.jpg "Doctor Who: 'The Faceless Ones' DVD Mock-Up")
- Broadcast:
- 8th April - 13th May 1967
- Doctor:
- Patrick Troughton
- Companions:
- Ben, Polly, Jamie
- Adversary:
- Chameleons
- Written by:
- David Ellis, Malcolm Hulke
- Director:
- Gerry Mill
- Music:
- Stock
- Script Editor:
- Gerry Davis
- Producer:
- Innes Lloyd
- Average Viewers:
- 7.38m (8.0, 6.4, 7.9, 6.9, 7.1, 8.0)
In the early stages of my Doctor Who collection I came across The Faceless Ones on the "Lost In Time" box set. Only two episodes exist (1 and 3) but they captured my attention with a fairly gritty style and very little science fantasy. It is set on contemporary Earth and has a strong drama base. It has since remained one of my most wished for Missing Stories so I was looking forward to at least seeing the Loose Cannon recon. As a six part story it is one of the longest with only two episodes in the archives, and the missing ones weren't presented in audio form on "Lost In Time". Since the existing episodes are both at the beginning of the story, there was a strong sense of mystery as the main truth of events simply wasn't there. There was potential for the recon to shatter the illusion, but it did not disappoint.
On the evening that the first episode of The Faceless Ones was broadcast, Sandie Shaw won the Eurovision Song Contest for the United Kingdom with "Puppet On A String" while Engelbert Humperdinck's "Release Me" was on its final week of six at the top of the charts. Nancy Sinatra and Frank Sinatra would replace him for two weeks with "Somethin' Stupid" before Sandie Shaw climbed to the top with her winning song. Manchester United won the first division title and Scotland beat England in the British Championships, ending their 19 game winning streak. Other achievements during the serial's run include the Surveyor 3 probe going to the moon (the first to include a soil scoop, which it used to dig trenches 7" deep before holding sample up to its camera), the first Boing 737 took it's maiden flight, and Elvis Presley married Priscilla Beaulieu. In Cuba, Fidel Castro announced that all intellectual property belongs to the people and that technical literature would be translated and published without compensation, while closer to home, Harold Wilson announced that the UK would be applying to join the EEC.
Protests and marches against Vietnam War continued and Muhammad Ali refused military service, leading to a conviction, loss of his boxing title and not being allowed boxing until the conviction was overturned in 1971. Greece was taken over by a military dictatorship that would last until 1974 and clashes between striking workers and police in Hong Kong left 51 dead and 800 injured - the riots would continue until December when 18 months of disputes finally came to an end. A plane crash in Cyprus killed 126 people, while 33 were killed by tornadoes in America's upper midwest. Finally, Vladimir Komarov became the first person to die on a space mission when the parachute of his space capsule failed during re-entry.
In the entertainment world, Tom Stoppard's play "Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead" premierred at the Old Vic and cinemas were showing such films as Hombre staring Paul Newman, Caprice with Doris Day and Richard Harris, and The Double Man featuring Yul Brynner and Britt Ekland.
In the world of Doctor Who it was looking like Gatwick airport would feature two departures and an arrival but first the travellers had to escape security...
On the evening that the first episode of The Faceless Ones was broadcast, Sandie Shaw won the Eurovision Song Contest for the United Kingdom with "Puppet On A String" while Engelbert Humperdinck's "Release Me" was on its final week of six at the top of the charts. Nancy Sinatra and Frank Sinatra would replace him for two weeks with "Somethin' Stupid" before Sandie Shaw climbed to the top with her winning song. Manchester United won the first division title and Scotland beat England in the British Championships, ending their 19 game winning streak. Other achievements during the serial's run include the Surveyor 3 probe going to the moon (the first to include a soil scoop, which it used to dig trenches 7" deep before holding sample up to its camera), the first Boing 737 took it's maiden flight, and Elvis Presley married Priscilla Beaulieu. In Cuba, Fidel Castro announced that all intellectual property belongs to the people and that technical literature would be translated and published without compensation, while closer to home, Harold Wilson announced that the UK would be applying to join the EEC.
Protests and marches against Vietnam War continued and Muhammad Ali refused military service, leading to a conviction, loss of his boxing title and not being allowed boxing until the conviction was overturned in 1971. Greece was taken over by a military dictatorship that would last until 1974 and clashes between striking workers and police in Hong Kong left 51 dead and 800 injured - the riots would continue until December when 18 months of disputes finally came to an end. A plane crash in Cyprus killed 126 people, while 33 were killed by tornadoes in America's upper midwest. Finally, Vladimir Komarov became the first person to die on a space mission when the parachute of his space capsule failed during re-entry.
In the entertainment world, Tom Stoppard's play "Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead" premierred at the Old Vic and cinemas were showing such films as Hombre staring Paul Newman, Caprice with Doris Day and Richard Harris, and The Double Man featuring Yul Brynner and Britt Ekland.
In the world of Doctor Who it was looking like Gatwick airport would feature two departures and an arrival but first the travellers had to escape security...
