Planet of the Ood

I feel this episode is underrated and goes under the radar somehow. I think this comes across as a bit of a filler episode in some ways but in my opinion it rises above that level in every department.

The story themes of exploitation and oppression are strong and presented really well. Writer Keith Temple has got it spot on as an important intervention from the Doctor in an interesting, enjoyable adventure.

Donna provides a fantastic moral and emotional heart to the episode and David Tennant is, as always, spot on. Guest star Tim McInnerny makes a perfect slimy villain and the Ood are great.

The script is thoughtful and intelligent. The direction from the excellent Graeme Harper is high standard. There is enough tension and threat and there is also some good humour.

This kind of episode is exactly what I want in regular stories, I love to see the Doctor intervening in unjust situations and having one off base under siege adventures. For me this has some nice political/social comment in a neat little story and is very well created. I realise most will see this as just a bit of an average story but it is very much to my taste.

My rating: 9.5/10.