The Time Meddler [4.2]

The Doctor, Vicki and Steven land in 1066 England, just prior to the Norman Invasion and the Battle of Hastings. Steven doesn’t believe in time travel, and Vicki is having a hard time convincing him, especially when they start to discover all sorts of anomalies: wrist watches, toasters, gramophone records and atomic cannons... 

It turns out that the Doctor is not the only being in the universe with a TARDIS. The Monk up at the old monastery on the cliff has both a TARDIS and a masterplan – though what exactly that is, and how it benefits anybody, never becomes clear. It’s sufficient to know that he’s a bad guy and must be dealt with. 

The Majesty 

Steven’s disbelief in time-travel chimes perfectly with the content of the story: this is the first pseudo-historical in Doctor Who, and is really rather charming. 

The titular Monk is a wonderful character. Both in his interplay with the Doctor, where he is seen to be equal to him in cunning banter, and in his many scenes where he takes the lead, he is show-stealingly awesome. Acted by Peter Butterworth, from the Carry On... films, the Monk is comical, charismatic, entertaining and a brilliant addition to the show. It’s a shame that he only makes one other appearance, because he would have been a wonderful recurring character. 

I also am impressed with this story for dealing with a subject matter – rape – that would be considered far too dark for the show to tackle now. It also deals with it in a very careful, restrained way, making it suitable even for children. It’s well-balanced, and in particular, the Doctor’s complete oblivion to the fact that it has occurred provides a surprisingly layered scene between himself and Edith. On the surface, the Doctor is getting a snack and having a chat. Underneath, we are hoping that he will realise that something terrible has happened... and he never does. There’s more than a hint of truth in that. 

The Misery 

The low points are just some general disappointments: Vicki is annoying, as usual. The atomic cannon is rather pathetic, being little bigger than a packet of Pringles on wheels. The idea that nobody realises the Monk is an imposter is rather implausible. And after the battles of “The Crusade”, “The Aztecs” and even “100,000BC”, the fight sequences here are very lame. Typically they will involve a lot of shouting and very little movement of weapons, even to the extent of some people falling to the ground before a sword has even been swung. 

Magical Moments 

• The first sight of the Monk, looking down on the TARDIS, with something almost like recognition on his face, tells us that this is something we haven’t seen before. 
• The Doctor, explaining the TARDIS to Steven, “That is the dematerialisation 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!” 
• Having found a horned Viking helmet, the Doctor is irritated by Steven’s continued disbelief in time travel. “What do you think this is then? A space helmet for a cow?” 
• The Doctor, faced with a cliff. “I’m not a mountain goat... and I prefer walking to any day... and I hate climbing”. Ah the line started out so well.... 
• At the climax of episode one, the Doctor discovers the source of the monks chanting: a gramophone record. And immediately he is locked in a cell with the monk laughing uproariously – brilliant episode end! 
• The Monk hands in breakfast to the Doctor in his cell. The Doctor throws some liquid over the Monk... Was that a chamberpot? That’ll teach him! 
• The Monk cures a man with paracetamol. I like this both as another fun incidence of modern life in history and also as a nuance to the Monk’s character. Most other villains would just have killed the man and hidden his body. But the Monk is not really a bad guy – just an irresponsible one. 
• The Monk’s progress chart surely has a ‘page 2’ to it. Otherwise the entire plan concludes with “8 – Meet King Harold”, which frankly is a bit anti-climactic. 
• “Remember”, says the Doctor, “No more monkery!” 
• The Monk and the Doctor, in separate scenes, despatch a Viking in exactly the same way: hitting them on the head from behind with a rather small piece of wood. It’s another indication of just how similar the two of them are. 
• The climax of episode 3 has Steven and Vicki walking into the monk’s TARDIS. It’s familiar, but different – with it’s black floor and smaller space. And it’s also a pivotal moment in Dr. Who. 
• I have always loved the Monk’s little achievement, recorded in his diary. “Put £200 in a London bank in 1968. Nipped forward two hundred years and collected a fortune in compound interest.” 
• When the Saxons raid the monastery, the Monk grabs his robes and with his knobbly knees on display, scuttles away with a remarkable turn of speed. 
• The Monk looks in on his dollhouse TARDIS. His head barely fits through the door. Wonderful image. 

In Summary 

This is a seminal story in the history of Dr Who. We meet another Time Lord for the first time (though they are not yet called this). The Doctor is no longer unique, neither is the TARDIS. Insofar as there is an ‘overall’ story in the Doctor Who series, running from 1963 to the present, then this story represents one of the major milestones. 

Not only is this story so crucial for the series as a whole, but it is also highly enjoyable as a story in it’s own right – largely down to the presence of the Monk. Steven has a good start as a companion, but Vicki is poor, and with the exception of Edith, the whole assortment of Saxons and Vikings are instantly forgettable. But Peter Butterworth more than makes up for the failures of the rest of the cast by radiating as much charisma as the Doctor himself. 

Overall: 4.3