"Planet of the Dead"

The first Doctor Who story of 2009 is a simple tale of the Doctor trying to rescue some people on a bus that has travelled through a wormhole. The planet that the passengers arrive on is a barren desert, but he commuters are not alone. A Tritovore ship has crashed, with two of the fly-like beings surviving. But they are not the danger. The planet was once teeming with life and one of the Doctor’s travelling companions can hear the screaming of the planets inhabitants as they died - the danger is a swarm of flying creatures like metallic stingrays who strip planets of anything organic and open wormholes to their next feeding ground- the Earth.

Fortunately, his fellow passengers are more willing to trust him than the last time he was stuck on a bus. The story has a nice, straightforward plot- perhaps a bit too straightforward and not without problems- first on the ‘Why didn’t they just...’ list is why UNIT didn’t just chuck the TARDIS through the wormhole! The commuters are not exactly three-dimensional characters- they are characterised purely by their intended destination rather than anything more detailed. However, the performances manage to compensate for this somewhat. The role of companion is filled by Lady Christina de Souza, an adrenaline junkie with a taste for grand larceny. She is nicely played by Michele Ryan, and she is a resourceful and sparky foil for the Doctor- however it is hard not to see her as being mildly sociopathic. By far the most interesting characters are the UNIT characters. In the Doctor’s absence, they have a new scientific adviser, Dr Malcolm Taylor. Malcolm is a wonderful character, naming units of measurement after himself and making references to Quatermass. This may be another instance of Gareth Roberts letting his inner geek run wild (most kids nowadays would have to ask their grandparents who Quatermass was) but I love him as a character, especially with Lee Evans’s wonderful performance. Although I’m not exactly a fan of Evans as a comedian, when his considerable comic talents are correctly channelled, he is unstoppable. Noma Dumezweni also returns as Captain Erisa Magambo in a performance that refuses to be overshadowed by Evans. Magambo is clearly on the right side, but she is not above pulling a gun on her subordinates for the greater good. She has a hint of the Brigadier in Season 7 about her and, if the Doctor is stranded on Earth again, she would make a good Lethbridge-Stewart for the 21st Century. David Tennant has a last chance to play the Doctor as a fun-loving wanderer and- surprise, surprise- he is excellent.

James Strong makes it all look wonderful and makes sure the actors give it their best. Of course the main production talking point is the move to high definition. The cinematography by Rory Taylor is sublime (for how hi-def Who could have gone wrong, look at the picture on Torchwood Series 1). The special effects are good (although the stingrays look a bit ‘unfinished’) with some great animatronics for the Tritovores and the location filming is great- although I fail to see why they couldn’t have shot it at Camber Sands (or the Welsh equivalent) and used CG matte paintings.

"Planet of the Dead" is good fun, well made with some witty dialogue. It is a bit inconsequential, but there are hints of something dark coming for, as we all know, the Doctor’s song is drawing to an end.

NEXT: "The Waters of Mars"