STACK #186 Apr 2020

TV FEATURE

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DOCTOR WHO: THE FACELESS ONES

The latest in a series of lost stories from the Patrick Troughton era to return in animated versions – following The Power of the Daleks and The Macra Terror – is this six-part adventure first broadcast in 1967. When the TARDIS materialises on the runway at Gatwick Airport in England, the second Doctor with companions Jamie, Ben and Polly, have a bit of explaining to do to the authorities. But that's the least of their problems – a race of identity-stealing aliens called Chameleons have infiltrated the airport and are abducting passengers, and the Doctor is

quickly enlisted to investigate. Although episodes one and three still exist and are held in the BBC archives, all six parts have been newly animated for this release – in both black and white and colour – and synched with remastered original (off air) audio recordings. Archive material includes the original episodes one and three, along with surviving film fragments and telesnap reconstructions of the remaining missing episodes. Rounding out the extras are audio commentaries on selected episodes, a making-of featurette,

camera script PDFs, and a trailer for the next animated reconstruction of a lost story, once again from the Troughton era – the bona fide classic, Fury from the Deep . Out April 8

Fans of this heart-warming and beloved British series – chronicling the lives of a group of midwives in East London during the 1950s and '60s – should prepare for some major surprises CALL THE MIDWIFE: SERIES 9

Can the idyllic Caribbean island of Saint Marie still be considered paradise after nine years of death? That's a question newcomers might be pondering, but devotees of this hit whodunit series will revel in watching determined Detective Inspector Jack Mooney (Ardal O'Hanlon) and his team struggle to solve more baffling murders. New Year's Eve celebrations turn bloody with a domestic stabbing, and the death toll continues to rise over the course of the season, as an artist is poisoned DEATH IN PARADISE: SERIES 9 and a cyclist dies mysteriously during a race. The plot thickens when a romantic encounter upends Jack's life, and a new DI arrives on the island. Out April 8 Dr. Nikki Alexander (Emilia Fox) and the forensic pathology team at the Lyell Centre are used to dealing with cases out of the ordinary, but their investigative skills are truly put to the test following a plane crash in the woods outside London. What’s the connection between a former US Ambassador that was onboard and the suicide of a successful businessman? And can a sinister online forum and an off-duty pilot offer clues to what caused the crash? Then there is the matter of a body found encased in concrete... Longtime viewers should also brace themselves for a major shock this season! Out April 8 SILENT WITNESS: SERIES 23

and upheaval in the latest series. It's 1965 and following the funeral of Winston Churchill, Nonnatus House enters a new era, with prosperity on the horizon. But the medics and midwives face new challenges as the East End is rejuvenated, rules change, budget cuts loom, diphtheria resurfaces, and tears are shed. This 3-disc set also includes the Christmas Special, in which the midwives respond to a call for medical assistance in the Outer Hebrides. Out April 22

images © BBC

40 APRIL 2020

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