The Ultimate Foe (TV story)

Synopsis
The final episode in the season-long 'Trial of a Time Lord' saga, a surprise appearance of the Master reveals the treachery of the High Council of Time Lords, and that the Valeyard is not what he appears to be.

Plot
With the evidence complete, the Doctor learns that the Master has gained access to his TARDIS. The Doctor proves his inocence, when he does a final battle with the Valleyard (Michael Jayston.) The Doctor is informed that all charges against him have been dismissed. The Doctor has saved everybody. He and Mel depart in the Doctor's TARDIS, and at the end, the Keep of the Matrix turns to us, and he revealed as the Valleyard.

Cast

 * The Doctor - Colin Baker
 * Mel - Bonnie Langford
 * The Valeyard - Michael Jayston
 * The Inquisitor - Lynda Bellingham
 * The Master - Anthony Ainley
 * Sabalom Glitz - Tony Selby
 * Popplewick - Geoffrey Hughes
 * Keeper of the Matrix - James Bree

Crew

 * Assistant Floor Manager - Karen Little
 * Costumes - Andrew Rose
 * Designer - Michael Trevor
 * Incidental Music - Dominic Glynn
 * Make-Up - Shaunna Harrison
 * Producer - John Nathan-Turner
 * Production Assistant - Jane Wellesley
 * Production Associate - Angela Smith
 * Special Sounds - Dick Mills
 * Studio Lighting - Don Babbage
 * Studio Sound - Brian Clark
 * Theme Arrangement - Dominic Glynn
 * Title Music - Ron Grainer
 * Visual Effects - Kevin Molloy

Story Notes

 * Mel leaves with the Doctor at the end of this story, despite being from the Doctor's future.

This was Colin Baker's last appearance as The Doctor, (though he didn't know it at the time.) Baker was fired unfairly by the BBC. He was invited to come back to do a regeneration scene in another 4-Part story, but he declined the invitation rightly.

Ratings
to be added

Myths
to be added

Location Filming
to be added

Discontinuity, Plot Holes, Errors
What the Master said about the Valeyard giving him the remainder of his regenerations to him contradicts the Master's explanation of his regeneration in The Sound of Drums.

Continuity
to be added

DVD and Video Releases
The Ultimate Foe was released on VHS along with the rest of the Trial of a Time Lord in 1993. It was a three video set that came in a special TARDIS tin, with a random picture of one of the (then) seven Doctors on the base.

This Episode has been confirmed for 2008 release in a box set with all the Trial of a Time Lord episodes.

Target Novelisations
to be added