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143d) THE ULTIMATE FOE

29 November - 6 December 1986

Average Viewing Figure: 5M

Plot

When The Valeyard's identity is revealed, The Doctor must venture into the Matrix in order to survive

Cast

Colin Baker (The Doctor), Bonnie Langford (Melanie), Michael Jayston (The Valeyard), Lynda Bellingham (The Inquisitor)

Anthony Ainley (The Master), Tony Selby (Glitz), Geoffrey Hughes (Popplewick), James Bree (Keeper of the Matrix)

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Uncredited Cast

Kenneth Thomas, David Bache, Leslie Fry, James Delaney, Roy Seeley, Derek Hunt, David Fieldsend, Lew Hooper, David Enyon

Llewellyn Williams, John Buckmaster, Jack Horton, Martin Clark, Bob Hargreaves, Barry Butler (Time Lords)

Ian Marshall-Fisher (Clerk of the Court), , John Capper, Kevin O'Brien, Gary Forecast, Oscar Peck (Court Guards)

Crew

Robert Holmes, Pip and Jane Baker (Writers), Ron Grainer (Title Music), Dominic Glynn (Incidental Music), Dick Mills (Special Sound)

Ian Fraser (Production Manager), Anji Smith (Production Associate), Jane Wellesley (Production Assistant)

Karen Little (Assistant Floor Manager), John Mason (OB Lighting), Vic Godrich (OB Sound), Kevin Molloy (Visual Effects Designer)

Dave Chapman, Danny Popkin (Video Effects), Shirley Coward, Jim Stephens (Vision Mixer), Hugh Parson (Videotape Editor)

Alan Arbuthnott (Technical Co-ordinator), Alec Wheal (Studio Camera Supervisor), Don Babbage (Studio Lighting)

Brian Clark (Studio Sound), Andrew Cross (Costume Designer), Shaunna Harrison (Make-Up Designer), Eric Saward (Script Editor)

Michael Trevor (Designer), John Nathan-Turner (Producer), Chris Clough (Director)

Broadcast

Filming Locations

  • Camber Sands, Camber, E Sussex

  • Gladstone Pottery Museum, Longton, Staffs

  • Television Centre: Studio 1

Deaths

  • Keeper of the Matrix [body is taken over by The Valeyard]

Production Days

  • 9 days between Monday 23 June - Thursday 17 July 1986

Production Errors

  1. There is a lot of attention paid to the fact that Mr Popplewick keeps a quill behind his ear, however the quill in question only appears when it is mentioned 

Working Titles

  • The Fantasy Factory

  • Time Inc.

Verdict

A lame two-part episode which does not end the already dead, negatively received Sixth Doctor tenure on a high note. A cheap and lacklustre production that uses plot points from the classical acclaimed The Deadly Assassin and does nothing in the slightest to use them to benefit the story. The last ten minutes turn into a run-around resolution with a lot of shouting, terrible writing and awful effects whilst tying up all loose ends from the last three adventures in a rushed manner. However, in the process more questions and dead ends arise which are never ever answered. More childish name calling, supposedly ‘surprising’ plot twist are not that surprising and an ill-written ending. The plot takes time to tell the audience that Peri is still alive and married to a King, good for her, why change this? The Master appears, yet again, on a screen, to do nothing but provide some exposition. For a final episode for Colin it's really bad and does not reflect Colin’s time on the show in good light. *​

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