The Ultimate Foe

] [cite web
url= http://www.shannonsullivan.com/drwho/serials/7c-2.html
title= The Ultimate Foe
publisher = A Brief History of Time Travel
last = Sullivan
first = Shannon
date = 2007-08-07
accessdate = 2008-08-30]
Robert Holmes was originally commissioned to write the two episodes. Unfortunately, he died from a chronic liver ailment after completing a draft of the first and left nothing beyond a plot outline of the second. The series Script Editor Eric Saward resigned around this time due to disagreements with the producer, John Nathan-Turner, but agreed to write the final episode based on Holmes' outline, and also rewrite Holmes' draft to tie the two together, for which he was credited as Script Editor. The original ending to this segment (and, indeed, the whole "Trial" story and possibly the series) would have seen the Doctor and the Valeyard in an inconclusive cliffhanger, both (seemingly) plunging into a void to their deaths as an extra "hook". However, Nathan-Turner felt this was too downbeat and believed that it was important that the season did not end on an inconclusive note since it was important after the hiatus to prove the series was back in business. Saward refused to change the ending and withdrew permission to use his script very late in the day, by which point the production team had been assembled and the segment was entering rehearsals.

John Nathan-Turner commissioned Pip and Jane Baker to write a replacement final episode. For copyright reasons they could not be told anything of the content of Saward's script (and there were lawyers observing all commissioning meetings). The only similarity between the two is the announcement that the High Council of the Time Lords have resigned, which was a natural development of the earlier scripts. The new script ended on an optimistic note, with the Doctor departing for new adventures.

In keeping with this more optimistic stance, Nathan-Turner decided to amend the script at the last minute to show how Peri had not died as shown in "Mindwarp" but in fact, became Yrcanos's queen. Her "death" was merely a part of the Valeyard's tampering with the Matrix, with a shot from the earlier story used to show this. Nicola Bryant was disappointed to learn how the fate of her character had been changed.

Ultimately, the works of Charles Dickens are evident in the story: the fictional landscape in the Matrix resembles Victorian era Britain, and the character (and name) of Mr. Popplewick are strongly Dickensian. The Doctor also quotes the final two lines of "A Tale of Two Cities", prompting Mel to chide him: "Never mind the Sydney Carton heroics!"

The working title of this story was "Time Incorporated".Brief | id=7c-2 | title=The Ultimate Foe] However, this title did not appear in the final scripts or on-screen.

Commercial releases

In October 1993, this story was released on VHS as part of the three-tape "The Trial of a Time Lord" set. On 29 September, 2008, it is also due for release on Region 2 DVD, similarly packaged with the rest of The Trial of a Time Lord season.

In print

Doctorwhobook
title=The Ultimate Foe
series=Target novelisations
number=131
featuring=


writer=Pip and Jane Baker
publisher=Target Books
coverartist=Alister Pearson
isbn=0 426 20329 1
set_between=
pages=
date=15 September 1988
preceding=The Wheel in Space
following=The Edge of Destruction|A novelisation of this serial, written by Pip and Jane Baker, was published by Target Books in April 1988 as "The Ultimate Foe". This generated some confusion as "The Ultimate Foe" was in fact a working title for the 9th to 12th parts of the season, now generally called "Terror of the Vervoids". "See: Doctor Who story title controversy"

The novelisation creates even more problems as in it the Master says "The Valeyard, Doctor, is your penultimate reincarnation ... Somewhere between your twelfth and thirteenth "regeneration"...and may I say you do not improve with age..." causing confusion among fans regarding just what the Valeyard is.

References

ources

Howe, D. J.; Stammers M.; and Walker S. J., "Doctor Who--The Handbook: Sixth Doctor". (1993) Dr Who Books (Virgin Publishing Ltd)

External links

*BBCCDW|id=trialtimelord4|title=The Ultimate Foe
*Doctor Who RG|id=trial.htm#7C2|title=The Ultimate Foe
*OG|7c2|The Ultimate Foe

Reviews

*OG review | id=7c2 | title=The Ultimate Foe
*DWRG | id=ulti | title=The Ultimate Foe

Target novelisation

* [http://www.personal.leeds.ac.uk/~ecl6nb/OnTarget/1988/ultimate/88ultima.htm On Target — "The Ultimate Foe"]