element" of the story. IGN 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 Christopher Bahn enjoyed 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. Commercial releases A novelisation of this serial, written by Target Books editor Nigel Robinson, 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 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 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. Notes References DVD resources Bibliography External links 1965 British television episodes Doctor Who pseudohistorical serials Doctor Who serials novelised by Nigel Robinson Fiction set in the 11th century First Doctor serials Television episodes set in England Works set in the Viking Age Rediscovered television