4.3. Planet Of The Ood

Series 4 - 2008

Writer: Keith Temple
Produced by: Susie Liggat
Director: Graeme Harper
Music: Murray Gold

Synopsis

On the Ood-sphere a marketing campaign is being prepared for the Ood. When a Ood is asked to fetch a file it brings the wrong one. When confronted the Ood's eyes turn red and it attacks.

Donna is excited when the TARDIS lands on a new planet. When she steps outside she gets a shock when she sees a snow covered world. Being dressed in a sleeveless top her first task is to find a coat.

Mr. Halpen arrives to investigate the problem with the Ood. Along with a scientist, Doctor Ryder, they come to the conclusion that it is Red Eye, an infection that affects the Ood.

On the surface of the planet the Doctor can hear a strange song - Ood telepathy - and comes across an Ood lying on the ground. The Doctor tries to help, but doesn't even know where the heart is. It's last words are "The Circle must be broken". Suddenly the Ood's eye's turn red and it sits up, before falling back dead.

The Doctor and Donna join a party about to enter Ood Operations for Ood marketing. As they enter alarms start and troops are called. At the same tine Solana, a marketing executive, starts talking about the Ood troops round up a rabid Ood infected with Red Eye.

Solana talks about the different options when buying an Ood, including male and female voices. The Doctor uses some of equipment and realises he has been there once before - when the planet was called the Sensosphere. The Doctor discovers the locations of other Ood distribution centres. Like Rose, Donna does not fully understand why the Ood are just servants, and tries to learn more about them.

The Doctor finds a map of the Ood Operations complex, and he and Donna decide to investigate further.

Halpen sees the rabid captured Ood and orders an autopsy; which means it must be dead first.

Outside the Doctor and Donna see a large number of Ood being marched along whilst a guard cracks a whip. The Doctor and Donna are appalled at the way they are being treated. After events on the Impossible Planet the Doctor feels he owes them one.

Halpen and Doctor Ryder enter warehouse 15. Whilst there Halpen is told of the Doctor and Donna's disappearance.

The Doctor and Donna make their way into another warehouse where there are shipping containers, each containing up to a hundred Ood. The Doctor mentions the Circle, and the Ood all reply "The Circle must be broken". Soldiers discover the Doctor and Donna and raise the alarms. They catch Donna and shove her into a container half full of Ood. The Ood have Red Eye

Meanwhile the Doctor is being chased by a mechnical claw controlled by one of the guards. He is captured, and Donna is released from her container. The Ood also leave the container and kill the soldiers.

After the Doctor and Donna escape Solana tells Halpen that the Doctor and Donna are on their way to Ood conversion. The Doctor uses the sonic screwdriver to break in to Ood conversion and seal the lock afterwards. Inside the Doctor can hear the Ood singing. Turning on the lights they find unprocessed Ood cowering inside a cage.

Halpen and Ryder order a soldier to get some bolt cutters to get into the Ood conversion, whilst the Doctor opens the Ood cage to talk to them. The Doctor discovers the truth about the Ood: The Ood are born with a second brain. To make the Ood servants the company removes the second brain and grafts on the translator.

Halpen captures the Doctor and Donna and takes them back to Ood Operations. Donna is disgusted at the way the Ood are being treated, and Halpen tells the Doctor that they have a rogue batch, and that the rogue Ood are to be gassed.

In one of the warehouses the Ood with Red Eye contact the other Ood, and all the Ood start to rampage, killing guests. When Halpen hears alarms he goes outside to see soldiers killing Red Eye Ood.

Halpen and Ryder leave the Doctor and Donna to the Ood whilst they make their way to warehouse 15. Ood enter Ood Operations and advance on the Doctor. The unprocessed Ood contact these Ood, and the Doctor and Donna are recognised as friends. They are freed by the Ood, and they follow Halpen and Ryder.

Inside warehouse 15 Halpen shows the scientist some explosive charges, and they set about mining an area that contains a huge Ood brain that is contained within an electrical field that dampens the telepathic field. Halpen draws a gun on the Doctor and Donna, but an uninfected Ood offers him a drink.

All the time Halpen had been worried about hair loss, and regularly drank hair tonic. However, the Ood had been slowing lacing the drink with a compound that alters genetic structure. With Halpen's proximity to the Ood brain he begins to transform into an Ood.

The Doctor shuts down the electric field, and the Ood are freed. The message reaches out to the distribution centres to tell the Ood to return home.

Regular Cast

  • Donna Noble: Catherine Tate

Guest Cast

  • Mr Halpen: Tim McInnerny
  • Solana Mercurio: Ayesha Dharker
  • Dr Ryder: Adrian Rawlins
  • Commander Kess: Roger Griffiths
  • Mr Bartle: Paul Clayton
  • Ood Sigma: Paul Kasey
  • Rep: Tariq Jordan
  • Voice of the Ood: Silas Carson
Uncredited:
  • H Guards: Dennis Gregory, Richard Harris
  • Ood: Ruari Mears, Jon Davey, Andy Jones, Richard Tunesi, Adam Sweet, Scott Baker, Ian Hilditch, Iestyn Bryn Jones, Claudio Laurini, Joe White, Sean Saye, Mat Doman, Kevin Hudson, Jeremy Harvey, David Stock, Peter Symonds
  • Sales Rep no. 2: Tony Gibbons
  • Male Sales Reps: John Walker, Mark Cunningham, Ian Cunningham, Kwabena Amponsa, Rhys Thomas Oxenham, David Ulett, Shelby Williams, David Cordingley
  • Female Sales Reps: Emma Rogers, Jayne Lutwyche, Kenesha Brown, Helen Roberts
  • A Guards: Mike Freeman, Carl Watson, Andrew Mitchell, Geraint Jones, Eddy Martin
  • Guard: Gerard Morgan
  • K Guards: Marcus Hobbs, Nigel Hobbs, Jason Ingram, Luke Postians
  • Rabid Ood: Rauri Mears
  • A Guard: Mark Kelly
  • Natural Ood: Rauri Mears, Claudio Laurini, Richard Tunesi, Adam Sweet, Kevin Hudson, Jon Davey, Sean Saye, Peter Symonds, Mat Doman, Scott Baker, Jeremy Harvey
  • Stunt Double for Dr Ryder: James O'Dee
  • Double for Mr Halpen: Peter Chester

Original broadcast on the BBC

Channel Title Date Viewers Rating
BBC 1 3. Planet Of The Ood Saturday, 19 April 2008 18:20 - 19:05 7.3M 87

Click here to show repeat broadcasts on the BBC

Studios

  • Upper Boat Studios, Trefforest

Outside Locations

  • Aberthaw Cement Works, Barry
  • Hensol Castle, Hensol
  • Hynix Building, Celtic Way, Imperial Park, Newport
  • Johnsey Estates, Mamhilad Park Industrial Estate South, Pontypool
  • Trefil Quarry, Trefil, Tredegar, Gwent
  • Twin Peaks Hangar, DARA, RAF St Athan, Barry