Russell T Davies's episode guide - Radio Times, April 2007

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Russell T Davies's episode guide - Radio Times, April 2007

Doctor Who's chief writer tantalises fans by hinting at the excitement in store in series three.

Smith and Jones

"When we first introduced Rose [in 2005], we were introducing a whole new audience to the concepts of Doctor Who at the same time, so sci-fi events invaded her life gradually over her first episode. With Martha, it's the opposite - she's thrown straight in at the deep end, away from Earth, surrounded by aliens and struggling to save the lives of everyone around her."

The Shakespeare Code

"With any new companion, it's important to show them the sheer range and breadth of the Doctor's life, so we've taken [Martha] back to 1599, when Shakespeare's at the height of his powers.

"I think this might be our most lavish production yet. We try to film in and around Cardiff, but there aren't many Elizabethan settings around here, so the team had to travel to Warwick, Coventry and to [London's Globe Theatre] for some magnificent location filming."

Gridlock

"The Tardis returns to the year five billion, on the planet New Earth, where the Doctor and Rose last fought off cat-nurse nuns and zombie patients. It's a bit like the Doctor taking Martha to places where he took his ex - which Martha soon notices!

"I love these futuristic, far-off adventures because it's a chance to see every single design department working at full tilt, all creating an extraordinary and deadly world."

Daleks in Manhattan/Evolution of the Daleks

"Sometimes I give writers a shopping list of elements, and this was the barmiest one yet: 1930s New York, Pig Men, sewers, showgirls and the Empire State Building. Oh yes, and Daleks, too. Make a story out of that!

"Helen [Raynor has] done a brilliant job, combining the Depression with the Daleks' desperation to survive and adding a good bit of The Island of Dr Moreau. Not to mention Frankenstein! Be prepared to see the Daleks as you've never seen them before."

The Lazarus Experiment

"Marvel Comics! That's what I said to [writer] Stephen Greenhorn. Give us a good old mad scientist, with an experiment going wrong, and an outrageous supervillain on the loose.

"The episode also marks a return to modern-day Earth and a chance to find out what's been happening to Martha's family in her absence. With every series, we've woven in a small linking theme, which gradually builds to the series climax. This time, pay attention to the enigmatic paymaster of Professor Lazarus as a trap plotted across the whole of time and space begins to close…"

42

"The 42nd century, a spaceship in a far-flung galaxy, saboteurs at work, crew members possessed, and the terrifying catchphrase 'Burn with me'."

Human Nature/The Family of Blood

"A very different sort of story - though still with monsters and scares galore! But when you've got David Tennant as your lead actor, then you want to write stories that push the Doctor into completely new territory."

Blink

"To be honest, Doctor Who rarely scares me, because I've seen all the behind-the-scenes prosthetics and computer trickery, and I've lived with the scripts for months. But when I watch this episode - I'm not kidding - I'm scared to death!"

Utopia

"Jack's back! As John Barrowman's Captain Jack Harkness comes storming back on board it's time for the Tardis's wildest ride yet! It hurtles out of control, taking the crew to the distant planet Malcassairo, where a lonely and patient professor is giving his all to save his people from extinction."

The Sound of Drums/Last of the Time Lords

"The season finale! And the trap closes, as the Doctor, Martha and Captain Jack find themselves in a desperate fight for survival. "Who are the Toclafane? What is the power of Archangel? And what terrible secrets are stored at the heart of the Valiant? It's an epic and heartbreaking story, as the Doctor faces his greatest enemy yet."

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Now take a look at our full Doctor Who guide.

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