Last year marked 40 years since the Sixth Doctor was introduced in the final story of Season 21, “The Twin Dilemma”. Big Finish celebrated the occasion with two releases. The first was the cleverly named “The Quin Dilemma”. While “Twin” is considered by many fans as one of Doctor Who’s worst stories, “Quin” was an incredibly fun listen that celebrated Six’s era extremely well, both on and off the screen.
The second release celebrating the Sixth Doctor was “The Trials of a Time Lord”. Like “Quin”, this was deliberately named after one of Six’s TV serials, “The Trial of a Time Lord”. “Trial” was an ambitious story, reflecting a difficult period of the show. Unsurprisingly, the story was a clear metaphor for this, with the Doctor himself being on trial for his life.
Even more meta was the fact that the judge and prosecution (or "Inquisitor" and "Valeyard", in this case) were judging him by watching some of his past and even future adventures. The original serial – which was really four stories in one – was hit and miss. How strong is “Trials” by comparison? And is it as meta as the story it's named after?
Twists and turns
"The Trials of a Time Lord" begins with what seems to be a straightforward Cyberman adventure. The cyborgs have captured an old friend of the Doctor’s, and the Doctor and Mel have to rescue them at all costs.
But when they arrive at a Cyberman prison camp, the Doctor quickly realizes that something is strange. While the Cybermen are a clear threat, they’re also acting a little unusual. It all leads to one of the strangest adventures of the Doctor’s life.
There are a lot of twists and turns in this story, so it’s difficult to discuss the plot too much without giving anything away. But the first thing that stands out is that the story is extremely meta. While it doesn’t feature the Doctor breaking the fourth wall and speaking to the listener, the overall story feels like a commentary on what audiences want and what’s guaranteed to draw in viewers. Even the fact that there are a lot of major returning characters feels like part of the commentary.
Old friends and foes
And there are a lot of major characters returning in this one. Not all of which are included on the cover. A story featuring Cybermen, Davros, Androgums and other foes from the Sixth Doctor’s era is certainly ambitious. But considering the story it’s telling, and the fact that “Trials” is meant to be an anniversary story, it also feels appropriate.
What also helps is that all these many reappearances are nicely spread out, so the audience isn’t given too much at once. As previously mentioned, the story also takes many twists and turns, ensuring that it stays fresh throughout.
Interestingly, despite having three separate writers, “Trials” doesn’t feel like three stories in one. Instead, “Trials” genuinely feels like a six-part epic. Rochana Patel, Katherine Armitage and Stewart Pringle each handle their episodes well, and the overall story is extremely satisfying to listen to.
If you’re a fan of the Sixth Doctor – on or off the screen – then “The Trials of a Time Lord” is easy to recommend. It’s very different from “The Quin Dilemma”, but both are great listens and worthy celebrations of Colin Baker’s Doctor.