Which is the "real" Carnival of Monsters?

[Zbigniev Hamson]

Out of the VHS and the DVD release? Episode 2 has a load of extra stuff on it on the VHS version, some of which was already in episode 1, so presumably the broadcast one is the tighter version on the DVD. But then the end of part 4 is a tighter version on VHS while it rambles on for ages on the DVD... so which of those is as originally broadcast?

[Zbigniev Hamson]

I think the BBC episode guide has just answered this for me

[Rob McCow]

So was the Delaware version of the theme ever broadcast on British National Television?

[SiHart]

No, the Delaware was only ever heard on the radio trailers fro The Three Doctors in the UK. In Australia they had it on Carnival pt 2 and Frontier in Space pt 5 (I think).

The DVD version is the correct version of Carnival. Pt 2 on the video was an early edit with the repeated scenes and delaware theme, which was never meant to be broadcast. The fourth part was edited in 1981 by Barry Letts who was unhappy with the bald make up on Plectrac. They meant to put the original full length version ala the DVD on the video, but got hold of the edited print by mistake.

Si xx

[shada pavlova]

But are the deleted scenes from episode 2 canon?

[SiHart]

Yes, because they're all actually in part 1.

Si xx

[shada pavlova]

What?

[SiHart]

They are! Watch it- there's no actually new material there at all- it's just got a couple of scenes from pt 1 repeated in part 2. (from what I remember)

Si xx

[Ssarl]

Actually, you're half right.

Originally, Part 1 was too short and Part 2 was too long. So they moved some footage. I think it's the second Inter Minor scene of Part 2 which was added to Part 1. The thing is Part 2's first Inter Minor scene stayed exactly where it was, creating a continuity error (the grey people tell Vorg they've checked his identity cassette in Part 1, and are checking it in Part 2. Or something like that).

This is why an entire scene repeats on the VHS - first, we get it in the transmitted version of Part 1, then we get it in the early edit of Part 2. It was utterly bizarre!

However, the early edit of Part 2 also contains bona fide deleted scenes, which you can find on the DVD as well as the VHS.

[shada pavlova]

Right. that clears my confusion.