Search Title Year Director Writer Actor Companion

This remains wonderful. Silly in places, but, oh...you know. It's got a few firsts and wizzy direction and...it's just great, really.

My Unalike had heard Graeme Garden's Monk on the Big Finish audios (sob...go listen...), which I'd forgotten when she blurted, "Oh! It's the Meddling Monk!" and tolerated my recantation of Peter Butterworth's career (this and some Carry Ons. Probably a load of theatre). Sometimes you get so used to thinking others see Who as 'now' and 'then' that it's a surprise when they join all the dots. And when they like how Hartnell made it great.

A wonderful historical story. It's serious, yet seems light hearted at times. Great cast, and superb acting by all. I would defintley reccomend you to watch this story. I gave it 9/10.

This story feels like a change of direction, as if the show is being directed towards a different audience, and using different types of stories. While many people say that The Time Warrior or Evil Of The Daleks was the story to first use this format, however I will disagree and say this story was truly the first ahistorical (a story that is set in history but has sci-fi elements), and it sets the tone pretty high. While it's a period of history that the programme wouldn't really use after the phasing out of the 'pure' historical, it makes for a nice, refreshing change to the style of the programme. It really feels like nothing the show has done before, and I tried to put myself in the mindset of the audience of 1965. To say it worked would be an overstatement, however I feel that now I can appreciate it as a little quirk in the first five years of the show. However, it's not a rough stone, but a diamond, albeit one that needs polishing and a bit better care taken of it.

The regulars are fantastic, but that hardly be needed to be said. William Hartnell once more delivers some cracking lines, ones that really allow for the humour in his character to come through, but once more showing his rather abrasive side in the way he demands information or tries to stop The Monk changing history. This sort of behaviour would be more appropriately placed with Colin Baker's Doctor, however to say that it doesn't fit with William Hartnell would be wrong. It really does, and makes his performance come to life with enthusiasm and glee. He's clearly relishing the material he's been given to play, even if he had the behind the scenes difficulty of handing over to another producer, one who didn't see the view of the BBC that William Hartnell couldn't be replaced... Peter Purves and Maureen O'Brian are also fantastic, however the material that they have been given merely sees them running around chasing there tales for most of episodes two and three. It's a shame, however Steven's sheer disbelief at the fact that he has landed in 1066 seems very real, reflecting Ian's disbelief that the TARDIS had landed in 100,000BC in An Unearthly Child, once more proving that this is a chance to reflect on what has happened in the show, before venturing on into unknown territory.

As for The Monk, Peter Butterworth really brings something to the part. In the hands of most actors, he would be a soulless time meddler, however in this, he is spectacular, really giving the part energy and drive, making him almost childlike, reflecting for example Lennie in John Steinbeck's novella, Of Mice And Men. While different reasons drive each of them, there still both portrayed as dangerous children, and it's fantastic that Butterworth portrays him as such, for he is very different from The Master. The idea of him being a member of The Doctor's own race is the icing on the cake, as it's a perfectly valid reason why he is messing with time. The moment where Vicki and Steven step into the TARDIS must have been a OMG moment back in the day, once more reflecting the shows genesis.

The story itself could be argued is lightweight, but is given really gravity by Douglas Camfield's direction. He really proves himself as one of Who's top class directors, managing to make the story look dynamic and exciting, and making some of the tedious scenes of exposition and fact filling for the children that bit more exciting through the use of tense close ups and quick camera cutting. It's a real triumph for the show.

There are downsides, especially considering it's 4 episodes, it has the drag of a 6 parter, and the Saxons and Vikings are rather stereotypically portrayed, however it's still a first rate story, and one that sees the end of an era, but also the beginning of a brave new world...