Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating * * * *
Cast: Lynda Bellingham, Colin Baker.
In the wake of the 50th Anniversary of Doctor Who which has seen the special programme being watched simultaneously around the world by the type of television audience normally reserved for F.A. Cup finals and Royal weddings, it seems almost ludicrous now that there was a time in which the very survival of the programme was in doubt as certain people at the B.B.C. finally saw the chance to take the long running science fiction programme off the air.
It may also seem odd now that the B.B.C. within their remit of telling older stories of the Doctor’s exploits in time and space take great pleasure in releasing audio renditions of some of the stories from 1963 to the shows cancellation in 1989. One such audio drama is perhaps the one that conjures up more interest than many is The Trial of A Time Lord: volume 1 read by the much loved actor Lynda Bellingham and the Sixth Doctor who was unfairly derided by many outside of the core fan group, the silk toned Colin Baker.
The first stories that made up the 14 part serial, which was so much more than just a great yarn but more of a tremendous biting statement on the outlook of Doctor Who, were written by the great Terrance Dicks and Liverpool born Philip Martin. The audio versions of these two opening stories, The Mysterious Planet and Mindwarp, gives the chance for the two stars of the television drama to lend their talents to capturing that interesting time again and whilst it doesn’t quite have the playful factor that blends itself to the stories offered to the listener by the people at Big Finish, it none the less capture the time in which the television series was under threat from a lot of people with vested interests in taking the show off-air.
Both Lynda Bellingham and Colin Baker give their all in the many hours available to the listener over the course of two stories and whilst Mr. Baker remains iconic in his role, the gravitas he lends to other characters, with the possible exception of Nicola Bryant’s Peri Brown, is honed by his many years as an actor of much repute, it is the intonation and charm that is carried by Lynda Bellingham through the first story that gives the first volume the intended desirable beginning it fully deserves.
Whether on D.V.D or on audio, the chance to take in the story arc that nearly broke Doctor Who in some eyes but is an ingenious piece of writing by Terrance Dicks and Philip Martin is essential listening and viewing.
The Trail of a Time Lord: Volume 1 by B.B.C. Audio is available to purchase from Worlds Apart on Lime Street, Liverpool.
Ian D. Hall