Planet of the Dead (TV story)

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Planet of the Dead is the title of the first of the 2009 specials, which first aired on 11 April 2009. It starred David Tennant and featured two new characters, Christina and Malcolm, along with UNIT. Production of the special began on 19th January 2009.

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.[1]

I THOUGHT THIS WAS ABOUT ZOMBIES, THIS SUCKS!

I THOUGHT THIS WAS ABOUT ZOMBIES, THIS SUCKS!

Cast

Production crew

  • 1st Assistant Director - John Bennett
  • 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

v

I THOUGHT THIS WAS ABOUT ZOMBIES, THIS SUCKS!

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.
  • 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.
  • The Doctor mentions "Humans on a bus, always blaming me", referring to the bus accident in DW: Midnight.
  • The Doctor mentions the K1 Robot that featured in DW: Robot, when asking Malcolm what his favourite file about him was.
  • UNIT at last meets an alien race that's not immune to bullets DW: 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.
  • 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 and the drums the Master hears in DW: Utopia and DW: The Sound of Drums
  • Bernard Quatermass is mentioned and referenced, he was previously mentioned in DW: Remembrance of the Daleks.
  • 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.
  • When Christina calls the Doctor "Spaceman" he refers to Donna, saying "I had a friend that used to call me that"

DVD and Other releases

According to Amazon.co.uk, a Region 2 (UK) DVD release is scheduled for 29 June 2009[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.

International broadcast

The Canadian cable network, Space, has announced it will air the special on June 20, 2009, confirming that it is taking over broadcasts of Doctor Who from the CBC.[2] The American network Sci Fi Channel, which holds the US broadcast rights to Doctor Who, has yet to announce an airdate for the special.

External links

Footnotes

  1. ↑ BBC Press Office - BBC ONE Unplaced Week 15
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