'The Time Meddler' - Brief Review

I finished watching the Doctor Who story entitled 'The Time Meddler' yesterday. This story closed out the second series of the programme way back in 1965. I think I last saw it back in 1989 or 1990, whenever the local PBS stations last aired it.

It's 1066 and the TARDIS arrives in England. Viking raids are common on the Saxons living there and the Doctor quickly determines that the big blow-out between the two groups is yet to come. Once a wristwatch and a record player are found, the travelers know something is up. Can it be that there's another time traveler around?

It's not a great story but it's got some nice elements to it. While some efforts are made to individualize the Vikings and Saxons, for the most part they come across as a blob of people. A lot of the story revolves around the fact that the Doctor and his companions just keep missing each other. The second episode is rather slow, despite it having the big fight scene in it, as star William Hartnell is on vacation that week and the story doesn't really progress with him absent.

Given the context of the programme at the time, this story would have been more fascinating. While in the story previous the Daleks were shown to have a time machine as well, the time traveler in this story doesn't just have a time machine, he's got a TARDIS just like the Doctor. For the first time in the programme's history another traveler of the Doctor's kind appears, not counting Susan as she was with the Doctor. The name 'Time Lords' would not be spoken for another 4 years and the planet they live on would not be named 'Gallifrey' for another 4 years after that. This would have been a big deal at the time.

One thing that I really like was a relatively meaningless special effect. While the story was shot in the studio, there are times when the characters are standing on a cliff. Behind them in the sky, clouds move. I think that really made the set look nice, really added to the illusion that they were outside.

Thumbs moderately up. Not recommended for people who can't deal with television in black and white or with powerfully short attention spans. If you're not already keen on Doctor Who, this isn't the story that will change your mind about the show.