Doctor Who: 10 Iconic Sixth Doctor Moments Nobody Will Ever Forget

6. Uncovering The Valeyard

The Trial of a Time Lord is TV's premier space-bound courtroom saga. Actually it's the only one, and for good reason. Cobbled together in the face of BBC Controller Michael Grade's hostility toward the underbudgeted science-fiction franchise, it suffered under a welter of rather static scenes where characters in pointy outfits sat around chattering while younger viewers wondered when the monsters were going to rock up. It was a welcome break as the focus shifted to the adventure-based evidence of such tales as The Mysterious Planet and Terror of the Vervoids, but arguably there were no classic scripts in the mix to really give things a kick up the intergalactic arse. Thank the star gods for Baker, then, who was on hand to react to the season's revelations. Often saddled with having to turn to camera and shout "No! Peri!" or similar such dialogue, he created a masterclass in making do with the hand you're dealt with, in the face of increasingly repetitive actions. When it was announced during The Ultimate Foe with some relish by the Master that the Doctor's prosecutor the Valeyard was in fact a future version of the Gallifreyan himself, Baker's performance raised the game. Dredging every last ounce of shock from his core and packing it into his face, he ensured the moment became chilling and unforgettable.