The Time Meddler

017 – The Time Meddler
Doctor Who serial
Vicki, the Doctor, and Steven examine a Viking helmet
Cast
Doctor William Hartnell (First Doctor)
Companions Maureen O'Brien (Vicki) Peter Purves (Steven Taylor)
Others Peter Butterworth — The Monk Alethea Charlton — Edith Peter Russell — Eldred Michael Miller — Wulnoth Michael Guest — Saxon Hunter Geoffrey Cheshire — Viking Leader Norman Hartley — Ulf David Anderson — Sven Ronald Rich — Gunnar the Giant
Production
Directed by	Douglas Camfield
Written by	Dennis Spooner
Script editor	Donald Tosh
Produced by	Verity Lambert
Executive producer(s)	None
Incidental music composer	with percussion by Charles Botterill
Production code	S
Series	Season 2
Length	4 episodes, 25 minutes each (material missing from part 4)
Date started	3 July 1965
Date ended	24 July 1965
Chronology
← Preceded by Followed by → The Chase Galaxy 4

The Time Meddler

Author	Nigel Robinson
Cover artist	Jeff Cummins
Series	Doctor Who book: Target novelisations
Release number	126
Publisher	Target Books
Publication date	15 October 1987 (Hardback) March 1988 (Paperback)
ISBN

The Time Meddler is the ninth and final serial of the second season in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in four weekly parts from 3 July to 24 July 1965. The story is set on the northeastern coast of England in late summer, 1066 and sees Steven Taylor (Peter Purves) become a companion to the First Doctor (William Hartnell) after having stumbled into the TARDIS during the events of the previous serial, The Chase. This story introduces recurring villain the Meddling Monk (Peter Butterworth).

The Doctor and Vicki find Steven Taylor aboard the TARDIS after he stumbled in in a disorientated state on Mechanus (The Chase). When the TARDIS lands on a rocky beach and the Doctor establishes the century from a discarded Viking helmet and heads off to the village. Steven and Vicki explore the cliffs above, witnessed by a Monk. The TARDIS is soon after spotted by a Saxon villager, Eldred, who runs to tell the headman of his village, Wulnoth. The Doctor encounters Edith, Wulnoth’s wife, and convinces her he is a harmless traveller while probing for more information. He finds out it is 1066, since Harold Godwinson is on the throne and has not yet faced Harald Hardrada at Stamford Bridge let alone William the Conqueror in the Battle of Hastings. At a nearby monastery, monks are heard chanting. The Monk lets the Doctor in and allows him to prowl around and find a gramophone playing the chant, plus modern conveniences such as a toaster and a teapot. The Monk traps the Doctor in a cell.