Carnival of Monsters
Original release:
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DVD NTSC
Region 1
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DVD PAL
Region 2
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VHS Video
NTSC
NTSC
PAL
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(See bottom of page for Special Edition options)
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(Doctor Who Story No. 66, starring Jon Pertwee)
- written by Robert Holmes
- produced and directed by Barry Letts
- music by Dudley Simpson
- 4 episodes @ 25 minutes each
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Story: The Doctor lands the TARDIS way off
course, on an olde English ship traveling the Indian
Ocean. However, his curiosity is peaked by the
anachronisms, temporal anomalies, and monsters
he soon encounters, and he suspects a diabolical
crime is being perpetuated. He and Jo Grant embark on
an odyssey of strange locations leading to
an alien planet on which a vaudeville showman
is applying for a visa from some conspiratorial
alien officials....
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Original DVD Extras include:
- Audio commentary by actress Katy Manning (Jo Grant)
and director/producer Barry Letts.
- Behind the scenes footage (2 min.)
- Extended/deleted/alternate scenes (5 min.)
- Visual Effects Test Film & Model Sequences (4 min.)
- Colour Separation Overlay (CSO) Effects Demo (3 min.)
- Delaware Titles & Credits (1 min.)
- TARDIS-cam No. 2 (1 min.)
- Pop-up Production Note Subtitles
- Photo Gallery (2 min.)
- "Who's Who" actor biographies (text only)
Buyers' Guide Review
by Martin Izsak
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(A more in-depth analysis, containing "SPOILERS" and intended
for those who have already seen the program, can be accessed
here.)
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The greatness of the later Pertwee era begins here, with Robert
Holmes best Doctor Who script so far, where he combines his great
imagination with a now more refined writing style and a blossoming
talent for engaging, well-developed characters.
The story begins where the characters come together for the
first time and introduce themselves to each other, first on the
planet Inter Minor, and then on the S.S. Bernice, making them all
easy to get to know and understand. The TARDIS makes a technically
perfect landing this time, perhaps owing the use of the correct
materialization sound to the directives of the ninth recording block.
(This story was recorded along with season nine).
Curiously, Robert Holmes seems to have a great aversion to writing
scenes for the TARDIS interior. He hasn't written any so far in
his Doctor Who career, and opts not to do so here either. Thus
a true classic misses some key exposition for the uninitiated viewer.
I've heard some (female) Blake's 7 reviewers complain that
Robert Holmes does not write well for women, but I must say that
I haven't seen Jo Grant's character appear as clever and deductive
anywhere else as she has here - this could be her best story.
The style of story-telling we get here is unique for its time,
something that hasn't really played out since "The Krotons"
(story no. 47) and
"The War Games" (story no. 50), and won't
become a staple Who formula until the Tom Baker era. This is a true
sci-fi mystery, a chain of questions and answers carefully plotted
to lead the audience suspensefully towards a neat, new, scientifically
challenging idea. Episode one plays to the mystery and allows
the Doctor and Jo to build up the questions, while episode two gives
great audio/visual exposition of the answers, and presto - there's
your new sci-fi idea. From the cliffhanger into episode three,
Holmes ups the ante with bigger threats and lots of action, while
much of the emotional ramifications of the sci-fi idea settle in.
And episode four brings most of the concluding confrontations,
actions and effects that one would want to see.
Doctor Who has won its award for writing today.
Holmes' Achilles' Heel is still there though, gently reminding one
of the "Space Pirates" writing fiasco from season six. The Doctor
doesn't get quite as involved with some of the characters as one
could hope, and he does get upstaged too much at the very end of
the story. The plot doesn't really give a full and logical
explanation of why this is so either, as some of the Doctor's
goals are unclear. You'll find a more detail examination of this,
with spoilers, in the in-depth analysis
version of this review.
There's lots of CSO work in this story, most of which is excellent
and effective. The Drashigs in particular are a real achievement.
Only the TARDIS model & its lighting give the CSO game away at one
point, and rather obviously at that.
Holmes also falls back on a tried and true favourite theme of mine:
government corruption and conspiracy. This element is sadly not as
interactive as I would hope, but Holmes gets the dynamics of it spot on.
It still amazes me
how many people watch so many films that illustrate this, and still
fall for it when it happens in real life. Not to spoil it for those
who haven't seen it, I'll save further discussion of it for the
in-depth analysis version of this review.
The acting is of a high calibre by all participants, with
recurring stars like Michael Wisher, Peter Halliday, and Ian
Marter being particular favourites of mine. Director Barry Letts
is in fine form, turning out what is probably his best solo
directorial work on Doctor Who.
The musical score is probably my favourite from season ten,
with bits for the old world sailing ship and Vorg and Shirna's circus
act antics being well within Dudley Simpson's preferred repertoire.
Simpson also sustains a unique musical sound for the story near the end
of episode three, which works very well in maintaining the suspense
and drive of the on-screen action.
In the end, I've got to give this story top marks, for its flaws
are few. It's one of the two true gems of season ten.
This story has become available on DVD and VHS video.
Click on the Amazon symbol for the location nearest you
for pricing and availability.
Original release:
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DVD NTSC Region 1
for the North American market:
in the U.S.
in Canada |
DVD PAL Region 2
for the U.K. |
VHS Video
NTSC
in the U.S.
NTSC
in Canada
PAL
for the U.K.
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New Special Edition / "Revisitations Volume 2" re-release:
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Additional DVD extras include:
- Additional audio commentary by actors
Peter Halliday (Pletrac),
Cheryl Hall (Shirna),
Jenny McCracken (Claire Daly),
script editor Terrance Dicks,
and sound effects designer Brian Hodgson.
- Making-of featurette (23 min.),
including producer/director Barry Letts,
actress Katy Manning (Jo Grant),
AFM Karilyn Collier, and
visual effects assistant Colin Mapson.
- Early edit of Episode 2 (30 min.), with the
"Delaware" title music.
- Expanded visual effects models (9 min.)
- Featurette on the novelization work later
done by Ian Marter (John Andrews / Harry Sullivan)
(16 min.)
- "The A-Z of Gadgets and Gizmos" featurette (11 min.)
- "Mary Celeste" featurette on ships disappearing
at sea (18 min.)
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DVD NTSC Region 1
Special Edition
for the North American market:
NEW for April 10, 2012.
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DVD PAL Region 2
for the U.K.
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