Planet of the Dead (TV story): Difference between revisions

From Tardis Wiki, the free Doctor Who reference
 
(776 intermediate revisions by more than 100 users not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
{{Infobox NewTV
{{title dab away}}
|story name=Planet of the Dead
{{real world}}
|image=[[Image:S0_06_wal_23.jpg|275px]]
{{ImageLinkTV}}
|series= [[Doctor Who]] - [[List of television stories|TV stories]]
{{Infobox Story SMW
|number= [[2009 Specials (Doctor Who)|Special]]
|image           = The200TakesOff.jpg
|story number= 15
|special        = [[Easter Special]] 2009
|doctor=[[Tenth Doctor]]
|story number    = 200
|companions= [[Christina de Souza|Lady Christina de Souza]]
|scripturl      = https://www.bbc.co.uk/writersroom/documents/doctor-who-4-episode-15-planet-of-the-dead-blue-revisions-03022009.pdf<ref>[http://web.archive.org/web/20130922085854/http://www.thewriterstale.com/pdfs/Planet%20of%20the%20Dead/Doctor%20Who%204%20Ep.15%20-%20Shooting%20Script%20-%20BLUE%20-%2003.02.09.pdf ''Planet of the Dead'' PDF shooting script (archived)]</ref>
|enemy= [[Alien Stingray]]s
|doctor         = Tenth Doctor
|setting= [[London]], [[2010]]<br/>[[San Helios]]
|companions     = [[Christina de Souza|Christina]]
|writer= [[Russell T Davies]]<br/>[[Gareth Roberts]]
|featuring      = [[Malcolm Taylor|Malcolm]], [[Erisa Magambo|Magambo]]
|director=[[James Strong]]
|enemy           = [[Stingray]]s
|producer= [[Tracie Simpson]]
|setting         = [[London]] and [[San Helios]], circa late [[2000s]]{{note|No specific year is given for this story or the special ''[[The End of Time (TV story)|The End of Time]]''.}}
|broadcast date= [[11th April]] [[2009]]
|writer         = Russell T Davies, Gareth Roberts
|format= 1 60 minute television special
|director       = [[James Strong]]
|production code= 4.15
|producer       = [[Tracie Simpson]]
|previous story=[[The Next Doctor]]
|confidential    = Desert Storm (CON episode)
|next story= [[The Waters of Mars]]
|broadcast date = 11 April 2009
}}
|network        = BBC One
'''Planet of the Dead''' is the title of the first of the [[2009 Specials (Doctor Who)|2009 specials]], which first aired on 11 April 2009. It starred [[David Tennant]] and featured two new characters, Christina and Malcolm, along with [[Unified Intelligence Taskforce|UNIT]]. Production of the special began on 19th January 2009.
|format         = 1x60 minute episode
|production code = 4.15
|series          = [[List of Doctor Who television stories|''Doctor Who'' television stories]]
|prev            = The Next Doctor (TV story)
|next           = The Waters of Mars (TV story)
|series2        = Easter Specials
|next2          = Legend of the Sea Devils (TV story)
|clip            = London Bus Transports To Desert - Doctor Who - Planet Of The Dead - BBC
|clip2          = The Lady is a Thief (HQ) - Doctor Who - Planet of the Dead - BBC
|clip3          = The Routemaster Returns to Earth (HQ) - Doctor Who - Planet of the Dead - BBC
|bts            = Double decker bus in a desert - Doctor Who Confidential - BBC
}}{{you may|Planet of the Dead (comic story)|n1=the comic story}}
'''''Planet of the Dead''''' was the 2009 [[Easter Special]] of ''[[Doctor Who (TV series)|Doctor Who]]''.
 
Notably, ''Planet of the Dead'' was advertised as the two-hundredth ''Doctor Who'' story. As such, the bus featured in the episode was named [[the 200]], in celebration. At roughly the same time as the premiere of the 200th story, ''[[Doctor Who Magazine]]'' featured a list of the favourite stories as voted by the fans since the first adventure, ''[[An Unearthly Child (TV story)|An Unearthly Child]]'', was broadcast. ''Planet of the Dead'' clocked in at #99.
 
From a production point of view, ''Planet of the Dead'' was the first episode of [[BBC Wales]] ''Doctor Who'' to credit two [[writer]]s, [[Russell T Davies]] and [[Gareth Roberts]]. It was also the first to be filmed and broadcast in high-definition. From this episode onward, the series would remain in HD format.


It was broadcast for [[Easter]], on Holy Saturday at 6.45PM. The BBC did not officially announce the broadcast date for the special until the beginning of April 2009.<ref name="BBC pressoffice">[http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/proginfo/tv/2009/wk15/unplaced.shtml BBC Press Office - BBC ONE Unplaced Week 15]</ref>
''Planet of the Dead'' introduced the "he will knock four times" and "something is returning" arcs, something which would come up again in the following story, ''[[The Waters of Mars (TV story)|The Waters of Mars]]'' and ultimately conclude in the two-part serial ''[[The End of Time (TV story)|The End of Time]]''.
==Synopsis==
The Doctor, along with The Lady Christina de Souza and other passengers, finds himself transported to a barren desert planet on a double-decker bus. As the Doctor and Christina struggle to uncover the mysteries beneath the sand, the Swarm draws closer.


==Plot==
== Synopsis ==
Guards are protecting a golden cup inside a museum, later to be identified as the Cup of [[wikipedia:Athelstan of England|Athelstan]], worth 18 million [[Pound Sterling|pounds]]. Lady [[Christina de Souza]] then lowers herself from the roof, and replaces the cup with a mechanical [[wikipedia:Maneki Neko|Japanese lucky cat]]); when the guards finally turn around at the sound of her releasing her winch on the roof, it waves at them in a mocking fashion. As the alarms go off, she runs out to the street to see someone being arrested, and she says, "Sorry, lover" to her presumed accomplice.  
When a [[The 200|London bus]] takes a detour to [[San Helios|an alien world]], the [[Tenth Doctor]] must join forces with the extraordinary [[Christina De Souza|Lady Christina]]. But the mysterious planet holds terrifying secrets and time is running out as the deadly [[The Swarm (Planet of the Dead)|Swarm]] gets closer...


She then takes a back route onto the main road, where she frantically looks for a way out as police move in around her, although unaware of her presence. She runs onto a 200 bus to Victoria, where she exchanges her diamond earrings for a bus ride. Soon afterwards, a man wearing trainers, whose face we aren't shown, comes onto the bus, and seems to use psychic paper on the [[wikipedia:Oyster Card|Oyster Card]] scanner. He then sits down opposite Lady Christina, and is shown to be [[Tenth Doctor|The Doctor]].  After enjoying a [[chocolate]] [[Easter egg]] and engaging in some small talk with Christina, he receives an alert from the [[rhondium sensor]] in his pocket that the particles he's been looking for have been detected.
== Plot ==
As the night shift of the [[International Gallery]] [[museum]] commences, armed guards are at work protecting a highly-coveted [[Cup of Athelstan|golden goblet]]. One guard types out a security code to unlock a security system level. He turns to the side, raising a four-sided barricade of laser alarm sensors around the cup. It might seem foolproof, but the one thing the guards haven't counted on is a sleuth attempt to pilfer the cup from above...


The police are still after Christina, since they know she has stolen the Cup of Athelstan, but whilst chasing the bus through a tunnel, the police witness it disappear in front of their eyes; startled, they set a perimeter around the area. Meanwhile, the bus passes through a warp into a world covered in desert: planet San Helios, apparently completely deserted. The bus is wrecked in the process. By the time it arrives at the planet the driver proclaims it unmovable.  
[[File:High Wire Heist - Doctor Who - Planet of the Dead - BBC|thumb|left|A masked [[Christina de Souza|cat burglar]] heists the goblet.]]
While their backs are turned, a round panel is quietly pried loose from the domed ceiling of the museum. On the rooftop is a woman in black clothes and a ski mask. She peers down and assesses the security detail. The woman lowers herself from the roof, flawlessly infiltrates the museum without setting off the alarms, and replaces the cup with a mechanical [[Maneki Neko]]; when the guards finally turn around at the sound of her releasing her winch on the roof, she waves at them in a mocking fashion. As the alarms go off, she dashes out of the museum and unmasks; she is [[Christina de Souza|Lady Christina de Souza]], an expert thief. Christina runs out to the street to see someone being [[arrest]]ed, and she says, "Sorry, lover" to her presumed accomplice, getting away with the prize while he takes the fall.


The Doctor tells the passengers that the bus has passed through a wormhole into a different world, proving this to them by throwing a handful of sand into the space behind the bus. The sand causes a rippling effect in the air. The Doctor says that the other end of the wormhole was in the tunnel on Earth. Among the passengers is Carmen, who has been hearing mysterious voices since Christina got on. The bus driver announces his desire to return to Earth, and promptly run through the wormhole accompanied by The Doctor's "No, wait!". The other passengers of the bus witness the driver's skin and tissues melting, before he disappears into the wormhole with the same rippling effect as the sand.  
She then takes a back route onto the main road, where she frantically looks for a way out as police move in searching for her, although unaware of her presence. She runs onto a [[The 200|200 bus]] to Victoria, where she exchanges her [[diamond]] earrings for a bus ride. Soon afterwards, the [[Tenth Doctor]] comes onto the bus and uses a [[psychic paper]] on the [[Oyster card]] scanner. He then sits down opposite Lady Christina.


Meanwhile on Earth, where the police are watching the wormhole, the driver's blackened skeleton steps out, halts, and then tumbles to the ground. Unnerved, the police declare an emergency code one, calling [[UNIT]] to the scene. Captain [[Erisa Magambo]] commands the operation and she tells her soldiers to fire at anything that comes through the wormhole. [[Image:Vlcsnap-3909187.png|350px|right|thumb|The Doctor and Lady Christina on San Helios]]
[[File:Rhondium Sensor Acting Up.jpg|thumb|right|[[Tenth Doctor|The Doctor]]'s [[rhondium sensor]] detects something unusual.]]
After enjoying a [[chocolate]] [[Easter egg]] and engaging in some small talk with Christina, he receives an alert from the [[rhondium sensor]] in his pocket that the particles he's been looking for have been detected. As he fiddles with the sensor, he gets inquisitive looks from a young man sitting parallel to him.


Meanwhile, The Doctor explains to the passengers of the bus that the metal of the bus had protected them from the same fate as the driver (like a [[wikipedia:Faraday cage|Faraday cage]], as Christina states). The Doctor then attempts to call someone on Earth and gets in touch with UNIT at the tunnel. Speaking to Captain Magambo, the Doctor informs her of the crisis and speaks to UNIT's scientific advisor, Malcolm Taylor. They all set to digging the bus wheels out from the sand to try and enable them to move it back into the wormhole. The Doctor and Christina set off to explore the area, and find that there is what looks like a massive sandstorm sweeping across the planet. They are then found and captured by a fly-like alien (later known to be a [[Tritovore]]).  
The [[police]] are still after Christina, since they know she has stolen the cup. Christina is visibly frightened by the sound of the wailing sirens, giving the Doctor reason to wonder if she's hiding something. It looks like the vehicle is about to be pulled over, but whilst chasing the bus through a tunnel, the police witness it disappear in front of their eyes; startled, they set up a perimeter around the area. Meanwhile, the bus passes through a ripple in space and a bright, blinding light flashes out. The passengers scream as the bus is put through the wringer; the metal frame buckles, the windows burst into shards of flying glass, and everyone ducks down in their rows. After the bus takes a hard landing back onto solid ground, the Doctor's jaw is agape at the sight of a completely different environment. Rather than tarmac, street lamps, and dark, rainy nighttime skies, it is now daytime, with sand as far the eye can see in every direction. They have been spat out into a world covered in desert with three suns. The bus has been wrecked in the process of landing, with smoke hissing from its engine and parts of its double-decker roof sheared apart. The bus driver proclaims it unmovable.


The Doctor and Cristina are escorted to the Tritovore's crashed ship, where the Tritovore blame the Doctor for their crashed ship. The Doctor soon explains to the two Tritovores that they mean them no harm, and are trapped on the planet just as they are. The Tritovores in turn tell them their ship has crashed on the surface of the planet where they wanted to trade with the people of the world. The Doctor, though, claims that the entire planet became a desert last year, with all 100 billion inhabitants. The Doctor then asks them to send a probe out to invesigate a 'storm' (later revealed to be a swarm of what UNIT calls alien stingrays). It send back results, showing that the storm is a swarm of billions of carnivorous stingray-like aliens, before the transmission is cut off by the probe being eaten by one of the alien stingrays. The Doctor then analyzes the alien physique by the data they get and theorizes that they must be creating the wormhole effect, by their velocity and physiology buildup, and are immune to the effects of the Wormhole because their exoskeletons are metal.  
[[File:Trapped in the Desert - Doctor Who - Planet of the Dead - BBC|thumb|left|The bus driver unwittingly rushes to his doom.]]
The Doctor tells the passengers that the bus has passed through a [[wormhole]] into a different world, proving this to them by throwing a handful of sand into the space behind the bus. The sand causes a rippling effect in the air. The same man who eyeballed the rhondium detector points a finger at the Doctor and demands to know if he used it to make the bus end up in the desert. Annoyed for receiving immediate blame from a [[human]] on a bus and having dealt with the animosity of the [[Midnight entity|Midnight incident]], the Doctor doesn't keep to himself again. Instead, he comes clean and says he was tracking a hole in reality that suddenly grew big and the bus drove into it. He elaborates that the other end of the wormhole was in the tunnel on [[Earth]]. Among the passengers is [[Carmen (Planet of the Dead)|Carmen]], who has been hearing mysterious voices since Christina got on. The bus driver announces his desire to return to Earth, and promptly runs through the wormhole, accompanied by the Doctor's, "No, don't!". The other passengers of the bus witness the driver's skin and tissues incinerating, before he disappears into the wormhole with the same rippling effect as the sand.


The Tritovores and the Doctor plan to get away from the planet before the swarm hits their general area, and need to get the crystal power source that makes the Tritovorian ship fly. The Doctor and the two aliens try to bring up the source manually, but the entire system is nonresponsive, lacking power. Christina, in the meantime, prepares her cat burgling equipment, and lines down the shaft. The Doctor stops her just in time before she is electricuted by a security grid. After disabling it, she makes her way slowly down the shaft. The Doctor tells her about himself, and some of the places he's been, including the Court of Athelstan, but he didn't remember her being there, pulling the Cup of Athelstan out of her bag.  
Meanwhile, on Earth, where the police are watching the wormhole, the driver's blackened skeleton steps out, halts, and then tumbles to the ground. Unnerved, the police wisely decide that this is out of their depth and declare an emergency Code One, calling [[UNIT]] to the scene.


He realises that she's a thief, and she says she prefers to say she liberates things. While getting the crystal and the brackets she sees a stingray waking behind some metal poles, and the Doctor tells her that her body heat is defrosting it, and allowing it to wake. He brings her back up. She replies she has that effect on men. Many had flown into the ship's mainframe, and that is what crashed it, he says, like birds into a jet engine. The alien stingray which was down in the shaft next to Christina gives chase, getting fried in the security grid as she turns it back on on the way up. As they run away with the Tritovores out of the ship another stingray jumps down from above and grabs one of the Tritovores, the other, in rage, prepares to fire its weapon at the Stingray but it fails, and dies as well.  
[[File:Christina Assumes Command of the 200.jpg|thumb|right|Christina takes the reins as the crisis leader.]]
After watching the bus driver's death, the Doctor sums up that the metal of the bus protected them from the same fate as the driver when they passed through the wormhole (like a [[Faraday cage]], as Christina states).


The Doctor and Christina run to the bus, and after throwing away the crystal, the Doctor attaches 4 Tritovorian gravity grips onto the wheels, and uses the 5th to interface the bus steering wheel with the Tritovorian technology. However, it doesn't work, as the two technologies are incompatible alone; he needs something soft, malleable, non corrosive and able to conduct electricity, suggesting gold, to act as an interface. After she hands the Doctor the Cup of Athelstan, a hammer upon request, and the request to "be careful with it", he smashes it to bits so it fits between the bus wheel and the anti-gravity clamp controller. In response, Christina says "I hate you". The bus then lifts out of the sand and into the air, flying back through the wormhole to Earth. Once through, Christina passionately kisses the Doctor, reprising her earlier "hate".
Everyone returns to the bus so the group can make sense of the situation. Christina takes charge, introduces herself and the Doctor, then everyone introduces themselves: [[Nathan (Planet of the Dead)|Nathan]], a young adult with slicked up hair, [[Barclay (Planet of the Dead)|Barclay]], about the same age and the one who confronted the Doctor, [[Angela Whittaker]], an older blond woman, [[Lou (Planet of the Dead)|Louis]], who goes by the nickname "Lou," and his wife, Carmen. Christina notices the Doctor is the brainpower of the bunch and has him fill the rest of the group in on what has happened.


As the bus flies across London, three stingrays chase them through the wormhole. UNIT soldiers spot the stingrays and shoot them down. The bus lands back on the spot where it vanished, and the passengers are released and taken to be examined by UNIT. The Doctor meets Malcolm, who, in a frenzy of excitement, says "I love you!" four times to the Doctor. Magambo then reveals to the Doctor that they found the TARDIS at Buckingham Palace, revealing it in the back of a military truck. The Doctor recommends Nathan and Barclay for jobs at UNIT. Christina, meanwhile, is being searched by UNIT soldiers but she breaks off and runs to the Doctor. She wants to come with him for adventure and excitement, telling him that is why she steals, but he says no. When she asks him why, he tells her that he lost all his companions, and that he does not want that happening again. The police promptly arrest Christina, and take her away, leaving the unperturbed Doctor by himself.  
[[File:Carmen Guessing How Many Fingers Ten Has Behind His Back.jpg|thumb|left|Carmen and her husband discuss her psychic ability.]]
The Doctor explains to the passengers on the bus that they went through the wormhole by accident, but Carmen tells him with some surprising knowledge that it was a doorway put there for a reason. Her husband Lou notes she has had a gift of foresight since she was a girl which has helped them make small wins on the [[lottery]]. The Doctor deems Carmen a low-level psychic and theorises the alien sun has amplified her abilities. He asks her if she can see anything. She foretells, "Something is coming, riding on the wind and shining." When asked what she means, she answers, "Death. Death is coming."


The Doctor, about to enter the TARDIS, is told by Carmen to take care of himself; the Doctor, full of joy, tells her the same. However, she tells him ''"Your song is ending, it is returning through the dark, and ... he will knock four times."''
Her words send Angela into complete hysterics, Nathan panics no one will find them, Barclay begins to get rebellious, and both Christina and Lou are drowned out by the uproar. The Doctor quells the clamouring bus and regains control, but Angela is still sobbing heavily. He instinctively grips her by the arms to get her attention and asks where she was heading to take her mind off the peril. She replies she was going home to her family, [[Mike Whittaker|Mike]] and [[Suzanne Whittaker|Suzanne]]; thinking about them calms her and abolishes her panicky state. The Doctor moves on to Barclay, who has a love interest named [[Tina (Planet of the Dead)|Tina]]; Nathan's dealing with unemployment and Carmen and Lou talk about whose turn it is to cook. The Doctor asks Christina where she was going; she is the only person on the bus with something to hide. She tells him she was going far away, not giving away her [[theft|thievery]]. Having defused the tension in the bus, the Doctor reminds the group to focus on those pleasant thoughts so the fear doesn't set in again, then informs them the planet outside is "nothing compared to all those things waiting for you" on Earth. He promises to get them all home.


Meanwhile, the Doctor decides to take pity on Christina, who is now handcuffed and being put in a police car. The Doctor points his sonic screwdriver at her handcuffs, and frees her hands. Christina gets in the police car on one side- and gets out on the other. She heads for the bus. The police chase after her, but the Doctor steps up to them and tells them to step away. The inspector charges him with aiding and abetting; the Doctor heads over to the TARDIS, saying he will 'arrest himself'. Christina then further defies the inspector, flying the bus over his head and to the TARDIS, opening the door as the others watch. Smiling down at the Doctor, Chrstina happily tells him, "We could have been ''so'' good together", revealing no hard feelings over her rejection. The Doctor merely smiles back and replies, "Christina, we were." Christina flies off into the night, the other passengers cheering her off, the Doctor merely watching; the Doctor then heads into the TARDIS.
Back on Earth, the highway tunnel has been shut down as Detective McMillan and the police officers wait to intercept Lady Christina. They find themselves joined by a fleet of UNIT soldiers and weapon-toting armoured vehicles, who secure the area with crisp efficiency. The woman in charge, Captain [[Erisa Magambo]], establishes a strategic hold on the highway, ordering all media presence to be removed and arrested if they cause any trouble and brushing aside DI McMillan as he tries to protest. Captain Magambo puts a firing squad on guard at the wormhole, with orders to shoot to kill if any hostile activity is demonstrated.


==Cast==
[[File:Christina's Conspicuous Spade.jpg|thumb|left|The Doctor is clued in that Christina might not be so innocent below the surface...]]
*[[Tenth Doctor|The Doctor]] - [[David Tennant]]
Nathan and Barclay dismantle part of the bus's upholstered seats and bring them to the Doctor, who wants to wedge them beneath the wheels of the bus like duckboards. This will give the wheels enough traction to throw the bus in reverse and back through the wormhole. Using experience from trips to the Kalahari, Christina has them air out the tyres slightly to improve it further by giving the bus some extra grip, as its weight is more distributed. When Barclay is distressed over how deep the wheels will run, Christina produces a fold-up spade from her rucksack to begin digging them out, then a small axe for Nathan to unearth the seats more quickly. This piques the Doctor's curiosity, but he is distracted when Angela asks for a key to get the bus running. The Doctor informs her the bus doesn't use keys, just a master switch and stop and go buttons. She follows his instructions and attempts to start the bus. The engine cranks and coughs, but fails to get going. Christina and the Doctor pop open the 200's hood to find it gummed up with sand. Christina asks if anyone has experience with mechanics, and Barclay states he does. He is assigned the task of stripping the air filter. The Doctor wanders off, causing Christina to chase after him. Unbeknownst to them, they are being watched from a monitor by a creature with insectoid hands.
*[[Christina de Souza|Lady Christina de Souza]] - [[Michelle Ryan]]
*[[Malcolm Taylor (Planet of the Dead)|Professor Malcolm Taylor]] - [[Lee Evans]]
*[[Erisa Magambo|Captain Erisa Magambo]] - [[Noma Dumezweni]]
*[[Macmillan|D.I Macmillan]] - [[Adam James]]
*[[Lou]] - [[Reginald Tsiboe]]
*[[Carmen (Planet of the Dead)|Carmen]] - [[Ellen Thomas]]
*[[Angela Whittaker|Angela]] - [[Victoria Alcock]]
*[[Barclay (Planet of the Dead)|Barclay]] - [[Daniel Kaluuya]]
*[[Nathan (Planet of the Dead)|Nathan]] - [[David Ames]]
*[[Bus Driver]] - [[Keith Perry]]
*Sgt [[Dennison]] - [[Glenn Doherty]]
*Sgt [[Ian Jenner]] - [[James Layton]]
*[[Sorvin]] - [[Paul Kasey]]
*[[Praygat]] - [[Ruari Mears]]


==Production crew==
[[File:Christina observes the Doctor.jpg|thumb|right|Christina notices the Doctor is hiding secrets of his own.]]
*1st Assistant Director  - John Bennett
The Doctor questions Christina about her toting a backpack that she refuses to let out of her sight, which has an axe and spade inside by happenstance. That along with her fear of sirens has him wondering what she's running from. She initially refuses to answer his questions, instead, calling herself and the Doctor "two equal mysteries." After a bit more conversation, however, Lady Christina de Souza announces her full title to him, and they shake hands. In response to her claim of nobility, the Doctor says he is a [[Time Lord|Lord]] of a "big estate". Growing savvy, Christina notices the Doctor seems unusually acclimated to the out of the ordinary. He pulls her attention off the subject and exclaims, "Allons-y!" Christina impresses him with some articulate knowledge of the French language herself; "Oui mais pas si nous allons vers un cauchemar." As they continue walking in the desert, they see what appears to be storm clouds approaching. Christina fears it could be a deadly sandstorm, but the Doctor thinks it is something worse. "It's a storm — who says it's sand?" he notes mysteriously.
*2nd Assistant Director James DeHaviland
*3rd Assistant Director Sarah Davies
*Location Manager Gareth Skelding
*Unit Manager Geraint Williams
*Production Co-ordinator Jess van Niekerk
*Production Secretary Kevin Myers
*Production Runner Siân Warrilow 
*Drivers Malcolm Kearney, Wayne Humphreys
*Floor Runners Nicola Brown, Alison Jones, Tom Evans
*Contracts Assistants Kath Blackman, Lisa Hayward
*Continuity Llinos Wyn Jones
*Script Editor Lindsey Alford
*Camera Operators Joe Russell, James Leigh
*Focus Pullers Steve Rees, Jamie Southcott
*Grip John Robinson
*Camera Assistants Jon Vidgen, Tom Hartley
*Boom Operators Jeff Welch, Bryn Thomas
*Gaffer Mark Hutchings
*Best Boy Peter Chester
*Electricians Steve Slocombe, Clive Johnson, Ben Griffiths, Jonathon Cox
*Stunt Co-ordinator Lee Sheward
*Stunt Performers Kim McGarrity, Jamie Edgell
*Wires Bob Schofield
*Choreographer Ailsa Berk
*Chief Supervising Art Director Stephen Nicholas
*Associate Designer  James North
*Art Department Coordinator Amy Pope
*Production Buyer Ben Morris
*Set Decorator  Julian Luxton
*Props Buyer Adrian Anscombe
*Standby Art Director Nick Murray
*Design Assistant Al Roberts
*Storyboard Artist  Richard Shaun Williams
*Standby Props Phill Shellard, Jackson Pope
*Standby Carpenter Will Pope
*Standby Rigger Keith Freeman
*Property Master Paul Aitken
*Chargehand Props Matt Wild
*Dressing Props Martin Broadbent, Rhys Jones
*Senior Props Maker Penny Howarth
*Props Maker Nick Robatto
*Practical Electrician Albert James
*Construction Manager Matthew Hywel-Davies
*Construction Workshop Manager Mark Hill
*Construction Chargehand Scott Fisher
*Scenic Artist John Pinkerton
*Graphics BBC Wales Graphics
*Costume Supervisor Lindsay Bonaccorsi
*Assistant Costume Designer Rose Goodhart
*Costume Assistants Barbara Harrington, Louise Martin
*Make-Up Artists Pam Mullins, Steve Smith, Morag Smith
*Casting Associates Andy Brierley, Alice Purser


== References ==
[[File:The Doctor Calls in Favour from UNIT (HQ) - Doctor Who - Planet of the Dead - BBC|thumb|left|The Doctor contacts UNIT via [[superphone]].]]
*Malcolm named his unit of measurement the Bernard after Professor [[Bernard Quatermass]]. The [[British Rocket Group]], to which Quatermass belonged, was previously referenced (as was Quatermass himself, vaguely) when the Doctor was in [[1963]] London.
The Doctor and Christina rush back to the bus as Carmen begins to have distressing visions. He borrows Barclay's [[cell phone]], pulling out his [[the Doctor's sonic screwdriver|sonic screwdriver]] and turning it into a [[superphone]]. The Doctor then attempts to call someone on Earth. Unsure of the number, he dials [[Pizza Geronimo]] by accident. Redialling the correct number, he's connected to UNIT's automated phone system. Angela gives him a tip to hold "0"; it overrides the machine, which allows one to speak with a real person. Through the helpline, the Doctor gets in touch with UNIT at the tunnel. Speaking to Captain Magambo, the Doctor informs her of the crisis, tells her he is stranded without [[The Doctor's TARDIS|his TARDIS]]. Magambo connects him with UNIT's scientific advisor, [[Malcolm Taylor]], who is beyond elated to know he's speaking to the one person he's always wanted to meet. Malcolm describes an ingenious process of measuring the wormhole by creating a reflection of its energy readings, which prompts the Doctor to request a capacity scan so he can get a full idea of what the wormhole is like. He deems Malcolm his "new best friend" and hangs up for the time being.


===[[:Category:Astronomical Objects|Astronomical Objects]]===
The group sets back to digging the bus wheels out from the sand in order to enable them to move it back through the wormhole. The Doctor and Christina set off to explore the area. They find that the storm from earlier has grown closer. The Doctor takes a snapshot of the storm on Barclay's phone to send to Malcolm for further analysis. From what he and Christina can tell, it looks like a massive sandstorm sweeping across the planet towards them, glinting in the sun as if made from metal. On the bus, Carmen shudders as her visions tell her these things are a storm that devours. At the same time on the dunes, the Doctor and Christina are found and captured by a fly-like alien who holds them at gunpoint with a [[Tritovore blaster|blaster]].
* The bus is transported to the [[Scorpion Nebula]] on the other side of the universe.
* [[San Helios]] became a desert over the course of a year or under. The sand is all that remains of the dead.
* Barclay and Nathan mention the [[Stolen Planets]].


===[[:Category:The Doctor|The Doctor]]===
[[File:Tritovores Gunpoint.jpg|thumb|right|The [[Tritovore]]s mistake the Doctor and Christina as enemies.]]
*Carmen makes a prediction for the Doctor's future using her psychic gift: ''"Your song is ending, sir. It is returning. It is returning through the dark. And then, Doctor, he will knock four times."'' This prophecy reflects the [[Ood]]'s message to the Doctor, "Your song will end soon".
The Doctor and Christina are escorted to the alien's crashed ship, where another alien is waiting. One points a blaster at them and blames the Doctor for their crashed ship. The Doctor soon explains to the two aliens, who identify themselves as [[Tritovore]]s, that they mean them no harm. He assures them that "the 200", which is how the aliens refer to the bus due to its route number, is trapped on the planet just as they are. The Tritovores, in turn, become more friendly; the telepathic translation devices they use enable them to know the Doctor is not lying. The Doctor then asks them to send a probe out to investigate the sandstorm seen earlier. When told that the ship is without power, he promptly fixes the ship's power to launch it with a well-placed kick. He and Christina learn they are in the [[Scorpion Nebula]] on the planet [[San Helios]], which is on the other side of the universe from Earth; the Doctor comments on how Christina got her wish of being "so far away". The aliens explain that they had been on their way to trade with the people of San Helios when their ship had crashed. They show a hologram depicting San Helios as a thriving environment with advanced cities. Christina notices the Doctor treats the visual of the amazing city like he's used to such things, then asks about his title of lordship. He reveals he comes from a race of Time Lords. Christina suggests they should seek out the city in San Helios for help; the Doctor isn't so sure it will be that simple. The Tritovores give the Doctor information that the entire planet became a desert last year, with all 100 billion inhabitants suddenly vanishing along with the city, wildlife, oceans, and mountains. Everything has been reduced to sand, including the inhabitants. The idea of having "dead people" in her hair repulses Christina, whose hair has sand caught in it. She quickly attempts to stroke it out.
*[[The Doctor's TARDIS]] is discovered in the gardens of Buckingham Palace, and according to the Doctor, the Queen "doesn't mind".  
* The Doctor said that he will "never" take another companion on board the TARDIS because he has lost all his previous ones.
* The Doctor's [[psychic paper]] is compatible with the Oyster Card scheme used for public transport in London and he uses his psychic paper to 'pay' his bus fare.
* A reference was made to [[Donna Noble]] as the Doctor said he had a friend who called him "Spaceman" ([[DW]]: ''[[Journey's End]]'', et al).
* Malcolm says he had read all the Doctor's files and the Doctor asked "Really? What was your favorite? The Giant Robot?" This is a reference to the [[Fourth Doctor]]-era story ''[[Robot (TV story)|Robot]]''.
* The Doctor's [[Sonic screwdriver]] can be used to tint his glasses to look like sunglasses.
* The Doctor admits that he stole [[The Doctor's TARDIS|his TARDIS]] from his [[Time Lord|own people]].
* The Doctor says Christina looks like a [[Time Lord]], in response to her saying that he looks like a human.


===[[:Category:Food and Beverages|Foods and Beverages]]===
The Doctor receives a phone call from Malcolm and Magambo. The wormhole has grown to four miles in length and is heading outward. Neither Malcolm nor the Doctor can understand what could make it grow on its own. Magambo has ordered all aircraft above London grounded to keep others from falling in. She wants him to answer if the wormhole could be dangerous to the planet, but Barclay's phone picks up a call waiting. The Doctor cuts off his conversation, knowing the answer would cause more trouble.
*The Doctor offers Christina the rest of his [[chocolate]] [[Easter egg]] because he's determined to keep his teeth.


===[[:Category:Physics|Physics]]===
[[File:TenChristinaContemplate.jpg|thumb|left|The Doctor and Christina try to work out what's happening on [[San Helios]].]]
*The Doctor's device is attempting to detect [[Rhondium particles]].
Switching over to the second caller, the Doctor picks up Nathan on the other end, using another mobile phone. Their attempts to get the bus dislodged from the sand have exhausted all the petrol, putting them back at square one, and Nathan wonders if the Doctor can hold true to his promise in spite of the marooned bus. The Doctor does not answer. He leaves the call hanging at the sound of beeping from the Tritovore ship's controls. The probe has reached the storm- turns out, its not a storm.
*A wavelength parcel of ten kilohertz operating in four dimensions equals one Malcolm.
*100 [[Malcolm Taylor (Planet of the Dead)|Malcolms]] = 1 [[Bernard Quatermass|Bernard]]


===[[:Category:United Nations Intelligence Taskforce|UNIT]]===
The camera on the probe is transmitting unsettling footage. It shows that the "storm" is a [[Stingray|swarm of billions of carnivorous stingray-like aliens]] with metal exoskeletons before the transmission is cut off by the probe being eaten by one of the alien stingrays. The Doctor then analyses the alien physique by the data they get and theorises that they must be creating the wormhole effect. Their velocity as a pack is reaching a speed that creates static build-up with enough energy to pierce open the fabric of space. When asked why they don't burn up upon passing through, the Doctor replies that any metal they eat gets extruded into their bones. It has made them immune to the effects of the wormhole because their exoskeletons have transformed into metal. They've been using the portals to jump through space and prey on anything they find edible. Another, scarier realisation dawns on him — all of San Helios has been devoured by these predators. What remains of it, including the dead, makes up the sand of the deserts. Earth is their next target.
*[[UNIT]] is called in by the police to assist in locating the bus.  
*[[UNIT]] has an automated phone system.
*[[UNIT]] troops are equipped with [[Firearm|H&K G36 assault rifles, M4 carbines, and Walther P99 pistols]].
*Malcolm's apparel as he leaves his laboratory is similar to that of the Doctor's [[Fourth Doctor|fourth incarnation]].
*The Captain expresses her surprise that "Guns work".  
:''


== Story notes ==
[[File:Christina Shuts Down Security Grid.jpg|thumb|right|Christina turns off the electric barrier in the Tritovores' ship.]]
* The title of the episode was unveiled during the closing credits of ''[[The Next Doctor]]'' broadcast on 25th December 2008, several weeks before production of the episode was due to begin. The title of the next special, ''[[The Waters of Mars]]'', was in turn officially revealed in a trailer included at the end of the closing credits of ''Planet of the Dead'', although Davies had revealed the title in an interview broadcast a few days earlier.
The Tritovores and the Doctor plan to get away from the planet before the swarm hits their area, and need to get the crystal power source that makes the Tritovorian ship fly. The Doctor and the two aliens try to bring up the source manually, but the entire system is unresponsive, lacking power. Christina, in the meantime, prepares her cat burgling equipment, and lines down the shaft with her winch. The Doctor stops her just in time before she is electrocuted by a security grid. After disabling it, she makes her way slowly down the shaft. While curiously flipping over the top of her rucksack, the Doctor tells Christina about himself. He talks about how he can travel through time and space in his blue box and some of the places he's been, including the Court of King Athelstan in [[924]] AD... but he didn't remember her being there. At this, he pulls the [[Cup of Athelstan]] out of her bag.
* This is the first ''Doctor Who'' episode in which series producer [[Russell T Davies]] shares co-writing credit, and the first episode since the show's return in 2005 to credit two writers. The last televised story to credit two writers was the 1993 mini-episode ''[[Dimensions in Time]]''.
* The casting of Michelle Ryan has been reported both by media and via on-set confirmation. Ryan, best known for her work on the UK soap opera ''EastEnders'' and the US science fiction series ''Bionic Woman'', had previously co-starred in the [[Steven Moffat]]-written mini-series ''Jekyll'' and was also reportedly a candidate for new companion after the departure of [[Billie Piper]] in 2006.
* After initial rumours, it was confirmed that part of the episode will be filmed in Dubai, United Arab Emirates through BBC News coverage that a bus that was to be used for filming there was heavily damaged upon arrival there.<ref name="BBC news bus damage">[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/7856405.stm BBC News - Who rewrite after damage to bus]</ref>
* According to the BBC report, the damage to the bus -- a twin to one being used for filming in Cardiff -- prompted a rewrite of part of the script, the recently released trailer for the episode depicts damage to the bus identical to the damage seen in many on-set photos, suggesting that the bus getting damaged has become part of the story.
* On 16 January 2009 ''The Guardian'' newspaper published an online column condemning the then-rumoured plan to film in Dubai, citing the UAE's human rights record.<ref>[http://www.guardian.co.uk/culture/garethmcleanblog/2009/jan/16/1 The Guardian - The Doctor in Dubai: dubious indeed]</ref> Similar criticism was posted by the fan site Kasterborous on 28 January.<ref>[http://www.kasterborous.com/news.asp?ac=11&id=2118 Kasterborous Online Magazine - RTD on Dubai Shoot]</ref>
* As seen in David Tennant's video diary for this episode's read-through, Tennant feared that, having spent six months portraying Hamlet for the RSC, that he would be unable to accurately replicate the voice he uses when portraying The Doctor. In an informal discussion with Julie Gardner, he describes his voice for Hamlet as being the same as the Doctor's (being an English accent) except "more posh" and mentioned he may have to watch his previous performances as the Doctor and practice the voice. This strongly echoes Billie Piper's dilemma when she returned to film ''[[Turn Left]]''; in interviews with ''[[Doctor Who Confidential]]'', Piper confessed to having forgotten how to speak in Rose's accent; it was later noted that she spoke with a noticeable lisp in several scenes of that episode.
* It has been confirmed by the BBC that Planet of the Dead will be the first Doctor Who story to be produced in high-definition; this changeover can be likened to the move from black and white to colour production in 1970.
* According to Tennant's video diary, he and co-star Adam James have been friends for 10 years, having also worked together in the past, James is also [[Jon Pertwee]]'s godson.
* In an interview for BBC Breakfast on 7th April 2009, Russell T. Davies revealed that the episode had only been completed at 11:30pm the previous night, only 5 days before the episode airs.
* [[DWM Issue 407]] confirmed that Planet of the Dead was Doctor Who's 200th story.
*Lady Christina is the latest companion to kiss the Doctor.
*In pre-broadcast publicity interviews, Michelle Ryan described her character as a one-off companion, though like most other one-offs, such as (initially) [[Donna Noble]], and [[Jenny]] the door has been left open for a future return.
* The advertisement on the side of the bus reads "Unbeatable global call tariffs". On the other side it says "Tomorrow is here" and both sides say "Neon by Naismith" with the company being Neon. ''It is possible that this a reference to the two final episodes of the [[2009 Specials]] as actor [[David Harewood]] has stated that he will play a character called [[Joshua Naismith]] in [[David Tennant|David Tennant's]] final story.''
*Lady Christina de Souza is similar to a character called 'Kate Tollinger' who was to have been introduced in a story called ''[[Crime of the Century]]'' had Doctor Who been produced beyond ''[[Survival]]'' in [[1989]]. Tollinger would have been a safe-cracking, lock-picking thief.
* When discussing Easter, the Doctor claims to "remember the original". It's unclear whether this means he was present at the crucifixion and/or resurrection of Jesus -- the events the Easter season commemorates -- or the first actual celebration. If the former, this bookends an earlier statement made by the Doctor in ''[[Voyage of the Damned]]'' suggesting he was present at the birth of Christ.
*As in the previous story [[The Next Doctor]] there are no scenes taking place in the TARDIS.


=== Ratings ===
[[File:Ten Holds the Cup of Athelstan.jpg|thumb|left|The Doctor finds stolen goods in Christina's possession.]]
*Easter Saturday 11th April 2009 ~ 6:45pm ~ BBC One ~ 8.41 million (unofficial overnight)
He realises that she's a thief, and she says she prefers to say she "liberated" it. The Doctor doesn't approve of her lifestyle of thievery, but levels with her, admitting he stole the TARDIS from his own people. While Christina lowers down the gravity well, a screech rings out from below. The Doctor remembers they never found out why the Tritovores crashed until he's informed they have an open-vent system. Much like birds being sucked into an aeroplane, he suspects a stingray got pulled into the ship. As he feared, when Christina reaches the bottom of the shaft to get the crystal and its holding brackets, she sees a sleeping stingray behind some metal poles; it quickly stirs from its resting place. The Doctor tells her that it had been dormant from the cold, but the temperature is being raised by her body heat and is waking it up. She replies she has that effect on men, but the Doctor isn't laughing; he urges her to hurry and, once she has the fixture in hand, brings her back up. The alien stingray which was down in the shaft next to Christina gives chase, but it gets fried in the security grid after she turns it back on whilst ascending. As they run away with the Tritovores out of the ship, the Doctor offers them a means of escape on the 200. Before they accept, a deafening roar booms through the ship. The Doctor wonders if the Tritovores collided with more than one stingray, and speculates that it could be munching through the metal sleeve-covered infrastructure of the ship. One of the Tritovores gets ready to escape the ship, but the other goes back to shut down the controls. Another stingray bursts in from above and knocks him over then gulps him down its jaws. The other, in rage, prepares to fire its weapon at the Stingray, but before he can, he is eaten as well.
The BARB official ratings are 9.54 million, the 5th most watched programme of the week, the second most watched on BBC of the week and the second most watched of Saturday 11th April. It also gained 200,000 viewers on BBC HD, the biggest ever audience for the channel. Planet of the Dead is now the sixth best rated Doctor Who episode since its 2005 revival with Voyage of the Damned, The Next Doctor, Rose, Journey's End and The Christmas Invasion beating the episode.


===Myths and Rumours===
[[File:Malcolm and Magambo.jpg|thumb|right|Captain [[Magambo]] and [[Malcolm Taylor|Malcolm]] await the Doctor's escape plan.]]
*Carmen mentioned in "It is returning, ''he'' will knock four times" could be [[Davros]], the [[Meta-Crisis Tenth Doctor]] or [[The Master]].  Or it could mean something else entirely. The "knock four times" could refer to the Master, as the drumming motif that he continuously hears in his head, and that he used in [[The Sound of Drums]]/[[Last of the Time Lords]] to hypnotize the Earth's population, was a four-beat rhythm. Alternately, the "darkness" was used throughout [[Series 4 (Doctor Who)|the fourth series]] to refer to the return of Davros. His "song" may also be a reference to River Song, a future companion who appeared and died in [[Forest of the Dead]]; it may also be connected to the prediction of the [[Ood]] in [[DW]]: [[Planet of the Ood]]. The four knocks is also somewhat reminiscent of the [[Midnight Entity]], a side note on that, the music from the episode Midnight was in the background as the Doctor was warned.'' Also when Carmen mentioned the "darkness" Davros's theme from the Season 4 finale was played.  Another possibility is that ''he'' is referring to the [[Eleventh Doctor]] "knocking" on the Doctor's door in a metaphorical sense, as in its the Eleventh Doctor's time now.  
The Doctor and Christina run to the bus. Once there, the Doctor pitches the crystal into the sand because he doesn't need it since it only worked to power the alien ship's components, not an Earth-built bus. Christina protests she risked her life for it, but the Doctor corrects her: she risked her life for the clamps it was mounted on. The Doctor attaches 4 Tritovorian anti-gravity clamps onto the wheels and uses the 5th to interface the bus steering wheel with the Tritovorian technology. The Doctor calls Malcolm, telling him that they need to prepare to close the wormhole. Malcolm figures out a way to do it and starts on the process immediately.
*Since eccentric time lady [[Iris Wildthyme]] had a [[Iris Wildthyme's TARDIS|TARDIS]] that resembled a London bus, there were rumours she'd appear in the special.
*Related to the Wildthyme rumor, speculation regarding the identity and true nature of Lady Christina, following statements by Davies that she would have a profound impact on the Doctor, included the possibility that she might be a Time Lord, and perhaps even a known Time Lord such as [[The Rani]] or [[Romana]]. This ultimately proved not to be the case, although the Doctor's comment to Christina, "You look Time Lord" (filmed in January-February 2009, ''after'' the speculation began) might be a reference to the rumor.
*Michelle Ryan is one of many young actresses rumored to be contention to appear as companion to [[Matt Smith]]'s Doctor. ''In pre-broadcast publicity, Ryan stated she considered Christina to be a one-time companion. As of April 2009, however, casting for Smith's co-star has not yet been finalized.''
*The Radio station, ''Neon'', advertised on the buses in London is part of the story arc for forthcoming episodes.[http://losingit.me.uk/2009/04/12/doctor-who-watch-out-for-neon]
*The bus used for the Dubai filming was stolen and needed to be replaced. ''There is no indication this is the case. It is a known fact that the bus shipped to Dubai was heavily damaged upon arrival and needed some restoration work, and according to media coverage there was talk of trying to replace the bus before the decision was made to alter the script instead, but no indication that any buses were stolen during production.''


=== Filming Locations ===
Integrating the 5th anti-gravity clamp to the bus's steering proves difficult, as the two technologies are incompatible alone; he needs something soft, malleable, non-corrosive and able to conduct [[electricity]], suggesting [[gold]], to act as an interface. Reluctantly, Christina hands the Doctor the Cup of Athelstan along with a hammer upon request. She asks him to "be careful with it" as it is a millennia-old artefact worth 18 million [[Pound sterling|pounds]]. He promises to do so, then smashes it to bits so it fits between the bus wheel and the anti-gravity clamp controller. In response, Christina says, "I hate you".
*Cardiff, St Mary Street - the first scenes with the red bus driving down the road with the Doctor and Christina stepping on to it
*Cardiff Bay - Police and UNIT investigating the disappearance of the bus through the wormhole
*Dubai, United Arab Emirates - San Helos
<ref name="BBC news bus damage"/>


=== Discontinuity, Plot Holes, Errors ===
[[File:The 200 Chased By Stingrays.jpg|thumb|left|The 200 races away from the voracious swarm.]]
<!---Do not add supposition, not all of these statements need explanations--->
Once Malcolm is ready to close the wormhole, Captain Magambo orders him to close it to protect the Earth, despite the fact the Doctor and the passengers of Bus 200 are still trapped on the other side. Morally outraged at the idea of abandoning the Doctor who has saved humanity countless times before, Malcolm refuses to follow her order so they can allow the Doctor to get back to Earth. Drawing her gun on him, Magambo once again orders him to close the wormhole in the hopes of intimidating him. In spite of his fear, Malcolm passionately refuses to close the wormhole, surprising even Magambo.
*At the beginning of the story the wormhole is in the centre of the tunnel but by the time the bus driver dies it is at the entrance. ''The wormhole increases in radius, as the UNIT Captain says. It's not illogical to then assume the entrance and exit are further apart when they return.''


*Why do the International Gallery guards really not look at the item they're guarding? ''They were expecting intruders to enter from the sides, not from above or below, and therefore were keeping a lookout to the sides.''
Their argument buys the Doctor precious time. He is able to make the bus lift out of the sand and into the air, flying back through the wormhole to Earth. However, the swarm is hard upon its heels. The tense stand-off between Captain Magambo and Malcolm is defused when a soldier tells her the bus is safely through, but they are not out of danger. Three of the stingrays have followed the bus through the wormhole; furthermore, if they don't close the wormhole in time, the entire swarm will come through and devastate Earth.


*Would the security lasers around the relic in the museum not have a roof of some kind? Haven't they worked out that thieves can enter the museum from above? ''Perhaps they felt it wasn't needed, as they had four gaurds at the scene. Plus, seeing as this takes place in 2010, the recession may have caused the museum to cut down on the budget for security.''
[[File:Shuttle 200 Back on Earth.jpg|thumb|right|The 200 returns to Earth.]]
As the Doctor flies the bus across London, he attempts to dodge the stingrays whilst helping Malcolm overcome some technical difficulties via mobile phone. With just seconds to spare, Malcolm is able to close the wormhole just ahead of the main swarm. UNIT are unable to penetrate the metal exoskeletons with ordinary bullets, but the battle turns in their favour when missile launchers are brought into play, killing two stingrays in quick succession. The third goes after the 200, but the Doctor sternly says "Oh no, you don't!" and swings the bus violently around. The creature swoops in to take a bite out of the bus, but gets smacked right in the kisser by the vehicle's rear end and is stunned long enough for UNIT to get a fix on it and blow it out of the sky. After he manages this, Christina passionately [[kiss]]es the Doctor, taking back her earlier comment of "hating him". Somewhat stunned but pleased, the Doctor takes on the manner of an actual bus driver and welcomes home "the mighty 200".


*Why do none of the passengers on the 200 question why there are many Police Cars following them? ''They're in London, police are everywhere.''
The bus lands back on the spot where it vanished, being given a standing ovation by the assembled soldiers, and the passengers are released and taken to be examined by UNIT. The Doctor meets Malcolm, who embraces him in a hug and exclaims, "I love you!" four times, to the Doctor's bemusement. Magambo gives the Doctor a salute even though he doesn't want one, trusting him that the creatures will not return. The Doctor replies they will generate more doorways; it is part of their natural life cycle and something they can't help, but he'll try to nudge them onto uninhabited worlds. He also puts in a good word for Nathan, who needs a new job, and Barclay, who is good with engines, saying they're good to have in a crisis if Magambo would bring them on to UNIT as privates. Magambo then brings forth a gift for the Doctor: [[the TARDIS]], found in the gardens of [[Buckingham Palace]]., though the Doctor insists that "she doesn't mind." Magambo then turns her attention to the task of clearing up three dead alien stingrays and inquires if the Doctor is willing to help with the paperwork, to which he declines. They part on friendly terms.


*When the bus is originally shown, it has a number plate of W974GHM, but later, when flying, its number plate has changed to RUA467W.  
Christina, meanwhile, is being searched by UNIT soldiers, but she breaks off and runs to the Doctor. D.I McMillan immediately moves in to capture her at last, but Christina expects the Doctor will help her escape in the TARDIS. Additionally, she wants to come with him for adventure and excitement, telling him that is why she steals. Despite the fact that he had earlier proclaimed them to be "the perfect team", he says no. When she asks him why, he replies sadly, "People have travelled with me, and I've lost them. Lost them all. Never again." He looks on silently as D.I McMillan proudly arrives to confront Christina with the charge of suspicion of theft. The police promptly arrest her and take her away, leaving the unperturbed Doctor by himself.
*The Doctor claims that it will take the Swarm 20 minutes to reach them 100 miles away. So therefore they were moving at 300mph. However, when Christina was being chased by one it could not catch up despite her moving at a much slower speed. ''The one that chases Christina had only just got going. The ones creating the wormhole had been circling for days suggesting they have had time to build up speed. Also, the one that chased Christina was waking from hibernation and so may still have been dazed. It may have also been slowed down by the narrow passage. Furthermore, Christina was being pulled up by an electronically-powered winch that the Doctor obviously had on the fastest setting, which would have been fairly fast.''


*How exactly does Nathan phone the Doctor? The Doctor has only given free roaming to Barclay's phone. ''In [[Journey's End]] all the phones in England call the Doctor with only a few of them having free roaming capabilities. Obviously, if the Doctor enhances a phone, it can be contacted anywhere in the universe from any phone.''
[[File:Carmen's Prophecy Four Knocks.jpg|thumb|left|Carmen gives the Doctor an ominous prophecy about his future.]]
The Doctor, about to enter the TARDIS, is told by Carmen to take care of himself; the Doctor, full of joy, tells her the same. However, she replies, "No, but you be careful because your song is ending, sir!" The Doctor is perturbed, this being similar to what [[Ood Sigma]] [[Planet of the Ood (TV story)|said to him]], and asks what she means by this, Carmen replies, "[[Gallifrey|It is returning]]. It is returning through the dark, and then Doctor...oh but then... [[Wilfred Mott|he]] will knock four times." The implication of this prophecy fills the Doctor with dread.


*Why did the [[Tritovore|Tritovores]] have ear pieces? They clearly don't have ears. ''Not that we know of. Plus they may have used them through some other part of their body. Plus we don't know if the Tritovores had members aboard their ships who were humanoid in form and had ears.''
[[File:Christina Escapes the Law.jpg|thumb|right|Lady Christina makes her getaway.]]
After Carmen leaves, the Doctor decides to take pity on Christina, who is now handcuffed and being put in a [[police car]]. The Doctor points his sonic screwdriver at her handcuffs and frees her hands. Christina gets in the police car on one side and gets out on the other. She heads for the bus, chased by the police, and closes the doors after she gets on it. McMillan furiously orders her to open them, but the Doctor advises him to step back. The inspector charges him with aiding and abetting; the Doctor feigns remorse and heads over to the TARDIS, saying, "I'll just step inside this police box and arrest myself." The bus takes off, flying over the inspector's head and hovering over the TARDIS; the door opens as the others watch. Smiling down at the Doctor, Christina happily tells him, "We could have been so good together", revealing no hard feelings over her rejection. The Doctor merely smiles back and replies, "Christina, we were." Christina flies off into the night, the other passengers cheering her off, and the Doctor merely watching; he then heads into the TARDIS, off on another adventure.


*The rays were travelling in a swarm; how did only three manage to get through when they were all going through together? ''Could have easily have been scouts/leaders, ahead of the swarm. However, I do agree they were quite far ahead and UNIT took a long time to close the wormhole. The time taken was probably exaggerated to build suspense though.''
== Cast ==
* [[Tenth Doctor|The Doctor]] - [[David Tennant]]
* [[Christina de Souza|Christina]] - [[Michelle Ryan]]
* [[Malcolm Taylor|Malcolm]] - [[Lee Evans]]
* [[Erisa Magambo|Capt Magambo]] - [[Noma Dumezweni]]
* [[McMillan|DI McMillan]] - [[Adam James]]
* [[Dennison|Sgt Dennison]] - [[Glenn Doherty]]
* [[Angela Whittaker|Angela]] - [[Victoria Alcock]]
* [[Nathan (Planet of the Dead)|Nathan]] - [[David Ames]]
* [[Carmen (Planet of the Dead)|Carmen]] - [[Ellen Thomas]]
* [[Lou (Planet of the Dead)|Lou]] - [[Reginald Tsiboe]]
* [[Barclay (Planet of the Dead)|Barclay]] - [[Daniel Kaluuya]]
* [[Bus driver (Planet of the Dead)|Bus Driver]] - [[Keith Parry]]
* [[Ian Jenner|Sgt Ian Jenner]] - [[James Layton]]
* [[Sorvin]] - [[Paul Kasey]]
* [[Praygat]] - [[Ruari Mears]]


*The bus is seen to take on damage as it travels through the worm hole, but on its way back to Earth, no more damage to the bus is sustained. ''On the way the wormhole was very small. When they return it was much bigger. The bus was obviously affected on the way there due to the size of the wormhole.''
=== Uncredited Cast ===
* Security Chief - [[Ian Hilditch]]
* Security Guards - [[Marcus Elliott]], [[Jai Gomer]], Alan Morton, [[George Onyeahasi]]


* Surely companions like [[Jack Harkness]] or [[Martha Jones]] aren't exactly "lost"? ''The Doctor may be referring to his companions generally. However, this episode does not follow directly from [[The Next Doctor]] nor do the two prior episodes ([[Journey's End]] and [[Music of the Spheres]]). There may have been lots of time in-between where something has happened to the other companions.''
== Crew ==
{{wales crew
|1stAD=John Bennett (assistant director)
|2ndAD=James DeHaviland
|3rdAD=Sarah Davies
|Runner=
|Runner2=
|FloorRunner=Nicola Brown
|FloorRunner2=
|LocationManager=Gareth Skelding
|LocationManager2=
|LocationScout=
|UnitManager=Geraint Williams
|ProductionManager=Steffan Morris
|ProductionCoOrdinator=Jess van Niekerk
|AsstProductionCoOrdinator=
|ProductionManagerAsst=
|ProductionAssistant=
|ProductionScriptSecretary=Kevin Myers
|ProductionRunner=
|ProductionRunner2=
|ProductionRunner3=
|Driver=
|Driver2=
|AssistantProductionAccountant=
|AssistantProductionAccountant2=
|AssistantProductionAccountant3=
|ContractsAssistant=
|ContractsAssistant2=
|ScriptEditor=Lindsey Alford
|Continuity=Llinos Wyn Jones
|CameraOperator=Joe Russell
|CameraOperator2=James Leigh
|2ndUnitCameraOperator=
|FocusPuller=Steve Rees
|FocusPuller2=Jamie Southcott
|2ndUnitFocusPuller=
|Grip=John Robinson
|CameraAsst=
|CameraAsst2=
|BoomOperator=Jeff Welch
|BoomOperator2=Bryn Thomas
|SoundMaintenanceEngineer=
|Gaffer=Mark Hutchings
|BestBoy=Peter Chester
|Electrician=Steve Slocombe
|Electrician2=Clive Johnson
|Electrician3=
|Electrician4=
|StuntCoOrdinator=Lee Sheward
|StuntCoOrdinator2=
|Choreographer=Ailsa Berk
|Wires=
|Stunt=
|Stunt2=
|Stunt3=
|Stunt4=
|Stunt5=
|Stunt6=
|Stunt7=
|Stunt8=
|ChiefSupervisingArtDirector=
|SupervisingArtDirector=Stephen Nicholas
|ArtDeptCoOrdinator=Amy Pope
|ArtDeptProdManager=
|AssociateDesigner=James North
|ProductionBuyer=
|SetDecorator=Julian Luxton
|PropsBuyer=
|StandbyArtDirector=Nick Murray
|ASupervisingArtDirector=
|SetDesigner=
|StoryboardArtist=
|ConceptArtist=
|ConceptArtist2=
|DesignAssistant=Al Roberts
|DesignAssistant2=
|DesignAssistant3=
|DesignAssistant4=
|CyfleTrainee=
|GraphicArtist=
|StandbyProps=Phill Shellard
|StandbyProps2=Jackson Pope
|StandbyProps3=
|StandbyCarpenter=
|StandbyRigger=
|StandbyPainter=
|StandbyScenicArtist=
|ChiefPropsMaster=
|PropsMaster=
|PropertyMaster=Paul Aitken
|AssistantPropsMaster=
|DressingChargehand=
|PropsChargehand=
|PropsStoreman=
|DressingProps=
|DressingProps2=
|ForwardDresser=
|SpecialistPropMaker=
|SeniorPropsMaker=
|PropsMaker=
|PropsMaker2=
|PracticalElectrician=
|ArtDepartmentDriver=
|ConstructionManager=Matthew Hywel-Davies
|ConstructionWorkshopManager=
|ConstructionChargehand=
|ScenicArtist=
|ScenicArtist2=
|Graphics=BBC Wales Graphics
|TitleSequence=
|CostumeSupervisor=Lindsay Bonaccorsi
|WardrobeSupervisor=
|AsstCostumeDesigner=Rose Goodhart
|CostumeAsst=Barbara Harrington
|CostumeAsst2=Louise Martin
|Make-upSupervisor=
|Make-upArtist=Pam Mullins
|Make-upArtist2=Steve Smith
|Make-upArtist3=Morag Smith
|CastingAssociate=Andy Brierley
|CastingAssociate2=
|CastingAssistant=
|AsstEditor=Lee Bhogal
|VFXEditor=
|VFXCoOrdinator=
|VFXCoOrdinator2=
|OnSetVFXSupervisor=
|DigitalMattePainter=
|MattePainter=
|MattePainter2=
|PostProdSupervisor=Chris Blatchford
|PostProdSupervisor2=Samantha Hall
|PostProdCoOrdinator=Marie Brown
|SFXCoOrdinator=
|SFXSupervisor=
|SFSSupervisor2=
|SFXTechnician=
|SFXTechnician2=
|ProstheticsDesigner=
|ProstheticsSupervisor=
|ProstheticsTechnician=
|ProstheticsTechnician2=
|ProstheticsTechnician3=
|ProstheticsTechnician4=
|ProstheticsTechnician5=
|ProstheticsTechnician6=
|ProstheticMakeUpArtist=
|DubbingMixer=Tim Ricketts
|DialogueEditor=Matthew Cox
|SupervisingSoundEditor=Paul McFadden
|SoundEditor=
|SoundEditor2=
|SoundFXEditor=Paul Jefferies
|ModelUnitSupervisor=
|ModelUnitDOP=
|FoleyEditor=
|Colourist=Mick Vincent
|3DArtist=
|3DArtist2=
|3DArtist3=
|3DArtist4=
|3DArtist5=
|3DArtist6=
|3DArtist7=
|3DArtist8=
|3DArtist9=
|3DArtist10=
|2DArtist=
|2DArtist2=
|2DArtist3=
|2DArtist4=
|2DArtist5=
|2DArtist6=
|2DArtist7=
|2DArtist8=
|2DArtist9=
|2DArtist10=
|OnlineConform=
|OnlineConform2=
|OnlineEditor=
|OnlineEditor2=
|RightsExecutive=
|FinanceManager=
|VisualFXProducer=
|VisualFXProducer2=
|VisualFXSupervisor=
|Thanks=
|Thanks2=
|WithThanksTo=BBC National Orchestra of Wales
|WithThanksTo2=
|SpecialThanks=
|FromIdeaBy=
|Character1=
|CharCreatedBy1a=
|CharCreatedBy1b=
|Character2=
|CharCreatedBy2a=
|CharCreatedBy2b=
|Character3=
|CharCreatedBy3a=
|CharCreatedBy3b=
|OriginalTheme=Ron Grainer
|CastingDirector=Andy Pryor CDG
|ProductionExec=Julie Scott
|SeniorProductionAccountant=
|ProductionAccountant=Adam Olley
|SoundRecordist=Julian Howarth
|CostumeDesigner=Louise Page
|Make-upDesigner=Barbara Southcott
|VisualEffects=The Mill
|SpecialEffects=Any Effects
|Prosthetics=Millennium FX
|Music=Murray Gold
|Editor=Mike Jones (editor)
|ProductionDesigner=Edward Thomas
|DOP=Rory Taylor
|LineProducer=
|AssociateProducer=Debbi Slater
|CoProducer=
|Writer=Russell T Davies
|Writer2=Gareth Roberts
|Producer=Tracie Simpson
|Director=James Strong
|ExecutiveProd=Russell T Davies
|ExecutiveProd2=Julie Gardner
}}


*Why did Carmen not see that they were going to survive? ''Because, like with time itself in the show, certain events are in flux, rather than fixed. Perhaps the Doctor saving them was in flux.''
== Worldbuilding ==
[[File:Christina Kisses the Doctor.jpg|thumb|right|Christina gives the Doctor a thank-you [[kiss]].]]
* [[Crouch]] is located in London.
* [[Sandringham]] and [[Seel & Co]] are located near the International Gallery.


*There are tire tracks behind the bus, proving it drove to its location. ''Or it skidded as it exited the wormhole, thus making tracks''
=== Astronomical objects ===
* Barclay and Nathan mention the [[stolen planets]]. This, however, contradicts the [[21st century Dalek invasion]] taking place in [[June]] of that year.


*When Christina escaped the police car at the end, why didn't all the hundreds of heavily armed UNIT troops not try to stop her when she just ran past them? ''UNIT were either pre-occupied with clearing up the 3 aliens, debriefing the bus passengers or UNIT simply does not get involved with police matters.''
=== The Doctor ===
[[File:Ten's Sunglasses.jpg|thumb|right|The Doctor improvises sunglasses through use of the [[the Doctor's sonic screwdriver|sonic screwdriver]].]]
* The Doctor said that he will "never" take another [[companion]] on board the TARDIS because he has lost all his previous ones.


* After seeing its fellow eaten why didn't the other Tritovore just shoot the stingray with its weapon. ''It might have been panicked and attacked the Alien Stingray instead of running. It looked like it tried to, but was too scared and got eaten before it could. Plus we do not know the relationship of the two Tritovore. If they were lovers or great friends then the other may have been just boldly fighting regardless of what happened to him.''
=== Foods and beverages ===
* Carmen and Lou were going to have [[chops]] and [[gravy]] for tea at their home.


*The cannon the UNIT troops are using is seen being fired several times out of four nozzles but only one of the rockets seems to hit the Stingrays each time.  
=== Physics ===
* Christina compares [[the 200]]'s protection through the [[wormhole]] to that of a [[Faraday cage]].
* A wavelength parcel of ten kilohertz operating in four dimensions equals one [[Malcolm Taylor|Malcolm]]. 100 Malcolms are equal to 1 [[Bernard Quatermass|Bernard]], which he named after [[Bernard Quatermass]]. Funnily enough, [[David Tennant]] appeared in [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Quatermass_Experiment_(film) the 2005 remake of ''The Quatermass Experiment'']''.''


*Police cars can't be opened at the back from the inside, so how did Christina escape? ''The handcuffs may not have been the only thing the Doctor unlocked with his screwdriver.''
=== Unified Intelligence Taskforce ===
* Captain Magambo issues a [[Code Red]].
* Sergeant [[Calhoon]] is mentioned.


*Why didn't the Doctor just ask UNIT to send an all terrain vehicle or helicopter through the wormhole to pick up the survivors? Or other supplies for that matter? ''The Doctor probably didn't want to potentially make the situation even worse''
== Story notes ==
* ''Planet of the Dead'' started at the same time as the second half of the {{iw|primeval|Episode 3.3|third episode}} of [[ITV]]'s rival Saturday night drama, {{wi|Primeval}}, {{iw|primeval|Series 3}}. As such, this was the only time that a ''Doctor Who'' television story had been shown at the same time as an episode of ''Primeval'', which at the time of its premiere was described as ITV's answer to ''Doctor Who''.<ref>http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/tv/news/a41256/in-video-first-look-at-itvs-primeval.html</ref>
* The episode was heavily inspired by [[Gareth Roberts]]' [[Virgin New Adventures]] novel ''[[The Highest Science (novel)|The Highest Science]],'' which [[Russell T Davies]] felt represented exactly the kind of colourful, entertaining Doctor Who adventure he wanted for Easter. Both stories featured everyday British passengers transported to an alien world. The [[Chelonian|Chelonians]] from the novel were originally supposed to appear, but the extreme heat which would accompany location filming in a desert environment would make it impractical for an actor to wear the bulky costume necessary to bring the turtle-like aliens to life. Their role was given to the Tritovores.
* ''Planet of the Dead'' had a one-off [[companion]], [[Christina de Souza|Lady Christina de Souza]], who was unique amongst her [[BBC Wales]] predecessors in that she was depicted as both a criminal and a member of the [[British]] aristocracy. The episode also featured the return of [[UNIT]] for its third story in 12 months. Narratively, it was perhaps most significant for beginning the "He will knock four times" [[story arc]], ultimately resolved in ''[[The End of Time (TV story)|The End of Time]]''.
* Behind the scenes, it featured a revolution in the way ''Doctor Who'' was filmed. Beginning with this episode, ''Doctor Who'' episodes were no longer recorded on digital [[betacam]], and instead natively recorded on [[high definition]] video (although ''[[Spearhead from Space (TV story)|Spearhead from Space]]'' was completely shot on film and was able to be converted to true high definition video decades after its original broadcast). Likewise, the home video release of this story was the first episode of ''Doctor Who'' ever released in the [[Blu-ray]] format. The story also broke new ground with its [[location filming]], which involved ''Doctor Who''{{'}}s first road trip to an [[Arabic]] country. Finally, it was [[Tracie Simpson]]'s debut as a full [[producer]], after having risen up through the production ranks since starting as a [[production manager]] on ''[[Rose (TV story)|Rose]]''.
* As seen in [[David Tennant]]'s video diary for this episode's read-through, Tennant feared that having spent six months portraying [[Hamlet]] for the {{w|Royal Shakespeare Company}}, he would be unable to accurately replicate the voice he uses when portraying the Doctor. In an informal discussion with [[Julie Gardner]], he describes his voice for Hamlet as being the same as the Doctor's (being an English accent) except "more posh" and mentioned he may have to watch his previous performances as the Doctor and practice the voice. This strongly echoes [[Billie Piper]]'s dilemma when she returned to film ''[[Turn Left (TV story)|Turn Left]]:'' in interviews with ''[[Doctor Who Confidential]]'', Piper confessed to having forgotten how to speak in Rose's accent; it was later noted that she spoke with a noticeable lisp in several scenes of that episode.
* As revealed in ''[[Doctor Who Confidential]]'', [[Michelle Ryan]] performed most of her own stunts in the episode — including the high-wire stunt that opens the episode.
* Part of the episode was filmed in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. A bus that was to be used for filming there was heavily damaged upon arrival there.<ref name="BBC news bus damage">[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/7856405.stm BBC News - Who rewrite after damage to bus]</ref>
* According to the BBC report, the damage to the bus — a twin to one being used for filming in Cardiff — prompted a rewrite of part of the script to add a few references to the bus being damaged going through the wormhole.
* On 16 January 2009 ''The Guardian'' newspaper published an online column condemning the then-rumoured plan to film in Dubai, citing the UAE's human rights record.<ref>[http://www.guardian.co.uk/culture/garethmcleanblog/2009/jan/16/1 The Guardian - The Doctor in Dubai: dubious indeed]</ref> Similar criticism was posted by the fan site Kasterborous on 28 January.<ref>[http://www.kasterborous.com/news.asp?ac=11&id=2118 Kasterborous Online Magazine - RTD on Dubai Shoot]</ref>
* ''Planet of the Dead'' was the first ''Doctor Who'' story to be produced in high-definition. As such, it features a more detailed, but otherwise unchanged, version of the title sequence.
* According to [[David Tennant]]'s video diary, he and co-star [[Adam James]] had been friends for ten years, having also worked together in the past. James was also [[Jon Pertwee]]'s godson and the son of [[Polly James]], who played [[Jane Hampden]] in ''[[The Awakening (TV story)|The Awakening]]''.
* In an interview for BBC Breakfast on 7th April 2009, [[Russell T Davies]] revealed that the episode had only been completed at 11:30pm the previous night, only 5 days before the episode aired.
* In pre-broadcast publicity interviews, [[Michelle Ryan]] described her character as a one-off companion, though like most other one-offs, such as [[Jenny (The Doctor's Daughter)|Jenny]] and initially, [[Donna Noble]], the door had been left open for a future return. Prior to the announcement that [[Karen Gillan]] had been cast as the new ongoing companion, Ryan was listed among possible candidates. Ultimately Ryan did not return and, as of 2024, has not reappeared in the series proper though, like Jenny, she has had [[Lady Christina (audio series)|her own series of audios]] produced by [[Big Finish Productions|Big Finish]].
* Although the Doctor has had invitations to join him turned down by potential companions in the past ([[Grace Holloway]] in [[Doctor Who (TV story)|the 1996 TV movie]], [[Mickey Smith]] at the end of ''[[World War Three (TV story)|World War Three]]'' and, initially, [[Donna Noble]] in ''[[The Runaway Bride (TV story)|The Runaway Bride]]'', for example), this is one of the few occasions in which the Doctor has outright refused to take on a companion of his own volition, despite clear indications of compatibility. This also occurred with Mr [[Copper (Voyage of the Damned)|Copper]] in ''[[Voyage of the Damned (TV story)|Voyage of the Damned]]'', and for much the same reason the Doctor gives Christina.
* This story went through several drafts. These included a space opera about a giant war, possibly featuring the [[Chelonian]]s; a story about time-freezing [[centaur]]s in a deserted [[hotel]]; a ''Star Trek'' pastiche; and a story about an outer space hotel where guests were disappearing - taken down to the planet below in order to be implanted with alien eggs.<ref name="Writer's Tale">[http://www.sfx.co.uk/page/sfx?entry=20_things_we_learnt_from 20 Things We Learnt from The Writer's Tale: The Final Chapter]</ref>
* This is the first ''Doctor Who'' episode in which [[Russell T Davies]] shares co-writing credit, and the first episode since the show's return in 2005 to credit two writers. The last televised story to credit two writers was the 1993 mini-episode ''[[Dimensions in Time (TV story)|Dimensions in Time]]''.
* This story was nominated for a 2010 Hugo Award in the category of "Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form," as was ''[[The Next Doctor (TV story)|The Next Doctor]]'' and ''[[The Waters of Mars (TV story)|The Waters of Mars]]'' [http://www.thehugoawards.org/2010/04/2010-hugo-award-nominees-details/], the latter of which ultimately won the award.[http://www.thehugoawards.org/2010/09/2010-hugo-award-winners/]
* In this special, Christina becomes the next on the list of companions who have [[kiss]]ed the Doctor. By this time, on-screen kisses included: Dr [[Grace Holloway]], not long after his seventh regeneration; [[Jack Harkness]], who gave the Doctor a farewell kiss on the [[Satellite Five|Gamestation]]; the Doctor kissing Rose Tyler later in the same episode; [[Cassandra O'Brien.Δ17|Cassandra]] kissing the Doctor while possessing Rose Tyler's body; [[Jackie Tyler]] kissing the Doctor three times when he and Rose returned home in the [[Army of Ghosts (TV story)|middle of the ghost crisis]]; the Doctor kissing [[Martha Jones]] to confuse the [[Judoon]]'s scanners; [[Astrid Peth]] kissing the Doctor twice whilst on the ''[[Titanic (spaceship)|Titanic]]''; and [[Donna Noble]] kissing the Doctor to give him a shock when he needed to use his Time Lord physiology to detox from [[cyanide]] poisoning.
* According to the episode commentary, it was planned from the beginning to kill the [[Tritovore]]s off, as it would have been too hard to figure out what to do with them if they got to Earth.
* This was the only special released on the ''Complete Specials Box Set'' to be the original broadcast version.
* [[Michelle Ryan]] stated that she was "a huge fan of ''Doctor Who'' and [was] very excited to be joining [[David Tennant]] and the ''Doctor Who'' team."
* Both buses were meant to be intact throughout the story, but while one was en route to Dubai, it was badly knocked about at the docks by a crane driver who was careless with a container. As a result, the film crew sent photos of the damage back to Cardiff and the crew there made similar 'alterations' to that bus so they would match. A few lines were added to the script to explain the sudden change in the appearance of the bus.
* The first of the three days of filming in Dubai was affected by a sandstorm which left most of the footage shot unusable. The production team then struggled to complete three days of filming in two days; the last day was compared to "filming ''[[Lawrence of Arabia (film)|Lawrence of Arabia]]''".
* [[Russell T Davies]] had two alternate storylines for the Easter special. One involved the TARDIS materialising in the midst of a ''[[Star Wars]]''-style dogfight in space; the Doctor would befriend a female pilot, who would become his companion for the adventure, and they would defuse the conflict by employing a weapons-jamming device. Davies thought that this would be an effective subversion of the genre. The other involved either a crossover with {{wi|Star Trek: Enterprise}} or a parody where the Doctor found himself aboard the starship ''Endeavour''.''
* There was originally a subplot about an extra-terrestrial hotel where humans were being implanted with alien eggs, as an allusion to the custom of giving eggs as an Easter gift. However, the hotel setting veered too closely to ''A Midwinter's Tale'', an idea [[Russell T Davies]] had originally considered for the 2008 Christmas episode, and which he had now given to [[Phil Ford]] to develop for the next special.
* The Doctor's one-off companion was originally a bus tour guide named Rebecca, a cheery, overweight woman in the mould of Tracy Turnblad from ''[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hairspray_(1988_film) Hairspray].'' Stuck in a dead-end job, Rebecca would be shaken out of her complacency by her experiences with the Doctor; the story's conclusion would see her become an ambassador to the Chelonians. However, [[Russell T Davies]] came to feel that the character was simply too unengaging, and that she was ill-suited to the style of story he envisaged.
* Lady Christina was originally named Hermione.
* The production team examined overseas locations to film the episode because they wanted the scenery to feel "real" and thought that they would be unable to film on a Welsh beach in winter. After examining countries such as [[Morocco]] and [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tunisia Tunisia], the production team decided to film in Dubai because the area was more amicable to the filming industry and viable filming locations were nearer to urban areas than other locations.
* At one point, [[Russell T Davies]] become concerned that the audience would find a jewel thief too unrelatable. Instead, he suggested that the woman who boarded the bus might be a middle-aged housewife called Eileen, who was trapped in a loveless marriage to a man named Trevor. However, none of the potential actresses available to play Eileen were compelling enough to encourage the production team to make the switch.
* The coda in which Carmen gave the Doctor a dire premonition of his future was originally meant to be an element of ''[[The Waters of Mars (TV story)|The Waters of Mars]].''
* A lot more material involving Malcolm was added when [[Russell T Davies]] found that the script was seriously underrunning.
* The bus was dubbed the Routemaster 200 after [[Tom Spilsbury]] and [[Benjamin Cook]] pointed out that this was the 200th ''Doctor Who'' story.
* [[Lee Evans]] brought along a set of oversized false teeth to wear for his role, but it was quickly agreed that they would not be used.
* Sequences aboard the Tritovore ship were filmed in frigid conditions. To explain the actors' breath being plainly visible, the script was amended to introduce the notion of the vessel's hull being made from photafine steel, which inverted the outside temperature.
* Of the three minibuses hired for the journey from Dubai airport to the hotel, one, carrying [[David Tennant]] and [[Michelle Ryan]], was pulled over by the police, while a second was briefly lost in the desert after taking a wrong turn.
* A minor panic arose over a mock advertisement on the side of the bus for a mobile phone billed as "Neon by Naismith". It was meant to foreshadow the introduction of [[Joshua Naismith]] in ''[[The End of Time (TV story)|The End of Time]]''. However, after filming had concluded, {{w|AT&T}} had introduced a cell phone called the ''LG Neon'', and concerns were expressed within the BBC that the episode might appear to be providing the product with free publicity. The matter was dropped when [[Julie Gardner]] pointed out that the Neon ad had already appeared in production photos, although she did not mention that it was barely visible.
* The episode's tone word — "joyous" — was influenced by [[Russell T Davies]]' realisation that "every story since ''[[The Fires of Pompeii (TV story)|The Fires of Pompeii]]'' [had] a bittersweet quality" and his subsequent desire to avoid the recurring theme.
* The episode had no clear concept and instead was a deliberate "clash [of concepts] with many disparate elements." [[Gareth Roberts]] explained he was cautious to ensure that each element had to "feel precise and defined ... like we meant that", citing ''[[Arc of Infinity (TV story)|Arc of Infinity]]'' as an example where such control was not enforced.
* [[Russell T Davies]] commented that "Michelle [was] one of the most sought after young actors in the country" and that they were "delighted to announce that she [would] be joining the team." Ryan described her casting as a "real honour", noting that she "love[d] the character".
* In an interview with BBC News, [[Michelle Ryan]] praised her colleagues and the "family atmosphere" on set and described ''Doctor Who'' as "really something special to do." After a showing of a trailer for the episode on ''[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Justin_Lee_Collins_Show The Justin Lee Collins Show]'', Ryan described the "fantastic" time she had filming in Cardiff and in Dubai.
* [[Gareth Roberts]] noted after writing the episode that Malcolm Taylor had unintentionally become a "loving" caricature of ''Doctor Who'' fandom.
* To portray the tunnel the bus travelled into, the Queen's Gate Tunnel of the A4232 road in Butetown was closed for four nights to accommodate filming.
* [[David Tennant]] described this special as the "last time the Doctor gets to have any fun", as "his card is marked" as a result of the prophecy.
* In creating Christina, [[Russell T Davies]] electing to draw parallels from [[Romana]] rather than [[Rose Tyler]].
* [[Gareth Roberts]] described Christina as an "adventuress" who is "upper class and glam, suited and booted, and extremely intelligent" which the Doctor could relate to because they both rejected their heritages. [[James Strong]] described her as reverting to a traditional romantic-based companionship — rather than the platonic companionship of [[Donna Noble]], while still being a unique companion.
* [[Russell T Davies]] created the character of Professor Malcolm Taylor to serve as a foil for the more pragmatic Captain Erisa Magambo.
* The Tritovore came from [[Russell T Davies]]' habit of including aliens that were recognisable to the audience as animals from Earth, such as the [[Judoon]].


*Why is this the first episode to mention the resession, the episode is set in 2010, the recession should have been mentioned on [[DW]]: [[The Sontaran Stratagem]] / [[The Poison Sky]], which was set in 2009?  Since The Poison Sky was made before the ressesion, then it is logical to say that the ressesion shouldn't have occured in the Doctor Who Universe.
=== Ratings ===
* Easter Saturday 11th April 2009 ~ 6:45pm ~ BBC One ~ 8.41 million (UK overnight)
The BARB official ratings are 9.54 million, the 5th most-watched programme of the week, the second most watched on BBC of the week and the second most watched of Saturday 11th April.<ref>[http://guide.doctorwhonews.net/info.php?detail=ratings&type=date Doctor Who Ratings - UK final]</ref> It also gained 200,000 viewers on BBC HD, the biggest ever audience for the channel. ''Planet of the Dead'' is now the sixth best rated ''Doctor Who'' episode since its 2005 revival with ''Voyage of the Damned'', ''The Next Doctor'', ''Rose'', ''Journey's End'' and ''The Christmas Invasion'' beating the episode.


*Early in the episode, it was shown that the worm hole was very close behind the bus in the desert. When the Docter flies the bus back in to the worm hole, he had to travel considerable distance before reaching it.
=== Rumours ===
* Carmen mentioned "Your song is ending," leading people to believe it could refer to [[River Song]]. ''The first part of the prophecy referred to the Tenth Doctor's life.''
* People thought that "It is returning through the dark" referred to either [[Davros]], who presumably died two episodes prior, or [[Gallifrey]]. ''It was indeed Gallifrey.''
* People thought that the four knocks referred to either the [[Midnight entity]] or [[the Master]] returning. ''In fact, the four knocks referred to [[Wilfred Mott]] knocking on a glass door four times when trapped, an event that would lead to the death of the [[Tenth Doctor]]. The Master did return, however, and the intention was to mislead the audience into thinking it referred to the Master.''
* Since eccentric Time Lady [[Iris Wildthyme]] had a [[Iris Wildthyme's TARDIS|TARDIS]] that resembled a London bus, there were rumours she'd appear in the special.
** Related to the Wildthyme rumour, speculation regarding the identity and true nature of Lady Christina, following statements by Davies that she would have a profound impact on the Doctor, including the possibility that she might be a Time Lord, and perhaps even a known Time Lord such as [[Romana]]. ''This ultimately proved not to be the case, although the Doctor's comment to Christina that "You look Time Lord" referred to the fact that humans and Time Lords look alike; however, Time Lords came first.'' ''There are, in fact, many situations where fans believe a character is a Time Lord, but it never turns out to be true.''
* It was rumoured this episode would feature the [[Nimon]] because they were mentioned in the commentary by [[Russell T Davies]] for ''[[The Next Doctor (TV story)|The Next Doctor]]'' and are known to suck the life out of planets.
* The post-credits trailer for the upcoming special ''[[The Waters of Mars (TV story)|The Waters of Mars]]'' is set to the sound of the [[cloister bell]] tolling, foreshadowing the peril it will host.
* It was rumoured that [[Michelle Ryan]] would be the companion for [[Series 5 (Doctor Who 2005)|season five]] and that she auditioned to replace [[Billie Piper]] in 2006. These turned out to be false.
<!--Nothing explicitly places this story or The End of Time in either 2009 or 2010.-->


*In the beginning when the bus entered the worm hole at ground level, it seems like it exited at or close to ground level on the other planet. When the bus flew back into the worm hole high above the ground, it ended up exiting at Earth very close to the ground when it should be much higher.
=== Filming locations ===
* Cardiff, St Mary Street - the first scenes with the red bus driving down the road with the Doctor and Christina stepping on to it
* Cardiff Bay - Police and UNIT investigating the disappearance of the bus through the wormhole
* Dubai, United Arab Emirates - San Helios
* Cardiff ~ Butetown Tunnel - Queens Gate ~ A4232
<ref name="BBC news bus damage" />


*The bus entered the worm hole from inside the tunnel and exited on the planet, yet reversing direction from the planet into the worm hole from the same side results in the bus (and other objects) exiting on Earth at the opposide side of the worm hole outside the tunnel when they should be exiting on the original side, inside the tunnel.
=== Production errors ===
{{discontinuity}}
* With the transition to HD as of this episode, an error in the opening title sequence is made more obvious - when the TARDIS leaves the time vortex for the first time, moving camera-left while the vortex is still blue, it doesn't pass out of the vortex but instead simply disappears. While this error has been present since ''[[Rose (TV story)|Rose]]'', the new high-definition titles offer a clear view of the error for the first time. The error remains in these titles until their final use, in the final part of ''[[The End of Time (TV story)|The End of Time]]''.
* When the bus is originally shown, it has a number plate of W974GHM, but later, when flying, its number plate has changed to RUA461W.
* When Lady Christina climbs back up after stealing the cup of Athelstan, she is on the roof, but in the next scene she is still inside.
* When Malcolm opens the trailer door after he closes the wormhole, the glass in the door is the wrong way around as it spells "T.I.N.U" from the outside.
* When the Doctor is "tinting" his glasses with his sonic screwdriver, he lowers them out of view. When he lifts them back into view, the tortoiseshell colouration of the stems and frames on his glasses is black, revealing that sleight-of-hand camera tricks were used to hide an obvious switch between two different sets of glasses. ''It is possible the sonic screwdriver can also blacken the colouration of the framework on the glasses.''
* At around 20:48, a stray fly in the desert can be seen skittering on the Doctor's tie and flying off. San Helios is meant to be completely devoid of life.
 
=== Influences ===
* [[Russell T Davies]] described the special as s "a great big adventure, a little bit [[Indiana Jones]], a little bit {{wi|The_Flight_of_the_Phoenix_(1965_film)|Flight of the Phoenix}}, a little bit {{wi|Pitch_Black_(film)|Pitch Black}}."{{fact}}
* The relationship between the Doctor and Christina was influenced by [[1960s]] films such as {{wi|Charade_(1963_film)|Charade}} and {{wi|Topkapi_(film)|Topkapi}}, which featured people "being witty and sophisticated together, and then running for their lives".{{fact}}
* The Tritovore were influenced by 1950s and 1970s science fiction B-movies such as {{wi|The_Fly_(1958_film)|The Fly}}.{{fact}}
* The opening heist scene was inspired by ''[[Mission: Impossible]].''{{fact}}
* Lady Christina was inspired by {{w|Black Canary}}.{{fact}}


== Continuity ==
== Continuity ==
*As this episode is the 200th storyline of Doctor Who, the episode makes an in-universe reference to this by calling the bus The 200.
* A flying [[bus]] previously appeared in [[TV]]: ''[[Delta and the Bannermen (TV story)|Delta and the Bannermen]]''.
*Several bus passengers discuss the events surrounding the relocation of Earth to the [[Medusa Cascade]] (per [[DW]]: ''[[The Stolen Earth]]''/''[[Journey's End]]''), which places this story as taking place after those events, while confirming that, unlike the [[Battle of Canary Wharf]], there seems to have been no attempt to "cover up" what happened, and it remains public knowledge.
* Several bus passengers discuss the events surrounding the relocation of Earth to the [[Medusa Cascade]]. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Stolen Earth (TV story)|The Stolen Earth]]''/''[[Journey's End (TV story)|Journey's End]]'') Angela says "It's impossible, there are 3 suns, 3 of em!" and Barclay replies "Like when all them planets were up in the sky!", to which Nathan says "But it was the Earth that moved then, wasn't it?". Barclay realises "Oh man we're on another world." This also clarifies that the general population is now quite familiar with and can properly recognise the various alien interventions that more and more constantly beset them.
* The Doctor mentions "Humans on a bus, always blaming me", referring to the bus accident in [[DW]]: ''[[Midnight (TV story)|Midnight]]''.  
* The [[advert]] on the side of the bus is for [[Neon (company)|Neon]] by Naismith, a phone company owned by billionaire [[Joshua Naismith]]. ([[TV]]: ''[[The End of Time (TV story)|The End of Time]]'')
*The Doctor mentions the K1 Robot that featured in [[DW]]: ''[[Robot (TV story)|Robot]]'', when asking Malcolm what his favourite file about him was.
* The Doctor mentions, "Humans on buses, always blaming me", referring to [[TV]]: ''[[Midnight (TV story)|Midnight]]''.
*UNIT at last meets an alien race that's not immune to bullets [[DW]]: ''[[Robot (TV story)|Robot]]'' or as Captain Magambo puts it "I don't believe it, guns that work", this also refrences the events of [[The Sontaran Stratagem]] where UNIT's weapons are rendered useless.
* The Doctor mentions the [[K1 Robot]] when asking Malcolm what his favourite file about him was. ([[TV]]: ''[[Robot (TV story)|Robot]]'')
*Carmen says "Your song must end soon" which is what the [[Ood]] also said to the Doctor in [[DW]]: ''[[Planet of the Ood]]''. As well as the warnings of darkness heard in Series 4 (''[[Turn Left]]'', et al); the reference to knocking reflects a similar event that occurred in [[DW]]: ''[[Midnight (TV story)|Midnight]]'' and the drums the Master hears in [[DW]]: ''[[Utopia (TV story)|Utopia]]'' and [[DW]]: ''[[The Sound of Drums]]''
* Carmen says, "Your song is ending", which is what the [[Ood]] also said to the Doctor in [[TV]]: ''[[Planet of the Ood (TV story)|Planet of the Ood]]''. As well as the warnings of darkness heard in Series 4, (''[[Turn Left (TV story)|Turn Left]]'', et al) the reference to knocking reflects a similar event that occurred in [[TV]]: ''[[Midnight (TV story)|Midnight]]''.
*Bernard Quatermass is mentioned and referenced, he was previously mentioned in [[DW]]: ''[[Remembrance of the Daleks]]''.
* An alternate reality Captain Magambo appeared in ''[[Turn Left (TV story)|Turn Left]]'' and helped Rose Tyler and an alternate Donna Noble set history right.
*Captain Mugumbo's exclamation "the guns work" could be a call back to [[the Brigadier]] who once proclaimed he hated how so many aliens were immune to bullets; or more likely a reference to UNIT's trouble in their last appearance [[DW]]: ''[[The Sontaran Stratagem]]'' / ''[[The Poison Sky]]''.
* Christina refers to the economic crash of [[2008]]. Unbeknownst to the general public, the ensuing recession was caused by a British teenager named [[Theo Lawson]] hacking into several multinational banks and acquiring enough money for the rest of his life. The [[Eighth Doctor]] met Lawson in [[London]] shortly before his death in [[2010]]. ([[AUDIO]]: ''[[Situation Vacant (audio story)|Situation Vacant]]'')
*When Christina calls the Doctor "Spaceman" he refers to Donna, saying "I had a friend that used to call me that"
* Malcolm named his unit of measurement the Bernard after Professor [[Bernard Quatermass]]. The [[British Rocket Group]], to which Quatermass belonged, was previously referenced (as was Quatermass himself, vaguely) when the Doctor was in [[1963]] London. ([[TV]]: ''[[Remembrance of the Daleks (TV story)|Remembrance of the Daleks]]'')
* When Captain Magambo tells the Doctor it is an honour to serve him during a phone conversation, he gets the notion she has saluted him over the phone, which she hastily denies. The Doctor has previously been saluted by UNIT and has repeatedly asked them to stop doing so. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Sontaran Stratagem (TV story)|The Sontaran Stratagem]]'')
* [[The Doctor's TARDIS]] is discovered in the gardens of Buckingham Palace, and according to the Doctor, "she doesn't mind". It is unclear whether he is referring to the Queen not minding its presence or the TARDIS not minding the fact that it had been left in the gardens of Buckingham Palace. Previous stories implying that the Doctor and Queen Elizabeth II know each other and are on good terms include ''[[Silver Nemesis (TV story)|Silver Nemesis]]'' and ''[[Voyage of the Damned (TV story)|Voyage of the Damned]]''.
* A reference was made to [[Donna Noble]] as the Doctor said he had a friend who called him "Spaceman". ([[TV]]: ''[[Journey's End (TV story)|Journey's End]]'', et al)
* The Doctor says Christina looks [[Time Lord]] in response to her saying that he looks human. The [[Eleventh Doctor]] would later say the same to [[Amy Pond]]. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Beast Below (TV story)|The Beast Below]]'')
* The Doctor tells Christina of some of the eras he's visited: [[World War I]], [[Event One|the creation of the universe]], the end of the universe, ([[TV]]: ''[[Utopia (TV story)|Utopia]]'') "the war" between China and Japan (exactly which war is not specified; possibly a reference to the conflict predating World War II), and the court of King Athelstan in the 10th century AD.
* The [[Erisa Magambo|Captain]] expresses her surprise that "guns don't work" on the Swarm. As [[the Brigadier]] once lamented, UNIT's enemies generally have an immunity to bullets. (''[[TV]]: [[Robot (TV story)|Robot]]'')
* The Doctor is worried that the sugar from his [[Easter egg]] will damage his [[teeth]], despite his [[Gallifreyan physiology]] preventing tooth decay. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[Keeping up with the Joneses (short story)|Keeping up with the Joneses]]'') His teeth were also his first concern after the [[Ninth Doctor]] finished regenerating. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Parting of the Ways (TV story)|The Parting of the Ways]]'')
* The Doctor tells Christina that he stole his [[The Doctor's TARDIS|TARDIS]] from his [[Time Lord|people]]. ([[TV]]: ''[[The War Games (TV story)|The War Games]]'', ''[[Logopolis (TV story)|Logopolis]]''; [[AUDIO]]: ''[[The Beginning (audio story)|The Beginning]]'')
* Ever since the theft of the Cup of Athelstan, security has improved in the [[International Gallery]], according to [[Lionel Harding]], the curator of the gallery. ([[TV]]: ''[[Mona Lisa's Revenge (TV story)|Mona Lisa's Revenge]]'')


== DVD and Other releases ==
== Home video releases ==
According to Amazon.co.uk, a Region 2 (UK) DVD release is scheduled for 29 June 2009[http://www.amazon.co.uk/Doctor-Who-Planet-Dead-DVD/dp/B001V7P2U4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1240687253&sr=8-1], although no official announcement has been made by BBC Video or 2 Entertain. It is not yet known if the release will have any extra features; none are indicated on the box cover art currently shown on Amazon.


As with ''The Next Doctor'' no North American DVD release has been hinted at; it is assumed it will at least be included in a box set collecting the 2009 Specials and The Next Doctor; such a release will not occur until the first quarter of 2010, at the earliest, pending broadcast of the remaining specials in the UK.
=== DVD & Blu-ray releases ===
This is the first ''Doctor Who'' episode to ever be released on the high-definition Blu-ray format.


==International broadcast==
* ''Planet of the Dead'' was released on DVD and, for the first time for a ''Doctor Who'' episode, on Blu-ray in the United Kingdom on 29 June 2009. The release includes a single bonus feature, ''[[Doctor Who Confidential]]'' - unlike previous DVD releases, this is a complete, 60-minute version, including licensed music and clips from both the classic series and the [[Doctor Who (TV story)|1996 TV movie]].
The Canadian cable network, [[Space (TV channel)|Space]], has announced it will air the special on June 20, 2009, confirming that it is taking over broadcasts of ''Doctor Who'' from the [[Canadian Broadcasting Corporation|CBC]].[http://dwin.org/article.php?sid=268] The American network [[Sci Fi Channel]], which holds the US broadcast rights to ''Doctor Who'', has yet to announce an airdate for the special.
* In North America, the DVD and Blu-ray were released on 28 July 2009. The release is identical to the Region 2 version, including the intact ''Confidential'', even though it includes clips from the 1996 TV movie which at the time could not be released in Region 1 due to licensing issues.
* In Australia, the DVD was released on 29 June 2009, Blu-ray on 1 October 2009 and included the same special features as the UK release.
* This was released as part of the Complete Specials in the UK on both DVD and Blu-ray in a box set on 11 January 2010, with a North American release scheduled for 2 February 2010.[http://gallifreynewsbase.blogspot.com/2009/10/waters-of-mars-american-airdates.html] In Australia, the Blu-ray was released 29 June 2010 and the DVD on 1 July 2010.


==External links==
<gallery position="center" captionalign="center" hideaddbutton="true">
*[http://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/s4/episodes/S0_06 Official BBC Website - Episode Guide: '''Planet of the Dead''']
File:Bbcdvd-planetofthedead.jpg|Planet of the Dead DVD Cover
*[http://www.gallifreyone.com/cgi-bin/viewnews.cgi?id=EkFEAuZyFyAkYiRPga&tmpl=newsrss&style=feedstyle Russell T Davies interview snippet]
File:Specials-boxset.jpg|The Complete Specials DVD<br />Region 2 UK cover
*[http://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/s4/misc/media/ BBC1 Planet of the dead Trailer]
File:Specials.jpg|The Complete Specials DVD<br />Region 1 US cover
File:Complete specials region4.jpg|The Complete Specials DVD<br />Region 4 Australian cover
File:Doctor-who-the-complete-specials-blu-ray-2009-21908704.jpeg|The Complete Specials Blu-ray<br />Region B UK cover
File:91w9JtDlv7L. AA1500 .jpg|The Complete Specials Blu-ray<br />Region A US cover
File:Specials bluaustralia.jpg|The Complete Specials Blu-ray<br />Region B Australian cover
File:The Complete David Tennant Years Region 1 US DVD cover.jpg|The Complete David Tennant Years DVD<br />Region 1 US cover
File:Limited Edition Giftset Region 1 US DVD cover.jpg|Limited Edition Giftset DVD<br />Region 1 US cover
TheSpecials artwork(1).jpg|The Specials Steelbook
File:Bbcdvd-series1234567.jpg|thumb|''Doctor Who: The Complete Series One to Seven'' DVD box-set
</gallery>


==Footnotes==
=== Digital releases ===
 
* This episode is listed as episode 16 of Series 4 on [[Netflix]] in the US. Previously, it had been listed as a separate standalone title, before vanishing from the service entirely sometime in 2011. It reappeared on Netflix in 2014, concurrent with the additions of ''[[The Day of the Doctor (TV story)|The Day of the Doctor]]'' and ''[[The Time of the Doctor (TV story)|The Time of the Doctor]]'' to the service.
* In the United Kingdom, this story is available on [[BBC iPlayer]] as part of Series 4.
 
== International broadcast ==
The Canadian cable network [[Space (TV channel)|Space]] aired the special on July 25th, 2009 in an 85-minute timeslot (including commercials) with minimal edits, the most noticeable being the omission of the trailer for ''The Waters of Mars''. As a result of the edit, the episode ends uniquely, with the traditional "howlaround" sound replaced instead with a single tolling of the cloister bell.
 
[[BBC America]] aired the special on 26 July as part of the rollout of its new HD service. This marks the changeover for ''Doctor Who'' from broadcasts on [[Syfy]] to BBC America, which has taken over first-run broadcasts of the series.
 
== External links ==
* [http://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/s4/episodes/S0_06 Official BBC Website - Episode Guide: '''Planet of the Dead''']
* [http://web.archive.org/web/20110809114614/http://www.thewriterstale.com/scr.html Original script] (archived), posted online by [[Russell T Davies]] in conjunction with the release of his book [[REF]]: ''[[Doctor Who: The Writer's Tale - The Final Chapter]]''.
* [http://www.gallifreyone.com/cgi-bin/viewnews.cgi?id=EkFEAuZyFyAkYiRPga&tmpl=newsrss&style=feedstyle Russell T Davies interview snippet]
* [http://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/s4/misc/media/ BBC1 Planet of the dead Trailer]
 
== Footnotes ==
=== Notes ===
{{notelist}}
 
=== Sources ===
{{Reflist}}
{{Reflist}}
{{DWTV}}
{{SPEC|04.2/002}}
{{UNIT stories}}
{{TitleSort}}
[[Category:Doctor Who (2005) television stories]]
[[Category:2009 television stories]]
[[Category:2009 television stories]]
[[Category:UNIT episodes]]
[[Category:UNIT television stories]]
[[Category:Tenth Doctor episodes]]
[[Category:Stories set in London]]
[[Category:Stories set in the City of Westminster]]
[[Category:Stories set at Easter]]
[[Category:Series 4 (Doctor Who) stories]]
[[Category:Stories set in the 2000s]]
[[Category:Television stories that use Murray Gold's 2nd main theme]]
[[Category:Television specials]]
 
[[es:Planet of the Dead]]
[[fr:Planet of the Dead (Émission TV)]]
[[it:Planet of the Dead (TV)]]
[[pt:Planet of the Dead]]
[[ro:Planet of the Dead]]

Latest revision as of 00:46, 22 October 2024

RealWorld.png

You may be looking for the comic story.

Planet of the Dead was the 2009 Easter Special of Doctor Who.

Notably, Planet of the Dead was advertised as the two-hundredth Doctor Who story. As such, the bus featured in the episode was named the 200, in celebration. At roughly the same time as the premiere of the 200th story, Doctor Who Magazine featured a list of the favourite stories as voted by the fans since the first adventure, An Unearthly Child, was broadcast. Planet of the Dead clocked in at #99.

From a production point of view, Planet of the Dead was the first episode of BBC Wales Doctor Who to credit two writers, Russell T Davies and Gareth Roberts. It was also the first to be filmed and broadcast in high-definition. From this episode onward, the series would remain in HD format.

Planet of the Dead introduced the "he will knock four times" and "something is returning" arcs, something which would come up again in the following story, The Waters of Mars and ultimately conclude in the two-part serial The End of Time.

Synopsis[[edit] | [edit source]]

When a London bus takes a detour to an alien world, the Tenth Doctor must join forces with the extraordinary Lady Christina. But the mysterious planet holds terrifying secrets and time is running out as the deadly Swarm gets closer...

Plot[[edit] | [edit source]]

As the night shift of the International Gallery museum commences, armed guards are at work protecting a highly-coveted golden goblet. One guard types out a security code to unlock a security system level. He turns to the side, raising a four-sided barricade of laser alarm sensors around the cup. It might seem foolproof, but the one thing the guards haven't counted on is a sleuth attempt to pilfer the cup from above...

File:High Wire Heist - Doctor Who - Planet of the Dead - BBC
A masked cat burglar heists the goblet.

While their backs are turned, a round panel is quietly pried loose from the domed ceiling of the museum. On the rooftop is a woman in black clothes and a ski mask. She peers down and assesses the security detail. The woman lowers herself from the roof, flawlessly infiltrates the museum without setting off the alarms, and replaces the cup with a mechanical Maneki Neko; when the guards finally turn around at the sound of her releasing her winch on the roof, she waves at them in a mocking fashion. As the alarms go off, she dashes out of the museum and unmasks; she is Lady Christina de Souza, an expert thief. Christina runs out to the street to see someone being arrested, and she says, "Sorry, lover" to her presumed accomplice, getting away with the prize while he takes the fall.

She then takes a back route onto the main road, where she frantically looks for a way out as police move in searching for her, although unaware of her presence. She runs onto a 200 bus to Victoria, where she exchanges her diamond earrings for a bus ride. Soon afterwards, the Tenth Doctor comes onto the bus and uses a psychic paper on the Oyster card scanner. He then sits down opposite Lady Christina.

The Doctor's rhondium sensor detects something unusual.

After enjoying a chocolate Easter egg and engaging in some small talk with Christina, he receives an alert from the rhondium sensor in his pocket that the particles he's been looking for have been detected. As he fiddles with the sensor, he gets inquisitive looks from a young man sitting parallel to him.

The police are still after Christina, since they know she has stolen the cup. Christina is visibly frightened by the sound of the wailing sirens, giving the Doctor reason to wonder if she's hiding something. It looks like the vehicle is about to be pulled over, but whilst chasing the bus through a tunnel, the police witness it disappear in front of their eyes; startled, they set up a perimeter around the area. Meanwhile, the bus passes through a ripple in space and a bright, blinding light flashes out. The passengers scream as the bus is put through the wringer; the metal frame buckles, the windows burst into shards of flying glass, and everyone ducks down in their rows. After the bus takes a hard landing back onto solid ground, the Doctor's jaw is agape at the sight of a completely different environment. Rather than tarmac, street lamps, and dark, rainy nighttime skies, it is now daytime, with sand as far the eye can see in every direction. They have been spat out into a world covered in desert with three suns. The bus has been wrecked in the process of landing, with smoke hissing from its engine and parts of its double-decker roof sheared apart. The bus driver proclaims it unmovable.

File:Trapped in the Desert - Doctor Who - Planet of the Dead - BBC
The bus driver unwittingly rushes to his doom.

The Doctor tells the passengers that the bus has passed through a wormhole into a different world, proving this to them by throwing a handful of sand into the space behind the bus. The sand causes a rippling effect in the air. The same man who eyeballed the rhondium detector points a finger at the Doctor and demands to know if he used it to make the bus end up in the desert. Annoyed for receiving immediate blame from a human on a bus and having dealt with the animosity of the Midnight incident, the Doctor doesn't keep to himself again. Instead, he comes clean and says he was tracking a hole in reality that suddenly grew big and the bus drove into it. He elaborates that the other end of the wormhole was in the tunnel on Earth. Among the passengers is Carmen, who has been hearing mysterious voices since Christina got on. The bus driver announces his desire to return to Earth, and promptly runs through the wormhole, accompanied by the Doctor's, "No, don't!". The other passengers of the bus witness the driver's skin and tissues incinerating, before he disappears into the wormhole with the same rippling effect as the sand.

Meanwhile, on Earth, where the police are watching the wormhole, the driver's blackened skeleton steps out, halts, and then tumbles to the ground. Unnerved, the police wisely decide that this is out of their depth and declare an emergency Code One, calling UNIT to the scene.

Christina takes the reins as the crisis leader.

After watching the bus driver's death, the Doctor sums up that the metal of the bus protected them from the same fate as the driver when they passed through the wormhole (like a Faraday cage, as Christina states).

Everyone returns to the bus so the group can make sense of the situation. Christina takes charge, introduces herself and the Doctor, then everyone introduces themselves: Nathan, a young adult with slicked up hair, Barclay, about the same age and the one who confronted the Doctor, Angela Whittaker, an older blond woman, Louis, who goes by the nickname "Lou," and his wife, Carmen. Christina notices the Doctor is the brainpower of the bunch and has him fill the rest of the group in on what has happened.

Carmen and her husband discuss her psychic ability.

The Doctor explains to the passengers on the bus that they went through the wormhole by accident, but Carmen tells him with some surprising knowledge that it was a doorway put there for a reason. Her husband Lou notes she has had a gift of foresight since she was a girl which has helped them make small wins on the lottery. The Doctor deems Carmen a low-level psychic and theorises the alien sun has amplified her abilities. He asks her if she can see anything. She foretells, "Something is coming, riding on the wind and shining." When asked what she means, she answers, "Death. Death is coming."

Her words send Angela into complete hysterics, Nathan panics no one will find them, Barclay begins to get rebellious, and both Christina and Lou are drowned out by the uproar. The Doctor quells the clamouring bus and regains control, but Angela is still sobbing heavily. He instinctively grips her by the arms to get her attention and asks where she was heading to take her mind off the peril. She replies she was going home to her family, Mike and Suzanne; thinking about them calms her and abolishes her panicky state. The Doctor moves on to Barclay, who has a love interest named Tina; Nathan's dealing with unemployment and Carmen and Lou talk about whose turn it is to cook. The Doctor asks Christina where she was going; she is the only person on the bus with something to hide. She tells him she was going far away, not giving away her thievery. Having defused the tension in the bus, the Doctor reminds the group to focus on those pleasant thoughts so the fear doesn't set in again, then informs them the planet outside is "nothing compared to all those things waiting for you" on Earth. He promises to get them all home.

Back on Earth, the highway tunnel has been shut down as Detective McMillan and the police officers wait to intercept Lady Christina. They find themselves joined by a fleet of UNIT soldiers and weapon-toting armoured vehicles, who secure the area with crisp efficiency. The woman in charge, Captain Erisa Magambo, establishes a strategic hold on the highway, ordering all media presence to be removed and arrested if they cause any trouble and brushing aside DI McMillan as he tries to protest. Captain Magambo puts a firing squad on guard at the wormhole, with orders to shoot to kill if any hostile activity is demonstrated.

The Doctor is clued in that Christina might not be so innocent below the surface...

Nathan and Barclay dismantle part of the bus's upholstered seats and bring them to the Doctor, who wants to wedge them beneath the wheels of the bus like duckboards. This will give the wheels enough traction to throw the bus in reverse and back through the wormhole. Using experience from trips to the Kalahari, Christina has them air out the tyres slightly to improve it further by giving the bus some extra grip, as its weight is more distributed. When Barclay is distressed over how deep the wheels will run, Christina produces a fold-up spade from her rucksack to begin digging them out, then a small axe for Nathan to unearth the seats more quickly. This piques the Doctor's curiosity, but he is distracted when Angela asks for a key to get the bus running. The Doctor informs her the bus doesn't use keys, just a master switch and stop and go buttons. She follows his instructions and attempts to start the bus. The engine cranks and coughs, but fails to get going. Christina and the Doctor pop open the 200's hood to find it gummed up with sand. Christina asks if anyone has experience with mechanics, and Barclay states he does. He is assigned the task of stripping the air filter. The Doctor wanders off, causing Christina to chase after him. Unbeknownst to them, they are being watched from a monitor by a creature with insectoid hands.

Christina notices the Doctor is hiding secrets of his own.

The Doctor questions Christina about her toting a backpack that she refuses to let out of her sight, which has an axe and spade inside by happenstance. That along with her fear of sirens has him wondering what she's running from. She initially refuses to answer his questions, instead, calling herself and the Doctor "two equal mysteries." After a bit more conversation, however, Lady Christina de Souza announces her full title to him, and they shake hands. In response to her claim of nobility, the Doctor says he is a Lord of a "big estate". Growing savvy, Christina notices the Doctor seems unusually acclimated to the out of the ordinary. He pulls her attention off the subject and exclaims, "Allons-y!" Christina impresses him with some articulate knowledge of the French language herself; "Oui mais pas si nous allons vers un cauchemar." As they continue walking in the desert, they see what appears to be storm clouds approaching. Christina fears it could be a deadly sandstorm, but the Doctor thinks it is something worse. "It's a storm — who says it's sand?" he notes mysteriously.

File:The Doctor Calls in Favour from UNIT (HQ) - Doctor Who - Planet of the Dead - BBC
The Doctor contacts UNIT via superphone.

The Doctor and Christina rush back to the bus as Carmen begins to have distressing visions. He borrows Barclay's cell phone, pulling out his sonic screwdriver and turning it into a superphone. The Doctor then attempts to call someone on Earth. Unsure of the number, he dials Pizza Geronimo by accident. Redialling the correct number, he's connected to UNIT's automated phone system. Angela gives him a tip to hold "0"; it overrides the machine, which allows one to speak with a real person. Through the helpline, the Doctor gets in touch with UNIT at the tunnel. Speaking to Captain Magambo, the Doctor informs her of the crisis, tells her he is stranded without his TARDIS. Magambo connects him with UNIT's scientific advisor, Malcolm Taylor, who is beyond elated to know he's speaking to the one person he's always wanted to meet. Malcolm describes an ingenious process of measuring the wormhole by creating a reflection of its energy readings, which prompts the Doctor to request a capacity scan so he can get a full idea of what the wormhole is like. He deems Malcolm his "new best friend" and hangs up for the time being.

The group sets back to digging the bus wheels out from the sand in order to enable them to move it back through the wormhole. The Doctor and Christina set off to explore the area. They find that the storm from earlier has grown closer. The Doctor takes a snapshot of the storm on Barclay's phone to send to Malcolm for further analysis. From what he and Christina can tell, it looks like a massive sandstorm sweeping across the planet towards them, glinting in the sun as if made from metal. On the bus, Carmen shudders as her visions tell her these things are a storm that devours. At the same time on the dunes, the Doctor and Christina are found and captured by a fly-like alien who holds them at gunpoint with a blaster.

The Tritovores mistake the Doctor and Christina as enemies.

The Doctor and Christina are escorted to the alien's crashed ship, where another alien is waiting. One points a blaster at them and blames the Doctor for their crashed ship. The Doctor soon explains to the two aliens, who identify themselves as Tritovores, that they mean them no harm. He assures them that "the 200", which is how the aliens refer to the bus due to its route number, is trapped on the planet just as they are. The Tritovores, in turn, become more friendly; the telepathic translation devices they use enable them to know the Doctor is not lying. The Doctor then asks them to send a probe out to investigate the sandstorm seen earlier. When told that the ship is without power, he promptly fixes the ship's power to launch it with a well-placed kick. He and Christina learn they are in the Scorpion Nebula on the planet San Helios, which is on the other side of the universe from Earth; the Doctor comments on how Christina got her wish of being "so far away". The aliens explain that they had been on their way to trade with the people of San Helios when their ship had crashed. They show a hologram depicting San Helios as a thriving environment with advanced cities. Christina notices the Doctor treats the visual of the amazing city like he's used to such things, then asks about his title of lordship. He reveals he comes from a race of Time Lords. Christina suggests they should seek out the city in San Helios for help; the Doctor isn't so sure it will be that simple. The Tritovores give the Doctor information that the entire planet became a desert last year, with all 100 billion inhabitants suddenly vanishing along with the city, wildlife, oceans, and mountains. Everything has been reduced to sand, including the inhabitants. The idea of having "dead people" in her hair repulses Christina, whose hair has sand caught in it. She quickly attempts to stroke it out.

The Doctor receives a phone call from Malcolm and Magambo. The wormhole has grown to four miles in length and is heading outward. Neither Malcolm nor the Doctor can understand what could make it grow on its own. Magambo has ordered all aircraft above London grounded to keep others from falling in. She wants him to answer if the wormhole could be dangerous to the planet, but Barclay's phone picks up a call waiting. The Doctor cuts off his conversation, knowing the answer would cause more trouble.

The Doctor and Christina try to work out what's happening on San Helios.

Switching over to the second caller, the Doctor picks up Nathan on the other end, using another mobile phone. Their attempts to get the bus dislodged from the sand have exhausted all the petrol, putting them back at square one, and Nathan wonders if the Doctor can hold true to his promise in spite of the marooned bus. The Doctor does not answer. He leaves the call hanging at the sound of beeping from the Tritovore ship's controls. The probe has reached the storm- turns out, its not a storm.

The camera on the probe is transmitting unsettling footage. It shows that the "storm" is a swarm of billions of carnivorous stingray-like aliens with metal exoskeletons before the transmission is cut off by the probe being eaten by one of the alien stingrays. The Doctor then analyses the alien physique by the data they get and theorises that they must be creating the wormhole effect. Their velocity as a pack is reaching a speed that creates static build-up with enough energy to pierce open the fabric of space. When asked why they don't burn up upon passing through, the Doctor replies that any metal they eat gets extruded into their bones. It has made them immune to the effects of the wormhole because their exoskeletons have transformed into metal. They've been using the portals to jump through space and prey on anything they find edible. Another, scarier realisation dawns on him — all of San Helios has been devoured by these predators. What remains of it, including the dead, makes up the sand of the deserts. Earth is their next target.

Christina turns off the electric barrier in the Tritovores' ship.

The Tritovores and the Doctor plan to get away from the planet before the swarm hits their area, and need to get the crystal power source that makes the Tritovorian ship fly. The Doctor and the two aliens try to bring up the source manually, but the entire system is unresponsive, lacking power. Christina, in the meantime, prepares her cat burgling equipment, and lines down the shaft with her winch. The Doctor stops her just in time before she is electrocuted by a security grid. After disabling it, she makes her way slowly down the shaft. While curiously flipping over the top of her rucksack, the Doctor tells Christina about himself. He talks about how he can travel through time and space in his blue box and some of the places he's been, including the Court of King Athelstan in 924 AD... but he didn't remember her being there. At this, he pulls the Cup of Athelstan out of her bag.

The Doctor finds stolen goods in Christina's possession.

He realises that she's a thief, and she says she prefers to say she "liberated" it. The Doctor doesn't approve of her lifestyle of thievery, but levels with her, admitting he stole the TARDIS from his own people. While Christina lowers down the gravity well, a screech rings out from below. The Doctor remembers they never found out why the Tritovores crashed until he's informed they have an open-vent system. Much like birds being sucked into an aeroplane, he suspects a stingray got pulled into the ship. As he feared, when Christina reaches the bottom of the shaft to get the crystal and its holding brackets, she sees a sleeping stingray behind some metal poles; it quickly stirs from its resting place. The Doctor tells her that it had been dormant from the cold, but the temperature is being raised by her body heat and is waking it up. She replies she has that effect on men, but the Doctor isn't laughing; he urges her to hurry and, once she has the fixture in hand, brings her back up. The alien stingray which was down in the shaft next to Christina gives chase, but it gets fried in the security grid after she turns it back on whilst ascending. As they run away with the Tritovores out of the ship, the Doctor offers them a means of escape on the 200. Before they accept, a deafening roar booms through the ship. The Doctor wonders if the Tritovores collided with more than one stingray, and speculates that it could be munching through the metal sleeve-covered infrastructure of the ship. One of the Tritovores gets ready to escape the ship, but the other goes back to shut down the controls. Another stingray bursts in from above and knocks him over then gulps him down its jaws. The other, in rage, prepares to fire its weapon at the Stingray, but before he can, he is eaten as well.

Captain Magambo and Malcolm await the Doctor's escape plan.

The Doctor and Christina run to the bus. Once there, the Doctor pitches the crystal into the sand because he doesn't need it since it only worked to power the alien ship's components, not an Earth-built bus. Christina protests she risked her life for it, but the Doctor corrects her: she risked her life for the clamps it was mounted on. The Doctor attaches 4 Tritovorian anti-gravity clamps onto the wheels and uses the 5th to interface the bus steering wheel with the Tritovorian technology. The Doctor calls Malcolm, telling him that they need to prepare to close the wormhole. Malcolm figures out a way to do it and starts on the process immediately.

Integrating the 5th anti-gravity clamp to the bus's steering proves difficult, as the two technologies are incompatible alone; he needs something soft, malleable, non-corrosive and able to conduct electricity, suggesting gold, to act as an interface. Reluctantly, Christina hands the Doctor the Cup of Athelstan along with a hammer upon request. She asks him to "be careful with it" as it is a millennia-old artefact worth 18 million pounds. He promises to do so, then smashes it to bits so it fits between the bus wheel and the anti-gravity clamp controller. In response, Christina says, "I hate you".

The 200 races away from the voracious swarm.

Once Malcolm is ready to close the wormhole, Captain Magambo orders him to close it to protect the Earth, despite the fact the Doctor and the passengers of Bus 200 are still trapped on the other side. Morally outraged at the idea of abandoning the Doctor who has saved humanity countless times before, Malcolm refuses to follow her order so they can allow the Doctor to get back to Earth. Drawing her gun on him, Magambo once again orders him to close the wormhole in the hopes of intimidating him. In spite of his fear, Malcolm passionately refuses to close the wormhole, surprising even Magambo.

Their argument buys the Doctor precious time. He is able to make the bus lift out of the sand and into the air, flying back through the wormhole to Earth. However, the swarm is hard upon its heels. The tense stand-off between Captain Magambo and Malcolm is defused when a soldier tells her the bus is safely through, but they are not out of danger. Three of the stingrays have followed the bus through the wormhole; furthermore, if they don't close the wormhole in time, the entire swarm will come through and devastate Earth.

The 200 returns to Earth.

As the Doctor flies the bus across London, he attempts to dodge the stingrays whilst helping Malcolm overcome some technical difficulties via mobile phone. With just seconds to spare, Malcolm is able to close the wormhole just ahead of the main swarm. UNIT are unable to penetrate the metal exoskeletons with ordinary bullets, but the battle turns in their favour when missile launchers are brought into play, killing two stingrays in quick succession. The third goes after the 200, but the Doctor sternly says "Oh no, you don't!" and swings the bus violently around. The creature swoops in to take a bite out of the bus, but gets smacked right in the kisser by the vehicle's rear end and is stunned long enough for UNIT to get a fix on it and blow it out of the sky. After he manages this, Christina passionately kisses the Doctor, taking back her earlier comment of "hating him". Somewhat stunned but pleased, the Doctor takes on the manner of an actual bus driver and welcomes home "the mighty 200".

The bus lands back on the spot where it vanished, being given a standing ovation by the assembled soldiers, and the passengers are released and taken to be examined by UNIT. The Doctor meets Malcolm, who embraces him in a hug and exclaims, "I love you!" four times, to the Doctor's bemusement. Magambo gives the Doctor a salute even though he doesn't want one, trusting him that the creatures will not return. The Doctor replies they will generate more doorways; it is part of their natural life cycle and something they can't help, but he'll try to nudge them onto uninhabited worlds. He also puts in a good word for Nathan, who needs a new job, and Barclay, who is good with engines, saying they're good to have in a crisis if Magambo would bring them on to UNIT as privates. Magambo then brings forth a gift for the Doctor: the TARDIS, found in the gardens of Buckingham Palace., though the Doctor insists that "she doesn't mind." Magambo then turns her attention to the task of clearing up three dead alien stingrays and inquires if the Doctor is willing to help with the paperwork, to which he declines. They part on friendly terms.

Christina, meanwhile, is being searched by UNIT soldiers, but she breaks off and runs to the Doctor. D.I McMillan immediately moves in to capture her at last, but Christina expects the Doctor will help her escape in the TARDIS. Additionally, she wants to come with him for adventure and excitement, telling him that is why she steals. Despite the fact that he had earlier proclaimed them to be "the perfect team", he says no. When she asks him why, he replies sadly, "People have travelled with me, and I've lost them. Lost them all. Never again." He looks on silently as D.I McMillan proudly arrives to confront Christina with the charge of suspicion of theft. The police promptly arrest her and take her away, leaving the unperturbed Doctor by himself.

Carmen gives the Doctor an ominous prophecy about his future.

The Doctor, about to enter the TARDIS, is told by Carmen to take care of himself; the Doctor, full of joy, tells her the same. However, she replies, "No, but you be careful because your song is ending, sir!" The Doctor is perturbed, this being similar to what Ood Sigma said to him, and asks what she means by this, Carmen replies, "It is returning. It is returning through the dark, and then Doctor...oh but then... he will knock four times." The implication of this prophecy fills the Doctor with dread.

Lady Christina makes her getaway.

After Carmen leaves, the Doctor decides to take pity on Christina, who is now handcuffed and being put in a police car. The Doctor points his sonic screwdriver at her handcuffs and frees her hands. Christina gets in the police car on one side and gets out on the other. She heads for the bus, chased by the police, and closes the doors after she gets on it. McMillan furiously orders her to open them, but the Doctor advises him to step back. The inspector charges him with aiding and abetting; the Doctor feigns remorse and heads over to the TARDIS, saying, "I'll just step inside this police box and arrest myself." The bus takes off, flying over the inspector's head and hovering over the TARDIS; the door opens as the others watch. Smiling down at the Doctor, Christina happily tells him, "We could have been so good together", revealing no hard feelings over her rejection. The Doctor merely smiles back and replies, "Christina, we were." Christina flies off into the night, the other passengers cheering her off, and the Doctor merely watching; he then heads into the TARDIS, off on another adventure.

Cast[[edit] | [edit source]]

Uncredited Cast[[edit] | [edit source]]

Crew[[edit] | [edit source]]

General production staff

Script department

Camera and lighting department

Art department

Costume department

Make-up and prosthetics

Movement

Casting

General post-production staff

Special and visual effects

Sound



Not every person who worked on this adventure was credited. The absence of a credit for a position doesn't necessarily mean the job wasn't required. The information above is based solely on observations of the actual end credits of the episodes as broadcast, and does not relay information from IMDB or other sources.


Worldbuilding[[edit] | [edit source]]

Christina gives the Doctor a thank-you kiss.

Astronomical objects[[edit] | [edit source]]

The Doctor[[edit] | [edit source]]

The Doctor improvises sunglasses through use of the sonic screwdriver.
  • The Doctor said that he will "never" take another companion on board the TARDIS because he has lost all his previous ones.

Foods and beverages[[edit] | [edit source]]

  • Carmen and Lou were going to have chops and gravy for tea at their home.

Physics[[edit] | [edit source]]

Unified Intelligence Taskforce[[edit] | [edit source]]

Story notes[[edit] | [edit source]]

  • Planet of the Dead started at the same time as the second half of the third episode of ITV's rival Saturday night drama, Primeval, Series 3. As such, this was the only time that a Doctor Who television story had been shown at the same time as an episode of Primeval, which at the time of its premiere was described as ITV's answer to Doctor Who.[2]
  • The episode was heavily inspired by Gareth Roberts' Virgin New Adventures novel The Highest Science, which Russell T Davies felt represented exactly the kind of colourful, entertaining Doctor Who adventure he wanted for Easter. Both stories featured everyday British passengers transported to an alien world. The Chelonians from the novel were originally supposed to appear, but the extreme heat which would accompany location filming in a desert environment would make it impractical for an actor to wear the bulky costume necessary to bring the turtle-like aliens to life. Their role was given to the Tritovores.
  • Planet of the Dead had a one-off companion, Lady Christina de Souza, who was unique amongst her BBC Wales predecessors in that she was depicted as both a criminal and a member of the British aristocracy. The episode also featured the return of UNIT for its third story in 12 months. Narratively, it was perhaps most significant for beginning the "He will knock four times" story arc, ultimately resolved in The End of Time.
  • Behind the scenes, it featured a revolution in the way Doctor Who was filmed. Beginning with this episode, Doctor Who episodes were no longer recorded on digital betacam, and instead natively recorded on high definition video (although Spearhead from Space was completely shot on film and was able to be converted to true high definition video decades after its original broadcast). Likewise, the home video release of this story was the first episode of Doctor Who ever released in the Blu-ray format. The story also broke new ground with its location filming, which involved Doctor Who's first road trip to an Arabic country. Finally, it was Tracie Simpson's debut as a full producer, after having risen up through the production ranks since starting as a production manager on Rose.
  • As seen in David Tennant's video diary for this episode's read-through, Tennant feared that having spent six months portraying Hamlet for the Royal Shakespeare Company, he would be unable to accurately replicate the voice he uses when portraying the Doctor. In an informal discussion with Julie Gardner, he describes his voice for Hamlet as being the same as the Doctor's (being an English accent) except "more posh" and mentioned he may have to watch his previous performances as the Doctor and practice the voice. This strongly echoes Billie Piper's dilemma when she returned to film Turn Left: in interviews with Doctor Who Confidential, Piper confessed to having forgotten how to speak in Rose's accent; it was later noted that she spoke with a noticeable lisp in several scenes of that episode.
  • As revealed in Doctor Who Confidential, Michelle Ryan performed most of her own stunts in the episode — including the high-wire stunt that opens the episode.
  • Part of the episode was filmed in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. A bus that was to be used for filming there was heavily damaged upon arrival there.[3]
  • According to the BBC report, the damage to the bus — a twin to one being used for filming in Cardiff — prompted a rewrite of part of the script to add a few references to the bus being damaged going through the wormhole.
  • On 16 January 2009 The Guardian newspaper published an online column condemning the then-rumoured plan to film in Dubai, citing the UAE's human rights record.[4] Similar criticism was posted by the fan site Kasterborous on 28 January.[5]
  • Planet of the Dead was the first Doctor Who story to be produced in high-definition. As such, it features a more detailed, but otherwise unchanged, version of the title sequence.
  • According to David Tennant's video diary, he and co-star Adam James had been friends for ten years, having also worked together in the past. James was also Jon Pertwee's godson and the son of Polly James, who played Jane Hampden in The Awakening.
  • In an interview for BBC Breakfast on 7th April 2009, Russell T Davies revealed that the episode had only been completed at 11:30pm the previous night, only 5 days before the episode aired.
  • In pre-broadcast publicity interviews, Michelle Ryan described her character as a one-off companion, though like most other one-offs, such as Jenny and initially, Donna Noble, the door had been left open for a future return. Prior to the announcement that Karen Gillan had been cast as the new ongoing companion, Ryan was listed among possible candidates. Ultimately Ryan did not return and, as of 2024, has not reappeared in the series proper though, like Jenny, she has had her own series of audios produced by Big Finish.
  • Although the Doctor has had invitations to join him turned down by potential companions in the past (Grace Holloway in the 1996 TV movie, Mickey Smith at the end of World War Three and, initially, Donna Noble in The Runaway Bride, for example), this is one of the few occasions in which the Doctor has outright refused to take on a companion of his own volition, despite clear indications of compatibility. This also occurred with Mr Copper in Voyage of the Damned, and for much the same reason the Doctor gives Christina.
  • This story went through several drafts. These included a space opera about a giant war, possibly featuring the Chelonians; a story about time-freezing centaurs in a deserted hotel; a Star Trek pastiche; and a story about an outer space hotel where guests were disappearing - taken down to the planet below in order to be implanted with alien eggs.[6]
  • This is the first Doctor Who episode in which Russell T Davies shares co-writing credit, and the first episode since the show's return in 2005 to credit two writers. The last televised story to credit two writers was the 1993 mini-episode Dimensions in Time.
  • This story was nominated for a 2010 Hugo Award in the category of "Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form," as was The Next Doctor and The Waters of Mars [1], the latter of which ultimately won the award.[2]
  • In this special, Christina becomes the next on the list of companions who have kissed the Doctor. By this time, on-screen kisses included: Dr Grace Holloway, not long after his seventh regeneration; Jack Harkness, who gave the Doctor a farewell kiss on the Gamestation; the Doctor kissing Rose Tyler later in the same episode; Cassandra kissing the Doctor while possessing Rose Tyler's body; Jackie Tyler kissing the Doctor three times when he and Rose returned home in the middle of the ghost crisis; the Doctor kissing Martha Jones to confuse the Judoon's scanners; Astrid Peth kissing the Doctor twice whilst on the Titanic; and Donna Noble kissing the Doctor to give him a shock when he needed to use his Time Lord physiology to detox from cyanide poisoning.
  • According to the episode commentary, it was planned from the beginning to kill the Tritovores off, as it would have been too hard to figure out what to do with them if they got to Earth.
  • This was the only special released on the Complete Specials Box Set to be the original broadcast version.
  • Michelle Ryan stated that she was "a huge fan of Doctor Who and [was] very excited to be joining David Tennant and the Doctor Who team."
  • Both buses were meant to be intact throughout the story, but while one was en route to Dubai, it was badly knocked about at the docks by a crane driver who was careless with a container. As a result, the film crew sent photos of the damage back to Cardiff and the crew there made similar 'alterations' to that bus so they would match. A few lines were added to the script to explain the sudden change in the appearance of the bus.
  • The first of the three days of filming in Dubai was affected by a sandstorm which left most of the footage shot unusable. The production team then struggled to complete three days of filming in two days; the last day was compared to "filming Lawrence of Arabia".
  • Russell T Davies had two alternate storylines for the Easter special. One involved the TARDIS materialising in the midst of a Star Wars-style dogfight in space; the Doctor would befriend a female pilot, who would become his companion for the adventure, and they would defuse the conflict by employing a weapons-jamming device. Davies thought that this would be an effective subversion of the genre. The other involved either a crossover with Star Trek: Enterprise or a parody where the Doctor found himself aboard the starship Endeavour.
  • There was originally a subplot about an extra-terrestrial hotel where humans were being implanted with alien eggs, as an allusion to the custom of giving eggs as an Easter gift. However, the hotel setting veered too closely to A Midwinter's Tale, an idea Russell T Davies had originally considered for the 2008 Christmas episode, and which he had now given to Phil Ford to develop for the next special.
  • The Doctor's one-off companion was originally a bus tour guide named Rebecca, a cheery, overweight woman in the mould of Tracy Turnblad from Hairspray. Stuck in a dead-end job, Rebecca would be shaken out of her complacency by her experiences with the Doctor; the story's conclusion would see her become an ambassador to the Chelonians. However, Russell T Davies came to feel that the character was simply too unengaging, and that she was ill-suited to the style of story he envisaged.
  • Lady Christina was originally named Hermione.
  • The production team examined overseas locations to film the episode because they wanted the scenery to feel "real" and thought that they would be unable to film on a Welsh beach in winter. After examining countries such as Morocco and Tunisia, the production team decided to film in Dubai because the area was more amicable to the filming industry and viable filming locations were nearer to urban areas than other locations.
  • At one point, Russell T Davies become concerned that the audience would find a jewel thief too unrelatable. Instead, he suggested that the woman who boarded the bus might be a middle-aged housewife called Eileen, who was trapped in a loveless marriage to a man named Trevor. However, none of the potential actresses available to play Eileen were compelling enough to encourage the production team to make the switch.
  • The coda in which Carmen gave the Doctor a dire premonition of his future was originally meant to be an element of The Waters of Mars.
  • A lot more material involving Malcolm was added when Russell T Davies found that the script was seriously underrunning.
  • The bus was dubbed the Routemaster 200 after Tom Spilsbury and Benjamin Cook pointed out that this was the 200th Doctor Who story.
  • Lee Evans brought along a set of oversized false teeth to wear for his role, but it was quickly agreed that they would not be used.
  • Sequences aboard the Tritovore ship were filmed in frigid conditions. To explain the actors' breath being plainly visible, the script was amended to introduce the notion of the vessel's hull being made from photafine steel, which inverted the outside temperature.
  • Of the three minibuses hired for the journey from Dubai airport to the hotel, one, carrying David Tennant and Michelle Ryan, was pulled over by the police, while a second was briefly lost in the desert after taking a wrong turn.
  • A minor panic arose over a mock advertisement on the side of the bus for a mobile phone billed as "Neon by Naismith". It was meant to foreshadow the introduction of Joshua Naismith in The End of Time. However, after filming had concluded, AT&T had introduced a cell phone called the LG Neon, and concerns were expressed within the BBC that the episode might appear to be providing the product with free publicity. The matter was dropped when Julie Gardner pointed out that the Neon ad had already appeared in production photos, although she did not mention that it was barely visible.
  • The episode's tone word — "joyous" — was influenced by Russell T Davies' realisation that "every story since The Fires of Pompeii [had] a bittersweet quality" and his subsequent desire to avoid the recurring theme.
  • The episode had no clear concept and instead was a deliberate "clash [of concepts] with many disparate elements." Gareth Roberts explained he was cautious to ensure that each element had to "feel precise and defined ... like we meant that", citing Arc of Infinity as an example where such control was not enforced.
  • Russell T Davies commented that "Michelle [was] one of the most sought after young actors in the country" and that they were "delighted to announce that she [would] be joining the team." Ryan described her casting as a "real honour", noting that she "love[d] the character".
  • In an interview with BBC News, Michelle Ryan praised her colleagues and the "family atmosphere" on set and described Doctor Who as "really something special to do." After a showing of a trailer for the episode on The Justin Lee Collins Show, Ryan described the "fantastic" time she had filming in Cardiff and in Dubai.
  • Gareth Roberts noted after writing the episode that Malcolm Taylor had unintentionally become a "loving" caricature of Doctor Who fandom.
  • To portray the tunnel the bus travelled into, the Queen's Gate Tunnel of the A4232 road in Butetown was closed for four nights to accommodate filming.
  • David Tennant described this special as the "last time the Doctor gets to have any fun", as "his card is marked" as a result of the prophecy.
  • In creating Christina, Russell T Davies electing to draw parallels from Romana rather than Rose Tyler.
  • Gareth Roberts described Christina as an "adventuress" who is "upper class and glam, suited and booted, and extremely intelligent" which the Doctor could relate to because they both rejected their heritages. James Strong described her as reverting to a traditional romantic-based companionship — rather than the platonic companionship of Donna Noble, while still being a unique companion.
  • Russell T Davies created the character of Professor Malcolm Taylor to serve as a foil for the more pragmatic Captain Erisa Magambo.
  • The Tritovore came from Russell T Davies' habit of including aliens that were recognisable to the audience as animals from Earth, such as the Judoon.

Ratings[[edit] | [edit source]]

  • Easter Saturday 11th April 2009 ~ 6:45pm ~ BBC One ~ 8.41 million (UK overnight)

The BARB official ratings are 9.54 million, the 5th most-watched programme of the week, the second most watched on BBC of the week and the second most watched of Saturday 11th April.[7] It also gained 200,000 viewers on BBC HD, the biggest ever audience for the channel. Planet of the Dead is now the sixth best rated Doctor Who episode since its 2005 revival with Voyage of the Damned, The Next Doctor, Rose, Journey's End and The Christmas Invasion beating the episode.

Rumours[[edit] | [edit source]]

  • Carmen mentioned "Your song is ending," leading people to believe it could refer to River Song. The first part of the prophecy referred to the Tenth Doctor's life.
  • People thought that "It is returning through the dark" referred to either Davros, who presumably died two episodes prior, or Gallifrey. It was indeed Gallifrey.
  • People thought that the four knocks referred to either the Midnight entity or the Master returning. In fact, the four knocks referred to Wilfred Mott knocking on a glass door four times when trapped, an event that would lead to the death of the Tenth Doctor. The Master did return, however, and the intention was to mislead the audience into thinking it referred to the Master.
  • Since eccentric Time Lady Iris Wildthyme had a TARDIS that resembled a London bus, there were rumours she'd appear in the special.
    • Related to the Wildthyme rumour, speculation regarding the identity and true nature of Lady Christina, following statements by Davies that she would have a profound impact on the Doctor, including the possibility that she might be a Time Lord, and perhaps even a known Time Lord such as Romana. This ultimately proved not to be the case, although the Doctor's comment to Christina that "You look Time Lord" referred to the fact that humans and Time Lords look alike; however, Time Lords came first. There are, in fact, many situations where fans believe a character is a Time Lord, but it never turns out to be true.
  • It was rumoured this episode would feature the Nimon because they were mentioned in the commentary by Russell T Davies for The Next Doctor and are known to suck the life out of planets.
  • The post-credits trailer for the upcoming special The Waters of Mars is set to the sound of the cloister bell tolling, foreshadowing the peril it will host.
  • It was rumoured that Michelle Ryan would be the companion for season five and that she auditioned to replace Billie Piper in 2006. These turned out to be false.

Filming locations[[edit] | [edit source]]

  • Cardiff, St Mary Street - the first scenes with the red bus driving down the road with the Doctor and Christina stepping on to it
  • Cardiff Bay - Police and UNIT investigating the disappearance of the bus through the wormhole
  • Dubai, United Arab Emirates - San Helios
  • Cardiff ~ Butetown Tunnel - Queens Gate ~ A4232

[3]

Production errors[[edit] | [edit source]]

If you'd like to talk about narrative problems with this story — like plot holes and things that seem to contradict other stories — please go to this episode's discontinuity discussion.
  • With the transition to HD as of this episode, an error in the opening title sequence is made more obvious - when the TARDIS leaves the time vortex for the first time, moving camera-left while the vortex is still blue, it doesn't pass out of the vortex but instead simply disappears. While this error has been present since Rose, the new high-definition titles offer a clear view of the error for the first time. The error remains in these titles until their final use, in the final part of The End of Time.
  • When the bus is originally shown, it has a number plate of W974GHM, but later, when flying, its number plate has changed to RUA461W.
  • When Lady Christina climbs back up after stealing the cup of Athelstan, she is on the roof, but in the next scene she is still inside.
  • When Malcolm opens the trailer door after he closes the wormhole, the glass in the door is the wrong way around as it spells "T.I.N.U" from the outside.
  • When the Doctor is "tinting" his glasses with his sonic screwdriver, he lowers them out of view. When he lifts them back into view, the tortoiseshell colouration of the stems and frames on his glasses is black, revealing that sleight-of-hand camera tricks were used to hide an obvious switch between two different sets of glasses. It is possible the sonic screwdriver can also blacken the colouration of the framework on the glasses.
  • At around 20:48, a stray fly in the desert can be seen skittering on the Doctor's tie and flying off. San Helios is meant to be completely devoid of life.

Influences[[edit] | [edit source]]

Continuity[[edit] | [edit source]]

  • A flying bus previously appeared in TV: Delta and the Bannermen.
  • Several bus passengers discuss the events surrounding the relocation of Earth to the Medusa Cascade. (TV: The Stolen Earth/Journey's End) Angela says "It's impossible, there are 3 suns, 3 of em!" and Barclay replies "Like when all them planets were up in the sky!", to which Nathan says "But it was the Earth that moved then, wasn't it?". Barclay realises "Oh man we're on another world." This also clarifies that the general population is now quite familiar with and can properly recognise the various alien interventions that more and more constantly beset them.
  • The advert on the side of the bus is for Neon by Naismith, a phone company owned by billionaire Joshua Naismith. (TV: The End of Time)
  • The Doctor mentions, "Humans on buses, always blaming me", referring to TV: Midnight.
  • The Doctor mentions the K1 Robot when asking Malcolm what his favourite file about him was. (TV: Robot)
  • Carmen says, "Your song is ending", which is what the Ood also said to the Doctor in TV: Planet of the Ood. As well as the warnings of darkness heard in Series 4, (Turn Left, et al) the reference to knocking reflects a similar event that occurred in TV: Midnight.
  • An alternate reality Captain Magambo appeared in Turn Left and helped Rose Tyler and an alternate Donna Noble set history right.
  • Christina refers to the economic crash of 2008. Unbeknownst to the general public, the ensuing recession was caused by a British teenager named Theo Lawson hacking into several multinational banks and acquiring enough money for the rest of his life. The Eighth Doctor met Lawson in London shortly before his death in 2010. (AUDIO: Situation Vacant)
  • Malcolm named his unit of measurement the Bernard after Professor Bernard Quatermass. The British Rocket Group, to which Quatermass belonged, was previously referenced (as was Quatermass himself, vaguely) when the Doctor was in 1963 London. (TV: Remembrance of the Daleks)
  • When Captain Magambo tells the Doctor it is an honour to serve him during a phone conversation, he gets the notion she has saluted him over the phone, which she hastily denies. The Doctor has previously been saluted by UNIT and has repeatedly asked them to stop doing so. (TV: The Sontaran Stratagem)
  • The Doctor's TARDIS is discovered in the gardens of Buckingham Palace, and according to the Doctor, "she doesn't mind". It is unclear whether he is referring to the Queen not minding its presence or the TARDIS not minding the fact that it had been left in the gardens of Buckingham Palace. Previous stories implying that the Doctor and Queen Elizabeth II know each other and are on good terms include Silver Nemesis and Voyage of the Damned.
  • A reference was made to Donna Noble as the Doctor said he had a friend who called him "Spaceman". (TV: Journey's End, et al)
  • The Doctor says Christina looks Time Lord in response to her saying that he looks human. The Eleventh Doctor would later say the same to Amy Pond. (TV: The Beast Below)
  • The Doctor tells Christina of some of the eras he's visited: World War I, the creation of the universe, the end of the universe, (TV: Utopia) "the war" between China and Japan (exactly which war is not specified; possibly a reference to the conflict predating World War II), and the court of King Athelstan in the 10th century AD.
  • The Captain expresses her surprise that "guns don't work" on the Swarm. As the Brigadier once lamented, UNIT's enemies generally have an immunity to bullets. (TV: Robot)
  • The Doctor is worried that the sugar from his Easter egg will damage his teeth, despite his Gallifreyan physiology preventing tooth decay. (PROSE: Keeping up with the Joneses) His teeth were also his first concern after the Ninth Doctor finished regenerating. (TV: The Parting of the Ways)
  • The Doctor tells Christina that he stole his TARDIS from his people. (TV: The War Games, Logopolis; AUDIO: The Beginning)
  • Ever since the theft of the Cup of Athelstan, security has improved in the International Gallery, according to Lionel Harding, the curator of the gallery. (TV: Mona Lisa's Revenge)

Home video releases[[edit] | [edit source]]

DVD & Blu-ray releases[[edit] | [edit source]]

This is the first Doctor Who episode to ever be released on the high-definition Blu-ray format.

  • Planet of the Dead was released on DVD and, for the first time for a Doctor Who episode, on Blu-ray in the United Kingdom on 29 June 2009. The release includes a single bonus feature, Doctor Who Confidential - unlike previous DVD releases, this is a complete, 60-minute version, including licensed music and clips from both the classic series and the 1996 TV movie.
  • In North America, the DVD and Blu-ray were released on 28 July 2009. The release is identical to the Region 2 version, including the intact Confidential, even though it includes clips from the 1996 TV movie which at the time could not be released in Region 1 due to licensing issues.
  • In Australia, the DVD was released on 29 June 2009, Blu-ray on 1 October 2009 and included the same special features as the UK release.
  • This was released as part of the Complete Specials in the UK on both DVD and Blu-ray in a box set on 11 January 2010, with a North American release scheduled for 2 February 2010.[3] In Australia, the Blu-ray was released 29 June 2010 and the DVD on 1 July 2010.
  • Planet of the Dead DVD Cover

    Planet of the Dead DVD Cover

  • The Complete Specials DVD Region 2 UK cover

    The Complete Specials DVD
    Region 2 UK cover

  • The Complete Specials DVD Region 1 US cover

    The Complete Specials DVD
    Region 1 US cover

  • The Complete Specials DVD Region 4 Australian cover

    The Complete Specials DVD
    Region 4 Australian cover

  • The Complete Specials Blu-ray Region B UK cover

    The Complete Specials Blu-ray
    Region B UK cover

  • The Complete Specials Blu-ray Region A US cover

    The Complete Specials Blu-ray
    Region A US cover

  • The Complete Specials Blu-ray Region B Australian cover

    The Complete Specials Blu-ray
    Region B Australian cover

  • The Complete David Tennant Years DVD Region 1 US cover

    The Complete David Tennant Years DVD
    Region 1 US cover

  • Limited Edition Giftset Region 1 US DVD cover.jpg

    Limited Edition Giftset DVD
    Region 1 US cover

  • The Specials Steelbook

    The Specials Steelbook

  • Doctor Who: The Complete Series One to Seven DVD box-set

    Doctor Who: The Complete Series One to Seven DVD box-set

Digital releases[[edit] | [edit source]]

  • This episode is listed as episode 16 of Series 4 on Netflix in the US. Previously, it had been listed as a separate standalone title, before vanishing from the service entirely sometime in 2011. It reappeared on Netflix in 2014, concurrent with the additions of The Day of the Doctor and The Time of the Doctor to the service.
  • In the United Kingdom, this story is available on BBC iPlayer as part of Series 4.

International broadcast[[edit] | [edit source]]

The Canadian cable network Space aired the special on July 25th, 2009 in an 85-minute timeslot (including commercials) with minimal edits, the most noticeable being the omission of the trailer for The Waters of Mars. As a result of the edit, the episode ends uniquely, with the traditional "howlaround" sound replaced instead with a single tolling of the cloister bell.

BBC America aired the special on 26 July as part of the rollout of its new HD service. This marks the changeover for Doctor Who from broadcasts on Syfy to BBC America, which has taken over first-run broadcasts of the series.

External links[[edit] | [edit source]]

Footnotes[[edit] | [edit source]]

Notes[[edit] | [edit source]]

  1. ↑ No specific year is given for this story or the special The End of Time.

Sources[[edit] | [edit source]]

  1. ↑ Planet of the Dead PDF shooting script (archived)
  2. ↑ http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/tv/news/a41256/in-video-first-look-at-itvs-primeval.html
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 BBC News - Who rewrite after damage to bus
  4. ↑ The Guardian - The Doctor in Dubai: dubious indeed
  5. ↑ Kasterborous Online Magazine - RTD on Dubai Shoot
  6. ↑ 20 Things We Learnt from The Writer's Tale: The Final Chapter
  7. ↑ Doctor Who Ratings - UK final
v • e
Doctor Who television stories
 
Seasons 1-4: William Hartnell
Season 1: 1963-1964
Season 2: 1964-1965
Season 3: 1965-1966
Season 4: 1966
 
Seasons 4-6: Patrick Troughton
Season 4: 1966-1967
Season 5: 1967-1968
Season 6: 1968-1969
 
Seasons 7-11: Jon Pertwee
Season 7: 1970
Season 8: 1971
Season 9: 1972
Season 10: 1972-1973
Season 11: 1973-1974
 
Seasons 12-18: Tom Baker
Season 12: 1974-1975
Season 13: 1975-1976
Season 14: 1976-1977
Season 15: 1977-1978
Season 16: 1978-1979
Season 17: 1979-1980
Season 18: 1980-1981
 
Seasons 19-21: Peter Davison
Season 19: 1982
Season 20: 1983
Children in Need 1983
Season 21: 1984
 
Seasons 21-23: Colin Baker
Season 21: 1984
Season 22: 1985
Season 23: 1986
 
Seasons 24-26: Sylvester McCoy
Season 24: 1987
Season 25: 1988-1989
Season 26: 1989
 
TV Movie & 2013 specials: Paul McGann
TV Movie: 1996
Specials: 2013
Minisodes
 
Series 1: Christopher Eccleston
Series 1: 2005
Regular episodes
 
Series 2-4: David Tennant
Series 2: 2005-2006
Minisode
Christmas Special
Regular episodes
Series 3: 2006-2007
Christmas Special
Regular episodes
Animated special
Series 4: 2007-2010
Minisode
Christmas Special
Regular episodes
Minisodes
Animated special
Seasonal specials
The Next Doctor • Planet of the Dead • The Waters of Mars • The End of Time
 
Series 5-2013 specials: Matt Smith
Series 5: 2010
Regular episodes
Series 6: 2010-2011
Christmas Special
Minisodes
Regular episodes
(Part 1: Apr 2011)
Regular episodes
(Part 2: Aug 2011)
Minisode
Series 7: 2011-2013
Christmas Special
Minisodes
Regular episodes
(Part 1: 2012)
Minisode
Christmas Special
Regular episodes
(Part 2: 2013)
Specials: 2013
 
Series 8-10: Peter Capaldi
Series 8: 2014
Regular episodes
Series 9: 2014-2015
Christmas Special
Minisode
Regular episodes
Christmas Special
Series 10: 2016-2017
Christmas Special
Regular episodes
Christmas Special
 
Series 11-13: Jodie Whittaker
Series 11: 2018-2019
Regular episodes
New Year Special
Series 12: 2020-2021
Regular episodes
New Year Special
Series 13: 2021
Minisodes
Regular episodes
Seasonal specials
 
60th Anniversary Specials: David Tennant
Specials: 2023
Minisodes
60th Anniversary Specials
 
Season 1 (2023)-present: Ncuti Gatwa
Season 1: 2023-2024
Christmas Special
Regular episodes


v • e
UNIT stories
TV
Doctor Who
Major
Minor
Torchwood
SJA
PROSE
U.N.I.T.
website
UNIT Press
Briefings
Operations
Board
Candy Jar UNIT series
Operation Wildcat and Other Stories
Operation Fall-Out and Other Stories
More to be added
Retrieved from "https://tardis.wiki/w/index.php?title=Planet_of_the_Dead_(TV_story)&oldid=3876876"