The Trial of a Timelord

The three videos in this Limited Edition Boxed Set contain all four episodes of Doctor Who’s immortal adventure, "The Trial of the Time Lord," starring Colin Baker as the Doctor.

VIDEO 1: THE MYSTERIOUS PLANET  (Episodes 1-4)
The saga begins when the TARDIS is drawn into a mammoth space station.   The Doctor emerges alone to face a tribunal of the Time Lords, and placed on trial for cosmic interference.  The trial beings with a screening of the Doctor arriving on Ravalox.

VIDEO 2: MINDWARP (Episodes 5-8)
The cosmic prosecutor, the Valeyard, builds his case against Doctor Who, with evidence recorded in the Matrix and through the TARDIS.  The Doctor’s most recent adventure is introduced as evidence of his guilt.

VIDEO 3: TERROR OF THE VERVOIDS (Episodes 9-12) & THE ULTIMATE FOE (Episodes 13 & 14)
Doctor Who presents his case, a story from his near future that occurs after he has met a new companion, Melanie.  Finally, in "The Ultimate Foe," the truth is revealed.

• After a 22 month long hiatus, Doctor Who was brought back with a season cut down to half of the normal number of episodes and with the threat of cancellation hanging over its head.

• "Trial of a Timelord" was an ambitious story arc that ran throughout the season and paralleling the show's own uncertain future. 

• Peri, popular companion to the 6th Doctor, left during "Mindwarp" (episodes 5-8).  Peri's departure is quite spectacular, to say the least.  A new companion, Melanie Bush, was introduced in the following section "Terror of the Vervoids" (episodes 9-12).

• Robert Holmes was originally intended to pen the final two episodes, but died suddenly while working on the story.  With his first episode nearly complete, the task of finishing the last episode fell to script editor Eric Saward.

• The original ending for Trial was much more ambiguous as the Doctor and the Valeyard were locked in a deadly struggle (ala Holmes/Moriarty plunging off a waterfall type scenario).  Unfortunately, there was major blow out between producer John Nathan-Turner and script editor Eric Saward.  Saward, who had written the final episode, left abruptly and took his ending with him.  Pip and Jane Baker were asked to come in and pen a new ending.  The original ending of episode 14 would have seen the Doctor and Valeyard tumbling through the space/time vortex at each other's throats (much like the legendary waterfall scene between Sherlock Holmes and Moriarty).

• Anthony Ainley (The Master) is rumored to have had a little tiff with producer JNT as well and would only return for one more story (ironically, it was the final story of the final season of Doctor Who).

• Colin Baker, who's contract to play Doctor Who was near the expiration point, was asked to leave the series.  While he was given many pleasant excuses, the consensus among fandom is that he was the scapegoat for less than stellar ratings for the series.   Asked to return the next season for a 4 part regeneration story, Baker refused, effectively making "Trial of a Time Lord" his final story.