Carnival of Monsters: The Mandrels

Carnival of Monsters

Number Five: The Mandrels

There is an argument that asserts that because Season 16 relied primarily on humanoid foes, Shrivenzales and Ogri aside, the designers responsible for creating Doctor Who’s menagerie of menaces rather forgot how to design decent-looking monsters. Coupled with a budget that didn’t stretch nearly far enough, there was a growing problem. Not that the writers held back in their imaginings. When Season 17 was broadcast, we ended up with mangy-looking Daleks, Nimons in blue tights, a giant inflatable plastic bag called Erato and the admittedly nightmarish Scaroth.

Then there are the Mandrels in Nightmare of Eden.

Written as large and dangerous creatures, there’s something almost brilliant about their design. They have glow-in-the dark eyes, arms that are far too long for their bodies, and flared legs that could only have come from the seventies. The Mandrels are only a short distance away from being a classic design. I think they are completely brilliant.

Yet it is in their execution where something goes tragically wrong. Like the Slitheen twenty-five years later, monsters with long arms look good until they actually have to attack. Then all the poor performers inside them can do is flail wildly and hope that something connects. In Nightmare of Eden, the Mandrels main method of attack seems to be to swing and hope. Several characters die from what appear to be the most glancing of blows and yet the Doctor survives a full on wrestling match with one.

Although their importance to the plot is immensely clever, it actually relies on them becoming the victims in the story and to be almost domesticated by K9’s dog whistle, following the sound and making noises of bliss. They are like big hairy doggies. So instead of being the fearsome beasts that everyone in the story describes, they become almost cute. The BBC should have marketed Mandrel dolls in the seventies as cuddly plush teddies. They would have made a mint. I can imagine the response of children throughout the land when they saw one...

Unfortunately for the designers, at the same time Nightmare of Eden was first broadcast, The Muppet Show was also at its height, and it is hard to look at a Mandrel without seeing Sweetums, the big shaggy Muppet monster with the huge mouth who eats bunnies...