The Making of The Trial of a Time Lord: Part Three, Terror of the Vervoids (documentary) was the third of four documentaries in the Making of The Trial of a Time Lord series. As the name suggested, it concerned itself with the making of Terror of the Vervoids.
Topics discussed
The documentary opened with a discussion of the narrative structure of the piece, underlining the difficulties of crafting a satisfying whodunit. Pip and Jane Baker went into some detail of how and why they decided to use plants as the central enemy. Director Chris Clough offered commentary on how difficult it was to realise the Vervoids.
The discussion turned to casting. Various interviewees went on to discuss the merits of Bonnie Langford as Mel, who debuted in this story. Clough seguéd into a broader discussion on casting, with some emphasis on working with Honor Blackman, Michael Craig and Arthur Hewlett.
Hickman and Sangster had a brief discussion on the general sameness of the cliffhangers in the serial.
Respondents gave wide-ranging opinions on the set design of the piece, praising some sets and disliking others.
The documentary concluded with Hickman's humorous criticism of the trial portion of episode 4, in which the former Doctor Who Magazine chief asked if the Gallifreyan legal system could reasonably allow for the changing of the charges against the Sixth Doctor in the midst of the trial.
