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The Story That Beats Coronation Street (But Divides the Hosts)

Stephen Wyatt returns after Paradise Towers to deliver a circus-themed finale to Season 25. Expanded from three parts to four at John Nathan Turner's request, this story follows the Doctor and Ace arriving at the psychic circus on the planet Seganax—except Ace hates circuses, and the Doctor seems unusually fascinated by performance, danger, and magic. It wins over behind-the-sofa panelists and pulls the highest ratings of McCoy's entire run (beating Coronation Street for the first time), yet one host finds it compelling while the other considers it nearly unwatchable. What makes the difference?

Production Under Impossible Circumstances

The asbestos discovery that plagued Silver Nemesis forced this finale into a makeshift tent rigged in the parking lot. The budget is visibly exhausted by this point, yet the production team managed to secure Jeffrey Durham (The Great Soprendo) as the first magic consultant since 1977 to coach McCoy in juggling. The explosion sequence near McCoy was supposed to be blown air with added effects—until last-minute testing showed it looked unconvincing, so they switched to live pyrotechnics without telling the lead actor. He didn't blink on set because he believed there wouldn't be a retake.

The Doctor's Behavior: A Fundamental Divide

One host sees a character temporarily set aside his usual competence for story purposes. The other sees the Doctor acting like a completely different person—gullible, clumsy, silly, and uncharacteristically unable to read situations. The proactive crime-fighter from Remembrance and The Happiness Patrol has vanished, replaced by someone who falls into obvious traps and does pratfalls. McCoy's physical comedy training makes the juggling work, but does the writing serve the character he's been becoming over the last three stories?

The Satire Cuts Both Ways

Whiz Kid represents fandom—earnest, excited, devoted to the circus's history. His reward is a cruel, unnecessary death played as harsh comedy. What's the point of making fun of fans, especially when the message seems to be that fans should be punished for their devotion? Meanwhile, the real family in the audience—who turn out to be the Gods of Ragnarok—are abstract divine beings demanding entertainment. Who is the story really criticizing?

A Pantheon Problem

The Gods of Ragnarok are named after Norse mythology's apocalypse, yet they look almost Egyptian with their eye-based design. They get referenced later in New Who (specifically with the Fifteenth Doctor), which raises the question: did this story earn that future callback, or does the massive concept introduced in Part Four feel tacked on? What does naming them after Ragnarok actually accomplish?

Character Choices

Captain Cook is largely despised—a manipulative bore whose presence never makes sense. Mags is the victim of a rushed werewolf transformation that doesn't commit to either wolf or cat form. Kingpin is confusingly established as the former circus leader, but the revelation lands without impact. Bellboy's name suggests something, but what? The food cart lady exists to expose hippies. Meanwhile, the Chief Clown—sinister, physically controlled, genuinely threatening—stands out as the most interesting antagonist, but even he doesn't quite fit the larger story.

Does a Four-Part Circus Need to Be This Long?

The production feels stretched, relying on repetitive moments (running through quarries, hiding in tents, escaping robots) that feel interchangeable by Part Three. Could this have been told in three parts? Would removing redundant sequences have tightened the narrative? Does the extended runtime serve the story, or does it expose the thinness of the plot?

Production Highlights:

• Music: First original song for Doctor Who since The Gunfighters (1966). Performed by Rico Ross, who played Private Frost in Aliens.

• Magic Consultant: Jeffrey Durham (The Great Soprendo)—first since Talons of Weng Chiang (1977)

• Guest Star: Jessica Martin (Mags) returns to the role in Big Finish and will later play Queen Elizabeth in Voyage of the Damned

• Ratings: 5.0–5.3–4.8–6.6 (the finale pulls the highest numbers of McCoy's entire run)

Coming Up Next:

Friday (Patreon): Doctor Who: The Ultimate Adventure (1989 stage production with John Pertwee—the clearest footage available on YouTube).

Following Wednesday (Main Feed): Colin Baker retrospective (hiatus episode).

Jim's Links:

Big Top Tales Anthology - https://www.amazon.com/Big-Top-Tales-Nicholas-Ahlhelm/dp/1522700226

Pulp Fest Convention - http://www.pulpfest.com/

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