Destroy All Monsters! (documentary)
Destroy All Monsters! was a 2|entertain DVD documentary about the making of the Doctor Who serial Carnival of Monsters. As a general overview of the production of the serial it covered many topics.[which?] It was a released on the special edition of Carnival in March 2011.
Main sub
An informative series of interviews with the cast and crew chronicling the making of the serial TV: Carnival of Monsters. Points of discussion include the writer of the script Robert Holmes and the origins of the idea for the episode, filming on the SS Robert Dundas (the boat used to represent the SS Bernice in the story), filming on location in Essex, the creation of the Drashigs, interviews with guest stars Cheryl Hall and Peter Halliday and the fond and fun memories the cast had on working on what they consider to be a wonderful story.
Additional topics covered
The cast and crew reminisce about the filming. Katy Manning recalls John Pertwee accidentally taking the ship's binnacle from the SS Robert Dundas (the old ship they were using for the SS Bernice in the story), after the crew were given permission to take certain items since the ship was going to be scrapped after filming. He managed to return it. Katy recounts filming the first Drashig scenes in Essex in Tillingham Marshes, and how she had to kneel on a wooden block hidden under water to make it look as though she was sinking into the marsh. Colin Mapson recounts how they created and filmed the Drashig sequences and Katy Manning reveals her ability to make chicken noises without using her mouth and talks about the sets used for the miniscope. Cheryl Hall and Katy Manning reminisce about working with each other and Leslie Dwyer, while the former recalls the fun costume she had to wear, as well as Dwyer and Pertwee's previous experience working in show-business. Peter Halliday is interviewed about playing the Inter Minorian Pletrac. Barry Letts talks about the introduction of a new theme tune and how it was quite disliked upon broadcast so they promptly switched back to the old theme. Cheryl Hall recounts the final scenes of the story and how flattering as well as what an honour it was to be given the privilege of being the final shot of the story.
Notes
- Drashig is an anagram of "dish rag", because in order to focus the actor's attention during filming, they had hung a white dish rag from a pole and had the actors look at it while giving their lines to make it seem like they were looking at the Drashigs, which would be added in post-production.
- The Drashig's screams were created by playing the sound of a screeching car tire backwards.
- Drashigs' heads were also created using the skulls of deceased dogs, but Colin Mapson clarified that for many years some people believed they had put down dogs to get the skulls when really they were donated by people with the skulls already taken after the animal was deceased.
People interviewed
Home video releases
This documentary was included on the DVD release of the Doctor Who story Carnival of Monsters as well as the BluRay release of Season 10.
