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Category:    Home > Reviews > Science Fiction > Action > Adventure > Time Travel > British TV > Doctor Who – The Time Meddler (BBC DVD)

Doctor Who – The Time Meddler (BBC DVD)

 

Picture: C     Sound: B      Extras: A+     Episodes: A+

 

 

Story no. 17 in the classic Doctor Who series features William Hartnell, the first Doctor. Shot in black & white, the four episodes on this disc make a good representation of the formative years of the series.  In them Hartnell's Doctor travels back in time to the England of 1066, just before the battle of Hastings.  The Doctor and his companions, Vicki (Maureen O'Brien) and Steven Taylor (Peter Purves) must solve the mystery of a monk who appears to possess technology far beyond the capability of the period.  Over the course of the four-episode story the true nature of the Time Meddler is revealed, and the Doctor deals with him in his own inimitable fashion.

 

For fans of the newer Doctor series, Hartnell's Doctor may seem old and tired on first blush, but as the episodes in this story progress Hartnell's unique style infuses the character with a dynamism and energy befitting a Time Lord.  In some spots the black & white film enhances the production, masking some of the low production values that the color of later episodes often so starkly reveal.

 

Extras are once again plentiful on this disc, including commentaries, a brief snippet of audio from a previously lost scene, and another slick documentary on the Dr. Who comic strip.  The comic strip piece examines the issues featuring the Hartnell Doctor, and includes interviews from the writers and artists of the strips.  The Time Meddler stands as another ideal addition to the classic Doctor Who series of discs, and makes a great addition for fans looking to add William Hartnell episodes to their collections.

 

 

-   Scott R. Pyle


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