10 Shocking Classic Doctor Who Era Cliffhangers

When Nicola Bryant decided to leave Doctor Who, she asked producer John Nathan-Turner to have her character, Peri, written out in a dramatic, and impactful manner. So it was decided that she'd be killed off. Philip Martin, the writer for her departure serial, went to great lengths to make her demise as horrifying as humanly possible.

Not only was the Sixth Doctor behaving in a despicable manner, seemingly siding with their enemy, Sil, but she was also forced to go on the run. It was an awful final adventure for Peri, pushing her into endless corners, and leaving her feeling unsure about her fate. Things escalated further when Peri was used as the new host body for Kiv. Her entire existence was wiped in a second, as her body was now dominated by the villain.

However, the Time Lords couldn't stand by and allow this hideous experiment to continue, and so manipulated events and had Peri's body destroyed. The Sixth Doctor (currently on trial) is left speechless, and perplexed, unable to comprehend if what he just witnessed from the Matrix was true, or fabricated. It's somewhat of a shame that this momentous occurrence was later sugar-coated in a retcon, undermining this frightening experience.