The Sontaran Stratagem
- Episode aired May 16, 2008
- TV-PG
- 45m
IMDb RATING
7.4/10
6.8K
YOUR RATING
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.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.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.
Rupert Holliday-Evans
- Colonel Mace
- (as Rupert Holliday Evans)
Radoslaw Kaim
- Worker
- (as Rad Kaim)
Elizabeth Rider
- Atmos Voice
- (voice)
- (as Elizabeth Ryder)
David A. Bowen
- UNIT Soldier
- (uncredited)
Jon Davey
- Worker in Corridor
- (uncredited)
Marcus Elliot
- HQ Soldier
- (uncredited)
- Director
- Writers
- Helen Raynor
- Robert Holmes
- Sydney Newman(uncredited)
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaThe original Doctor Who (1963) presented conflicting evidence about when the UNIT stories were meant to take place, and there has been much confusion and continuing fan debate on this subject. The production team never reached consensus as to whether the UNIT stories took place in the "present" (1960s-70s) or the "near future" (1970s-80s). The Doctor references this confusion when he says he was on the UNIT staff "in the 1970s, or was it the 80s?"
- GoofsGuns are prevented from firing by a field that expands the bullets' copper jackets. This would not stop the firing pin from detonating the gunpowder. Yet several people pull the trigger on their weapons with no explosion.
- Quotes
General Staal: An intruder!
The Doctor: An intruder? How'd he get in? Intruder window.
- ConnectionsFeatured in Doctor Who Confidential: Send in the Clones (2008)
- SoundtracksDoctor Who Theme
(uncredited)
Written by Ron Grainer
Arranged by Murray Gold
Performed by BBC National Orchestra of Wales
Featured review
Space Lives of the Potato Men.
Having taken a little break from our rewatch run, in order to concentrate on the latest series, we return to rebooted Doctor's fourth season, for it's first two-part story. Oddly, that meant that I watched the Sontaran's return to the series, having just watched them successfully invade Earth some 13 years later.
Martha Jones, (Freema Agyeman) now a UNIT agent, recalls The Doctor (David Tennant) to Earth to help investigate a string of deaths linked to ATMOS, a newly released device that lowers car emissions to zero. Though the device is invented by teenage genius Luke Rattigan (Ryan Sampson) the Doctor firmly believes that the technology is too far advanced and must be alien in origin.
The Sontaran's are amongst the strangest of the Doctor's pantheon of villains. They do, as the show points out, look like a baked potato in a space suit. This is not to say that the effect isn't reasonably well realised here. Christopher Ryan and Dan Starkey, who play the principle two in this episode would go on to play various Sontarans whenever the characters appeared.
This episode is really the one to watch for actors who would make it in other shows. Ryan Sampson is now on "Brassic", Clive Standen would play a key role in "Vikings". The pre-credits scene even has an early death for "The Walking Dead's" Eleanor Matsuura. It's selling point though is probably the return of Martha, who gets to meet another companion, though she and Donna get on well - presumably as Donna hasn't any romantic feelings for The Doctor.
It's a two-part episode, so this is mostly set up for aspects to be paid off next time. There are some funny moments and a few other bits of silliness that let the episode down a little. It's not awful though.
Martha Jones, (Freema Agyeman) now a UNIT agent, recalls The Doctor (David Tennant) to Earth to help investigate a string of deaths linked to ATMOS, a newly released device that lowers car emissions to zero. Though the device is invented by teenage genius Luke Rattigan (Ryan Sampson) the Doctor firmly believes that the technology is too far advanced and must be alien in origin.
The Sontaran's are amongst the strangest of the Doctor's pantheon of villains. They do, as the show points out, look like a baked potato in a space suit. This is not to say that the effect isn't reasonably well realised here. Christopher Ryan and Dan Starkey, who play the principle two in this episode would go on to play various Sontarans whenever the characters appeared.
This episode is really the one to watch for actors who would make it in other shows. Ryan Sampson is now on "Brassic", Clive Standen would play a key role in "Vikings". The pre-credits scene even has an early death for "The Walking Dead's" Eleanor Matsuura. It's selling point though is probably the return of Martha, who gets to meet another companion, though she and Donna get on well - presumably as Donna hasn't any romantic feelings for The Doctor.
It's a two-part episode, so this is mostly set up for aspects to be paid off next time. There are some funny moments and a few other bits of silliness that let the episode down a little. It's not awful though.
helpful•10
- southdavid
- Dec 21, 2021
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Official sites
- Language
- Filming locations
- Margam Castle, Margam, Neath Port Talbot, Wales, UK(Rattigan Academy)
- Production company
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
- Runtime45 minutes
- Color
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