20 Doctor Who Moments We'll NEVER Forget
12. Sarah Jane's Face Falls Off (The Android Invasion)
During Doctor Who's most horror-tinged era, the Fourth Doctor and Sarah Jane Smith were there to reassure the viewer, to hold their hand and guide them through the fear and the danger.
However, when Sarah was replaced by a murderous android, all bets were off, and it was hard to know who to trust.
Tom Baker and Lis Sladen play the moment brilliantly, with the Doctor becoming rougher and more aggressive, and Android Sarah becoming colder and more stilted. And then the reveal – her face falls off to reveal robot circuitry and creepy glass eyes!
It was a cliffhanger that lived long in the memory of fans like Steven Moffat, and likely influenced the moment in The Almost People where the Eleventh Doctor reduces Ganger Amy to a puddle of porridge.