Planet of the Dead (TV story)

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Planet of the Dead is the confirmed title of the first of the 2009 specials, 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.

The Easter special involved the Lady Christina de Souza stealing jewellery and escaping on a red London bus, which takes a "detour into danger" with the Doctor.

It was broadcast on Easter Saturday at 6.45PM. The BBC did not officially announce the broadcast date for the special until the beginning of April 2009.[1]

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

The first scene is of guards being set up around a golden cup, later to be identified as the Cup of Athelstan, worth 18 million pounds. Lady Christina de Souza then lowers herself from the roof, and replaces the cup with a mechanical golden waving cat, so 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.", implying he was watching out for her. 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 diamond earrings for a bus ride. Soon afterwards, a man wearing trainers, who's face we aren't shown, comes onto the bus, and seems to use psychic paper on the oyster card scanner. He then sits down opposite Lady Christina, and is shown to be The Doctor. The title sequence is then played.

The police were still after Christina, since they knew she had stolen the Cup of Athelstan, but whilst chasing the bus through a tunnel, the police witnessed it disappeared in front of their eyes, startled, they set a perimeter around the area. Meanwhile, the bus had passed through a warp into a world covered in desert and apparently completely deserted, the bus was wrecked in the process. By the time it had arrived at the planet the driver proclaimed it unmovable. The doctor told the passengers that the bus had 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 caused a rippling effect in the air. The doctor said that the other end of the wormhole was in the tunnel on Earth.

The bus driver announced his desire to return to Earth, and promptly ran through the wormhole accompanied by The Doctor's, "No, wait!". The other passengers of the bus witnessed the drivers skin and tissues melting, before he disappeared into the wormhole with the same rippling effect as the sand.

Meanwhile on Earth, where the police were watching the wormhole, the drivers blackened skeleton stepped out, halted, and then tumbled to the ground. Unnerved, the police declared an emergency code one, calling UNIT to the scene. Captain Erisa Magambo was heading the operation and she told her soldiers to fire at anything that came through the wormhole.

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 Faraday cage, as Christina stated). They had 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 found that there was, what looked like, a massive sandstorm sweeping across the planet. They were then found and captured by a fly-like alien (later known to be a Tritovore). 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 Tritovore's that they mean them no harm, and were trapped on the planet just as they were. The Tritovore's in turn told them their ship had 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 10 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 outer bodies are made of metal. The Tritovore and 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 Trivotorian ship fly. The Doctor and the two aliens try to bring up the source manually, but the entire system is non responsive, lacking power. Christina in the meantime prepares her cat burgling equipment, and lines down the chute. The Doctor stops her just in time before she gets diced in a security grid. After disabling it, she nabs it, but while getting it sees a stingray waking behind some metal poles, and the Doctor brings her back up. He tells her her body heat is defrosting it and allowing it to wake. Many had flown into the ships mainframe, and that's 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 it grabs one of the Trivotores, the other, in rage and, prepares to fire it's weapon at the Stingray but it fails, and dies as well. The Doctor and Christina run to the bus, and adapt the Trivotorian technology onto the wheels, and empower the bus with the crystal, and it starts powering up.

Meanwhile back on Earth. Everyone is back home and Malcolm meets the doctor for the first time. However Christina is arested by DI Macmillian however the Doctor frees her from her cuffs and she flies away in the number 200.

The Doctor is about to enter the TARDIS which was found in Buckingham Palaces gardens, Carmen, like the Ood, makes a prophecy that his song will end soon, something will return "through the dark," and that someone is returning and will knock four times.

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

References

Astronomical Objects

  • 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.
  • Nathan mentions the Stolen Planets.

The Doctor

  • 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 is reminiscent of the warnings about the 'darkness' previously to the Doctor, as well as the Ood's message that "Your song must end soon."
  • 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".
  • The Doctor refers to Robot K1.
  • The Doctor's Sonic screwdriver can be used to tint his glasses to look like sunglasses.

Foods and Beverages

  • The Doctor offers Christina the rest of his chocolate egg because he's determined to keep his teeth.

Physics

UNIT

  • UNIT is called in by the police to assist in locating the bus.
  • UNIT has an automated phone system.
  • Malcolm's apparel as he leaves his laboratory is similar to that of the Doctor's fourth incarnation.

Story notes

  • The title of the episode was unveiled during the closing credits of The Next Doctor broadcast on 25 December 2008, several weeks before production of the episode was due to begin.
  • 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.
  • In his column for Doctor Who Magazine, Davies characterizes Planet of the Dead as an "antidote" to the continuity-heavy Journey's End and The Next Doctor, which means old monsters appearing is unlikely.
  • 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 American science fiction series Bionic Woman, had previously co-starred in the Steven Moffat-written miniseries 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.[2]
  • 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.[3] Similar criticism was posted by the fan site Kasterborous on 28 January.[4]
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.

Ratings

  • Easter Saturday ~ 6:45pm ~ BBC One ~ 8.41 million (unofficial overnight)

Myths and Rumours

  • Carmen mentioned in "It is returning, he will knock four times" could be Davros, or the Master. It will most likely be 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. It may also be referring to Wilfred Mott, confirmed to appear in the finale by Russell T. Davies.[5] His "song" may also be a reference to River Song, a future assisstant who appeared and died in Forest of the Dead. The four knocks is also somewhat reminiscent of the midnight entity.
  • An interesting note would be that, eccentric time lady Iris Wildthyme had a TARDIS that resembled a London bus, though this rumor was later claimed to be false.

Filming Locations

  • Cardiff (UNIT)
  • Dubai, United Arab Emirates[2]

Discontinuity, Plot Holes, Errors

  • When the bus is originally shown, it has a number plate of W974GHM, but later, when flying, its number plate has changed to RUA467W. This could be, if the rumor is to be believed, that the Doctor Who team had a bus stolen while they were filming in Dubai and had to replace it This is most likely because, as seen in the confidential, the team used two separate buses (one for shots in Dubai, one for shots in the UK).However in Universe, this point stands, and is still a continuity error.
  • 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. This one had been inactive for an unknown amount of time, due to the low temperature of the ship, so it's reasonable to assume this is why it was so sluggish, as most beings become slow if they are exposed to cold for a certain amount of time.
  • Why on Earth did the fly things have ear pieces? They clearly don't have ears. The "ear pieces" were referred to as a means to communicate, not that they were meant to fit over the ears. They could just as easily have been fitted to be over the Tritovore's mouths, meaning that the fact that they fitted on human ears could have been a coincidence
  • The rays were traveling in a swarm- so how did only three manage to get through when they were all going through together? They could have simply been farther ahead of the other rays, or scouts of the "new world. They were traveling round and round the planet. They will have hit the ship on a previous rotation."

Continuity

  • Being that is episode is the 200th episode of Doctor Who the episode makes an In-Universe reference to this as the bus is called the Number 200 bus.
  • The Doctor mentions "Humans on a bus, always blaming [him]", referring to the bus accident in DW: Midnight.
  • The Doctor mentions the K1 Robot, when talking to Malcolm that featured in DW: Robot.

DVD and Other releases

According to Amazon.co.uk, a Region 2 (UK) DVD release is scheduled for 11 May 2009, although as of the end of March no official announcement has been made by BBC Video or 2 Entertain. A release one month after broadcast is in keeping with the precedent set by the release of The Next Doctor to DVD. It is not yet known if the release will have any extra features.

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.

External links

Footnotes

  1. ↑ BBC Press Office - BBC ONE Unplaced Week 15
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 BBC News - Who rewrite after damage to bus
  3. ↑ The Guardian - The Doctor in Dubai: dubious indeed
  4. ↑ Kasterborous Online Magazine - RTD on Dubai Shoot
  5. ↑ Digital Spy - Cribbins to be new 'Doctor Who' companion
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