When this episode first aired on the Sci-Fi Channel here in the States in 2008, I wasn't a big fan of this episode. Mainly it was down to the fact that I felt that it took all the mystery out of the Ood in one go. Looking back on it now, four and a half years later, I can see that I missed a lot as a result of focusing on that.
There's the script for example. On the surface, Planet Of The Ood is your fairly typical Doctor Who runaround. It's got chases, it's got gun-play, and it's got threatening alien monsters. One might even argue it's a play on the old "base under siege" formula that was so well used during the Troughton era. That's on the surface though.
Look a bit farther down and Keith Temple's script is so much more. It uses the Ood , the Ood Operations corporation and its CEO Klineman Halpen (wonderfully played by Tim McInnerny) to explore a series of complex issues. Those issues range from corporate power, animal rights, slavery and genocide to name but a few. The scenes of the Ood in the container and the unprocessed Ood in captivity are but two examples of this. The point though is made by the Doctor's response to Donna saying that she doesn't have slaves: "Who do you think made your clothes?" It's a bit heavy handed at times perhaps, but Temple's script makes its points effectively.
It's helped by the rest of the production as well. Graham Harper's direction shines throughout, especially in the dialogue scenes, showing that Harper is far more than an action director. There's also a standout performance from Catherine Tate, who is given a chance to let her acting abilities shine as Donna comes to term with how the Ood are being treated. Last but not least is Murray Gold's haunting "Songs of Captivity and Freedom" which underscores both the sadness of the Ood's captivity and the joy of their freedom.
Not that this episode is perfect. This episode has one big flaw: the quality of its CGI. From the rocket seen early on in the episode to the claw at the center of one of the action sequences to the object at the center of the finale, this particular episode is blessed with some of the most noticeable CGI produced for the revived series of Who. Perhaps it is noticeable as a result of the high quality of effects elsewhere in the new series, but the CGI occasionally distracts from an otherwise top-notch episode.
Looking past the issue I had with this episode in 2008, I've found a lot to like about this episode. It's an episode that's well written, well directed, nicely acted and features one of the best pieces of music yet produced for the new series. It also does what all great Doctor Who is capable of: entertaining its audience, but also making it think.
There's the script for example. On the surface, Planet Of The Ood is your fairly typical Doctor Who runaround. It's got chases, it's got gun-play, and it's got threatening alien monsters. One might even argue it's a play on the old "base under siege" formula that was so well used during the Troughton era. That's on the surface though.
Look a bit farther down and Keith Temple's script is so much more. It uses the Ood , the Ood Operations corporation and its CEO Klineman Halpen (wonderfully played by Tim McInnerny) to explore a series of complex issues. Those issues range from corporate power, animal rights, slavery and genocide to name but a few. The scenes of the Ood in the container and the unprocessed Ood in captivity are but two examples of this. The point though is made by the Doctor's response to Donna saying that she doesn't have slaves: "Who do you think made your clothes?" It's a bit heavy handed at times perhaps, but Temple's script makes its points effectively.
It's helped by the rest of the production as well. Graham Harper's direction shines throughout, especially in the dialogue scenes, showing that Harper is far more than an action director. There's also a standout performance from Catherine Tate, who is given a chance to let her acting abilities shine as Donna comes to term with how the Ood are being treated. Last but not least is Murray Gold's haunting "Songs of Captivity and Freedom" which underscores both the sadness of the Ood's captivity and the joy of their freedom.
Not that this episode is perfect. This episode has one big flaw: the quality of its CGI. From the rocket seen early on in the episode to the claw at the center of one of the action sequences to the object at the center of the finale, this particular episode is blessed with some of the most noticeable CGI produced for the revived series of Who. Perhaps it is noticeable as a result of the high quality of effects elsewhere in the new series, but the CGI occasionally distracts from an otherwise top-notch episode.
Looking past the issue I had with this episode in 2008, I've found a lot to like about this episode. It's an episode that's well written, well directed, nicely acted and features one of the best pieces of music yet produced for the new series. It also does what all great Doctor Who is capable of: entertaining its audience, but also making it think.