In praise of The Greatest Show In The Galaxy

Mccoy's second season of Doctor Who was when things started to slot into place. With ratings still poor, it was a real backs-against-the-wall job and so the show would be brave. As well as nostalgic excursions (it was the 25th season, after all), there was The Happiness Patrol with its barely veiled attack on Thatcherism and, to close the season, The Greatest Show In the Galaxy.
Yeah, not the scariest title but the story itself was a kaleidoscope of fear and wonder.
A travelling circus has set up shop on the desert planet Segonax and said circus is the self-titled "The Greatest Show In The Galaxy"

The clowns are wonderfully creepy. We're treated to some back-story that Ace had a childhood fear of the circus but that's needed. These are proper sinister.
Especially a pre-Corrie Ian Reddington as the Chief Clown. The fear comes from their movements as much as the make-up.
Also there's the audience. The Family sit there for every performance. Their coldness is wonderfully theatrical.Watching. Judging. And sentencing to death acts that bore them.
Yes, to adult eyes, strewn throughout there's meta-commentary on the future of Doctor Who. It's future was uncertain due to low ratings. And a fanboy arrives who is still tragically devoted to the show despite being aware that its best days were behind it.

That is smuggled in amongst a dazzling display of images. Buses in a desert (years before Tennant) policed by a murderous bus conductor. The Gods of Ragnarok. Werewolves. And an utterly desperate gang of characters who can turn at any time on anyone. That last point really struck my nine year-old self. It's not remotely cosy.
Yes, there's pacing problems from time to time.
But it's a real high point of late 80s Who and could have served as a fitting but bittersweet last story (that honour, for almost seven years, fell instead to Survival and its puss-in-boots-i-ness.