Starring Tom Baker & Louise Jameson.
Written by Chris Boucher.
Directed by Pennant Roberts.
When the TARDIS arrives on a jungle planet, the Doctor encounters two warring tribes, the Sevateem and the Tesh. The Sevateem worship a god called Xoanon and the Tesh are supposedly keeping Xoanon prisoner... But why do the Sevateem call the Doctor the Evil One? And what are the invisible creatures in the jungle? The Time Lord, with the help of a girl called Leela, is about to find out.
Although little mention has been made of it after the fact, Doctor Who faced a real problem as it entered 1977. With Elisabeth Sladen having left the programme two stories into the show's fourteenth season, producer Philip Hinchcliffe and script editor Robert Holmes were faced with a difficult task: to come up with and introduce her replacement. Even at the time, Sarah Jane was viewed as unassailable by fans, the production team and even Tom Baker himself, and Hinchcliffe and Holmes even seriously entertained the idea of having the Doctor travelling alone, as evidenced by The Deadly Assassin. However, it became clear that, eventually, the Doctor would need to travel with a new companion, and so Leela was born... And while bringing in a new writer to script her debut story could have been seen as a risk proposition, it paid off, because, while The Face Of Evil isn't the most memorable Doctor Who adventure ever created, it is a confident and slick introduction to Leela, getting the audience quickly invested in her character, while, at the same time, not forgetting to tell a good Doctor Who story.
The plot takes the very interesting (and, at the time, highly unusual) idea of looking at the consequences of the Doctor's travels in time and space, and how those consequences can sometimes not be what you are expecting. Of course, while we're all used to that now thanks to the modern iteration of the show (which seems to push that point every week or so), when this story was transmitted this was an idea that had never been heard of before, so the production team really were taking a risk. And that might be the reason why I feel this is probably the one idea that the Hinchcliffe era team let slip away from them, because I feel like there is so much more that could have been done with it than there was. Don't get me wrong, what we do have is a mature reflection upon the nature of being a wanderer in the fourth dimension (something not attempted since the Hartnell era), and this certainly tackles the idea head on, as opposed to the First Doctor story The Ark, which just skirts around the issue entirely. I also feel Tom Baker plays a lot of the scenes where the Doctor is forced to confront the truth about what he's done to the people of the Tesh and the Sevateem really well, cutting through a lot of the bluster that this Doctor is famous for. But I just think that Boucher, Holmes and Hinchcliffe could have gone even further, really seeing how the Doctor's mistake has come back to haunt him. I think Boucher cheapens a lot of it with the ending: the Doctor just... fixes everything. Now, sure, that's what we want, but the fix the Doctor comes up with seems, to this viewer at least, a trifle convenient. He just wipes the bit of Xoanon's personality that he gave it, and then has a natter on a comfy chair. That's it! There's no real consequences to anything the Doctor's done, because he fixed it. Sure, this was a new concept at the time, and I presume Boucher would have been worried about alienating the audience to a large degree, but it just feels weird that nothing seems to actually come of this adventure. The rest of the story is more standard 'mad computer' fare, with the decent of technologically advanced people thrown into the mix. This is easily one of the best handled ideas in the whole thing, particularly with regards to the Sevateem tribe. They feel fully formed, and it's clear Boucher has thought about how they would have integrated the technology and common terminology and actions of technologically advanced people. By putting in the extra work, that with stories like this can often be overlooked, it allows Face Of Evil to stand head and shoulders above other such narratives. I can't deny that the Tesh do come across a bit like a generic group of worshiping-like aliens, but since we only spend two episodes with them, it's almost inevitable that one of the two tribes would end up being sidelined. Boucher does decide to include some guff in there about this being a eugenics programme, but it's so underdone, they may as well not bothered. To be honest, I preferred the 'drastic extension of Xoanon's personality' idea that is mentioned at the end. It was affixing motivation where it wasn't needed, to be honest. Not that much of this bothers me, however, as, for the most part, this is a story that I can simply enjoy on its own terms. It's expertly paced: in fact, this would fit in very well as a modern Who two-parter. It doesn't waste any time, you're just plunged straight into the story, and it doesn't really let up. Sure, there's a bit of to-ing and fro-ing, but that's commonplace in classic Doctor Who, and its usually to reveal some important information anyway. In plot terms, this is as rock solid as Doctor Who comes.
The characterisation here is also as tight as a drum. Apart from Leela, there's no-one here that ever really pushes the boat out, but there are some interesting layers to some of them. Of course, this is Leela's very first episode, and it's pretty much the best adventure for her character that she had on television. Sure, Robots, Talons and Fang Rock are better stories than this, but, for Leela's character, you can get no better than this story on TV. She's feisty, fearless and isn't afraid to speak her mind, and, in many ways, is a total contrast to Sarah Jane. Sure, Sarah Jane was feisty and not afraid to speak her mind (particularly during Season 11), but Sarah always had tact, and would, more often than not, diplomatically argue around points, rather than just barging in, without tact and subtlety. These are traits abundant in Leela, right from the very first scene. After all, the first time we see Leela is when she is about to be thrown out of the tribe for blasphemy, because of her criticising of the upcoming battle. This is a fantastic way to introduce a new companion, and we instantly get a sense of how Leela will function alongside the Doctor. I also love her first scenes with the Doctor as well: particularly the way she almost distrusts the Doctor, but is still willing to go along with everything he says. It helps that Louise Jameson is instantly fantastic in the role, and manages to imbue Leela with a wonderful degree of truth that a lesser actress could have missed. I've always thought that Jameson was probably one of the most underrated Who companion actors, and The Face Of Evil is perfect proof of this. There's such a natural warmth to Leela: she never comes across as stupid or unintelligent, just stunted by the backwards nature of her culture. I really like that, after 14 years of travel throughout time and space, the Doctor finally comes across a kindred spirit, as Leela is very much like him: someone who wishes to be cut from the bounds of her own civilisation, and get the chance to travel. It's an idea that the programme will return to with Adric, Ace, Rose and Bill, but, it's here, with Leela, where we see this idea most clearly. Her excitement at the possibility of joining the Doctor at the story's end is wonderful to see, and despite the behind-the-scenes tensions between Louise and Tom Baker, the pair are wonderful on screen. I'm so glad that, in the years since Doctor Who, the pair have reconciled their differences and become firm friends, because the Doctor and Leela are one of the great unsung TARDIS teams in the show's history, and we should be grateful Big Finish have managed to exploit that and bring it into the open so successfully. The rest of the characters aren't quite as interesting as Leela, sadly, mostly just fitting into the standard stereotypes of classic Who characters, but they're development is at least engaging and interesting. Neeva, played by the great David Garfield, is the best: a man who's faith is tested by the presence and words of the Doctor. His development arc is skilfully handled, as there's not too much attention drawn to it, but it's still present enough for it to be interesting. Caleb is another well crafted character, as you're never sure who's side he's actually meant to be on. He's constantly waiting for the right opportunity to strike, and he's one of the most dangerous Doctor Who side characters, as unlike Neeva or the tribe chief Andor, he isn't blinded by the lies that Xoanon has been feeding the tribe. The moment where he gets Leela with a Janis Thorn is a gripping moment, because it shows his devious nature. Leslie Schofield is perfect casting in the part as well, really getting to grips with the part. The rest of the characters are a bit lifeless, sadly. The actors do the best they can, but the Tesh parts are particularly lifeless, mostly due to the fact that they aren't that interesting to start with.
The production of this story is as standout as with any of the Hinchcliffe-era stories. The jungle sets, in particular, look lush and fantastic, and the decision to film a predominant amount of them on film is a great idea. They look fantastic, with some beautiful attention to detail, and the sense of scale that's achived on the larger film set is wonderful. It's not quite as impressive as Zeta-Minor from Planet Of Evil, and, after the second episode, there's a lack of film material that is solely missed. However, what we have is lovely, and that attention to detail is carried over into the studio sets for the Sevateem village. Designer Austin Ruddy has a wonderful eye for detail, and that can be seen throughout the story. Sadly, the sets for the spaceship aren't as interesting, and look sadly like any generic spaceship set from the 1970's. However, the lighting is turned down quite considerably in most of those scenes, which is a blessing that is rarely afforded to most generic futuristic sets in Doctor Who. Xoanon's chambers, in particular, look fantastic. This is helped by some dynamic and interesting direction from Pennant Roberts in his Who directorial debut. Not only does he make the programme look the most dynamic of all the Who stories that he directed, but he also works with the actors to bring out some wonderful performances. He's certainly much more of an actor's director, rather than a technical director, but here he manages both with consummate skill. I love the effects work in this story as well, which manages to survive not dating at all. Sure, they do look a bit primitive (particularly the gun effects, which look bloody rigid), but the shot at the episode 2 cliffhanger of the Doctor's face in particular stands out as a bloody impressive piece of work for 1977. And Dudley Simpson's music is also wonderful as well: nicely underscoring the story without ever being intrusive or over-the-top. Once again, the production of this story really enhances the story being told: the budget is spent as wisely as possible, and this helps to back up the strong storytelling at work.
Overall, The Face Of Evil is a surprising highlight of a well-regarded season of Doctor Who. Sure, it's not the best Doctor Who story ever, or even of that season, but I think The Face Of Evil is a solidly dependable slice of Who that introduces one of the show's best companions in fine fashion. Combined with excellent production and acting, and a solid script from Chris Boucher, this is a very good Doctor Who story that manages to look excellent and have the substance to match. Give The Face Of Evil another go - you'll find a lot to like.
Written by Chris Boucher.
Directed by Pennant Roberts.When the TARDIS arrives on a jungle planet, the Doctor encounters two warring tribes, the Sevateem and the Tesh. The Sevateem worship a god called Xoanon and the Tesh are supposedly keeping Xoanon prisoner... But why do the Sevateem call the Doctor the Evil One? And what are the invisible creatures in the jungle? The Time Lord, with the help of a girl called Leela, is about to find out.
Although little mention has been made of it after the fact, Doctor Who faced a real problem as it entered 1977. With Elisabeth Sladen having left the programme two stories into the show's fourteenth season, producer Philip Hinchcliffe and script editor Robert Holmes were faced with a difficult task: to come up with and introduce her replacement. Even at the time, Sarah Jane was viewed as unassailable by fans, the production team and even Tom Baker himself, and Hinchcliffe and Holmes even seriously entertained the idea of having the Doctor travelling alone, as evidenced by The Deadly Assassin. However, it became clear that, eventually, the Doctor would need to travel with a new companion, and so Leela was born... And while bringing in a new writer to script her debut story could have been seen as a risk proposition, it paid off, because, while The Face Of Evil isn't the most memorable Doctor Who adventure ever created, it is a confident and slick introduction to Leela, getting the audience quickly invested in her character, while, at the same time, not forgetting to tell a good Doctor Who story.
The plot takes the very interesting (and, at the time, highly unusual) idea of looking at the consequences of the Doctor's travels in time and space, and how those consequences can sometimes not be what you are expecting. Of course, while we're all used to that now thanks to the modern iteration of the show (which seems to push that point every week or so), when this story was transmitted this was an idea that had never been heard of before, so the production team really were taking a risk. And that might be the reason why I feel this is probably the one idea that the Hinchcliffe era team let slip away from them, because I feel like there is so much more that could have been done with it than there was. Don't get me wrong, what we do have is a mature reflection upon the nature of being a wanderer in the fourth dimension (something not attempted since the Hartnell era), and this certainly tackles the idea head on, as opposed to the First Doctor story The Ark, which just skirts around the issue entirely. I also feel Tom Baker plays a lot of the scenes where the Doctor is forced to confront the truth about what he's done to the people of the Tesh and the Sevateem really well, cutting through a lot of the bluster that this Doctor is famous for. But I just think that Boucher, Holmes and Hinchcliffe could have gone even further, really seeing how the Doctor's mistake has come back to haunt him. I think Boucher cheapens a lot of it with the ending: the Doctor just... fixes everything. Now, sure, that's what we want, but the fix the Doctor comes up with seems, to this viewer at least, a trifle convenient. He just wipes the bit of Xoanon's personality that he gave it, and then has a natter on a comfy chair. That's it! There's no real consequences to anything the Doctor's done, because he fixed it. Sure, this was a new concept at the time, and I presume Boucher would have been worried about alienating the audience to a large degree, but it just feels weird that nothing seems to actually come of this adventure. The rest of the story is more standard 'mad computer' fare, with the decent of technologically advanced people thrown into the mix. This is easily one of the best handled ideas in the whole thing, particularly with regards to the Sevateem tribe. They feel fully formed, and it's clear Boucher has thought about how they would have integrated the technology and common terminology and actions of technologically advanced people. By putting in the extra work, that with stories like this can often be overlooked, it allows Face Of Evil to stand head and shoulders above other such narratives. I can't deny that the Tesh do come across a bit like a generic group of worshiping-like aliens, but since we only spend two episodes with them, it's almost inevitable that one of the two tribes would end up being sidelined. Boucher does decide to include some guff in there about this being a eugenics programme, but it's so underdone, they may as well not bothered. To be honest, I preferred the 'drastic extension of Xoanon's personality' idea that is mentioned at the end. It was affixing motivation where it wasn't needed, to be honest. Not that much of this bothers me, however, as, for the most part, this is a story that I can simply enjoy on its own terms. It's expertly paced: in fact, this would fit in very well as a modern Who two-parter. It doesn't waste any time, you're just plunged straight into the story, and it doesn't really let up. Sure, there's a bit of to-ing and fro-ing, but that's commonplace in classic Doctor Who, and its usually to reveal some important information anyway. In plot terms, this is as rock solid as Doctor Who comes.
The characterisation here is also as tight as a drum. Apart from Leela, there's no-one here that ever really pushes the boat out, but there are some interesting layers to some of them. Of course, this is Leela's very first episode, and it's pretty much the best adventure for her character that she had on television. Sure, Robots, Talons and Fang Rock are better stories than this, but, for Leela's character, you can get no better than this story on TV. She's feisty, fearless and isn't afraid to speak her mind, and, in many ways, is a total contrast to Sarah Jane. Sure, Sarah Jane was feisty and not afraid to speak her mind (particularly during Season 11), but Sarah always had tact, and would, more often than not, diplomatically argue around points, rather than just barging in, without tact and subtlety. These are traits abundant in Leela, right from the very first scene. After all, the first time we see Leela is when she is about to be thrown out of the tribe for blasphemy, because of her criticising of the upcoming battle. This is a fantastic way to introduce a new companion, and we instantly get a sense of how Leela will function alongside the Doctor. I also love her first scenes with the Doctor as well: particularly the way she almost distrusts the Doctor, but is still willing to go along with everything he says. It helps that Louise Jameson is instantly fantastic in the role, and manages to imbue Leela with a wonderful degree of truth that a lesser actress could have missed. I've always thought that Jameson was probably one of the most underrated Who companion actors, and The Face Of Evil is perfect proof of this. There's such a natural warmth to Leela: she never comes across as stupid or unintelligent, just stunted by the backwards nature of her culture. I really like that, after 14 years of travel throughout time and space, the Doctor finally comes across a kindred spirit, as Leela is very much like him: someone who wishes to be cut from the bounds of her own civilisation, and get the chance to travel. It's an idea that the programme will return to with Adric, Ace, Rose and Bill, but, it's here, with Leela, where we see this idea most clearly. Her excitement at the possibility of joining the Doctor at the story's end is wonderful to see, and despite the behind-the-scenes tensions between Louise and Tom Baker, the pair are wonderful on screen. I'm so glad that, in the years since Doctor Who, the pair have reconciled their differences and become firm friends, because the Doctor and Leela are one of the great unsung TARDIS teams in the show's history, and we should be grateful Big Finish have managed to exploit that and bring it into the open so successfully. The rest of the characters aren't quite as interesting as Leela, sadly, mostly just fitting into the standard stereotypes of classic Who characters, but they're development is at least engaging and interesting. Neeva, played by the great David Garfield, is the best: a man who's faith is tested by the presence and words of the Doctor. His development arc is skilfully handled, as there's not too much attention drawn to it, but it's still present enough for it to be interesting. Caleb is another well crafted character, as you're never sure who's side he's actually meant to be on. He's constantly waiting for the right opportunity to strike, and he's one of the most dangerous Doctor Who side characters, as unlike Neeva or the tribe chief Andor, he isn't blinded by the lies that Xoanon has been feeding the tribe. The moment where he gets Leela with a Janis Thorn is a gripping moment, because it shows his devious nature. Leslie Schofield is perfect casting in the part as well, really getting to grips with the part. The rest of the characters are a bit lifeless, sadly. The actors do the best they can, but the Tesh parts are particularly lifeless, mostly due to the fact that they aren't that interesting to start with.
Overall, The Face Of Evil is a surprising highlight of a well-regarded season of Doctor Who. Sure, it's not the best Doctor Who story ever, or even of that season, but I think The Face Of Evil is a solidly dependable slice of Who that introduces one of the show's best companions in fine fashion. Combined with excellent production and acting, and a solid script from Chris Boucher, this is a very good Doctor Who story that manages to look excellent and have the substance to match. Give The Face Of Evil another go - you'll find a lot to like.
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