Any show that features a flying London Double Decker Bus is guaranteed to be good.
Thanks to the wonders of the internet, I was able to see the Doctor Who Easter Special – Planet of the Dead – long before it made it’s way to BBC America or the Sci-fi Channel.
In short, it was fabulous! It was much better than the disappointing and maddening Christmas special.
The plot is pretty simple, The Doctor and an assortment of interesting people are all on a London Double Decker bus when, inexplicably it’s transported through a wormhole to a desert planet. The passengers of the bus are, needless to say, a little shocked about this. To The Doctor, however, it’s just another day at work.
What’s most interesting about this episode is that The Doctor is separated from his Tardis and must rely on ingenuity, charm and the willingness of others to the save the day. The Doctor can occasionally have an “I can always save the day with the Tardis” way of thinking, so it’s nice to see him have to figure it out without the help of his limitless access to technology.
Michelle Ryan, who plays Lady Christine de Souza, a thief in it for the adventure, plays the role masterfully. She’s a lovely companion for the episode. It’d be great if she stayed his companion. Not to give too much away, but it’s not in the cards for her.
If you’re a Doctor Who fan, you’ll love the Easter Special. My wife and I both enjoyed it greatly. It’s a shame this is the beginning of the last of the David Tennant shows. We won’t get treated to another Doctor Who Special until at least November.
Doctor Who – Planet of the Dead gets 5 out of 5 Union Jacks for an enjoyable hour that was much better that the previous Christmas Special.
About Jonathan
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Anglotopia was founded by Jonathan and Jackie Thomas for people who love Britain - whether it's British TV, Culture, History or Travel - we cover it all. Anglotopia was started to get us back to the UK for a trip and it did that in 2009. Now, the goal is for Anglotopia to make our dreams of traveling to the UK whenever we want a reality.
Downloaded but haven’t watched yet. Flying Double-Decker? Drop Dead Aweome!
“She’s a lovely companion for the episode. It’d be great if she stayed his companion. Not to give too much away, but it’s not in the cards for her.’
That’s too bad, i would watch more of Doctor Who if Michelle Ryan was on. She was hands down the best thing about last night’s show.
Sorry, but I thought it was rubbish. I’m a huge fan of Doctor Who, and was really looking forward to this special episode, but found it a complete let down. A stupid plot with holes big enough to drive a bus through (literally and figuratively,) lazy writing with overuse of convenient gadgets (magic cell phones and the sonic screwdriver again,) derivative alien beings, and a very annoying companion in the form of Lady Christina, all went to make the worst Doctor Who episode I can remember. I watched Doctor Who Confidential afterwards, and it all became clear: I believe the idea of everyone going on a big jolly to Dubai came first, then Russell T. Davies just cobbled this story together as an afterthought to justify the trip. In my opinion, the sooner he goes and Steven Moffatt takes over, the better!