Doctor Who: Every Russell T Davies Episode Ranked From Worst To Best
29. Planet Of The Dead (Co-written With Gareth Roberts)
Some of the specials that closed RTD’s first era were more more special than others.
At the bottom of the pile is Planet of the Dead – a story built entirely around the visual of a red London bus on a sandy alien planet (aka a desert in Dubai).
Honestly, that’s about as exciting as it gets. And even then, the Dubai stuff is, at the end of the day just endless blue skies and sand.
Michelle Ryan is alright as one-off companion Lady Christina, though the decision to pair the Doctor with a literal criminal is kind of problematic.
We also get two cool new aliens in the form of the Stingrays and Tritivores. But neither of them really do much (the Tritivores literally disappearing once their bit is done).
It’s not exactly bad, just a bit consequential. Very much “what it says on the tin” and nothing more.