The Trial of a Time Lord
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| 144 to 147 - The Trial of a Time Lord | |
|---|---|
| Doctor | Colin Baker (Sixth Doctor) |
| Writer | Robert Holmes (episodes 1–4,13) Philip Martin (episodes 5–8) Pip and Jane Baker (episodes 9–12,14) |
| Director | Nicholas Mallett (episodes 1–4) Ron Jones (episodes 5–8) Chris Clough (episodes 9–14) |
| Script editor | Eric Saward (episodes 1–12) |
| Producer | John Nathan-Turner |
| Executive producer(s) | None |
| Production code | 7A, 7B, 7C |
| Series | Season 23 |
| Length | 14 episodes, 25 mins each |
| Transmission date | September 6–December 6, 1986 |
| Preceded by | Revelation of the Daleks |
| Followed by | Time and the Rani |
| IMDb profile | |
The Trial of a Time Lord is the name used on screen for all fourteen episodes comprising the 23rd season (1986) of the original Doctor Who series. Despite the single name, however, it is actually the linking narrative that holds together the separate serials that comprise the season. The serials are separately known as: The Mysterious Planet, Mindwarp, Terror of the Vervoids and The Ultimate Foe (or alternatively Time Incorporated).
With this serial, the series reverted to its original 25-minute episode format, after the previous season's experiment with 45-minute episodes. However, as only 14 episodes were commissioned for the 23rd season, this resulted in the actual amount of storytelling time for the program being slashed by approximately half; the 14-episode season would remain the standard for the remainder of the original series' run.
Contents |
[edit] Cast notes
Features guest appearances by Joan Sims, Tony Selby, Honor Blackman, Brian Blessed, Geoffrey Hughes and Christopher Ryan. See also Celebrity appearances in Doctor Who and the individual serials' articles for a full list of appearances.
[edit] Synopsis
See the constituent serials' articles for full plot details.
The Sixth Doctor is taken out of time, his TARDIS transported to a mysterious space station where it is revealed that his people, the Time Lords, are putting him on trial once again. He is accused of "conduct unbecoming a Time Lord" and transgressing the First Law of Time. The Ultimate Court of Appeal is composed of the High Council of Time Lords, including the Inquisitor (fulfilling the role of adjudicator), and the Valeyard who has raised the charges against the Doctor. Using the evidence presented from the Matrix, which collects data from the various time zones in which a TARDIS lands and records it, three segments of evidence are shown to prove the Doctor's guilt or otherwise: one from his past, one from his (near) present and one from his own future.
During the events recounted in the trial, Peri is apparently killed, but is revealed later to have survived and married an alien warlord. The Doctor is also introduced to a companion from his future, Mel, though the exact circumstances of how she joined him are never revealed on screen.
[edit] Production
- Although each of the separate segments has been given a name by the fans, based upon working titles, the story is only ever credited on screen as The Trial of a Time Lord. This leads to the single story being 14 episodes long, making it the longest ever Doctor Who story. (Although technically The Key to Time story arc from Season 16 is longer, it is always presented on screen as six separate stories). See also Doctor Who story title controversy.
- In February 1985, the BBC announced that the planned twenty-third season of Doctor Who had been cancelled. After vocal protests by the press and Doctor Who fans (including a charity single, Doctor in Distress), the BBC announced that the progamme was merely on "hiatus", and would return in September 1986. Several stories which had been planned or commissioned for the original Season 23 were abandoned in favour of an overarching "trial" theme, reflecting the fact that the programme itself was on trial at the BBC.[1] Producer John Nathan-Turner and script editor Eric Saward drew inspiration from Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol; in that the Doctor sees evidence from the past, present and future.[1]
- The opening shot of the TARDIS arriving at the space station was the most expensive effects shot in the series' history at the time, costing more than £8,000 for a forty-five second model sequence using the most advanced motion-controlled camera available. A decade after the story first aired, that same effects shot was used in television promotions for the 1996 FOX Network Doctor Who television movie.
- 11 of the 13 cliffhanger episode endings fade out on a close-up of Colin Baker's face. The two exceptions are episode 3, which has a character firing a crossbow in the Doctor's direction, and episode 9 which ends with the Vervoids emerging from their pods.
- Dominic Glynn created a new arrangement of the Doctor Who Theme which was only ever used for this story arc. The visuals used for opening credits, however, remained unchanged from the previous season.
[edit] Outside references
- Many fans have drawn an analogy between the Doctor's trial and the programme itself which, at the time, was under threat of cancellation (although the BBC had on many occasions denied that this was the case).
- A frequently used in-joke throughout this serial is that, during the showing of the evidence, the Doctor interjects with protests about the overly violent nature of the scenes. The previous season, Season 22, was frequently criticised for being too violent.
[edit] Footnotes
- ^ a b Howe, David J (1998). Doctor Who: The Television Companion, 1st ed., London: BBC Books, pp. 485–487. ISBN 0-563-40588-0.
[edit] External links
- The Trial of a Time Lord at Doctor Who: A Brief History Of Time (Travel)
- The Trial of a Time Lord at the Doctor Who Reference Guide
- The Trial of a Time Lord at Outpost Gallifrey
- Trial of a Time Lord theme music
[edit] Reviews
- The Trial of a Time Lord reviews at Outpost Gallifrey
- The Trial of a Time Lord reviews at The Doctor Who Ratings Guide
| Gallifrey television stories | |
|---|---|
| Second Doctor: | The War Games |
| Third Doctor: | The Three Doctors |
| Fourth Doctor: | The Deadly Assassin • The Invasion of Time |
| Fifth Doctor: | Arc of Infinity • The Five Doctors |
| Sixth Doctor: | The Trial of a Time Lord: The Mysterious Planet • Mindwarp • Terror of the Vervoids • The Ultimate Foe |
| See also: | Time Lord • Eye of Harmony • Gallifrey (audio series) |
