ShadeGrenade 'Planet Of The Dead' was the first of four 'Dr.Who' specials broadcast in 2009 in lieu of a full thirteen-part season. By this time, the news of David Tennant's impending departure was public knowledge, and his successor - Matt Smith - appointed. Written by Russell T.Davies and Gareth Roberts, this was clearly intended to be a light starter before the heavy main course later in the year. The Doctor, investigating a possible wormhole in time and space, climbs onto a London bus - the 200. Seated next to him is the beautiful Lady Christina de Souza ( Michelle Ryan ), a bored aristocrat who loves stealing valuable things. In her bag is a priceless cup dating back to medieval times, freshly stolen from a museum. The wormhole opens in a tunnel, spiriting the bus and everyone on it to a far-off desert planet. Nearby is a crashed spaceship piloted by creatures which resemble flies. The 'sand' is in fact the remains of what was once a thriving civilisation. A swarm of stingray-like beings can be seen on the horizon. They consume matter, destroying any planets they encounter. The Doctor has the tough job of getting everyone home without bringing these things along at the same time...Like I said, this is a fun romp which makes no attempt whatever to be Hugo award winning material. The jokes work most of the time and there is some good action stuff. The Doctor does not appear to be worried by the danger he and his friends are in. At one point he even says: "The worse this gets, the more I love it!". Tennant had the ability to take an average script - such as this - and make it into something special. There's no villain as such, not unless you count the stingrays. Lee Evans, one of my favourite modern-day funny men, has a small role as a dithering scientist whom the Doctor is in constant communication with, and U.N.I.T. gets to indulge in some good old fashioned Pertwee-style gun-play. As 'Lady Christina', Ryan exhibits more personality than she ever did as the star of the flop 'Bionic Woman' revival. Her character may or may not have been inspired by the proposed new companion intended to replace Sophie Aldred's 'Ace' had a series been made in 1990. Ryan's no Billie Piper but streets ahead of the wooden Karen Gillan. The story climaxes with the Doctor hearing the now-famous "He will knock four times!" prediction. The look on his face on realising his present incarnation is nearly over is simply heartbreaking. The flying bus attracted the usual, predictable criticism from rabid anti-R.T.D. zealots. What was the response from these very people to the even more ridiculous flying shark seen in the 2010 Christmas 'Special'? Deafening silence, that's what! 'Planet Of The Dead' is not classic 'Who', but looks better with repeated viewing. Which is more than can be said about Season 5 as a whole.

zerobeat The problem with criticizing something for being too childish is that it seems like I wouldn't like a movie like The Incredibles or a TV show like PeeWee's Playhouse. On the contrary.. I love these things.I guess "lazy" is more an apt criticism. It's as if the writers just put inferior stuff out there and defend it by saying "who cares... kids won't know the difference".I sure hope the new showrunner (Steven Moffat) cracks the whip a lot more when it comes to this sort of rubbish dreck coming across his desk.There is indeed a way to make a children's show also appeal to adults. Maybe the secret is to make it appeal to adults, and simply omit stuff that would obviously be inappropriate for kids. Intelligence is NOT something a writer needs to omit from a script.

Theo Robertson After seeing the very disappointing The Next Doctor at Christmas my expectations were raised for the Easter special Planet Of The Dead . The name alone is memorizing and conjures all sorts of gloomy nihilism and ignore the fact that it's written by RTD . He may be guilty of bringing light heartedness bordering on comedy to the show but he can also write scary traditional stories too like Tooth And Claw . So I was looking forward to some dark compelling entertainment at Easter . Unfortunately Planet Of The Dead was far worse than disappointing is possibly the worst story broadcast of NuWho As has been pointed out by some on this page the plot lacks any originality . It's just a pastiche of so many other references . There's PITCH BLACK , Stephen King , MISSION IMPOSSIBLE and perhaps worst of all a flying bus that could have come straight out of the pages of that dreadful hack JK Rowling . There comes a time when pseudo intellectuals should stop rubbing their chins gasping " Ah yes the beauty of post modernism " and ask the very real question of " If you're not going to come up with your own plot Rusty then please don't bother writing anything " All this is bad enough but what really ruins any potential is the silly , comedic childishness of how everything plays out . Oh hold on did I mention the word " potential " ? No scrap that because this is purely simple children's television Certainly the cast don't help . The much hyped Michelle Ryan is hotter than viagra vindaloo but all you're watching is a bad impersonation of Catherine Zeta Jones in ENTRAPMENT . It says something when you're watching an actress of Ms Ryan's aesthetic perfection and are very irritated by her voice which sounds like The Duchess Of York with a lisp . Lee Evans does what he does best , pulling off a hybrid performance of Jerry Lee Lewis meets Norman Wisdom . In fact Evans is so bad the phrase " Stunt casting " is the reason spoonerisms were invented . Perhaps to counter this director James Strong has recast Noma Dumezweni as Captain Magambo as she's so wooden but an analogy would be that if you've swallowed some caustic soda then it's a good idea to swallow some sulphuric acid to counteract the effect In short Planet Of The Dead is an ugly throwback to the dark days of the show in the mid to late 1980s when silly lightheartedness and other frivolity strangled the show . NuWho has sometimes shocked me in a good way in how it applies a sophisticated emotional core with Hollywood style special effects but with Planet Of The Dead I'm perhaps shocked for the first time as to how bad it can be . I know upcoming producer Stephen Moffat can make stories that are a very acquired taste but it's impossible to believe he could make something as dreadful as this

Robert McElwaine As the first of four one hour specials being aired this year, Planet of the Dead marks the first Easter special Writer's Russell T. Davies and Gareth Robert's offer up an episode which has a rather interesting premise and a morally dubious character in Michelle Ryan's Lady Christina Da Souza. An attractive young thief who as the story opens is seen to steal a priceless gold artifact from a museum. Having to make a hasty getaway when she accidentally triggers an alarm and is pursued by the authorities. She jumps on to a double decker bus. It would seem she has made her escape and that her problems are over. Nothing could be further from the truth. Especially when the Doctor boards the bus as well and sits right next to her and as you well know. Wherever the Doctor goes, trouble is not far behind him. Before you know it, the buses passengers find them self being sucked through a wormhole and trapped on an alien dessert planet on the other side of the universe.What follow's is an inoffensive, passable time waster. Nothing spectacular. Which although not bad, you can't help but feel it could have been so much more. The episodes first half get's off to a cracking start with the museum robbery which instantly grabs out interest and contains an elaborate well choreographed scene. But once the action shifts to the bus then the pace begins to slow down and what we're left with is a leaden bit of exposition as we're introduced to a number of throw away characters who offer little to the plot.Tennant once again is as wonderful as ever as the heroic Time Lord. At least offering something of interest to proceedings and he's adequately enough supported by Michelle Ryan who although fine as the feisty, flirtation Lady Da Souza, Isn't totally convincing in the role. It doesn't help however that she is lumbered with a two dimensional character who's sole purpose is to flirt with Tennant. Not to mention some of the cheesy dialogue she has forced upon her. Da Souza is so irritating post feminist. An attempt by Davies and Robert's it seems to foist a 21st century proactive heroine on us. Independent, confident. When all she comes across as is a reject from 'The Avengers'.Once the action shifts and see's Tennant and Ryan venturing in to the planet's dessert plains then the pace really begins to get moving again and the story begins to unfold. Which although not entirely original and seems to borrow much from the Stepehn King mini-series, 'The Langoliers' as well as 'Pitch Black'. But never the less, there's still something to enjoy here. Lee Evan's manages to elevate things with his performance as the comically eccentric Prof. Malcolm Turner. Effecting a welsh accent and having some inspired moments with Tennant's Doctor who seems to have met someone more quirky than himself.The overall result is a passable runaround which sadly is a bit of an anti-climax. While Davies and Roberts inclusion of a middle aged black woman who has psychic powers as a way to hint at what's to come is a unsubtle contrivance which has already been done to death through the series.I wouldn't expect too much from 'Planet of the Dead'. It's an undemanding, fun and serves as nothing more than filler before the upcoming 'Waters of Mars' and Decembers Christmas specials which will see Tennant bow out of the show. But if this outing is anything to go by. Then Tennant's swan song may be something of an anti-climax. But who know's. I'll just have to keep my fingers crossed and hope for the best.