The Face of Evil

089 – The Face of Evil
Doctor Who serial
Tomas fires on Xoanon's projected face as Andor is crushed.
Cast
Doctor Tom Baker (Fourth Doctor)
Companion Louise Jameson (Leela)
Others David Garfield — Neeva Victor Lucas — Andor Brendan Price — Tomas Leslie Schofield — Calib Colin Thomas — Sole Lloyd McGuire — Lugo Leon Eagles — Jabel Mike Elles — Gentek Peter Baldock — Acolyte Tom Kelly, Brett Forrest — Guards Rob Edwards, Pamela Salem, Anthony Frieze, Roy Herrick — Xoanon Harry Fielder — Assassin
Production
Directed by	Pennant Roberts
Written by	Chris Boucher
Script editor	Robert Holmes
Produced by	Philip Hinchcliffe
Executive producer(s)	None
Incidental music composer	Dudley Simpson
Production code	4Q
Series	Season 14
Length	4 episodes, 25 minutes each
Originally broadcast	1–22 January 1977
Chronology
← Preceded by Followed by → The Deadly Assassin The Robots of Death
List of Doctor Who serials

Doctor Who and the Face of Evil

Author	Terrance Dicks
Cover artist	Jeff Cummins
Series	Doctor Who book: Target novelisations
Release number	25
Publisher	Target Books
Publication date	19 January 1978
ISBN

The Face of Evil is the fourth serial of the 14th season of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, starring Tom Baker as the Doctor. First broadcast in four weekly parts from 1 January to 22 January 1977, this serial marked the debut of Louise Jameson as the Doctor's new companion, Leela. It was also the first story written for the series by Chris Boucher and the first directed by Pennant Roberts, who would both go on to work on the series again a number of times. The face of evil in the title refers to that of the Doctor, Baker playing a dual role in this story. The serial is generally well-received by reviewers, although fandom consider it to be overshadowed by other stories in Season 14. It did however gain high ratings of over 11 million on first screening.

The Doctor, travelling alone in the TARDIS, arrives on a jungle planet and encounters Leela, a savage from the local tribe, who denounces him as the Evil One of fable among her people. She has been exiled from her tribe, the Sevateem, for profaning their god Xoanon who is kept prisoner by the Evil One and his followers, the Tesh, beyond a black wall. He speaks to them through the tribe’s shaman, Neeva. The Doctor finds a sophisticated sonic disruptor, which creates the force field that keeps creatures from attacking the village. The Sevateem will launch an attack on the domain of the Tesh to free their god, led by the combative Andor who suspects Neeva of being a false prophet.

In Neeva’s holy tent, the Doctor inspects the ancient tribal relics, artifacts from an Earth survey expedition. He 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." The Doctor tells some of the tribe the Sevateem are the descendants of a “survey team” which left a Starfall Seven Earth colony ship.