"Doctor Who" The Sontaran Stratagem (2008)

User Rating:

7.5/10   

Director:

Douglas Mackinnon

Writers:

Helen Raynor (written by)
Robert Holmes (character: "The Sontarans")

TV Series:

"Doctor Who" (2005)

Original Air Date:

26 April 2008 (Season 4, Episode 4)

Genre:

Adventure | Drama | Sci-Fi

Plot:

UNIT's newest recruit Martha Jones enlists The Doctor's help to investigate kid genius Luke Rattigan and his ATMOS system that is used in every car on Earth. |

Plot Keywords:

Alien | Time Lord | Tardis | Companion | Doctor Who

Cast

David Tennant	...	The Doctor
Catherine Tate	...	Donna Noble
Freema Agyeman	...	Martha Jones
Bernard Cribbins	...	Wilfred Mott
Jacqueline King	...	Sylvia Noble
Ryan Sampson	...	Luke Rattigan
Christopher Ryan	...	General Staal
Clive Standen	...	Private Harris
Dan Starkey	...	Commander Skorr
Rupert Holliday-Evans	...	Colonel Mace (as Rupert Holliday Evans)
Eleanor Matsuura	...	Jo Nakashima
Wesley Theobald	...	Private Gray
Christian Cooke	...	Ross Jenkins
Radoslaw Kaim	...	Worker (as Rad Kaim)
Elizabeth Ryder	...	Atmos Voice (voice)

Runtime:

45 min | 45 min (50 episodes)

Certification:

UK:PG (DVD rating)

Filming Locations:

Margam Castle, Margam, Neath Port Talbot, Wales, UK

Company:

BBC Wales

Trivia:

This story marks the first appearance of the Sontarans in 23 years.

Quotes:

Donna Noble: Doctor.
The Doctor: Oh, just in time!
[grabs her hand; starts running toward the jeep, sounding excited]
The Doctor: Come on. Come on, we're going to the country. Fresh air and geniuses! What more could ask for?
Donna Noble: I'm not coming with you. I've been thinking... Sorry, I'm going home.
The Doctor: Really?
Donna Noble: I've got to.
The Doctor: [looking really disappointed] Well, if that's what you want. It's a bit soon. I had so many places I wanted to take you. The fifteenth broken moon of the Medusa Cascade, the lightning skies of Cotter Palluni's World, the diamond coral reefs of Kataa Flo Ko. Thank you. Thank you, Donna Noble, it's been brilliant. You've saved my life in so many ways. You're... you're just popping home for a visit, that's what you mean?
Donna Noble: [nods] You dumbo.
The Doctor: [looks and sounds embarrassed] And then you're coming back?
[...]

More Rubbish

I wasn't expecting much from this episode down to two reasons

1 ) It was written by Helen Raynor who was responsible for last season's Dalekrubbish

2 ) It contains Sontarans who to be honest don't deserve to be regarded as " Classic monsters "

I'll give Raynor some credit because she doesn't disappoint with this episode . I was expecting rubbish and I got rubbish so thank you for that Helen .If you'd been very ambitious you could have written an episode that could have lived down to my expectations but I think that would have been nigh on impossible

You get a feeling that Raynor is trying to market the show for an American teen audience . Daleks in New York with a subplot about a doomed romance would possibly appeal to an American market but the story lacked any sort of drama or indeed vermisilitude and Raynor does it again here . American boy genius Luke Rattigan might appeal to an American audience but I'm sure the average Brit would like to smack his smug face

As the story continues a die hard fan like myself finds himself questioning the continuity. Why is UNIT no longer a United Nations force ? while non fans are asking themselves if the Sontarans are a cloned race then why do they all look and sound different ? Perhaps the most important question is if DOCTOR WHO isn't a children's' show then why make 45 minutes of childish rubbish like this ?