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Bang-Bang-a-Boom! was the thirty-ninth story in Big Finish's monthly range. It was written by Gareth Roberts and Clayton Hickman and featured Sylvester McCoy as the Seventh Doctor and Bonnie Langford as Melanie Bush.

As with the prior Mel story, The One Doctor, it was in many ways a parody — though this time of Star Trek, the Eurovision Song Contest and the Gerry Anderson 1970s show Space: 1999. Indeed, the title itself is a pun on "Boom Bang-a-Bang", the 1969 song by Lulu that gave a Eurovision win to the United Kingdom.

Publisher's summary[]

Dark Space 8 — an advanced monitoring station floating serenely among the stars. Its crew — a dedicated and highly-skilled group of professionals, calmly going about their vital work. Its mission — to boldly host the Intergalactic Song Contest.

With representatives from myriad worlds competing, the eyes of the universe are on the station. But dark deeds are afoot aboard Dark Space 8... and people are starting to die.

The haughty Queen Angvia; the gaseous gestalt Gholos; disposable pop idol Nicky Newman; erratic Professor Fassbinder; and the icily-efficient Dr Eleanor Harcourt — all are suspects. Could old political rivalries be manifesting themselves among the contestants? Is this the work of a breakaway terrorist faction? Or has someone just got it in for singer-songwriters?

With peace in the galaxy hanging by a thread, it's vital that the mystery is solved — and fast! Can Dark Space 8's unconventional new commander, with the help of his personal pilot, Mel, find the murderer in time to prevent a major intergalactic war?

Or will it be nul points for the entire universe...?

Plot[]

Before the 309th Intergalactic Song Contest, the Angvians and the Gholos were attempting to make peace. Angvian terrorists posed a threat to any peaceful activities. In order to cope, two peace conferences were set up. One, on Achilles 4, was the obvious target for terrorists. The second was the Intergalactic Song Contest, where the Golos and Angvian competitors would telepathically communicate with each other without their knowledge. Despite the attempts of a Golos-sympathising terrorist, the peace conference succeeded.

The contest itself is hosted by Logan, until he is killed by Loozly, at which point it was hosted by Lieutenant Strindberg. It was watched by over a quinquillion people across the universe.

The competitors are a competitor from Algol 7, Angvia of Angvia, the Breebles, a Cephalopod, Cyrene, a Drahvin from Drahva, Gholos of Golos, and Nicky Newman of Earth, who is later replaced by the Seventh Doctor.

The final winner of the Song Contest is the Seventh Doctor.

Cast[]

Crew[]

Worldbuilding[]

The Doctor[]

  • The Doctor previously placed a whistle in Mel's pocket.
  • Mel jokingly suggests that the Doctor may be having "a mid-regeneration crisis."

Individuals[]

  • The Doctor describes the Tudors as "splendid chaps, all of them."
  • Dr Eleanor Harcourt enjoyed a close personal relationship with Commander Keele before his death.
  • The readers of Entropy Magazine voted Nicky Newman as the fifth most famous person in the galaxy.
  • Both Mel and Commentator Logan refer to Queen Angvia as a "valkyrie."
  • The Doctor refers to René Descartes as an "old friend."
  • Angvia is the fourteenth queen of the House of Silcitor.

The TARDIS[]

Space stations[]

Intergalactic Song Contest[]

  • There have been 308 previous Intergalactic Song Contests.
  • Contestants in the 309th contest include Earth (represented by Nicky Newman), Mars, Ferazferon, the Cissadian Cephalopods, Drahva (represented by Maaga 29), the Architects of Algol, the Breebles and the Freznixx of Braal.
  • Songs featured include Drahva's Clone Love, Argol's Don't Push Your Tentacle Too Far (sung by Billionus Groo-Fang of the Arkol star cluster), and Angvia's Gozraj-a-dett (My Love is as Limitless as a Black Hole, and I'm Pulling You Over the Event Horizon).
  • Representing Earth in lieu of Nicky Newman, the Doctor wins the Intergalactic Song Contest by playing the spoons.

Species[]

Conflicts[]

  • During their conflict, Golos broke the Tenebros IV peace treaty and the Fringe Worlds of the Zordon Nebula were settled by Angvia in violation of this treaty. However, Queen Angvia claims that they were invited in by the natives.

Foods and beverages[]

  • The Doctor recalls the delights of the pastry chefs on Barastabon.

Gallery[]

Notes[]

  • The Intergalactic Song Contest and its commentator Logan spoofs the Eurovision Song Contest and its long-serving BBC commentator Terry Wogan.
  • Dr Harcourt's line about the contest being "the last, best hope for peace" between Angvia and Golos is a direct quote from the opening monologue of Season 1 of Babylon 5. However, the way it is spoken, as well as the character's voice itself is reminiscent of the Dr Helena Russell character from Space: 1999. During that show's second season, her character often gave a medical status report featured in many episodes. Her character was also romantically attached to the base's commander - John Koenig. Professor Ivor Fassbinder was an affectionate nod to the first season Space: 1999 character Victor Bergman.
  • At one point, a character mentions the Zordon Nebula, a reference to the character of Zordon from Power Rangers. This returns the favour to franchise instalment "Power Rangers Lost Galaxy", which mentioned the Kasterborous constellation and the galactic coordinates of Gallifrey in the episode "Green Courage", which was partially set in a meteoroid field at that location.
  • Angvia (the name of Patricia Quinn's character) is a deliberate anagram of "vagina".
  • This is the second Christmas comedy release, the first being AUDIO: The One Doctor.
  • There is a false ending during Part 4 where the theme music starts and then cuts out as Mel points out that the supposed resolution was "too easy."
  • The title is a reworking of Lulu's winning 1969 Eurovision entry Boom-Bang-A-Bang.
  • This was the first audio production to feature the period appropriate arrangement of the Doctor Who theme, in this case, that arranged by Keff McCulloch.
  • The cover colour scheme echoes the poster for Star Trek: The Motion Picture.
  • This audio drama was recorded on 1 and 2 October 2002 at the Moat Studios.
  • aHistory arbitrarily dates this story to 3950, as it seems to take place during the Federation period.
  • Russell Stone's score to the story, alongside the scores to Dust Breeding and The Rapture was released on the CD Music from the Seventh Doctor Audio Adventures.
  • The Ninth Doctor would face the Breebles (mentioned for the first time in this story) in the 2005 puzzle game/short story Robot Rose, featured in the Doctor Who Annual 2006.
  • This story is set between Paradise Towers and Delta and the Bannermen.

Star Trek parodies[]

However This story generally spoofs the Star Trek franchise and its storytelling styles. The more direct examples of this include:

Continuity[]

External links[]

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