View source for Mindwarp

{{Other uses}}
{{needsattention|project=Doctor Who|type=multiple|date=June 2017|
 {{More footnotes needed|date=July 2010}}
}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2022}}
{{Use British English|date=August 2012}}
{{Infobox Doctor Who episode
| number             = 143b<ref>From the ''[[Doctor Who Magazine]]'' series overview, in issue 407 (pp26-29). ''[[The Discontinuity Guide]]'', which counts the unbroadcast serial ''[[Shada (Doctor Who)|Shada]]'', lists this segment of ''[[The Trial of a Time Lord]]'' as an individual story, number 145. [[DVD region code#1|Region 1]] DVD [[Doctor Who DVD releases|releases]] follow ''The Discontinuity Guide'' numbering system.</ref>
| serial_name        = The Trial of a Time Lord: Mindwarp
| show               = DW
| type               = serial
| image              = 
| caption            = 
| doctor             = [[Colin Baker]] – [[Sixth Doctor]]
| companion          = [[Nicola Bryant]] – [[Peri Brown]]
| guests             = 
* [[Michael Jayston]] – [[The Valeyard]]
* [[Lynda Bellingham]] – The Inquisitor
* [[Brian Blessed]] – King Yrcanos
* [[Nabil Shaban]] – Sil
* [[Christopher Ryan]] – Kiv
* [[Patrick Ryecart]] – Crozier
* [[Alibe Parsons]] – Matrona Kani
* [[Trevor Laird]] – Frax
* [[Thomas Branch (actor)|Thomas Branch]] – The Lukoser
* [[Gordon Warnecke]] – Tuza
* [[Richard Henry (actor)|Richard Henry]] – Mentor
| director           = [[Ron Jones (television director)|Ron Jones]]
| writer             = [[Philip Martin (screenwriter)|Philip Martin]]
| script_editor      = [[Eric Saward]]
| producer           = [[John Nathan-Turner]]
| composer           = [[Richard Hartley (composer)|Richard Hartley]]
| production_code    = 7B
| series             = [[The Trial of a Time Lord|Season 23]]
| length             = 4 episodes, 25 minutes each
| started            = {{Start date|1986|10|4|df=y}}
| ended              = {{End date|1986|10|25|df=y}}
| preceding          = ''[[The Trial of a Time Lord]]: [[The Mysterious Planet]]''
| following          = ''[[The Trial of a Time Lord]]: [[Terror of the Vervoids]]''
}}

'''''Mindwarp''''' is the second serial of the larger narrative known as ''[[The Trial of a Time Lord]]'' which encompasses the whole of the 23rd season of the British [[science fiction television]] series ''[[Doctor Who]]''. It was first broadcast in four weekly parts on [[BBC1]] from 4 to 25 October 1986. The title ''Mindwarp'' is not used on screen and appears only on the serial's scripts with the four episodes that comprise the story being transmitted as ''[[The Trial of a Time Lord]]'' Parts Five to Eight. This story marks the final appearance of [[Nicola Bryant]] as [[Peri Brown]].

In the serial, the alien [[Time travel in fiction|time traveller]] the [[Sixth Doctor]] ([[Colin Baker]]) is put on trial by his people, the [[Time Lord]]s, and is accused of meddling in the affairs of the planet Thoros Beta in the 24th century. Much of the story consists of a video testimony presented by the prosecutor – [[the Valeyard]] ([[Michael Jayston]]) – of The Doctor discovering the alien arms dealer Sil ([[Nabil Shaban]]) is looking for a way to prolong the life of Lord Kiv ([[Christopher Ryan]]) by transplanting Kiv's mind into another.

==Plot==
<!--Per MOS:TVPLOT, plot summaries should be no more than 400 words-->

The serial is presented as video evidence of a trial prosecuted by the [[Time Lord]], [[the Valeyard]], of the [[Sixth Doctor]]'s interference into the affairs of other species.

As shown by the video, on Thoros Beta, Crozier, a scientist employed by the Doctor's old enemy, arms dealer Sil,{{efn|Sil previously appeared in the 1985 serial ''[[Vengeance on Varos]]''.}} is attempting to perfect the ability to transplant the mind of Kiv, Sil's superior, into another body to overcome Kiv's impending death. The Doctor and [[Peri Brown|Peri]] are captured while investigating the planet, and the Doctor is tortured using a mind-altering device, before he and Peri are broken out by King Yrcanos, one of Crozier's test subjects.

With his mind apparently affected by the device, and the Doctor at the trial having minimal memory of events past this point, the Doctor suddenly betrays Peri and Yrcanos, who flee into the tunnels, and claims that he wants to work with Sil and the Mentors. Peri and Yrcanos, together with rebels from the neighbouring planet Thoros Alpha are captured. With Kiv's condition quickly deteriorating, the Doctor helps Crozier transplant Kiv's brain into the body of a deceased fisherman as a temporary solution, but complications in the procedure cause Crozier to realise the brain will not survive being transplanted again. Crozier instead suggests using his machine to transfer Kiv's consciousness into Peri's body directly. The Doctor frees Yrcanos and the rebels, and they destroy the device controlling the enslaved people from Thoros Alpha, throwing the complex into chaos right as Kiv's condition starts to deteriorate again.

While searching for Peri, the Doctor is drawn into his [[TARDIS]], and the TARDIS is forcibly taken to the Doctor's trial by the Time Lords,{{efn|As depicted in the 1986 serial ''[[The Mysterious Planet]]''}} which the Valeyard insists was to prevent the development of from further impacting the development of the universe. Kiv's mind is successfully transplanted into Peri, destroying her personality. Yrcanos, his entry into the lab delayed by the Time Lords until after Kiv awakens in Peri's body, is distraught at the results of the operation, and fires wildly, killing Peri.{{efn|The Doctor insists throughout this serial the video evidence has been falsified, and in the later 1986 serial ''[[The Ultimate Foe]]'', the Master confirms that the Valeyard did this. The Inquisitor also confirms in ''The Ultimate Foe'' that Peri was not killed.}}

At the trial, the Inquisitor insists that the interference of the Time Lords was to prevent Crozier from further impacting the course of the universe's evolution. The Valeyard says Peri's death was because the Doctor’s negligence made it "impossible for her to live". The Doctor insists that the present trial appears to be serving an ulterior motive, and resolves to determine what it is as the trial continues.


==Production==
{{Episode table
 |background =
 |series = 6 |title = 20 | aux1=6 | airdate = 10 | viewers = 6 | country = UK
 |seriesT    = Episode
 |aux1T      = Run time
 |viewersR   =<ref name="AllRatings" />
 |episodes   = 
{{Episode list/sublist|Mindwarp
 |EpisodeNumber      = 1
 |Title              = Part Five
 |RTitle             = 
 |OriginalAirDate    = {{Start date|1986|10|4|df=y}}
 |Viewers            = 4.8
 |Aux1               = 24:42
 |LineColor          = 
}}
{{Episode list/sublist|Mindwarp
 |EpisodeNumber      = 2
 |Title              = Part Six
 |RTitle             = 
 |OriginalAirDate    = {{Start date|1986|10|11|df=y}}
 |Viewers            = 4.6
 |Aux1               = 24:45
 |LineColor          = 
}}
{{Episode list/sublist|Mindwarp
 |EpisodeNumber      = 3
 |Title              = Part Seven
 |RTitle             = 
 |OriginalAirDate    = {{Start date|1986|10|18|df=y}}
 |Viewers            = 5.1
 |Aux1               = 24:33
 |LineColor          = 
}}
{{Episode list/sublist|Mindwarp
 |EpisodeNumber      = 4
 |Title              = Part Eight
 |RTitle             = 
 |OriginalAirDate    = {{Start date|1986|10|25|df=y}}
 |Viewers            = 5.0
 |Aux1               = 24:44
 |LineColor          = 
}}
}}

===Music===
Initially it was intended that the [[BBC Radiophonic Workshop]] would provide music scores for both this and the following segment of ''The Trial of a Time Lord''; both were assigned to [[Malcolm Clarke (composer)|Malcolm Clarke]] to begin with, although ''[[Terror of the Vervoids]]'' was reassigned to [[Elizabeth Parker (composer)|Elizabeth Parker]] shortly afterwards. However, fellow Radiophonic Workshop composer [[Jonathan Gibbs (composer)|Jonathan Gibbs]] left early in 1986 and was not replaced until the following year, leaving the other composers backlogged and with no one free to do the incidental music for ''Mindwarp''. It was suggested that Dick Mills could provide both the music and sound effects, but [[John Nathan-Turner]] rejected this idea and instead hired film composer [[Richard Hartley (composer)|Richard Hartley]] to create the incidental music for this segment. It would be the only time that Hartley worked on the series. The original recordings of Hartley's score no longer exist in the BBC archives with the result that there was no isolated score included on the DVD release of this story. For the Blu-ray release of Season 23, Richard Hartley, along with [[Mark Ayres]] re-recorded the entire score in order to present the serial in a new 5.1 mix.

===Cast notes===
[[Deep Roy]], who had previously played Mr. Sin in ''[[The Talons of Weng-Chiang]]'', has an uncredited role as the Posicarian delegate. Trevor Laird returned to ''Doctor Who'' in the [[Tenth Doctor]] era as [[Clive Jones (Doctor Who)|Clive Jones]], father of the Doctor's companion [[Martha Jones]]. Christopher Ryan returned in 2008 as [[Sontaran]] leader General Staal in "[[The Sontaran Stratagem]]" and "[[The Poison Sky]]", and in 2010 as another Sontaran, Commander Strak, in "[[The Pandorica Opens]]".

==Commercial releases==

===In print===
{{Infobox book
| name              = Mindwarp
| image             = Doctor Who Mindwarp.jpg
| caption           = 
| author            = [[Philip Martin (screenwriter)|Philip Martin]]
| cover_artist      = [[Alister Pearson]]
| series            = ''[[Doctor Who]]'' book:<br />[[List of Doctor Who novelisations|Target novelisations]]
| release_number    = 139
| release_date      = 15 June 1989
| publisher         = [[Target Books]]
| isbn              = 0-426-20335-6
| exclude_cover     = yes
}}

A novelisation of this serial, written by [[Philip Martin (screenwriter)|Philip Martin]], was published by [[Target Books]] in June 1989 and was the final segment of the ''Trial'' arc to be adapted. Martin's novelisation adds a joke ending that gives away the revelation regarding Peri's fate in ''The Ultimate Foe'', suggesting an entirely different outcome for the character and for Yrcanos than is suggested in the serial.

===Home media===
In October 1993, this story was released on [[VHS]] as part of the three-tape ''The Trial of a Time Lord'' set. The Region 2 [[DVD]] was released on 29 September 2008, similarly boxed with the other three stories of this season. This serial was scheduled to be released as part of the [[Doctor Who DVD Files]] in Issue 130 on 25 December 2013.

''The Collection – Season 23'' was released on Blu-ray on 7 October 2019. Extended versions of ''Mindwarp'' (along with extended versions of the remaining 10 episodes) were included as extras on Discs 5 and 6.

==Notes==
{{notelist}}

==References==
{{Reflist|refs=
<ref name="AllRatings">{{cite web|title=Ratings Guide |url=http://guide.doctorwhonews.net/info.php?detail=ratings&type=date |website=Doctor Who News |accessdate=28 May 2017}}</ref>
}}

==External links==
{{Wikiquote|Sixth Doctor}}
*{{BBCCDW|id=trialtimelord2|title=Mindwarp}}
*[http://www.drwhoguide.com/trial.htm#7B ''Mindwarp''] at [https://web.archive.org/web/20150205221954/http://drwhoguide.com/ The Doctor Who Reference Guide]

===Target novelisation===
*{{Isfdb title|id=10715|title=Mindwarp}}

{{Doctor Who episodes|C23}}
{{Sixth Doctor stories|selected=Television}}

[[Category:Doctor Who serials novelised by Philip Martin (screenwriter)]]
[[Category:Sixth Doctor serials]]
[[Category:1986 British television episodes]]
[[Category:Works set in the 24th century]]