4. The Valeyard
Now one of the main controversies that arise from The Trial of a Timelord - the Valeyard. Wonderfully played by Michael Jayston, he gives Colin's Doctor a sparring partner and no end of opportunities to be clever with his dialogue calling him various names including Junkyard, Shipyard and so on. Inevitably he turns out to be the villain of the piece (he's wearing black - isn't that a clue!). Controversially he is something to do with the Doctor's last regeneration and herein lies the problem. The Doctor is possibly running out of regenerations thought the modern era has not confirmed the 13 limit. He may have been given more in the Time War and River also gave him at least one of hers. At the time though this was bad news and fans have come with increasingly obscure ways to make the Valeyard not be the real Doctor. There are other problems - why did the Doctor not recognise a future self (he recognised The Watcher in Logopolis for example) and why did no Timelords think 'Hang on, who is this chap?' Nice idea in places but an uncomfortable legacy.