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96-560: The Time Meddler is the ninth and final serial of the second season of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who . Written by Dennis Spooner and directed by Douglas Camfield , the serial was broadcast on BBC1 in four weekly parts from 3 to 24 July 1965. Set in Northumbria in 1066, before the Battle of Stamford Bridge , the serial features the time traveller

192-531: A demand on episodes to be run in order, without which story arcs stretching over many episodes may be difficult for new viewers to delve into. Desperate Housewives also falls into the category while each season involves a new mystery that spans an entire season (and on one occasion, half the season) while planting hints throughout the episodes until the climax in the finale. To a lesser extent, series such as House and Fringe may also feature ongoing story arcs, but episodes are more self-encapsulated and so

288-405: A different story, though the concept is also nothing new. In the 1960s, ABC aired the first real breakthrough nighttime serial, Peyton Place , inspired by the novel and theatrical film of the same name. After its cancellation, the format went somewhat dormant until Norman Lear produced Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman in 1976. In 1977, ABC created another comedy soap (aptly called Soap ). Although

384-1243: A disadvantage at major awards shows such as the Primetime Emmy Awards . Such shows generally have to submit an atypical self-contained episode in order to gain recognition. Despite this, since 2000, every winner of the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series has been a Serial Drama: The West Wing (2000–2003), The Sopranos (2004, 2007), Lost (2005), 24 (2006), Mad Men (2008–2011), Homeland (2012), Breaking Bad (2013–2014), Game of Thrones (2015–2016, 2018–2019), The Handmaid's Tale (2017), Succession (2020, 2022), and The Crown (2021). In terms of DVD sales, however, strongly serialized shows often perform better than shows which are strongly procedural. 24 (Season 6 ), Lost (Season 4 ), Heroes (Season 2 ), True Blood and even ratings minnow Battlestar Galactica (Season 4.0 ) sell significantly more units than hit procedurals such as CSI (Season 6 ), NCIS (Season 3, Season 5 ), CSI: Miami (Season 4, Season 5 ) and Criminal Minds (Season 2, Season 3 ). Serialized shows tend to develop

480-454: A further 20 episodes by 10 September and another 26 by 4 February 1966. He grew a beard for his role as Steven in the final episode of The Chase , but he wore a fake beard for the first episode of The Time Meddler as Steven becomes cleanshaven partway through. His role as a companion on the show was announced on 18 June 1965. Purves quickly bonded with Hartnell and O'Brien, and they would occasionally have dinner together after rehearsals. Purves

576-507: A major reduction in serialized storytelling. To highlight the situation, in the 2006–2007 season, no fewer than five high-concept serials were introduced, including Jericho , Kidnapped , Vanished , The Nine , and Drive , all of which experienced fairly quick cancellation due to low ratings. In 2010 and 2011, more high-profile, high-cost serials failed to achieve success, including V , The Event , and FlashForward . Some reviewers have also noted that serialized dramas are at

672-429: A memo requesting that this not be allowed in future. The following three episodes broadcast at the usual time. The summer season and lack of Daleks led to smaller audience numbers than The Chase , with 8.9 and 8.8 million viewers for the first two episodes and a drop to 7.7 and 8.3 million for the final two. The second episode was the highest-rated BBC show of the week South West region; the third episode dropped out of

768-526: A more dedicated fanbase interested in exploring the show online as well as becoming customers of additional merchandising. Battle of Stamford Bridge The Battle of Stamford Bridge ( Old English : Gefeoht æt Stanfordbrycge ) took place at the village of Stamford Bridge, East Riding of Yorkshire , in England, on 25 September 1066, between an English army under King Harold Godwinson and an invading Norwegian force led by King Harald Hardrada and

864-512: A more serial structure, and now there are a much wider range of shows in serial form. The serial began with the advent of movie serials of the early 20th century. With the emergence of television and subsequent decline of the movie-going audience, production of movie serials ceased due to the decreasing revenues. But the serial lived on, moving instead to the small screen and the world of Broadcast syndication television reruns . The television serial format as known today originated in radio, in

960-485: A negative effect on ratings by making entry more difficult for new viewers as well as confusing fans who have missed an episode. Networks see them as riskier than dramas that focus on a self-contained story of the week. Tom O'Neil of the Los Angeles Times notes: "They're chancy because these shows are hard to join midway through." As of 2012 CBS has not aired a serial drama in many years, in part because of

1056-558: A particularly popular format for children's serials on the radio. Guiding Light and such other daytime television program serials such as Search for Tomorrow , Love of Life , The Secret Storm , As the World Turns , The Edge of Night , The Doctors , Another World , Dark Shadows , One Life to Live , and All My Children were popular in the Golden and Silver Ages of television and still are today. Aside from

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1152-534: A passage which states, "Then Harold, king of the English, came upon them beyond the bridge by surprise; and there they joined battle and were fighting very hard long in the day". Though often interpreted to mean the main battle took place east of the Derwent River after the English army had crossed the bridge, Charles Plummer explains that the phrase “beyond the bridge” must be viewed “from the point of view of

1248-533: A radio or television production with a continuously evolving, unified plot and set of characters, spread over multiple episodes. In the United States, daytime soap operas have long had a serial structure. Television mini-series also commonly come in a serial form. Starting in the mid-1970s, series with soap opera-like stories began to be aired in prime time (e.g. Dallas , Dynasty ). In the 1990s, shows like The X-Files and The Sopranos began to use

1344-499: A rocky beach, watched by a monk ( Peter Butterworth ). It is soon spotted by a Saxon villager, Eldred (Peter Russell), who runs to tell the headman of his village, Wulnoth (Michael Miller). 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 the Monk. The Doctor encounters Edith ( Alethea Charlton ), Wulnoth's wife, and convinces her that he

1440-520: A serial subplot . Shorter serial programs known as telenovelas (and earlier, radionovelas ), originating and often produced in Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking Latin America , have become popular worldwide. The term "serial" refers to the intrinsic property of a series – namely its order . In literature, the term is used as a noun to refer to a format (within a genre ) by which

1536-673: A series composed of mostly standalone episodes. According to Todd A. Kessler , the second season of Damages will be less serialized in order to render the show more accessible to new viewers. Tim Kring , creator of Heroes , has also suggested that his show may move away from serialized storytelling: "I think the show needs to move towards [standalone episodes] in order to survive." Networks also discourage complex story arcs because they are less successful in reruns, and because standalone episodes can be rerun without concern for order. Entertainment Weekly and Chicago Tribune have expressed concern that declining ratings may lead to

1632-464: A series of abortive attacks on England in the spring of 1066. In the late summer of 1066, the invaders sailed up the Ouse before advancing on York . On 20 September they defeated a northern English army led by Edwin, Earl of Mercia , and his brother Morcar, Earl of Northumbria , at the Battle of Fulford , outside York. Following this victory they received the surrender of York. Having briefly occupied

1728-436: A show if they have missed some episodes. Cheers co-creator Les Charles regrets helping to make serialization common: "[W]e may have been partly responsible for what's going on now, where if you miss the first episode or two, you are lost. You have to wait until you can get the whole thing on DVD and catch up with it. If that blood is on our hands, I feel kind of badly about it. It can be very frustrating." Another problem

1824-436: A story is told in contiguous (typically chronological ) installments in sequential issues of a single periodical publication. More generally, "serial" is applied in library and information science to materials "in any medium issued under the same title in a succession of discrete parts, usually numbered (or dated) and appearing at regular or irregular intervals with no predetermined conclusion." The term has been used for

1920-405: A total of 15,762 episodes air on CBS. Some of the characters in soap operas have been portrayed as long-suffering (a common theme even in some of today's serials along with the social and economical issues of the day). Children's adventure serials were more like film serials , with continuing characters involved in exploits with episodes that often ended in a cliffhanger situation; Westerns were

2016-500: A truce with the surviving Norwegians, including Harald's son Olaf and Paul Thorfinnsson , Earl of Orkney . They were allowed to leave after giving pledges not to attack England again. The losses the Norwegians had suffered were so severe that only 24 ships from the fleet of over 300 were needed to carry the survivors away. They withdrew to Orkney , where they spent the winter, and in the spring Olaf returned to Norway. The kingdom

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2112-462: A week on WENR in Chicago during the early 1930s was credited as the "great-granddaddy of the soap operas" by radio historian Francis Chase, Jr. One of the other shows that helped pioneer the daytime soap opera/serial was The Guiding Light , which debuted on NBC radio in 1937, and then switched to CBS Television in 1952. The Guiding Light 's final episode aired on September 18, 2009, having

2208-531: A wristwatch, dropped by the Monk. The next morning, they are ambushed by the Saxons and taken to the village council. They convince Wulnoth they are travellers and are given provisions to travel on. Vicki is heartened to hear from Edith that she encountered the Doctor on his way to the monastery. Steven and Vicki visit the monastery, where the Monk tries to dissuade them from entering but gives himself away by describing

2304-425: Is a harmless traveller while probing for more information. He discovers that it is 1066, since Harold Godwinson has not yet faced Harald Hardrada at the Battle of Stamford Bridge . At a nearby monastery, monks are heard chanting; arriving at the monastery, the Doctor finds a gramophone playing the chant. He stops the gramophone and the Monk traps him in a cell. Steven and Vicki encounter Eldred and notice he has

2400-496: Is taller than other men" (implying that both Hardrada and his army would be killed and buried on English soil). Then he rode back to the Saxon host. Hardrada was impressed by the rider's boldness, and asked Tostig who he was. Tostig replied that the rider was Harold Godwinson himself. According to Henry of Huntingdon , Harold said "Six feet of ground or as much more as he needs, as he is taller than most men." The sudden appearance of

2496-479: Is that many fans prefer to record these shows and binge watch the whole season in one session. These viewers are not included in TV ratings as they are much less likely to watch commercials than live viewers. The move away from live viewing and toward DVR or internet-streaming services has hurt many shows' prospects because there are fewer or no commercials and they may be fast-forwarded or out-of-date. Concerned about

2592-558: The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle Manuscript D (p. 197), the Norwegians assembled a fleet of 300 ships to invade England . The authors, however, did not seem to differentiate between warships and supply ships. In King Harald's Saga , Snorri Sturluson states, "it is said that King Harald had over two hundred ships, apart from supply ships and smaller craft". Combined with reinforcements picked up in Orkney ,

2688-763: The Battle of Hastings . There, he was decisively defeated and killed in action, allowing for William to march on London and take control over all of England as part of the Norman Conquest . Two monuments to the battle have been erected in and around the village of Stamford Bridge. The first memorial is located in the village on Main Street (A116) to the east of Church Road. The monument's inscription reads (in both English and Norwegian): THE BATTLE OF STAMFORD BRIDGE WAS FOUGHT IN THIS NEIGHBOURHOOD ON SEPTEMBER 25TH, 1066 SLAGET VED STAMFORD BRU BLE UTKJEMPET I DISSE TRAKTER DEN 25. SEPTEMBER 1066 The inscription on

2784-475: The First Doctor ( William Hartnell ) and his companions Vicki ( Maureen O'Brien ) and Steven Taylor ( Peter Purves ) as they attempt to outwit the time traveller the Monk ( Peter Butterworth ), who is plotting to change the course of European history by wiping out King Harald Hardrada 's Viking invasion fleet, leaving Harold Godwinson and the Saxon soldiers fresh to defeat William of Normandy and

2880-454: The 21st century in the United States. In the 1990s, American serial dramas included Twin Peaks , Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and Babylon 5 . The trend continued in the 2000s with 24 . Cable networks also produced serial dramas such as The Sopranos , Battlestar Galactica , Dexter , The Wire , Breaking Bad and its spin-off Better Call Saul . Series such as Buffy

2976-605: The BBC retained the 16mm telerecording negatives in its archives. BBC Enterprises continued to market the serial in the 1970s, but sales had diminished by 1977 and the negatives of the first, third, and fourth episodes were subsequently junked. All four episodes were rediscovered in Nigeria in October 1984 and returned to the BBC by February 1985; they were discovered to have been cut, with some missing scenes. A twelve-second clip from

The Time Meddler - Misplaced Pages Continue

3072-428: The Doctor has escaped through a secret passage and returned to the village. The Doctor heads back to the monastery and gains the upper hand when the Monk answers the door; the Doctor begins to question the Monk. Sven and Ulf ambush the Doctor and the Monk but are overpowered, but the Monk slips away during the confrontation. He tries to persuade the villagers to light beacon fires on the cliff tops, secretly wishing to lure

3168-406: The Doctor too accurately. Steven and Vicki break in after dark. A Viking attacks Edith, and the Saxons go hunting for the invaders. One is struck down, while his companions, Sven ( David Anderson ) and Ulf (Norman Hartley), flee. Eldred is badly wounded and Wulnoth takes him to the monastery for help. While the Monk is occupied with the Saxons, Steven and Vicki find the gramophone. They discover that

3264-508: The English army caught the Norwegians by surprise. The English advance was then delayed by the need to pass through the choke-point presented by the bridge itself. The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle and the Chronicle of Henry of Huntingdon has it that one of the Norwegians (possibly armed with a Dane Axe ) blocked the narrow crossing and single-handedly held up the entire English army. The story is that this Viking alone cut down up to 40 Englishmen and

3360-671: The English king's brother Tostig Godwinson . After a bloody battle, both Hardrada and Tostig, along with most of the Norwegians, were killed. Although Harold Godwinson repelled the Norwegian invaders, his army was defeated by the Normans at Hastings less than three weeks later. The battle has traditionally been presented as symbolising the end of the Viking Age , although major Scandinavian campaigns in Britain and Ireland occurred in

3456-470: The English throne. Learning of the Norwegian invasion he headed north at great speed with his housecarls and as many thegns as he could gather, travelling day and night. He made the journey from London to Yorkshire, a distance of about 185 miles (298 km), in only four days, enabling him to take the Norwegians completely by surprise. Having learned that the Northumbrians had been ordered to send

3552-457: The Monk and Butterworth's performance, but was disappointed by the lack of monsters in the serial. An audience report prepared following the first episode's broadcast was generally positive, with several viewers finding the anachronistic items a fascinating twist on the time travel theme, though some failed to understand their purpose; Steven's character was also praised, though some viewers missed Ian Chesterton and Barbara Wright , who departed in

3648-454: The Monk and the introduction of Steven, and lauded the pacing of Spooner's script and Camfield's direction. The Time Meddler was voted the second-best First Doctor story by Doctor Who Magazine readers in 2020; writer Emma Reeves cited the conflict between the Doctor and the Monk, and the serial's reinvention of several elements that would later define the show. A novelisation of this serial, written by Target Books editor Nigel Robinson ,

3744-463: The Monk as the antithesis of the Doctor; while the Doctor was serious about interfering with the past, the Monk finds it amusing. He envisaged the characters as a schoolboy prankster from the Billy Bunter books; in the script, he was described as "mischievous, sly and cunning ... with a 'naughty boy' look". Lambert suggested the casting of Butterworth as the Monk, having seen his previous work; he

3840-399: The Monk's plot, which he insists is intended to stabilise England and benefit Western civilisation. Ulf and Sven form an alliance with the Monk and tie up the Doctor's party while the three of them take the neutron bomb shells to the cannon on the beach. The scheme is foiled, however, when Wulnoth and the Saxons arrive and engage the fleeing Vikings in a nearby clearing. The Monk hides while

3936-462: The Monk. The Time Meddler was the first serial under new story editor Donald Tosh , and the crew was joined during production by John Wiles , who was soon to replace Lambert as producer. The serial was produced at a low cost to offset the increased budget of the previous serial, The Chase ; Camfield opted to forgo a traditional incidental score , instead using stock music and some percussive drumbeats played by Charles Botterill. The Time Meddler

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4032-459: The Norman soldiers at the Battle of Hastings . Spooner, who was leaving his role as story editor before this serial, was commissioned to write The Time Meddler by producer Verity Lambert . Spooner wanted the show to move away from full historical stories, instead hoping to blend them with futuristic serials. He studied the background of the Doctor in the writers' guide to create his antithesis,

4128-610: The Norwegian army most likely numbered between 7,000 and 9,000 men. Arriving off the English coast in September, Hardrada was joined by further forces recruited in Flanders and Scotland by Tostig Godwinson . Tostig was at odds with his elder brother Harold (who had been elected king by the Witenagemot on the death of Edward). Having been ousted from his position as Earl of Northumbria and exiled in 1065, Tostig had mounted

4224-493: The Norwegian tradition as "Orre's Storm", briefly checked the English advance, but was soon overwhelmed and Orre was slain. The Norwegian army were routed. As given in the Chronicles, pursued by the English army, some of the fleeing Norsemen drowned whilst crossing rivers. So many died in an area so small that the field was said to have been still whitened with bleached bones 50 years after the battle. King Harold accepted

4320-463: The TARDIS and leave. Outgoing story editor Dennis Spooner was commissioned by producer Verity Lambert to write a story introducing new companion Steven Taylor; as story editors commissioning themselves was discouraged, Lambert justified his involvement to head of serials Donald Wilson , citing complications with contracts and budgets, and insufficient time to brief an uninvolved writer, as none of

4416-463: The Vampire Slayer , Veronica Mars , Homicide: Life on the Street , The Good Wife , The X-Files and Damages fall somewhere between, featuring self-encapsulated plots that are resolved by the end of each episode, but also having overarching plots that span multiple episodes. The more serialized its storytelling, the less likely a show is to fare well in repeats. The format places

4512-469: The Viking fleet to land; Wulnoth tells the Monk that he agrees, but admits to Edith that he suspects danger. Steven and Vicki return to the monastery and investigate the crypt, where a heavy power cable extends from a sarcophagus . Looking inside, they discover that it is the Monk's TARDIS, and that he must originate from the same place as the Doctor. The Doctor overpowers the Monk upon the latter's return to

4608-474: The additional hostages and supplies to the Norwegians at Stamford Bridge, Harold hurried on through York to attack them at this rendezvous on 25 September. Until the English army came into view the invaders remained unaware of the presence of a hostile army anywhere in the vicinity. Manuscripts C, D and E of the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle all mention Stamford Bridge by name. Manuscript C contains

4704-438: The advent of DVRs, television networks shunned serials in prime time as they made broadcast programming reruns more difficult and television producers shunned them because they were tougher to go into broadcast syndication years down the road. Serials contrast with episodic television, with plots relying on a more independent stand-alone format. Procedural drama television programs are commonly episodic, sometimes including

4800-548: The battle at Battle Flats is based on no contemporary references. Statements that in the 18th-century skeletons and weapons were found there have not been corroborated by modern finds. According to Snorri Sturluson , before the battle a single man rode up alone to Harald Hardrada and Tostig. He gave no name, but spoke to Tostig, offering the return of his earldom if he would turn against Hardrada. Tostig asked what his brother Harold would be willing to give Hardrada for his trouble. The rider replied "Seven feet of English ground, as he

4896-546: The bridge itself, and although it raged for hours, the Norse army's decision to leave their armour behind left them at a distinct disadvantage. Eventually, the Norse army began to fragment and fracture, allowing the English troops to force their way in and break up the Scandinavians' shield wall. Completely outflanked, and with Hardrada killed with an arrow to his windpipe and Tostig slain, the Norwegian army disintegrated and

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4992-451: The cancellation of Compact . He joined the show in April 1965, and was provided with a document titled The History of Doctor Who , outlining the show's story to date (including some upcoming). Tosh enjoyed Spooner's idea of blending historical and futuristic stories. He edited little of Spooner's work. The serial's working title was Doctor Who and the Monk ; the title of The Time Meddler

5088-503: The change unsettling and threw fake tantrums to scare the production team to obey him; he later admitted to other cast members that he was only joking. Weekly recording of the serial began on 11 June in Television Centre Studio 4; recording of the first episode overran by seven minutes as it was discovered that one of the scenes contained more music than had been cleared for use, requiring it to be re-recorded. Camfield

5184-480: The city and taken hostages and supplies from the city they returned towards their ships at Riccall . They offered peace to the Northumbrians in exchange for their support for Hardrada's bid for the throne, and demanded further hostages from the whole of Yorkshire . At this time King Harold was in Southern England , anticipating an invasion from France by William, Duke of Normandy , another contender for

5280-478: The depiction of the villagers was criticised. The story was novelised and released on VHS, DVD, and as an audiobook. In 2020, it was voted the second-best First Doctor story by readers of Doctor Who Magazine . The First Doctor ( William Hartnell ) and Vicki ( Maureen O'Brien ) find Steven Taylor ( Peter Purves ) aboard the TARDIS after he stumbled in during a disoriented state on Mechanus. The TARDIS lands on

5376-554: The enemy. To the English coming from York, they [the Norwegians] would be on the hither [near] side of the bridge”. According to Henry of Huntington, after many "fearful assaults on both sides," the English superiority in numbers forced the Norwegians "to give way but not to flee. Driven back beyond the river, the living crossing over the dead, they resisted stoutheartedly". Like the Chronicle account, Henry's description suggests

5472-417: The fighting rages, little knowing that the Doctor and his friends have been freed by Edith and are tampering with his TARDIS. With his scheme in ruins, the Monk decides to leave and returns to his TARDIS. When the Monk looks inside, he realises the Doctor has taken the dimensional control and that the interior of his ship has shrunk beyond use, leaving him stranded in 1066. The Doctor, Vicki, and Steven return to

5568-411: The first and third episodes being held by a private collector to restore most of the cuts; they were transferred to digital D3 tape on 20 December 1991. The repeats were broadcast weekly on BBC2 from 3 to 24 January 1992, garnering an average of 2.59 million viewers across the four episodes. The serial received generally positive reviews. Television Today 's Bill Edmund enjoyed the character of

5664-590: The following decades, such as those of King Sweyn Estrithson of Denmark in 1069–1070 and King Magnus Barefoot of Norway in 1098 and 1102–1103. The death of King Edward the Confessor of England in January 1066 had triggered a succession struggle in which a variety of contenders from across north-western Europe fought for the English throne. These claimants included the King of Norway, Harald Hardrada . According to

5760-459: The form of children's adventure shows and daily 15-minute programs known as soap operas (so-called because many of these shows were sponsored by soap companies, such as Colgate-Palmolive and Procter & Gamble ). Soap operas were specifically engineered to appeal to women (with the intention of increasing sale of soap). They usually ran from Monday through Friday at the same time every day. A show called The Smith Family which ran only one night

5856-575: The fourth episode remained missing from the complete prints of the serial, as it was removed by censors ; it depicted a scene where Vikings are stabbed to death. The audio for the scene was included on the DVD release. In late 1991, the production team of The Late Show proposed a series of repeats of archived Doctor Who serials; producer Teresa Griffiths allowed BBC technician and Doctor Who fan Steve Roberts to restore The Time Meddler to represent its original broadcast. Roberts used complete 16mm prints of

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5952-493: The full nature of the story hidden and revealing elements episode by episode, to encourage spectators to tune in to every episode to follow the plot. Often these shows employ recapping segments at the beginning and cliffhangers at the end of each episode. The invention of recording devices such as VCRs and DVRs along with the growing popularity of streaming services has made following this type of show easier, which has resulted in increased success and popularity. Prior to

6048-405: The last of the 1980s nighttime soaps ended during the first years of the following decade, then a second wave came with series like Beverly Hills, 90210 , Melrose Place , Models, Inc. , Savannah and Central Park West . But as the 1990s came to a close, the primetime soap as an official format gradually faded away, where it largely seems to remain as of the middle of the first decade of

6144-444: The main battle may have been fought west of the bridge. The exact location of the battle site is not known for certain. Sources indicate that it took place along the Derwent River, where a wooden bridge crossed the water. There are indications of a meadow on the west side of the river and higher ground on the eastern side. The original bridge no longer exists, and no archaeological traces of it remain. The traditional locating of part of

6240-535: The monastery. The Monk reveals his plan to destroy the Viking fleet, which would prevent the Battle of Stamford Bridge and leave the Saxon soldiers completely fresh to defeat William of Normandy at the Battle of Hastings . He boasts that his plan would accelerate mankind's development by centuries. The Doctor denounces the Monk for seeking to alter the course of history and forces him to reveal his TARDIS, where they find Steven and Vicki. The time travellers piece together

6336-634: The performances of Purves and Charlton, though felt that the other villagers were the "weakest element" of the story. IGN 's Arnold T. Blumberg highlighted the chemistry between Hartnell and Butterworth, the competency of Vicki and Steven, and the visual atmosphere, but felt that the plot contained some clichés. In 2009, Patrick Mulkern of Radio Times called the serial "an utter delight" and "the Doctor Who equivalent of comfort food", praising Butterworth's performance and Camfield's direction. In 2012, The A.V. Club 's Christopher Bahn enjoyed

6432-680: The previous serial. J. C. Trewin of The Listener enjoyed the serial, "partly because no mechanical monsters arrived and partly because the logical consequences of time-meddling were faced". In a review for the BBC series Hereward the Wake , The Observer 's Maurice Richardson found it difficult to "suspend disbelief" for the show's time setting after watching Doctor Who 's "remarkable essay in this period". Retrospective reviews were also positive. In The Discontinuity Guide (1995), Paul Cornell , Martin Day , and Keith Topping described

6528-598: The re-imagined Battlestar Galactica , showrunner Ronald D. Moore was also pressured to make episodes more stand-alone. This move resulted in negative criticism from both fans and critics, and Moore revealed in the Season 3 finale podcast that the network finally accepted that standalone episodes simply do not work for the story he is trying to tell. Moore has also stated that the network was reluctant to greenlight Caprica mainly because story-arc-heavy series notoriously have difficulty in picking up new viewers, as compared to

6624-453: The regular writers were available. Spooner was approved to write the serial on 15 March 1965. Spooner wanted the show to move away from "pure" historical stories like The Reign of Terror (1964) and The Romans (1965), instead hoping to blend them with the show's more futuristic serials. The Time Meddler was the first serial under new story editor Donald Tosh , having been offered to work on either 199 Park Lane or Doctor Who after

6720-524: The second through fourth episodes at Lime Grove Studios in Studio R on 9 June. The remainder of the score was sourced from stock music . Set designer Barry Newbery constructed the Saxon's hut in the style of a cruck , painting the studio floor black to resemble ox blood. Spooner studied the background of the Doctor as originally stated in the writers' guide developed for the programme in 1963 by Sydney Newman , Donald Wilson , and C. E. Webber , and created

6816-411: The serial as "an atmospheric story" and praised the performances, particularly that of Hartnell and Butterworth. In The Television Companion (1998), David J. Howe and Stephen James Walker lauded Butterworth's "deft, understated performance", especially in his scenes with the Doctor, and applauded Camfield's direction as "very polished and features some nice touches", though they felt that the conclusion

6912-475: The series fall into a more conventional drama category. Fringe has experimented with "myth-alones", a hybrid that attempts to advance the story arc in a self-contained episode. In addition, it has been noted that the use of cliffhangers is still prevalent in adventure shows; however, they are now typically used just before a commercial break and the viewer need only wait a few minutes to see its resolution. In addition, many series have also made extensive use of

7008-442: The show goes on, by its nature, it might find itself becoming a little more serialized." Early in their runs, shows such as Lost , Buffy , Angel , Dollhouse and Torchwood put greater emphasis on the "story-of-the-week", but over time story arcs begin to dominate. In contrast, Alias became more focused on standalone stories in later seasons, because of pressures by network executives. Complex story arcs may have

7104-767: The show was controversial for its time (with a homosexual character among its cast roster), it was (and still is today) a cult classic. The success of Dallas popularized serial storylines on prime-time television. Its end-of-season cliffhangers , such as " Who shot J. R.? " and "Bobby in the Shower?", influenced other shows like Dynasty (ABC's answer to Dallas ), Knots Landing , Falcon Crest , The Colbys , Flamingo Road , Hotel , The Yellow Rose , Bare Essence , and Berrenger's . There were some serial shows such as Hill Street Blues and St. Elsewhere that did not officially fit into this category, but were nonetheless ratings hits season after season. While

7200-407: The social issues, the style and presentation of these shows have changed. Whereas in the 1950s and 1960s the drama was underscored with traditional organ music, and in the 1970s and the 1980s a full orchestra provided the score, the daytime dramas of today use cutting-edged synth-driven music (in a way, music for soaps has come full-circle, from the keyboard to the keyboard). The nighttime serials are

7296-777: The success of its non-serial procedurals . Marketing for Star Trek: Strange New Worlds (2022) emphasized its episodes being standalone, which cast and crew described as being similar to Star Trek: The Original Series . Scott Collins of the Los Angeles Times stated that "serialized storytelling ... though popular with hard-core fans and many critics, requires more dedication from viewers and has almost certainly tamped down ratings for many shows". He quoted an ad executive who states that close-ended story lines "[make] it easier for new viewers to tune in and figure out what's going on". According to Dick Wolf , serialized elements also make it more difficult for viewers to return to

7392-433: The toll on ratings of complex story arcs, networks sometimes ask showrunners to reduce serialization. Network executives believe that standalone episodes serve as a better jumping on point for new viewers, although this may result in a conflict with regular watchers who tend to prefer more focus on story arcs. Alias began as a more serialized show but later became more stand-alone under network pressure. During season 3 of

7488-402: The top 20 programmes of the week, but garnered a larger audience share than ITV . The Appreciation Index score also saw a drop, with scores of 57, 49, 53, and 54 across the four weeks. The 405-line videotapes of the first, third, and fourth episodes were cleared for wiping from BBC archives on 17 August 1967 and subsequently erased; the second episode was cleared on 31 January 1969, though

7584-400: The traditional end-of-episode cliffhanger format. This is most common in season finales which often end in a cliffhanger that would only be resolved in the next season's premiere. Over the course of its run, a show may change its focus. Matt Cherniss, executive vice president of programming at Fox says: "Sometimes early on, being a little more episodic allows more people into the room. And as

7680-450: Was acquired from stock footage , sourced from the BBC and Pinewood Studios . Recording on the serial was due to take place at Riverside Studios until late May, when it was decided to switch back to Television Centre . Rehearsals for the first episode began on 7 June. By this time, incoming producer John Wiles —set to replace Lambert in the coming months—joined the production. Hartnell found

7776-458: Was assigned as director in April, having recently finished work on The Crusade (1965); he was pleased with Spooner's scripts, finding them among his best. Due to the limited expenses allocated to the serial, Camfield forwent an incidental score , instead opting for percussive drumbeats played by Charles Botterill, who had previously played percussion on Tristram Cary 's score for Marco Polo (1964). Botterill recorded eight minutes of music for

7872-490: Was broadcast on BBC1 in four weekly parts from 3 to 24 July 1965. The first episode was broadcast later than usual—6:55   p.m. instead of 5:40   p.m.—due to an extended edition of the preceding program Grandstand covering the Henley Regatta and Wimbledon Championships final. The final broadcast accidentally omitted Camfield's directing credit by fading out early; Camfield complained to Wiles, who issued

7968-457: Was defeated only when an English soldier floated under the bridge and thrust his spear through the planks in the bridge, mortally wounding the warrior. His name was not preserved in the aftermath of this battle. This delay had allowed the bulk of the Norse army to form a shieldwall to face the English attack. Harold's army poured across the bridge, forming a line just short of the Norse army, locked shields and charged. The battle went far beyond

8064-462: Was enjoyed by the cast and crew on set, and was friendly with Hartnell. Anderson was hired to choreograph the forest battle in the second episode, and to portray a Viking named Sven; he was previously noted by Camfield for his work as an extra on Marco Polo , and had returned to work on The Aztecs and star in The Crusade . Cast as Ulf, Hartley was an old friend of Camfield's. The Time Meddler

8160-421: Was expanded and re-issued as a CD in October 1998. The serial was released on Blu-ray on 5 December 2022, alongside the rest of the show's second season as part of The Collection . The story was revisited as part of the spin-off series Tales of the TARDIS , released on BBC iPlayer on 1 November 2023, with new scenes starring O'Brien and Purves. Serial (radio and television) Serials rely on keeping

8256-487: Was greatly upset by the production overrunning. For the second episode, Hartnell recorded voice clips on 26 June, as he was on holiday during its recording. Footage of the Viking ship in the second episode was sourced from a 1949 BBC Newsreel titled The Land of the Vikings . For the third episode, Butterworth ad-libbed a comment about converting kilometres to miles. The final episode was recorded on 2 July 1965. The serial

8352-452: Was not final until early June 1965. Production assistant David Maloney joked that the story was referred to as The Vikings during production until the realisation that it had more Saxon extras, upon which it was called The Saxons . The first episode was originally called "The Paradox", changed to "The Watcher" on 20 May. The serial was produced at a low cost to offset the expense of the previous serial, The Chase (1965). Douglas Camfield

8448-423: Was pleased with Spooner's scripts and the development of Steven's character, though O'Brien was unimpressed. The minimal filming required for The Time Meddler allowed additional allocation of production for The Chase . Early 35mm filming took place on 10 May at Ealing Studios on Stages 3A/B, depicting the TARDIS materialising and dematerialising in the first and final episodes, respectively. The remaining film

8544-723: Was published as a hardback by W. H. Allen in October 1987, followed by a paperback by Target in March 1988; the cover was designed by Jeff Cummins. A new edition with a revised cover was published in May 1992 to coincide with the earlier BBC2 repeat of the story. An audiobook of the novelisation, read by Purves, was published in October 2016. The Time Meddler was released on VHS by BBC Worldwide in The First Doctor Box Set in November 2002, with photomontage covers. The serial

8640-643: Was released on DVD by BBC DVD in February 2008, featuring a documentary on the First Doctor comic stories , a comparison of the restoration process for the serial, and an audio commentary with Purves, Lambert, Tosh, Newbery, and moderator Clayton Hickman ; the DVD was dedicated to Lambert, who died in 2007. Selected stock music from the serial was included in Space Adventures , a cassette soundtrack compiled by Julian Knott and published by DWAS Reference Department in September 1987, limited to 300 copies; it

8736-511: Was short-lived. Three days after the battle, on 28 September, a Norman invasion army led by William the Conqueror landed in Pevensey , Sussex , on the south coast of England. Harold had to immediately turn his troops around and force-march them southwards to intercept the Norman army. On 14 October, Harold, leading an army of between 5,000 and 13,000 troops, confronted the Norman army at

8832-531: Was simple and that the Vikings and Saxons "are sketched in merely as caricatures". In 2008, Den of Geek 's Simon Brew praised Butterworth's performance, noting that the serial "really hits its stride" with the sparring between the Doctor and the Monk, but felt that the story was not enough to cover four episodes. Writing for Total Sci-Fi Online , Jonathan Wilkins described the serial as "an often forgotten gem", praising Hartnell's "remarkable performance"—particularly his scenes alongside Butterworth—and enjoyed

8928-666: Was the first serial to feature Purves in his main role as Steven, having been introduced in The Chase . Filming for the serial took place at Television Centre from June to July 1965. The Time Meddler received a smaller audience than The Chase , with an average of 8.42 million viewers across the four episodes; the Appreciation Index also saw a drop. Contemporary and retrospective reviews were generally positive, with praise directed at performances of Hartnell and Butterworth, Spooner's script, and Camfield's direction, though

9024-465: Was the first serial to feature Steven Taylor as a full companion. The role of Steven—originally named Michael in the scripts—had not been filled by 13 May, the month before filming began. After witnessing Purves's role as Morton Dill in the recording of The Chase the following day, Lambert and Spooner approached him and offered him the role. Purves accepted the role within days. On 21 May, he was contracted for three stories (13 episodes), with an option for

9120-426: Was then divided and shared between him and his brother Magnus , whom Harald had left behind to govern in his absence. The casualties are referred as so high in both sides in many sources, an English-born Norman historian Orderic Vitalis reports half a century later that the battle ground was still "easily recognizable by the piles of bones that still bear witness to the heavy losses on both sides". Harold's victory

9216-458: Was virtually annihilated. In the later stages of the battle, the Norwegians were reinforced by troops who had been guarding the ships at Riccall some 25 km away, led by Eystein Orre , Hardrada's prospective son-in-law. Some of his men were said to have collapsed and died of exhaustion upon reaching the battlefield. The remainder were fully armed for battle. Their counter-attack, described in

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