The Meddling Monks: Monky House

"A meddle so meddlesome it'll win a medal for meddling at the meddling Olympics."

Writer: John Dorney

Format: Audio

Released: April 2026

Series: Dark Gallifrey 5.01a

Featuring: The Monk, The Nun

Synopsis

A Blinovitch based accident with the TARDIS has curtailed the Meddling Monk and the Meddling Nun's travels together. Now they're trapped on Earth with no means of escape. Or are they? The Nun has a mysterious plan and the first step is for them to buy a house. What could possibly go wrong?

Verdict

Money Business was an extraordinary start to the first part of The Meddling Monks to open the fifth series of Dark Gallifrey! I am fascinated to see how this ties into the overlapping story arc and the opening monologue referencing how we'd have to wait until part six was just delightful. This was a sublime listen and was so close to full marks but I just love how incredibly different this was. It's always great to explore new ways of telling a story and this certainly was achieved here! This is a Big Finish version of WandaVision in a way and who better to do that with than the Monk and the Nun! They're one and the same and it's great fun to have two incarnations of the same Time Lord interacting because which one would do so willingly other than the most meddlesome of them all? It really is staggering to think that a disguise at an eleventh century monastery in The Time Meddler has sealed the fate of the Monk to that title, but I guess him showing back up in that monk garb in The Daleks' Master Plan is why! It spreads to a female incarnation as well with her being the Nun and the pair here were just marvellous. The chemistry was a delight and I am so ready for six episodes together in this kind of format and atmosphere, even if they are a bit shorter at half an hour or so each. The pace was perfect but given everything going on and how audacious some elements of the story were, I think it actually works well to have a moment to pause between parts. The numbering of parts is going to get a little whacky as in the next release which is titled as part two, we'll actually begin with part three! That's not the first time that's happened at Big Finish though. I thought touching close to the line of breaking the fourth wall was tremendous in having both the Monk and Nun referred to as Rufus and Gemma in the events of the episode. That's so simple but it was done ever so effectively. I loved the sequence where the Nun claimed to be the master of buying houses, and the Monk thought she meant the renegade Time Lord known as the Master! Him acknowledging theories of the Master and Monk being the same person was a lovely line to throw in and I also adored the cheeky reference to the War Chief. I still dispute The War Games in Colour for throwing in that musical reference! I thought the way the story essentially went from the Monk and the Nun playing Monopoly and then actually buying property for real life was incredible. The scale shifted dramatically in very quick time! John as the estate agent felt like a pretty useless character and Carrie as the owner of the house up for sale felt a little sad in how desperate she was for company. The Monk mistaking her signs of innuendo when he was just describing the house was pretty good humour. The Nun and the Monk outbidding each other despite having access to the same funds was also pretty fun but I would have expected them to work out who the other bidder was! Nevertheless, they got the house they so desired but were now bankrupt! Talk about a good scheme from the Nun to get out of their predicament of being trapped together. I'm intrigued to hear how this meddle comes together, but this is a fun situation for them to be in heading into the second part! Overall, a sensational setup with the audience laughter in the right amounts and even the characters within telling the opening and closing credits! A delightful listen. 

Rating: 9/10