The Greatest Show in the Galaxy
Doctor Who episode (season 25, episode 13)Wikipedia
18
MENTIONS
7
EPISODES
5
PODCASTS
Search complete. 18 mentions across 7 episodes found for "The Greatest Show in the Galaxy".
Oct 27, 2026
Stephen WyattGUEST
Incidentally, because it's also widely claimed he's not based on the young Chris Chibnall, whose existence I wasn't even aware of at the time I wrote the story.
Stephen WyattGUEST
Here's what I offered as a commentary on the meaning of The Greatest Show in the Galaxy when asked by the author of the Black Archive volume.
Stephen WyattGUEST
My starting point was closer to my own experience.
Stephen WyattGUEST
In the 1970s, I'd been involved in a number of community and children-based theatre projects which still drew on an idealistic hippie philosophy of peace and love.
Stephen WyattGUEST
I was therefore interested to come across John Higgs's fascinating Exterminate, Regenerate, the story of Doctor Who.
Stephen WyattGUEST
Again, Higgs uses the end of Greatest Show as a metaphor for a series fighting for survival against the disapproval of the BBC hierarchy.
Stephen WyattGUEST
Andrew Cartmell and I hated the title The Greatest Show in the Galaxy, as it seemed to be asking for trouble.
Stephen WyattGUEST
But J&T insisted.
CamHOST
that's why i want to go back to it but at this point i'll just wait we'll get to it in two or
BenHOST
three years from now it was directed by alan waring Who previously did Ghost Light and then The Greatest Show in the Galaxy.
CamHOST
Which is shocking because this one I would say was very well directed.
CamHOST
Much better directed than the, I would say, I remember Ghost Light being directed.
Dave KitchenHOST
Oh, I agree.
RichardGUEST
For, for, for every Remembrance of the Daleks, there's a Greatest Show in the Galaxy.
Rob IrwinHOST
Yes.
RichardGUEST
Which I must admit I found really tedious last time I watched it.
Dave KitchenHOST
Yeah.
Dave KitchenHOST
I've, I've, I've g- both Greatest Show in the Galaxy and Ghost Light, our stories I've seen before, I have put them on wanting to see what other fans see.
RichardGUEST
Mm.
Dave KitchenHOST
And I just can't.
BenHOST
Long story short.
BenHOST
And this was directed by Alan Waring, who just did The Greatest Show in the Galaxy and will do Survival next season.
CameronHOST
Yeah.
CameronHOST
And this is also like to point, this is the last story ever filmed for classic Doctor Who.
DanHOST
today is
SiHOST
something that I am hugely, hugely intrigued to discuss, talk about, get your thoughts, etc., Because this is a bit of a funny one for me, the greatest show in the galaxy.
SiHOST
It's one that I vividly remember moments of airing back in, well, let's have a look, shall we? The December into January of 1988 and 89.
SiHOST
It's one that I vividly remember airing on television, sitting in my parents' front room, watching this.
SiHOST
And of course, you're a different person as well in later years.
SiHOST
So I'm massively intrigued to find out your thoughts on this as we go through.
SiHOST
Before we dive on in, The greatest show in the galaxy.
SiHOST
Sylvester McCoy is the Doctor.
BenHOST
True.
BenHOST
I'm gonna give it a 7.6, I think, for an average rating of 7.4. And if we talk about the polls, uh, this was ranked, uh, in Doctor Who Magazine, uh, every time they polled, number six out of 12, right beneath The Greatest Show in the Galaxy, and right above The Happiness Patrol.
BenHOST
So not quite in alignment we are.
CamHOST
2014 poll, in the 2014 poll it ranked 159.
PaddyHOST
Nope.
TriciaHOST
So as not to confuse it with the gods of Ragnarok from The Greatest Show in the Galaxy.
PaddyHOST
Yeah.
TriciaHOST
Which kind of pisses me off because I kind of wish that this story had gotten the Gods of Ragnarok title, and Greatest Show in the Galaxy had gotten something else.
2 HRS 13 MINS LATER
TriciaHOST
[laughs]
PaddyHOST
Yeah.
TriciaHOST
We need to get to here, we need to get to here where we can say that, like, that fucking, that the, that the greatest show in the galaxy was wrong, I think is the thing.
TriciaHOST
The greatest show-