"I can't think of any other show ^gjf% that could combine all these elements and still make sense" DAVID TENNANT A bus-smash in Dubai, an alien fly and Michelle Ryj in a catsuit - it's all go in the Doctors 200th story! Doctor Who time, they'll still remember 'the one with the 1* Saturday 6.45pm BBC1, BBC HD - and a red double-decker seems so Brit.! which is always one of Doctor Who's strengths! T'S SAFE TO say that of all the unfortunate "It's a barmy adventure," says David Tennant things that could happen to a film crew in sheltering from the sandstorm under a violently the desert, getting caught in a sandstorm flapping gazebo. "It's quite 'out there'. A Londl - rendering a whole day's footage practi­ bus in the middle of the desert kind of sets, cally unusable - would be one of the worst. tone. It's not a plot that ai. show could do. IIt's 12 February 2009, and the BBC crew filming It's very specifically a Doctor Who story. I can't this year's Doctor Who Easter special, Planet of think of any other show that could combine al the Dead, is experiencing the worst sandstorm to these elements and still make sense!" hit Dubai since last September. But that's the The production team's first hurdle was to g least of their recent problems... the bus into the desert. "We'd always looked at It all began with a red London bus. "That bus going abroad," explains producer Trade Simpson. was the starting point for the story," says Russell "A beach in Wales, especially in February, would T Davies, Who supremo and, with Gareth have just looked like, well, a beach in Wales. Roberts, co-writer of this episode. "A bunch of "But Dubai looks beautiful. There was talk of everyday commuters stranded on an alien world. airlifting the bus in, but it's too heavy, so we I wanted big pictures, vivid images, something decided to ship it instead. It takes five weeks* that would burn into kids' minds. In 60 years' get a bus from Cardiff to Dubai, so it set off in > < plenty of time, and it arrived WELL, IT'S NOT CROMER safely, no problems. And then, a The Marqham Desert, an hour's drive from Dubai City, is a perfect filming week before we started filming the location for David Tennant and Michelle Ryan - despite sandstorms ipisode, a crane dropped a cargo lontainer on it, crushing our bus!" The temptation must have been to sink your head into your hands weep. "Oh, on several occa­ sions," admits Simpson. "For hours. But I'm cushioned by a brilliant team. We set up a crisis meeting. Russell was fantastic. In the end, it couldn't have been more advanta- g»us, because he tweaked the script to explain away the damage - and it looks fantastic. A smashed-up bus looks much more impressive." ACK IN THE desert, Tennant's hair has turned blond from the sand, which is choking, clogging and sticking to leverythingB. ("I spy with my little |eye," he jokes, "something beginning jwith S!") The crew has only three |days of filming in Dubai; this is the st. Thousands of miles away Cardiff, Davies is frantically rewriting the script, cutting scenes, relocating others, lest the bad ither continues, GRITTY PERFORMANCE WHAT? WHAT! WHAT!? e director, James Strong, looks "I thought the sandstorm was great," says Michelle Ryan, As a camera crane closes in on David Tennant, the extent stoical after years filming on the Albert Sguare backlot of the damage to the double-decker becomes apparent like he doesn't know whether to I laugh or cry. "This is ridiculous," he Christina, I love extremes. This girl seems to be having fun. She loves all I've ever tried to be, but I guess I says. "At this rate, we'll be here for is me! On EastEnders [Ryan played the throwing-yourself-around stuff, being curvy, you put on certain j another week!" Zoe Slater, 2000-05], we just had which I get to do hardly any of in clothes and they cling and it's inevi­ "Now I know what the Egyptians to keep going when things went this episode, for a change. It's all table. When I put on the catsuit, the had to put up with when they built wrong, so I'm used to it. On Doctor given to somebody else, so thank costume girls were like, Wow!' Even the Pyramids," says make-up Who, when they saw our hair blow­ goodness it's somebody who's enjoy­ Russell said, 'Well, the boys are designer Steve Smith. ing in our faces and sand in our eyes ing it." And he gonna have "At least they were on schedule," and teeth, no-one seriously consid­ must have fun!' It's part of deadpans Simpson. ered stopping. It's really one of the noticed, she "Like Christina, who Christina Standing amid the chaos, as sand best productions I've worked on. looks great in a is, but she ars around her, is ex-EastEnder Even when there were rewrites, no- catsuit! "She I love extremes. doesn't pose or id sometime Bionic Woman one made a fuss. And David is so looks sensa­ pout. And you kMichelle Ryan, ice cool and drop- brilliant as a leading man - he keeps tional, yeah. This girl is me!" know what? By things light and free." the end of the dead sleek in a black catsuit. For There aren't MICHELLE RYAN this episode only, she plays the "She's very easy-going," says many people . shoot, I guess Doctor's companion, international Tennant of Ryan, "Considering all who could fill there were woman of mystery - and part-time the things she's achieved and places a catsuit as well - and she does moments when I thought, 'Yeah, I jewel thief - Lady Christina de she's been - she's been to Hollywood it with great ease and elegance. do feel sexy.' That normally never Souza. And she's loving it! and back - she's untouched by She's terrific." happens. Not for me. I've never "I was probably the only one who pretension or actor's lunacy, which "I don't find myself particularly really felt sexy before. As I'm getting thought the sandstorm was great," others in her position might be. sexy," says Ryan, when RT asks her older [she's 24], maybe I'm becom­ she laughs, half-guiltily. "Like She's a delight to have around, and about the catsuit. "It's not something ing more comfortable with it. D> BAI DECKER ! bus is No 200 to mark what ebatably the Doctor's 200th y. "It depends how you count n, doesn't it?" says David nant. "It's nice to be around r these landmarks. Maybe we uld have called the story (Mighty 200. You'll see I when you watch it" Insect asides There's a new monster in town, but it's not the first insectoid life-form the Doctor has encountered Giant Ants (Planet of Giants 1964) The very first Tardis crew were miniaturised in an English garden - fortunately, the giant ants, worm and fly they discovered had succumbed to insecticide. Zarbietal (The Web Planet 1965) The Zarbi were simple-minded pantomime ants who shared planet Vortis with the butterfly/bee < I don't know if 'embrace' is the Hamlet with the RSC, to great Menoptra. "We overstretched our right word." Does she get to keep the acclaim. It's the first of his final four resources," confessed then-story catsuit? "Actually, I have asked if outings as the Doctor, before Matt editor Dennis Spooner. (Check out RT's complete guide to I can have the leather boots," Smith takes over the role in 2010. First Doctor William Hartnell at she grins. "And I really like the "Next week, we have the read- radiotimes.com/first-doctor) sunglasses, because I helped choose through for the next episode back in those, so who knows?" Cardiff," says Tennant, "which will go out... well, some time towards Mutts (The Mutants 1972) HE NEXT DAY, David the end of the year. That story really Third Doctor Jon Pertwee encountered these Tennant is in reflective is the beginning of the end, but pincered, exoskeleton-covered creatures. mood. "Yesterday was Planet of the Dead could kind of They're mobile pupae, basically. grim," he says. "But that exist anywhere in the Doctor's lifespan. There's a little hint at the doesn't make me think Giant Maggots (The Green Death 1973) Till of the series. In fact, it makes me end of what's to come - an omen - Almost certainly the only Doctor Who monster realise how important it is to me, but this is an uninhibited romp. to be made from inflated condoms. One of the because I get quite frantic that we "When we start on the next script, maggots hatched out into a (short-lived) giant fly. might not get it done - the worry you can sense the bell tolling for the that we've come all this way Tenth Doctor. Something happens and structured in that one that Wirrn (The Ark in Space 1975) Described by Fourth Doctor Tom Baker as the whole fundamentally "gigantic sort of grasshoppers", they lay eggs story around alters who the in a living host. A Wirrn larva is green and this wonderful "This episode is Doctor is and made of bubblewrap.