The Meddling Monk’s infallible guide to conquering the Earth…

Rufus Hound has made his mark as the latest incarnation of the Meddling Monk (following in the footsteps of Peter Butterworth and Graeme Garden) very quickly and James Goss’ inventive script gives him plenty of opportunities to show the different facets of the character. It’s ostensibly a Fourth Doctor story – and Goss rather wonderfully goes for an early and highly underused TARDIS team as the Monk’s antagonists – but the focus is firmly on the rebellious Gallifreyan and the many ways he can find of reworking history (particularly his own) to put himself in a good light.

Goss has spent quite a bit of the last few years working with material created by Douglas Adams, and there’s quite definitely the feel of that slightly skewed perspective on all things that Adams brought to bear about this story. Director Lisa Bowerman keeps Hound in check (most of the time – there are a few moments where an over the top performance is needed), maintaining the blunted edge of menace that the character has always represented.

Verdict: Sales presentations made fun the Doctor Who way. 9/10

Paul Simpson