Stories Television Doctor Who Season 2 Serial: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 The Time Meddler Original Story Tales of the TARDIS Original Story Tales of the TARDIS 1 image Overview Episodes Characters How to Watch Reviews 17 Statistics Related Stories Quotes 10 Transcript Overview First aired Saturday, July 3, 1965 Production Code S Written by Dennis Spooner Directed by Douglas Camfield Runtime 100 minutes Story Type New Companion Introduction Time Travel Past Tropes (Potential Spoilers!) Vikings, Anachronisms, First TARDIS trip, Rewriting History, Time Travel Pivotal Location (Potential Spoilers!) Earth, England, Northumbria Synopsis The Doctor, Vicki, and new companion Steven Taylor arrive in Saxon Northumbria on the eve of the Viking and Norman invasions. It is 1066, a pivotal moment in British history. The hand of a mysterious Monk is at work in the nearby monastery, intending that history takes a different course. Watch Watched Favourite Favourited Add Review Edit Review Log a repeat Skip Skipped Unowned Owned Owned Save to my list Saved Edit date completed Custom Date Release Date Archive (no date) Save 4 Episodes The Watcher First aired Saturday, July 3, 1965 Runtime 25 minutes Written by Dennis Spooner Directed by Douglas Camfield UK Viewers 8.9 million Appreciation Index 57 Synopsis The Doctor, Vicki, and Steven Taylor, go to 1066 England, but something doesn't seem right including modern inventions like a Gramaphone and electricity. Could there be another Time Lord? The Meddling Monk First aired Saturday, July 10, 1965 Runtime 25 minutes Written by Dennis Spooner Directed by Douglas Camfield UK Viewers 8.8 million Appreciation Index 49 Synopsis The Doctor is being held prisoner by the Monk and Steven and Vicki's search for him brings them to the Saxon village.But a greater danger threatens when a Viking raiding party arrives. A Battle of Wits First aired Saturday, July 17, 1965 Runtime 25 minutes Written by Dennis Spooner Directed by Douglas Camfield UK Viewers 7.7 million Appreciation Index 53 Synopsis The Doctor manages to escape from his cell and get the upper hand on the Monk but his plans are derailed when Sven and Ulf arrive at the monastery. Checkmate First aired Saturday, July 24, 1965 Runtime 25 minutes Written by Dennis Spooner Directed by Douglas Camfield UK Viewers 8.3 million Appreciation Index 54 Synopsis The Doctor finally discovers what the Monk is up to and must move fast to prevent his opponent from altering the course of history. Show All Episodes Characters First Doctor William Hartnell Vicki Pallister Maureen O'Brien Steven Taylor Peter Purves The Monk Peter Butterworth First Appearance Edith Alethea Charlton Show All Characters (5) How to watch The Time Meddler: Watch on iPlayer Blu-Ray The Collection – Season 2 DVD The Time Meddler VHS The First Doctor (VHS) (Special Edition Box Set) Reviews Add Review Edit Review Sort: Date (Newest First) Date (Oldest First) Likes (High-Low) Likes (Low-High) Rating (High-Low) Rating (Low-High) Word count (High-Low) Word count (Low-High) Username (A-Z) Username (Z-A) Spoilers First Spoilers Last 17 reviews 3 May 2025 · 29 words Review by kawaii2234 the monk is such a silly little man and nothing has ever bought me joy then his comically large to-do list with the words DEPLOY ATOMIC CANNON as no.2. kawaii2234 View profile Like Liked 0 18 March 2025 · 58 words Review by Scottybguud A strong season finale. Interestingly we get to see another of the Doctor's race and another Tardis. The Monk is cast very well. Steven's doubt about the Tardis having travelled in time is something we never get to see, so that was fun to see. A bit slow in places with the vikings but overall a good story. Scottybguud View profile Like Liked 0 2 February 2025 · 63 words Review by goblinikov Spoilers 1 This review contains spoilers! The Saxon/ Viking conflict was pretty dull. Otherwise, I found the cheeky quality of the Time Meddler to be quite endearing. Loved the idea of a Time Lord who wants to change things for the better, but ends up messing up the course of human history, especially since the Doctor has made the same mistake multiple times since. Bring back the Time Meddler!!! goblinikov View profile Like Liked 1 15 December 2024 · 224 words Review by RandomJoke Spoilers This review contains spoilers! This one is easily one of my favorites of the Hartnell era. Kinda a paradox, since this was the slow beginning of the end of the pure historical (in some ways). Watching this after The Chase probably also helped it at my first viewing, since while I do find some aspect of that Story appealing, I feel like this one balances the Comedy and the stakes a lot more. Butterworth is the great standout here really, his Monk is just amazing, and it’s a great shame we only got him here (and later in the DMP). The Monk while in many ways similar to the Master, feels to me like a unique version of an antagonist, since he really all does it to mess with it. Another Thing I highly can praise is the Pacing, dare I say while I love the slower pace of the Hartnell era a lot, this one feels perfectly paced with its 4 Parts. There is a lot I can praise. For example the whole subplot where Vicki tries to convince Steven that the Tardis is a time machine, it doesn’t play for too long to become annoying, no the right amount of time. As always, Hartnell is a blast, especially his banter with Steven in the beginning is lovely “and there is a chair with a panda sitting on” RandomJoke View profile Like Liked 0 21 November 2024 · 104 words Review by greenLetterT The Time Meddler is just a really strong story. The side characters (well, one of them, Edith), are well done, the sets are really good, and the main cast is stellar. It's also a fascinating story in terms of establishing Doctor Who lore - we learn for the first time that the Doctor is, in fact, alien, and from the same place as the Monk, and we even learn that the Doctor's fancy TARDIS isn't all that. Speaking of the Monk - absolute highlight of the story. He plays off the Doctor really well, offering an opposing but nevertheless similar character. What a guy greenLetterT View profile Like Liked 0 Show All Reviews (17) Open in new window Statistics AVG. Rating615 members 4.01 / 5 Member Statistics Watched 1067 Favourited 158 Reviewed 17 Saved 8 Skipped 2 Related Stories Tales of the TARDIS (Minisode) The Time Meddler (TOTT Minisode) Rating: 3.91 Story Skipped Minisode Reviews(2) More Actions View Sets Close Related Sets Set of Stories: Tales of the TARDIS Add Review Edit Review Skip Skipped Unowned Owned Save to my list Saved Classic Who S3 • Serial 4 · (3/12 episodes intact) The Daleks’ Master Plan Rating: 4.00 Story Skipped Television Reviews(13) More Actions View Sets Close Related Sets Set of Stories: Doctor Who Season 3 Set of Stories: Doctor Who (1963-1996) Set of Stories: First Doctor Add Review Edit Review Skip Skipped Unowned Owned Save to my list Saved Doctor Who Magazine Comics 4-Dimensional Vistas Rating: 3.50 Story Skipped Comic More Actions View Sets Close Related Sets Set of Stories: Doctor Who Magazine Comics Add Review Edit Review Skip Skipped Unowned Owned Save to my list Saved Virgin New Adventures No Future Rating: 3.58 Story Skipped Book Reviews(3) More Actions View Sets Close Related Sets Set of Stories: Virgin Books Set of Stories: Virgin New Adventures Add Review Edit Review Skip Skipped Unowned Owned Save to my list Saved Other adaptations of this story: We define an adaptation as a recreation of a similar story but on a different medium or with different characters. Target Collection Doctor Who: The Time Meddler Rating: 3.76 Story Skipped Book Reviews(1) More Actions View Sets Close Related Sets Set of Stories: Target Collection Add Review Edit Review Skip Skipped Unowned Owned Save to my list Saved Other variations of this story We define a variation as another way of experiencing the exact same story - like an autiobook, a reconstruction or an omnibus edition. Tales of the TARDIS • Episode 5 The Time Meddler (TOTT version) Rating: 3.81 Story Skipped Television Reviews(2) More Actions View Sets Close Related Sets Set of Stories: Tales of the TARDIS Add Review Edit Review Skip Skipped Unowned Owned Save to my list Saved Quotes Add Quote Link to Quote Favourite VICKI: Doctor? He says the TARDIS isn't a time machine. DOCTOR: Oh, does he now? VICKI: Tell him. DOCTOR: I don't see why I should, my child. He'll learn soon enough. STEVEN: Look, Doctor, I've seen some spaceships in my time, admittedly nothing like this. Well, what does this do? DOCTOR: That is the dematerialising control and that, over yonder, is the horizontal hold. Up there is the scanner, those are the doors, that is a chair with a panda on it. Sheer poetry, dear boy. Now please stop bothering me. — The Time Meddler Show All Quotes (10) Open in new window Transcript Needs checking Episode One - The Watcher [TARDIS] (The hum of the TARDIS is broken only by the ticking of a very ornate clock.) VICKI: I shall miss them, Doctor.DOCTOR: Who?VICKI: Ian and Barbara.DOCTOR: Yes, I shall miss them too. First Susan and now them. Come over here, my dear, I'd like to talk to you.VICKI: What about the control panel?DOCTOR: Oh, that's all right, my dear. It's already set. Their decision certainly surprised me, although it shouldn't, I know. But it was quite obvious they intended to take the first opportunity of going back home.VICKI: Well, they weren't getting any younger, were they?DOCTOR: It's lucky for you child, they're not here to hear you say that. Good gracious me. You think they're old? What do you think of me?VICKI: You're different, Doctor. Anyway, we may land in their time one day and be able to talk over old times.DOCTOR: Well, perhaps Vicki, perhaps.VICKI: Anyway, it's done now. I wonder where the TARDIS'll take us next?DOCTOR: Yes, it's done now, although I must admit I'm left with a small worry.VICKI: You know, I wouldn't mind New York. I didn't get to see a lot of it, what with the Daleks and everything. But what I saw from the top of the Empire State Building, I wouldn't mind going back there.DOCTOR: My dear Vicki, I'm trying to talk to you.VICKI: Oh, sorry.DOCTOR: I just wanted to ask you, are you sure you didn't want to go home too? I didn't give you very much time to consider now, did I? I should hate to think that you're just staying for the sake of an old man.VICKI: Oh, Doctor! I made my decision. I wanted to stay. Anyway, I wouldn't have anything to go back to.DOCTOR: Yes, your father (Rattle) Show Full Transcript Open in new window
