The Greatest Show in the Galaxy came about in the second to last season of Classic Doctor Who, the period during which Sylvester McCoys Doctor moved from clownish buffoon to something altogether darker. The hint at his centuries long war against the Gods of Ragnarok, the idea that he might just be manipulating events to his own ends and the darker, more callous side of his character all started to emerge properly after a first season spent clowning around, playing the spoons and trying to erase the memory of his sixth incarnations more troubled persona. But try as they might, this light approach only worsened the series troubles and so as McCoys tenure continued, the production team attempted to put some of the mystery back into the Doctor. That they managed to come close, given the production nightmares of the time, was nothing short of a miracle. The Greatest Show in the Galaxy put the Doctor into a strangely psychedelic setup exploring the mystery at the heart of an intergalactic circus that seemed to have a surprisingly small audience for such an epically appreciated show. The parallels were apparent from the beginning: The Greatest Show In The Galaxy wasnt just about the horrors that had befallen the Psychic Circus but about the horrors that had befallen Doctor Who, too. Colin Baker may have been put through a trial that mirrored the shows own tribulations during his time as the Doctor but McCoy managed, in four episodes, to concisely convey the shows troubles without being quite as on the nose as the season long Trial of a Time Lord. Maybe people are just reading too much into the show but here are just seven of the ways in which The Greatest Show in the Galaxy wound up being one of the most meta - and intriguing - Doctor Who stories ever filmed.
