Serial S, in 4 parts
Written by: Dennis Spooner
Produced by: Verity Lambert
Directed by: Douglas Camfield
"The character of the monk had a certain comic element that I wanted to emphasise, particularly in contrast to the Doctor. I chose Peter Butterworth because he was a very good comedy actor, and seemed suited to the Monk. The contrast worked well, and we were very lucky to have one of Dennis Spooner's better scripts." - Douglas Camfield, director, quoted in The Handbook: The First Doctor by Howe, Stammers, and Walker (Virgin: 1994)
The Time Meddler broke a long skid in Doctor Who's quality. It's no classic, but it's a carefully written, interesting story; these qualities set it miles above The Romans, The Chase, The Web Planet...
The episode alters the laws of the Doctor Who universe in a major fashion, suggesting that it is possible to change history with a little ambition and some very large weapons. The character of the Monk is fascinating - he's a member of the Doctor's species, and he's got a TARDIS of his own. Unlike the Doctor, the Monk is on a quest to consciously alter history, to make the galaxy a better place to live by any means necessary.
The Monk's scheme in this episode is to prevent the Norman conquest of Britain by blowing up a fleet of invading Vikings (the Vikings apparently weakened Britain's defenses enough so that William the Conqueror took the island easily - don't ask me if the history is accurate, though!). The Doctor, appalled by the Monk's violent and clumsy methods, sets out to foil the plan.
The Doctor and the Monk make a hilarious duo. The Monk, for all his intelligence, is a comic bumbler who seems rather intimidated by the righteous old Doctor.
Unlike the Master, the Monk has moral gray area surrounding him; he's got good intentions, and his schemes aren't the usual "conquer-the-universe" nonsense. It's a shame that he only appeared once more, as a fawning toady in The Dalek Masterplan.
New companion Steven Taylor gives an agreeable performance in this episode, and his doubt about the TARDIS' time-travelling abilities provides material for some funny scenes. The Doctor's final defeat of the Monk is another knee-slapper of a moment. Unlike previous comedy episodes, The Time Meddler works because, at its heart, it's still a good dramatic story.
By the way, doesn't the Monk's scheme remind you of the Seventh Doctor's plan to obliterate the Daleks in Remembrance of the Daleks? Despite all the nonsense you hear about Colin Baker being the most violent Doctor, it was McCoy who committed premeditated mass murder!
OVERALL RATING: B+
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