Season 23, Episode 1 | 4 parts | First broadcast: 6–27 September 1986 | Writer: Robert Holmes | Director: Nicholas Mallett
Cast
- Colin Baker as the Doctor
- Nicola Bryant as Peri Brown
- Michael Jayston as the Valeyard
- Lynda Bellingham as the Inquisitor
- Tony Selby as Sabalom Glitz
Summary
The Doctor’s TARDIS is seized mid-flight and he is hauled before the High Council of Time Lords to stand trial, accused of repeated interference in the affairs of other worlds. As the mysterious prosecutor known as the Valeyard presents evidence from the Doctor’s past, viewers see the Doctor and Peri investigate the ancient, ruined world of Ravalox, uncovering a hidden robotic tyrant and a conspiracy tied to Earth’s own forgotten history.
Interesting Facts
- This serial opens the season-long Trial of a Time Lord arc, framing the entire season as evidence presented at the Doctor’s own trial.
- It was the final complete script by veteran writer Robert Holmes to be produced before his death partway through the season.
- The story reveals that the ruined planet Ravalox is, in fact, a displaced Earth, tying its mystery back to the Doctor’s home turf in an unexpected way.
- Tony Selby’s roguish con-man character Sabalom Glitz proved popular enough to return later in the season’s concluding chapter.
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