I re-watched this the other day by way of a personal tribute to Elisabeth Sladen, who died last month, aged 63. It was the penultimate story of Season 4, and, like previous 'episode twelves', served as a lead-in to the season finale. 'Turn Left' ended with the Doctor receiving an ominous warning from ex-companion Rose Tyler ( Billie Piper ). On Earth, with Donna ( Catherine Tate ) in tow, he is relieved to find everything normal - it is Saturday, and a milkman is on his rounds. No sooner are the time travellers back in the TARDIS then the ground starts to shake. When the Doctor next opens the doors, the Earth has gone! Sarah Jane ( Sladen ), Luke ( Tommy Knight ), Captain Jack Harkness ( John Barrowman ), Gwen Cooper ( Eve Myles ) Ianto ( Gareth David-Lloyd ), Martha Jones ( Freema Agyeman ) are all at different parts of the globe when this strange phenomenon occurs. The morning has become night, and suspended in the sky like giant Maltesers are 26 planets! Panic sweeps the globe, and even Professor Richard Dawkins ( Lalla Ward's husband ) and Paul O'Grady are unable to calm everyone down.
Spaceships head towards Earth. Captain Jack and Sarah Jane hear a terrifying voice from the past: "Ex-term-inate! Ex-term-inate!". The Doctor goes to The Shadow Proclaimation - an intergalactic police force whose base is a space station - where he meets the Judoon ( last seen in 'Smith & Jones' ). The Shadow Architect tells the Doctor how planets have been vanishing from all over the universe, among them Pyroville and Adipose. The Doctor and Donna escape to The Medusa Cascade, a sort of Aurora Borealis in space. Even he looks bewildered at what is going on.
The Daleks show up in force, and we are treated to a thrilling invasion sequence, possibly the best ever done for the show, in which the metal meanies make mincemeat of Earth's defences, including the Valiant ( so that's where the budget for 'Midnight' went! ). There is not much for the Doctor to do here, so he is kept away from the front line for much of the time. Ex-P.M. Harriet Jones ( Penelope Wilton ) uses the Sun-Ray Network to bring the Doctor's friends together. What a great moment it is too. By linking Martha's phone to the Torchwood time rift they are able to jolt the Doctor out of his reverie and bring him to where the Earth has been moved. Rose is around too, armed with a gun that Rambo would kill for. She and the Doctor clap eyes on each other for the first time since 'Doomsday', but their emotional reunion is cut short by a Dalek shooting the Doctor. Aboard the TARDIS, he starts to regenerate...
There was much press speculation as to whom the Doctor might become next. I wondered whether this was a cunning ploy on the part of Russell T.Davies to excuse Tennant from the season finale, just as he had been absent for much of 'Last Of The Time Lords'. As it turned out, it was a clever game of bluff. Tennant finally announced his departure from the role at the N.T.V. Awards later that year.
The story also saw the return of Davros, the Daleks' creator, now played by Julian Bleach. While not on a par with the original - the late Michael Wisher - he still outshone David Gooderson and Terry Molloy.
'The Stolen Earth' is big, bold and utterly bananas. I loved every explosive second. Both this and 'Journey's End' comprise a far more satisfying season finale than 'The Pandorica Opens/The Big Bang' which was too confusing to be really enjoyable. Though one of many characters, Sladen stood out. Her tear on hearing a Dalek voice for the first time in years was incredibly touching. Sladen took what was essentially a stock character and brought her to life. Those of us who grew up in the 70's watching her on Saturday nights on B.B.C.-1 owe her a real debt of gratitude. She was our Sarah Jane.
Spaceships head towards Earth. Captain Jack and Sarah Jane hear a terrifying voice from the past: "Ex-term-inate! Ex-term-inate!". The Doctor goes to The Shadow Proclaimation - an intergalactic police force whose base is a space station - where he meets the Judoon ( last seen in 'Smith & Jones' ). The Shadow Architect tells the Doctor how planets have been vanishing from all over the universe, among them Pyroville and Adipose. The Doctor and Donna escape to The Medusa Cascade, a sort of Aurora Borealis in space. Even he looks bewildered at what is going on.
The Daleks show up in force, and we are treated to a thrilling invasion sequence, possibly the best ever done for the show, in which the metal meanies make mincemeat of Earth's defences, including the Valiant ( so that's where the budget for 'Midnight' went! ). There is not much for the Doctor to do here, so he is kept away from the front line for much of the time. Ex-P.M. Harriet Jones ( Penelope Wilton ) uses the Sun-Ray Network to bring the Doctor's friends together. What a great moment it is too. By linking Martha's phone to the Torchwood time rift they are able to jolt the Doctor out of his reverie and bring him to where the Earth has been moved. Rose is around too, armed with a gun that Rambo would kill for. She and the Doctor clap eyes on each other for the first time since 'Doomsday', but their emotional reunion is cut short by a Dalek shooting the Doctor. Aboard the TARDIS, he starts to regenerate...
There was much press speculation as to whom the Doctor might become next. I wondered whether this was a cunning ploy on the part of Russell T.Davies to excuse Tennant from the season finale, just as he had been absent for much of 'Last Of The Time Lords'. As it turned out, it was a clever game of bluff. Tennant finally announced his departure from the role at the N.T.V. Awards later that year.
The story also saw the return of Davros, the Daleks' creator, now played by Julian Bleach. While not on a par with the original - the late Michael Wisher - he still outshone David Gooderson and Terry Molloy.
'The Stolen Earth' is big, bold and utterly bananas. I loved every explosive second. Both this and 'Journey's End' comprise a far more satisfying season finale than 'The Pandorica Opens/The Big Bang' which was too confusing to be really enjoyable. Though one of many characters, Sladen stood out. Her tear on hearing a Dalek voice for the first time in years was incredibly touching. Sladen took what was essentially a stock character and brought her to life. Those of us who grew up in the 70's watching her on Saturday nights on B.B.C.-1 owe her a real debt of gratitude. She was our Sarah Jane.