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Reviews for The Trial of a Time Lord

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The Trial of the Triumphant

By:Theta Sigma, USA
Date:Friday 19 September 2003
Rating:   8

Colin Baker stars in his greatest and most dangerous adventure yet. Friends and foes alike are not as they seem as the Doctor faces trial by the Time Lords. Heading up the prosecution is the sinister Valeyard who has a hidden agenda of his own.....



This isn't a load of humbug

By:Tom Lingwood, Broseley, Shropshire
Date:Tuesday 30 April 2002
Rating:   10

This 14-part epic is Colin Baker’s final season and story. Nearly everyone says it’s rubbish but they’re wrong. It’s great and has some great lines by Colin. The story involves the Time Lords putting the Doctor on trial for the second time (the first being The War Games). The saga is like A Christmas Carol and is split into segments, as follows:

Parts 1-4 (AKA The Mysterious Planet) sees the Doctor in his past arriving on the planet Ravolox, which turns out to be Earth in two million years time. This features guest appearances by Tony Selby as Glitz, Carry On star Joan Sims and London’s Burning’s Glen Murphy.

Parts 5-8 (AKA Mindwarp) find the Doctor in his present, arriving on the planet Thoras-Beta, where he again comes across a Mentor, Sil (Vengeance on Varos), whose leader Lord Kiv needs a brain transplant. This features appearances by Brian Blessed and The Young Ones’ Christopher Ryan.

Parts 9-12 (AKA Terror of the Vervoids) have the Doctor in his future, arriving on the spaceship Hyperion III in the year 2986. On the ship, creatures known as Vervoids are killing the passengers and a murderer is lurking about. This is probably the best segment as it’s fun and is a sort of Murder on the Orient Express in space. The guests this time are The Avengers star Honor Blackman.

In parts 13 and 14 (AKA The Ultimate Foe), we find out the Doctor’s sentence but the prosecutor, the Valeyard is holding a secret from the court… Part 13 is probably Colin Baker’s best episode. Geoffrey Hughes appears in this segment, as does Tony ‘Glitz’ Selby.

This is a magnificent epic and should be classified as a great Doctor Who story.



A Load of Garbage!

By:Ruby Jane Simkin, Perth Western Austalia
Date:Friday 19 January 2007
Rating:   3

This story is a boring, stupid movie starring Colin Baker in: The Trial of a Timelord the worst Doctor and actor. He didn't put much drama or interesting things in it he is not my favorite Doctor. The assistant is Peri she was good with the Doctor but not by herself like the the Doctor. It was good in some parts. Overall 3/10



Sheer Excellence...

By:Matthew David Rabjohns, Bridgend, United Kingdom
Date:Wednesday 2 April 2008
Rating:   10

I am here to state my personal views on the sixth Doctor as a whole. For a start, Colin is nowhere near the worst doctor. In fact, for his performance on screen, he is one of the most unpredictable and alien like personas. I for one think Colin was a class Doctor.

The Trial Of A Time Lord has been looked upon very unfairly i feel on the whole. I am not one of those who thinks this story is a monumental waste of time for a start. I actually still call this my favourite Doctor Who story ever, and that includes the new series too. Here in this 14 part mammoth tale there is plenty to enjoy.

The Mysterious Planet kicks of the story very finely indeed. Another great yarn from Robert Holmes. Sadly to be his last for the show, but no better story to finish on in my view. Right the good things: Tony Selby is brilliant as Glitz for a start, a real comic character. Glen Murphy aint bad as Dibber either on that matter. And the robot is my favourite of the entire series of doctor who, very well designed and realised. And the story itself is fresh and full of the usual Rob Homes funny dialogue and one liners. And the usual memorable and strong characters along the way too. So, the first four episodes are highly watchable and excellent for lovers of cool tv.

And then we get our teeth into Mindwarp, the sequel to Vengeance On Varos. This story disproves the theory that sequels never quite live up to the originals. Mindwarp is a strkingly visual part of Trial, and the mentors themselves are very well designed and refreshed in this story. Brian Blessed delivers a fine performance as Yrcanos, a brilliant character again. The performance by Nicola Bryant is excellent too, a fine last hurrah on the screen in a truly memorable final scene, a shocking surprise in many ways. Colin Baker is excellent too, a masterful end to episode eight, shows us there is still the vulnerable side to the sixth doctor, the hardest of all the doctors.

Terror of The Vervoids is pure class. Well, you only need very good sets, well designed monsters, i cant see any cauliflower on the vervoids. Utter nonsense. The performances are solid and believable too, with many of the special guest stars impressing. Bonnie Langford actually makes a great debut as Mel, not shoddy like ive seen and heard about her performances recently. An assured performance, a good and decent amount of plot for her too, being the detective amoungst other things. A brilliant and stylish 3rd parter.

Time Inc brings the brilliant story to a fast paced and memorable end. Tony Selby is back again as Glitz, giving a brilliant performance yet again. And the great return of Anthony Ainley as the Master. A fine performance as per usual. Colin Baker and Michael Jayston face off memorably in a cool finale. So these are the brilliantly cool parts of the story, cant fault this story in any way.

And it always seems the mammoth dr who tales dont drag either, the soundtrack of the Daleks Master Plan is excellent and well paced, the War Games is a masterful piece of work, and here the trial of a time lord is suitably paced so as not to appear lagging or lacklustre, and plenty of fresh elements. Not just a rehash of old who at any rate, unlike the woeful Voyage of The Damned. This is imperial television.



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