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66) CARNIVAL OF MONSTERS

27 January - 17 February 1973

Average Viewing Figure: 9.2M

Plot

Believing to have landed on a Cargo ship in the Indian Ocean, The Doctor discover the Tardis has landed in a Miniscope

Cast

Jon Pertwee (The Doctor), Katy Manning (Jo Grant), Tenniel Evans (Major Daly), Ian Marter (John Andrews)

Jenny McCracken (Claire Daly), Leslie Dwyer (Vorg), Cheryl Hall (Shirna), Peter Halliday (Pletrac), Michael Wisher (Kalik)

Terence Lodge (Orum), Andrew Staines (Captain), Stuart Fell (Functionary)

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Uncredited Cast

Bill Lodge, Aldwin Davies, Jo Murphy, Murphy Grumbar, George Howard (Functionaries), Mohamed Shamsi, Albert Moses

Jagdesh Kumar, Bob Babenia, Norman Commis, Rudolph Ramil (Ship's Crew), Rick Lester (Ogron), Terence Denville (Cyberman)

Crew

Robert Holmes (Writer), Ron Grainer (Title Music), Dudley Simpson (Incidental Music), Brian Hodgson (Special Sound)

Peter Hamilton (Film Cameraman), Derek Medus (Film Sound), Peter Evans (Film Editor), John Horton (Visual Effects Designer)

James Acheson (Costumes), Angela Seyfang (Make-Up), Clive Thomas (Lighting), Gordon Mackie (Sound)

Terrance Dicks (Script Editor), Roger Liminton (Designer), Barry Letts (Director [also Producer])

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Uncredited Cast

Francis Alcock (Director's Assistant), Colin Munn (Film Assistant), Alec Christison (Sound Assistant), Ian Pleeth (Floor Assistant)

Reg Hutchins (Technical Manager), Gordon Phillipson (Grams), Bill Morton (Vision Mixer), Crew 11 (Camera Crew)

Colin Mapson (Visual Effects Assistant)

Broadcast

Filming Locations

  • Tillingham Marshes, Tillingham, Essex

  • Carwoods Quarry, Asheldham, Essex

  • RFA Robert Dundas, Chatham, Kent

  • Television Centre: Studio 4

  • Television Centre: Studio 6

Deaths

  • Kalik [eaten by a Drashig]

  • Orum [eaten by a Drashig]

  • Drashigs [killed by Vorg with the Eradicator]

Production Days

  • 8 Days between Tuesday 30 May - Tuesday 4 July 1972 

Production Errors

  1. A pencil can be heard dropping and rolling across the studio floor during episode one

  2. The Tardis doors are clearly open when The Doctor steps out, but they are closed in the next shot when the giant hand and reaches for the Tardis and takes it out of the miniscope 

  3. Whilst walking through the marshlands, Jo is waist-deep in the swamp, but by the time she reaches the caves, her trousers and boots are clean 

  4. After emerging from the miniscope, The Doctor is told that Vorg is in charge of the machine, but he later asks who is in charge of the machine - maybe The Doctor wasn't really listening

  5. How can Vorg control the plesiosaur, and not the Drashigs - when are both unintelligent?

  6. The Doctor suggested that the miniscope they are in, must have 'slipped through the cracks' when a ban was placed on the machine. Isn't it possible that The Doctor and Jo have landed before the ban was brought in? ​​​

Working Titles

  • Out of the Labyrinth

  • Peepshow

  • The Labyrinth

Verdict

Carnival of Monsters marks the first time where The Doctor is allowed to leave Earth on his free-will. At first it would seem he has landed on Earth yet again (in the past) instead of an alien planet. The script is full of twists and surprises and a plot which is very easy to follow and has many layers of intelligence and originality to keep it afloat. There are very good production values and puppetry work with the Drashigs. There are moments of surreal ingenuity which bring a new side to the show, the miniscope being just one example. The main two plot threads remain perfectly disjointed until the time calls for The Doctor to escape and begin his proceedings to save Jo from the multiple dangers at every turn. A colorful production throughout and satisfying to the eyes and mind. ****​

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