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Doctor Who Target Books (Numerical Order) #131
Doctor Who: The Ultimate Foe
Hardcover novelization of the episode "Trial of a Time The Ultimate Foe" from the world's longest-running science fiction serial DOCTOR WHO.
126 pages, Hardcover
First published September 15, 1988
About the author
Pip Baker
22 books1 follower"Pip" (Philip) and Jane Baker are British television writers best known for their contributions to the long running science fiction series Doctor Who. A husband-and-wife writing team, they wrote four serials for the programme: The Mark of the Rani, Parts 9–12 and 14 of The Trial of a Time Lord (aka Terror of the Vervoids and The Ultimate Foe) and Time and the Rani. They have also written a number of novelisations of the series.
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
September 7, 2020
The conclusion to the epic Trial of a Time Lord season was always going to struggle to live upto the weight put upon it from previous three stories.
Having faced accusations of meddling with time from three separate adventures (past, present and future), The Doctor is about to learn who is behind these accusations and why.
I always tend to appreciate storys that have been plagued by problems behind the scenes, the initial conclusion writer Robert Holmes having died before completing the script - it was left to husband and wife duo Pip and Jane Baker to finish the story.
With plenty of shock revelations in this segment, it's certainly a memorable serial!
Narrated by The Valeyard himself - Michael Jayston is an obvious but inspired choice for this release.
Especially his Ainley impression which is quite simply masterful.
This novelisation slightly improves upon the TV episodes, but then I always find that the traditional Target length allows for two part episodes the extra room to expand.
So we get a much more cohesive and enjoyable finale.
Having faced accusations of meddling with time from three separate adventures (past, present and future), The Doctor is about to learn who is behind these accusations and why.
I always tend to appreciate storys that have been plagued by problems behind the scenes, the initial conclusion writer Robert Holmes having died before completing the script - it was left to husband and wife duo Pip and Jane Baker to finish the story.
With plenty of shock revelations in this segment, it's certainly a memorable serial!
Narrated by The Valeyard himself - Michael Jayston is an obvious but inspired choice for this release.
Especially his Ainley impression which is quite simply masterful.
This novelisation slightly improves upon the TV episodes, but then I always find that the traditional Target length allows for two part episodes the extra room to expand.
So we get a much more cohesive and enjoyable finale.
August 15, 2021
This is a novelization of the fourth and concluding serial of the twenty-third season of Doctor Who, which was broadcast in November and December of 1986. It was the last appearance of the sixth version of the character in the lead role. The novelization was written by Pip and Jane Baker based on a teleplay that was something of a Frankenstein's monster amalgamation by various hands. Robert Holmes wrote the first version and then died, so script editor Eric Saward wrote a second draft, but that was rejected by producer John Nathan-Turner and so Saward quit. Nathan-Turner changed Saward's script, and Saward's response was to withdraw it after production had already started. Nathan-Turner hired the Bakers to finish it, and lawyers were on hand at all times to oversee that they didn't use any of Saward's input. It was a mess, and normally that wouldn't have any impact on the story or novelization itself, but I think it's germane in this instance because the story seems to reflect the production nightmares what with the High Council of Time Lords deciding to resign, and the lawyers taking over the future of the character. Talk about life imitating art! It's a recursive story that sees The Doctor on trial, and is a very dark and depressing story manipulated by old nemesis The Master, and with confusing bits in The Matrix. The Bakers added an epilogue to this novel to brighten things a bit, and they did as well as they could to present a coherent story. It's an interesting story, but definitely one of the best.
September 14, 2024
A bit better than the previous book Terror of the Vervoids as it was less pointlessly verbose and did make some effort to actually explain what on earth was going on in the Trial of a Time Lord season, but still not amazing.
March 1, 2017
Such a shame that the end of Trial turned out to be a damp squib. Oh for what might have been.
February 14, 2025
2.25 stars
I love an apocalyptic ending that delivers on promises previously made. But Doctor Who only manages those on rare occasions. Key to Time should have had one, and doesn’t, quite. Novelizations can’t really rescue that without fundamentally changing the outcome of a given televised story, but Mindwarp is a recent attempt.
I really like how much this story feels like The Prisoner, (down to perhaps using a very similar set design as A, B, and C). There are symbols and portents, and indeed a grand revelation. Maybe the Matrix should have been the setting for the first instance of that revelation, instead of via Big Giant Head: the Master. There are parallels to a better-contained story in the Deadly Assassin, but the story doesn’t suffer too much by that comparison. But anyway none of that is really what is special about the novelization.
The book automatically loses two stars by its author never knowing how to write like a normal person reads. Takes one to know one! You’re not Vonnegut! What would be very cool is if the “florid” prose we’ve experienced by this author for this Trial so far was revealed to be on purpose. Perhaps it could be The Valeyard himself as the author, and the “normal” narration could return at the end as Mel is recounting these adventures. Maybe back in Pease Pottage, trying to sort through how she met The Doctor in the first place, how she left, and how they’ll reunite? Again, shoulda, woulda, let’s focus on the book as written…
The actual extra epilogue we get ties up a loose end that, while logically satisfying, denies a more creative “way out” - you’re already adding to what was televised, why not go out on a limb? The single paragraph summarizing the Gallifrey In Disarray throwaway narrative fails similarly. If The Keeper, who delivers this news, isn’t who he says he is, do we even care? Could the truth be more interesting or satisfying? This was only two episodes, you had plenty of page count to elaborate. Instead we get the thesaurus thrown at us, echoing clearer narrative already revealed or implied by dialog. The book doesn’t need to go above and beyond, but it didn’t even really try.
In terms of the meta-context of this overarching Trial deciding the fate of the series, it makes little to no sense. Vengeance on Varos is a far better version of this idea, and the Doctor’s lives weren’t really at stake there. Something interesting, weird, and wild could have stood in this story’s place, even as an aside _during_ it, to contextualize that struggle to survive. Future novels during the _actual_ lack of television series do manage this quite well. Instead, we get this runaround that only hints at something meaningful, something that takes that Trial seriously.
Instead, it appears that this is Case Dismissed!
I love an apocalyptic ending that delivers on promises previously made. But Doctor Who only manages those on rare occasions. Key to Time should have had one, and doesn’t, quite. Novelizations can’t really rescue that without fundamentally changing the outcome of a given televised story, but Mindwarp is a recent attempt.
I really like how much this story feels like The Prisoner, (down to perhaps using a very similar set design as A, B, and C). There are symbols and portents, and indeed a grand revelation. Maybe the Matrix should have been the setting for the first instance of that revelation, instead of via Big Giant Head: the Master. There are parallels to a better-contained story in the Deadly Assassin, but the story doesn’t suffer too much by that comparison. But anyway none of that is really what is special about the novelization.
The book automatically loses two stars by its author never knowing how to write like a normal person reads. Takes one to know one! You’re not Vonnegut! What would be very cool is if the “florid” prose we’ve experienced by this author for this Trial so far was revealed to be on purpose. Perhaps it could be The Valeyard himself as the author, and the “normal” narration could return at the end as Mel is recounting these adventures. Maybe back in Pease Pottage, trying to sort through how she met The Doctor in the first place, how she left, and how they’ll reunite? Again, shoulda, woulda, let’s focus on the book as written…
The actual extra epilogue we get ties up a loose end that, while logically satisfying, denies a more creative “way out” - you’re already adding to what was televised, why not go out on a limb? The single paragraph summarizing the Gallifrey In Disarray throwaway narrative fails similarly. If The Keeper, who delivers this news, isn’t who he says he is, do we even care? Could the truth be more interesting or satisfying? This was only two episodes, you had plenty of page count to elaborate. Instead we get the thesaurus thrown at us, echoing clearer narrative already revealed or implied by dialog. The book doesn’t need to go above and beyond, but it didn’t even really try.
In terms of the meta-context of this overarching Trial deciding the fate of the series, it makes little to no sense. Vengeance on Varos is a far better version of this idea, and the Doctor’s lives weren’t really at stake there. Something interesting, weird, and wild could have stood in this story’s place, even as an aside _during_ it, to contextualize that struggle to survive. Future novels during the _actual_ lack of television series do manage this quite well. Instead, we get this runaround that only hints at something meaningful, something that takes that Trial seriously.
Instead, it appears that this is Case Dismissed!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 10, 2020
This book has more clumsy foreshadowing than any other book I have read. Every other page has some statement like "at that moment was walking into danger." Perhaps it is the only way that Pip and Jane Baker could think of generating any kind of excitement. This novel proves to me that they were, indeed, the worst writers for "Doctor Who." The fundamental problem, it seems to me, is that they viewed "Doctor Who" as a children's program, and wrote for it at that level, whether it was a script or a novelization. To make it worse, their idea of writing for children is to write down to them; that is, they assume that children are stupid and need constant handholding through the story and that all forms of danger must be contained within some cartoonish foolery to make it less traumatic for children.
July 12, 2021
A somewhat satisfying end to the Trial of a Time Lord arc, even if at the same time seemed to present something of an abrupt resolution, and almost a deus ex machina resolution to it, though at the same time presents quite an amazing twist really as to what has been going on.
The Doctor, Mel and the other recurring characters from this arc all get differing moments to shine, and show their respective strengths and weakenesses, though the book as a whole feels somewhat padded out, not nicely expanded on like some novelisations of 2 parters achieve.
As a last story of the Sixth Doctor though, is quite sad really that has no proper farewell, and really by this point the Sixth Doctor had become more likeable, so was a shame to see his tenure cut short here, though happily Big Finish did expand on it quite a bit, showing how good he can be.
The Doctor, Mel and the other recurring characters from this arc all get differing moments to shine, and show their respective strengths and weakenesses, though the book as a whole feels somewhat padded out, not nicely expanded on like some novelisations of 2 parters achieve.
As a last story of the Sixth Doctor though, is quite sad really that has no proper farewell, and really by this point the Sixth Doctor had become more likeable, so was a shame to see his tenure cut short here, though happily Big Finish did expand on it quite a bit, showing how good he can be.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 6, 2025
Book 360 - Pip and Jane Baker - Doctor Who - The Trial of a Time Lord - The Ultimate Foe
The Doctor is guilty … the sentence is death. The Time Lords have been infiltrated and when the true identity of who has been pulling the strings is realised … the future of our beloved Time Lord is impacted forever.
With the return of characters from the first 12 episodes… and a wonderful appearance by The Master… here to save the Doctor, not kill him… the ending is a wonderful conclusion to the most epic of stories.
As for the Valeyard… although we won’t see him again on television… he is name checked several times when the series returns and also appears brilliantly in the Big Finish audio dramas… a wonderfully twisted character and a superb book.
The Doctor is guilty … the sentence is death. The Time Lords have been infiltrated and when the true identity of who has been pulling the strings is realised … the future of our beloved Time Lord is impacted forever.
With the return of characters from the first 12 episodes… and a wonderful appearance by The Master… here to save the Doctor, not kill him… the ending is a wonderful conclusion to the most epic of stories.
As for the Valeyard… although we won’t see him again on television… he is name checked several times when the series returns and also appears brilliantly in the Big Finish audio dramas… a wonderfully twisted character and a superb book.
November 2, 2025
The good news is that there is only one more Pip and Jane Baker novel left in the series. The bad news is that there is still one more Pip and Jane Baker novel left in the series.
This is possibly the best novel of the three by them that I’ve read so far. It’s paced terrifically, but the foreshadowing and ominous telegraphing is still a major problem. The adoration of Mel (the companion they created) is less annoying in this book than in Vervoids, but still irritating. Their writing style is still dated - the overuse of the word “quip” is almost criminal - and the attribution of well-known quotes in the sentence after their utterance remains as pedantic as ever.
This is possibly the best novel of the three by them that I’ve read so far. It’s paced terrifically, but the foreshadowing and ominous telegraphing is still a major problem. The adoration of Mel (the companion they created) is less annoying in this book than in Vervoids, but still irritating. Their writing style is still dated - the overuse of the word “quip” is almost criminal - and the attribution of well-known quotes in the sentence after their utterance remains as pedantic as ever.
November 1, 2023
Doctor Who : The Ultimate For (1988) by Pip and Jane Baker is the novelisation of the fourth and final serial of season twenty three and the final story for the Trial of a Time Lord set.
The Doctor confronts the end of his trial with the identity of the Valeyard being revealed. Mel is also there to help. Also the Doctor’s Nemesis predictably shows up. The miscreant Sabalom Glitz also makes an appearance. The Doctor and company move in and out of the Matrix as the story moves along.
It’s not a terrible story, but it’s not a strong end to the Sixth Doctor either.
The Doctor confronts the end of his trial with the identity of the Valeyard being revealed. Mel is also there to help. Also the Doctor’s Nemesis predictably shows up. The miscreant Sabalom Glitz also makes an appearance. The Doctor and company move in and out of the Matrix as the story moves along.
It’s not a terrible story, but it’s not a strong end to the Sixth Doctor either.
Read
December 31, 2023Pip en Jane Baker pull the final two episodes of The Trial of a Time Lord together well. The plot makes more sense and the prose is wonderfully over the top. The character’s voices are spot on too. Pure joy!
October 16, 2024
An ok adaptation of the final parts of the story. However, they do describe Ycarnos as being the "lesder of a marauding mob Peri met on Ravalox", which is definitley wrong - he was on Thoros Beta in 'Mindwarp'.
Read
July 1, 2020I really struggled to get th
December 31, 2022
A confusing novelization of a confusing TV show which does little to shed light on the story.
June 27, 2022
https://fromtheheartofeurope.eu/the-ultimate-foe-by-james-cooray-smith-and-robert-holmes-eric-saward-and-pip-and-jane-baker/
Alas, it doesn't matter how many exclamation marks you add, this remains an incoherent story; and while the Bakers valiantly attempt to fill it out with extra detail, it is basically beyond salvation from the start.
What I did not know was that the “extra detail” was all in the original script that the Bakers had submitted to the BBC, and excised because at 38 minutes it was far too long for a 25-minute slot.
Rereading, I actually felt that the writing was OK at first, but by the end I still got annoyed by the incoherent plot. Completists will want it anyway
Alas, it doesn't matter how many exclamation marks you add, this remains an incoherent story; and while the Bakers valiantly attempt to fill it out with extra detail, it is basically beyond salvation from the start.
What I did not know was that the “extra detail” was all in the original script that the Bakers had submitted to the BBC, and excised because at 38 minutes it was far too long for a 25-minute slot.
Rereading, I actually felt that the writing was OK at first, but by the end I still got annoyed by the incoherent plot. Completists will want it anyway
August 5, 2009
The grand finale to the 'Trial of a Time Lord' story arc is pretty uneven. Lots of good characterization for the Doctor, Mel and the Master, but the explaination is pretty convoluted and vaguely unsatisfying and the reveal of the mystery bad guy is a big 'What the...?!' head scratching moment that the TV series never deals with.
Lots of good stuff in the middle and it was nice to have Colin go out on a strong story, but it left too many loose story threads and seemed to be a rush finish.
Lots of good stuff in the middle and it was nice to have Colin go out on a strong story, but it left too many loose story threads and seemed to be a rush finish.
September 21, 2011
Pip & Jane Baker once again take up their pen to novelize the concluding segment of "The Trial of a Time Lord", and for the most part they acquit themselves well. However, it falls short of their "Vervoids" novelization, thanks to a sudden need to take their purple prose into astonishing (and unintentionally hilarious) new realms of preposterous word-play!
February 26, 2013
an unsatisfactory conclusion.
May 5, 2021
BBC Audio. Original television soundtrack.
I did not love this audio. I feel like I would have enjoyed it more in the book format.
I did not love this audio. I feel like I would have enjoyed it more in the book format.
January 5, 2025
Not the easiest of read a strange end to what could have been a great season.
Pip and Jane did the best they could with what they had.
Pip and Jane did the best they could with what they had.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews