...so anyway, a bunch of aliens show up, and the Steward introduces them, and the voice overlaps the images in some places -- more of that razor-thin British editing -- so I'm not sure who anybody actually is, toward the end of the introductions. Which is fine, because one of the fifteen ingredients in this little episode that refuses to jell or develop is the How To Host A Murder part, so we don't actually have to know anything about these aliens, because they don't have agendas, because they think they are there for an art show.

"Representing the forest of Cheem, we have...Trees." The Steward pulls a nice, tiny little pause every time he calls them Trees, and it's funny every time. Three tree-people walk into the room, a beautiful woman named Jabe, and two others wearing armor, named Lute and Coffa. "There will be an exchange of gifts representing peace," the Steward notes. "If you can keep the room circulating, thank you." The chubby, blue Moxx of Balhoon enters next, "from the solicitors Jolco & Jolco." The Doctor smiles cheerily at him, and Rose looks on, bewildered. Several creatures in cloaks, with long metallic claws, enter next, the Adherents of the Repeated Meme from Financial Family Seven. The Doctor chuckles at the look on Rose's face. Two lizards, the brothers Hop Pyleen, are the inventors of Hyposlip Travel Systems. Something that sounds like Cal Spark Plug, two Skeksis named Mr. and Mrs. Pakoo, and some others, the Ambassadors from the City State of Binding Light. Really the only crazy-important ones are the Adherents, the Trees, and the Moxx. The rest are intricately-costumed and really well-done monster stand-ins.