Doctor Who: 10 Most Infuriating Cliffhangers Of The Classic Series

9. City Of Death (Episode 1)

No disrespect for this classic Tom Baker story but there's just something really off about the ending to Episode 1, which features the "Count" ripping off his mask to reveal himself as Scaroth, last of the Jagaroth. This should be a dramatic moment, but as filmed, it leaves much to be desired. The scene with him pulling off his human face and displaying his true alien self requires a vast amount of suspension of disbelief. How in the world did he fit that rubber mask over the much larger alien head? And the effect is totally unconvincing, too. When he removes the human face, he rips it apart in the center, pretty much making it useless to use again. Does he have a whole closet full of fake heads? Also, when he removes the mask, he also almost takes the other face off with it as well. It bobbles back a bit in the televised shot. This is unfortunate, really, as the rest of the story is delightful with a top-notch script by Douglas Adams and is certainly a high point of the Baker era. But as a cliffhanger, it's ridiculous and laughable, certainly not the desired effect.