Max Warp (audio story)

It featured a parody of Top Gear called Max Warp with Graeme Garden, James Fleet and Duncan James' characters Geoffrey Vantage, O'Reilley and Timbo each parodying the presenters from the post-2002 line-up of Top Gear.

Publisher's summary

Welcome to Max Warp! Broadcasting live from the Sirius Inter-G Cruiser Show. Hosted by outspoken columnist and media personality Geoffrey Vantage, with spaceship-guru-extraordinaire O'Reilley and daredevil pilot Timbo "the Ferret".

When a test flight of the new Kith Sunstorm ends in disaster, the Sirius Exhibition Station is plunged into a web of murder and intrigue. Someone — or something — is trying to re-ignite a war between the Varlon Empire and the Kith Oligarchy.

As the fate of the galaxy hangs in the balance, only two investigators, the Doctor and Lucie, can hope to uncover the truth.

So strap yourself in, engage thrust, and prepare for... Max Warp!

Plot

to be added

Cast

Worldbuilding

Cultural references

Lucie mentions Sherlock Holmes, Miss Marple and Hercule Poirot.

Languages

"Morok" is used as a minor insult.

The TARDIS

Lucie jokingly defines "TARDIS" as "Time and Relative Dimensions in Shed".

Notes

This story features a musical performance by Barnaby Edwards and Nicholas Briggs of Big Finish.
Elements in this story parody the show Top Gear, including the accident of Richard Hammond aka the Hamster. In this story, it is Timbo, a.k.a. the Ferret, who has an accident flying at high speeds, precipitating an interstellar incident. Geoffrey Vantage's sexist, racist, and anti-environmental opinions are an exaggerated version of Jeremy Clarkson's controversial remarks. O'Reilly's affinity for topics that bore other spaceship enthusiasts is similar to James May's style which his Top Gear presenters often tease him for.
An advertisement for Galactic Salvage Insurance can be heard near the beginning of the story. According to TV: Nightmare of Eden the company was founded in 2068 and liquidated in 2096, placing this story some time between those years.
This audio drama was recorded on 13 August 2007 at the Moat Studios.
The story was broadcast on BBC Radio 7 on 26 October 2008.
The first part of the story was released for free onto The Big Finish Podcast feed in 2013.
This story was originally released on CD and download. In 2019, this story was re-released on vinyl in a limited run of 2000 copies.

Continuity

An advertisement for "Galactic Salvage and Insurance" can be heard. Galactic Salvage Insurance was first mentioned in TV: Nightmare of Eden ^[+]Loading...["Nightmare of Eden (TV story)"].
"Monoid 18" is paged. The Monoids first appeared in TV: The Ark ^[+]Loading...["The Ark (TV story)"].
A Slithergee ice dance spectacular show is mentioned, a reference to AUDIO: Flip-Flop ^[+]Loading...["Flip-Flop (audio story)"].