Season 2, Episode 9 | 4 parts | First broadcast: 3–24 July 1965 | Writer: Dennis Spooner | Director: Douglas Camfield
Cast
- William Hartnell as the Doctor
- Maureen O’Brien as Vicki
- Peter Purves as Steven Taylor
- Peter Butterworth as the Monk
Summary
The TARDIS arrives in 1066, on the eve of the Norman conquest of England, where the Doctor and his companions discover a mysterious Monk living in a nearby monastery who has anachronistic technology far beyond his time. As Steven Taylor settles into life aboard the TARDIS, the Doctor gradually uncovers the Monk’s true identity and his reckless scheme to alter the outcome of the Battle of Hastings itself.
Interesting Facts
- This serial introduces the Monk, played by Peter Butterworth, the first recurring character in the series revealed to be a fellow time traveller with a ship of his own, effectively creating the “renegade Time Lord” archetype years before the Doctor’s own people were named.
- It was the first Doctor Who story to deliberately blend a historical setting with genuine science-fiction elements, breaking from the show’s original “pure historical” format.
- Steven Taylor’s first full story as a companion, following his introduction at the end of The Chase.
- All four episodes survive in the BBC archive.
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