"What If...?" The Trial of a Time-Lord

The Trial of a Time Lord has a reputation of being a bit of a mess, and we know there was certainly well-documented turmoil behind the scenes, but what would you have done differently if you'd been running the show? Well, here's my fantasy take on it... 

(14 x 25 minute episodes)

Parts 1 - 2: Mission to Magnus by Phillip Martin

 
The trial begins, with the Doctor accused of causing deaths contrary to the web of time, and the Valeyard opens the evidence with his first witness, the Mentor Sil, who recounts a tale of how the Doctor interfered in a scheme of his which he claims would have benefitted the world of Magnus, and he claims the Doctor caused the deaths of the Ice Warriors there.
based on the story by Philip Martin intended for the original, cancelled, season 23

Parts 3 - 4: The Horror of Peladon by Johnny Byrne
(What if they'd decided to do a Peladon story? Johnny Byrne seemed to be the go-to guy to bring back old set-ups. Look at The Keeper of Traken, Arc of Infinity & Warriors of the Deep. Sadly Brian Hayles couldn't have written another Peladon/Ice Warrior story as he'd passed away by the time of Trial's production).

 
The Doctor rebutts Sil's evidence by calling the Grand Marshall of Mars to recount a tale where in fact he helped the Ice Warriors - a third peladon story.

Parts 5 - 6: Paradise Five by PJ Hammond

The Valeyard uses a story of the Doctor and Peri investigating a luxury space cruiser where powerful aliens disguised as angels are abducting humans - and posits that the Doctor interfered in events and allowed people to live that should have died...
based on the story developed for Trial by PJ Hammond, eventually replaced by Terror of the Vervoids

Parts 7 - 8: The Nightmare Fair by Graham Williams

The Doctor rebutts this by giving another example of a powerful being threatening humans - the Celestial Toymaker - and how it was his duty as a Time-Lord to prevent people being taken out of time by such a being.
based on Graham Williams' story for the original season 23.

Parts 9 - 10: Yellow Fever by Robert Holmes

The Valeyard calls some rather disreputable witnesses: the Master and the Rani, who tell a story of how the Doctor altered the web of time by preventing the Autons from invading Earth. The Doctor is able to call Brigadier Lethbridge Stewart to point out that the Autons would not have attempted such a plan without the Master and the Rani's help. During this story, Peri decides to remain on Earth, and a UNIT computer expert, Mel, joins the Doctor instead.
based on the story idea by Robert Holmes for the original season 23.

 

Parts 11 - 12: Retribution of the Daleks by Terry Nation

A final, surprise witness has asked to give evidence in support of the Doctor - Davros! He wishes to put on record that the Doctor had the chance to eradicate the Daleks (i.e. in Genesis) but did not; and he suggests that the Time Lords themselves, through their attempt to wipe out the Daleks, are far more guilty of the crimes of which they accuse the Doctor. Of course, this is all a ruse - given safe passage to Gallifrey to appear at the Trial, Davros has paved the way for a Dalek Invasion, and there's a bigger shock for the Doctor - the true identity of Davros' ally, the Valeyard...
complete fabrication this one! Davros would have been a great witness, and I just liked the idea that Genesis of the Daleks is actually a counter-argument to the charge of Genocide. Terry Nation? Why not, though probably more likely any Dalek story of this time would have been written by Eric Saward. 

 

Parts 13 - 14: Gallifrey by Robert Holmes

 
 
The aftermath - Gallifrey has been destroyed by the Daleks, with the few surviving Time-Lords banding together on their space station. The Doctor forms an unholy alliance with the Master and the Rani in order to track down and trap the Valeyard. Only by defeating him can they restore Gallifrey. Things don't go according to plan though, and the Time-lord spacestation is damaged, with the Valeyard attempting to crash it into the Earth (just to spite the Doctor). The Doctor knows if he can merge with the Valeyard, he will absorb him and regenerate, and hopefully negate his dark side. But what will the resulting new Doctor - the 7th - be like...?
drawn from elements of a vague story outline called Gallifrey given to Pip & Jane Baker, but adding a more modern-style 'series finale' with the Doctor and the Valeyard going head to head, and a self-sacrifice from the 6th Doctor that would not have been intended at the time i.e. because there was not meant to be a regeneration. This version of the ending is designed to still segue back into the 1987 of the real world... although Time and the Rani may have been a bit different...

 

THE END...?