Earlier this week, U.K. tabloid The Sun reported a delicious “Doctor Who” rumor that will hopefully turn out to be more than scuttlebutt: Patrick Stewart taking on a guest-starring role in the series alongside his “Hamlet” co-star David Tennant. The scoop claims he will be playing the Meddling Monk, a fellow Time Lord who appeared only once in the classic series. The Sun is often correct with their “Who” rumors, but once again their report contains some dubious statements, such as the claim about the next series (season) screening next year, when it’s a well-known fact that Season Five won’t be unveiled until 2010, under the guidance of Steven Moffat. There will be four specials unveiled throughout 2009, but nothing’s been said publicly about any of them comprising a two-parter or that the Daleks will return. In any case, many a sci-fi nut will no doubt have their fingers crossed in hopes of this turning out to be true, as it would somewhat fulfill a major geek fantasy of seeing the two greatest TV sci-fi franchises crossing over (in a sense).
In the meantime, why not take a gander at ”The Time Meddler,” which was recently released on DVD? It features the one and only appearance of the Meddling Monk (played by Peter Butterworth), who isn’t quite as evil as the Master – he’s more of an intergalactic shit disturber. The story takes place in 1066, and sees the Doctor (William Hartnell) meeting another Time Lord for the first time in the series (although their race isn’t explicitly named – that didn’t happen until Patrick Troughton’s final story). The Monk is involved in an elaborate scheme which will ultimately change the outcome of the Battle of Hastings. Make no mistake, this is “Who” from 1965, which is a far cry from rapid fire adventures of Tennant, but this still makes for a weird little slice of TV history. (And if you’re really the sort of person who needs a star rating to consider something, then let’s call this one a three-star affair, shall we?)
