Rating: 
Summary: "Just like goldfish in a bowl..."
Review: It's a pity that Doctor Who is underappreciated as a show with poignant messages. It's not like that all the time, and while it was always primarily intended to be entertainment, sometimes it leapt out with something to say. "Carnival of Monsters" preceeds "The Truman Show" by 25 years, yet has roughly the same message. Although Peter Weir's film is very good, all the ironies and "social context" messages seemed obvious - the reaches of television, the media and the basic voyeurism that lies in our dark personas. This Jon Pertwee tale is exactly the same, although in its day was not discussed as a treatise on television culture, even though it asks exactly the same questions - are we being watched, who is watching us and where do you draw the line between reality and entertainment. The Doctor and Jo wind up within a travelling peepshow - a boat in the Indian Ocean in 1926 in which the passengers, totally unaware of their predicament, play out the same acts, like a stuck gramophone record (or, according to today's terms, in constant action replay). The genius of Robert Holmes shines again, delivering not just a message (and avoiding the didactic way "Star Trek" always spells its concerns out to its audience) but a gripping story. The Doctor's gradual realisation of the situation, followed by his and Jo's attempts to escape from the Miniscope make for an adventure full of nail biting suspense. It is also fortunate that the Drashigs are excellently realised monsters. Except for a few scenes where the effects let them down (mainly when they attack the ship), the Drashigs are impressive, especially when one bursts out of the marsh at the end of episode two. "Carnival of Monsters" has everything. Suspense and terror (the Doctor and Jo wandering on the marsh plain before the monster appears is extremely tense, with a foreboding atmosphere that makes the viewer realise something WILL happen soon); clautrophobic scenes as the time travellers make their way through the machine's workings. There is also humour, in the form of Vorg and Shirna and, to a lesser extent, a subtle jab at bureaucracy in the form of the Inter Minor officials. (The subject of xenophobia is also presented, making this story a multi-message one indeed!) Michael Wisher is brilliant as the scheming Kalik (possibly his second best role after Davros). Terence Lodge as Orum is wonderfully sycophantic and viewers see Ian Marter for the first time, as Andrews (Marter would go on to become companion Harry Sullivan and then write very good novelisations of stories). So, whether you want a clever and subtle story on television, the watchers and the watched; or whether you want a well paced and exciting adventure, "Carnival of Monsters" should be your cup of tea.
Rating: 
Summary: Travelling tourist class.
Review: Not the best third Doctor adventure by a long chalk but some interesting moments nevertheless.The plot cleverly connects vignettes of different worlds with an ongoing story about the stupidity of bureaucracy with an addded barb or two against immigration policies generally. The Timelord and his companion Jo find themselves on a ship which turns out to be one of a number of different environments replete with the indigenous inhabitants. As they attempt to escape from what is essentially an interstellar sideshow in which they are miniturized they come up against the various monsters while the bureaucratic wrangling goes on outside. Not the best Doctor Who story but an interesting idea which could of and perhaps ought to have been a two part show.
Rating: 
Summary: ...Not Even In The Cause Of Political Progress
Review: One thinks one should buy this story because one believes it to be a very interesting adventure. One agrees that Michael Wisher is a superb actor who always makes one believe in his characters. One also believes that the alien monstrosoties in this story are some of the best things in the show that one does not wish to be devoured by. One who has seen this story will know why one talks like this in one's review of it.
Rating:
Summary: A Classic Holmes "Who" episode
Review: One was most pleasantly surprised by this video. One sees the script elements that made Holmes such a terrific Who writer. By all means get this video if you have EVER enjoyed a Who episode. Deep characterizations, great models, cruddy CSO, suspense, humor...never a dull moment. Mix well and one has a definitive Who episode.
Rating:
Summary: "Roll up, roll up and see the monster show!"
Review: The 2nd story from the 10th season is probably one of the best of the Pertwee years. It combines a series of monsters, both up-front and cameo, with both seriousness and tongue-in-cheek insight. Dr. Who and Jo land on what the Doctor believes is Metabelis-3, the famed blue planet. Jo, however, believes that they are on a ship in the Indian Ocean in 1926, based on evidence of a newspaper and the ship's cargohold. Unfortunately, they are both wrong. The TARDIS has landed in a Mini-Scope, which is being viewed both by the government officials and visitors (two show people who have brought the Mini-Scope) to Inter-Minor. The Mini-Scope contains such specimans as Ogrons, Cybermen, the people on the ship, and the dreaded Drashigs. I won't go on and spoil the story, but honestly the ending of Part 2 is probably the best cliffhanger of the Pertwee (and perhaps others) years. The DVD picture is much sharper than the video, and comes with fun extras such as watching Vorg warming up for the camera ("Roll up, roll up and see the Monster show"), alternative electronic credits, a 1981 BBC promo for THE FIVE FACES OF DR WHO, and others.
Rating:
Summary: Sci-fi/fantasy at its best.
Review: The Doctor (3rd incarnation) and his assistant arrive on what appears to be a ship. But before long a Plesiosaurus has menaced the crew and a giant hand has reached down from the sky to snatch the Tardis away. This is Dr Who at its best - interesting characters, other-wordly beasts and plenty of suspence and action. The scenes in the swampland are especially tense. The two entertainers are a classic double-act, the grey-faced aliens are amusing parodies of pen-pushing officials and the plot is well-structured with no padding. If this were in a carnival it would be the leading float.
Rating:
Summary: The best carnival I've ever been to.
Review: The Doctor (third incarnation) and his companion arrive on a ship. But no sooner have they done so than the passengers are menaced by a sea monster and a giant hand snatches the TARDIS away. Things turn out not to be what they seem in this excellent and enjoyable adventure. The monsters are great and the aliens, with their grey faces and mannerisms (saying 'one would' instead of 'I would', etc) are amusingly satirical parodies of earth bureaucrats. Well-written tale with a definate moral message.
Rating:
Summary: Another great Robert Holmes story
Review: The Doctor's first trip into space and time after his exile on earth finds him in earth of the past, or is it? Robert Holmes crafts another great story dealing with an alien machine that can hold a variety of alien settings in a zoolike format. The Doctor and Jo manage to become trapped inside the works and must make their way out. The best thing about Holmes' stories is that even if he has a thin plot, such as his Space Pirates from the Troughton era, he manages to fill the story with deep, rich characters that make it all interesting. But with Carnival of Monsters you get a great story and great characterization. A definite addition to the Who collector.
Rating:
Summary: "And a most merciful and compassionate gesture..."
Review: The TARDIS has landed on a cargo ship in the middle of the Indian Ocean...or have they? Not convinced that they are on Earth, the Doctor discovers that He and Jo, along with other kidnapped earthlings and aliens, are in a minscope, a machine that contains living organisms from around the universe in their own minaturised enviorment. "Carnival of Monsters" is the highlight of the Tenth season. Robert Holmes does it again, poking fun at TV and his audience. The production is pretty good, the direction from Letts is superb. Ian Marter making his fist Who appearance is great, and so is Micheal Wisher( not making his first appearance). Shurna and Vorg are hilarious. The Drashigs(on film) aren't that bad. Even though we can see the edge of the bald cap on Pletrac, and a couple of cheap effects, "Carnival" is thoroughly entertaing, even with repeated viewings.
Rating:
Summary: Doctor Who Carnival of Monsters
Review: This episode brings back memories of staying up late on a Sunday night when I had to be up for school the next day. Our local non-profit TV station used to run all the seasons of Dr.Who. I would stay up and record the episodes.
In this particular episode, the Doctor and Jo, while en route to Metabelis 3, are caught in a gravitational field of a peculiar machine. This machine holds a number of creatures sustained in their own habitats, so you can imagine their bewilderment trying to figure out where in the world they are.
Like all Dr.Who episodes the effects are somewhat cheesy but that is what we have come to enjoy from Dr.Who. The plot line is pretty good but the makeup on a few of the characters is awful. All in all I enjoyed this episode as I knew I would. One drawback is that for ...they should have remastered the audio. It's still in 2.0 prologic which is the same as a video tape.
Hope this review has helped.
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