What did you think of this episode?
Sonic!
Good!
Bumpy-wumpy!
Exterminate!
I'm not sure why this one doesn't get more loving, I had a blast watching it.
So the villains aren't overly memorable, but I enjoyed them, and it is nice to know what the full intentions of them was - eat, swirl around, make a wormhole, move on to eat the next planet - simple and effective, thank you!
It isn't a classic by any means, but if you want to stick a fun, harmless adventure on on a cold and wet Sunday, you could do a whole lot worse than this.
One thing I only realised after a rewatch, is the whole four knocks thing wasn't all that long in the making. When you think back you just kind of think it was there all along, but we only had two stories before it all came to pass.
"Funny thing is, I don’t usually do Easter. I can never find it. It’s always at a different time. Although! I remember the original. Between you and me, what really happened was..."
It may be that being sandwiched between series 4 and an absolute all time banger in The Waters of Mars has made this one a trifle forgotten. We had the tragic ending of Donna, followed by Jackson Lake losing his wife, and a whole heap of shit hitting the fan on Bowie Base One, but this is much more lighthearted.
The episode takes us on an adventure with the Tenth Doctor (David Tennant), who finds himself aboard a London bus that’s been accidentally transported to the middle of an alien desert. The premise is solid - a blend of disaster movie and sci-fi adventure - as the Doctor and a group of fellow passengers work to find a way back to Earth before a deadly swarm of alien creatures devours everything in its path.
This episode has a cracking cast. Michelle Ryan is a great addition as Lady Christina de Souza and the flirting between her and the Doctor is fun to watch. The rest of the passengers on the bus are also strong characters, and although they have limited time they are all well acted and likeable.
Visually, Planet of the Dead is impressive, particularly the dessert setting that they filmed on location in Dubai. Plonking a London bus in the sand is simple, but very effective and it looks bloody good. I also think the swarm are pretty impressive looking creatures.
"Well it didn’t do Mr. Watt any harm. Furthermore, one hundred Malcolm's equals a Bernard."
This is a romp, and there isn't much depth to any of the story or characters, but we don't need that every time do we?
We also get to see Lee Evans in Doctor Who, and he was bloody hilarious as UNIT Scientific Advisor Malcolm Taylor. Captain Erisa Magambo played by Noma Dumezweni was a bit quick to give up on the Doctor and threaten Malcolm at gun point, then equally as quick for the pair of them to forget the issue - but I will let that past.
"Chops and gravy. Lovely."
In conclusion, Planet of the Dead doesn't aim to be an emotional or philosophical rollercoaster, it is a funny, fun, fast-paced romp that is a great go to episode. It will never be one of David Tennant's best or most memorable of specials, but it is an enjoyable ride nonetheless.
RATING: Good!
BEST LINE: "It is returning. It is returning through the dark. And then Doctor...Oh but then…He will knock four times."
#DoctorWho #PlanetOfTheDead #DavidTennant #MichelleRyan #Ten #LadyChristineDeSouza #LeeEvans #MalcolmTaylor #CaptainErisaMagambo #NomaDumezweni #UNIT #Wormhole #Tritovores #FourKnocks #HeWillKnockFourTimes #Regeneration #Easter #RTD #TARDIS #Series4 #DWSpecial
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