7J. The Greatest Show In The Galaxy
Writer: Stephen Wyatt
Director: Alan Wareing
Designer: David Laskey
Incidental Music: Mark Ayres
Magic Consultant: Geoffrey Durham (4)
TRANSMISSION DETAILS:
678. Part One 14.12.1988 7.35pm - 8.00pm 5.0M/ 86th/68%
679. Part Two 21.12.1988 7.35pm - 8.00pm 5.3M/ 99th/66%
680. Part Three 28.12.1988 7.40pm - 8.05pm 4.8M/108th/69%
681. Part Four 04.01.1988 7.35pm - 8.05pm 6.6M/ 79th/64%
CAST:
CAPTAIN COOK: TP McKenna; MAGS: Jessica Martin; RINGMASTER: Ricco Ross; CHIEF CLOWN: Ian
Reddington; MORGANA: Deborah Manship; WHIZZ KID: Gian Sammarco (1-3); BELLBOY: Christopher Guard (1-3);
BUS CONDUCTOR: Dean Hollingsworth (1,3,4); NORD: Daniel Peacock (1-2); STALLSLADY: Peggy Mount (1,4)
FLOWERCHILD: Dee Sadler (1); DAD: David Ashford (2-4); MUM: Janet Hargreaves (2-4); YOUNG GIRL:
Kathryn Ludlow (2-4); DEADBEAT/KINGPIN: Chris Jury (2-4). UNCREDITED: VOICE ON ADVERTISEMENT/VOICE OF ROBOT JUNK
MAIL: Dean Hollingsworth (1); CLOWN DRIVER: Alan Rudolph (1); ROBOT OPERATOR: Jim Lancaster (1,4);
CLOWNS: John Alexander, Jeff Davies, Nicky Dewhurst, Raymond Dunstan, Earth G, Karl Magee, Paul Miller, Dave Pumfrett,
Hugh Spight; DOUBLE FOR THE DOCTOR: Tip Tipping (4); MUM GOD: Janet Hargreaves (4); DAD GOD: David Ashford
(4); YOUNG GIRL GOD: Lorna McCulloch (4); VOICE OF LITTLE GIRL GOD: Alan Wareing (4).
STORY:
A rudimentary artificial satellite manages to materialise in the TARDIS and link itself to the scanner. As the Doctor and Ace
watch it starts to advertise the Pshycic Circus on Segonax. Ace doesn't want to go as she has always found clowns creepy.
When the satellite claims Ace is scared, she retorts that she isn't scared of anything.
The TARDIS lands on Segonax during a talent contest for the Pshycic Circus. The Doctor has suspicions and wants to find out why
the famous travelling circus has settled on Seganox; to do this he decides to enter the talen contest, along with Nord, vandal
of the roads, the biggest fan of the circus, and Captain Cook and his companions Mags.
The only audience at the circus is a family of three, a father, mother and young girl. Investigations by the Doctor show the
circus holds a deep secret: The family is in fact a front for the Gods of Ragnarok who need entertainment. Those who do not
entertain are destroyed. With the aid of Ace, the Doctor manages to deflect the Gods' power back to them, destroying them an
their realm, and freeing the circus to be run by new owners - Kingpin and Mags
BLOOPERS:
Episode 1: At the climax of this episode, Bellboy's bottom makes a cameo appearance. When he's been thrown to the floor
of the ring by the clowns you can just see that he's let his trousers fall down a little bit too far. (This can be seen
again in the episode 2 reprise, if you care.)
LOCATIONS:
Warmwell, Dorset; BBC Elstree, Herts
NOVELISATION:
The Greatest Show In The Galaxy
Stephen Wyatt
VIDEO:
The Greatest Show In The Galaxy
