The Trial of a Time Lord - DVD

The Trial of a Time Lord, a fourteen episode arc-story that formed the entirety of Season 23, was to be the Sixth Doctor's swansong, after barely more than two seasons with Colin Baker in the role. This lavish four-disc DVD boxset covers all aspects of the season, as well as including an overarching documentary which explains the politics and reasoning behind the foreshortening of Baker's tenure...

Shot predominantly in studio and location on 1" videotape rather than the traditional mix of studio video and location film, 'The Trial of a Time Lord' went through our usual remastering process with little fuss or particular problems to overcome.

In addition to six newly recorded commentary sessions, Ed Stradling was commissioned to series produce a full package of extras for the set. The special features are broken down as follows:

Disc 1 - Episodes 1 - 4 - "The Mysterious Planet"

• Commentary 1 - With actors Colin Baker, Nicola Bryant, Tony Selby and Adam Blackwood.

• Commentary 2 - With script editor Eric Saward (episode 1 only)

• The Making of The Mysterious Planet (dur. 25' 00") - cast and crew talk about the production of this story. With actors Colin Baker, Nicola Bryant, Michael Jayston and Tony Selby, script editor Eric Saward, visual effects designer Mike Kelt, composer Dominic Glynn, TV historian Jim Sangster and writer Clayton Hickman. Produced by Steve Broster.

• Deleted and Extended Scenes (dur. 8' 27") - scenes cut from the story before transmission.

• Trails and Continuity (dur. 9' 58") - BBC1 trails and continuity announcements from the original transmission, including Colin Baker's intro to 'Roland Rat the Series'.

• 35mm Film Sequence (dur. 1' 13") - the full-length version of the impressive motion-control model shot that opened the story. (Mute)

• Music Videos - three music videos with the option of various soundtracks:

1: Clean Titles (dur. 2' 17") - with original, 2008 stereo remix and 2008 5.1 remix options.
2: Theme Music Remix (dur. 3' 07") - with original, 2008 stereo remix or 2008 5.1 remix options.
3: The Trial Theme (dur. 2' 48") - with stereo or 5.1 options.

• Wogan (dur. 14' 23") - Colin Baker and Lynda Bellingham appear on the Terry Wogan show in August 1986.

• Blue Peter (dur. 7' 49") - presenters Mark Curry and Janet Ellis talk to Colin Baker, Bonnie Langford and the designers and operators of the L1 and L3 robots, whilst Peter Duncan interviews the villainous Sil, played by Nabil Shaban.

• Points of View (dur. 2' 21") - Anne Robinson responds to viewer's letters on the Doctor's return.

• Photo Gallery (dur. 6' 29") - production and publicity photos from the story.

• Programme Subtitles • Subtitle Production Notes


Disc 2 - Episodes 5 - 8 - "Mindwarp"

• Commentary - With actors Colin Baker, Nicola Bryant, writer Philip Martin.

• The Making of Mindwarp (dur. 20' 21 ") - cast and crew talk about the production of this story. With actors Colin Baker, Nicola Bryant, Michael Jayston, Brian Blessed and Patrick Ryecart, writer Philip Martin, script editor Eric Saward, TV historian Jim Sangster and writer Clayton Hickman. Produced by Steve Broster.

• Deleted and Extended Scenes (dur. 9' 02") - scenes cut from the story before transmission.

• Now and Then - On the Trail of a Time Lord (dur. 21' 01") - a look at the locations used in the making of the story, comparing how they were then with how they are today. Narrated by Simon Ockenden. Produced by Richard Bignell.

• A Fate Worse than Death? (dur. 2' 22) - Colin Baker and Nicola Bryant commentary over the closing scenes of episode 14, in which it is revealed that Peri didn't die, but instead married… Brian Blessed!

• Trails and Continuity (dur. 3' 30") - BBC1 trails and continuity announcements from the original transmission.

• TV Talkback (dur. 5' 35") - Phillip Schofield reads out viewer's letters on the return of Doctor Who and the new title music, in this extract from Saturday Superstore.

• Children in Need (dur. 3' 16") - Colin Baker, Nicola Bryant and producer John Nathan-Turner visit the Blackpool Doctor Who Exhibition. Back in the studio, Terry Wogan and Patrick Moore greet a plethora of Doctors and companions as they all emerge from the TARDIS to present a cheque to the 1985 Children in Need appeal.

• Lenny Henry (dur. 4' 34") - Lenny Henry is the Doctor in this comedy sketch from his series.

• Photo Gallery (dur. 6' 56") - production and publicity photos from the story.

• Programme Subtitles • Subtitle Production Notes


Disc 3 - Episodes 9 - 12 - "Terror of the Vervoids"

• Commentary - With actors Colin Baker, Michael Craig, writers Pip and Jane Baker, director Chris Clough.

• The Making of Terror of the Vervoids (dur. 25' 15") - cast and crew talk about the production of this story. With actors Colin Baker, Nicola Bryant, Michael Craig and Malcolm Tierney, director Chris Clough, writers Pip and Jane Baker, script editor Eric Saward, TV historian Jim Sangster and writer Clayton Hickman. Produced by Steve Broster.

• Deleted and Extended Scenes (dur. 14' 04") - scenes cut from the story before transmission.

• Trails and Continuity (dur. 3' 13") - BBC1 trails and continuity announcements from the original transmission.

• The Lost Season (dur. 10' 57") - The story of the plans for the original season 23, which was dropped when the series was rested at the end of season 22. With script editor Eric Saward and writer Philip Martin. Narrated by Colin Baker. Produced by Richard Molesworth.

• Now, Get Out of That (dur.28' 20") - A trio of professional television writers examine the art of Doctor Who's famous cliffhanger endings. With writers Robert Shearman, Nev Fountain and Joseph Lidster, and interjections from actors Tom Baker, Peter Davison, Colin Baker and Sophie Aldred. Produced by James Goss.

• Saturday Picture Show (dur. 7' 31") - Mark Curry interviews Bonnie Langford in this extract from the children's Saturday morning TV show.

• Photo Gallery (dur. 5' 54") - production and publicity photos from the story.

• Programme Subtitles • Subtitle Production Notes


Disc 4 - Episodes 13 & 14 - "The Ultimate Foe"

• Commentary 1 - With actors Colin Baker, Tony Selby, director Chris Clough, and for episode 14 only, writers Pip and Jane Baker.

• Commentary 2 - With script editor Eric Saward (episode 13 only)

• The Making of The Ultimate Foe (dur. 15' 12") - cast and crew talk about the production of this story. With actors Colin Baker, Nicola Bryant, Michael Jayston and Tony Selby, director Chris Clough, writers Pip and Jane Baker, script editor Eric Saward, TV historian Jim Sangster and writer Clayton Hickman. Produced by Steve Broster.

• Deleted and Extended Scenes (dur. 4' 36") - scenes cut from the story before transmission.

• Trails and Continuity (dur. 1' 11") - BBC1 trails and continuity announcements from the original transmission.

• Trials and Tribulations (dur. 55' 05") - Flagship documentary looking at Colin Baker's tenure as the Doctor, a particularly turbulent era in the show's history. With actors Colin Baker, Nicola Bryant, producer John Nathan-Turner, script editor Eric Saward, writer Philip Martin, Pip & Jane Baker, ex-BBC Heads of Series and Serials David Reid and Jonathan Powell, continuity adviser Ian Levine and publisher Gary Leigh. Produced by Ed Stradling.

• 1985 Hiatus (dur. 3' 54") - a compilation of media footage reporting the 'resting' of the show in 1985.

• Doctor in Distress (dur. 3' 44") - a music video to accompany a single put together by fans in an attempt to raise public awareness of the resting of the show. With kind permission of Ian Levine.

• Open Air (dur. 10' 28") - Pattie Coldwell, joined by writers Pip and Jane Baker and producer John Nathan-Turner, canvasses the opinions of members of the Doctor Who Appreciation Society following the finale of 'The Trial of a Time Lord'.

• Saturday Superstore (dur. 13' 31") - presenters Sarah Greene and Mike Read are joined by Colin Baker to talk about Doctor Who and take questions over the telephone from viewers, followed by the cutting of a TARDIS cake to celebrate the programme's 23rd birthday.

• Photo Gallery (dur. 5' 00") - production and publicity photos from the story.

• Coming Soon (dur. 0' 58") - a trail for a forthcoming DVD release.

• PDF Material - Radio Times billings for all fourteen episodes, a BBC Press Office release containing quotes about the series, and an extract from the children's magazine Zig Zag, which goes behind the scenes during the making of the show.

• Programme Subtitles • Subtitle Production Notes

Copyright Steve Roberts, 8 June 2008. No reproduction allowed without written permission.

Why hasn't the 1996 Fox TV Movie with Paul McGann come out on DVD yet? It's been out since 2001 in the UK!

This is a special case. Under the co-production deal between the Fox TV Network, Universal, and BBC Worldwide, the North American video release rights now seem to rest with Universal, and they have shown no interest in either releasing it themselves or in licensing it back to BBC Worldwide. The only hope for this ever to be released in North America would seem to be if the new TV series becomes a hit in the US and then Universal changes their mind on this title, trying to ride the coattails of such a success.