The Friday Docback Learns That ‘The Greatest Show in the Galaxy’ Isn’t!! DOCTOR WHO Story #151, Here Comes Season/Series 7, New SHERLOCK Hints & More!! NOW WITH NEW TRAILER!!

The Greatest Show in the Galaxy 

“ Anybody remotely interesting is mad in some way or another“

- the Doctor, The Greatest Show in the Galaxy Part Three 

The Doctor and companion Ace (Sophie Aldred) are startled when an odd little remote device materializes inside of the TARDIS, toggling the vessel’s view screen to a promo for The Psychic Circus (aka “The Greatest Show in the Galaxy” ), taunting them to visit.  Which they do...

There’s a deep, vacant feeling one gets when entering a store which is in its final days of operation, or a building that’s being decommissioned, or a home which a beloved family is leaving behind.  It’s an esoteric vibe - hard to put one’s finger on.  A sense of emptiness,  of loneliness, as if the diminishing purpose and energy which used to prevail in that place is calling out to us.  Seeking some sort of remembrance, and solace.  

That’s the feeling one gets from nearly every single frame of The Greatest Show in the Galaxy - a sensation I noted very early on in the Alan Wareing directed, Stephen Wyatt scripted story - before I looked it up to realize that this tale was one of the very last McCoy-era DOCTOR WHOs.  Six stories away from what would become a 7 year dearth of new DW on television.  TGSITG brings us DOCTOR WHO in what is perhaps the most cut-rate and ailing age it has ever known - the  late 1980s.  It shows us a DW whose essence is failing, ailing, and whose entirety is on the verge of regeneration.  

I’ve always contended that Sylvester McCoy was an extremely capable, perhaps even excellent, Doctor who was woefully under-served by the material he had to work with.  This has never been more evident than in Greatest Show.  If one’s able to focus and pay attention despite  this laughably inflated story - which may conceivably have worked as a tightly-focused two parter but completely jumps the rails beneath the strain of four full installments - one can see McCoy trying.  Trying so very hard to forge something palatable out of the blabbering nothingness of Greatest Show’s script. But, as talented and immensely capable as McCoy could and can be...even he ‘s simply unable to breathe life into this corpse.     Aldred also makes an equally honorable run at her material - but even snarky, uppity Ace can’t break through excessively shoddy production elements (even by DOCTOR WHO’s sometimes challenged standards), and the murky tedium of Wareing’s direction.  Supporting players are neither noteworthy nor dismissible - here one gets the sense that they’re lost and subtly trying to make sense of the circumstances their characters are experiencing.  They’re capable, but never particularly inspired or invested.  

While the whole of Greatest Show in the Galaxy struck me quite negatively, there are a few moments I find wonderfully executed and/or inspired.  I love this shot of a circus tent on an alien world (Segonax) - and wish the rest of the story had captured the whimsy suggested by this image as nicely. 

 

 

These 'Gods of Ragnarok' were also well conceived and nicely shot.  I'm a big fan of this David Laskey design...

 

 

 

And the story's closing moments show McCoy's Doctor exiting a circus tent shortly before a huge explosion - he never flinches or misses a beat.  Very well executed.  

 

In the past I’ve jumped all over inept episodes like The Sensorites  (Hartnell, Story #7) - stories which had tremendous potential and a compelling essence, but simply missed their mark due to clumsy or ill-informed execution.  Despite its complete meltdown of script and direction, I continued to grasp for some sort of point to what was happening on screen throughout Greatest Show’s running time.  By ‘point’  I don’t mean ‘deep, meaningful resonance’ - I mean some kind of...something...to make The Greatest Show in the Galaxy worthwhile.  An interesting angle...some sort of WHO-worthy thematic.  It simply ain’t here.  Or, if it’s present, it’s far too diffuse, and thoroughly under-developed.  A few moments suggested proceedings may, in fact, end up representing a scathing indictment of the entertainment system - illustrating through symbolism and analogy how performers live and die (literally) at the hands of almighty audiences.  Whether this was a thought proves which ever entered scripter Wyatt’s mind?  I can’t say - but it’s as good a guess as any. 

Is this the worst DOCTOR WHO ever made?  I haven’t seen the entire run of the show, so I’m not qualified to make such a brazen assertion at this point.  I will say however, that...due in large part to its overall pointlessness...this is the worst I’ve yet come across in my journey through the entirety of the show.  OF course, The Twin Dilemma (C. Baker, Story #136 ) awaits. 

A great, great many “good” - or at least “very interesting” WHO stories have been made over the decades -  not to mention Steven Moffat’s adrenalized, stylized, dramatically relevant 2010 + interpretation which is still unfolding.  And even with so much goodness to be found throughout the show’s vast run, we tend to pick and disassemble and lament and gripe about how we wish things were different - sometimes claiming we know better, or that “so and so” would’ve handled it in a cooler way, etc.   This is understandable: it’s the nature of fandom, and an expected byproduct of any show, movie, or franchise into which folks are investing their precious time, money, and resources.  With this axiom in mind:  the next time someone becomes too uptight, dismissive, or just plain bitchy about how <insert title here> DOCTOR WHO “sucked” because of <insert reason here> ?  Tell ‘em to watch this episode.  It may bring them a new appreciation for whatever WHO that just et them off and clearly illustrate how bottom-dwelling matters can truly become.  

The newly restored  DVD ofThe Greatest Show in the Galaxy is now available HERE in the U.S. and HERE in the UK.  

Extras include...

The Show Must Go On (30:17)

Insight into the production of this story from...

-- Andrew Cartmel (Script Editor) 

-- Sophie Aldred (companion Ace)

-- Mike Tucker (Visual Effects Assistant) 

-- Alan Wareing (Director) 

-- David Laskey (Designer) 

-- Ian Reddington (Chief Clown) 

-- John Nathan-Turner (Producer - Archive Interview) 

The Greatest Show was almost shut down due to production problems rising from Asbestos in studios.  Producer John Nathan-Turner stood up for the story and pushed to get it made.  

Deleted and Extended Scenes (11:10) 

Lost in the Darkness  (2:08)

Missing model shots from the story (the Junk Mail Robot approaching exterior TARDIS - dumped because the footage appeared ‘too dark’).

The Psychic Circus (3:52) 

A music video/montage.

‘Remembrance’ Demo (3:24) 

Demo for Remembrance of the Daleks ( McCoy, Story #148) - used by composer Mark Ayres to land a gig on The Greatest Show in the Galaxy. - cut into a sequence from Remembrance for the first time. 

 Tomorrow’s Times - The Seventh Doctor (14:30)

A look at press reaction to McCoy-era DOCTOR WHO, gleaned from The British Library’s Newspaper Archives - hosted by Anneke Wills (companion Polly) 

Victoria Wood Sketch (1:15)

A lampooning of  McCoy-era DOCTOR WHO.

Photo Gallery (7:20) 

PDF Materials 

Radio Times Listings 

Visual Effects designs and storyboards 

Coming Soon (1:04) 

A trailer for the forthcoming restoration of Planet of Giants (Hartnell, Story #9 ).  

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