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{{Infobox NewTV
{{title dab away}}
|image = [[Image:Planetofthedeadbus.jpg|250px]]
{{real world}}
|story name = Planet of the Dead
{{ImageLinkTV}}
|series = [[Doctor Who]] - [[List of Doctor Who television stories|TV stories]]
{{Infobox Story SMW
|number = [[2009 Specials (Doctor Who)| 2009 Specials]]
|image           = The200TakesOff.jpg
|story number = 200
|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 = [[Stingray]]s
|doctor         = Tenth Doctor
|setting = [[London]], [[Easter]] [[2009]]<br>[[San Helios]], [[Easter]] [[2009]]
|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 = 1x60 minute episode
|director       = [[James Strong]]
|producer       = [[Tracie Simpson]]
|confidential    = Desert Storm (CON episode)
|broadcast date = 11 April 2009
|network        = BBC One
|format         = 1x60 minute episode
|production code = 4.15
|production code = 4.15
|previous story = [[The Next Doctor]]
|series          = [[List of Doctor Who television stories|''Doctor Who'' television stories]]
|next story = [[The Waters of Mars]]
|prev            = The Next Doctor (TV story)
}}'''Planet of the Dead''' was the second episode of the [[2009 specials]] of ''Doctor Who'' which aired at Easter. It marked the special appearance of [[Michelle Ryan]] as [[Christina de Souza|Lady Christina de Souza]] and the first mention of the prophecy of the tenth incarnation's death.
|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]]''.


==Synopsis==
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.
[[Tenth Doctor|The Doctor]], along with the Lady Christina de Souza and other passengers, finds himself transported to a barren desert planet on [[The 200|a double-decker bus]]. As the Doctor and Christina struggle to uncover the mysteries beneath the sand, the Swarm draws closer.


==Plot==
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.
Guards are protecting a golden cup inside a museum, later to be identified as the [[Cup of Athelstan]], worth 18 million [[Pound Sterling|pounds]]. [[Christina de Souza|Lady Christina de Souza]] then lowers herself from the roof, 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 runs out to the street to see someone being arrested, and she says, "Sorry, lover" to her presumed accomplice.


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, a man wearing trainers, whose face we aren't shown, comes onto the bus, and uses a [[Psychic paper|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.
''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]]''.


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 up a perimeter around the area. Meanwhile, the bus passes through a warp into a world covered in desert: the 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.
== Synopsis ==
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...


The Doctor tells the passengers that the bus has passed through a [[Wormhole|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 (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.
== 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...


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. [[Erisa Magambo|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: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.


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 (Planet of the Dead)|Malcolm Taylor]]. They all set to digging the bus wheels out from the sand to try and enable them to move it back through 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 towards them, glinting in the sun as if made from metal. They are then found and captured by a fly-like alien (later identified as a [[Tritovore]]).
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.


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 investigate the sandstorm seen earlier. It sends back results, showing that the storm is a [[The Swarm (Planet of the Dead)|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 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: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.


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 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 electrocuted 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...
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.


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 it is detecting her body heat and waking up. She replies she has that effect on men, and the Doctor brings her back up, saying that many must have 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 kills one of the Tritovores, the other, in rage, prepares to fire its weapon at the Stingray but before he can is eaten as well.
[[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 Doctor and Christina run to the bus, and after throwing away the crystal itself, 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.&nbsp; Malcolm figures out a way to it and starts on the process immediately.
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.


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. 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".
[[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).


Once Malcolm is ready to close the wormhole, Captain [[Erisa Magambo|Magambo]] orders him to close it to protect the Earth, despite the fact the Doctor and the passengers of Bus 200 were still trapped on the other side.&nbsp; Morally outraged at the idea of abandoning the Doctor, who had saved humanity countless times before, Malcolm refused to follow her order so they could allow the Doctor to get back to earth.&nbsp; Drawing her gun on him, Magambo once again ordered him to close the wormhole in the hopes of intimidating him.&nbsp; In spite of his fear, Malcolm passionately refused to close the wormhole, surprising even Magambo.&nbsp;&nbsp;The bus then lifts out of the sand and into the air, flying back through the wormhole to Earth.&nbsp; Once the Doctor and the passengers safely made their way through the wormhole, Christina passionately kisses the Doctor, taking back her earlier comment of "hating him".&nbsp; The tense stand-off between Captain Magambo and Malcolm is defused when a soldier tells her the bus is safely through.&nbsp;
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. On the Doctor's orders, Malcolm proceeds to close the wormhole just ahead of the main swarm while UNIT soldiers kill the three stingrays after a small battle. 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 embraces him in a hug and exclaims "I love you!" four times to the Doctor's bemusement. 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 (Planet of the Dead)|Nathan]] and [[Barclay (Planet of the Dead)|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 replies ''"No, but you be careful, because your song is ending, sir!"''. When the bemused Doctor 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"'', leaving the Doctor very unnerved at the meaning of this prophecy.
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 chased by the poice and closes the doors. The police inspector orders her to open them, but the Doctor advises him to step back. The inspector charges him with aiding and abetting; the Doctor heads over to the TARDIS, saying he will 'arrest himself'. The bus takes off, flies over the inspector's 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 (actor)|Keith Perry]]
*[[Dennison|Sgt Dennison]] - [[Glenn Doherty]]
*[[Ian Jenner|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.]]
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.
 
[[File:The Doctor Calls in Favour from UNIT (HQ) - Doctor Who - Planet of the Dead - BBC|thumb|left|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 [[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.
 
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]].
 
[[File:Tritovores Gunpoint.jpg|thumb|right|The [[Tritovore]]s 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 [[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 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.
 
[[File:TenChristinaContemplate.jpg|thumb|left|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 [[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.
 
[[File:Christina Shuts Down Security Grid.jpg|thumb|right|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.
 
[[File:Ten Holds the Cup of Athelstan.jpg|thumb|left|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.
 
[[File:Malcolm and Magambo.jpg|thumb|right|Captain [[Magambo]] and [[Malcolm Taylor|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 [[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".
 
[[File:The 200 Chased By Stingrays.jpg|thumb|left|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.
 
[[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".
 
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.
 
[[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.
 
[[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.
 
== 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]]
 
=== Uncredited Cast ===
* Security Chief - [[Ian Hilditch]]
* Security Guards - [[Marcus Elliott]], [[Jai Gomer]], Alan Morton, [[George Onyeahasi]]
 
== Crew ==
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== References ==
== Worldbuilding ==
*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. ([[DW]]: ''[[Remembrance of the Daleks]]'')
[[File:Christina Kisses the Doctor.jpg|thumb|right|Christina gives the Doctor a thank-you [[kiss]].]]
*This story refers to the events of when the Earth is transported to the Medusa Cascade that took place in May - June 2009, based on novel information, which would place it in 2010; however, controversy errupted with [[DW]]: ''[[The End of Time (TV story)|The End of Time]]'' taking place on Christmas 2009, placing this story in Easter 2009, before the Medusa Cascade incident. Unfortunately, there are many reasons this story cannot take place after The End of Time, some of which are Naismith's status and the worldwide recession. The writers or producers have not addressed the dating issue, some fans believe what date novels give should only be taken with a grain of salt if it disturbs on-screen continuity.
* [[Crouch]] is located in London.
 
* [[Sandringham]] and [[Seel & Co]] are located near the International Gallery.
===[[:Category:Astronomical objects|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 less. The sand is all that remains of the dead.
* Barclay and Nathan mention the [[Stolen Planets]].


===[[:Category:The Doctor|The Doctor]]===
=== Astronomical objects ===
*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". It's later revealed that the "it" that's returning is [[Gallifrey]] and "he" is [[Wilfred Mott]], trying to get the Doctor's attention to release him from a containment chamber after the Doctor and the Master defeat [[Rassilon]] which does lead to his death as he absorbs a fatal dose of radiation to rescue Wilfred that forces him to regenerate.
* Barclay and Nathan mention the [[stolen planets]]. This, however, contradicts the [[21st century Dalek invasion]] taking place in [[June]] of that year.
*[[The Doctor's TARDIS]] is discovered in the gardens of Buckingham Palace, and according to the Doctor, the Queen "doesn't mind". 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]]''.
* 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 favourite? The Giant Robot?" This is a reference to the [[Fourth Doctor]] 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 [[Time Lord]], in response to her saying that he looks human.
* 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 ([[DW]]: ''[[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.


===[[:Category:Foods and beverages|Foods and Beverages]]===
=== The Doctor ===
*The Doctor offers Christina the rest of his [[chocolate]] [[Easter egg]] because he's determined to keep his teeth. This suggests that the tenth Doctor plans on living long enough that losing his teeth could be a problem. (This, and the Doctor's offhand remark about dying of old age while he's talking to Malcom, could be considered foreshadowing of the Doctor's upcoming regeneration.) It should be noted that his "new teeth" were the first thing the Tenth Doctor commented on following his regeneration. The [[First Doctor]] had to have one of his teeth pulled by [[Doc Holliday]] in [[DW]]:[[The Gunfighters]].
[[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.


===[[:Category:Physics|Physics]]===
=== Foods and beverages ===
*The Doctor's device is attempting to detect [[Rhondium particles]].
* Carmen and Lou were going to have [[chops]] and [[gravy]] for tea at their home.
*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]]===
=== Physics ===
*[[UNIT]] is called in by the police to assist in locating the bus.
* Christina compares [[the 200]]'s protection through the [[wormhole]] to that of a [[Faraday cage]].
*UNIT has an automated phone system. Like most standard phone systems, however, pressing zero bypasses the automation and connects with an operator.
* 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'']''.''
**UNIT's phone number contains the numbers 7-6, reversing those numbers calls up a pizzeria instead.
*UNIT troops are equipped with [[Firearm|H&amp;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]].
*UNIT maintains extensive files about the Doctor.
*The Captain expresses her surprise that "Guns work", a reference to the many past occasions in which UNIT encountered alien creatures impervious to standard firepower.


===Other===
=== Unified Intelligence Taskforce ===
* Christina compares the bus to a [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Faraday_cage Faraday cage].
* Captain Magambo issues a [[Code Red]].
* [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oyster_card Oyster cards], a form of electronic payment on London buses, are referenced, with Christina making a joke about them in an unsuccessful attempt to board the bus without paying, and the Doctor uses his [[psychic paper]] in lieu of one.
* Sergeant [[Calhoon]] is mentioned.
* Christina says her father lost the family fortune investing in Icelandic banks, a reference to the real-life [[wikipedia:2008–2009 Icelandic financial crisis|financial crisis]] in Iceland, which in turn is considered part of the overall world financial crisis and recession that erupted in 2008.
* Christina mirrors past companion [http://tardis.wikia.com/wiki/Ace Ace McShane] by carrying around a backpack full of various tools.


== Story notes ==
== Story notes ==
* 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.
* ''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>
* Michelle 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.
* 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.
* As revealed in ''[[Doctor Who Confidential]]'', Ryan performed most of her own stunts in the episode -- including the high-wire stunt that opens the episode.
* ''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>
* 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.
* 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>
* 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; this changeover can be likened to the move from black and white to colour production in 1970. As such, it features a more detailed, but otherwise unchanged version of the title sequence.
* ''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 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.
* 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 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.
* [[DWM Issue 407]] confirmed that ''Planet of the Dead'' was Doctor Who's 200th story.
* 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]].
*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. Prior to the announcement that [[Karen Gillan]] had been cast a the new ongoing companion, Ryan was listed among possible candidates.
* 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.
* 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.
* 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>
* Although the Doctor has had invitations to join him turned down by potential companions in the past ([[Grace Holloway]] in [[Doctor Who (1996)|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 [[Bayldon Copper]] in ''[[Voyage of the Damned]]'', and for much the same reason the Doctor gives Christina.
* 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 went through several drafts. These included a space opera about a giant war (possibly featuring the [[Chelonian]]s); a bizarre story about time-freezing centaurs in a deserted hotel; a ''Star Trek'' pastiche; and a story about a 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 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/]
* 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 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]].


=== Ratings ===
=== Ratings ===
*Easter Saturday 11th April 2009 ~ 6:45pm ~ BBC One ~ 8.41 million (unofficial overnight)
* 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. 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.
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.
*The first American airing garnered 657,000 viewers.


===Myths and Rumours===
=== 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.''
*Carmen mentioned that "Your song is ending, it is returning through the dark, he will knock four times," leading to people beliving it could refer to [[River Song]]. ''The first part of the prophecy refered 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.''
*People thought that "it is returning through the dark" refered to either [[Davros]], who presumably died two episode prior, or [[Gallifrey]]. ''It was indeed Gallifrey.''
* 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.''
*People thought that the four knocks refered to either the [[Midnight Entity]] or [[the Master]] returning. ''In fact, the four knocks refered to [[Wilfred Mott]] knocking on a glass door four times when trapped, an evednt that would lead to the death of the [[Tenth Doctor]]. But the Master did return, however.''
* 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.
*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.
* 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.
*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, included 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" refered 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 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.
*It was rumored 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.
<!--Nothing explicitly places this story or The End of Time in either 2009 or 2010.-->
*Before Russell T Davies announced the episode's title as 'Planet of the Dead', it was rumoured that the episode's title was ''''Transport of the Doomed''''.


=== Filming locations ===
=== 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, 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
* Cardiff Bay - Police and UNIT investigating the disappearance of the bus through the wormhole
*Dubai, United Arab Emirates - San Helos
* Dubai, United Arab Emirates - San Helios
*Cardiff ~ Butetown Tunnel - Queens Gate ~ A4232
* Cardiff ~ Butetown Tunnel - Queens Gate ~ A4232
<ref name="BBC news bus damage"/>
<ref name="BBC news bus damage" />


=== Production errors===
=== Production errors ===
{{discontinuity}}
{{discontinuity}}
*When the bus is originally shown, it has a number plate of W974GHM, but later, when flying, its number plate has changed to RUA461W.  
* 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]]''.
*The bus wasn't fitted with a Ibus announcement system which had been on all London buses since 2007.
* 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. This is further confirmed in [[TW]]: ''[[Children of Earth]]''. This also means that the episode is set in easter 2010, as the events of [[The Stolen Earth]] and [[Journey's End]] occur in summer 2009. This would also mean that this event may have taken place around the same time that [[The Eleventh Hour]] happened, albeit by a couple of months.
* 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 buses, always blaming me", referring to [[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]]''.
*Carmen says "Your song is ending" 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]]''.
* The Doctor mentions the [[K1 Robot]] when asking Malcolm what his favourite file about him was. ([[TV]]: ''[[Robot (TV story)|Robot]]'')
*Bernard Quatermass is mentioned and referenced, he was previously mentioned in [[DW]]: ''[[Remembrance of the Daleks]]''.
* 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]]''.
*UNIT at last meets an alien race that's not immune to bullets or as Captain Magambo puts it, "I don't believe it, guns that work", this could be a call back to [[the Brigadier]] who once proclaimed he hated how so many aliens were immune to bullets; this also references the events of [[DW]]: ''[[The Sontaran Stratagem]]'' / ''[[The Poison Sky]]'', where UNIT's weapons are rendered useless.
* 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.
*When Christina calls the Doctor "Spaceman" he refers to Donna, saying "I had a friend that used to call me that".
* 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]]'')
*An alternate reality Captain Magambo appeared in Turn Left and helped Rose Tyler and an alternate Donna Noble set history right.
* 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 the Doctor tries to call UNIT, he gets connected to Geronimo's Pizza. "Geronimo" would later become a catchphrase of the [[Eleventh Doctor]].
* 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]]'')
*Reference is made to the recession being the cause of current problems. The recession is finally over by Christmas [[2009]] in [[DW]]: ''[[The End of Time (TV story)|The End of Time]]''
* [[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)
==[[Tenth Doctor - Timeline|Timeline]]==
* 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]]'')
*This story takes place after [[DWAM]]: ''[[Borrowed Time]]''
* 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.
*This story takes place before [[DWA]]: ''[[The Vortex Code]]''
* 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]]'')


== Home video releases ==
== Home video releases ==
[[File:Bbcdvd-planetofthedead.jpg|thumb|Planet of the Dead DVD Case]]


Planet of the Dead was released on DVD and Blu-ray in the United Kingdom on 29th June 2009. The release includes a single bonus feature:
=== DVD & Blu-ray releases ===
This is the first ''Doctor Who'' episode to ever be released on the high-definition Blu-ray format.


:*[[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 (1996)|1996 TV movie]].
* ''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]].
* 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.


In North America, the DVD and Blu-ray was 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 present cannot be released in Region 1 due to licensing issues.
<gallery position="center" captionalign="center" hideaddbutton="true">
File:Bbcdvd-planetofthedead.jpg|Planet of the Dead DVD Cover
File:Specials-boxset.jpg|The Complete Specials DVD<br />Region 2 UK cover
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>


In Australia, the DVD was released on 29th of June 2009, Blu-ray on 1st of October 2009 and include the same special feartures at the UK release.
=== Digital releases ===


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


The four specials plus ''The Next Doctor'' were released in the UK on both DVD and Blu-Ray in a box set in January 2010, with a North American release scheduled for 2nd February 2010.[http://gallifreynewsbase.blogspot.com/2009/10/waters-of-mars-american-airdates.html]
== 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.


==International broadcast==
[[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.
The Canadian cable network, [[Space (TV channel)|Space]], aired the special on July 25th, 2009 in an 85-minute timeslot (with 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 July 26th as part of the rollout of its new HD service. This marks the changeover for ''Doctor Who'' from broadcasts on the [[SyFy]] Channel 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]


==External links==
== Footnotes ==
*[http://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/s4/episodes/S0_06 Official BBC Website - Episode Guide: '''Planet of the Dead''']
=== Notes ===
*[http://www.thewriterstale.com/scr.html Original script], posted online by [[Russell T Davies]] in conjunction with the release of his book [[REF]]: ''[[Doctor Who: The Writer's Tale]]''.
{{notelist}}
*[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==
=== Sources ===
{{Reflist}}
{{Reflist}}
{{2009 Specials}}
{{DWTV}}
{{SPEC|04.2/002}}
{{UNIT stories}}
{{UNIT stories}}
{{TitleSort}}


[[fr:Planet of the Dead (Émission TV)]]
[[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 London]]
[[Category:Stories set in 2009]]
[[Category:Stories set in the City of Westminster]]
[[Category:stories set at Easter]]
[[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]]
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