Planet of the Ood (TV story)

"The Ood aren't born like this - a species born to serve could never evolve in the first place. What does the company do to make them obey?"

Synopsis
After setting the TARDIS controls to random, The Doctor and Donna arrive on the Ood Sphere, in the 42nd century. The Ood are being sold as servants to the Second Great and Bountiful Human Empire. But what is possessing the Ood? And what is the circle? Why must it be broken?

Plot
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A businessman is in his office with his personal Ood when suddenly it gets the "red eye" and kills him.

The Doctor uses the TARDIS to land at a random point in time and space. When he leaves the TARDIS with his new companion Donna Noble they find a dying Ood and a rocket ship flies over them. Meanwhile Klineman Halpen arrives at the Ood Sphere to investigate the cases of red eye. The Ood Sphere PA Solana Mercurio shows Klineman a CCTV recording of a Ood with "red eye" killing a man with its translation sphere. The Doctor last encountered the Ood in The Impossible Planet and The Satan Pit. Just before dying the Ood's eyes turn red and it becomes aggresive and tries to attack the Doctor and Donna. The Doctor mentions that the last time he met the Ood the were possessed by The Beast, which means the Ood are bring affected by something closer. The Doctor and Donna then discover an industrial complex which is run by Ood Operations. The Doctor than locates their position: the Ood Sphere in the 42nd century.

The Doctor and Donna enter the Ood Sphere as Dr. and Mrs. Noble. They discover that the Ood are being sold by Ood Operations to buinesses around the galaxy. An escaped Ood is running loose around the Ood Sphere is discovered by a group of guards. The Ood then gets the "red eye" and the guards decide it is "rabid" and take it away to be examined. The Doctor and Donna then decide to go exploring and they discover the Ood a nd discover a warehouse full of crates containing Ood. Mr Halpen and his Doctor exmaine the rabid Ood and his doctor suggests to look in Warehouse 15, then they decide to kill the Ood.

Cast

 * The Doctor - David Tennant
 * Donna Noble - Catherine Tate
 * Solana Mercurio - Ayesha Dharker
 * Mr Halpen - Tim McInnerny
 * Sigma - Paul Kasey
 * Dr Ryder - Adrian Rawlins
 * Commander Kess - Roger Griffiths
 * Mr Bartle - Paul Clayton
 * Rep - Tariq Jordan
 * Ood - Paul Kasey
 * Voice of the Ood - Silas Carson

Production crew
to be added

Story Notes

 * The snow scenes were shot in a boiling hot week in August, using fake snow. This was done using tiny pieces of paper, as pointed out in this episode's Confidential.
 * The transformation of Halpen into an Ood was originally far more graphic, but after the footage was viewed it was re-edited to be less horrific for a family audience.
 * Russell T. Davies noted during production of the Ood's introductory episodes that he considered their home world to be close to that of the Sensorites.
 * When Ood Sigma says to the Doctor "I think your song must end soon", several seconds of Rose's Theme from first and second series is played.

Ratings
to be added

Myths

 * This is set before The Impossible Planet. (Most fans assume this because the pre-publicity stated that we would find out why the Ood were slaves and the date for that story was 43K2.1 but we never found out what those numbers meant, and there is no reason why this cannot be after that story)

Rumours

 * At the end of this story when Ood Sigma said "your song will end soon" The Ood sang songs craving to be reunited with each other, and the Doctor's song of craving for  Rose will end soon so he will be reunited with her once more, this has the support of "Doomsday" keys playing in the background.  It could also be a more ominous ending suggesting his death (and regeneration) or the loss of something else important to him, such as a companion (maybe Rose herself), or the TARDIS.

Filming Locations

 * Blue Circle Cement Works, East Aberthaw, The Vale of Glamorgan

Discontinuity, Plot Holes, Errors

 * When Halpen and Ryder first go to Warehouse 15, Halpen pours his "hair tonic" onto the Ood Brain. When he retreats from the edge of the containment area, there is still tonic in his glass which he drinks and then leaves. But in between while the ground is shaking he turns to the Ood, it looks like he is giving back the glass, so he might have gotten a full one in exchange.


 * As the Oods begin to turn bad, the Ood behind Solana briefly stops panicing.

Continuity

 * The Ood previously appeared in The Impossible Planet and The Satan Pit. Although the Doctor's timeline has progressed, it is not stated whether the events of this episode occur before or after the events of the two-parter from the Ood's perspective.
 * The Doctor refers to the time when he couldn't save the Ood from falling into the black hole in The Satan Pit.
 * The Doctor comments that he visited the Sense-Sphere "ages ago". (DW: The Sensorites)
 * Massive brains had previously appeared on TV in Time and the Rani and in the NA novel Deceit.
 * When the Doctor and Donna exit the TARDIS and see the Ood-Sphere for the first time, the Doctor comments that for once, he is glad to see it snow for real. During the new series, it has snowed three times, however it was never real snow. In The Christmas Invasion, the snow was the ash from the Sycorax ship breaking up in the atmosphere. In The Runaway Bride, the Doctor used the TARDIS to influence the Earth's atmosphere and force it to snow. Finally, in Voyage of the Damned, Mr. Copper tells the Doctor that the snow is really ballast from the Titanic as it flew over London. Ironically fake snow was used to film that scene in this episode.

DVD Releases

 * It will be released on the Series 4 boxset DVD in November 2008.
 * It will be released as part of Series 4 Volume 1 on June 2nd 2008 alongside Partners in Crime and The Fires of Pompeii.
 * The BBFC has rated this story a 12 certificate citing a 'moderate gory scene'. Partners in Crime and The Fires of Pompeii were also both given PG certificates.