Fun fact, Sylvester McCoy was put through several different auditions for his role as the Doctor because the higher ups in the BBC wanted to cast someone else in the role. He was made to act out a series of whimsical yet serious scenarios that would eventually get him the part. So you can see the Doctor trying to please the Gods here as allegory for Sylvester having to prove to the higher ups that he was suitable for the role.
You should go check out some: 'Bug Finish,' audio dramas. Try: 'The Holy Terror,' for the 6th Doctor, and: 'Live 34,' for the 7th Doctor!... Or don't. This is just, if you want. :)
7 and Ace had one of the best chemistries ever. It was kind of a throwback to the first Doctor, with Hartnell being the thinker, and Ian the man of action, Ace did all the running and fighting, while 7 played the fool, analyzed his opponents up-close and found the best way to neutralize them for good.
I love how the doctor, a man with boundless knowledge, a time machine that can go anywhere in time and space, and tools of near infinite abilities...still took the time to learn a bunch of magic tricks.
I swear, I heard sonar disturbances from a Gallifreyan vessel in the direction of London Ontario, as if echoing out a series of consoling tones, like comforting a child. @@seventhdoctor2726 You cried on the TARDIS console when Ace and you fell out, didn't you?
They mentioned The Gods of Ragnarok in the latest special, "The Giggle" - but honestly, I was getting Greatest Show vibes throughout the entire episode. The clowning, showmanship, toys (etc) - and a multiversal god-level threat bested by fun and games.
I loved Season 25 when it first went out in 88, still do. It totally regenerated my love for the show after I had been disillusioned for 3 or 4 years, and Greatest Show was a great finale to a great year.
Bryan Braddock I feel Season 24 takes that title, as even Series 2 and 8 of the New Series had some episodes to enjoy. Ironic, considering McCoy is one of my three favorite Doctors.
Ya strange because McCoy’s first season was regarded as one of the worst seasons in the show. His second season was pretty mixed so everyone thought that this show should be canceled but his final season had some of the best stories and almost every story in that season is praised by fans even Ghostlight
Jonathan Morton I second that agreement! Out of all the Doctors, Seven was the greatest in terms of being a scheming mastermind! And while it's true that him being a mastermind did cost him relationship points with Ace, watching Seven repeatedly outwit his foes was so much fun.
Aaron Ball I agree. I mean, I won't argue when people say Season 24 was awful, but from Remembrance of the Daleks onwards, Sylvester McCoy became one of my all time favorite Doctors.
+John Doyle Design Department "OK, this dark room will be the alien station. That white room will be an ice cave. Look like you're slipping around a lot, OK?"
John Doyle BBC heads HATED science fiction! wouldn't give show a budget to compete with USA shows like STNG or Babylon 5! ratings low in fragmenting market. excuse to not spend $ on a "kids" show. feedback cycle until plug pulled.
Eh...I have mixed feelings. On the one hand, I don't think he was very good his first couple of seasons. He was the only classic Doctor who never really felt like the Doctor. That is, until his final season. Once he figured the part out (probably also helped that there was a new script editor replacing Eric Saward) his Doctor became a lot better and a lot more believable. I liked the sly and mischievous aspect that he started to develop. Had Colin's Doctor stayed around longer, the plan was to have him be initially harsh and cold but gradually warm up to others. Likewise, McCoy's Doctor had a plan and that was to have an element of mystery in the program. The Doctor often knew a lot more than he was letting on to the companion and audience. The combination of this new aspect to the character with McCoy's great performances made the show rather entertaining that final season. So unfortunately his era kind of ended just as soon as it was starting to get interesting, but then again I seriously doubt the quality of the writing and production would've been any better had the show continued into the 90's, unless someone really good replaced JNT and the show got a lot more funding.
@@UnchainedEruption His first year had alot of preordered scripts, where the doctor was basically blank an Mel was reduced to a grown up Violet Elizabeth .
This was, and always will be my all time favourite story! The Doctor is acting, and if you actually watched the story IN FULL you'd see why this story was one of the best in the 80s.
I’m surprised how serious the cast can be with an evil clown shouting at them next to a bunch of robot clowns with killer bowing pins while a huge a robot shoots killer light beams Plus having a character named Kingpin and another character being a werewolf stripper or at least looking like a werewolf stripper And that’s not even mentioning Sylvester McCoy battling stone gods with magic tricks. The acting of Doctor Who actors just amazes me
Greatest Show in the Galaxy was always my favourite from Season 25. Granted, Remembrance of the Daleks was an absolute banger that was better executed (and had the better budget), and I absolutely adore Happiness Patrol, but Greatest Show was a perfect blend. Light, fun and entertaining - occasionally camp - but also dark, mysterious, and sometimes creepy. It's a wonderful little adventure overall - and deliciously meta.
You know, they should do a Old Who styled story; multiple episodes, 30-minutes, one story, same camera, same style, similar music, see what modern fans think about it. It's not Doctor Who if you only count the newer series. I do like the exploding tent.
Radagast: I'll draw them off. Gandalf: These are Gundabad wargs. They will outrun you! Radagast: These are Rhosgobel rabbits. I'd like to see them try. Radagast the Brown is my favorite character..Sylvester nails it!
xcatdarkness _"You know how they say 'Any advanced form of technology is indistinguishable from magic? Well, the reverse is also true."_ ~ The Seventh Doctor, Battlefield
Not really. It's an old saying that has many uses/contexts. Here he's saying it because they KNOW he's just buying time, but he knows that with enough time, Ace will get the job done and the Doc will win, so they're basically just hanging themselves for not killing him straight away.
I always brood about a circus episode where The Doctor, played by Rupert Grint, hop on a bicycle which after a few paddeling falls apart to a unicycle similar to the chase in the Marx Bros movie "The Big Store".
please could you put clip from the moonbase on because i really like some of the bits from the normal and animated episodes like "clever, clever, clever!" clip
/scoffs/ Oh please, those robot clowns have got nothing on the Killer Klowns from Outer Space.... At least the Killer Klowns are actually funny and do amusing stunts....
Cameron K. Russell T. Davies was also good at it. Did you see the Sarah Jane Adventures episode: "The Nightmare Man". Proper frightening Joker like character. But what I like even more is that that guy, Julian Bleach, is the same one who played Davros in The Stolen Earth / Journey's End and both characters are so different from each other and he pulls them both off brilliantly.
Death And UA-cam She and Clyde should return in Doctor Who. They were amazing characters. Luke was in three episodes, but Clyde and Rani were in none. (Although Clyde was mentioned both in "Turn Left" and "The End of Time")
Surprisingly an enjoyable episode, in my opinion. Then again, I'm a fan of pretty much every story with Sylvester McCoy's Doctor after the awful Season 24.
And of course: "unlimited rice pudding", "I wouldn't waste my time on her, unless I had to use her somehow... (Ace)", "It's easy... When you have 900 years experience..."
Fun fact, Sylvester McCoy was put through several different auditions for his role as the Doctor because the higher ups in the BBC wanted to cast someone else in the role. He was made to act out a series of whimsical yet serious scenarios that would eventually get him the part. So you can see the Doctor trying to please the Gods here as allegory for Sylvester having to prove to the higher ups that he was suitable for the role.
The Gods of Ragnarok are a metaphor for the high ups in the BBC.
Veikko Elo PREDICTABLE AS EVER! people of BBC!
OH MY GOD
They would usually delete comments like yours .
Your comment probably pleased their inflated egos and boosted their God complex so they kept it .
That makes a lot of sense.
The whole story is a metaphor for the show at the time.
Whoever decided they should just let Sylvester be Sylvester for a few minutes.... thank you! :-D
Man In Magenta Wig thank God for Sylvester McCoy
i always wished that Sylvester and collin baker got better stories and were used how they were supposed to. at their best they were very good
You should go check out some: 'Bug Finish,' audio dramas. Try: 'The Holy Terror,' for the 6th Doctor, and: 'Live 34,' for the 7th Doctor!... Or don't. This is just, if you want. :)
7 and Ace had one of the best chemistries ever. It was kind of a throwback to the first Doctor, with Hartnell being the thinker, and Ian the man of action, Ace did all the running and fighting, while 7 played the fool, analyzed his opponents up-close and found the best way to neutralize them for good.
I love how the doctor, a man with boundless knowledge, a time machine that can go anywhere in time and space, and tools of near infinite abilities...still took the time to learn a bunch of magic tricks.
0:14 "You ain't seen nothin' yeeeet..." And he does the Michael Jackson lean from the "Smooth Criminal" music video.
Riley Sutton well he wasn't kidding when he said "you ain't seen nothin' yet"
He doesn't just DO the lean, he improves it!
Well, my companions are chased by clowns. I've had far worst days then that.
I swear, I heard sonar disturbances from a Gallifreyan vessel in the direction of London Ontario, as if echoing out a series of consoling tones, like comforting a child. @@seventhdoctor2726 You cried on the TARDIS console when Ace and you fell out, didn't you?
"Gods of Rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrragnarrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrok!"
The Grrrrrrrrrrrrreatest Show in the Galaxy!
I just saw Thor Rrrrrragnarrrrrrrok!!
Tier 100 of season 5 in fortnite was rrrrrrrrrrrrragnarrrrrrrrrrrrrrokkkkk
Blame it on the Scottish accent.
What a grrrrrrrrrrrrrrreat comment
God: When you stop entertain us, you daaaai!
Doctor: Predictable as ever, gods of Rrrragnarrrok!
Alexander Kim that’s wasn’t God talking
They mentioned The Gods of Ragnarok in the latest special, "The Giggle" - but honestly, I was getting Greatest Show vibes throughout the entire episode. The clowning, showmanship, toys (etc) - and a multiversal god-level threat bested by fun and games.
" You're just an ageing hippy , Professor."
Ace in 'The Greatest Show In The Galaxy' January 1989 =))
The doctor was "bringin it aroun town"
That's what I call it as well! 😄
ps3shark1 TECHNIQUE!
SP Murphy ahhh spongebob is such a inspiration
Did you think spongebob got that idea from this
Then you do this...
crrrazy how he rrrrrolls his rrrrrrs at the beginning of this video
Capaldi really scared me in the end :D
He was like "HOO-DINI"
The 4th Doctor Hoodini? VanossGaming?
Ionut Maris yes!
The 4th Doctor :D
How do you call a magic owl?
Ionut Maris Doctor Hoo-Dini!!!
I loved Season 25 when it first went out in 88, still do.
It totally regenerated my love for the show after I had been disillusioned for 3 or 4 years, and Greatest Show was a great finale to a great year.
Bryan Braddock What's your least favourite season?
Season 28/Series 2. (David Tennant's first season)
Bryan Braddock Ah, I see. I'm not too fond of the latest(Capaldi's)
Bryan Braddock I feel Season 24 takes that title, as even Series 2 and 8 of the New Series had some episodes to enjoy. Ironic, considering McCoy is one of my three favorite Doctors.
jhaaaajdjjjajjjuddduejanmxxMmmmnxnxzmmmdd m hh
I love Ace and the Seventh Doctor. Now there was a pair who knew how to gt into trouble with style!
+Rami Ungar Who is the Seventh Doctor? Are you talking about the Professor?
Crabby Old Gamer Yes, he was the Seventh Doctor. "Professor" was a nickname Ace gave him.
And Ace had a baseball bat and Nitro 9, too! :)
Makes sense. IRL Sylvester and Sophie had the same birthday!
This serial was meant as an allegory on how BBC was treating Doctor Who at the time
Yeah the show was a bit of a joke by that point with the clownish outfits, low budget, and awful stories.
Bit stupid of you to not realize the irony in deriding 'clownish outfits' on the video of a story about clowns.
Ya strange because McCoy’s first season was regarded as one of the worst seasons in the show. His second season was pretty mixed so everyone thought that this show should be canceled but his final season had some of the best stories and almost every story in that season is praised by fans even Ghostlight
Season 2 is pretty loved now except for silver nemesis, silver nemesis sucks
@@UnchainedEruption Not it's fault BBC chose the leaders and budget
One of the best stories in the seventh doctors era! :') such a underrated doctor!
I agree! The seventh doctor is, in actuality, probably one of my all time favorite doctors!
Jonathan Morton I second that agreement! Out of all the Doctors, Seven was the greatest in terms of being a scheming mastermind! And while it's true that him being a mastermind did cost him relationship points with Ace, watching Seven repeatedly outwit his foes was so much fun.
25 and 26 are two of the best season of doctor ever so sad hardly anyone was watching when they first aired
Aaron Ball I agree. I mean, I won't argue when people say Season 24 was awful, but from Remembrance of the Daleks onwards, Sylvester McCoy became one of my all time favorite Doctors.
***** Remembrance of the Daleks, Battlefield, The Curse of Fenric, and Survival called...
I love this story. The mix of camp and creepiness is almost perfect. Extremely re-watchable too.
This is the reason why people are afraid of clowns.
LachyFromJohto They definitly managed to make this one scary.
LachyFromJohto i was not scared of clowns before but now i am
LachyFromJohto No, people are afraid of clowns is the reason why this.
More likely it comes from the movie 'IT'
Lambert Brother Or book.
"You're not interested in beginnings, you're only interested in endings" - 7th Doctor
It's "You're not interested in any things"
@@darthraver It's "Beginnings".
McCoy doesn't get the credit he deserves, he really was quite brilliant, but let down by the production standards and the BBC in general.
+John Doyle Design Department "OK, this dark room will be the alien station. That white room will be an ice cave. Look like you're slipping around a lot, OK?"
John Doyle BBC heads HATED science fiction! wouldn't give show a budget to compete with USA shows like STNG or Babylon 5! ratings low in fragmenting market. excuse to not spend $ on a "kids" show. feedback cycle until plug pulled.
Eh...I have mixed feelings. On the one hand, I don't think he was very good his first couple of seasons. He was the only classic Doctor who never really felt like the Doctor. That is, until his final season. Once he figured the part out (probably also helped that there was a new script editor replacing Eric Saward) his Doctor became a lot better and a lot more believable. I liked the sly and mischievous aspect that he started to develop. Had Colin's Doctor stayed around longer, the plan was to have him be initially harsh and cold but gradually warm up to others. Likewise, McCoy's Doctor had a plan and that was to have an element of mystery in the program. The Doctor often knew a lot more than he was letting on to the companion and audience. The combination of this new aspect to the character with McCoy's great performances made the show rather entertaining that final season. So unfortunately his era kind of ended just as soon as it was starting to get interesting, but then again I seriously doubt the quality of the writing and production would've been any better had the show continued into the 90's, unless someone really good replaced JNT and the show got a lot more funding.
Not sure where you got the idea any classic doctors were 'cold'
@@UnchainedEruption His first year had alot of preordered scripts, where the doctor was basically blank an Mel was reduced to a grown up Violet Elizabeth
.
I miss the Seventh Doctor. Ace was my first crush as a lad!
Dorn05 She was my first crush as a girl and I’m not even gay. 🤪
@@turloughgirl5535 i think you are
This was Sylvester being himself. Another reason he was a good choice for the role as The Doctor
From one Scottish doctor to another.
Wait, McCoy was Scottish?
Born in Dunoon Scotland
You can't tell by the accent? lol
>McCoy
This was, and always will be my all time favourite story!
The Doctor is acting, and if you actually watched the story IN FULL you'd see why this story was one of the best in the 80s.
I loved how Chaplinesque Sylvester was in this. It seems like he also played on the cosmic tramp comic from Troughton’s era ❤️❤️❤️
0:15 the Doctor had dance lessons from Michale Jackson, Time-Travel and all
CALLUM.H PRODUCTIONS : except Michael Jackson never actually invented that move, it dates back to before 1927, possibly even medieval times!
Sponge bob does that move, too.
Its a super technique for blowing bubbles.
And you can still learn from some one, even if they didn't invent it.
Wasn't he still alive in the '80s?
And probably the Tin Man from The Wizard of Oz
I’m surprised how serious the cast can be with an evil clown shouting at them next to a bunch of robot clowns with killer bowing pins while a huge a robot shoots killer light beams
Plus having a character named Kingpin and another character being a werewolf stripper or at least looking like a werewolf stripper
And that’s not even mentioning Sylvester McCoy battling stone gods with magic tricks. The acting of Doctor Who actors just amazes me
I liked Ace. She was cool.
She's a timelord now.
MaddoxProductions1 she blew up a dalek with a rocket luncher. and suvived a fire bombing. shes one of the most tough compaions the doctor ever had.
No, she was ace.
Maybe Permanent Replacement Username Aah nice one
0:15 TECHNIQUE!!!!
TECHNIQUE!
TECHNIQUE!
TECHNIQUE!
TECHNIQUE!
TECHNIQUE!
TECHNIQUE!
Bring it around town.....
Bring it around town....
Rachel -Not-Again- Armamus AAAHHHHHH
Stop on your right foot DON’T FORGET IT
"I was going for minimalist. I think I came out with magician."
Greatest Show in the Galaxy was always my favourite from Season 25. Granted, Remembrance of the Daleks was an absolute banger that was better executed (and had the better budget), and I absolutely adore Happiness Patrol, but Greatest Show was a perfect blend. Light, fun and entertaining - occasionally camp - but also dark, mysterious, and sometimes creepy. It's a wonderful little adventure overall - and deliciously meta.
I can watch the doctor's tricks all day and not get bored
Sylvester McCoy is showing his real skills in magic tricks! Awesome!
Great episode, those clows were quite disturbing and Mccoy gives us a great performance as the doctor, one of my favourites episodes from his run
0:16 “Now it’s time to bring it around town! Bring it arooouuund town!”
And then McCoy was a wizard in the Hobbit movies. Remember that? He did actual magic.
Radagast the Brown 👍
In which the Doctor is captured and forced to entertain aliens but doesn't care because he finally gets to show off his magic tricks
Is it bad I want these guys to appear now that the Toymaker is back?
You know, they should do a Old Who styled story; multiple episodes, 30-minutes, one story, same camera, same style, similar music, see what modern fans think about it. It's not Doctor Who if you only count the newer series. I do like the exploding tent.
I love the acting of the Chief Clown. Would love if he comes back as the Master.
Well he came back with the master in a prequel
Damn how did Mcoy pull that trick with his legs!? 😂
tbh i love how Sylvester rolls his r's
watching this makes me feel like I'm watching the mighty morphin power rangers
I laughed so hard when the eggs came out him mouth tho XD
He's a really good mystery man with many MANY mysteries!
0:18 Anne are you ok are you okay Anne 🎶
Sylvester McCoy was a great doctor and should of done more series as the 7th doctor
He SHOULD have done that 4th series
Watching this without context is pure gold!
One of my favourite episodes from the classic series.
Ah, Panama Hats and Rrrrrrotating on the spot.
Love ace. Bring her back she never got to say goodbye to the show
🙂
Radagast: I'll draw them off.
Gandalf: These are Gundabad wargs. They will outrun you!
Radagast: These are Rhosgobel rabbits. I'd like to see them try.
Radagast the Brown is my favorite character..Sylvester nails it!
7th Doc doing MJ lean *LOL*
3:08 This is why I love the 7th doctor!
0:06 "Predictable as ever, Gods of (trilling "r"s) Ragnarok!"
Riley Sutton don't use mean rrrrrrrragnerrrrrrroke
When I first saw the episodes with Sylvestor McCoy, I honestly thought it was Rowan Atkinson
I have said from the very beginning that the 7th Doctor and Rowan Atkinson have a similar sounding voice hahaha
@@ste9281 I wouldn’t be shocked if it turned out that Rowan was the Original choice for 7.
CAPALDI STOP SCARING PEOPLE
How funny...I was just thinking last week that this would make a great Throwback Thursday video!
"No, Doctor! We are not concerned that you are playing for time!"
Possibly the Threefold God of Malice, Mischief and Misery
Definitely.
I had this movie on VHS!!!! So good :D
1:02 I had a thought on the tip of my tongue… oh, it’s not a thought at all, it’s eggs.
I know they mentioned a circus, but the reveal at 1:51 shocked me anyway
Best Classic Doctor
Every time The Doctor finishes a magic trick those dudes get madder and madder 😂😂😂😂😂😂
1:56 Colin Baker would blend in with this bunch. XD
lmao
He got redermed in big finish
The middle one is the evil parrarel universe version of him
Mags was such a great side character.
It was great to hear her brought back for Big Finish as a Companion for 7.
The Psychic Circus. It brings back old memories.
That 'you ain't seen nothing yet' sounded like a discord mod
its 3am and im watching this for some reason..
The judge in the middle was definitely enjoying the performance
I bet Ian Reddington was having a blast in this.
0:15 I see the doctor is a very big michael jackson fan.
there was a mention from the convention when McCoy mentioned doing magical tricks he enjoyed.
the doctor is magic & thats the way it should be
xcatdarkness For me the whole of Doctor Who is magic.
xcatdarkness Ha, then you should see Doctor Whooves, he is surrounded with magic:D
There's a 7th doctor story called
Battlefield
And basically the Doctor turns out to be Merlin
xcatdarkness
_"You know how they say 'Any advanced form of technology is indistinguishable from magic? Well, the reverse is also true."_ ~ The Seventh Doctor, Battlefield
The Doctor is SO weird and SO fantastic! OML I Love Him! :D
0:13 How the hell did they do that?
***** Don't you mean wibbly wobbly timey wimey?
***** Thank you, K9.
***** Actually, "Affirmative, Master" was K9's very first line in his debut story "The Invisible Enemy".
***** Oh yeah.
Andrew Chapman They nail his shoes to the floor then he simply leans. It was made famous by the 'Smooth Criminal' music video I believe :)
3:54 thats dark
Not really. It's an old saying that has many uses/contexts. Here he's saying it because they KNOW he's just buying time, but he knows that with enough time, Ace will get the job done and the Doc will win, so they're basically just hanging themselves for not killing him straight away.
Ace is lit
1:57 who people wondering why there are killer clowns in the 80s like this.
A great allegory on the state of doctor who at the time
0:14 Cue the theme song!
One of the creepiest episodes..ever!
0:15 "BRING IT AROUND TOWN"
*Pressing the same button repeatedly to make it turn on, shoot, and turn off.*
This story is amazing I have it on DVD :D
If Final Fantasy 6 was made into a movie, that actor who plays the clown would be a perfect fit for the character Kefka.
OMG you're a fan of FF6 and Doctor Who?! That's awesome!
Althalus2010 Thanks! You are too?
Free Majestic Bird I'm also one! :D
Nice!
Yup, definitely!
I always brood about a circus episode where The Doctor, played by Rupert Grint, hop on a bicycle which after a few paddeling falls apart to a unicycle similar to the chase in the Marx Bros movie "The Big Store".
The gods of ragnarok the resembling audience🗿
0:15 Spongebob: Bring it around town. Bring it around town.
please could you put clip from the moonbase on because i really like some of the bits from the normal and animated episodes like "clever, clever, clever!" clip
2:21 lol it's Killer Clowns From Space.
/scoffs/ Oh please, those robot clowns have got nothing on the Killer Klowns from Outer Space.... At least the Killer Klowns are actually funny and do amusing stunts....
What a showman!
Maybe my favourite story from the seventh's doctor era
Why doesn't moffat bring these back
Clowns r really REALLY scary
Cameron K. Russell T. Davies was also good at it. Did you see the Sarah Jane Adventures episode: "The Nightmare Man". Proper frightening Joker like character. But what I like even more is that that guy, Julian Bleach, is the same one who played Davros in The Stolen Earth / Journey's End and both characters are so different from each other and he pulls them both off brilliantly.
Cameron K. Oh, sorry. My bad.
There was also a SJA so called "Day of the Clown" it's actually a good introduction cous it's Rani first ep
Not THE Rani but a girl called Rani
Death And UA-cam She and Clyde should return in Doctor Who. They were amazing characters. Luke was in three episodes, but Clyde and Rani were in none. (Although Clyde was mentioned both in "Turn Left" and "The End of Time")
And that same man will be the War Doctor in the future.
The Doctor=Michael Jackson CONFERENCE XD
Surprisingly an enjoyable episode, in my opinion. Then again, I'm a fan of pretty much every story with Sylvester McCoy's Doctor after the awful Season 24.
+DalekTheSupreme IF WE FIGHT LIKE ANIMALS, WE DIE LIKE ANIMALS!
Crabby Old Gamer "We all have a universe of our own terrors to face."
And of course: "unlimited rice pudding", "I wouldn't waste my time on her, unless I had to use her somehow... (Ace)", "It's easy... When you have 900 years experience..."
1:50 hoomagad!! David Bowie's legions!!!