The Impossible Planet

Last updated

174a –"The Impossible Planet"
Doctor Who episode
Cast
Others
Production
Directed by James Strong
Written by Matt Jones
Script editor Simon Winstone
Produced by Phil Collinson
Executive producer(s) Russell T Davies
Julie Gardner
Music by Murray Gold
Production code2.8
Series Series 2
Running time1st of 2-part story, 45 minutes
First broadcast3 June 2006 (2006-06-03)
Chronology
← Preceded by
"The Idiot's Lantern"		Followed by →
"The Satan Pit"
List of Doctor Who episodes (2005–present)

"The Impossible Planet" is the eighth episode of the second series of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who , which was first broadcast on BBC One on 3 June 2006. It is the first part of a two-part story. The second part, "The Satan Pit", was broadcast on 10 June.

Contents

The episode is set on Krop Tor, a planet orbiting a black hole. In the episode, a human expedition group drilling on the planet is terrorised by a creature calling itself the Beast (voiced by Gabriel Woolf), which possesses the Ood slaves in the humans' base.

Plot

The TARDIS arrives aboard a sanctuary base used for deep-space expeditions. The Tenth Doctor and Rose explore the area, discovering strange alien writing that the TARDIS is unable to translate, meaning that it is "impossibly old". They are confronted by the Ood, a docile race of empathic slaves who work on the station. After a misunderstanding with the Ood, the Doctor and Rose meet the crew of the base: commanding officer Zach, scientist Ida, security officer Jefferson, "ethics committee" Danny, engineer Scooti and archaeologist Toby. The crew are on an expedition on the mysterious planet Krop Tor, impossibly in orbit around a black hole. Captain Zach explains that a gravity funnel exists around the planet, allowing them to safely enter or leave the vicinity of the black hole. The source of the funnel is an immense energy force ten miles within the planet, which they are drilling towards to understand its power. As the Doctor and Rose are acquainting themselves with the crew, the base is struck by a quake that causes the section of the base containing the TARDIS to fall into the planet. Rose and the Doctor resign themselves to being trapped and begin helping out the crew.

As the drill nears its target, a malevolent presence begins to make itself known. The Ood's translation spheres reveal messages about the Beast awakening, while Toby is unknowingly possessed by the Beast after examining pottery. The possessed Toby kills Scooti when she discovers him surviving outside the base without any protective gear. When the drilling is complete, the Doctor offers to go with Ida into the bowels of the planet. After travelling down the drill shaft, the Doctor and Ida find a large circular pit inscribed with more undecipherable markings on the rims. The Doctor believes it to be a door, and they watch as it opens. Suddenly, the Beast repossesses Toby before transferring into all the Ood as they refer to themselves as the Legion of the Beast. With Rose and the remaining crew alerted that the planet is now falling towards the black hole, the Ood begin to close in on them whilst the voice of the Beast declares that it is free.

Production

Writer Matt Jones also wrote, as Matthew Jones, the Virgin New Adventures novel Bad Therapy , featuring the Seventh Doctor and Chris Cwej. He was script editor on Russell T Davies' Channel 4 series Queer as Folk .

The Ood as they appeared in the Doctor Who Experience. Ood (2658983567).jpg
The Ood as they appeared in the Doctor Who Experience.

Executive producer and chief writer Russell T Davies said that an early draft of the script called for the role of the Ood to be filled by Raxacoricofallapatorians, the same species as the Slitheen. Their race would have been enslaved and they wished to awaken the Beast, whom they believed to be a god that could free them. [1] Davies chose the name of the Ood rather than Jones; he intended it to be a play on the word "odd". [1] In the accompanying Doctor Who Confidential episode, Davies said that he likes to think that the Ood come from a planet near to that of the Sensorites from the First Doctor serial The Sensorites (1964), as he suggests the races are similar in some respects. [2] In "Planet of the Ood", this is confirmed. During an interview with the production crew, it was noted that the sanctuary base was based on the spaceship Nostromo from the movie Alien .[ citation needed ]

Scenes of bodies floating in space were filmed on the underwater stage at Pinewood Studios, the first time the series has used this facility, not counting the charity special Doctor Who and the Curse of Fatal Death .[ citation needed ] This is the first episode of the 2005 revival of Doctor Who to use a quarry as an alien planet — quarries were frequently used in this manner in the original series. [1] Davies was not a fan of this production decision. [3] The Ood masks had their eyes in non-human positions, so the actors who played them had to see out of pin prick sized holes in the masks.

Cast notes

The voice of the Beast is provided by Gabriel Woolf, who also played Sutekh the Destroyer in the Fourth Doctor serial Pyramids of Mars (1975). [1] One of the names that the possessed Ood have for the Beast is Satan. The Fourth Doctor also stated that Sutekh has been known by many aliases, including the Typhonian beast and Satan. However, Woolf was cast only after the episode had been written and filmed. [4] Originally, the producers sought out Piper's then husband Chris Evans for the role. [5]

Danny Webb also appeared in the audio plays The Girl Who Never Was [6] and The Dark Husband . [7] Shaun Parkes previously starred with David Tennant in the BBC's 2005 Casanova serial written by Russell T Davies. [1] Silas Carson previously played various alien voices in "The End of the World", while Paul Kasey is a veteran at playing various monsters for Doctor Who and Torchwood .

Broadcast and reception

Overnight viewing figures for the episode were 5.94 million, peaking at 6.78 million. However, the episode still obtained a 39.8% share of the audience [8] and was the second highest rated programme of the evening, behind Casualty . The final ratings for the episode were 6.32 million viewers. [9]

This episode and "The Satan Pit" were released in the UK, together with "Love & Monsters", as a basic DVD with no special features on 7 August 2006.

IGN's Ahsan Haque gave the episode a score of 9.3 out of 10, describing it as "an extremely well written and directed episode with awesome visuals and excellent sound design". Though he noted that "much of this episode felt a bit like watching a moderately entertaining B-movie like Event Horizon ", he thought it was "presented with ample flair and charm". [10] Dek Hogan of Digital Spy stated the episode got the series "back on form", though he noted that losing the TARDIS was becoming tiresome. [11] Dave Golder, writing for SFX , felt that the two-parter abandoned Doctor Who's "manic energy, a level of wit and an idiosyncratic visual approach" for more traditional science fiction, which made it look at times like " Stargate lite". While he thought the spaceship looked "silly", he praised the support cast and especially Tennant and Piper. Of "The Impossible Planet" he stated, "The build-up of the mystery was superbly paced and intriguing. The characters were fleshed out with masterful economy. The tension was tangible. The villain felt dangerous. And in the idea of an evil entity taking control of a telepathically linked race we had the kind of good, solid SF idea – simple and technobabble-free enough for the non-SF literate audience to grasp – in which the new series should be trading. It helps that the Ood were such a great piece of design work, as well." [12]

In a September 2013 National Geographic Daily News article, the author mentioned this episode while discussing planets that surround black holes. [13]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Time Lord</span> Fictional alien species in the Doctor Who universe

The Time Lords are a fictional ancient race of extraterrestrial people in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, of which the series' main protagonist, the Doctor, is a member. Time Lords are so named for their command of time travel technology and their non-linear perception of time. Originally, they were described as a powerful and wise race from the planet Gallifrey, from which the Doctor was a renegade; details beyond this were very limited for the first decade of the series. They later became integral to many episodes and stories as their role in the universe developed. For the first eight years after the series resumed in 2005, the Time Lords were said to have been destroyed during the Last Great Time War at some point in the show's continuity between the original series' cancellation in 1989 and the show's revival. In 2013, the 50th anniversary special "The Day of the Doctor" concerned this supposed destruction and their eventual survival.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sarah Jane Smith</span> Fictional character in various TV series including Doctor Who

Sarah Jane Smith is a fictional character played by Elisabeth Sladen in the long-running BBC Television science fiction series Doctor Who and two of its spin-offs. Sarah Jane is a dogged investigative journalist who first encounters alien time traveller the Doctor while trying to break a story on a top secret research facility, and subsequently becomes his travelling companion on a series of adventures spanning the breadth of space and time. After travelling with The Doctor in four seasons of the show they suddenly part ways, and after this she continues to investigate strange goings-on back on Earth. Over time, Sarah Jane establishes herself as a committed defender of Earth from alien invasions and other threats, occasionally reuniting with The Doctor in the course of her own adventures, all the while continuing to work as a freelance investigative journalist.

Pyramids of Mars is the third serial of the 13th season of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. Written by Robert Holmes and Lewis Greifer under the pseudonym of "Stephen Harris" and directed by Paddy Russell, the serial was first broadcast in four weekly parts on BBC1 from 25 October to 15 November 1975.

<i>The Sensorites</i> 1964 Doctor Who serial

The Sensorites is the seventh serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. Written by Peter R. Newman and directed by Mervyn Pinfield and Frank Cox, the serial was first broadcast on BBC1 in six weekly parts from 20 June to 1 August 1964. In the serial, the First Doctor, his granddaughter Susan Foreman, and her teachers Ian Chesterton and Barbara Wright visit a planet known as the Sense-Sphere to find the cure to a disease afflicting the alien race the Sensorites.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tenth Doctor</span> Fictional character from Doctor Who

The Tenth Doctor is an incarnation of the Doctor, the protagonist of the BBC science fiction television series Doctor Who. He is played by David Tennant in three series as well as nine specials. The character has also appeared in other Doctor Who spin-offs. Tennant's time as the Tenth Doctor is highly regarded among fans of the show and is considered one of the most iconic incarnations of the character, often ranked alongside Tom Baker's Fourth Doctor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mickey Smith</span> Fictional character in the TV series Doctor Who

Mickey Smith is a fictional character in the BBC One science fiction television series Doctor Who. He is portrayed by British actor Noel Clarke and was the show's first televised black companion. The character is introduced as the ordinary, working class boyfriend of Rose Tyler, a London shopgirl who becomes a travelling companion to the Ninth and Tenth incarnations of an alien Time Lord known as the Doctor. Mickey first appears in the first episode of the 2005 revival, "Rose". Initially someone who struggles in the face of danger, Mickey nevertheless acts as an Earth-based ally to the Doctor and Rose. In the second series he joins the pair as a second companion of the Doctor's, though he leaves during the 2006 series to pursue his own adventures. He returns to aid the Doctor and Rose in the series finale later that year, and then again for the 2008 finale "Journey's End," as well as fleetingly in 2010 in the Tenth Doctor send-off "The End of Time".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Silas Carson</span> English actor

Silas Carson is an English actor, mostly known for playing Jedi Master Ki-Adi-Mundi and Viceroy Nute Gunray in all three of the Star Wars prequels and providing the voice of the Ood in Doctor Who.

Boom Town (<i>Doctor Who</i>) 2005 Doctor Who episode

"Boom Town" is the eleventh episode of the first series of the British science fiction television programme Doctor Who. The episode was first broadcast on BBC One on 4 June 2005. It was written by executive producer Russell T Davies and directed by Joe Ahearne.

"The Satan Pit" is the ninth episode of the second series of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast on 10 June 2006. It is the second part of a two-part story. The first part, "The Impossible Planet", was broadcast on 3 June.

Gabriel Woolf is a British film, radio and television actor.

Love & Monsters (<i>Doctor Who</i>) 2006 Doctor Who episode

"Love & Monsters" is the tenth episode of the second series of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast on BBC One on 17 June 2006. It was written by executive producer and lead writer Russell T Davies and directed by Dan Zeff.

Tardisodes are mini-episodes of the television programme Doctor Who, created to accompany the 2006 series of the programme. Made by Doctor Who producers BBC Wales, each Tardisode is approximately 60 seconds long and serves as an introduction to one of the actual 45-minute episodes. They were available on the BBC Doctor Who website free of charge, and on mobile phones by subscription. They were produced as an effort by the BBC to expand the reach of Doctor Who beyond the television series, and include footage not seen on television, and some back-story for the following episode. Their name is a portmanteau of the words TARDIS and "episode".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Torchwood Institute</span> Fictional secret organization in the Doctor Who universe

The Torchwood Institute, or simply Torchwood, is a fictional secret organisation from the British science fiction television series Doctor Who and its spin-off series Torchwood. It was established in 1879 by Queen Victoria after the events of "Tooth and Claw". Its prime directive is to defend Earth against supernatural and extraterrestrial threats. It is later revealed in "Army of Ghosts" that the Torchwood Institute has begun to use their findings to restore the British Empire to its former glory. To those ends, the organisation started to acquire and reverse engineer alien technology. Within Torchwood, an unofficial slogan evolved: "If it's alien, it's ours". According to one base director, Yvonne Hartman, its nationalist attitude includes refusing to use metric units.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ood</span> Alien species from Doctor Who series

The Ood are an alien species with telepathic abilities from the long-running science fiction series Doctor Who. In the series' narrative, they live in the distant future.

<i>The Price of Paradise</i> 2006 novel by Colin Brake

The Price of Paradise is a BBC Books original novel written by Colin Brake and based on the long running science fiction television series Doctor Who. It was published on 21 September 2006 alongside The Nightmare of Black Island and The Art of Destruction. It features the Tenth Doctor and Rose.

<i>Sick Building</i> 2007 novel by Paul Magrs

Sick Building is a BBC Books original novel written by Paul Magrs and based on the long-running science fiction television series Doctor Who. It features the Tenth Doctor and Martha Jones. This book had the working title The Wicked Bungalow before changing to Sick Building, at the request of Russell T Davies.

"Planet of the Ood" is the third episode of the fourth series of British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It was broadcast on BBC One on 19 April 2008.

<i>Doctor Who</i> (series 2) 2006 series of Doctor Who

The second series of British science fiction programme Doctor Who began on 25 December 2005 with the Christmas special "The Christmas Invasion". Following the special, a regular series of thirteen episodes was broadcast, starting with "New Earth" on 15 April 2006. In addition, two short special episodes were produced; a Children in Need special and an interactive episode, as well as 13 TARDISODEs. It is the second series of the revival of the show, and the twenty-eighth season overall.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Donna Noble</span> Fictional character in the TV series Doctor Who

Donna Noble is a fictional character in the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. Portrayed by British actress and comedian Catherine Tate, she is a former companion of the Tenth Doctor. Originally appearing in the closing scene of the show's 2006 series and as a special guest star in its following Christmas special, "The Runaway Bride", Tate was not expected to reprise her role as Donna; for series 3 (2007), the Doctor travelled alongside medical student Martha Jones. However, Tate expressed interest in returning to the role, and she reprised the role as a series regular in series 4 (2008), and in a subsequent 2009–2010 Christmas and New Year's special. On 15 May 2022, it was announced that Tate would reprise the role for the series' 60th anniversary specials in 2023.

"The Waters of Mars" is the second of four specials of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, broadcast between Easter Saturday 2009 and New Year's Day 2010, all serving as David Tennant's final episodes as the Tenth Doctor. As with the previous special, "Planet of the Dead", it was simultaneously broadcast on BBC One and BBC HD on 15 November 2009.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 "The Impossible Planet: Fact File". BBC . Retrieved 24 March 2012.
  2. ↑ "You've Got the Look". Doctor Who Confidential . Series 2. Episode 8. 3 June 2006. BBC. BBC Three.
  3. ↑ "Cost 'keeps Doctor Who on earth'". BBC. 19 September 2006. Retrieved 24 March 2012.
  4. ↑ Doctor Who Magazine . Royal Tunbridge Wells, Kent: Panini Comics (371). 19 July 2006.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: untitled periodical (link)
  5. ↑ Kilkelly, Daniel (23 August 2005). "Chris Evans gets 'Doctor Who' role?". Digital Spy. Archived from the original on 15 December 2005. Retrieved 24 March 2012.
  6. ↑ "103. Doctor Who – The Girl Who Never Was". Big Finish Productions . Retrieved 24 March 2012.
  7. ↑ "106. Doctor Who – The Dark Husband". Big Finish Productions . Retrieved 24 March 2012.
  8. ↑ Lyon, Shaun (4 June 2007). "Impossible Planet overnights". Outpost Gallifrey. Archived from the original on 23 March 2007. Retrieved 7 April 2007.
  9. ↑ Lyon, Shaun (14 June 2007). "The Impossible Planet final ratings". Outpost Gallifrey. Archived from the original on 23 March 2007. Retrieved 7 April 2007.
  10. ↑ Haque, Ahsan (21 November 2006). "Doctor Who: "The Impossible Planet" Review". IGN . Retrieved 12 May 2012.
  11. ↑ Hogan, Dek (4 June 2006). "Boos, Loos and Poos". Digital Spy . Retrieved 12 May 2012.
  12. ↑ Golder, Dave (12 June 2006). "Doctor Who 2.8 and 2.9 The Impossible Planet/The Satan Pit". SFX. Archived from the original on 3 July 2006. Retrieved 12 May 2012.
  13. ↑ Than, Ker (9 September 2013). "New Role for Disabled Kepler? Finding Exotic Alien Worlds". National Geographic Daily News. National Geographic Society. Archived from the original on 10 September 2013. Retrieved 9 September 2013. In the TV series Dr. Who, the main character once found himself on a dark planet orbiting a black hole, an improbable situation that was reflected in the episode's title: "The Impossible Planet."
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.