#PlanetOfTheOod is a great #DrWho story.

Part social commentary on slavery, part horror movie, it's also a very effective transitional episode for Donna who develops beyond the mouthy comic relief introduced two Christmas specials ago.

I remember being sceptical about Catherine Tate's return, and whilst the first two episodes of her series hadn't convinced me, this one completed her metamorphosis into a fully three dimensional character with compassion and intelligence that complemented rather than replaced the comedy aspect without jarring too hard against the Donna we'd encountered so far.

Tate and Tennant bounce off each other in a way which is fun and natural, and without out any of the "will they, won't they" suggestions of romance and snogginess that was close to becoming a trope at the time. Planet of the Ood follows on well from the previous episode, Fires of Pompeii, even though it may feel surprising to have two fairly deep episodes one after the other, with this one turning things darker too.

Donna Noble ended up working so surprisingly well as a character, even though she only stayed for a season, that Catherine Tate seems to have paved the way for an arguably ill-advised trend for bringing British comedians into the TARDIS that would kick off three Doctors later.

It's worth mentioning that Planet of the Ood also does a good job of developing the titular "monster", with the Ood having been introduced in the previous season's The Impossible Planet. It's not a given that the return of a race in Doctor Who leads to great stories (ref: the Weeping Angels).

#NewWho #DonnaNoble #DavidTennant #DoctorWho