Rating: 
Summary: Topping day, what?
Review: "Carnival of Monsters" is an odd little story, and probably not the best candidate to be the second Third Doctor (Jon Pertwee) story released on DVD. But the "Restoration Team" has done a rather good job on the disc, as with all "Doctor Who" discs, so that even the less-than-outstanding stories are still worth the purchase price.I've watched this story at least half-a-dozen times since I was twelve years old, but it was only this time out that I noticed the political subtext. Story writer Robert Holmes always crammed politics into his busy scripts, and maybe the fact that I never "got" this story explained why I had such a dim opinion of it. I knew, for example, that the squabbling political functionaries of Inter Minor -- bald, grey-skinned creatures, in that great "Doctor Who" tradition of having three character actors portray an entire alien species -- were supposed to be funny. What I didn't "get" was that they were supposed to mirror not only the declining British Empire of the day, but also the colonial British sailors stuck in a perpetual 1926 evening inside the device that gives the story its name. At least, I learned that from the production notes feature. I also learned the string of acting credits for every guest actor in the story, and also the dates of filming for every outdoor location scene. As always, I'd prefer production notes that gave a little more substantial information about the episode on disc and its context within the larger "Doctor Who" picture -- not just lists of TV shows that I, in the US, have never heard of. But at least I did come away with something. The commentary track this time out, by story producer/director Barry Letts, and actress Katy Manning (companion Jo) is a little bit better than some of the recent disasters we've had ("Tomb of the Cybermen" springs to mind). Both commentators spent a lot of time with the show and this is the first DVD for each. Unfortunately, it took a lot of time for them to get to the meat and potatoes. Also thrown in the special features is model test footage that's just downright funny -- you can see the smirking face of the Drashig puppeteer, for example. I'm less certain about the recurring "Tardis-CAM" featurettes, but maybe one day I'll figure out what they're here for. The lone easter egg allows you to see the Pertwee-era opening credits, without the actual credits. The best part of this story, unwittingly, is long-time DW character actor Michael Wisher, here playing the most evil of the Inter Minor politicos. He suspects the Carnival of Monsters as being the invasion spearhead of alien spies (the harmless two carnies who arrive on Inter Minor by cargo class). He lets off several great over-the-top political rants... and sounds just like George W. Bush.
Rating:
Summary: Topping day, what?
Review: "Carnival of Monsters" is an odd little story, and probably not the best candidate to be the second Third Doctor (Jon Pertwee) story released on DVD. But the "Restoration Team" has done a rather good job on the disc, as with all "Doctor Who" discs, so that even the less-than-outstanding stories are still worth the purchase price. I've watched this story at least half-a-dozen times since I was twelve years old, but it was only this time out that I noticed the political subtext. Story writer Robert Holmes always crammed politics into his busy scripts, and maybe the fact that I never "got" this story explained why I had such a dim opinion of it. I knew, for example, that the squabbling political functionaries of Inter Minor -- bald, grey-skinned creatures, in that great "Doctor Who" tradition of having three character actors portray an entire alien species -- were supposed to be funny. What I didn't "get" was that they were supposed to mirror not only the declining British Empire of the day, but also the colonial British sailors stuck in a perpetual 1926 evening inside the device that gives the story its name. At least, I learned that from the production notes feature. I also learned the string of acting credits for every guest actor in the story, and also the dates of filming for every outdoor location scene. As always, I'd prefer production notes that gave a little more substantial information about the episode on disc and its context within the larger "Doctor Who" picture -- not just lists of TV shows that I, in the US, have never heard of. But at least I did come away with something. The commentary track this time out, by story producer/director Barry Letts, and actress Katy Manning (companion Jo) is a little bit better than some of the recent disasters we've had ("Tomb of the Cybermen" springs to mind). Both commentators spent a lot of time with the show and this is the first DVD for each. Unfortunately, it took a lot of time for them to get to the meat and potatoes. Also thrown in the special features is model test footage that's just downright funny -- you can see the smirking face of the Drashig puppeteer, for example. I'm less certain about the recurring "Tardis-CAM" featurettes, but maybe one day I'll figure out what they're here for. The lone easter egg allows you to see the Pertwee-era opening credits, without the actual credits. The best part of this story, unwittingly, is long-time DW character actor Michael Wisher, here playing the most evil of the Inter Minor politicos. He suspects the Carnival of Monsters as being the invasion spearhead of alien spies (the harmless two carnies who arrive on Inter Minor by cargo class). He lets off several great over-the-top political rants... and sounds just like George W. Bush.
Rating: 
Summary: Roll up roll up and see the monster show!
Review: "A carnival of monsters living in their natural habitats in this little box of mine!" So say Vorg, owner of a miniscope, "a unique artistic achievement, the supreme creative invention of the age." Upon landing on the isolated Inter Minor, now undergoing a kind of glasnost under its liberal president, Zarb, the showman Vorg, resplendent in his flashy clothes, and his cute assistant Shirna, are met with hostility from the triad comprising the Aliens' Admission Commission. There is factionalism between the three, Chairman Pletrac supporting Zarb's policies, the xenophobic and scheming Immigration Commissioner Kalik aided by the submissive Orum. In fact Kalik becomes quite vitriolic: "Don't talk to me about brotherhood and neighborliness! We have survived in the past because of our strength! Now we shall perish because of our weakness!" Meanwhile, the Doctor and Jo take their first independent flight of the TARDIS, and instead of landing on Metebelis 3, end up on 4 June 1926, aboard the SS Bernice, en route from England to Bombay. The Doctor senses something is wrong and he is right, as a plesiosaurus appears from the ocean. They are captured as stowaways, but once locked in, Jo and the Doctor notices that it was 7:35 PM when they were shut in. A few minutes later, it is 6:40 PM! Also, it's broad daylight outside instead of dark. The best cliffhanger is the end of Episode 1, when a giant hand plucks the TARDIS away from the SS Bernice. By Episode 2, it's clear that the miniscope and the SS Bernice are connected, and regarding that, the Doctor marvels at the output and input lines, circuits, saying "It's like walking around inside a wristwatch," and the colourful set, with its pilars, red bulbs, shiny chrome-like walkways is a design triumph. Another design triumph are the screaming caterpillar-like Drashigs. As Vorg says of these ferocious monsters, "the most evil, the most vicious, and undoubtedly the most frightening form of life in the whole universe!" They are the beasties on the cover, BTW. Race relations is a big theme here. On Inter Minor, there are two races, the more humanoid elite and the crude-looking and less intelligent Functionaries, who are getting more rebellious. KKalik is worried that the Functionaries will eventually take over due to Zarb's liberal policies. Orum says of the Functionaries, "No sense of responsibility. Give them a hygiene chamber and they store fossil fuel in it." And the elite refer themselves in the neutral person: "One must do this" or "One believes that..." etc. is interesting. Their first contact with Vorg and Shirna leads to Pletrac talking down to them: "We give magic talk disks back. All very good." Shirna sarcastically tells Vorg, "You tellem tall fella we talk like him pretty good by and by." And Vorg says of the Tellurians (Earth people) that they all look so much alike. But Vorg's purpose to amuse ties back to the Functionaries, whose lack of entertainment is causing their rebelliousness, according to Pletrac. A few continuity goofs: the calendar structure aboard the SS Bernice is that of the 1925 calendar. And the micrograph Vorg gives Pletrac is nothing more than an ordinary music cassette! And Fred Astaire is mentioned seven years before he became famous. Bad editing in Episode 2 leads to a previously unseen segment shown before a scene shown in Episode 1. The supporting players are all first rate, especially Tenniel Evans as Major Daly, a typical friendly pukka sahib-type. Ironically, Evans worked with Jon Pertwee in the British radio comedy The Navy Lark back in the 50's. Veteran actor Leslie Dwyer (Vorg) steals the show, with firm support from Cheryl Hall (Shirna). Ian Marter (Andrews) later became a regular in the Tom Baker Who years as Harry Sullivan. "Our purpose is to amuse, simply amuse. Nothing political," says Vorg. What I hope Predator did for hunting, showing what it feels like man to be the hunted animal, I hope Carnival Of Monsters will do for zoos. But the concept of overcoming isolation-induced xenophobia and prejudice is key here, and despite not appearing, President Zarb is a well-felt presence due to his liberalism. Rating: 4.5, rounded to 5.
Rating:
Summary: Roll up roll up and see the monster show!
Review: "A carnival of monsters living in their natural habitats in this little box of mine!" So say Vorg, owner of a miniscope, "a unique artistic achievement, the supreme creative invention of the age." Upon landing on the isolated Inter Minor, now undergoing a kind of glasnost under its liberal president, Zarb, the showman Vorg, resplendent in his flashy clothes, and his cute assistant Shirna, are met with hostility from the triad comprising the Aliens' Admission Commission. There is factionalism between the three, Chairman Pletrac supporting Zarb's policies, the xenophobic and scheming Immigration Commissioner Kalik aided by the submissive Orum. In fact Kalik becomes quite vitriolic: "Don't talk to me about brotherhood and neighborliness! We have survived in the past because of our strength! Now we shall perish because of our weakness!" Meanwhile, the Doctor and Jo take their first independent flight of the TARDIS, and instead of landing on Metebelis 3, end up on 4 June 1926, aboard the SS Bernice, en route from England to Bombay. The Doctor senses something is wrong and he is right, as a plesiosaurus appears from the ocean. They are captured as stowaways, but once locked in, Jo and the Doctor notices that it was 7:35 PM when they were shut in. A few minutes later, it is 6:40 PM! Also, it's broad daylight outside instead of dark. The best cliffhanger is the end of Episode 1, when a giant hand plucks the TARDIS away from the SS Bernice. By Episode 2, it's clear that the miniscope and the SS Bernice are connected, and regarding that, the Doctor marvels at the output and input lines, circuits, saying "It's like walking around inside a wristwatch," and the colourful set, with its pilars, red bulbs, shiny chrome-like walkways is a design triumph. Another design triumph are the screaming caterpillar-like Drashigs. As Vorg says of these ferocious monsters, "the most evil, the most vicious, and undoubtedly the most frightening form of life in the whole universe!" They are the beasties on the cover, BTW. Race relations is a big theme here. On Inter Minor, there are two races, the more humanoid elite and the crude-looking and less intelligent Functionaries, who are getting more rebellious. KKalik is worried that the Functionaries will eventually take over due to Zarb's liberal policies. Orum says of the Functionaries, "No sense of responsibility. Give them a hygiene chamber and they store fossil fuel in it." And the elite refer themselves in the neutral person: "One must do this" or "One believes that..." etc. is interesting. Their first contact with Vorg and Shirna leads to Pletrac talking down to them: "We give magic talk disks back. All very good." Shirna sarcastically tells Vorg, "You tellem tall fella we talk like him pretty good by and by." And Vorg says of the Tellurians (Earth people) that they all look so much alike. But Vorg's purpose to amuse ties back to the Functionaries, whose lack of entertainment is causing their rebelliousness, according to Pletrac. A few continuity goofs: the calendar structure aboard the SS Bernice is that of the 1925 calendar. And the micrograph Vorg gives Pletrac is nothing more than an ordinary music cassette! And Fred Astaire is mentioned seven years before he became famous. Bad editing in Episode 2 leads to a previously unseen segment shown before a scene shown in Episode 1. The supporting players are all first rate, especially Tenniel Evans as Major Daly, a typical friendly pukka sahib-type. Ironically, Evans worked with Jon Pertwee in the British radio comedy The Navy Lark back in the 50's. Veteran actor Leslie Dwyer (Vorg) steals the show, with firm support from Cheryl Hall (Shirna). Ian Marter (Andrews) later became a regular in the Tom Baker Who years as Harry Sullivan. "Our purpose is to amuse, simply amuse. Nothing political," says Vorg. What I hope Predator did for hunting, showing what it feels like man to be the hunted animal, I hope Carnival Of Monsters will do for zoos. But the concept of overcoming isolation-induced xenophobia and prejudice is key here, and despite not appearing, President Zarb is a well-felt presence due to his liberalism. Rating: 4.5, rounded to 5.
Rating: 
Summary: Underrated Pertwee adventure gets new life on DVD
Review: After getting several classic Doctor Who episodes on DVD, the time has come to revisit the Pertwee era, and for this outing, we're treated to 'Carnival of Monsters.' Often regarded as a curiosity between the fan-favorite stories 'The Three Doctors' and 'Frontier In Space,' this story actually has a lot going for it, and is given the full treatment on this new DVD release. The story has been carefully restored and remastered, and, as a first, is finally presented in the way it was originally broadcast. The previous videotape version had some curiosities about it, namely the early edit of episode two, which featured some additional, non-broadcast material and a different arrangement of the traditional theme music. Additionally, when the story was repeated in 1981, the director, Barry Letts, requested a reedit of part 4 and got it - so the original hasn't been seen for ages! Don't let that put you off though; it's been polished and shined and I can only guess that it's never looked as good! All the material from that early edit of episode 2 has been preserved here in the form of extras: you get a title sequence using the aborted 'Delaware' theme, deleted scenes, and also a presentation of the edited ending. That's not all though, as there's a great commentary from actress Katy Manning (Jo) and Director/Producer Barry Letts. Katy is obviously having a great time watching it and provides lots of humor, while Barry reveals quite a lot of behind-the-scenes info. There's also the now-standard pop-up production notes (one of my favorite parts of the whole line), a Who's Who section for information on the actors, a fascinating actual look at the shooting of the story from 1972, test footage of the visual effects, a photo gallery...plus even more. This disc is packed to the gills, and contains everything you'd like to have, and some things you probably didn't even know about. All in all, it will make a great addition to your growing Doctor Who DVD library. If you hadn't thought about this one before, the fantastic extras more than make the difference, as they reveal some rare behind-the-scenes info, and a chance to see the story as it was originally intended.
Rating:
Summary: A welcome resurrection
Review: Another two adventures featuring the intrepid Time Lord are released on DVD, again showcasing different eras from the long running BBC adventure series. "Carnival of Monsters" dates from 1973 and the tenth season of the show, with the companion release "Resurrection of the Daleks" hailing from season twenty-one broadcast in 1984. As with all the previous DVD releases of Doctor Who, the archive material has been painstakingly restored, with spectacular results. Each of the two stories looks as impressive as when the adventures were first broadcast all those years ago. In addition to the restoration, a number of very interesting extras has been added to both releases which are almost worth the price of the discs alone. Starting with the earlier adventure, starring Jon Pertwee as the third incarnation The Doctor, there are a lot of goodies included along with the four-part adventure. The story itself marked something of a watershed in the Pertwee era, since it was the first to feature the Doctor traveling freely in time and space since the black and white Troughton era which ended in 1969. The intervening seasons had become somewhat tedious with endless earth bound adventures, albeit with occasional escapes for the Doctor, so it was refreshing to have the Doctor once more freely roaming the universe. "Carnival of Monsters" was the first story to be recorded for season ten, actually being completed as part of the production block for season nine in 1972. It was held over and transmitted second in the tenth anniversary season. It was also the second Pertwee story to be directed by the show's producer, Barry Letts. Letts provides a genuinely interesting commentary along with the other star of the show, Katy Manning, the actress who played the enormously popular Jo Grant. Although a fairly one-dimensional character, Manning certainly brought a great deal of energy and warmth to her portrayal of Grant, and that enthusiasm hasn't been lost in the thirty plus years since the story was made. Manning and Letts are clearly delighted to be reunited again for this DVD, and their commentary is entertaining, informative and indeed delightful. There are also on screen captions to fill in the gaps in their memories. This release differs from the earlier VHS release considerably. The four episodes have been re-mastered from the original broadcast tapes. All the additional footage and indeed edits from the VHS release have been included as extras rather than in the body of the programme. There is also a fascinating, but short, behind-the-scenes look at the making of the programme, plus an abandoned reworking of the theme tune, some model work, a photo gallery, the trailer from a 1981 TV repeat and an Easter egg to find. The story itself is witty and refreshing, being penned by the programmes most prolific and popular writer, Robert Holmes, and acted well by the assembled cast. Sadly, I would say the production is let down by some gaudy design and costuming, particularly the scenes on the alien planet, but that was often the case with the Pertwee stories. The sister release, "Resurrection of the Daleks" is quite different and much darker in tone and appearance. Heralding the return of the Doctor's oldest and most popular enemies after a five year absence from the show, this story is from the end of Peter Davison's rather brief reign as the fifth incarnation of the Time Lord and indeed marks the end of an era as it includes the departure of the long running companion Tegan Jovanka, played by Janet Fielding. One of the things I was dreading for this release was the commentary featuring Davison, Fielding and director Matthew Robinson. Davison has not exactly been enthralling with the earlier releases he has contributed to, and as most hard-core fans of the show know, Fielding has been extremely critical of the show; particularly it's portrayal of female characters in the years since she relinquished her role. However, I am delighted to report that their commentary is wonderful! Definitely the highlight of the release. Obviously Fielding has rediscovered her sense of humor, and doesn't even seem to mind when Davison and Robinson make endless sexist remarks about her costume and legs! Although it's a bit mean, their sending up of fellow actor Mark Strickson (Turlough) is genuinely funny. Robinson is actually the weak link in the commentary team, since unfortunately he is almost impossible to silence, and constantly talks over the other two. But it's a minor quibble. Another surprise is the inclusion of BOTH John Nathan-Turner; the shows much-maligned long running producer, and his script editor Eric Saward who also penned the script. The two fell out while producing the ill-fated twenty-third season of the show resulting in Saward stalking out of the programme mid-way through production and a great deal of public mud-slinging. Although they are not actually seen together, they've both filmed new sequences with Director Robinson at the locations used for the filming of the story. The on-screen production notes are a little tedious on this release, and there are also two features from the BBC's "Breakfast Time" which actually have precious little to do with the story itself. But they're fun to see again. It's a taught story, with a stellar guest cast, although like most of the Davison era, it's all a little too complex, and doesn't stand up to a great deal of scrutiny. Some of the plot holes are pretty large, but it still works as a very entertaining piece. The episodes are included as produced, in four 25-minute episodes, even though they were actually transmitted as two 45-minute episodes at the time, thanks to the BBC's coverage of the 1984 Winter Olympics. They're both great releases, and a welcome addition to the growing Doctor Who DVD library. I'd recommend both discs even if you're not a die-hard fan of the show.
Rating:
Summary: Carnival gets a first-class release
Review: Hoo-boy!-another Doctor Who DVD release....As far as Dvds go, this one is loaded with some pretty decent extras. There are at least four deleted, extended and changed scenes. There is an alternate opening sequence that sounds as if Keith Emerson may have had more of a hand in composing than the BBC workshop. There are commentary tracks, but for some reason, my player wouldn't work in that mode. The DVD transfer is of above average quality, but somehow the deleted scenes looked better. Go figure. The audio quality is also above average. I had no trouble understanding any of the spoken dialogue. The photo gallery is nice; I was really surprised to see the way Katy Manning hadn't aged one iota--she truly is a beautiful woman. There is also a small behind the scenes clip that shows just how much work went into the production of just one scene from the series, another reason we fans should be grateful to the creative architects who helmed the series over the years. There are even a couple of hidden features that showcase an extneded opening sequence and some guy counting backwards from 30. As for the story itself, Carnival was never one of my favorites from the Pertwee era, which is why the four stars instead of five. I would have rather seen Inferno or another Master episode released. It's way overhyped. Granted, the writing is very clever, but the action and plot are real yawners. Still any Who you can see is good who.
Rating:
Summary: Carnival gets a first-class release
Review: Hoo-boy!-another Doctor Who DVD release....As far as Dvds go, this one is loaded with some pretty decent extras. There are at least four deleted, extended and changed scenes. There is an alternate opening sequence that sounds as if Keith Emerson may have had more of a hand in composing than the BBC workshop. There are commentary tracks, but for some reason, my player wouldn't work in that mode. The DVD transfer is of above average quality, but somehow the deleted scenes looked better. Go figure. The audio quality is also above average. I had no trouble understanding any of the spoken dialogue. The photo gallery is nice; I was really surprised to see the way Katy Manning hadn't aged one iota--she truly is a beautiful woman. There is also a small behind the scenes clip that shows just how much work went into the production of just one scene from the series, another reason we fans should be grateful to the creative architects who helmed the series over the years. There are even a couple of hidden features that showcase an extneded opening sequence and some guy counting backwards from 30. As for the story itself, Carnival was never one of my favorites from the Pertwee era, which is why the four stars instead of five. I would have rather seen Inferno or another Master episode released. It's way overhyped. Granted, the writing is very clever, but the action and plot are real yawners. Still any Who you can see is good who.
Rating:
Summary: great fun!
Review: I'm very happy they're putting out Dr. Who on DVD finally and I hope it won't be 15 years to get them all on there like they did VHS!
Rating:
Summary: "Our purpose is to entertain...nothing political!"
Review: It must be tough being a Star Trek fan. While they are given boxed set releases with meager extras, fans of the ever popular Doctor are treated to these marvelous single episode releases that feature intricate remastering and loads of bonus material. Carnival of Monsters, a popular story from the Third Doctor's era, lives up to the high standards set by previous releases both in terms of quality and value for money. The story itself is vastly entertaining, with an even paced plot that hinges on unfolding drama and great performances from all of the principal cast. It may be a little boring for the action minded types, but there's enough sharp dialogue and sci-fi mystery to keep the discriminating viewers thoroughly entertained. Surprisingly, the special effects also hold up well - though they're no comparison to the eye candy of modern CGI images of course. The mono sound is crisp and the remastered image is so rich and sharp you'd never know this was broadcast 30 years ago. If you need more than that, there's a wealth of DVD extras including an excellent commentary, a behind the scenes film, deleted and extended scenes, an alternate ending, promo materials, and more. A highly recommended release.
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