The Tiger Who Came To Tea: The Mysterious Planet

The Trial of a Time-Lord Parts 1 to 4

Season 23, Story 1/4, Serial 7A, 4 x 25 min episodes, 6th May to 27th September 1986, Writer: Robert Holmes, Director: Nicholas Mallett, Script Editor: Eric Saward, Producer: John Nathan-Turner.

They've redecorated the music! I don't like it...

Isaac Dakin@IWhittakerDakin I actually like it personally

I adore this beginning shot of the space station capturing the TARDIS. Really does feel immense.

Isaac Dakin@IWhittakerDakin Fantastic opening model work reminds me of the opening of 'a new hope' with the star destroyer.

MAW Holmes@MAW_H It still holds up...! I do like a good model shot...

The Doctor arrives, alone, in a cheap looking corridor...

...and enters a darkened room.

"I was beginning to think you had lost yourself" Hiatus gags? Really?

Seems the Doctor is being put on trial here!

Despite his extended break, the Doctor persists with *that* coat. He could have found something else by now.

We're introduced to the Inquisitor, who asks the prosecutor, known as the Valeyard, to begin the evidence.

This Valeyard is a nasty piece of work. Seems to be gunning for the Doctor...

jessica eve peach@jessique77 Lynda bellingham looks great as the inqusitor! :-)

Yes, indeed. RIP :-(

50dw50@50dw50 the lovely Lynda B read the Mysterious Planet udiobook, a wistful listen now

jessica eve peach@jessique77 yes, such a loss to the acting profession and as a wonderful person.

The Doctor tries to do an early dart by claiming he can't be tried since being made President in The Five Doctors - but it seems he's been deposed in his absence.

The Valeyard begins to weave his tale...

The Doctor and his companion arrive in an overgrown forest on a planet not unlike Earth...

Isaac Dakin@IWhittakerDakin The doctor notes how similar Ravalox is to Earth. Yet he doesn't note how similar some planets are to quarries in Wales!

Outdoor scenes on video - yuck. Although it does actually seem to suit Colin's outfit, oddly.

Glitz & Dibber are classic Robert Holmes; like a harder, Saward-ized version of Garron & Unstoffe.

The Doctor ducks out of sight, just as Glitz is about to take his shot. That was lucky!

That is one massive info-dump there. That's a major mis-step in my book; surprising from Robert Holmes.

The Doctor & Peri find a mysterious tunnel on The Mysterious Planet & he can't resist exploring. Because it's mysterious.

"...by Doctor-" as if he was going to say his own name!

That "take me to your leader" gag has been done to death. In everything. Including "New Who."

Marble Arch? Fair play, now we do have a mystery on our hands.

Isaac Dakin@IWhittakerDakin "As a matter of interest where is Peri?" "Where you left her" Spoilers!

50dw50@50dw50 it depends which of the 200+ fates of Peri you believe in!

MAW Holmes@MAW_H "A multiplicity of Perpugilliams..." It kind of seems appropriate for old Sixie

Part of me's glad that she didn't really die, but it's handled so badly, and I know Nicola Bryant was really happy to have a strong exit like that, so it's a shame she was robbed of that.

That "matter coalesces" speech for Colin is an absolute Godsend, the relationship with Peri, & his Doctor overall are suddenly much more likeable than they were the whole of the last season.

MAW Holmes@MAW_H They do seem like actual pals now, don't they? It's like a breath of fresh air...

Isaac Dakin@IWhittakerDakin "Don't go wandering off" Doctor, that's the companions job!

Peri is captured by some guys with masks made out of binbags and sticky tape. The indignity.

Glitz and Dibber are taken before warrior queen, Katryca.

Meanwhile the Doctor finds an underground civilization.

Hello, Duggan! Train guard Merdeen is ordered to track down the Doctor by a giant robot, Drathro.

Glitz tries to persuade Katryca that their totem is really a black light converter aerial - one that he needs to dismantle.

"Where are you from, old one?"

Mark Walker@Mark_Walker He's only 900! In this story anyway...

"Mo by Dick by Hermann Melville"

I do like the umbrella bit :-)

MAW Holmes@MAW_H Maybe in his next regeneration he might decide to keep one handy...?

It doesn't go down so well with the Valeyard, though.

So the 1st cliffhanger is that they put the Doctor on trial?

I suppose that it's 'guilty=death' but even so.

Isaac Dakin@IWhittakerDakin Close up on the doctor's face for a cliffhanger! *sigh* Get used to this folks!

Peri's been promised some "excellent husbands." Doubt Katryca can deliver on that. Look at that lot!

MAW Holmes@MAW_H Needs must... Ports, storms and all that...

"The Immortal" is a great title. Pity it's just a crappy old man-in-a-suit giant robot with a boring voice.

Good design, to be fair, but Drathro doesn't convince that it's made from metal, there's no weight to it.

Sounds like there's a busker in Marb station playing cheesy 80s keyboard music.

"I have heard of Gallifrey." Yeah, you and the whole universe, apparently. Another mistake of the era, that - the world and his wife knowing all about the Time-Lords.

Handbag and Humbug are irritating as hell, but they make me laugh when they're prodding Colin's hair.

Dene Kernohan@Dene71 Where's that Humker and Tandrell spin-off? Surprised it wasn't the first thing on RTD's agenda when NuWho hit big.

I'm still angling for The 2 Amelias (Rumford & Ducat) to get their own detective series. Played by Judi Dench & Maggie Smith, obvs.

"Is this testimony entirely relevant?" Nope, padding.

Sheer Poppycock!

Black light is very tricky stuff!

"I only have to look at the Boat-yard..." This is going to get funnier & funnier as the trial goes on, I bet.

I sort of like the idea of the sleepers, but not that anyone can invade Gallifrey and nick stuff.

Glitz and Dibber blow up the black light converter. Ravalox's version of Twitter goes down...

The Doctor agrees to help Merdeen smuggle Balthazar to the surface.

But Grell has discovered the secret - the "Tribe of the Free" are the ones that Merdeen has helped escape Drathro's culls.

Well, yeah, it is normal to reserve judgement till the end of the trial...

"That girl can't obey an order!" The Doctor thinks Peri's in the army now. Never took him for a Quo fan.

Trapped between a robot and the tribe of the free - time to put on your best cliffhanger face, Col!

Simon Pittman@LibraryPlayer Makes a change to being captured by someone made of tinfoil though! :P

50dw50@50dw50 tinfoil is great, you can make it into hats to stop "them" talking to you

"I really think this could be the end!" Oh, what a short story that was, then.

The tribe take the Doctor and Glitz off for a pudding eating competition with Katryca.

"Interesting... though I do not understand what you are saying." How do you know it's interesting, then?

50dw50@50dw50 pudding heads....

How great is Michael Jayston as the Valeyard, by the way?

50dw50@50dw50 he is great and all the better for playing it totally straight

The L1 robot, which couldn't outrun a snail, breaks through the wall & nicks the Doctor.

If the L1 takes more than 30 mins to deliver the Doctor, Drathro gets him for free.

This is just going round in circles now, capture/release between the village and Marb station.

Isaac Dakin@IWhittakerDakin During this tweet along we've managed to talk about time loops, peri's death and I've compared myself to Meglos! Best tweet along yet!

Hurrah!

Odd little Pertwee impersonation from the delirious Doctor there...

Mark Walker@Mark_Walker I always quite like those little nods to previous incarnations.

50dw50@50dw50 i loved Capaldi doing Tom Baker in Mummy on the Orient Express.

The Philatelist/Philanthropist gag has the stamp of Robert Holmes all over it...

Seems Glitz has a really foul mouth...

...the Valeyard keeps bleeping him.

What do you think you're playing at Merdeen, hogging cliffhanger 3 like that!

Well, part 3 sagged badly, I have to say. That synth-trumpet doing the middle 8 is disgusting, by the way.

I like the overall trial concept & the ideas behind the societies of Ravalox are really interesting BUT too much capture and escape and nothing really happening now, too much dull stuff with Drathro. It gets off to a great start, & Colin & Nicola are on great form. Jayston & Bellingham are fantastic.

Mark Walker@Mark_Walker Yes it doesn't greatly hold the attention

Isaac Dakin@IWhittakerDakinIt's not Bob's best I just think that it's ok no power of kroll just ok

jessica eve peach@jessique77 you can see the good intentions there though.

i like the season and the idea of putting the doctor on trial. things were complicated at the time this was made.

MAW Holmes@MAW_H It just sometimes feels like a "lost opportunity" to me, sadly...

Isaac Dakin@IWhittakerDakin I blame Jonathan Powell as he criticised the original script which may have knocked Bob's confidence. I don't think this season worked as a whole as a lot of things didn't add up.