The Time Meddler

Information

Writer: Dennis Spooner
Director: Douglas Camfield
Script Editor: Donald Tosh
Producer: Verity Lambert, Mervyn Pinfield (associate producer)
Executive Producer(s): None

Originally Broadcast: 3rd July - 24th July 1965
Episodes: 4
Duration: 25 mins each episode
Production Code: S
Series: 2
Story Number: 17
Enemy: The Monk
Setting: 1066

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, and the hand of a mysterious Monk is at work in the nearby monastery.

Cast

The Doctor - William Hartnell

Vicki - Maureen O'Brien

Steven Taylor - Peter Purves

The Monk - Peter Butterworth

Edith - Alethea Charlton

Eldred - Peter Russell

Wulnoth - Michael Miller

Saxon Hunter - Michael Guest

Ulf - Norman Hartley

Viking Leader - Geoffrey Cheshire

Sven - David Anderson

Gunnar the Giant - Ronald Rich

Story Notes

• The Time Meddler is the first example of what is known in Doctor Who as the "pseudohistorical" story, as opposed to the pure historical stories, which are set in the past but have no science fictional elements attached to them.
  
• This is the first story in which the acronym TARDIS is said to stand for "Time and Relative Dimensions in Space", rather than the singular "Dimension" as had been used in An Unearthly Child. This was an error made by Maureen O'Brien during recording, and was retained throughout much of the series' history.
  
• The working title for this story was The Monk.
  
• The working title of episode one was The Paradox.
  
• All episodes exist as 16mm telerecordings.
  
• A print of episode 2 is held in the Film & TV Library.
  
• Incomplete prints of all episodes were found in Nigeria in 1985.
  
• Complete prints of episodes 1 and 3 were returned to the archive in 1992.
  
• Sequences showing a Saxon being stabbed in episode 4 are still missing from the print.
  
• Telesnaps for this episode are held by a private collector.
  
• During production of this story, new producer John Wiles began taking over production duties.
  
• William Hartnell, displeased at the number of changes undergoing the production, play-acted throwing a temper tantrum during the rehearsal of this story.
  
• William Hartnell does not appear in the Meddling Monk as the actor was on holiday.
  
• No next episode caption is present on episode 4. Instead, an extended version of the theme music is heard as images of the three lead actors appear on screen.
  
• Some versions of this story especially those distributed in the US cut the first few minutes of the story in which the Doctor and Vicki find Steven hiding in the TARDIS.
  

Preceded by: The Chase - Followed by: Galaxy 4