby, and when he reaches the ship the god-creature is both ecstatic that "We are here” while also manically pledging that "We must destroy us."
Neeva returns to his tent, where the voice of Xoanon tells him the tribe will be destroyed. The mysterious being shuts down the [[sonic disruptor]], leaving the village open to attack from the invisible beings. These descend on the village, killing indiscriminately and crushing Andor to death. Tomas uses the disruptor gun built by the Doctor to expose the true appearance of the invisible beings: ferocious, angry versions of the Doctor's face.


The Doctor and Leela now meet three representatives of the Tesh, who serve and worship Xoanon. They are human too, but technologically advanced and possessing telepathic abilities. The Doctor deduces both Sevateem and Tesh are descendants of the same crew from the Mordee Expedition, with the Tesh (or technicians) involved in the same deadly eugenics exercise as the Sevateem.
=== Part three ===
Leela and the Doctor notice a figure in a spacesuit in the "mouth" entrance and follow it through a projection of a wall. Beyond this barrier is a rocket, which the Doctor recalls as belonging to the Mordee Expedition; his memory of events earlier in his incarnation are returning. Xoanon has detected the Doctor. When he reaches the ship, the god-creature is ecstatic that "we are here" and also maniacally pledging that "we must destroy us".


The invisible creatures that attacked the Sevateem are also part of the same deranged scheme: Xoanon is a highly sophisticated computer, designed to think independently. The Doctor had once repaired Xoanon but forgot to wipe his personality print from the data core, leaving the computer with a split personality. The Doctor and Leela are soon imprisoned but evade their captors and find the remote communications device used to communicate with Neeva. The Doctor, speaking as Xoanon, instructs Neeva to tell Calib, who is now tribal leader, to lead the Sevateem survivors through the mouth of the carved face in the mountain. Calib accepts this instruction and leads them into the safety of the mouth, where the invisible beings can no longer threaten the tribe.
The Doctor and Leela meet three of the Tesh who serve and worship Xoanon. They are human too, but technologically advanced and possessing telepathic abilities. The Doctor [[deduce]]s both Sevateem and Tesh are descendants of the same crew from the Mordee Expedition, with the Tesh (or technicians) involved in the same deadly eugenics exercise as the Sevateem.


With Leela keeping guard and holding the Tesh at bay with a disruptor gun, the Doctor ventures into the computer room of the ship to confront Xoanon. He blames himself for creating the maddened split personality of the computer and now attempts to persuade it to shut down. When Xoanon refuses it channels a vicious mental assault at the Doctor, causing him to collapse. As the Doctor writhes on the floor, Xoanon booms: "Who am I?"
The invisible creatures which attacked the Sevateem are also part of the same deranged scheme. Xoanon is a highly sophisticated computer, designed to think independently. The Doctor repaired Xoanon but forgot to wipe his personality print from the data core, leaving the computer with a split personality.
[[File:WhoAmI.jpg|thumb|left|[[Xoanon]] has an identity crisis]]
The Doctor and Leela are soon imprisoned, then escape and find the device used to communicate with Neeva. The Doctor, speaking as Xoanon, instructs Neeva to tell Calib, who is now tribal leader, to lead the Sevateem survivors through the mouth of the carved face in the mountain. Calib accepts this instruction and leads them into the safety of the mouth, where the invisible beings cannot threaten the tribe.


Leela rescues the Doctor from the mental assault, and as he recovers he warns her of Xoanon’s power. Moments later they realise the computer has electrified the walls to try and kill them, and the Tesh become more purposeful in tracking them down within the spaceship. The Tesh also come under attack from Calib, Tomas and the survivors of the Sevateem, who now reach the spaceship too. This diverts the Tesh while the Doctor and Leela return to the computer room, where Xoanon briefly takes control of Leela’s mind. Most of the Sevateem come under the telepathic control of the computer too.
With Leela keeping guard and holding the Tesh at bay with a disruptor gun, the Doctor ventures into the computer room of the ship to confront Xoanon. He blames himself for creating the computer's maddened split personality. He attempts to persuade Xoanon that he is separate from itself. Xoanon cannot accept this and channels a vicious mental attack at the Doctor. As the Doctor writhes on the floor, Xoanon shouts in a child's voice: "Who am I?"


The Tesh and Sevateem soon converge on the computer room too and interrupt the Doctor as he tries to repair Xoanon, realising the computer has now triggered the countdown to an atomic explosion. Elsewhere in the ship Neeva is alone but crazed, his faith in Xoanon shattered. The shaman uses the disruptor gun against one of the images of Xoanon/the Doctor projected through a wall. The ensuing blast kills Neeva but also interrupts Xoanon’s control of its subjects, allowing the Doctor to resume and complete his repairs. Xoanon’s circuits explode, knocking the Doctor out.
=== Part four ===
Leela rescues the Doctor from the mental assault. As he recovers, he warns her of Xoanon's power. Moments later they realise the computer has electrified the walls to kill them. The Tesh become more purposeful in tracking them down in the spaceship.
[[File:JabelAndHisMen.jpg|thumb|[[Jabel]] consults his [[Tesh]] acolytes]]
The Tesh also come under attack by Calib, Tomas and the survivors of the Sevateem, who reach the spaceship too. This diverts the Tesh while the Doctor and Leela return to the computer room. Xoanon briefly takes control of Leela's mind, as he does of most of the Sevateem.


Two days later the Doctor wakes up to find himself aboard the spaceship in the care of Leela. She explains Xoanon has been quiet and he interprets this as success for his extraction experiment. They visit the computer room and find Xoanon’s identity and sanity restored. The computer confirms it was running an eugenics experiment and thanks the Doctor for his repair work. The Doctor then contacts the survivors of the Tesh and Sevateem and tells them Xoanon is now cured and able to support their new society. He then heads off to the TARDIS followed by Leela. She insists she join him on his travels, and when he refuses she jumps into the TARDIS with him and starts the dematerialisation process.
The Tesh and Sevateem soon converge on the computer room too and interrupt the Doctor as he tries to repair Xoanon. The computer has triggered the countdown to an [[atom]]ic explosion. Elsewhere in the ship Neeva is alone and crazed, his faith in Xoanon shattered. The shaman uses the disruptor gun against one of the images of Xoanon/the Doctor projected through a wall. The ensuing blast kills Neeva but also interrupts Xoanon's control of its subjects, allowing the Doctor to resume and complete his repairs. Xoanon's circuits explode, knocking the Doctor out.
[[File:NeevaZapsXoanon.jpg|thumb|left|[[Neeva]] attacks his [[god]].]]
Two days later the Doctor wakes up to find himself aboard the spaceship in Leela's care. She explains Xoanon has been quiet, and he interprets this as success for his extraction experiment. They visit the computer room and find Xoanon's identity and sanity restored. The computer confirms it was running a eugenics experiment and thanks the Doctor for his repair work. The Doctor contacts the survivors of the Tesh and Sevateem to tell them Xoanon is cured and able to support their new society.


==Cast==
Unwilling to help them sort out the political question of which group should control the planet, the Doctor heads off to the TARDIS, followed by Leela. She insists on joining him on his travels. When the Doctor refuses, Leela runs past him and into the TARDIS. The Doctor follows Leela inside, telling her to come out. He is heard saying "Don't touch that...!", but it's too late. Leela has started the dematerialisation process, and the TARDIS departs from the planet.
*[[Fourth Doctor | The Doctor]] - [[Tom Baker]]
*[[Leela]] - [[Louise Jameson]]
*[[Neeva]] - [[David Garfield]]
*[[Andor]] - [[Victor Lucas]]
*[[Tomas]] - [[Brendan Price]]
*[[Calib]] - [[Leslie Schofield]]
*[[Sole]] - [[Colin Thomas]]
*[[Lugo]] - [[Lloyd McGuire]]
*Guards - [[Tom Kelly]], [[Brett Forrest]]
*[[Jabel]] - [[Leon Eagles]]
*[[Gentek]] - [[Mike Elles]]
*Acolyte - [[Peter Baldock]]
*[[Xoanon]] voices - [[Tom Baker]], [[Rob Edwards]], [[Pamela Salem]], [[Anthony Frieze]], [[Roy Herrick]]


==Crew==
== Cast ==
*[[Assistant Floor Manager]] - [[Linda Graeme]]
* [[Fourth Doctor|Doctor Who]] - [[Tom Baker]]
*[[Costumes]] - [[John Bloomfield]]
* [[Leela]] - [[Louise Jameson]]
*[[Designer]] - [[Austin Ruddy]]
* [[Neeva]] - [[David Garfield]]
*[[Fight Arranger]] - [[Terry Walsh]]
* [[Andor (The Face of Evil)|Andor]] - [[Victor Lucas]]
*[[Film Cameraman]] - [[John McGlashan]]
* [[Tomas (The Face of Evil)|Tomas]] - [[Brendan Price]]
*[[Film Editor]]s - [[Pam Bosworth]], [[Tariq Anwar]]
* [[Calib]] - [[Leslie Schofield]]
*[[Incidental Music]] - [[Dudley Simpson]]
* [[Sole (The Face of Evil)|Sole]] - [[Colin Thomas]]
*[[Make-Up]] - [[Ann Ailes]]
* [[Lugo]] - [[Lloyd McGuire]]
*[[Producer]] - [[Philip Hinchcliffe]]
* [[Guard (The Face of Evil, part 1)|Guard]] - [[Tom Kelly]]
*[[Production Assistant]] - [[Marion McDougall]]
* [[Guard (The Face of Evil, part 2)|Guard]] - [[Brett Forrest]]
*[[Production Unit Manager]] - [[Chris D'Oyly-John]]
* [[Xoanon]] - [[Rob Edwards (actor)|Rob Edwards]], [[Pamela Salem]], [[Anthony Frieze]], [[Roy Herrick]] ''(voices only)''
*[[Script Editor]] - [[Robert Holmes]]
* [[Jabel]] - [[Leon Eagles]]
*[[Special Sounds]] - [[Dick Mills]]
* [[Gentek]] - [[Mike Elles]]
*[[Studio Lighting]] - [[Derek Slee]]
* [[Acolyte (The Face of Evil)|Acolyte]] - [[Peter Baldock]]
*[[Studio Sound]] - [[Colin Dixon]]
*[[Theme Arrangement]] - [[Delia Derbyshire]]
*[[Title Music]] - [[Ron Grainer]]
*[[Visual Effects]] - [[Mat Irvine]]


==References==
== Crew ==
*The Doctor has met several "(an)other self-aggrandising artefact(s)!" in the past including; [[WOTAN]] and [[BOSS]] for example.
* [[Writer]] - [[Chris Boucher]]
*The [[Horda]] are carnivorous crab-like creatures; ''"Ten of them could strip the flesh from a man's arm"''.
* [[Incidental Music]] - [[Dudley Simpson]]
*This is many centuries after the Mordee Expedition.
* [[Doctor Who theme|Title Music]] - [[Ron Grainer]] and the [[BBC Radiophonic Workshop]]
*Leela uses [[janis thorn]]s.
* [[Title sequence|Title Sequence]] - [[Bernard Lodge]]
*The TARDIS displays [[nexial discontinuity]].
* [[Production Assistant]] - [[Marion McDougall]]
*Xoanon produces [[psi-tri projections]].
* [[Production Unit Manager]] - [[Chris D'Oyly-John]]
* [[Studio lighting|Lighting]] - [[Derek Slee]]
* [[Studio sound|Sound]] - [[Colin Dixon]]
* [[Film Cameraman]] - [[John McGlashan]]
* [[Film sound|Film Recordist]] - [[Stan Nightingale]]
* [[Film Editor]]s - [[Pam Bosworth]], [[Tariq Anwar]]
* [[Visual effects designer|Visual Effects Designer]] - [[Mat Irvine]]
* [[Special sounds|Special Sound]] - [[Dick Mills]]
* [[Costume designer|Costume Designer]] - [[John Bloomfield]]
* [[Make-up artist|Make-Up Artist]] - [[Ann Ailes]]
* [[Designer (crew)|Designer]] - [[Austin Ruddy]]
* [[Script Editor]] - [[Robert Holmes]]
* [[Producer]] - [[Philip Hinchcliffe]]
* [[Director (crew)|Director]] - [[Pennant Roberts]]
* [[Fight Arranger]] - [[Terry Walsh]]


==Story Notes==
=== Uncredited crew ===
*This story had the working titles; '''The Tower Of Imelo''' and '''The Day God Went Mad'''.
* [[Visual effects assistant|Visual Effects Assistants]] - [[Steven Drewett|Steve Drewett]], [[Charlie Lumm]] ([[INFO]]: ''The Face of Evil'')
*The Face of Evil introduces [[Louise Jameson]] as [[Leela]], who was inspired by Emma Peel of "The Avengers" and Palestinian terrorist Leila Khalid as well as Eliza Doolittle.
* [[Inlay operator|Inlay Operator]] - [[Dave Chapman]] ([[INFO]]: ''The Face of Evil'')
*The story was written two endings were penned, one with Leela going off with the Doctor and one where she didn't.
* [[Make-up assistant|Make-Up Assistants]] - [[Karen Bryan]], [[Sue Frear]], [[Jennifer Hughes]], [[Carol Wilson]] ([[INFO]]: ''The Face of Evil'')
*The story does not explicitly explain when the Fourth Doctor repaired the Starfall Seven's computer. The novelisation suggests that the earlier visit to the planet of the Sevateem took place during the story 'Robot', in the moment when Sarah sees him begin to leave in the TARDIS (but was apparently a much longer time for the Doctor himself).
* [[Props Buyer]] - [[Brenda Barker]], [[Val Woodford]] ([[INFO]]: ''The Face of Evil'')
*[[Pamela Salem]] and [[Rob Edwards]] provide two of the voices of Xoanon. Both actors were at the time rehearsing for the following story, [[The Robots of Death]].
* [[Production Secretary]] - [[Ann Rickard]] ([[INFO]]: ''The Face of Evil'')
*[[Anthony Frieze]], credited as one of the voices of Xoanon, was the young winner of a competition to visit the Doctor Who studios. Philip Hinchcliffe arranged for a recording of his voice to be made shouting 'Who am I?' for the climax to Part Three.
* [[Artists booker|Artists Booker]] - [[Nansi Davies]] ([[INFO]]: ''The Face of Evil'')
* [[Floor assistant|Floor Assistant]] - [[Ellen Grech]] ([[INFO]]: ''The Face of Evil'')
* [[Vision Mixer]]s - [[Nick Lake]], [[James Gould]] ([[INFO]]: ''The Face of Evil'')
* [[Technical manager|Technical Manager]] - [[Ron Bristow]] ([[INFO]]: ''The Face of Evil'')
* [[Grams operator|Grams Operator]] - [[Gordon Phillipson]] ([[INFO]]: ''The Face of Evil'')
* [[Assistant Floor Manager]]s - [[Linda Graeme]], [[Richard Leyland]] ([[INFO]]: ''The Face of Evil'')
* [[Senior cameraman|Senior Cameraman]] - [[Colin Reid|Colin Reed]] ([[INFO]]: ''The Face of Evil'')
* [[Post-production sound|Post-Production Sound]] - [[Derek Miller-Timmins]] ([[INFO]]: ''The Face of Evil'')
* [[Costume Assistant]] - [[Ann Bloomfield]] <ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=voDnYqEIzTU Doctor Who In Memoriam 2022]</ref>


===Ratings===
== Worldbuilding ==
*Part 1 - 10.7 million viewers
=== Individuals ===
*Part 2 - 11.1 million viewers
* [[Korus]] is killed.
*Part 3 - 11.3 million viewers
* [[Sarton]] is a Tesh.
*Part 4 - 11.7 million viewers


===Myths===
=== The Doctor ===
''to be added''
* The Doctor mentions that he once studied marksmanship with [[William Tell]].
* When the Doctor offers a [[jelly baby]] to Leela, she misunderstands his gesture and accuses him of being the Evil One who eats [[baby|babies]].
* The Doctor threatens to turn the Sevateem into [[toad]]s.
* The Doctor describes a non-functioning communicator as being "Dead as a [[Dalek]]."


===Filming Locations===
=== Science ===
''to be added''
* Xoanon produces [[psi-tri projections]] called [[Phantom (The Face of Evil)|Phantoms]].


===Discontinuity, Plot Holes, Errors===
=== The TARDIS ===
*In Part Two, how does the Doctor know where the bridge into the wall (through the teeth) is? (He doesn't remember his last visit until after they've entered the wall - if there's anything to remember anyway; he seems surprised when Leela asks how a signal can be getting through, although this may be because he can't remember the concept at that point!)
* The TARDIS displays [[nexial discontinuity]]. The Doctor suggests that it may be a fault in the [[TARDIS tracer]]s.
*Leela can't pronounce Calib's name on film ('Callib') but can in the studio ('Kaye lib')


==Continuity==
=== Influences ===
''to be added''


==DVD and Video Releases==
* [[Chris Boucher]] was inspired by many of the science-fiction stories he had adored since childhood: ''[[Brave New World]]'' influenced Boucher's ideas about how the Sevateem religion had evolved, while he drew upon [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harry_Harrison_(writer) Harry Harrison]'s [[1969]] novel ''[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Captive_Universe Captive Universe]'' for the element of an insane computer.
*This story was released on VHS in May of 1999 in the UK and in March of 2000 in the US.


==Target Novelisations==
== Story notes ==
*Novelised as ''[[Doctor Who and the Face of Evil]]'' by [[Terrance Dicks]] in [[January]] [[1978]].
* This story had the working titles ''The Tower of Imelo'' and ''The Day God Went Mad''. The latter was objected to by Philip Hinchcliffe, not because it might offend viewers with religious sensibilities, but because it was out of keeping with other titles.
* The ''Radio Times'' programme listing for part one was accompanied by a black-and-white artwork illustration by Roy Ellsworth depicting the Doctor and Leela being watched over by the face of Xoanon on a video screen, with the accompanying caption "''Dr. Who'' and new girl companion, Leela, confront ''The Face of Evil'': 6.20".
* On emerging from the TARDIS in part one, the Doctor [[fourth wall|directly addresses the camera/audience]]:
::<u>Doctor:</u> "I think this is not Hyde Park. Could be a nexial discontinuity. Must remember to overhaul those tracers. Put a knot in my hanky. ''(Pause. He puts his hand in his trouser pocket, and produces a blue handkerchief which already has a knot tied in it. He looks at it quizzically for a second, then turns back to the camera.)'' Wonder what that was for? ''(Pause, as he tries to remember. No luck. He puts the handkerchief away.)'' Little look round, Doctor? Why not?" ''(He takes a single step forward towards the camera, then turns around and walks away into the jungle.)''
* The Doctor's opening fourth wall break would be mirrored in [[TV]]: ''[[Before the Flood (TV story)|Before the Flood]]'' in 2015 by the [[Twelfth Doctor]] discussing the [[Bootstrap paradox]] with the audience.
* The [[Janis thorn]]s which Leela uses were originally pronounced with the first syllable rhyming with "can"; however, [[Tom Baker]] pointed out that "Janice Thorn" sounded like the name of an out-of-work soap actress, so the pronunciation was changed. ([[DCOM]]: ''The Face of Evil'')
* The story was written with two endings, one with Leela going off with the Doctor and one where she didn't.
* The story does not explicitly explain when the Fourth Doctor repaired the Starfall Seven's computer. The novelisation suggests that the earlier visit to the planet of the Sevateem took place during his post-regenerative phase in ''[[Robot (TV story)|Robot]]'' when the Doctor left in the TARDIS one night, travelled to that world and afterwards returned to UNIT H.Q. before anyone realized he had been gone — with the Doctor's still-addled mind due to [[Third Doctor's regeneration|his recent regeneration]] causing him to forget the whole trip. This was not derived from any information given in the televised version.
* [[Pamela Salem]] and [[Rob Edwards (actor)|Rob Edwards]] provide two of the voices of Xoanon. Both actors were at the time also rehearsing for the following story, ''[[The Robots of Death (TV story)|The Robots of Death]]''.
* [[Anthony Frieze]], credited as one of the voices of Xoanon, was a student at the school where [[Pennant Roberts]]' wife taught. [[Philip Hinchcliffe]] arranged for a recording of his voice to be made shouting, "Who am I?", for the climax to part three. After the initial recording (in a sound studio), Frieze made a second visit to the set and re-recorded the line. ([[DOC]]: ''[[Into the Wild (documentary)|Into the Wild]]'')
* In light of the [[Timeless Child|revelations]] in ''[[The Timeless Children (TV story)|The Timeless Children]]'', [[Jonathan Morris]] theorised that Xoanon's other split-personality voices ([[Rob Edwards (actor)|Rob Edwards]], [[Pamela Salem]] and [[Anthony Frieze]]) may in fact have been drawn from forgotten incarnations of [[the Doctor]] (similar to [[The Doctor (The Brain of Morbius)|the ''Brain of Morbius'' Doctors]]) which Xoanon had drawn from the Doctor's subconscious.<ref>[https://twitter.com/jonnymorris1973/status/1238746694763851777 Jonathan Morris on Twitter]</ref>
* Leela's costume was leotard-based, and designed by [[John Bloomfield]].
* The Doctor expertly whistles an extended version of the "[[Colonel Bogey March]]" (from the film ''[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Bridge_on_the_River_Kwai The Bridge on the River Kwai]'') at the beginning of part one. This whistling continues a tradition [[Patrick Troughton]] began of the Doctor displaying musical aptitude. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Power of the Daleks (TV story)|The Power of the Daleks]]'', ''[[The Three Doctors (TV story)|The Three Doctors]]'' and others) [[Jon Pertwee|Pertwee]] similarly sang on occasion, ([[TV]]: ''[[Terror of the Autons (TV story)|Terror of the Autons]]'', ''[[The Curse of Peladon (TV story)|The Curse of Peladon]]'' and others) while [[Peter Davison|Davison]] had some proficiency as a [[harp]]ist, ([[TV]]: ''[[The Five Doctors (TV story)|The Five Doctors]]'') [[Christopher Eccleston|Eccleston]] could play delicate, non-[[human]] instruments, ([[TV]]: ''[[Dalek (TV story)|Dalek]]'') [[David Tennant|Tennant]] at least ''fancied'' himself a composer and conductor, ([[TV]]: ''[[Music of the Spheres (TV story)|Music of the Spheres]]'') and [[Peter Capaldi|Capaldi]] demonstrated skill in guitar. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Magician's Apprentice (TV story)|The Magician's Apprentice]], [[Before the Flood (TV story)|Before the Flood]], [[Hell Bent (TV story)|Hell Bent]] ''and others)'' ''Tom Baker also whistled the "Colonel Bogey March" in [[TV]]: ''[[The Talons of Weng-Chiang (TV story)|The Talons of Weng-Chiang]]'' and ''[[The Invasion of Time (TV story)|The Invasion of Time]]'', and plays [[Johann Sebastian Bach|Bach]] on an improvised flute in ''[[The Power of Kroll (TV story)|The Power of Kroll]]''.
* [[Robert Holmes]] suggested that Leela possess some sort of supernatural powers, which he thought might be inherited from a witch-priestess grandmother. [[Chris Boucher]] was not fond of this idea, and instead opted to grant her a sort of sixth sense for danger.
* The script originally called for the Doctor to threaten a Sevateem tribesman with a knife. [[Tom Baker]] objected to this, thinking it was too violent and out of character, so it was changed to a jelly baby.
* Tomas was originally named Loke and originally had a more prominent role before it was decided to give Leela more focus.
* [[Leslie Schofield]] would later appear in the ''[[Blake's 7 (series)|Blake's 7]]'' episode "[https://blakes7.fandom.com/wiki/Space_Fall_(episode) Space Fall]", which was directed by [[Pennant Roberts]], script-edited by [[Chris Boucher]] and scored by [[Dudley Simpson]].
* This is the first episode to use Roman Numerals at the end of the episode. This would be the norm for all episodes from this point onwards, bar [[Doctor Who (TV story)|the 1996 TV Movie]].
* [[Philip Hinchcliffe]] came up with the idea of the Doctor's face being carved in rock, inspired by [[Mount Rushmore]].
* [[Pamela Salem]] auditioned for Leela. She wound up voicing Xoana instead.


==See also==
=== Ratings ===
''to be added''
* Part one - 10.7 million viewers
* Part two - 11.1 million viewers
* Part three - 11.3 million viewers
* Part four - 11.7 million viewers


==External Links==
=== Myths ===
* [http://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/classic/episodeguide/faceofevil/ BBC Episode Guide Page for '''The Face of Evil''']
* During Xoanon's repeating of the phrase, "Who am I?", the child's voice was that of the Doctor's during his childhood. ''(There is no evidence on-screen to prove this.)''
*[http://www.gallifreyone.com/episode.php?id=4q Outpost Gallifrey Episode Guide: '''The Face of Evil''']
* [[Anthony Frieze]], who recorded the child's voice, was a ''Doctor Who'' competition winner. ''(He was a pupil of the director's wife.)''
*[http://www.drwhoguide.com/who_4q.htm Doctor Who Reference Guide: Detailed Synopsis - '''The Face of Evil''']
* Leela is the only female member of the Sevateem. ''(Another female warrior is seen as the tribe prepares to attack the Wall.)''
* [http://www.shannonsullivan.com/drwho/serials/4q.html A Brief History of Time Travel - '''The Face of Evil''']


=== Filming locations ===
* [[Ealing Television Film Studios]]
* [[BBC Television Centre]], Studio 3


=== Production errors ===
{{discontinuity}}
* Louise Jameson pronounces Calib's with a short "a" ("Callib") in the sequences captured on film, but with a long "a" ("Kaye lib") during the sequences later recorded on video at [[BBC Television Centre|Television Centre]]. This was because the sequences on film were shot ''before'' the script readthrough, so Jameson had not yet heard the name said aloud.
* After Neeva is vapourised, the sonic gun is left lying on the floor. However, during the effect used to represent his death, although David Garfield drops the gun as he is faded out, it has already become caught up in the effect and is see-through before it falls off-screen.
* In part four, Leela turns her gun on the Doctor and fires. The "ray gun effect" was recorded live in shot, but had limited flexibility as to how it could behave with respect to the actors. In effect, it was merely laid down on top of the rest of the action in frame. Thus, when [[Tom Baker]] moves downstage (i.e. towards the camera and away from Leela), the "ray gun effect" remains in front of him, and actually appears to hit him — even though Leela's gun is still clearly pointed ''behind'' Baker.
* When Leela wrestles the Tesh guard to the floor in part three, his gun falls a considerable distance away from him. Some cuts later, however (though still in the same scene), she picks up the gun, and it has miraculously relocated right next to the fallen guard.
* In part two, following the test, Calib says "untie [the Doctor]", despite the Doctor being bound in no way any more.
* Towards the end of part two, the sound of the gong being struck is out of sync.
* In part two, the Doctor refers to Tomas as "Thomas".


{{season 14}}
== Continuity ==
* The [[Eleventh Doctor]] helps a ship be born in [[PROSE]]: ''[[The Way Through the Woods (novel)|The Way Through the Woods]]''.
* Leela experiences intense edited flashbacks to her father's death in [[AUDIO]]: ''[[The Evil One (audio story)|The Evil One]]'', as part of {{Pratt}}'s attempts to brainwash her into becoming his assassin.


[[Category:Fourth Doctor episodes|Face of Evil, The]]
== Home video and audio releases ==
[[Category:1977 television stories|Face of Evil, The]]
=== Video releases ===
This story was released on VHS in [[May (releases)|May]] [[1999 (releases)|1999]] in the UK and in [[March (releases)|March]] [[2000 (releases)|2000]] in the US.
<gallery position="center" captionalign="center" hideaddbutton="true">
File:The Face of Evil VHS UK cover.jpg|VHS UK cover
File:The Face of Evil VHS US cover.jpg|VHS US cover
</gallery>
=== DVD release ===
The DVD was released in [[Region 2]] on [[5 March (releases)|5 March]] [[2012 (releases)|2012]] and in [[Region 1]] on [[13 March (releases)|13 March]] 2012.
 
==== Special features ====
* Commentary with actors [[Louise Jameson]] ([[Leela]]), [[Leslie Schofield]] ([[Calib]]), [[David Garfield]] ([[Neeva]]), [[Mike Elles]] ([[Gentek]]) and [[Harry Fielder|Harry H Fielder]] ([[Second assassin|Assassin]]), producer [[Philip Hinchcliffe]] and film cameraman [[John McGlashan]]. Moderated by [[Toby Hadoke]]
* ''[[Into the Wild (documentary)|Into the Wild]]'' — Cast and crew talk about the making of ''The Face of Evil''
* ''From the Cutting Room Floor'' — A behind-the-scenes glimpse at the film shoot
* ''[[Tomorrow's Times: The Fourth Doctor (documentary)|Tomorrow's Times - The Fourth Doctor]]'' — Our on-going series looking at the press coverage of ''[[Doctor Who]]'' reaches the [[Tom Baker]] era. Presented by [[Wendy Padbury]].
* ''[[Doctor Who Stories: Louise Jameson (documentary)|Doctor Who Stories: Louise Jameson]]'' — The actress talks about her role on the programme in this interview originally shot for 2003's ''[[The Story of Doctor Who]]''
* ''[[Swap Shop]]'' — [[Noel Edmonds]] interviews Louise Jameson ''(previously included on VHS release)''
* [[Denys Fisher Toys]] Advert
* 1976 Typhoo Tea ''Doctor Who'' Promotion (trading cards and ''[[The Amazing World of Doctor Who]]'' book) (DVD-ROM)
* ''[[Radio Times]]'' Listings (DVD-ROM)
* Production Information Subtitles
* Photo Gallery
* Coming Soon Trailer - ''[[The Dæmons (TV story)|The Dæmons]]''
 
<gallery position="center" captionalign="center" hideaddbutton="true">
File:TheFaceofEvilDVDRegion2.jpg|Region 2 UK DVD cover
File:The face of evil.jpg|Region 1 DVD cover
File:Doctor-Who-The-Face-of-Evil-DVD.jpg|Region 4 DVD cover
</gallery>
 
== Footnotes ==
{{reflist}}
 
== External links ==
* {{bbcepguideclassic|faceofevil/|The Face of Evil}}
* {{radiotimes|2010-08-29/the-face-of-evil|The Face of Evil}}
{{dwcast}}
{{dwrefguide|who_4q.htm|The Face of Evil}}
* {{briefhistory|serials/4q.html|The Face of Evil}}
{{DWTV}}
{{TitleSort}}
[[es:The Face of Evil]]
[[ru:Лицо зла]]
 
[[Category:Doctor Who (1963) television stories]]
[[Category:1977 television stories]]
[[Category:Season 14 stories]]
[[Category:Stories set in the far future]]
[[Category:Four part serials]]

Latest revision as of 20:06, 3 November 2024

RealWorld.png

You may be looking for the reference book of the same name.

The Face of Evil was the fourth serial of season 14 of Doctor Who. When broadcast, it was originally billed in Radio Times as the start of a new series, due to the six-week gap since the final episode of The Deadly Assassin. As originally broadcast, it in fact followed omnibus editions of Pyramids of Mars and The Brain of Morbius, amongst other, unrelated programmes. (INFO: The Face of Evil) However, this marketing ploy has not been recognised by the BBC—nor has it been propagated in reference books such as The Fourth Doctor Handbook.

Synopsis[[edit] | [edit source]]

The Doctor arrives on a planet where two tribes, the savage Sevateem and the technically brilliant Tesh, are at war. He meets Leela, an exile from the Sevateem, and discovers that their god of evil is apparently himself.

Plot[[edit] | [edit source]]

Part one[[edit] | [edit source]]

The Doctor, alone in the TARDIS, arrives on a mysterious jungle planet which he cannot resist exploring. He soon encounters Leela, a savage from the local tribe. She denounces him as the Evil One of her people's fables. She has been exiled from her tribe, the Sevateem, for profaning their god, the mysterious Xoanon, who speaks to them through the tribe's shaman, Neeva. Her father, tribal elder Sole, tried to protect her but died taking the Test of the Horda on her behalf. Now Leela is an outcast beyond the invisible barrier around her tribal home.

Neeva, meanwhile, has sent two men to murder her, an action witnessed by Leela's friend Tomas. He kills one of them as Leela dispatches the other. In the jungle beyond, she encounters the Doctor, who soon wins her over by defending her from invisible monsters that rampage about, attracted by vibration of any kind. Exploring further, the Doctor finds a sophisticated sonic disruptor. It creates the force field that keeps creatures from attacking the village itself. Leela regales him with more folklore; the god Xoanon is kept prisoner by the Evil One and his followers, the reclusive Tesh, beyond a strange black wall.

The Sevateem have decided to launch an attack on the Tesh to free their god. They are led by the combative Andor, who is determined to free his god. He also believes an attack will unite the people. Andor suspects Neeva of being a false prophet, and Tomas tells him of Neeva's attempted murder of Leela. Still, Andor believes the attack will succeed and is prepared to go ahead.

Andor threatens the Doctor's life

Two warriors are scouring the jungle when they find the Doctor. They also call him the Evil One and make a hand gesture which the Doctor interprets as the sequence for checking the seals on a Starfall Seven spacesuit. The warriors seize the Doctor but not Leela. They take him to the village council, where his face is shown to the tribe. Andor is convinced the prisoner is the Evil One and has him confined. However, Leela frees him using poisonous Janis thorns, which paralyse, then kill the victim. The Doctor is horrified by this. He instructs her, "No more Janis thorns, ever."

The pair flees the village and heads to a clearing beyond, where the Doctor is greeted by a stunning sight. Carved into a mountain nearby is a relief of his own face.

Part two[[edit] | [edit source]]

The Doctor cannot recall clearly why his face is here. He persuades Leela to return to the village to learn more, despite their death sentences. They return to Neeva's holy tent. The Doctor inspects the ancient tribal relics, recognising them as artefacts from an Earth survey expedition. He also finds a transceiver used by Neeva to hear the commands of Xoanon. It speaks with the Doctor's own voice, exhilarated at hearing the Doctor, saying, "At last we are here. At last I shall be free of us."

They head off to inspect the dark wall that stands at the entrance to the realm of the Evil One. The Doctor deduces it is a primitive time barrier. He is certain the Sevateem warriors will be massacred if they attack the fortress of their enemy, the Tesh. From afar they see the massacre unfold, as laser beams cut down warriors armed only with crossbows and other basic weapons. Half the tribe is lost in the assault.

One of the elders, the devious Calib, is first back at the camp, where he finds the Doctor and Leela. He is evidently intent on using the Doctor to break Neeva's hold on the tribe by exposing the faith in Xoanon as mythology. Leela's friend Tomas also arrives. He is apalled to find Calib has stabbed Leela with a Janis thorn to prevent her exposing his schemes. The Doctor gets Tomas to help him move Leela to Neeva's tent, where he uses a bio-analyser to synthesise an antidote to the poison.

The Doctor fires a crossbow, successfully ending the Test of the Horda

When the surviving warriors return, the Doctor, Leela and Tomas are invited to address the tribal elders in defence of their lives. Leela makes matters worse when she accuses Xoanon of causing the trap at the wall. Calib intervenes to suggest the Doctor is not the Evil One. He suggests this be proven by getting him to take the fabled Test of the Horda.

In the centre of the village is a pit full of Horda, two-foot-long worms which hunt in packs and react to the movements of their prey. They are reputed to strip flesh from a man in an instant. The Sevateem evolved the Test of the Horda as a trial of justice and bravery. It involves the defendant standing on a board over the pit, who then must shoot a rope attached to a boulder that is pulling the board out from under him.

The Doctor is given a crossbow. He must fire it at a precise moment to sever the rope without making him fall into the pit — the fate of the guilty. The Doctor succeeds, is proven a non-malign influence and freed. He proceeds to examine some relics of the tribe and repair a disruptor gun. He also tells some of the tribe that the Sevateem are the descendants of a "survey team" from a Starfall Seven Earth colony ship. The Doctor and Leela go to examine the face in the mountain; they climb into it by scaling the Doctor's teeth.

Neeva returns to his tent, where the voice of Xoanon tells him the tribe will be destroyed. The mysterious being shuts down the sonic disruptor, leaving the village open to attack from the invisible beings. These descend on the village, killing indiscriminately and crushing Andor to death. Tomas uses the disruptor gun built by the Doctor to expose the true appearance of the invisible beings: ferocious, angry versions of the Doctor's face.

Part three[[edit] | [edit source]]

Leela and the Doctor notice a figure in a spacesuit in the "mouth" entrance and follow it through a projection of a wall. Beyond this barrier is a rocket, which the Doctor recalls as belonging to the Mordee Expedition; his memory of events earlier in his incarnation are returning. Xoanon has detected the Doctor. When he reaches the ship, the god-creature is ecstatic that "we are here" and also maniacally pledging that "we must destroy us".

The Doctor and Leela meet three of the Tesh who serve and worship Xoanon. They are human too, but technologically advanced and possessing telepathic abilities. The Doctor deduces both Sevateem and Tesh are descendants of the same crew from the Mordee Expedition, with the Tesh (or technicians) involved in the same deadly eugenics exercise as the Sevateem.

The invisible creatures which attacked the Sevateem are also part of the same deranged scheme. Xoanon is a highly sophisticated computer, designed to think independently. The Doctor repaired Xoanon but forgot to wipe his personality print from the data core, leaving the computer with a split personality.

Xoanon has an identity crisis

The Doctor and Leela are soon imprisoned, then escape and find the device used to communicate with Neeva. The Doctor, speaking as Xoanon, instructs Neeva to tell Calib, who is now tribal leader, to lead the Sevateem survivors through the mouth of the carved face in the mountain. Calib accepts this instruction and leads them into the safety of the mouth, where the invisible beings cannot threaten the tribe.

With Leela keeping guard and holding the Tesh at bay with a disruptor gun, the Doctor ventures into the computer room of the ship to confront Xoanon. He blames himself for creating the computer's maddened split personality. He attempts to persuade Xoanon that he is separate from itself. Xoanon cannot accept this and channels a vicious mental attack at the Doctor. As the Doctor writhes on the floor, Xoanon shouts in a child's voice: "Who am I?"

Part four[[edit] | [edit source]]

Leela rescues the Doctor from the mental assault. As he recovers, he warns her of Xoanon's power. Moments later they realise the computer has electrified the walls to kill them. The Tesh become more purposeful in tracking them down in the spaceship.

Jabel consults his Tesh acolytes

The Tesh also come under attack by Calib, Tomas and the survivors of the Sevateem, who reach the spaceship too. This diverts the Tesh while the Doctor and Leela return to the computer room. Xoanon briefly takes control of Leela's mind, as he does of most of the Sevateem.

The Tesh and Sevateem soon converge on the computer room too and interrupt the Doctor as he tries to repair Xoanon. The computer has triggered the countdown to an atomic explosion. Elsewhere in the ship Neeva is alone and crazed, his faith in Xoanon shattered. The shaman uses the disruptor gun against one of the images of Xoanon/the Doctor projected through a wall. The ensuing blast kills Neeva but also interrupts Xoanon's control of its subjects, allowing the Doctor to resume and complete his repairs. Xoanon's circuits explode, knocking the Doctor out.

Neeva attacks his god.

Two days later the Doctor wakes up to find himself aboard the spaceship in Leela's care. She explains Xoanon has been quiet, and he interprets this as success for his extraction experiment. They visit the computer room and find Xoanon's identity and sanity restored. The computer confirms it was running a eugenics experiment and thanks the Doctor for his repair work. The Doctor contacts the survivors of the Tesh and Sevateem to tell them Xoanon is cured and able to support their new society.

Unwilling to help them sort out the political question of which group should control the planet, the Doctor heads off to the TARDIS, followed by Leela. She insists on joining him on his travels. When the Doctor refuses, Leela runs past him and into the TARDIS. The Doctor follows Leela inside, telling her to come out. He is heard saying "Don't touch that...!", but it's too late. Leela has started the dematerialisation process, and the TARDIS departs from the planet.

Cast[[edit] | [edit source]]

Crew[[edit] | [edit source]]

Uncredited crew[[edit] | [edit source]]

Worldbuilding[[edit] | [edit source]]

Individuals[[edit] | [edit source]]

The Doctor[[edit] | [edit source]]

  • The Doctor mentions that he once studied marksmanship with William Tell.
  • When the Doctor offers a jelly baby to Leela, she misunderstands his gesture and accuses him of being the Evil One who eats babies.
  • The Doctor threatens to turn the Sevateem into toads.
  • The Doctor describes a non-functioning communicator as being "Dead as a Dalek."

Science[[edit] | [edit source]]

The TARDIS[[edit] | [edit source]]

Influences[[edit] | [edit source]]

Story notes[[edit] | [edit source]]

  • This story had the working titles The Tower of Imelo and The Day God Went Mad. The latter was objected to by Philip Hinchcliffe, not because it might offend viewers with religious sensibilities, but because it was out of keeping with other titles.
  • The Radio Times programme listing for part one was accompanied by a black-and-white artwork illustration by Roy Ellsworth depicting the Doctor and Leela being watched over by the face of Xoanon on a video screen, with the accompanying caption "Dr. Who and new girl companion, Leela, confront The Face of Evil: 6.20".
  • On emerging from the TARDIS in part one, the Doctor directly addresses the camera/audience:
Doctor: "I think this is not Hyde Park. Could be a nexial discontinuity. Must remember to overhaul those tracers. Put a knot in my hanky. (Pause. He puts his hand in his trouser pocket, and produces a blue handkerchief which already has a knot tied in it. He looks at it quizzically for a second, then turns back to the camera.) Wonder what that was for? (Pause, as he tries to remember. No luck. He puts the handkerchief away.) Little look round, Doctor? Why not?" (He takes a single step forward towards the camera, then turns around and walks away into the jungle.)

Ratings[[edit] | [edit source]]

  • Part one - 10.7 million viewers
  • Part two - 11.1 million viewers
  • Part three - 11.3 million viewers
  • Part four - 11.7 million viewers

Myths[[edit] | [edit source]]

  • During Xoanon's repeating of the phrase, "Who am I?", the child's voice was that of the Doctor's during his childhood. (There is no evidence on-screen to prove this.)
  • Anthony Frieze, who recorded the child's voice, was a Doctor Who competition winner. (He was a pupil of the director's wife.)
  • Leela is the only female member of the Sevateem. (Another female warrior is seen as the tribe prepares to attack the Wall.)

Filming locations[[edit] | [edit source]]

Production errors[[edit] | [edit source]]

If you'd like to talk about narrative problems with this story — like plot holes and things that seem to contradict other stories — please go to this episode's discontinuity discussion.
  • Louise Jameson pronounces Calib's with a short "a" ("Callib") in the sequences captured on film, but with a long "a" ("Kaye lib") during the sequences later recorded on video at Television Centre. This was because the sequences on film were shot before the script readthrough, so Jameson had not yet heard the name said aloud.
  • After Neeva is vapourised, the sonic gun is left lying on the floor. However, during the effect used to represent his death, although David Garfield drops the gun as he is faded out, it has already become caught up in the effect and is see-through before it falls off-screen.
  • In part four, Leela turns her gun on the Doctor and fires. The "ray gun effect" was recorded live in shot, but had limited flexibility as to how it could behave with respect to the actors. In effect, it was merely laid down on top of the rest of the action in frame. Thus, when Tom Baker moves downstage (i.e. towards the camera and away from Leela), the "ray gun effect" remains in front of him, and actually appears to hit him — even though Leela's gun is still clearly pointed behind Baker.
  • When Leela wrestles the Tesh guard to the floor in part three, his gun falls a considerable distance away from him. Some cuts later, however (though still in the same scene), she picks up the gun, and it has miraculously relocated right next to the fallen guard.
  • In part two, following the test, Calib says "untie [the Doctor]", despite the Doctor being bound in no way any more.
  • Towards the end of part two, the sound of the gong being struck is out of sync.
  • In part two, the Doctor refers to Tomas as "Thomas".

Continuity[[edit] | [edit source]]

Home video and audio releases[[edit] | [edit source]]

Video releases[[edit] | [edit source]]

This story was released on VHS in May 1999 in the UK and in March 2000 in the US.

  • VHS UK cover

    VHS UK cover

  • VHS US cover

    VHS US cover

DVD release[[edit] | [edit source]]

The DVD was released in Region 2 on 5 March 2012 and in Region 1 on 13 March 2012.

Special features[[edit] | [edit source]]

  • Region 2 UK DVD cover

    Region 2 UK DVD cover

  • Region 1 DVD cover

    Region 1 DVD cover

  • Region 4 DVD cover

    Region 4 DVD cover

Footnotes[[edit] | [edit source]]

  1. ↑ Doctor Who In Memoriam 2022
  2. ↑ Jonathan Morris on Twitter

External links[[edit] | [edit source]]

v • e
Doctor Who television stories
 
Seasons 1-4: William Hartnell
Season 1: 1963-1964
Season 2: 1964-1965
Season 3: 1965-1966
Season 4: 1966
 
Seasons 4-6: Patrick Troughton
Season 4: 1966-1967
Season 5: 1967-1968
Season 6: 1968-1969
 
Seasons 7-11: Jon Pertwee
Season 7: 1970
Season 8: 1971
Season 9: 1972
Season 10: 1972-1973
Season 11: 1973-1974
 
Seasons 12-18: Tom Baker
Season 12: 1974-1975
Season 13: 1975-1976
Season 14: 1976-1977
Season 15: 1977-1978
Season 16: 1978-1979
Season 17: 1979-1980
Season 18: 1980-1981
 
Seasons 19-21: Peter Davison
Season 19: 1982
Season 20: 1983
Children in Need 1983
Season 21: 1984
 
Seasons 21-23: Colin Baker
Season 21: 1984
Season 22: 1985
Season 23: 1986
 
Seasons 24-26: Sylvester McCoy
Season 24: 1987
Season 25: 1988-1989
Season 26: 1989
 
TV Movie & 2013 specials: Paul McGann
TV Movie: 1996
Specials: 2013
Minisodes
 
Series 1: Christopher Eccleston
Series 1: 2005
Regular episodes
 
Series 2-4: David Tennant
Series 2: 2005-2006
Minisode
Christmas Special
Regular episodes
Series 3: 2006-2007
Christmas Special
Regular episodes
Animated special
Series 4: 2007-2010
Minisode
Christmas Special
Regular episodes
Minisodes
Animated special
Seasonal specials
 
Series 5-2013 specials: Matt Smith
Series 5: 2010
Regular episodes
Series 6: 2010-2011
Christmas Special
Minisodes
Regular episodes
(Part 1: Apr 2011)
Regular episodes
(Part 2: Aug 2011)
Minisode
Series 7: 2011-2013
Christmas Special
Minisodes
Regular episodes
(Part 1: 2012)
Minisode
Christmas Special
Regular episodes
(Part 2: 2013)
Specials: 2013
 
Series 8-10: Peter Capaldi
Series 8: 2014
Regular episodes
Series 9: 2014-2015
Christmas Special
Minisode
Regular episodes
Christmas Special
Series 10: 2016-2017
Christmas Special
Regular episodes
Christmas Special
 
Series 11-13: Jodie Whittaker
Series 11: 2018-2019
Regular episodes
New Year Special
Series 12: 2020-2021
Regular episodes
New Year Special
Series 13: 2021
Minisodes
Regular episodes
Seasonal specials
 
60th Anniversary Specials: David Tennant
Specials: 2023
Minisodes
60th Anniversary Specials
 
Season 1 (2023)-present: Ncuti Gatwa
Season 1: 2023-2024
Christmas Special
Regular episodes
Retrieved from "https://tardis.wiki/w/index.php?title=The_Face_of_Evil_(TV_story)&oldid=3889710"