Broadcast and Reception
| Episode | Broadcast date | Run time | Viewers |
Archive |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| "The Watcher" | 3 July 1965 (1965-07-03) | 24:05 | 8.9 | 16mm t/r |
| "The Meddling Monk" | 10 July 1965 (1965-07-10) | 25:17 | 8.8 | 16mm t/r |
| "A Battle of Wits" | 17 July 1965 (1965-07-17) | 24:10 | 7.7 | 16mm t/r |
| "Checkmate" | 24 July 1965 (1965-07-24) | 24:00 | 8.3 | 16mm t/r |
The serial was repeated on BBC2 in January 1992 on consecutive Fridays - 03/01/92 to 24/01/92 at 7.20pm/6.50pm, as part of a season of stories to represent each of the (then) seven Doctors adventures.
Reviewing the serial in 2009, Patrick Mulkern of Radio Times described it as "an utter delight", praising Butterworth and the direction. The A.V. Club reviewer Christopher Bahn was positive towards the concept of the Monk and the introduction of Steven. He also noted that it "keeps things moving despite its relatively simple plotline, a testament both to Dennis Spooner's script and Douglas Camfield's direction". Johnathan Wilkins, writing for Dreamwatch, described The Time Meddler as "an often forgotten gem" with good performances all around. However, he did note that the "weakest element" was perhaps the "stereotypical" local villagers. IGN's Arnold T Blumburg gave the serial a score of 7 out of 10, highlighting the chemistry between Hartnell and Butterworth, the competency of Vicki and Steven, and the visual atmosphere. Despite this, he noted that there were a few clichés in the plotting and, unlike Bahn, felt that it was "definitely a slow-paced story". Simon Brew of Den of Geek gave The Time Meddler a rating of three out of five, feeling that it "really hits its stride" with the sparring between the Doctor and the Monk, but ultimately the story was not enough to cover four episodes.
Read more about this topic: The Time Meddler
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