Trial of the Valeyard

[Rob McCow]

This year's subscriber special finds the Sixth Doctor back in the Time Lord trial rooms - but he's not the one in the dock this time! This time his sinister alternate The Valeyard faces his fate in the subscriber special we could only call Doctor Who: Trial of the Valeyard!

Doctor Who: Trial of the Valeyard reunites Colin Baker's Sixth Doctor (as seen on TV from 1984-1986) with Michael Jayston as the Valeyard and Linda Bellingham as the Inquisitor in a tense courtroom drama. The three were last seen sharing the screen in 1986's epic fourteen-part tale Doctor Who: The Trial of a Time Lord. The tables are turned in this new story as the Valeyard is forced to face up to his evil deeds - how will the Doctor judge his alternate self?

This special tale will be released in December to all those who have a subscription to the Doctor Who main range which includes December's release (currently untitled). It will also be available to buy a year after release (in December 2014) and can be chosen as a free gift for those who order a 12-month CD or download subscription.

There are more details about this special story in the brand new Vortex, which can be downloaded for free now!

Wow. The second worst idea of the 1980's is BACK BACK BACK!!!!

It's a megabyte modem. By Mike Maddox and Alan Barnes, Alan Barnes, Alan BARNES!

[Si Hunt]

We'd rather it was by Jonny or Eddie Robson but this still just made me scream and then wee myself in quick succession.

Si.

[Rob McCow]

It's what the Big Finish Doctor Who Audio range want from their fans.

[Simon R]

I don't know why they've waitied 15 years to do it but better late than never.

[SiHart]

It's one of those ideas you can't believe it's taken them this long to get round to. Whether it's a good idea or not remains to be seen!

[Si Hunt]

I'm not really sure about doing another Trial room setting. The cast combination is irresistible but the Trial room setting was the most boring thing first time round. Why repeat it?

Si.

[Rob McCow]

They should have three epistoic interfaces, one from the past, one from the recent present and one from the Valeyard's future.

For true aunthenticity, I will expect that Mike Maddox has had a huge falling out with Nick Briggs and that Alan Barnes has been called in at the last minute to write the conclusion.

[SiHart]

I hope it ends with the Doctor and Valyeard falling down a Time Vent or something.

[Si Hunt]

It's odd that BBC Wales let them do a story about a lost, evil incarnation of the Doctor that close to the November TV special which seems to be doing exactly the same thing.

I'm just musing.

Muuuuuse.

Sometimes I think they sneak the scripts through when Steven Moffatt is having a rubbish day, perhaps sandwiched between two especially taxing Dalek Empire scripts or something, and he just sighs "Oh I can't be arsed to read this rubbish!" and approves it anyway.

Si.

[SiHart]

Or else it just means that John Hurt isn't playing The Valeyard. Or that they're having a trial!

[Stuart Wallis]

Wow. The second worst idea of the 1980's is BACK BACK BACK!!!!

So what was the absolute worst idea from the 80s then?

This is one of those ideas where your kneejerk reaction is YESSSS!!! Then as you start thinking about it, you start seeing the little flaws, such as could they not have recycled the story this one's an obvious sequel to?

[Rob McCow]

Colin's jacket was the worst idea of the 80's.

[Stuart Wallis]

There was I thinking it was to tell Nicola Bryant to put some clothes on!

[brandynigma]

I'm really looking forward to this. Despite TOATL's flaws, baker and Jayston had great chemistry, and Bellingham's work in the Gallifrey series is excellent.

[Paul Monk]

You can't fail with this idea can you? Absolutely no-one is going to expect this to be good so therefore most people will probably end up enjoying it.
TOATL is a guilty pleasure of mine so I definitely like to hear this. If only to hera if they've thought up anymore yard puns since the original.

[Stuart Wallis]

Well they've only had 27 years to...

[Richard Brinck-Johnsen]

To be honest I'm actually shocked that this only the second time Big Finish have employed Michael Jayston and only the first time in a "canonical" story.

With the Valeyard they have a great opportunity for a ready made recurring villain who could easily appear alongside Colin or Sylv (or at a push even McGann) instead of reinventing the Master or introducing brand new Time Lord villains.