Daniel Mansfield reviews the second of this year’s boxsets celebrating the Sixth Doctor’s 40th anniversary

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Like the Fifth Doctor before him (see Forty 1 and Forty 2), Colin Baker‘s Sixth Doctor doesn’t get just one fortieth birthday celebration… but two! Hot on the heels of The Quin Dilemma, released in March, is The Trials of a Time Lord, a six-part audio extravaganza packed to the brim with all things Old Sixie.

This is one of those stories that starts off as one thing, but very quickly turns into something else altogether. There are shades of Vengeance on Varos and Bad Wolf here, though writers Rochana Patel, Katharine Armitage and Stewart Pringle ensure this feels like more of a homage to those stories than an out-and-out remake. While the three writers do a great job, putting their own spin on the parts they wrote while making sure the script feels consistent, there’s no denying this feels quite overlong. This means the plot seems to meander without significant developments, especially in the middle sections of the story, meaning the story sometimes ends up feeling sluggish and stale.

Despite these pacing issues, the performances of the main cast are a highlight. Colin Baker, Bonnie Langford and Nicola Bryant star here as the Doctor, Mel and Peri, and it’s lovely to hear the three stars of the Sixth Doctor’s era together. Baker’s interactions with various villains are a delight to hear, while the writers give Langford and Bryant lots to do, with Mel and Peri each getting some big moments throughout the story.

Also featuring here is a rogues gallery of iconic foes from across the Sixth Doctor’s era. Dominating the first two episodes are the Cybermen, brought to life by David Banks, whose excellent (geddit?) performance as the Cyber Leader in various 80s stories will go down in Who history, and Cyber stalwart Nicholas Briggs. There’s some interesting material for the metal meanies in the first two parts, though they fall to the sidelines for the rest of the story, which is a real shame because we so rarely get to hear the 80s Cybermen in Big Finish‘s stories.

Then there’s Davros, played once again by Terry Molloy, who gets to share some rather unexpected scenes with the Doctor and Peri, before settling back into more familiar (aka maniacally evil) territory by the end of the piece. And where there’s Davros, the Daleks are sure to be close behind, though they’re not as big a part of this as the Cybermen are. Nevertheless, this celebration wouldn’t be complete without them, and Nicholas Briggs brings them to life in all their exterminating glory.

The Androgums from The Two Doctors pop up too, with Mel having to fend off their cannibalistic tendencies; there are some new monsters that are delightfully zany; and there’s even a (sort of) surprise villain, though, without going too far into spoiler territory, I’m not sure the casting particularly worked. When you hear this you’ll know what I mean.

If The Quin Dilemma was a celebration of the Sixth Doctor and his companions, The Trials of a Time Lord is far more a celebration of his era as a whole, eschewing the character drama of its companion boxset in favour of lots of references, throwbacks and returning villains. When taken at face value, then, The Trials of a Time Lord may seem a little lacking as a celebration of Old Sixie’s ruby anniversary. Considered alongside The Quin Dilemma, however, Trials works very well; what the former lacks, it has in spades and vice versa. Recommended.

The Trials of a Time Lord is available on CD or as a download from http://www.bigfinish.com