Doctor Who review: River Song faces a Carnival of Monsters in Peepshow
By James Aggas
River Song faces Ogrons, Sontarans and Drashigs in Peepshow, a story set at the same time as the classic Doctor Who serial Carnival of Monsters!
The third episode of The Diary of River Song: Series 6 is, like An Unearthly Woman and The Web of Time, strongly connected to a classic Doctor Who story – in this case, Carnival of Monsters. However, unlike the other two episodes, Peepshow is less of a prequel and more of a story that runs parallel with the original serial.
Once again, River knows the events of the original adventure. In fact, that’s why she’s there. Not to help her husband, of course, but to try and retrieve something useful. Of course, like the Doctor, she has to face many dangers and monsters along the way…
Writer Guy Adams has used a simple but brilliant idea for this episode. It was clear in Carnival of Monsters that the Miniscope was – on the inside, at least – incredibly huge, and there were many monsters and environments within that the Doctor didn’t face directly, including Ogrons (which you can briefly see in the clip below). Adams using them for River’s adventure is brilliant enough, but then he also throws the Sontarans in, too…
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Ogrons vs Sontarans vs Drashigs
Now there’s a match that instantly puts a smile on this fanboy’s face! This combination is exactly as brilliant as you’d expect. Dan Starkey is as fantastic as ever voicing the Sontarans, while Guy Adams makes sure to sound as hilariously stupid as possible for the Ogrons. It’s a joy to hear these two classic races face each other, and it gets even better once you throw the Drashigs into the mix!
But I think my favorite element of this episode wasn’t the monsters, but River’s temporary “companion” during the whole adventure: Dibbsworth, an ordinary human who finds out he’s been abducted by aliens. He tags along with River so that he can escape from the Miniscope.
Dibbsworth brings a very ordinary and grounded outlook to the story, making him a great contrast to someone like River. He’s also played extremely well by Clive Wood, who makes the character feel relatable and likable.
Overall, Peepshow is definitely a worthy companion piece to something as light and entertaining as Carnival of Monsters. If you’re a fan of that classic serial, you’ll definitely enjoy this one.
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Are you a fan of Carnival of Monsters? Do you think Sontarans and Ogrons should face each other on-screen? Do you think it’s time for the Drashigs to return? Let us know in the comments below.