Planet of the Dead

Season 4, Episode 15, Aired
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Episode Summary

Location: Earth/Planet San Helios
Date: Unknown
Enemies: The Swarm
In the first of four specials to mark the departure of David Tennant, The Doctor finds himself taking a bus ride that leads him and everyone else into serious danger. Along with the mysterious Lady Christina de Souza, can The Doctor escape the desolate wasteland on which they're trapped on and stop the mysterious, deadly force looming on the horizon?moreless
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Fan Episode Reviews (27)

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  • There is such a thing as a terrible romp

    3.0
    "Bad"
    By idontknow4000, Sep 17, 2011 Report Abuse
    This episode has been described as a romp before it was broadcast. I thought that was great, some of the all time classic stories are romps of some sort ('The Daleks' starts of as a romp) but when I came to this story it did indeed feel like a romp, a romp with which the writing was so poor all of the characters are so absurd even within the context of the show.
    So we have Lara Croft there, she steals a diamond or a necklace or something from a museum, my eyes were not on the supposed priceless thing, it was on that fact that 4 guards were needed to protect it and yet nobody thought to put a camera up, or maybe not too look in all different directions so they easily have a blind spot, that isn't "romp", that is poor writing.
    This is all pre-titles, and when the good Doctor finally does arrive he does succeed as he always does to give a good smile and a giggle offering some easter egg to Lara.
    From then on the story is just, well, is there a story? They go to a desert, find some flies, find some clamps and fly back. Now to me you need a little more of a story than that.
    Oh and all those people on the bus had generic or annoying written all over them and at times it felt like a prequal to 'Midnight'.
    Lee Evans is not funny, he is annoying, he wasn't so bad in this but him being cast didn't help for my enjoyment of the story.
    That is all in the writing though, now onto the CGI, regardless of what many are saying I thought those manta ray space thingies were very well done though the flying bus was quite bad, I say quite, I mean alot bad.
    The flies looked quite good but here I see no reason for their inclusion in the story, the story could have been better paced if all that attempting to talk to them didn't go on.

    I hope the next 3 specials are better than this.moreless

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    4 5

  • A joyless, formulaic "romp". The RTD era is running out of steam.

    5.0
    "Mediocre"
    By Tremolo_, Sep 17, 2011 Report Abuse
    Remember when New Doctor Who was exciting and unpredictable and pushed boundaries? I do too just about, even if Russell T Davies seems to want us all to forget that it ever was despite making it so in the first place. I remember the time when an RTD script guaranteed some biting satire or some audacious dialogue or some moments so dark they'd take you by surprise. Not anymore. Planet of the Dead is so safe and traditional it defies believe. It's entertaining in a superficial way, but it does and says nothing of worth. The more you think about it afterwards the more unimpressive it becomes. There's not a single risk taken in the entire episode. The Next Doctor may have been pretty traditional and not enormously interesting either, but it at least had the character of Miss Hartigan to give the story some edge. This has literally nothing. Er... "crime is OK if you're rich"? Did I understand that right? I would've loved it if the Doctor had dismissed Christina (a character who while nice to look at doesn't resemble any sort of actual person) because she was a thief, not because he's such a misery guts angst merchant when it comes to his companions these days. If she'd been arrested the episode would've ultimately had some kind of bite, but instead we have her flying off in a bus accompanied by some of the worst music Murray Gold has ever composed (along with more people cheering, urgh).

    And the Doctor. I'm not going to blame David Tennant for this (even if he did look bored throughout), I'm going to blame the writing. I've become thoroughly sick of Ten since season four when the writers decided to stop doing anything interesting with his character, apart from actively ruining it in a few episodes. Remember the moment in Planet of the Ood when the Doctor asked Donna who did she think made her clothes? A great scene, quickly ruined by him apologising almost straight after. No. No. The Doctor simply wouldn't apologise. And then there's Journey's End where the Doctor actually says he's a pacifist and I nearly put my foot through the TV screen. Not only that but he then has the gall to condemn his clone for doing what he should have done in the first place.

    When did my Doctor have his backbone removed?! The Tenth Doctor is now a barely tolerable series of tics, mannerisms and catchphrases who peddles out the same old routines every time. I have never been more bored of a Doctor in my entire life than I am now. Every time he says "Allonsy" I grind my teeth into powder. I hate him. I actually hate him and that worries me a lot. I wouldn't mind so much if they'd stop endlessly banging on about how great he is, but they don't. I can make my mind up about how great the Doctor is thanks, I don't need to be constantly told. Nor do I need to be constantly told about how great and feisty and modern the companions are either. Nor do I need yet more speeches about mundane boring people and their brilliance. Show, don't tell Rusty.

    Oh, and nothing really happens. Plot? What plot? They go through a wormhole, wander around some sand dunes (which after all the Dubai filming bally-hoo could've been absolutelu anywhere, let's face it), chat to some unconvincing fly people (oh, yet another New Who alien race that looks like a species of earth creature, zzzzzzzz), get some alien gizmo, attach it to the bus and go home again. The end. Thrilling. But there's lots of spectacle and shiny effects in there, so that's OK. Oh, no it isn't. Because whizzy CGI is simply no substitute for a good plot, wit, atmosphere and memorable characters.

    I can't help but feel it was a mistake to not have any of the non-human characters speak, too.

    I love Doctor Who, both new and old and very rarely dislike an episode. But this might be the low-point of RTD's tenure, as Planet of the Dead makes disturbingly clear that his era has run out of creativity, energy and imagination. It's too safe, too pleased with itself, too by-the-numbers. I've loved the majority of his era and will defend almost all of his episodes to the hilt, but watching Doctor Who at the moment is akin to the sound of a balloon slowly deflating. For god's sake surprise us and stop going through the motions - it's what made the show such a smash when it returned in the first place!

    Fortunately The Waters of Mars looks like it'll be back up to the high standard we're used to and kick off David Tennant's final batch of (hopefully excellent) stories in a big way. Here's to the future.moreless

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    2 3

  • Bit like a Alton Towers, A great romp but not worth the cost of the ticket.

    8.5
    "Great"
    By CellBlocknutter, Apr 19, 2011 Report Abuse
    Theres no doubt that it was great to see Doctor Who back on TV, but this episodes was somewhat misleading calling it a 'special.'

    Special is not the word I would use, it was ordinary, but with spice and aroma. Before I continue I have to give a special mention to the special effects, which given the tight deadline were surprisingly good.

    Planet of the dead felt like a classic mundane episode with a few extra bells and whistles. This isn't a bad thing, it certainly felt fresh and at the same time reminisant of good times past. It could have been a classic Star Trek or Doctor Who episode; a self contained story with fun frills and a happy ending. It was a shame that style has been lost, so it was good to see it revitalised in this special.

    This however was it's downside. At my age I appeciate Doctor Who is aiming to appeal towards a wide and family friendly audience, but this episodes didn;t even bring me to climax, and no, no innuendo intended. I didn't feel the frill or excitmentm I wasn't surprised or shocked, it just kept me smiling and regretably hoping thier was a bit more to it. This episode will not be making the best 10 or even top 20 episodes.

    Theres no doubt that Lee Evans saved the day. His perfectly timed comedy and repitoire with the Doctor was the highlight. Including UNIT in the story was a good choice too, something the show should do a bit more often...Perhaps next time however they could make UNIT seem a bit more intimidating, not like they had just come from a guest appearance on Cbeebees. It was a bit camp, a bit soft, but easily forgivable because of Evans.

    The cast and crew were all good choices, I personally was glad to see Victoria Alcock (Of Bad Girls and House of Elliott) it's just a shame we didn't see more of her. The black lady too (forgive for not knowing her name) was a welcomed charecter. Where has this women been? She's a fantastic actor! I clung on her every word and credit to her for adding something good to this special. If this doesn't open up doors for her then theres no justice in the acting world. Talk about talent!

    All in all a great easter romp, but not really worthy of any awards or special recognition.moreless

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    2 2

  • Another reason I love this show...

    10
    "Perfect"
    By BraelynRae, Nov 17, 2010 Report Abuse
    I continue to fall in love with David Tennant's portrayal of the famous "Doctor", and the Planet of the Dead is no exception. The Doctor is enjoying an Easter on planet earth, when everything goes haywire. Through some sort of Doctor Who technoness, the Doctor's bus is pulled into another world with several humans as company. He tries to keep everyone calm while figuring out what exactly happened. Witty and prepared for anything, "temporary companion", Lady Christina- AKA- a jewel thief, takes control of the situation. The duo has excellent chemistry and seem more like long lost friends then strangers, together they solve the mystery and return safely home.moreless

    DO YOU AGREE?

    3 2

  • The Doctor along with other passengers on a 200 London bus end up in a desert land, they must escape before they are torn apart

    7.5
    "Good"
    By roweantarts, Aug 11, 2010 Report Abuse
    This episode is unlike any I have seen before - It's good to see the lara croft style theif, but it felt like she was a threat (I spent half the episode thinking that that cup was significant to the plot - though it wasn't very) while I did like the lack of death in this episode, it did seem very short which was disappointing considering (I think that The Two Doctors felt longer - perhaps because it wans't always flickering between scenes in the desert and London) The hints about the next episode were interesting (but what waters of Mars? it's all ice :P)moreless

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    2 1
 

Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions

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  • Trivia

    ADD TRIVIA
    • The phone the Doctor uses in this episode is a Nokia 7500 prism Edit
    • The Doctor previously used a Rhondium sensor in the Third Doctor serial The Time Warrior. Edit
    • When Malcolm tells The Doctor that he has read all his UNIT files, and The Doctor replies "What was your favorite? The giant robot?", it is in reference to the original Doctor Who series serial Robot. Edit

  • Notes

    ADD NOTES
    • In The Mighty 200 poll conducted by Doctor Who Magazine, this is the readers 99th favourite story. Edit
    • This is the second appearance of Noma Dumezweni as Captain Magambo. Her previous appearance was in Donna Noble's parallel world in the Season 4 episode "Turn Left", where she and UNIT were helping Rose use the TARDIS to send Donna back in time. Edit

  • Quotes

    ADD QUOTES
    • The Doctor: Right...Fine...But um, before I die of old age (which in my case would be quite an achievement so congratulations on that.) Is there anyone else I can talk to? Edit
    • The Doctor: Right... fine... but um, Before I die of old age (which in my case would be quite an achievement, so congratulations on that), is there anyone else I can talk to? Edit
    • Police Officer: Open the door or I'll add resisting arrest! The Doctor: I'd step back if I were you. Police Officer: I'm charging you too! With aiding and abetting. The Doctor: Yes. I'll just step inside this police box (points to the TARDIS) and arrest myself. Edit

  • Allusions

    ADD ALLUSIONS
    • Malcolm: No, that's Quatermass. Malcolm's invented unit of measurement the 'Bernard' is named for Bernard Quatermass, a seminal British science fiction character who was featured in popular and critically acclaimed television serials starting in the 1950's. The Quatermass stories were adventures that dealt with threats from space and ran sporadically until 1979. A brilliant and highly moral astrophysicist who has been played by many different actors over the decades, Quatermass is often cited as an influence and precursor to character of the Doctor. Edit
    • Carmen mentions that the Doctors song is ending soon. This echoes statements made by the Ood in Planet of the Ood. Edit
    • The Doctor refers to "Humans on buses, always blaming me", reference to the previous episode Midnight, in which the passengers on a bus turned on and eventually tried to kill the Doctor. Edit

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