Brief Summary
This video summarizes Season 23 of Doctor Who, known as "The Trial of a Time Lord," which faced numerous production challenges and creative conflicts. The season suffered budget cuts, script changes, and behind-the-scenes disagreements, leading to a disjointed and controversial narrative. Despite these issues, some stories like "Mindwarp" are highlighted for their strong cast and dark themes, while others are criticized for illogical plots and rehashed ideas. The season's overall quality is deemed poor, with the trial format failing to enhance the stories and the departure of Colin Baker as the Sixth Doctor adding to its troubled legacy.
- Production turmoil and budget cuts significantly impacted the season.
- "Mindwarp" is a standout story despite the season's overall weaknesses.
- The trial format is criticized for being poorly executed and detracting from the stories.
Intro
The video begins by noting that there was an 18-month gap between seasons 22 and 23 because the BBC initially wanted to cancel the show. Despite its return due to public outcry, the BBC did not make necessary arrangements to ensure its success. Colin Baker's appearance changed, with noticeable weight gain, a redesigned, more garish costume, and longer, blonder hair.
Behind the Scenes Turmoil
Producer JN-T wanted to move on to other jobs but was held in place by the BBC, while head writer Eric Saward vocally disliked Colin Baker's Doctor and JN-T. Together, they decided to scrap the originally planned season 23, which was already in pre-production with three stories scripted and paid for. The BBC's desire to end the show was so strong that they were willing to lose money. The original season would have included a new Ice Warriors story, the return of the Celestial Toymaker, and a story set in Asia titled "Yellow Fever and How to Cure It," some of which were later adapted into Big Finish audio stories.
Trial of a Time Lord
The new season 23 became "The Trial of a Time Lord," inspired by the feeling that the show itself was on trial. This season marked the show's second season-long arc. The budget was cut again, the episode count was halved, and the show would only have four stories a season until its end. The tone shifted away from violence and horror to a lighter, more comedic approach, which was not well-executed, and the reduced budget was evident.
The Mysterious Planet
The first story, "The Mysterious Planet," was Robert Holmes' last completed script for Doctor Who before his death. The TARDIS is pulled into a Time Lord Space Station in a visually impressive sequence. The Time Lords put the Doctor on trial for interfering with other life forms, reminiscent of the Second Doctor's trial but less effective. The prosecutor is the Valeyard, played by Michael Jayston. The first three stories are presented as evidence in the trial, with "The Mysterious Planet" depicting the Doctor's past. The planet Ravalox is revealed to be a devastated Earth moved across the galaxy. One of the story's highlights is the con men double act, Glitz and Dibber. The story also features references to books like "The Water Babies" and "Moby Dick." The trial segments involve editing, censorship, and misinterpretation of events, with the Doctor and Valeyard exchanging insults.
Mindwarp
"Mindwarp" is the video creator's favorite story of the season and a direct sequel to "Vengeance on Varos." It depicts the adventure the Doctor was on when summoned by the Time Lords. The story is set on Thoros Beta, where Sil from "Vengeance on Varos" returns. Sil's boss, Kiv, has a problem with his expanding brain and seeks Dr. Crozier's help to transplant his mind into a new body, eventually choosing Peri's brain. King Brian Blessed falls in love with Peri and objects to the transplant. The ending, where Peri's fate is left ambiguous, is a point of contention, with various non-TV media offering different suggestions. The video creator prefers the dark ending of mind wipes, body-snatching, and violent death. The story includes sections where the Doctor appears to team up with Sil and act evilly, suggesting the tapes played in the trial have been tampered with. Christopher Ryan, known for "The Young Ones," plays Kiv, and Patrick Rycart plays Dr. Crozier. Nabil Shaban returns as Sil, and Brian Blessed plays King Yrcanos. The video creator praises the cast's performances and considers it the best story of the season, despite the court parts detracting from it.
Terror of the Vervoids
"Terror of the Vervoids," also known as "Horror of the Plant Vagina Heads," features a human Starliner in the future. The Doctor is traveling with a new companion, Mel, an idea that Moffat likely wished he had come up with first. The story is from the Doctor's future, so the circumstances of how he and Mel met are unknown. Mel from after the Vervoids appears in the final story of the season, which is the Doctor's first meeting with her from her perspective. The Starliner contains deadly alien plants called Vervoids, and the Doctor must prevent them from reaching Earth. The Doctor commits genocide by destroying the Vervoids, leading to accusations of genocide during the trial. Mel is portrayed as annoying, with her screams and attempts to make the Doctor lose weight. Michael Craig plays the commander of the ship. The story is a fairly traditional base-under-siege type, but the trial sections create logical problems, as the Time Lords are trying the Doctor for future events.
The Ultimate Foe
"The Ultimate Foe" is a two-part story that is considered a mess. Robert Holmes died after finishing the first draft of the first episode, and script editor Eric Saward quit before the story was produced due to disagreements over the ending. Pip and Jane Baker had to write a new ending without knowing the original script. The story is not presented as evidence in the trial but as the Doctor's sentence of death. The Doctor battles the Valeyard in the Matrix, similar to "The Deadly Assassin." The Valeyard is revealed to be a distillation of the Doctor's darker side, seeking the Doctor's remaining regenerations. The original idea was for the Valeyard to be a desperate Doctor in his final incarnation seeking to prolong his life. The Matrix is surreal and low-budget. The Doctor survives and leaves with Mel. Colin Baker was fired shortly after and refused to return for a regeneration story.
Conclusion
The video concludes that Season 23 is not good, even worse than Season 22. To appreciate the season, one must be interested in the trial aspect, which the video creator is not. The surreal ending is a rehash of "The Deadly Assassin." The video recommends the season only for completists or fans of Colin Baker, who deserved better. For the best of the Sixth Doctor, the video suggests listening to Big Finish audio adventures like "The Space Race" and "Jubilee." The next video will cover the Seventh Doctor, the return of the Rani, and the last companion of the classic show.
