N.B. there might (or might not) be spoilers in this article!

I must admit to having not seen Hitchcock’s Lifeboat, but if it’s as effective a chiller as Russell T Davies’ oft-said-to-be-inspired-by-it Midnight, I suppose I really ought to seek it out.

“Taking a big space truck with a bunch of strangers across a diamond planet called Midnight? What could possibly go wrong?”

The Doctor, Midnight

Although, if the Wikipedia entry for Midnight is to be believed, it was Star Trek: The Next Generation episode Darmok that was RTD’s inspiration!

Still, whether the inspiration was Hitchcock or Star Trek, explorations of how human behaviour can degenerate rapidly when trapped and in a state of increasing fear and panic are nothing new — from Lord of the Flies to Under the Dome and much inbetween, before and since, it makes for an excellent premise –– and RTD doesn’t let us down, aided by an excellent cast, of which Lesley Sharp as Sky Silvestry is the obvious standout.

It’s a Donna-lite episode. I can’t remember if this was by design or necessity (probably the latter, given the next episode is, as I recall, Doctor-lite), so the spotlight is firmly on the boy Tennant, who again delivers in spades.

Midnight is also clearly the low-budget episode for the season, showing for the umpteenth again you don’t need to throw silly money at Doctor Who. As long you have a good script and the talent to match, you’ll be fine!

All-in-all, something of a hidden gem.